Seasat L-band (23.5 cm) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of the Yellowknife area in the northwestern Canadian Shield have been digitally processed and correlated with geologic maps of the region. We specifically analyze the distribution of faults of the West Bay-Indin Lake system and conclude from cross-cutting geological relationships that this fault system formed at circa in response to a sinistral-oblique component of extension which led to rifting of the Coronation continental margin by . Through this analysis we show that spaceborne SAR is a useful tool for delineation of brittle tectonic features such as faults, joints, and dikes on a regional scale, enabling field geologists to place their observations in a broader context. When coupled with field surveys of small representative areas, thousands of square kilometers can be quickly and efficiently analyzed in a statistically uniform manner. Broad coverage of the planet (and other bodies in the solar system) by spaceborne SAR makes this a valuable tool for use by field and structural geologists.
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