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Thermal Evolution of Sedimentary Basins in Alaska

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Thermal Evolution of Sedimentary Basins in Alaska RETURN TO MAIN MENU THERMAL EVOLUTION OF SEDIMENTARY BASINS IN ALASKA Mark J. Johnsson and David G. Howell, Editors U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 2142 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON: 1996 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Gordon P. Eaton, Director For sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Map Distribution Box 25286, MS 306, Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Text and illustrations edited for conformance to U.S. Geological Survey standards by James W. Hendley II Cover and title page created by J.F. Vigil and David G. Howell Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Thermal evolution of sedimentary basins in Alaska / Mark J. Johnsson and David G. Howell, editors. p. cm. -- (U.S. Geological Survey bulletin ; 2142) Includes bibliographical references. Supt. of Docs. no. : I 19.3:2142 1. Sedimentary basins--Alaska. 2. Terrestrial heat flow--Alaska. I. Johnsson , Mark J. II. Howell , D. G. III. Series. QE75.B9 no. 2142 [QE571] 557.3 s--dc20 [551.1 ' 4] Cover–View along the Dalton Highway near Atigun Gorge looking southeast at the northern flank of the Brooks Range, note the raised terrace evincing youthful exhumation. Title page–View looking westward across the Cook Inlet basin. The snow-capped mountains in the background are the Alaska Range, and the high peak on the left is Lliamna Volcano. Boulders in foreground are glacial erratics. PREFACE U.S. Geological Survey geologists, together with colleagues from many other institutions, have undertaken tectonic and thermal studies in sedimentary basins of Alaska for the past two decades. In early 1990, the U.S. Geological Survey began a project to compile and assemble thermal-maturity data collected during these studies. Areas of limited sample coverage were enhanced by gathering data from the literature, by additional sampling and analysis, and by soliciting samples from individuals and industry groups working in Alaska. The resulting database of nearly 10,000 vitrinite-reflec- tance and conodont-color-alteration index determinations (Johnsson and others, 1992) was used to compile a thermal- maturity map of Alaska (pl. 1) and an interpretive summary of thermal-maturity patterns across the state (Johnsson and others, 1993). It was clear, however, that additional information could be extracted from these data—thermogeochronologic, fluid inclusion, and isotopic techniques can supplement thermal maturity data. By combining such additional information with thermal-maturity data, we are better able to constrain tectonic and petroleum generation scenarios. Accordingly, we ap- proached scientists conducting various thermal and uplift studies in Alaska and solicited contributions to a volume in which these techniques are explored. The goal was to provide a fairly detailed examination of several key types of sedi- mentary basins in Alaska—a classic foreland basin (Colville basin/North Slope), a forearc/backarc basin complex (Alaska Peninsula), and a tectonically dismembered basin (Kandik basin), such as is common throughout the tectonic collage of Alaska. This volume is the result of that effort. The first paper in this volume, by Johnsson and Howell, is an overview of thermal-maturity patterns across the state. The remainder of the volume consists of a series of papers exploring the Alaska Peninsula, Colville basin, and Kandik basin in more detail. The first such paper, by Molenaar, explores the thermal-maturity patterns revealed from the as- sembled data on the Alaska Peninsula. The Alaska Peninsula is made up of the landward portions of backarc and forearc basins, as well as the Aleutian Arc itself. The thermal-maturity patterns reveal moderate uplift of basin sediments, not- withstanding that these sediments are deposited in currently active sedimentary basins. Younger rocks exposed on the southwestern portion of the peninsula are at higher thermal maturity than older rocks to the northeast, perhaps reflecting a higher geothermal gradient to the southwest. The next two papers explore thermal and uplift relations within the Colville basin. The first, by Deming and others, explores modern heat-flow data from the basin by examining present geothermal gradients in light of thermal conductivity measurements from drill core and well cuttings. Both heat-flow and geothermal gradients increase systematically from south to north. At the same time, east-west variations in both parameters correlate with topographic basement highs, suggesting basement-controlled ground-water convection. These patterns of ground-water movement may have been important in determining the