Discontinuity analysis in open cut exposures: examples from selected central Victorian sites.

Examples are presented of discontinuity analysis at Lake Cooper, Fosterville open cut gold mine, the Harcourt Layton quarry, the Maldon quarry and Vaughan Springs basalt lava flow. A range of geological terrains occur in these areas, from essentially undeformed to simple folded and multi-faulted/folded regimes and for a variety of rock types. A general method to predict discontinuities in open cut exposures in multi-deformed terrains is suggested. This involves a review of the regional structural history and determination of the orientation and spacing of macrofold and macrofault zones, determination of the geometry of any penetrative fabrics, identification of the geometry of macroscopic faults, structural analysis and determination of the geometry, scale and timing of macroscopic folding, prediction of idealised discontinuity, selection of positions for scanlines and scanline surveying, and comparison of discontinuity predictions with the results of scanline surveys.
Examples are presented of discontinuity analysis at Lake Cooper, Fosterville open cut gold mine, the Harcourt Layton quarry, the Maldon quarry and Vaughan Springs basalt lava flow. A range of geological terrains occur in these areas, from essentially undeformed to simple folded and multi-faulted/folded regimes and for a variety of rock types. A general method to predict discontinuities in open cut exposures in multi-deformed terrains is suggested. This involves a review of the regional structural history and determination of the orientation and spacing of macrofold and macrofault zones, determination of the geometry of any penetrative fabrics, identification of the geometry of macroscopic faults, structural analysis and determination of the geometry, scale and timing of macroscopic folding, prediction of idealised discontinuity, selection of positions for scanlines and scanline surveying, and comparison of discontinuity predictions with the results of scanline surveys.