Intersection Calculator

The Intersection Calculator option allows you to quickly and accurately calculate:

• The line of intersection of two planes
• The plane which passes through two lines

Line From Two Planes

To calculate the intersection of two planes:

1. Select Tools > Intersection Calculator > Line from Two Planes
2. On the stereonet graphically enter the location of two planes.
3. You will see the Intersection Calculator dialog, with the orientation coordinates of the graphically entered planes, and the resulting intersection line. If necessary you can edit the plane orientations in the dialog.
4. Click OK to add the planes and intersection point to the stereonet.

Plane from Two Lines

To calculate the plane which passes through two lines:

1. Select Tools > Intersection Calculator > Plane from Two Lines
2. On the stereonet graphically enter the location of two lines.
3. You will see the Intersection Calculator dialog, with the trend/plunge coordinates of the graphically entered lines, and the resulting intersection plane. If necessary you can edit the line orientations in the dialog.
4. Click OK to add the lines and intersection plane to the stereonet.

Application: Convert apparent dip and dip direction at two points into true dip and dip direction:

If you locate two points on the stereonet using the Trend/Plunge Convention for the apparent dip and dip direction, then use the Add User Plane option to graphically fit a great circle through these two points, and this will give you the plane with true dip and dip direction.

Results

The results of the intersection calculation are displayed as a popup tooltip if you hover the mouse over the intersection line or plane.