Abstract:

Abstract This study aimed to investigate whether linear natural features are associated with structural or tectonic control of landforms and current drainage patterns in the Northwestern Minas Gerais State (Southeastern Brazil). To answer this question, more than 1,700 lineaments were manually mapped in a broader area encompassing the Paracatu and Urucuia River catchments. One satellite image scene (OLI/Landsat-8), three different digital elevation models (DEMs; SRTM, GDEM-ASTER, and ALOS-PALSAR), and digitised analogical maps (geologic and topographic maps) were used to draw linear geometric features representing the lineament population. The resulting vector databases were integrated in GIS for quantitative and spatial analyses, resulting in two main trending lineament sets: NNW-SSE and NE-SW. Subsequent field assessments revealed that numerous lineaments of the first set were correlated to the formerly Upper Precambrian reverse and strike-slip faults. The second set refers to NE-SW normal faults derived from the Mesozoic-Cenozoic tectonic event following the Gondwana break-up. These datasets contribute to a better understanding of the regional, sub-regional, and basin-scale description of the structural control of the drainage network structure and pattern, which fit strictly into the two main directions.

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