Topography and Lineaments of central Basin of Congo or Zaire



This map is based DEM data from the USGS and from Radar data from the JPL Tropical web page. The smooth encompassing double represents the outline of the central basin of Zaire. Superimposed on the DEM topography are several types of lineaments. The more numerous thin black lines include lineaments interpreted from various versions of DEM displays and from radar displays often enhanced in contrast and tone. The yellow dashed lines are what I call "long" lineaments these are interpreted from the aggregate of all interpretation to be through-going planes of weakness, often having late movement. The blue green lines are interpreted from the geologic map unit distribution, and as such may play an important role in projection/prediction of the sub-surface infrastructure of the Basin. The thick dashed red line interpretation from study of the topography topographic profiles of the Basin.

The coloring of the DEM data is idiosyncratic to me, in that I use the intervening layers of "white" to enhance the shading from oblique illumination. In order to interpret the DEM lineaments I have probably shaded and colored the DEM data in twenty or more different ways. Therefore one should consider the black DEM lineament interpretation as " pushed". However, there is enough correspondence between the DEM data and the radar data that I "feel" pretty good about the lineaments interpretations presented. After accumulating lineaments I make an effort to look for through going or longer features. I have mapped these in yellow. These throught-going features often result from an aggregate of smaller features that do not necessarily strike in the same direction as the through-going features.

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