Remote sensing applied to geological, structural, and mass movements characterization in the connection between Curral Homocline and Moeda Syncline, Quadrilátero Ferrífero Region, Brazil

Abstract

Mass movements naturally occurring along slopes, especially after heavy rains, cause heavy losses of materials and life and affect highways, pipelines, and bridges, among other structures. Among the most common mass movements, landslides and subsequent mass flows especially stand out. Remote sensing and geoprocessing techniques are useful tools for geological and geotechnical analysis, here applied to characterization of mass movements from the analysis of the influence of slopes, lineaments or fractures, and geological-geotechnical at the junction of the Curral homocline and the Moeda syncline, Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Southeast Brazil. The area consists of Archean granitic-gneissic basement and the greenstone belt sequence of the Rio das Velhas Supergroup with Proterozoic metasedimentary rocks of the Minas Supergroup covering these two older successions. Based on satellite images, a preliminary map of lineaments was created, and fractures were grouped according to their direction before being rasterized. Each lineament group was associated with a previously known geological and/or structural feature. Geological units mapped in the area were numerically classified according to their mass movement susceptibility and related geotechnical units. Using a Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) image, a terrain slope raster was generated. The objective was to obtain a raster indicating low and high probabilities of mass movements. Four sets of lineaments were identified: the first set associated with the northeast strike stratification of the rocks of the Moeda Formation; the second set related to eastward-trending warp axis lineations; the third set related to the southeast trend of stretch lineaments or mafic dykes directions; and the fourth set evidently associated with the watershed pattern of the Curral Range crest, perpendicular to the strike of the rocks in the area. Simulations with different combinations of parameters produced eight scenarios were generated were constructed to classify the area as to its susceptibility to rupture through changes in slope, lithotype, and lineament density; the first four (1 to 4) were classified by using the slope percentage raster without interval reclassification, so its values in the cartographic algebra were not grouped. The last for (5 to 8), consider the slope percentage classified. This methodology successfully combines mathematical models for predicting mass movements and determining areas in the urban landscape most susceptible to these phenomena. As such, it comprises a useful tool for government planning of preventative actions for areas of high risk.