Abstract

ERTS imagery was examined for lineaments within the Central Stable Region from Kansas to western Indiana. Comparisons were made with structural geologic, basement, gravity, magnetic, and epicenter maps. There is a general parallelism of basement structures with lineaments. Narrow zones of lineaments correspond in most cases with known fault systems and with gravity and magnetic trends. Fold systems closely match fault systems. The dominant fold pattern trends northwest, but the Nemaha Anticline and folds in the Wabash Valley and Seminole Arch trend north-northeast.

Many lineaments are attributed to joint concentrations because there is parallelism between regional joint systems and lineaments. Some joint systems have been attributed to horizontal forces related to adjacent orogenic movements. Faulting or joint formation associated with vertical movements caused many of the lineaments as well as some circular features. Circular features are numerous on ERTS imagery, but only a very few correspond to known structures.

Present westward-directed compressive stress is probably released along faults or joints, and these fractures are likely the cause of many lineaments. Epicenters cannot readily be assigned to lineaments, but a few, in combination with fault plane solutions, can be correlated with fault zone lineaments.