Abstract

Tectonic lineaments within Danko area of Zuru Schist Belt have been generated and analyzed. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data obtained from United States Geological Survey (USGS) (www.earthexplorer.com) was used for the extraction process. Lineaments extracted were analyzed for their numbers, density, intersection density, relative abundance and spatial distribution using ArcGIS software. The orientation of lineaments was analyzed using Rockware software. Two hundred and eleven (211) lineaments were extracted out of which, 74.4% had a N-S orientation suggesting a wide spread of Pan-African deformation effect while E-W lineaments were less dominant with about 3.971% and may be as a result of not been reoriented north or south away from their original direction. Lineament density is high in the northern and southeastern parts suggesting intense deformation and low in the eastern and southwestern parts of the study area. Lineament intersection reflect multiple deformation events which deformed the region through geologic time. A close relationship between the NE-SW and NW-SE lineaments as revealed by a dendrogram chart suggest that they are conjugate pair with one been dextral and the other sinistral, thus supporting similar deductions about the conjugate mature of the lineaments in northwestern Nigeria.

Key words: Lineament, Digital Elevation Model, Dendrogram, Shearing, Pan African