Application of satellite imagery in tectonic interpretation

Abstract

The advabtages of remote sensing are widely used in geologic research. In Hungary, however, in the deep sedimentary basin and densely covered mountain areas, the methods which have been developed and which have led to significant result in arid and semiarid regions cannot be used effectively. In this case, our interest should be focused on detecting structural features instead of on lithologic discrimination. Consequently, this approach can be applied for only morphologically performed areas. A better understanding of the tectonics can be achieved by the evaluation of its morphological expressions. A block-shift method is described for the structural evaluation of linear features, and it is applied for one of the most controversial and least known tectonic units: the Mecsek Mts. (S-Hungary). This method is based on the calculation of several conditional frequencies of length, azimuth and shape for overlapping blocks. Our experience leads to the conclusion that the widely accepted East-West segmentation of the Mecsek Mts. should be changed. We have found an Eastern-Central-Western Mecsek structure which correlates well with some up-to-date geologic mapping results. The lithologic differences are enhanced by morphological and structural features. Besides its scientific achievements, the economic importance of this research is supported by the perspective of the utilization of non-renewable natural resources in the Mecsek Mts.