Late Cenozoic History of the Interior Basins of Alaska and the Yukon

124 Pages·2012·13.84 MB·English

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 1026
Late Cenozoic History
of the Interior Basins
of Alaska and the Yukon
Proceedings of a cooperative workshop
between earth scientists from Canada and
the United States of America
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Late Cenozoic Hist ory
of the Interior Basins
of Alaska and the Yukon
L. DAVID CARTER, THOMAS D. HAMILTON,
and JOHN P. GALLOWAY, Editors
Proceedings of a cooperative workshop
between earth scientists from Canada
and the United States of America
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 1026
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
MANUEL LUJAN, JR., Secretary
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Dallas L. Peck, Director
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in this publication is for descriptive purposes only
and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1989
Free on application to the
Books and Open-File Reports Section
U.S. Geological Survey
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Late Cenozoic history of the interior basins of Alaska and the Yukon I L.
David Carter, Thomas D. Hamilton, and John P. Galloway, editors.
p. em.- (U.S. Geological Survey circular; 1026)
Proceedings of a joint Canadian-American workshop hosted by the U.S.
Geological Survey at Anchorage, AK, in Feb. 1987.
Bibliography: p.
Supt. of Docs. no.: I 19.4/2:1026
1 . Geology, Stratigraphic-Quaternary-Congresses. 2. Geology-Canada
Beaufort Sea Region-Congresses. 3. Geology-Alaska-Beaufort Sea Region
Congresses. I. Carter, L. David. II. Hamilton, Thomas D. (Thomas Dudley),
1936- . Ill. Galloway, John P. IV. Series: Geological Survey circular;
1026.
QE696.L286 1989 89-600059
551.7'9-dc20 CIP
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1
L. David Carter and Thomas D. Hamilton
WORKSHOP PROGRAM 3
WORKSHOPPARTICIPANTS 4
JOINT CANADIAN-AMERICAN INVESTIGATION OF THE CENOZOIC GEOLOGY
OF THE LOWLANDS BORDERING THE BEAUFORT SEA 7
Jean-Serge Vincent, L. David Carter, John V. Matthews, Jr., and David M. Hopkins
PAPERS
Late Pleistocene Spruce (Picea) in Northern Interior Basins of Alaska and the Yukon:
Evidence from Marine Deposits in Northern Alaska 11
L. David Carter and Thomas A. Ager
Offshore Constraints on the Late Pleistocene Glacial History at the Mouth of the
Mackenzie River 15
Steve M. Blasco, Julie Bri.gham-Grette, and Philip R Hill
Continental Ice Advances in Northwestern Canada and their Significance to Interior Basins
in the Yukon 18
Jean-Serge Vincent
Was the Late Pleistocene Northwest Laurentide Ice Sheet Wet-Based? 22
James Beget
Quaternary Chronology, Yukon and Western District of Mackenzie 25
Owen L. Hughes
The Old Crow and Bluefish Basins, Northern Yukon: Development of the
Quaternary History 30
Charles E. Schweger
Climatic Change in Eastern Beringia During Oxygen Isotope Stages 2 and 3:
Proposed Thermal Events 34
John V. Matthews, Jr., Charles E. Schweger, and Owen L. Hughes
Paleosols of Northwestern Canada 39
Charles Tamocai
Upper Cenozoic Deposits, Kanuti Flats and Upper Kobuk Trench, Northern Alaska 45
Thomas D. Hamilton
Quaternary Deposits at Birch Creek, Northeastern Interior Alaska: The Possibility of
Climatic Reconstruction 48
Mary E. Edwards and Patricia F. McDowell
Late Quaternary Paleofloods along the Porcupine River, Alaska: Implications for
Regional Correlation 51
Robert M. Thorson
Contents Ill
Late Cenozoic Sedimentary History along Major Fault Zones, Alaska 55
Warren Ye end
Paleoglaciology of the Selwyn Lobe of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet and Quaternary
Stratigraphy of the East-Central Yukon 60
Lionel E. Jackson, Jr.
Late Cenozoic Stratigraphy and Sedimentology of Gravelly Deposits in Central and
Southern Yukon 66
Stephen R. Morison
Quaternary Stratigraphy of the Fairbanks Area, Alaska 72
Troy L. Pewe
Pleistocene Glacial Events, Southeastern Copper River Basin, Alaska 78
Donald R. Nichols
A Working Glacial Chronology for the Western Copper River Basin, Alaska 81
John R. Williams
Glacial Lake Atna, Copper River Basin, Alaska 85
Oscar J. Ferrians, Jr.
