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.
