CIEM 5760 Engineering Geology

and Rock Mechanics

Lecture 6: Stereonet Analysis

Prof. Gang Wang

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Strike and Dip (SD) Trend and Plunge (TP)

North
Strike North

Dip direction Trend

\ (azimuth)
Plunge

Plane

Line
Dip (50°)

Orientation of a line
Plunge is the dip of a line, with a
positive plunge being below the
horizontal and a negative plunge being
above the horizontal.
Trend is the direction of the horizontal
projection of the line measured
clockwise from the north, and
corresponds to the dip direction of a
plane.
 Stereographic Projection 2D → 1D 3D → 2D

• Equal Angle Projection

Focus

Projected
• Equal area projection

Original

Stereographic Projection
Stereographic projection allows the 3D orientation data to be represented and
analyzed in 2D.

Stereographic representation of plane and line on lower hemisphere of

reference sphere: (a) isometric view of line (plunge and trend).
(b) plane projected as great circle.
Sterographic Projection – A Line Sterographic Projection – A Plane

Low hemisphere equal angle projection

o
Low hemisphere equal angle projection

Low hemisphere equal angle projection

F (focus)

o
 Low hemisphere equal angle projection
F (focus)

Dip
vector

Normal vector
(pole)

Low hemisphere equal angle projection

F (focus)

D o P

Dip
Vector

Normal vector
(pole)
 Low hemisphere equal angle projection
F (focus)

D o P

Dip
Vector

Normal vector
(pole)

Low hemisphere equal angle projection

F (focus)

-D

D P
o
-D

Dip
Vector

Normal vector
(pole)
 0
350 10
340 20

330 30

320 40

310 50

300 60

290 70

280 80

270 90

260 100

250 110

240 120

230 130

220 140

210 150

200 160
190 170
180
Equal angle equatorial projection
Produced using a PostScript program
developed by Dr J.P. Harrison, Imperial College
Stereographic Projection – Great Circle

Great
Circle

Dip 90° Pole

Dip angle

Projection of a plane is a
“great circle”

2o Equalangle stereonet

Stereographic Projection – Small Circle

Great
Circle

 Dip

Small Circle
Small Circle

“small circle” measure angle to

the strike line 
Small circle results on
projection (e.g. γ=40o)

2o Equalangle stereonet
 Stereographic Projection

Projection of Plane of Strike line Plane of

great circle projection of plane projection Projection of
small circle
 



 
Small
′() circle
Lower ′()
hemisphere

Great circle of an Great circle of an

inclined plane inclined plane

Stereonet

Online tool http://app.visiblegeology.com/stereonet.html (for equal area projection)

Example 1: Line 1 plunges with vertical angle 40ebelow horizontal toward N
30eE (40/30). Line 2 plunges 20eto N20eW (20/340). Determine the angle
between Line 1 and Line 2.

Example 2: Construction of great circles and a pole representing a plane with

orientation 50(dip) /130 (dip direction).

Example 3. determine the orientation of line intersection between two planes with
orientations 50/130 and 30/250.

Example 4: Line of intersection of 2 planes – Alternative Approach

(a) The 2 planes can be uniquely specified by their poles. The Pole of a plane which
passes through the poles of 2 other planes defines the line of intersection of the 2
planes.
(b) Steps:
1) Plot Pole for plane 1
2) Plot Pole for plane 2
3) Rotate paper so that both poles lie on the same Great Circle. --- This is the plane
contain both normal vectors, and the line of intersection is the normal of this plane.
4) Plot pole of this common plane by counting in 90 from the Dip. This pole
defines the line of intersection.

Example 1
Example 2

Example 3
 Example 4

Stereographic Projection – Small Circle F

F Vertical section
of stereographic
projection

o'
R a pb O Q

a b O A
R Q
A
P
B

P B Projection of a
small circle
is a perfect circle
The small circle is the intersection of the cone AOB with
the surface of the projection sphere whose centre is at
O. The stereographic projection of a small circle AB is a
o'
R a p bO Q
perfect circle ab. The axis of the cone AOB is OP. The
small circle represents the locus of points which lie at a
constant angle to the direction OP. Because the angular
scale on the stereographic projection is non-linear, the
projected p does not lie in the middle of the small circle Stereonet
ab unless the centre of the small circle is centred at O. projection
Construct the small circle projection

Reference:
Goodman, Introduction to rock mechanics

Stereographic
g p Projection
j – Small Circle

Equal angle projection Equal area projection

Equal angle projections preserve angles, which can be Small circles (all 10° radius) make it easier to see
seen by all small circles being perfect circles. Areas that area is preserved reasonably well across all
are not preserved and this is shown by the varying orientations. Angles are slightly distorted and
projected size of the small circles (all 10° radius). make the circles appear as ellipses.

http://innstereo.readthedocs.io/en/latest/stereonet.html
 0
350 10
340 20

330 30

320 40

310 50

300 60

290 70

280 80

270 90

260 100

250 110

240 120

230 130

220 140

210 150

200 160
190 170
180
Equal angle equatorial projection
Produced using a PostScript program
developed by Dr J.P. Harrison, Imperial College