The computation of zones of influence of linear geological structures

The concept of a zone of influence of a linear geological structure provides a method of quantifying the effect of the structure on the properties of its neighborhood. For example, a fault may exert some influence on the local roof conditions in a mine opening, or on the location of mineral deposits, where the influence at any given distance (up to the specified half-width of the zone of influence) from the fault is estimated by some postulated influence function. Any area of interest may be partitioned into a large number of cells, and the sum of the influences due to the nearby faults calculated for the midpoint of each cell. The program groups the cells, by midpoints, into sets comprising those cells affected by precisely 0,1,2,... faults, calculates the proportion each set constitutes of the area of interest, and the total of the midpoint sums of the cells in each set. Although the program was developed for a specific problem in a New South Wales colliery, the method is not specific to this problem and has application to many situations in rock mechanics, metallogenesis, seismicity, and in other fields in which the concept of a zone of influence may be relevant.