A statistical approach to determination of a mineral lineation

A statistical model of the bipolar von Mises type was applied to the analys is of mineral lineation defined by the preferred dimensional orientation of inequant grains on a foliation surface. Orientation data of 203-258 grains from each of four rock specimens fit the model well, suggesting a useful a nalytical technique with three advantages: (1) confidence in whether a meta morphic tectonite has a mineral lineation can be determined using a chi(2)- test, (2) the orientation of the mineral lineation can be represented by th e mean direction (a) with a specified confidence interval, and (3) the degr ee of preferred dimensional orientation of grains can be quantified by the concentration parameter (<(kappa)over cap>). (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.