thermal regime within the Colville basin, and may have played a role in hydrocarbon migra- tion as well. The second paper, by O’Sullivan, makes use of apatite fission-track data to constrain the uplift history of the Colville basin. Maximum burial temperatures in the southern part of the basin appear to have been reached in the Late Cretaceous to early Paleocene and were followed by periods of uplift in the Paleocene and late Oligocene. The later uplift event appears to be manifested in the northern part of the basin as a cooling event, but there is no evidence for erosion of the sedimentary section at that time. The Kandik region of east-central Alaska represents a complex collisional basin fragment. The thermal, uplift, and fluid-migration history of the region is explored in the following two papers. The paper by Underwood and others presents a detailed examination of the thermal maturity of this tectonically complex region by using vitrinite-reflectance and illite- crystallinity data. These data constrain a model for tectonic burial beneath a thrust nappe and demonstrate the allochthoneity of distinct tectonostratigraphic terranes in east-central Alaska. The final paper, by Shelton and others, uses fluid-inclusion and isotopic data to further demonstrate the allochthoneity and distinct histories of these tectonostratigraphic terranes. Further, these data constrain the source of diagenetic fluids in the region and, by providing timing constraints on pressure estimates, provide evidence that burial, uplift, and erosion all occurred in a short time interval of approximately 15 million years. These six papers present only a cursory overview of the potential of thermal- maturity studies in Alaska. Neverthe- less, they do demonstrate the wealth of information that can be gleaned by applying a variety of techniques to specific problems. Further, they cover most of the important categories of sedimentary basins in Alaska and hopefully will provide departure points for future work in Alaska and elsewhere. REFERENCES CITED Johnsson, M.J., Howell, D.G., and Bird, K.J., 1993, Thermal maturity patterns in Alaska: Implications to tectonic evolution and hydrocarbon potential: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 77, p. 1874–1903. Johnsson, M.J., Pawlewicz, M.J., Harris, A.G., and Valin, Z.C., 1992, Vitrinite reflectance and conodont color alteration index data from Alaska: Data to accompany the thermal maturity map of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 92-409, 3 diskettes. III ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We wish to thank all who have contributed to this volume, including authors, reviewers, and the editorial staff at the Branch of Western Technical Reports. Special thanks to James W. Hendley II, who oversaw production of this volume. Charles Barker, Robert Bauer, Kenneth Bird, Dwight Bradley, David Deming, Steve Ingebritsen, Barry Kohn, Leslie Magoon, John Murphey, and Paul Spry provided timely and thorough reviews; without their cooperation this volume would not have been possible. Kenneth Bird and Leslie Magoon have been instrumental in studies of thermal maturity in Alaska for nearly two decades, and their enthusiasm generated the impetus for this volume. Finally, Zenon Valin contributed mightily throughout this project, not only in the extraction and compilation of data, but also in aiding the general organization of the volume. Many thanks to all. IV CONTENTS Thermal maturity of sedimentary basins in Alaska—An overview By Mark J. Johnsson and David G. Howell ------------------------------------------- 1 Thermal maturity patterns and geothermal gradients on the Alaska Peninsula By Cornelius M. Molenaar -------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Heat Flow and Subsurface Temperature, North Slope of Alaska By David Deming, John H. Sass, and Arthur H. Lachenbruch --------------------- 21 Late Mesozoic and Cenozoic thermo-tectonic evolution of the North Slope foreland basin, Alaska By Paul B. O’Sullivan-------------------------------------------------------------------- 45 Thermo-tectonic evolution of suspect terranes in the Kandik Region of east-central Alaska By Michael B. Underwood, David G. Howell, Mark J. Johnsson, and Mark J. Pawlewicz ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 81 Stable isotopic and fluid inclusion studies of hydrothermal quartz and calcite veins from the Kandik thrust belt of east-central Alaska— Implications for thermo-tectonic history and terrane analysis By Kevin L. Shelton, Michael B. Underwood, Isac B. Burstein, G. Ted Heussler, and David G. Howell ----------------------------------------------------- 111 V THERMAL EVOLUTION OF SEDIMENTARY BASINS IN ALASKA U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2142 Thermal Maturity of Sedimentary
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