Some Possibilities of Lineament Analysis in Mapping Faults of Different Ranks: Case Study of the Baikal Region

This article presents the results of a lineament analysis of the Baikal region (the southwestern part) using the methods of visually interpreting digital elevation models (DEMs), topographic maps with a scale of 1 : 100 000 and 1 : 25 000, and the formalized (computer) processing of space images and DEMs using the Lineament Extraction and Stripe Statistical Analysis (LESSA) software. The results of the visual and computer analysis of extended lineaments and statistical fields of small lineaments in digital images are compared in detail to the features of the fault-block structure within the Baikal region. We show the information value of the combination of used remote sensing methods of the study area in the mapping of faults of different ranks in regions characterized by different tectonic activity. Based on the results of the lineament analysis, we propose methods for processing remote sensing materials and topographic maps that make it possible to specify the position of faults of different ranks during the geological mapping of both geodynamically active areas (the Baikal rift system) and relatively stable areas (the Siberian platform). The main parameters of faults of different ranks are verified by field observations at key sites.