Geology of the Killik-Etivluk Rivers Region, Alaska EXPLORATION OF NAVAL PETROLEUM RESERVE NO. 4 AND ADJACENT AREAS, NORTHERN ALASKA, 1944-53 PART 3, AREAL GEOLOGY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 303-F Prepared and published at the request of and in cooper­ ation with the U.S. Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves Geology of the Killik-Etivluk Rivers Region, Alaska By ROBERT M. CHAPMAN, ROBERT L. DETTERMAN, 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 Prepared and published at the request of and in cooper­ ation with the U.S. Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves This report is based onfieldwork by Robert M. Chapman, Robert L. Detterman, Marvin D. Mangus, Robert S. Bickel, G. Donald Eberlein, Charles A. Kirschner, Arthur H. Lachenbruch, Milton C. Lachenbruch, Charles D. Reynolds, Karl Stefansson, Robert F. Thurrell, Lawrence A. W^amer, and James Zumberge UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING 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 Pag_ Page Abstract. ___________________ ____________________ 325 Stratigraphy Continued Introduction. ______________ ____________________ 325 Quaternary system..._________-______--__---____ 382 Location and size of area. ____________________ 325 Glacial deposits..___________________________ 382 Previous work.. _ _______ _________-_._-__-___ 325 Anaktuvuk glaciation.__________________ 383 Early exploration.__________________________ 325 Itkillik glaciation__________________.____ 384 Geological investigations..___________________ 325 Echooka glaciation._____________________ 385 Recent investigations__________________________ 326 Acknowledgments_ _ - __________________________ 328 Fluviatile deposits____________-__-__----_-_- 385 Geography....._--_-_-__-_--__-_---_-_---_-_------_ 328 High-level terrace deposits_-_____-__-____ 385 Relief and drainage. _-_--_--_________-____--____ 328 Alluvium. ____---___----_-----------_-- 386 Accessibility- __________________________________ 331 Lacustrine deposits_-_-_--__.____-___------- 386 Climate.-__---------_-_---------_-----_----_-- 332 Eolian deposits__________._-__-__-____---___ 387 Place names___________________________________ 332 Igneous rocks.._--______-_________--____--_--_------ 388 Animals and plants _____________________________ 333 Occurrence and distribution,_____________________ 388 Population and archeology___-____-_-_--_--_---_- 333 Petrology--_----_----------------------------_- 389 Permafrost... -___-_--_-_--_____-__-___--______-_--_ 334 Stratigraphy _______________________________________ 334 Structure._-------__-_--_----------------------_--- 389 Devonian system _______________________________ 334 Brooks Range province._________________________ 389 Upper Devonian limestone.__________________ 334 Southern foothills section_--_____-__----_-_-_---_- 390 Hunt Fork shale.-_-_-_-__-_--__-____-_-__-_ 336 Northern foothills section..___________-_-__--__-- 391 Kanayut conglomerate.__-___-__-_-_--_-____ 337 Oolamnagavik River structural high-. ___...___ 391 Mississippian system.___________________________ 340 Kurupa anticline.__________________________ 392 Kayak shale.-__-_-__-______-_____-________ 340 Aupuk and Killik Bend anticlines.____________ 392 Lisburne group..___________________________ 341 Wachsmuth limestone.____-__-______--____-_ 345 Geologic history________________-_-___-------------- 393 Alapah limestone.__________________________ 346 Economic geology_________________-____--___--_---- 394 Carboniferous and Permian systems.______________ 347 Petroleum possibilities.__________________________ 394 Siksikpuk formation._______________________ 347 Paleozoic rocks.__________________-___--_--- 395 Unnamed Carboniferous and Permian unit..... 348 Triassic and Lower Cretaceous rocks __________ 395 Triassic system.._______________________________ 348 Lower and Upper Cretaceous rocks ___________ 396 Shublik formation._________________________ 348 Jurassic system-___-____________________________ 350 Nanushuk group....___.___-____---__--- 396 Tiglukpuk formation._______________________ 350 Colville group-________________-__-_--_- 397 Cretaceous system_______.______________________ 352 Structure __________.___________---_--_---_- 398 Okpikruak formation..______________________ 352 Gas seeps.______________________-__-_------ 399 Fortress Mountain formation_______________ 353 Coal. _-_--_--_--_--_-_---_----------------_--- 399 Torok formation.___________________________ 357 Colville River______-___--_--_----_--------- 400 Nanushuk group____________________________ 360 Kurupa River.__________________-___--_---- 401 Tuktu formation______________________ 361 Oolamnagavik River_____________-____-_-_-- 401 Chandler formation _____________________ 369 Killik River________ _-- -- --_-_------ 401 Killik tongue_-.____________________ 370 Phosphate-bearing rocks.______________-__------_ 401 Niakogon tongue-_--_____-____.____ 378 Ninuluk formation._____________________ 381 Selected Bibliography.__ ________---_-__--_--------- 403 Colville group______________________________ 382 Index. _______.____________ _____-__---__---- - 405 m IV 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. Page FIGURE 54. Index map of the Killik-Etivluk Rivers region._______._____.._.________-____________-________-__--._.-_ 326 55. Index map showing areas studied..._-_____________________-____--_-_-_--______----__-_-____-_----___-- 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 Page TABLE 1. Gradients of some streams in Killik-Etivluk Rivers region_.___-_-_-_-_---_-_--__-_.--_.---_--------------- 331 2. Weather data for Killik-Etivluk Rivers region for period May 15 to September 1, 1946, 1949, 1950, and 1953____ 333 3. Fossils of Kayak shale_--------___--___.__..___.__..___..__._...__..-___.____--___----_-_.---------- 342 4. Fossils of Lisburne group_________.____________._______._.__.._..______________________-____------_--- 346 5. Microfossil check list for Paleozoic and early Mesozoic formations.--____________________-_-_----_-_-_------ 349 6. Fossils of Shublik formation. _______________________________________________________________ ________-_ 350 7. Fossils of Torok formation.___________________________________________________________________________ 360 8. Fossils of Tuktu formation..,._._______________________._.______._____ __._._____________________._.__ 367 9. Microfossil chart for the Nanushuk group._____________________________.____.________-_-_-.___---_----_- 368 10. Plant fossils from Killik tongue_ _______________________________________________________________________ 378 11. Porosity-permeability of selected samples___--___-_-____-__..--__--__________--___-_-_-_-__-_-_---------- 397 12. Analyses of gas from Aupuk and North Colville seeps____-__--__--.___--_---__--__----------------------- 399 13. Analysis of samples of coal from the Killik-Etivluk Rivers region___________________________---_--_------- 402 14. Yields of carbonization products by Fischer low-temperature carbonization assay at 500 °C, as received coal basis ___________________________________________________________________________________________ 402 15. Chemical and physical properties of gas by Fischer low-temperature carbonization assay at 500°C_ ____________ 403 16. Analysis of field samples showing percent P205 and equivalent uranium..__..___.__..._..___-.-__-.-..--.--- 403 EXPLORATION OF NAVAL PETROLEUM RESERVE NO. 4 AND ADJACENT AREAS, NORTHERN ALASKA, 1944-53 GEOLOGY OF THE KILLIK-ETIVLUK RIVERS REGION, ALASKA By ROBERT M. CHAPMAN, ROBERT L. DETTERMAN, and MARVIN D. MANGUS ABSTRACT 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 part of the Brooks Range and Arctic early Late Cretaceous age. foothills provinces of northern Alaska. About 1,500