The United States Geological Survey in Alaska: Accomplishments During 1976 Kathleen M. Blean, Editor GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 751-B 1977 United States Department of the Interior CECIL D. ANDRUS, Secretary Geological Survey V. E. McKelvey, Director Free on application to Branch of Distribution, U.S. Geological Survey, 1200 South Eads Street, Arlington, VA 22202 CONTENTS Page Page Abstract ....................................................................................... Bl Northern Alaska Summary of important results, 1976 .....................................1 Continued Introduction .............................................................................1 Carboniferous microfacies, microfossils, and Statewide projects ................................................................. 1 corals, Lisburne Group, arctic Alaska, by Preliminary geologic map of Alaska, by Augustus K. Armstrong and Helen M. Beikman ................................................... 1 Bernard L. Mamet ............................................... B18 Mineral resources of Alaska, by Mississippian microfacies of the Lisburne Edward H. Cobb ....................................................... 1 Group, Endicott Mountains, arctic Alaska, A new radiometric date for the Ordovician- by August K. Armstrong and Silurian boundary, by M. A. Lanphere, Bernard L. Mamet ............................................... ...18 Michael Churkin, Jr., and G. D. Eberlein ....... 4 Late Paleozoic carbonates from the south- A new Ordovician time scale based on central Brooks Range, by Kenneth J. Bird . ... 19 accumulation rates of graptolite shale, by Hydrocarbon assessment of the Arctic Michael Churkin, Jr., Claire Carter, and National Wildlife Range, eastern Arctic Bruce R. Johnson ......................................................4 Slope, Alaska, by C. G. Mull and Glacier research, by L. R. Mayo ..............................5 B. A. Kososki ......................................................... ... 20 Investigations of impact on hydrologic Southwestern Brooks Range-Ambler River features by construction and operation of quadrangle AMRAP, by I. L. Tailleur, TAPS, by C. E. Sloan and J. W. Nauman ........ 6 I. F. Ellersieck, and C. F. Mayfield ............... 22 Streamflow and channel erosion along the Mineral resources of the western Brooks TAPS route, by P. F. Doyle .................................... 7 Range, by I. L. Tailleur, I. F. Ellersieck, Effects of fuel oil leaks on water quality in and C. F. Mayfield ............................................... 24 three streams along the trans-Alaska Late Paleozoic sedimentary sequence, south­ pipeline, by J. W. Nauman, C. E. Sloan, western Brooks Range, by I. L. Tailleur, and D. R. Kernodle .....................................................7 C. F. Mayfield, and I. F. Ellersieck ............... 25 Fisheries enhancement studies: Limnological Sadlerochit(?) Group in the Schwatka studies in southeastern Alaska and water Mountains, south-central Brooks Range, quality measurements along the TAPS route by C. G. Mull and I. L. Tailleur ....................... 27 during pipeline construction, by Apparent south vergent folding and possible G. A. McCoy .................................................................7 nappes in Schwatka Mountains, by Northern Alaska .....................................................................8 C. G. Mull ................................................................. 29 Lead-zinc mineralization at Bear Mountain, Arctic hydrology studies, by C. E. Sloan ......... 30 southeastern Brooks Range, by William P. North Slope water resources studies, by Brosge' and Hillard N. Reiser .................................8 Gordon L. Nelson ................................................. 31 Depositional environment and fauna for a East-central Alaska ......................................................... 31 section of the Sadlerochit Group, north­ A newly identified sequence of rocks in the eastern Alaska, by R. L. Detterman and Yukon-Tanana Upland, Alaska, by J. T. Dutro, Jr. ...........................................................10 Florence R. Weber, Helen L. Foster, and Gubik and pre-Gubik Cenozoic deposits along Terry E. C. Keith ................................................... 31 the Colville River near Ocean Point, North Ultramafic rocks near Volkmar Lake, Big Slope, Alaska, by L. D. Carter, C. A. Delta quadrangle, Yukon-Tanana Upland, Repenning, L. N. Marincovich, J. E. Hazel, Alaska, by Terry E. C. Keith and D. M. Hopkins, Kristin McDougall, and Helen L. Foster .................................................... 