Geological Information from Satellite Surveys of the Mediterranean Region

Abstract

Satellite imagery has provided a powerful new tool for research dealing with the geological evolution of the Mediterranean region. Lineaments identified on satellite images illustrate the existence of all classes of brittle fractures in the upper crust. Lineament patterns suggest the tectonic patterns for a given region, but it is necessary to "field check" any area for which lineament maps are prepared. It is critical that such studies be carried out within known morphotectonic regions or smaller domains in which geologic parameters are similar. Lineament orientation, shape and length provide important information about the direction and nature of the stress field at the time fracturing occurred and, hence, about the genesis and evolution of tectonic events. By analyzing lineament shape and length and developmg three kinds of histograms (frequency vs. length, frequency vs. azimuth, and vs. azimuth) and relating the results to known geological and geophysical data, it is possible to enhance one's understanding of the tectonic evolution of specific areas. Examples of lineament analysis discussed in this paper (Crete, Balkans, Dinarides, Aegean Basin, Alboran Basin, and Tunisia) lead to the conclusion that a north-south compressional phase in the Paleogene was followed by a late and post-Miocene tensional phase, resulting in profound crustal foundering of many basins in the Mediterranean region-precluding extensive horizontal movement of lithospheric plates during that time.