PHOTOLINEAMENTS AND REGIONAL JOINTS: LINEAMENT DENSITY AND TERRAIN PARAMETERS, SOUTH-CENTRAL ALBERTA.

This paper compares orientations of lineaments mapped on air photos with orientations of joints in bedrock for an area encompassing approximately 3000 km**2 in southern Alberta. Lineament density, expressed as number of lineaments per unit area, is compared with land use, drift thickness and surficial geology. With the availability of small-scale ERTS satellite imagery in 1973, the use of lineament studies to locate subsurface structures has gained in popularity. This use is based on the fundamental premise that lineaments are caused by fractures in bedrock propagated to the surface, rather than originating from glacial fluting, wind, human activity, or other causes. Lineaments are probably a surface reflection of bedrock joints, although the association is not proved. 12 refs.