Geophysical applications of the Hough Transform

Hough transforms can be used to find features such as lines and circles within image data, and hence are useful in mapping both lineaments and circular structures such as the geophysical response from kimberlite pipes, or meteorite impact craters. In this paper the Hough transform is initially demonstrated on synthetic data, and then on aeromagnetic and gravity datasets from South Africa. Finally it is reparameterised to detect lineaments and circles on the surface of the sphere, enabling its use on global geoscientific datasets.