32 C. W. Naeser ...............................................................12 Gneiss dome in the Big Delta C-4 quadrangle, Any Prudhoe Bays in Naval Petroleum Yukon-Tanana Upland, Alaska, by Helen Reserve No. 4?, by Robert D. Carter, L. Foster, Florence R. Weber, and C. G. Mull, and Kenneth J. Bird ....................... 14 Cynthia Dusel-Bacon ........................................... 33 Surficial geology of the east-central Brooks The Shaw Creek fault, east-central Alaska, Range, by Thomas D. Hamilton ......................... 15 by Travis Hudson, Helen L. Foster, and Upper Devonian depositional history, central Florence R. Weber ................................................. 33 Brooks Range, Alaska, by J. Thomas Dutro, Geochemical anomalies in bedrock, west half Jr., William P. Brosge", and Hillard N. of Kantishna River quadrangle, by Reiser ............................................................................ 16 Robert M. Chapman ............................................. 35 III Page Page East-Central Alaska Continued Southern Alaska Continued Geohydrology of the Fairbanks-North Star Reinterpretation of the origin, etc. Continued Borough, by Gordon L. Nelson ......................... -B36 Mountains, Alaska, by George Plafker, West-central Alaska ........................................................... - 37 Donald H. Richter, and Travis Hudson ........... B52 Lower Paleozoic graptolitic section in the Potassium-argon ages of disseminated Terra Cotta Mountains, southern Alaska copper and molybdenum mineralization in Range, by Michael Churkin, Jr., Bruce L. the Klein Creek and Nabesna plutons, Reed, Claire Carter, and Gary R. Winkler ..... 37 eastern Alaska Range, by Miles L. Late Paleozoic and Mesozoic stratigraphy of Silberman, Janet L. Morton, D. C. Cox, the Nixon Fork area, Medfra quadrangle, and Donald H. Richter .............................................. 54 Alaska, by William W. Patton, Jr., Carbonate sedimentation, sabkha facies, J. T. Dutro, Jr., and R. M. Chapman ............... 38 diagenesis, and stratigraphy, lower part Pre-Ordovician unconformity in central of the Chitistone Limestone the Triassic Alaska, by William W. Patton, Jr. ................... 39 host rock for Kennecott-type copper de­ Southwestern Alaska ......................................................... 39 posits, by Augustus K. Armstrong and Blue amphibole occurrences in southwestern E. M. MacKevett, Jr. ..................................................56 Alaska, by J. M. Hoare and W. L. Coonrad . 39 Stable isotope geochemistry, sulfide Southern Alaska ................................................................. 41 mineralogy, and potassium-argon ages of A Cretaceous accretionary flysch and the Kennecott massive sulfide deposits, melange terrane along the Gulf of Alaska Alaska, by Miles L. Silberman, Alan margin, by George Plafker, David L. Jones, Mathews, R. W. Potter II, and and E. A. Pessagno, Jr. ....................................... 41 Arie Nissenbaum .......................................................... 56 Conglomerate in flysch of the Orca Group, LANDSAT data interpretation, McCarthy, Prince William Sound, southern Alaska, Tanacross, and Talkeetna quadrangles, by Gary R. Winkler and Russell G. Tysdal ... 43 by Nairn R. D. Albert and William Strata-bound iron-copper-zinc sulfide Clinton Steele ................................................................ 58 deposits, Prince William Sound region, Paleozoic sedimentary rocks in the northwest southern Alaska, by Gary R. Winkler, part of Talkeetna quadrangle, Alaska E. M. MacKevett, Jr., and S. W. Nelson ......... 44 Range, Alaska, by Augustus K. Armstrong, Cooperative stratigraphic project in lower Anita G. Harris, Bruce Reed, and Cook Inlet and Kodiak areas, U. S. Geo­ Claire Carter ................................................................. 61 logical Survey and State of Alaska Division New data concerning age of the Arkose Ridge of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, by Formation, south-central Alaska, by Be'la Irven F. Palmer and W. M. Lyle ....................... 45 Csejtey, Willis H. Nelson, G. Donald Stream relocation and benthic invertebrates Eberlein, Marvin A. Lanphere, and in Canyon Slough near valdez, Alaska, James G. Smith ........................................................... 62 1976, by J. W. Nauman, C. E. Sloan, and The Donnelly Dome and Granite Mountain D. R. Kernodle ......................................................... 46 faults, south-central Alaska, by Study of modern lacustrine and glacio- Travis Hudson and Florence R. Weber ................ 64 lacustrine sediments for earthquake- A late Tertiary thrust fault in the central induced deformational structures, Kenai Alaska Range, by Florence R. Weber and Peninsula, by J. D. Sims and M. J. Rymer ... 46 Donald L. Turner ....................................................... 66 Placer River