The United States Geological Survey in Alaska: Accomplishments During 1979
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The United States Geological Survey in Alaska: Accomplishments during 1979 Nairn R. D. Albert and Travis Hudson, Editors GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 823-6 United States Department of the Interior JAMES G. WATT, Secretary Geological Survey Doyle G. Frederick, Acting Director Free on application to Branch of Distribution, U.S. Geological Survey 604 South Picken Street, Alexandria, VA 22304 CONTENTS Page Page Abstract _-.-----------------------+---L-------------------------- B1 P. BrosgB, H. N. Reiser, and J. T. Dutro, Jr. .---B24 Summary of important results----------------------------a-a- 1 East-central Alaska ---------------------------..----------25 Introduction --------------.----------------.-2L------------1 New chemical and isotope data for the hot Statewide Project -------------------+---+----------------- 1 springs along Big Windy Creek, Circle A-1 Landsat data interpretation in the south-central quadrangle, Alaska, by Terry E. C. Keith, Brooks Range and in southeastern Alaska, by Theresa S. Presser, and Helen L. Foster -------.25 James R. LeCompte and Wm. Clinton Steele -- 1 Laumontite occurrence in the Circle A-1 quad- Northern Aaska3 rangle, Alaska, by Terry E. C. Keith, Ivan National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska--data re- Barnes, and Helen L. Foster---.------------------ !@ lease, by Robert D. Carter---------._-_-----L----- 3 Geologic reconnaissance of the east half of Kan- Depositional history of the Nanushuk Group and tishna River quadrangle and adjacent areas, related strata, by C. M. Molenaar -+------------- 4 by Robert M. Chapman and Warren Yeend----. 30 Compositional variation in sandstones of the Ordovician graptolites and early Paleozoic Nanushuk Group, Arctic North Slope, by radiolarians in the Lake Minchumina area date Susan Bartsch-Winkler and A. C. Huffman __.6 a regional shale and chert belt, by Robert M. Minimum age of beach deposits north of Teshek- Chapman, Michael Churkin, Jr., Claire Car- puk Lake, Arctic Coastal Plain, by L. David ter, and James H. Trexler, Jr. ------.__-_-------.32 Carter and Stephen W. Robinson ---------------- 8 Geochronologic studies in the Yukon-Tanana Up- Paleoenvironmenb during deposition of a section land, east-central Alaska, by John N. of the Gubik Formation exposed along the Aleinikoff, Cynthia Dusel-Bacon, and Helen L. lower Colville River, North Slope, by R. E. Foster --------------------+---7-.L--.LL------------- 34 Nelson ----------------------------+----------------- 9 A minimum age for Prindle Volcano, Yukon- New stratigraphic assignment for rocks along Tanana Upland, by Helen L. Foster ------------.37 Igilatvik (Sabbath) Creek, William 0. Douglas Metalliferous mineral resource potential of the Arctic Wildlife Range, Alaska, by Robert L. Big Delta quadrangle, by W. D. Menzie, H. L. Detterman and Robert A. Spicer--__------------- 11 Foster, and D. L. Mosier L+---u-____--------------- 38 Further notes on the ground-water supply be- West-central Alaska --_--------------------------------+7- 39 neath Selin Creek near Cape Lisburne, north- K-Ar age measurements on obsidian from the western Alaska, by Alvin J. Feulner and John Little Indian River locality in interior Alaska, R. Williams --.AL-.._-------------------------.-..A. 12 by Thomas P. Miller and Marvin A. Lanphere-- 39 Mafic rocks in the Avan Hills ultramafic com- Lower Paleozoic platform carbonate sequence in plex, De Long Mountains, by Jay Zimmerman, the Medfra quadrangle, west-central Alaska, Charles 0.Frank, and Sean Bryn-----_---__A__L. 14 by J. T. Dutro, Jr., and W. W. Patton, Jr..----. 42 Gravity measurements useful in exploration and Southwestern Alaska -------------------------------.-----44 evaluation of the Nimiuktuk barite deposit, by Lower Paleozoic radiolarian chert and associated David F. Barnes --.--------------AL----------------- 15 rocks in the Tikchik Lakes area, southwestern Late Mississippian to Pennsylvanian radiolarian Alaska, by J. M. Hoare and D. L. Jones --------- 44 assemblages in the Siksikpuk( ? ) Formation at K-Ar ages on intrusive rocks and altered zonea in Nigu Bluff, Howard Pass quadrangle, Alaska, the Chignik and Sutwik Island quadrangles, by by Benita L. Murchey, Patricia B. Swain, and Frederic H. Wilson ------__-,.A___---------~------- 45 Steven Curtis ------------------_-.-----------------17 Southern Alaska-----.--------------------------- + -----+--- 46 Depositional model for the fluvial Upper Devo- Revised ages of paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks in nian Kanayut Conglomerate, Brooks Range, the Talkeetna quadrangle, south-central Alaska, by T. H. Nilsen, W. P. Brosg6, J. T. Alaska, by D. L. Jones, N. J. Silberling, Bruce Dutro, Jr., and T. E. Moore ------.