GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 733 The United States Geological Survey in Alaska: Accomplishments During 1975 The United States Geological Survey in Alaska: Accomplishments During 1975 Edward H. Cobb, Editor GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 733 7976 United States Department of the Interior THOMAS S. KLEPPE, Secretary Geological Survey V. E. McKelvey, Director Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Cobb, Edward H. The United States Geological Survey in Alaska. (Geological Survey Circular 733) Supt.ofDocs.no.: 119.4/2:733 1. United States Geological Survey 2. Geological research-Alaska. 3. Geology-Alaska- Bibliography. I. Cobb, Edward Huntington, 1916- II. United States Geological Survey HI. Series: United States Geological Survey Circular 733. QE75.C5no. 733[QE74] 557.3'08s[557.98] 76-608093 Free on application to Branch of Distribution, U.S. Geological Survey, 1200 South Eads Street, Arlington, VA 22202 CONTENTS Page Page Abstract _________________ _ 1 Summary of important results, 1975 Continued Summary of important results, 1975 _ 1 Northern Alaska __________________________ 16 Introduction ____________ _ 1 Seabed morphology adjacent to an "island" of Statewide __________. _ 1 grounded ice in the Arctic Ocean northwest of Computer files of Alaskan data, by M. Elizabeth Point Barrow, by L. J. Toimil and Arthur Yount _________________________ 1 Grantz _______________________ 16 Mineral resources of Alaska, by Edward H. Possible solid gas hydrate and natural gas de­ Cobb ___________________________ 2 posits beneath the continental slope of the New gravity map of Alaska, by David F. Beaufort Sea, by Arthur Grantz, GaryrBoucher, Bames ______________________ 2 and Olive Therese Whitney _____________ 17 Exploration geochemistry in Alaska, by G. C. Sediment-ice interaction in the Beaufort Sea, by Curtin, G. W. Day, C. L. Forn, T. D. Hessin, J. D. Peter W. Bames and Erk Reimnitz________ 17 Hoffman, S. P. Marsh, R. M. O'Leary, and R. B. Study of the gravity field of the Beaufort shelf, Tripp___________________________ 5 north coast of Alaska, by Gary Boucher____ 21 Alaskan quality-of-water network (NASQAN), by Environmental data collection along proposed R. J. Madison______________________ 7 Canadian gas pipeline along coastal route in Streamflow, channel erosion, and icings along Alaska, by J. P. Meckel _______ J'_-____ 23 TAPS route, by J. M. Childers ____________ 8 Arctic hydrology studies, by C. E. Sloan _____ 23 Water quality and benthic invertebrates along North Slope water resources studies, by Gordon L. the TAPS route, by J. W. Nauman and D. R. Nelson ______________________ 23 Kernodle __________________________ 8 North Slope petroleum program, by Robert D. Investigations of impact on hydrologic features by Carter _________________________ 23 construction and operation of TAPS, by C. E. New structural and stratigraphic interpretations, Sloan _______________________ 8 central and western Brooks Range and Arctic Arctic water resources and environmental stu­ Slope, by C. G. Mull, I. L. Tailleur, C. F. dies, by J. M. Childers_______________ 9 Mayfield, and G. H. Pessel ___________ 24 Hydrologic reconnaissance of TAPS haulroad, by Petroleum potential of the Lisbume Group, by S. H. Jones ___ _________ ________ 9 Kenneth J. Bird __________________ 26 Surficial geologic mapping in the Philip Smith Need to revise and test estimates of northern Mountains and Chandalar quadrangles, Brooks Alaska coal resources, by I. L. Tailleur and W. Range, by Thomas D. Hamilton and Robert M. P. Brosge_____________________ 26 Thorsen _______________________ 9 Informal cooperation between U.S. Geological Displacement of Yukon-derived sediment from Survey and State of Alaska, Division of Geolog­ northern Bering Sea to southern Chukchi Sea ical and Geophysical Surveys in the Brooks during the Holocene, by C. Hans Nelson and Joe Range, by I. L. Tailleur, G. H. Pessel, W. P. S. Creager ________________________ 10 Brosge, and C. F. Mayfield______!:_____ 27 "New" volcanoes in the Aleutian volcanic arc, by Northern Alaska coal investigations, western Thomas P. Miller and Robert L. Smith ___ 11 Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4, by James E. Reconnaissance geochemistry and tectonics of Callahan _____ _________________ 30 Gulf of Alaska greenstones, by Gary R. Hydrological studies for the Alaskan Air Com­ Winkler ________________________ 11 mand, by R. J. Madison ______________ 30 Uplift rates of marine terrace sequences in the Interpretation of depositional environments in Gulf of Alaska, by Travis Hudson, George the Fortress Mountain Formation, central Arc­ Plafker, and Meyer Rubin __________ 11 tic Slope, by R. E. Hunter and J. E. Fox __ 30 Structural style of part of the Outer Continental Metamorphism in the