Data acquisition by digitizing 2-D fracture networks and topographic lineaments in geographic information systems: further development and applications
<p>Understanding the impact of fracture networks on rock mass properties is an essential part of a wide range of applications in geosciences from understanding permeability of groundwater aquifers and hydrocarbon reservoirs to erodibility properties and slope stability of rock masses for geote...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2020-09-01
|
| Series: | Solid Earth |
| Online Access: | https://se.copernicus.org/articles/11/1731/2020/se-11-1731-2020.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>Understanding the impact of fracture networks on rock mass properties
is an essential part of a wide range of applications in geosciences
from understanding permeability of groundwater aquifers and
hydrocarbon reservoirs to erodibility properties and slope stability
of rock masses for geotechnical engineering. However, gathering high-quality, oriented-fracture datasets in the field can be difficult and
time-consuming, for example, due to constraints on field work time or
access (e.g. cliffs). Therefore, a method for obtaining accurate,
quantitative fracture data from photographs is a significant
benefit. In this paper we describe a method for generating a series of
digital fracture traces in a geographic information system (GIS) environment, in which spatial analysis
of a fracture network can be carried out. The method is not meant to
replace the gathering of data in the field but to be used in
conjunction with it, and it is well suited when field work time is limited or
when the section cannot be accessed directly. The basis of the method
is the generation of the vector dataset (shapefile) of a fracture
network from a georeferenced photograph of an outcrop in a GIS
environment. From that shapefile, key parameters such as fracture
density and orientation can be calculated. Furthermore, in the
GIS environment more complex spatial calculations and graphical plots
can be carried out such as heat maps of fracture density. Advantages
and limitations compared to other fracture network capture methods are
discussed.</p> |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1869-9510 1869-9529 |