A Landsat TM Structural Interpretation of the South Munster Basin, Co. Cork

Abstract

The paper presents a structural interpretation of Landsat thematic-mapper imagery covering the South Munster Basin, carried out at 1:50,000 scale. The basin can be subdivided into four broadly N-S zones on the basis of the dominant lineation trends shown by rose diagrams of the fracture linears for each 10km x 10km square on the map. Comparison with field-derived fracture data reveals that, although the same fracture orientations are present in the data sets, there are marked differences in emphasis between them. These differences are thought to reflect a difference in scale of structures recorded by the two processes, together with a lack of joint-orientation measurements in the field-based data set. A number of major strike-oriented zones with closely spaced fractures are recognised, notably the ENE- or NE-oriented zones extending eastward from Bantry and Dunmanus bays and on the west side of Cork Harbour. The Glandore High, an area of reduced Dinantian stratigraphic thickness and regional structural culmination, is coincident with one of the N-S zones defined on the rose diagram map and may extend farther north than previously proposed. However, there is no clear expression of the important Cork-Kenmare facies line on the imagery.