Umiat-Maybe Creek Region Alaska
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Geology of the Umiat-Maybe Creek Region Alaska By WILLIAM P. BROSG~and CHARLES L. WHIrM'INGTON With Heavy-Mineral Studies of the Umiat-Maybe Creek Region By ROBERT H. MORRIS EXPLORATION OF NAVAL PETROLEUM RESERVE NO. 4 AND ADJACENT AREAS, NORTHERN ALASKA, 1944-53 PART 3, AREAL GEOLOGY - -- GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 303-H Prepared and published at the reguest of and in cooperation with the U.S. Department ofthe Navy, O&ce of Naval Petroleam and Oil Shale Reserves 1 i i 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 CONTENTS Page Statigraphy-Continued Page Abstract------------------------------------------. 50 1 Cretaceous System-Continued Introduction - - - - - _ - - _ - - _ - _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - .- _ - 502 Colville Group-Continued Location and size of area- - - - -_- - - - - - - - - - - - - - _ _ _ - 502 Prince Creek Formation- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pur~eandscope------_---------------_---_--- 502 Tuluvak Tongue.................... Earlywork-_--_-_-_-_-_---_----------------_-- 503 Kogosukruk Tongue- - - - ------------ Recent work---_-_-_-_------------------------- 504 Lower part ---- - - - - - _ - - - - - - - - - - - Upper part ------------ .-------- Acknowledgments-----------------_----_------_- 506 Quaternary deposits ............................. Mapping methods------------------------------ 506 Gubik Formation ........................... Geography---------_------------------------------- 507 High-level terrace deposits-- - - - _ - - - - -- - ---- - - Physiography------------------------------_-_- 507 Low-level terrace deposits------------ ---- ---- Accessibility- - - - - _ - - - - - - - - - _ - _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _ - 508 Alluvium------------_-----------------_--- Climate---------------------------------__-_-_ 508 St~cture------------------------------------------ Settlement and population ....................... 508 Transverse trends---- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Stratigaphy-..---------------------------------_-__ 508 Structure at. depth. .............................. Pre-Cretaceous 508 Aupuk anticline- - - -- - _--- - --- - -- - - - - - -- -- -- -- - - Cretaceous System.............................. 511 Knifeblade anticline ------- - - --- - -- - - - - -- - -- - - - - - Torok Formation-- ......................... 511 Weasel Creek anticline- - - -- - -- -- - - - --- - -- ------- Fossil Creek anticline- - - - --- - - -- -- ---- -- - - -- -- - - Nanushuk Group---_-_--------------------- 513 Titaluk anticline ----- - ---- - - - --- -- - - - - - -- - -_---- Grandstand Formation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 513 Wolf Creek antlclmne-. ---_------ -- -- - -- -- ---- -- - - Chandler Formation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 517 Umiat and Square Lake anticlines-- -------------- Killik Tongue ------- --------------- 517 Umiat anticline ----------- - ---- - -- - --- ---- - - Ninuluk Formation and Niakogon Tongue Surface indication of faulting-- - - - - - - - - - - - of the Chandler Formation, undifferenti- Subsurface indication of faulting--- - - - - -- - ated--------------------------------- Seismograph survey-- --- - -- --- - - -- -- -- - - Colville Group- - - - --- -- -- -- - - - - - -- - -- - - - -- - Square Lake anticline- - -------- - --- --- -- --- - Structure on the lower Colville River ----__---- Seabee Formation ------------------_-_-_ Age of folding .............................. Lower shale member- --------------- Oil and gas resources ................................ Calcareous sandstone member..- - - - - - _ Heavy mineral studies of the Umiat-Maybe Creek region, Upper shale member- - ----------____ by Robert H. Morris .............................. Ayiyak Member .................... Description of heavy minerals ---- -- --- - _ _ - _ _-_ -_- Schrader Bluff Formation --------_------- Heavy-mineral zones--.. - - - --- - -- _ _ - - - - _ - - _ -- -- _ _ Rogers Creek Member ---------_---__ Zones in the subsurface .......................... Interpretation- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _ - - - - - - - Barrow Trail Member -------__-_-___ - - - - - _ - Lithology and paleontology of samples from shotholes Sentinel Hill Member.. - - ----_---_-__ near Umiat-------------------------------------- Lower part ..................... References cited ---------- .......................... Upper part Index--------------------------------------------- ILLUSTRATIONS [Plates me in pocket] PLATE 52. Geologic map and sections (2 sheets, east and west halves). 53. Correlated columnar sections of Lower Cretaceous rocks. 54. Correlated columnar sections of Upper Cretaceous rocks. 