REGIONAL LINEAMENT ANALYSIS FOR SOUTH CAROLINA USING SMALL SCALE GIS-BASED DATA

Lineament analysis is the identification of linearly organized elements of the natural landscape. Lineaments identified on remote-sensing data or within a GIS analysis may be an expression of the subsurface structure of the earth on the geomorphology and resulting landscapes. Geologists have generally considered the information gained from lineaments as equally weighted regardless of their appearances in the data set(s) being used (a lineament is a lineament). The use of multiple data sets in the identification and analysis of lineaments is rarely employed, since most geologists work with either Remote Sensing data or GIS data but do not often integrate both types. The ability to tell natural features from manmade ones is facilitated by the use of multiple data sets. This study looks at the use of public domain small scale GIS-based data for lineament analysis. The use of readily available hydrologic maps (Hydrography and 14-digit watershed maps) and elevation data sets has yielded maps that directly relate to both sub-surface structures as well as information on the geomorphic development of coastal South Carolina.