Automatic Detection of Contours of Circular Geologic Structures on Active Remote Sensing Images Using the Gradient Vector Flow Active Contour

Abstract

We try in this work to solve the problem of automatic detection of contours of circular geologic structures of the Adrar Tikertine (feuille de Tinfelki) on radar remote sensing images. The utility of these structures is irrefutable, particularly in mineral prospecting and geological cartography. To reach this goal, we use an active contour model called Gradient Vector Flow (GVF). With the difference to traditional approaches, the Gradient Vector Flow (GVF) concept includes simultaneously two operations: detection and edge link of contour points. The last one was always considered as a very complicated task in traditional approaches and must be done separately from detection of contour points. In fact, the strong point of the GVF active contours is the definition of new external force able to attract the deformable contour to concave regions, generally not attained with traditional active contours called “snakes”.