Estimating three-dimensional rock discontinuity orientation from digital images of fracture traces

Estimating three-dimensional rock discontinuity orientation from digital images of fracture traces

This paper describes a computer approach that has been developed for estimating three-dimensional fracture orientations from two-dimensional fracture trace information gathered from digital images of exposed rock faces. The approach assumes that the fractures occur in sets, and that each set can be...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Computers & geosciences Vol. 29; no. 1; pp. 65 - 77
Main Authors: Kemeny, John, Post, Randy
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-02-2003
Elsevier Science
Subjects:
Digital image processing
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Fisher distribution
Fracture traces
Genetic algorithm
Joint orientation
Joint set
Rock discontinuity
Rock fractures
Tectonics. Structural geology. Plate tectonics
Joint orientation
Fisher distribution
Rock fractures
Genetic algorithm
Fracture traces
Rock discontinuity
Joint set
Digital image processing
orientation
computer programs
outcrops
digitization
joints
imagery
three-dimensional models
data processing
discontinuities
distribution
fractures
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Summary:This paper describes a computer approach that has been developed for estimating three-dimensional fracture orientations from two-dimensional fracture trace information gathered from digital images of exposed rock faces. The approach assumes that the fractures occur in sets, and that each set can be described by a mean orientation and a measure of the scatter about the mean. Mathematical relationships are developed that relate the 3D fracture properties with the trace angles that would be measured on one or more rock faces. These algorithms are used in conjunction with a genetic algorithm to invert the trace angles to estimate 3D joint orientation. A number of case studies have been conducted indicating a great potential for the technique.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
content type line 23
ISSN:0098-3004
1873-7803
DOI:10.1016/S0098-3004(02)00106-1