Tuscola Fault (Discarded)

Location

East-central Illinois

References

Green 1957

Description

The Tuscola Fault was mentioned in Green's (1957) paper on the structural geology of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Green interpreted the steep western limb of the La Salle Anticlinorium as being faulted along most of its length. The Tuscola Fault was shown on Green's map as running approximately from Livingston County southward to Crawford County. Green (1957, p. 634) claimed that data from "carefully located core drill holes ranging in depth from 335 feet to 1,734 feet" (102-528 m) confirmed the presence of the fault, with displacement as great as 2,000 feet (600 m) near the town of Tuscola in Douglas County. This interpretation was not accepted by Clegg (1959), Bristol and Buschbach (1973), or Stevenson et al. (1981) in their maps of the area. Moreover, a proprietary seismic reflection profile that crossed the La Salle Anticlinorium in Coles County revealed no indication of faulting at Galena (Trenton) Group or higher levels. These data do not rule out the possibility of faulting at greater depth in crystalline basement along parts of the La Salle Anticlinorium. But until presence of a fault can be documented, it should not be named.

See also OGLESBY FAULT (discarded).