Lineament Analysis in Limestone Outcrops and its Importance on Extraction Optimization  (Case Study: Ornamental Stone Quarries, Kerman)

Hamzeh, F; Shafiei Bafti, SH

doi:10.22071/gsj.2015.42190

Lineament Analysis in Limestone Outcrops and its Importance on Extraction Optimization (Case Study: Ornamental Stone Quarries, Kerman)

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

F Hamzeh ¹

SH Shafiei Bafti ²

¹ M.Sc., Department of Mining Engineering, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

² Assistant Professor, Department of Geology, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

10.22071/gsj.2015.42190

Abstract

One of the most basic problems in the exploration and extraction of the ornamental stones quarries is the recognition and modeling of the discontinuities. Generally, in the most of the ornamental stones quarries, analysis of the discontinuities is not considered. This study is dealt with the discontinuities analysis in the limestone outcrops. The Kerman ornamental stones quarries are located at the Cretaceous limestone. Geological study shows a development of lineaments due to effect of two faults systems. Normal faults have a dominated feature and cause an intensive fracturing in the ornamental stones quarries. In order to analysis of the lineaments, ETM⁺ image was filtered by use of ENVI software in the orientations of 45,90 and 315 degree and then with use of ArcMap software ,characteristics of discontinuities(e.g. orientation , length, intersection and number of lineaments) have identified in GIS, and map of lineaments density was prepared for each outcrop. The comparison of lineaments characteristic in GIS and field observation reveals a high coincidence between two method . The results of this study show an intensive fracturing in the outcrops. It is concluded that most of outcrops show a high risk for extraction.

Keywords

Analysis of Lineaments

Limestone outcrops

Kerman ornamental stones quarries