55. Geologic sketch map and section of the Knifeblade anticline in the vicinity of the Knifeblade test wells. 56. Geologic and structure contour map and cross sections of Umiat anticline. 57. Relative abundance of nonopaque heavy minerals in the Umiat-Maybe Creek region. 58. Microfossil occurrences in shotholes near Umiat. IV CONTENTS Page FIGURE 92. Index map of Alaska showing Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4 and Umiat-Maybe Creek region- _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ 502 93. Stratigraphic column giving nomenclature of outcropping Cretaceous rocks__-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 509 94. Section showing correlation of Lower Cretaceous rocks- _ - _ ---------..----- -___-_---_______---______ 510 95. Section showing formations in the Nanushuk Group near Knifeblade Ridge and south of the Colville River- 514 96. Photograph of Ninuluk and Seabee Formations at September Creek ---------_____------------------- 520 97. Maps showing grain size and thickness of the lower and upper units of sandstone 1 and of sandstone 2 in the Maybe Creek area--__---__________-------------------------------------------------------- 98. Map showing thickness and fossil localities of Ninuluk Formation and Niakogon Tongue of Chandler Formation_-______-_------------------------------------------------------________----_---- 99. Columnar sections showing stratigraphic position of fossils collected from Ninuluk Formation and Niakogon Tongue of Chandler Formation_-----------------_____----------------________________________ 100. Map showing thickness and fossil localities of Seabee Formation ---------_-_-_______________________ 101. Columnar sections showing stratigraphic position of fossils collected from Seabee Formation-- - _ _ _ _ _ _ - - - 102-104. Photographs: 102. Bluff at UmiatMountain_--_------------..----__---------------------_-____________---__ 103. Seabee Formation in east half of bluff at Umiat Mountain_-_____-----______________-________ 104. Shale of Seabee Formation on September Creek --___-------..-------_____________---________ 105. Diagram of restored section of the Seabee Formation on Maybe Creek along line A-A' of figure 100- _ _ - 106. Map showing grain size and thickness of sandstone 4 of Seabee Formation- --________________--______ 107. Map showing fossil collections from outcrops of Schrader Bluff and Prince Creek Formation_-___ _ _ _ _ _ _ - 108. Columnar sections showing stratigraphic position of fossils collected from the Tuluvak Tongue of the Prince Creek Formation and the Rogers Creek and Barrow Trail Members of the Schrader Bluff Formation- 109. Columnar sections showing stratigraphic position of fossils collected from the Sentinel Hill Member of the Schrader Bluff Formation and the Kogosukruk Tongue of the Prince Creek Formation- _ _ _ _ _ - - - - _ _ _ _ 110. Maps showing- grain- size and thickness of sandstones 7, 8, and 9 of the Tuluvak Tongue of the Prince Creek Formation------------------------------..-------------------------------------------- 111. Correlated columnar sections of lower part of Kogosukruk Tongue of the Prince Creek Formation- _ _ _ _ - 112. Photograph of basal conglomerate of Kogosukruk Tongue of the Prince Creek Formation- - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 113. Map and sections showing lithology and thickness of Gubik Formation ----- --___---------- ----- --- --- 114. Section showing location of base of Gubik Formation near Wolf Creek ----- - --_-----_--_-_____-_-____ 115. Structure-contour map of unconformity at base of Gubik Formation- - -------_______________-----___ 116. Section through flood plain at Umiat _---___------------------------..---------------------------- 117. Generalized structure-contour map of top of Seabee Formation- - - ------ ---- --___-_-_-_-____- -- - -___ 118. Schematic sections of Weasel Creek anticline- --___----____--------------------------------------- 119. Photogeologic sketch map of Weasel Creek anticline fault zone- -_- ----------_______________---..---- 120. Sections showing structure along lower Colville River- _ _ __ - - .......................... ..----------- 121. Photograph of folded coal beds in Colville River bluffs- _ _ _ --__-------------_______________-------. 122. Diagram showing correlation of stratigraphic section 2 with Knifeblade test well 2A--_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - - STRATIGRAPHIC SECTIONS Lower Creheeana rocks Page SECTION1. Chandler Formation on Colville River at Aupuk anticline ............................................ 609 2. Chandler and Grandstand Formations south of Knifeblade Ridge- - - - - - - --.--- ---------- ---------- -- -- 612 3. Grandstand Formation on Knifeblade Ridge- _ -- - - - - - ............................... ----------- --- - 614 4.