AUTOMATIC EXTRACTION OF LINEAMENTS IN GROUNDWATER EXPLORATION: A CASE STUDY OF METASEDIMENTARY AQUIFERS OF THE CENTRAL-NORTHERN CHAPADA DIAMANTINA
Hydrogeological prospecting; structural lineaments; remote sensing
In today's globalized world, the study of groundwater is increasingly important as an instrument capable of providing a solution to water problems associated with the continuity of human activities. In this sense, groundwater exploration and assessment techniques are always under development, aiming to increase assertiveness in the location of tubular wells and the subsequent increase in exploited flows. Therefore, this work aims to evaluate the techniques of automatic extraction of structural lines and the possibilities of application in hydrogeological prospecting. The development of this work was based on a bibliographic survey in various sources. The techniques of automatic extraction of lineaments consist of the identification and vectorization of linear features in remote sensing products (i.e., satellite images, geophysical data, etc.) pre-processed. Processing takes place using algorithms, through edge detection, thresholding and curve extraction. The resulting lineaments can be used in the characterization and prospecting of fissural aquifers. Therefore, it is possible to perform a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the extracted lines and the possible relationships with hydrogeological parameters (i.e., flow, specific capacity, etc.). It is also possible to perform a multicriteria analysis in a GIS environment between the lineaments and other factors (i.e., lithology, drainage, geomorphology, relief, etc.) always aiming at the identification of areas suitable for the location of tubular wells. Finally, it is concluded that the use of automatic extraction of lineaments in hydrogeological prospecting has great potential for improving productivity in the location of tubular wells, especially in the northeastern semiarid, where fissural aquifers predominate.