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Tertiary Stratigraphy and Paleobotany of the Cook Inlet Region, Alaska

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Tertiary Stratigraphy and Paleobotany of the Cook Inlet Region, Alaska Tertiary Stratigraphy and Paleobotany of the Cook Inlet Region, Alaska By JACK A. WOLFE, D. M. HOPKINS, and ESTELLA B. LEOPOLD TERTIARY BIOSTRATIGRAPHY OF THE COOK INLET REGION, ALASKA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 398-A Discussion of stratigraphic signrJicance of fossil plants from the Chichaloon, Kenai, and TsadzKa Formations Property of District Library Alaska District UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. WASHINGTON : 1966 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY William T. Pecora, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 70 cents (paper cover) CONTENTS Abstract--,---------------------------------------- Geology-Continued Introduction,-------------------------------------- Neogene stratigraphy-Continued Previous geologic studies......................... Kenai and Tsadaka Formations-Continued Acknowledgments----- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Provincial stages-Continued Evolution of stratigraphic nomenclature and age assign- Seldovian Stage-Continued ments------------------------------------------- Mollusks-- - - - - - - .- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Age ------------..-------------- Gwlogy------------------------------------------- Homerian Stage-, - --- - - - - - - - - - - - -- - Paleogene stratigraphy .......................... Definition ---,-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chickaloon Formation -,,----- ------ ---- --- -- Flora andage-------------------------- Fresh-water mollusks-----,--- - ------ ---, Age- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Wishbone Formation--- ----- ---- --- - - -- ----- Clamgulchian Stage----------------- Neogene stratigraphy- - ---- --- ----- --- -- ----- --- Definition ,---- - ,- - _- - - - - - - - - - - - - Kenai and Tsadaka Formations- --,-----,---- Flora -,---- --- - --- --- --- - -- ---- Structure and tectonics-- --- -- --- ----- -- - Age--------------------------- Provincial stages------------,----------- Summary of the floral sequence--- ---, Seldovian Stage- - -,----------------Fossil-plant localities------ -- - - ,--- - - - -- -- - - - - - - ------ Definition--,- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Fossil-mollusk localities ---- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Flora-,, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References----------------------------------------- ILLUSTRATIONS [Plates are in po&t] PLATE1. Map showing distribution of Neogene rocks. 2. Structure section. Page F~QURE1. Index map----^--,---,-,------------------,,- A2 2. Map of Cook Inlet Region .................................. 3 3. Generalized geologic map of the Matanuska Valley .................... 8 TABLES Page TABLE1. Partial checklist of flora from Chickaloon Formation in Alseka, showing occurrences of species in other selected areas -----------------------,A9 2. Checklist of Seldovian megafossil flora ------ - - - - - ------,,- - ---- - - - - - -- 16 3. Checklist of Homerian megstossil flora-- - ----------------,---------19 4. Check@khpf Clamgulchian megafossil flora- --- - -- --- ----------- --- ---- 21 5. Stratigraphic distribution of significant species in Kenai and Tsadaka Fomations------------------------------- 22 6. Stratigraphic distribution of pollen types in Kenai and Tsadaka Forma- tions----------------------------------- 24 TERTIARY BIOSTRATICRAPHY OF THE COOK INLET REGION, ALASKA TERTIARY STRATIGRAPHY AND PALEOBOTANY OF THE COOK INLET REGION, ALASKA By JACKA. Worn, D. M. HOPKINS,and ESTELLAB. LEOPOLXI ABSTRACT I but some paleobotanical evidence indicates that the Homerian Stage corresponds at least in part to the upper half of the The nonmarine sedimentary rocks of Tertiary age in the Cbok Miocene Series ; some lower Pliocene rocks may also be included. Inlet region, once thought to be entirely of Eocene age, are me Clamgulchian Stage is characterized by an extremely shown by paleobotanical evidence to be mostly of Paleocene, provincial flora that is depauperate in species of woody plants. Miocene, and Pliocene age. Our study of Clhickaloon floras Nearly all the warm-temperate exotic genera have disappeared. confirms the Paleocene age of the Chickaloon Formation, as Three species of willow and one species of alder seem to be suggested by Barnes and Payne (1956). The Wishbone Forma- restricted to the Clamgulchian Stage; all seem to be ancestral tion has not yielded fossil plants, but its conformable and grada- to living Alaskan species. The extreme provincialism of the tional relationship to the underlying Chickaloon Formation indi- flora makes correlations with deposits outside of Alaska im- cates that