Dear Dr. Gamal

This distinct feature can be seen in different part of the world and mostly caused by groundwater flow damming along one side of a major lineament , major fracture, and faults, Most of us when teaching environmental geology course show the surface trace of the San Andreas fault which is  conspicuous on the valley floor by the lineup of vegetation along its north side, a result of fault-dammed groundwater flow. 

Dear Prof. Ebraheem

Thank you very much for the clear answer. In fact, one of my intension from these questions in lineaments is to build a knowledge-base from our collective experience in this topic and to share this knowledge with the researchers in the field. Yes, the literature documents critical findings but many times our reflections on this literature may bring new insights. I worked with lineaments for groundwater exploration projects in basement complex areas. I teamed with geologists and we found lineaments very helpful in terms of reducing the search space for wells digging.

Regards,

Gamal

Dear Dr. Seedahmed,

the growth rate and alignment of vegetation as a function of water flow in the subsurface is well known. The situation improves as the flow of water is facilitated by fractures of whatever size they may be.

To show you an example I attach a paper illustrating  this phenomenon on different scales and from different angles.

I wish you much success.

H.G.Dill

Dear Prof. Dill

First of all, thank you very much for the interesting comments. I went quickly over the paper and I looked to the alignment of the vegetation. I will read in depth.

Thank you very much.

Gamal H. Seedahmed 

I echo the same comments as previous colleagues. In fact, it was an excellent first pass from imagery and ground reconnaisance when working for southern California geo-engineering firms and then later while a County Geologist for Riverside County.  Especially in areas east of Riverside, CA...out toward Palm Springs.

Dr. Williams / NWACC and UALR

When performing remote sensing mapping it is recommended to QC some key points in the ground to confirm nature of the lineament that we are mapping from images.

I agree with J.C. de Moura. The vegetation alignments can be caused by a wide variety of factors (geologic or not geologic) as variations in litology, fractures, anthropic features, or somethingh which controlling the underground water circulacion, accummulation, etc. Taking this in account, as comment G. Casini, to perform remote sensing maps is necessari to take ground control points to confirm the nature of the alignments or, at least, cross diferent maps to confirm the coincidence of your vegetal alignments with real fractures.

Dear Gamal

 Though my response might be late but I would like to shed some light on the following;

If we are in agreement about the definition of a lineament which is a linear surface feature in a landscape that is an expression of an underlying geological feature then the answer to your question is a definite YES.

 We should not confine the term to faults but rather relate it to why does the vegetation thrive. That question would then bring us to combining the responses already posted, which in my view are all correct except that different views emanated from defining lineaments from a strictly structural geology view and not from a multi-disciplinary approach.

Good luck