Geology of the Killik-Etivluk Rivers Region, Alaska
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Geology of the Killik-Etivluk Rivers Region, Alaska By ROBERT M. CHAPMAN, ROBERT L. DE'ITERMAN, and MARVIN D. MANGUS EXPLORATION OF NAVAL PETROLEUM RESERVE NO. 4 AND ADJACENT AREAS, NORTHERN ALASKA, 1944-53 PART 3, AREAL GEOLOGY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 303-F Prefiared and published at the request of and in coofier- ation with the U.S. Department of the Navy, Ofice of Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves This report is based onfieldworh by Robert M. Chapman, Robert L. Detterman, Marvin D. Mangus, Robert S. Bickel, G. Donald Eberlein, Charles A. Kirschner, Arthur HI Lachenbruch, Milton C. Lachen bruch, Charles D. Reynolds, Karl Stefansson, Robert F. Thurrell, -6lTY OF ALASKA Lawrence A. Warner, and James Zum berge -E ATtON PfnAsalmT -, -, ALASKA 99501 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTlNG OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1964 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director - - - - For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 CONTENTS Page Abstract------------------------------------------- Stratfgraphy-Continued Introduction--------------------------------------- Quaternary system .............................. Location and sire of area-- ...................... Glacial deposits............................. Previous work--- ............................... Anaktuvuk glaciation- - --- -- - -- - - - --- --- Itkillik glaciation- - - -- - - - -- - - - - ---- - - - -- Echooba glaciation--- - - -- -- _- -- - - -- - --- - - Fluviatile deposits- _ - -- - - --_- - - - - - - -- - - -- -- - High-level terrace deposits- - - - - -- - - - - - - - - Alluvium - - .. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Lacustrine deposits- - - - - - - --- - .. -- - - - - - - - - - - - Climate--------------------------------------- Eolian deposits- ------- --------- --- ---- --- -- Place names----------------------------------- Igneous rocks-_------------------------------------- Animals and plants- - ----------------- ----- -- -- - Occurrence and distribution- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - Population and archeology--- - -- --- - - - - - -- - - - -- -- Petrology_-_----------------------------------- Permafrost---_------------------------------------- Stratigraphy - - - - - - -.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Structure__._-__----------------------------------- Dev~niansystem--.----~----------------------- Brooks Range province- - -_----- - -- - --- -- - - --- -- - Upper Devonian limestone ----- ----- ----- - --- Southern foothills section ---_-- -- - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - Hunt Fork shale--- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - --.-- ---- Northern foothills section- _-- - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Kanayut conglomerate- - - _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Oolamnagavik River structural high-- - - - ------ Mississippian system- - - - - - - -- - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - Kurupa anticline- - - - ----- ------------------ Kayak shale------------------------------- Lisburne group----------------------------- Aupuk and Killik Bend anticlines ------------- - - - - Wachsmuthlimestone_---------------------- Geologic history - - - - - - _ -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Alapahlimestone--------------------------- Economic geology- - - - - --- - -- ---- - -------.------- -- -- - _ - _ - - - - - - Carboniferous and Permian systems-- - - - Petroleum possibilities- -- - .. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Siksikpuk formation- - - - - - -- --- - - - -- - - - -- - - - Paleozoic rocks-- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -- - Unnamed Carboniferous and Permian unit-- - - .. Triassic and Lower Cretaceous rocks- - - - - - - - - - Triassic system ------ ........................... Lower and Upper Cretaceous rocks- .. - - - ----..- Shublik formation- - - - - - - -- - - - - -- - .. - - - - -- - - - Jurassic system ---- ------------ -- --------------- Nanushuk group -_-_--_-__-_------------ Tiglukpuk formation- - - - - - - -- - - - - .. - -- - - - - - - - Colville group- - _ - - -- _ - - _ - - ___-- - - - --- - - - - Cretaceous system------------------------------ Structure-_-------------------------------- Okpikruak formation..-- _ - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - Gas seeps-_--_----------------------------- Fortress Mountain formation ---- - __ - _ - - - - - - _ - Coal____--_--_-------------------------------- Torok formation _-------------------.-- -- --- Colville River- -- ------__-__--- ---- - --- -- - -- Nanushuk group --------_--__---- ---. --.