it is at least partly of Paleocene age, although some precise at the present time; we think, however, that the Clam- rocks of Eocene age may be included. Our study of Kenai floras, gulchian Stage corresponds to at least part of the Pliocene shown to be mostly of Miocene and probable Pliocene age, con- Series. firms the suggestion of Barnes and Payne that two different coal-bearing rock sequences of disparate age may be represented INTRODUCTION by the Chickaloon Formation of the Matanuska Valley and the Kenai Formation of the Cook Inlet-Susitna Lowlands. The The low-lying areas adjoining upper Cook Inlet and Tsadaka Formation, which rests unconformably upon the Chick- the lower courses of the Susitna and Matanuska Rivers aloon and Wishbone Formations, represents a marginal con- in southern Alaska (fig. 1) are underlain by a thick and glomeratic facies of the Kenai Formation; the fossil floras indi- cate that the Tsadaka Formation was deposited during the first complex sequence of nonmarine sedimentary rocks of half of the Miocene Epwh. Tertiary age that are of considerable economic impor- Three new provincial time-stratigraphic units-the Seldovian, tance because they contain coal, petroleum, and natural Homerian, and Clamgulchian Stages-are proposed. These gas. These nonmarine sedimentary rocks contain abun- units encompass all plant-bearing strata in Alaska and in dant fossil plants, but other kinds of fossils are ex- adjoining parts of the same ancient floristic provinces that are of approximately the same age as those parts of the Kenai tremely rare. Any attempt to establish the ages of indi- Formation represented in the type and reference sections desig- vidual formational units in the Tertiary sequence of the nated in this report. Rocks belonging to these three stages are Cook Inlet-Susitna Lowlands and of the neighboring recognized and distinguished from one another primarily by Matanuska Valley must be based upon fossil plants. fossil plants. Because the fossil plants are abundant and varied, they The (Seldovian Stage is characterized by a rich and diversified warm-temperate flora containing many elements that are now can also provide the basis for understanding the time- exotic to Alaska but that were widespread during the Miocene. stratigraphic sequence of the Tertiary rocks. At least 23 fossil plant species appear to be restricted to the This report sets forth new conclusions concerning the Seldovian Stage. Comparisons of different floras suggest that ages of the Chickalwn, the Tsadaka, and the Kenai lower and upper subdivisions of the Seldovian Stage may be Formations of the Cook Inlet-Susitna Lowlands and recognized. Paleobotanical correlations indicate that the Sel- dovian (Stage corresponds approximately to the lower half of the Matanuska Valley, based on the fossil floras they the Miocene Series as recognized in northwestern conterminous contain, and it names and describes three time-strati- United States and Japan, but some upper Oligocene rocks may graphic units based on fossil floras that can be recog- also be included. nized within the Kenai Formation and correlative strati- The Homerian Stage is characterized by a less diversified and relatively provincial flora in which many of the exotic elements graphic units. are lacking. At least 11 fossil plant species appear to be re- The report is based primarily on a study by Wolfe stricted to the Homerian Stage. The provincialim of the flora of about 50 collections of fossil leaves and fruits ob- makes correlation in traditional Qmch-Series terms difficult, tained by Wolfe and Hopkins in various parts of the A1 TERTIARY BIOSTRATIGRAPW, COOK INLET REGION, ALASKA FIGURE 1.-location of the Cook Inlet region (diagonal lines) and the Matanuska Valley (stippled), Alaska. Cook Inlet-Snstina Lowlands and the Matanuska Val- 1 they contain. Prior to the 1950'~~attention was focused ley during the summer of 1962 as well as upon examina- I chiefly on the coal-bearing Tertiary rocks exposed tion of many small collections obtained from the region along the east shore of Cook Inlet and in the Matanuska by other geologists. A companion paper (JVolfe, 1966) ' Valley because tl~eseare in areas relatively acc.rssible discusses the systematic relationships of these plant to water, rail, and higli~~aytransportation. Tlie results fossils and their floristic significance. The study of the of early studies in these areas are sun~rna~izcclin Martin, fossil leaves is supplemented by preliminary palynologi- Johnson, and Grant's account (1915) of the geology o E cal studies by Leopold and Wolfe of 17 outcrop samples tlie western part of the K~naiPeninsula and in Martin and several samples from well cuttings; the palynologi- and Katz' description (1912) of the geology and coal cal studies of the subsurface samples confirm the results of study of pollen samples and megafossil
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