---,-----------20 Wardlaw, and Don Richter........................ 46 Episodic Holocene alluviation in the central Evidence for northwestward thrusting of the Brooks Range: chronology, correlations, and Talkeetna superterrane, and its regional sig. climatic implications, by Thomas D. Hamilton- 21 nificance, by BQla Csejtey, Jr. and Dennis R. Significance of Middle Devonian clastic rocks in St. An 49 the eastern Brooks Range, Alaska, by William Recognition of the Wrangellia terrane in the Pagt Page Southern Alaska-Continued Southern Alaska-Continued Clearwater Mountains and vicinity, south- cance of Middle and Upper Jurassic sandstone central Alaska, by N. J. Silberling, D. H. Rich- from Tuxedni Bay, Cook Inlet, Alaska, by ter, and D. L. Jones -------_-..___.----------L...--R51 Robert M. Egbert and Leslie B. Magoon -.----.-B86 Paleolatitude of Triassic basalt in the Cleanvater Petrography and provenance of Upper Creta- Mountains, south- central Alaska, by John W. ceous sandstone from Saddle Mountain in the Hillhouse and Sherman Gromm6 ------------.._-55 Iniskin-Tuxedni area, lower Cook Inlet, Structural relations along the leading edge of the Alaska, by Robert M. Egbert ------------------..-88 Wrangellia terrane in the Cleanvater Moun- Southeastern Alaska 90 tains, Alaska, by Peter J. Coney, N. J. Silber Emplacement age of the Crillon-La Perouse plu- ling, D. L. Jones, and D. H. Richter --------+.... 56 ton, Fairweather Range, by Travis Hudson and Paleomagnetic investigation in the Chulitna ter- George Plafker -.---------------------------.-.-----90 rane, south-central Alaska, by John W. Hill- Carboniferous biostratigraphy, southeastern house and Sherman GrommE 7---.--------.._...-58 Alaska, by J. T. Dutro, Jr., A. K. Armstrong, K-Ar ages of the Nikolai Greenstone from the R. C. Douglass, and B. L. Mamet 94 McCarthy quadrangle, Alaska-the "docking" The Coast plutonic complex sill, southeastern of Wrangellia, by Miles L. Silberman, Edward Alaska, by David A. Brew and Arthur B. Ford -- 96 M. MacKevett, Jr., Cathy L. Connor, Paul R. Orthogneiss of Mount Juneau-an early phase of Klock, and Georgiana Kalechitz 61 Coast Mountains plutonism involved in Rarro- Recognition of two subterranes within the vian regional metamorphism near Juneau, by Wrangellia terrane, southern Mount Hayes Arthur B. Ford and David A. Brew .----_---------99 quadrangle, Alaska, by Warren J. Nokleberg, The nature and position of the Border Ranges Nairn R. D. Albert, Paige L. Herzon, Ronny T. fault on Chichagof Island, by John Decker and Miyaoka, and Richard E. Zehner ------------.-.-.64 Bruce B. Johnson ------.-.._-.---------------A---- 102 Cross section showing accreted Andean-type arc Upper Triassic volcanogenic massive-sulfide and island arc terranes in southwestern Mount metallogenic province identified in southeast- Hayes quadrangle, Alaska, by Warren J. Nok- ern Alaska, by Henry C. Berg ---------...--------104 leberg, Nairn R. D. Albert, Paige L. Herzon, Newly recognized alkali granite stock, south- Ronny T. Miyaoka, and Richard E. Zehner -.----66 western Kupreanof Island, Alaska, by David A. Placer gold deposits, Mount Hayes quadrangle, Brew, Ronald A. Sonnevil, Susan J. Hunt, and Alaska, by Warren Yeend ._..-----..-.------A-..-. 68 A. B. Ford .-------------.-..---------------....----108 Tectonic implications of framework grain Structural and stratigraphic significance of mineralogy of sandstone from the Yakutat Upper Devonian and Mississippian fossils Group, by G. R. Winkler and George Plafker--- 68 from the Cannery Formation, Kupreanof Is- Paleomagnetic evidence for northward move- land, southeastern Alaska, by D. L. Jones, H. ment of the Chugach terrane, southern and C. Berg, Peter Coney, and Anita Harris-L...._.- 109 southeastern Alaska,lby Sherman Grommi. and The Chilkat-Prince of Wales plutonic province, John W. Hillhouse ----------------.--..-----"------70 southeastern Alaska, by Ronald A. Sonnevil---. 112 Blocks and belts of blueschist and greenschist in Age of basalt flows in the Blue River valley, Brad- the northwestern Valdez quadrangle. by G. R. field Canal quadrangle, by Raymond L. Elliot, Winkler, R. J. Miller, and J. E. Case ------------ 72 Richard D. Koch, and Stephen W. Robinson --- 115 Layered gahbroic belt of regional extent in the New data concerning the geology of the North Valdez quadrangle, by G. R. Winkler, R. J. Bradfield River iron prospect, southeastern Miller, M. L. Silberman, Arthur Grantz, J. E. Alaska, by Ronald A. Sonnevil-----_.-.....7------ 117 Case, and W. J. Pickthorn ._.._--...-------------74 Offshore Alaska ------------ -".-..7------------------....-* 118 Surficial deposits of the Valdez quadrangle, Preliminary interpretation of the geologic struc- Alaska, bv John R. Williams and Kathleen M. ture beneath the northern Bering sea shelf, Johnson 76 including Norton Basin, by Michael A. Fisher, Deglaciation and sea-level