Application of the image analysis method to the detection of transcrystalline microcracks observed in microscope images of dolomite and granite structures

Author: B. Obara

The paper is concemed with the development and application of an automatic algorithm of image analysis for detection of transcrystalline microcracks in dolomite and granite structures.

Thin sections of dolomite and granite rock samples were duly prepared in the laboratory conditions.

For each measurement field on thin sections we considered a set of input colour images obtained using an optical polarizing microscope.

Then colour system transformation RGB to CIELab and two-dimensional Gauss matched filtration procedures were performed, followed by transcrystalline microcracks segmentation for each colour image.

The results confirm the adequacy of the image analysis method applied to the segmentation of the microscope images of transcrystalline microcracks in dolomites and granite.

The research yields a set of algorithms that allow a fully automatic segmentation of transcrystalline microcracks and then geometrical and statistical analysis.

The developed method may facilitate the petrographical and stereological studies of rock structures observed under the polarisation microscope.