southwestern Brooks Shelf in the Gulf of Alaska Tertiary Province, Range, by C. F. Mayfield ___._______ 31 by Terry R. Bruns and George Plafker ____ 13 Biostratigraphy of the Permian and Lower Trias- The Border Ranges fault system in the Saint Elias sic rocks in the Philip Smith Mountains quad­ Mountains and Alexander Archipelago, by rangle, by Robert L. Detterman ____________ 32 George Plafker, D. L. Jones, Travis Hudson, East-central Alaska ______ ___ 33 and H. C. Berg __________________ 14 Geochemical reconnaissance of the Chandalar quadrangle, by Sherman P. Marsh _ __ 33 III Page Page Summary of important results,1975 Continued Summary of important results, 1975 Continued East-central Alaska Continued Southern Alaska Continued Geohydrology of the Fairbanks North Star Ash flows associated with Wrangell Volcano, by Borough, by Gordon L. Nelson _______ 34 Thomas P. Miller and Robert L. Smith ___ 52 Reconnaissance geologic mapping in the eastern Engineering geology of the Greater Anchorage Big Delta quadrangle, by Helen L. Foster and Area Borough, by Ernest Dobrovolny and Florence R. Weber _______________ 34 Henry R. Schmoll ________._____ 52 West-central Alaska__________________ 36 Geohydrology of the Anchorage area, by Chester Trace-element composition of biotite from a tin- Zenone ___________________ 52 granite complex, Seward Peninsula, by Travis Estimate of time required for natural restoration Hudson and R. E. Mays ____________ 36 of the effects of the 1964 earthquake at Portage, Revised interpretation of regional geological con­ by A. T. Ovenshine and Reuben trols of mineralization in southwest Seward Kachadoorian________________ __ 53 Peninsula, by C. L. Hummel--________ 37 Lake-level fluctuations, North Kenai area, by G. Uranium and thorium content of radioactive S. Anderson ________________ 54 phases of the Zane Hills pluton, by Mortimer H. Summary of the geology and coal resources of the Staatz and Thomas P. Miller__________ 39 Bering River Coal Field, by R. B. Sanders __ 54 Progress report on new geologic mapping in the Reconnaissance engineering geology and geologic Ruby quadrangle, by Robert M. Chapman __ 41 hazards of the Yakutat area, by L. A. Yehle 54 Newly discovered Upper Triassic and Lower Cre­ Gulf of Alaska seismicity, by John C. Lahr and taceous strata in the northern Kuskokwim Michael Blackford____________ 54 Mountains, by William W. Patton, Jr. ___ 42 Submarine mass movement of Holocene sedi­ Sedimentary facies and structure of the northern ments seaward of the Copper River, by Paul R. Bering epicontinental shelf, by C. Hans Nelson, Carlson and Bruce F. Molnia _________ 55 Robert W. Roland, and Sam W. Stoker ____ 43 Surface sedimentary units of the northern Gulf of Southwestern Alaska _______-__________ Alaska continental shelf, by Bruce F. Molnia Water-resources reconnaissance of St. George Is­ and Paul R. Carlson______________ 56 land, Pribilof Islands, by G. S. Anderson __ 43 Southeastern Alaska ___________ _ 57 Mercury dispersal in Kuskokwim River and Bay, Late Holocene offset features along the Fair- by C. Hans Nelson, Everett A. Jenne, and weather fault, by George Plafker, Travis Hud­ Dennis H. Sorg _________________ 43 son, and Meyer Rubin ______________ 57 Atomodesma in southwestern Alaska, by Joseph Miocene mollusks from the Topsy Formation, M. Hoare and Warren L. Coonrad ______ 44 Lituya district, by Louie Marincovich_____ 58 The Togiak tuya, by Warren L. Coonrad and Glacier Bay National Monument mineral- Joseph M. Hoare ____ ___________ 44 resource studies recommenced, by David A. Two caldera-forming eruptions on Umnak Island, Brew, Donald Grybeck, B. R. Johnson, and Con­ eastern Aleutian Islands, by Thomas P. Miller stance J. Nutt __-__-____ -__ 58 and Robert L. Smith _________ ___ 45 Apparent pre-middle Tertiary right-lateral offset Southern Alaska _____________________ 45 on Excursion Inlet fault, Glacier Bay National Hydrologic investigations related to coal re­ Monument, by David A. Brew, Christine sources, by D. R. Scully -_____________ 45 Carlson, and Constance J. Nutt __ __ 59 Alaska glaciology studies, by D. C. Trabant __ 45 Key foliated quartz diorite sill along southwest Glaciers along TAPS route, by D. C. Trabant __ 47 side of Coast Range complex, northern south­ Water-resources investigations of the Valdez- eastern Alaska, by David A. Brew, A. B. Ford, Delta Junction area, by C. E. Sloan ______ 47 Donald Grybeck, Bruce R. Johnson, and Con­ Reconnaissance geology of the western Talkeetna stance J. Nutt ______________ 60 Mountain quadrangle, by W. H. Nelson, Bela Aquifer investigations in Mendenhall Valley Csejtey, Jr., and R. M. Dean __________ 47 near Juneau, by Gary O. Balding 60 Geochemical anomalies in the Willow Creek min­ Automated observatory system installed at Sitka ing district, Talkeetna Mountains,