ABSTRACT
Lithologic studies of the Traverse group in the Michigan basin have indicated that a large area of western Michigan was isolated from the main sea during Traverse deposition. A West Michigan barrier and resulting West Michigan lagoon can be traced over a large area. The West Michigan barrier shows relation to a pre-Devonian pattern of folding, and this deep tectonic pattern is coincident with the regional gravity of the area. In the West Michigan area it appears possible to trace deep folding by lithologic studies of shallow beds where these folds are no longer apparent. The use of lithologic, facies, and sedimentation studies of shallow beds combined with regional gravity studies can furnish clues to the tectonic fabric of deeper beds where no direct information is available.