- -- - Kurupa River------------------------------ Tuktu formation ........................ Oolamnagavik River- _ - _ - - - - _ - _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - Chandler formation- - - _ - - - _ - - - - -.-- -- - - - Killik River ................................ Killik tongue -------_-_------ - ----- - Niakogontongue--------_--__------ Phosphate-bearing rocks---_-_-__--_------------- Ninuluk formation -----_--------. -- - - --- Selected Bibliography _ -.- ---- ----- -- - - --- ----- ----- Colville group__ _ - - - - - - _ _ - -- - - - - - - - - --- - - - - - Index-__------__---------------------------------- CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS [Plates are in separate volume] PLATE 43. Geologic map. 44. Columnar sections of the Paleozoic formations. 45. Columnar section of the early Mesozoic formations. 46. Columnar sections of the Fortress Mountain formation. 47. Columnar sections of the Torok formation. 48. Correlated columnar sections of the Nanushuk group. 49. Glacial map. Psge FIGURE54. Index map of the Killik-Etivluk Rivers region- - - -- _ -- - -- - _ -- - -- - - - - _ - - - - _ - - - -- - - - _ - - - - - - - - - - - _ - _ - _ _ - _ - _ 326 55. Index map showing areasstudied_--_-_--------_----_----_--_--------_--_--------__-----_----_--..------327 56. View of Killik River pass--_-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 329 57. View of Howard Pass------------_------------------------------------------------------------------- 330 58. Vertical and horizontal views of drained lake- - _ ----------- _--_---_--_-- _ -- -_--_- -_-----_--_-_ _-_ -- ----_ 335 59. View of overturned fold in Lisburne group ---_-_--_---------------_..-_--_ -_----_---- _ -- -_--- ----_------- 343 60. View of Lisburne Ridge------------_----------------------------------------------------------------- 344 61. View of Smith Mountain ............................................................................. 354 62. Diagrammatic sections of the Nanushuk and Colville groups ---__---- _-_ _---_-------------_ -_-_-- -_-- -_--- 362 63. View of glacial lake deposit on Killik River ............................................................. 386 64. View of sand dunes on Killik River .................................................................... 387 65. Geographic occurrence of coal and phosphate ........................ ----- .............................. 400 TABLES TABLE 1. Gradients of some streams in Killik-Etivluk Rivers region--- _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2. Weather data for Killik-Etivluk Rivers region for period May 15 to September 1, 1946, 1949, 1950, and 1953---- 3. Fossils of Kayak shale_---------- ..................................................................... 4. Fossils of Lisburne group- - ........................................................................... 5. Microfossil check list for Paleozoic and early Mesozoic formations---- - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6. Fossils of Shublik formation- ---_-_-_-_.......................... 7. Fossils of Torok formation ----- _-_-_ -- ---- ------------- -- ---------- ................................... 8. Fossils of Tuktu formation _------.-_------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. Microfossil chart for the Nanushuk group._ - - _ _ - - _ - - _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10. Plant fossils from Killik tongue- - - _ -._ _ _ - - ---- - - - _ - _ - - - - - - - - - - - _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11. Porosity-permeability of selected samples - - _ - _ - _ - - _ - _ - - - - - - - _ - - - _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12. Analyses of gas from Aupuk and North Colville seeps- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13. Analysis of samples of coal from the Killik-Etivluk Rivers region_-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14. Yields of carbonization products by Fischer low-temperature carbonization assay at 500°C, as received coal basis------_-_-_-__---------.------------------------------------------------------------------- 15. Chemical and physical properties of gas by Fischer low-temperature carbonization assay at 500°C - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16. Analysis of field samples showing percent PzO5and equivalent uranium- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - EXPLORATION OF NAVAL PETROLEUM RESERVE NO. 4 AND ADJACENT AREAS, NORTHERN ALASKA, 1944-53 GEOLOGY OF THE KILLIK-ETIVLUK RIVERS REGION, ALASKA By ROBERTM. CHAPMAN,ROBERT L. DETTERMAN,and MARVIND. MANGUS The Killik-Etivluk Rivers region is an area of about 5,800 rocks of the Chandler formation of late Early Cretaceous to square miles in the central