Abstract
The weighted moving average technique is used to analyse lineament azimuths counted by number and length. The technique enhances peak/noise ratio. The quality of distribution is measured by the χ
2
-test and the degree of correlation between lineament number and length. Moreover, segmenting lineaments improves the enhancement and makes the counting only by number.
Lineament distributions in the four study areas in and around the Afro-Arabian Shield are very similar and can be regarded as a fingerprint. Tentatively, 24 trends are correlated from one area to the other but with varying shape and amplitude. Among these are the Red Sea, Aqaba, Najd, Aden, Meridonial and Trans-Red Sea tectonic trends.
A pattern of lineaments disposed about the N-S is traced in all areas, but in Abha, to the south it deviates 7° to the west. It is related mostly to an old tectonic trend. The deviation might be due to the effect of the rotation of the Arabian Plate counter-clockwise with respect to fixed Africa.