GIS-based comparative analysis of lineament extraction by using different azimuth angles: a case study of Mula river basin, Maharashtra, India

The present study reveals the geological fracture line of the earth surface of the Mula catchment area with the help of remote sensing and GIS techniques. In this paper, a comparative analysis of lineament extraction is carried out by using different DEM data like Cartosat, Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), ALOS (Advanced Land Observing Satellite) PALSAR (Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar), JAXA’s (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM). Lineaments were extracted from each DEM data, to recognize which DEM data is accurately showcasing the extracted lineaments. From the analysis, it is found that the highest number of lineaments can be extracted from ALOS PALSAR DEM data having a resolution of 12.5 m, whereas comparing the other four datasets having a resolution of 30 m, it is found that the lineament features extracted using Cartosat DEM are more accurate. The results of this study recommend that ALOS PALSAR and Cartosat DEM data should be used for the extraction of lineaments and can be used for the Indian region as it layouts definite geological information. The result is analyzed with the help of a rosette diagram showing flow direction and azimuth angle for all DEM from 0 to 315° at an interval of 45°. The study area shows major direction is NW–SE. More lineaments are seen in the source region and formed as rills and gullies. The geological analysis of lineament is helpful to study the groundwater permeability tectonic evolution etc.