On December 25, 1989, a magnitude Ms 6.3 earthquake in the Ungava peninsula of Northern Quebec, Canada, produced the first surface rupture in Eastern North America [Adams et al., 1991]. An integrated analysis of remotely sensed data and total field aeromagnetic was done to improve our understanding of the earthquake's regional geological environment. Lineament information extracted from remotely sensed and magnetic data can provide additional geological constraints to seismic hazard assessment.
Much emphasis has been placed on Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data in the promotion of remotely sensed data within the Geological Survey of Canada. Nationally and internationally, SAR data has been proven to be an effective tool for Earth sensing. As a result, many countries are developing spaceborne radar systems: Canada (RADARSAT), the United States (SIR‐C), Europe (ERS‐1), and Japan (JERS‐1). Active radar imaging using longer electromagnetic wavelengths penetrates cloud cover independent of Sun illumination. This effectively allows all‐weather data collection. SAR side‐viewing geometry offers a unique pseudo‐three‐dimensional view of the terrain surface, enhancing terrain geometry and surface roughness.