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Remotely sensed fracture patterns in Southwestern Saudi Arabia and qualitative analysis

Caractéristiques de la fracturation dans le Sud-ouest de l'Arabie Séoudite étudiées à partir d'images landsat

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Abstract

Remotely sensed fracture patterns from southwestern Saudi Arabia are quantified so as to provide some basic data for engineering and water resources structures in the area. For this purpose, fracture lengths, orientations, frequencies, regional fracture intesities and connected fracture patterns for groundwater movement from two perpendicular directions are either mapped or qualitatively explained. The area has significant permeability anisotropy. Various regional fracture pattern maps help to identify safe sites for engineering activities and potential groundwater recharge and movement. Necessary qualitative rock descriptions are proposed for any infrastructure construction in this area. It is observed that Landsat image processing provides a rather rapid and extremely economical preliminary solution compared to conventional fracture pattern assesment techniques.

Résumé

Les caractéristiques de la fracturation du Sud-Ouest de l'Arabie Séoudite sont quantifiées à l'aide d'images satellitaires, en vue de fournir des données de base pour l'aménagement et les ressources en eau. Les longueurs, orientations, fréquences des fractures régionales sont soit cartographiées soit explicitées qualitativement; elles sont distribuées selon deux directions perpendiculaires, et la zone étudiée présente une anisotropie significative sur le plan de la perméabilité. La cartographie des fracturations réalisée permet d'identifier d'une part les zones propices à la construction et d'autre part les zones de recharge des nappes souterraines. L'auteur propose également une description qualitative des roches. Le traitement de l'imagerie Landsat fournit une solution rapide et très économique par rapport aux techniques conventionnelles de définition de la fracturation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Earth Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 1744, 21441, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

    M. Y. H. T. Qari

  2. Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Technical University of Istambul, Maslak, 80262, Istanbul, Turkey

    Z. Sen

Authors
  1. M. Y. H. T. Qari
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  2. Z. Sen
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Qari, M.Y.H.T., Sen, Z. Remotely sensed fracture patterns in Southwestern Saudi Arabia and qualitative analysis. Bulletin of the International Association of Engineering Geology 49, 63–72 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02595002

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