REMOTE DETERMINATION OF DEEP FAULT NETWORK IN THE EARTH'S CRUST IN DAGESTAN

Abstract

The earth's crust is made up of a hierarchy of blocks of various sizes, embedded in each other. The blocks are separated by joints of corresponding sizes, which also constitute a hierarchy. In particular, blocks encompassing such large bodies as complexes are separated by faults. The authors describe the detection of faults, and the deep crustal blocks delineated by them, by means of spectra-zonal aerial infrared surveys. The analysis of the size distribution of the blocks shows that at the above hierarchic level, the characteristic block dimension is 10.8 km. This value is practically the same as one of the characteristic dimensions of 11 km derived earlier, and confirms the applicability of infrared surveys to the study of the block-size distribution in the earth's crust.