579 
Symposium on Remote Sensing for Resources Development and Environmental Management / Enschede / August 1986 
Geological analysis of the satellite lineaments 
of the Vistula Delta Plain, Zulawy Wislane, Poland 
Barbara Daniel Danielska & Stanislaw Kibitlewski 
Photogeological Department, Geological Institute, Warsaw, Poland 
Andrzej Sadurski 
Hydrotechnics Department, Technical University, Gdansk, Poland 
ABSTRACT: Regular pattern of Landsat lineaments is observed in the Vistula Delta Plain,North Poland. Geological 
interpretation of the lineaments was carried out using visual, analog and statistical methods. The results show 
that lineaments should be understood as traces of buried disjunctive structures of Upper Cretaceous brittle 
rocks underlying there the soft and loose Cainozoio sediments. The data obtained from remote sensing materials 
enable a re-interpretation of the geological model of the terrain and an improvement of the knowledge on teoto- 
nic character of peri-Baltic syneolize as well. 
i INTRODUCTION 
The numerous lineaments of a different character might 
be observed in the Landsat satellite images in the 
area of the Vistula Delta Plain /Zulawy Wig lane/ i.e. 
in the mouth region of Vistula river, northern Poland 
/Fig.l/. 
4 00Z02-098 
Figure i. Scene: E-30433-09081 MSS-5,12 May 1979. In 
vestigated area and image position are marked. 
Some of the notioed lineaments are due to the human 
impact /oanals,dams, embankments, roads, railways 
eto./ and were eliminated from the further discussion. 
The other ones, however, seem to be traces of the fea 
tures of the inner structure, at least sub-Holooene 
ones. In contrary to the adjacent morainio plateaux 
the area of Vistula Delta Plain represents a flat, 
lithologioally monotonous deltaio region with homo 
geneous relief, structure and lithology of Quaternary 
sediments and shows different vegetation cover. In the 
satellite images some regional lineaments might be no 
tioed, which continuously and with no ohange of direc 
tion cut different geomorphological units as - from 
the west to the east - Kashubian morainic plateau, 
Vistula Delta Plain and Elblf^g morainio plateau. It 
suggests therefore, that they reflect even deeper ele 
ments than those of Quaternary, or even Tertiary 
series, also in respect to the area of Zulawy them 
selves. 
The hitherto recognition of inner structure of peri- 
-Baltic syneolise, the unit containing Vistula Delta 
Plain, has been based only on a small number of deep 
boreholes. The near-surface geological structure, how 
ever, seems to be better reoognized due to the numer 
ous although not deep and dispersed boreholes done 
mainly to the hydrogeologioal purposes. Many geologi 
cal problems remain unsolved, in this number - those 
of Quaternary deposits, teotonio pattern of Cretaceous 
and the whole Permian-Mesozoio series and Palaeozoio 
one. 
The geologioal significance of the remote sensing 
materials interpretation has been reoently more and 
more often confirmed by the results of the standard 
methods. It seems, therefore, reasonable to introduce 
this aspect of modem geologioal mapping to the geo 
logioal recognition of the Vistula Delta Plain. 
The photogeologloal interpretation applied to the 
area of Zulawy Wislane is aimed at a characteristics 
of lineaments observed in Landsat images, as well as 
on explanation of their origin and geologioal signi- 
cance. 
2 METHODS USED 
Photogeologloal interpretation based on Landsat imar- 
ges was done, namely soenes: E-2230-09063, E-02031- 
09021, E-02643-08513, E-21165-08355, E-3043>-09081. 
They were analysed visually and with application of 
analog device /lx/, simultaneously by two persons 
/in aim to get the higher credibility of interpretar- 
tion data/. An interpretation soetoh was oompared with 
the known surfaoe elements of the geological structu 
re /i.e. geologioal maps 1:200 000/, Since no relation 
between these elements and features under interpreta 
tion /as: tones, oolours, structure and texture of the 
image/ has been found, the further work was concentra 
ted on the recognition of the lineaments. 
The lineaments display a distinot regularity, con 
tinuity and ordering /the last fact confirmed also by 
the statistical analysis results - Sadurski,Kibitlew 
ski, Daniel-Danielska-in print/. 
A map of lineaments pattern was compiled taking 
their visibility as the only the interpretation crite 
rion into aooount. Suoh the pattern wets geologically 
analysed and interpreted in relation to the existing 
geologioal materials including the results of the new 
est hydrogeologioal boreholes /Fig.3/. Most of them 
reaoh a top surfaoe or uppermost strata of Cretaoeous 
sediments. 
Numerous geologioal oross-sectlons of the sediments 
building the delta plain unit were prepared. Interre 
lations between llthologioal and/or genetioal boundar 
ies and distribution of the lineaments along the 
oross-section lines were studied, as well.