Analysis of lineament of the region extending from Zliten to Al Khums
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59743/jbs.v39i1.341Keywords:
Remote sensing, analysis of lineament, satellite imagery, northwest LibyaAbstract
This study aimed to analyze linear faulting in the study area extending from Zliten to Al-Khums in northwestern Libya, covering an area of approximately 2425.19 square kilometers. The software programs Envi 5.3, ArcGIS 10.8, and PCI Geomatics were used, along with USGS Landsat 9 (OLI/TIRS) imagery of the study area and SRTM ASTER digital elevation model (DEM) files. Cloud-free images with a suitable spatial resolution (30 meters) were selected, and the analysis relied on statistical measurements of linear phenomena. The dominant patterns in the area were extracted and interpreted based on the influence of the major tectonic movements that the region experienced (Caledonian, Hercynian, and Alpine). The results showed that the northeast-southwest (NE-SW) trend was the most prevalent, accounting for 36.4% of the total faults (261 faults). The north-south (N-S) trend was the longest overall, accounting for 45.99% of the total length, although it shared 30.4% of the number of faults with the northwest-southeast (NW-SE) trend. The NW-SE trend's high number (30.4%) indicates the importance of oblique shear systems in the region. The east-west (E-W) trend was the least represented, contributing only 2.8% of the number and 0.656% of the length. The tectonic interpretation of the relationship between trends and geological movements showed the dominance of oblique (north-east-southwest and northwest-southeast) and longitudinal (north-south) trends, suggesting that the region's structural framework was formed primarily by late tectonic activity, specifically the Alpine movement, which reactivated and modified older structures.
Downloads
References
1] F. F. Sabins, Remote Sensing: Principles and Interpretation, 3rd ed. New York, NY, USA: Waveland Press, 1997.
[2] M. J. O’Leary, J. D. Friedman, and H. A. Pohn, “Lineament, linear, lineation: Some proposed new standards for old terms,” Geological Society of America Bulletin, vol. 87, pp. 1463–1469, 1976.
[3] S. A. Drury, Image Interpretation in Geology, 3rd ed. London, UK: Routledge, 2001.
[4] T. M. Lillesand, R. W. Kiefer, and J. W. Chipman, Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation, 7th ed. New York, NY, USA: Wiley, 2015.
[5] L. Q. Hung, O. Batelaan, and F. De Smedt, “Lineament extraction and analysis: Comparison of Landsat ETM+ and ASTER imagery—Case study: Suoimuoi tropical karst catchment, Vietnam,” Remote Sensing for Environmental Monitoring, GIS Applications, and Geology V, vol. 5983, pp. 182–193, 2005.
[6] A. Abdullah, M. Akhir, and M. Abdullah, “Automatic mapping of lineaments using shaded relief images derived from digital elevation model,” International Journal of the Physical Sciences, 2010.
[7] K. Mann, Geological Map of Libya, Explanatory Booklet Sheet Misuratah (NI 33-15). Tripoli, Libya: Industrial Research Center, 1975.
[8] Industrial Research Center (IRC), Geological Map of Libya, Al-Khums Sheet with Explanatory Booklet, Scale 1:250,000. Tripoli, Libya, 1975.
[9] M. J. Salem and M. T. Busrewil, The Geology of Libya, vols. 1–7. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier, 1992.
[10] A. El-Zouki et al., Geology of Libya. Tripoli, Libya: University of Libya Press, 1972.
[11] J. R. Jensen, Introductory Digital Image Processing: A Remote Sensing Perspective, 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA: Prentice Hall, 2016.
[12] M. Hashim, M. Ahmad, and A. Johari, “Automatic lineament extraction in a heavily vegetated region using Landsat ETM+ imagery,” Advances in Space Research, 2013.
[13] E. A. Keller and N. Pinter, Active Tectonics: Earthquakes, Uplift, and Landscape, 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA: Prentice Hall, 2002.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Basic Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