History of Late Pleistocene and Holocene Vegetation in the Copper River Basin,
South-Central Alaska 89
Thomas A. Ager
Pleistocene Vertebrate Localities in the Yukon 93
C. Richard Harington
Arctic Microtine Biochronology-Current Status 99
Charles A. Repenning
Comment on the Present Status of Dating Loess by Thermoluminescence 103
Glenn W. Berger
SUMMARIES OF DISCUSSION SESSIONS 1 0 7
Geochronology 1 0 7
Julie Brigham-Grette
Neotectonics in Alaska and Northwestern Canada 1 0 8
Robert M. Thorson
Late Tertiary Events 1 0 9
John V. Matthews, Jr.
Early and Middle Pleistocene Events 11 0
Thomas D. Hamilton
Late Pleistocene Glacial Advances 111
Jean-Serge Vincent
Late Pleistocene Interstadial Intervals 112
Charles E Schweger
Canadian-American Collaborative Research 113
L. David Carter
IV Contents
INTRODUCTION
By L. David Carter and Thomas D. Hamilton
This volume contains the proceedings of a joint Cana Geology, and the U.S. Geological Survey participated in
dian-American workshop on the late Cenozoic history of the meeting. Twenty of the following papers were prepared
the interior basins of Alaska and the Yukon, a meeting that for the workshop and subsequently revised for publication;
was hosted by the U.S. Geological Survey at Anchorage, two additional papers were solicited after the workshop in
Alaska, in February 1987. The principal aim of the work order to expand coverage of topics that proved to be of
shop was fostering communication between Canadian and particular interest. Brief synopses of the seven discussion
American scientists on problems of late Cenozoic history sessions that followed the presentation of papers were
common to both northwestern Canada and Alaska. prepared by discussion leaders, and these also are included
The Anchorage workshop was the second in a planned in this volume.
series of meetings that are intended to be held at two- or Some of the major rivers, tectonic basins, and faults
three-year intervals. The first meeting of this series, which referred to in the papers and discussion-session reports are
was hosted by the Geological Survey of Canada, was held shown in figure 1. More detailed maps showing all of the
in Calgary, Alberta, in April 1984. Its topic was the cor localities and geographic features mentioned in papers
relation of Quaternary deposits and events around the dealing with the Yukon can be found in Morison and Smith
margin of the Beaufort Sea. A correlation chart that was (1987, figs. 39, 41, and 42).
assembled at the meeting and 16 short papers prepared by One central theme that emerged from the workshop is
individual participants were published by the Geological the critical role of volcanic ash layers (tephras) in dating
Survey of Canada (Heginbottom and Vincent, 1986). and correlating deposits of late Cenozoic age in Alaska and
During the Calgary meeting, it was agreed that a field the Yukon. It is unfortunate that the age of one particularly
trip would be held along the shore of the Beaufort Sea widespread unit, the Old Crow tephra, is still unsettled as
during the summer of 1985 and that a second workshop this volume goes to press. Most of the following topical
focusing on long geologic and climatic records of interior reports and discussion summaries were written when an age
basins of Alaska and the Yukon would be held in Anchor of 86±8 ka was generally accepted for the Old Crow tephra
age, Alaska, in the spring of 1987. (Wintle and Westgate, 1986), but subsequent age measure
The field trip was carried out in late July and early ments indicate that it may be as old as 110±12 ka (Berger,
August 1985. Participants were Jean-Serge Vincent and this volume) or 149±13 ka (Westgate, 1988).
John V. Matthews, Jr. (Geological Survey of Canada), In this volume, we follow the convention of using ka
David M. Hopkins (University of Alaska), and L. David for "thousand years before present" and Ma for "million
Carter (U.S. Geological Survey). The group's objective years before present" Timespans are designated as k.y.
was to study the chronology and geologic relations of and m.y. for thousands and millions of years, respectively.
deposits along the arctic coastal lowlands in order to clarify Geologic-climatic units such as glaciations, interglacia
sea-level history and to resolve the age of late Tertiary and tions, stades, and interstades are considered informal stra
early to middle Pleistocene glacier advances (see Vincent tigraphic units, as are all tephra layers discussed except the
and others, this volume). formally defined Ester, Dome, Wilber, Jarvis, and White
Planning for the subsequent Anchorage workshop was River Ash Beds (Pewe, 1975).
carried out jointly by members of the U.S. Geological
Survey and the Geological Survey of Canada. Twenty
three scientists from the Geological Survey of Canada, REFERENCES CITED
other Canadian government agencies, Canadian and United
States universities, the Alaska Division of Mines and Heginbottom, J.A., and Vincent, I-S., eds., 1986, Correlation of
Quaternary deposits and events around the margin of the
Beaufort Sea-Contributions from a joint Canadian-Ameri
can workshop, April 1984: Geological Survey of Canada
Open File Report 1237, 60 p.
Manuscript approved for publication, January 5, 1989.
Introduction
Morison, S.R., and Smith, C.A.S., eds., 1987, Guidebook to 32 p.
Quaternary research in Yukon; Xllth INQUA Congress field Westgate, J.A., 1988, Isothermal plateau fission-track age of the
excursions A20a and A20b: Ottawa, National Research late Pleistocene Old Crow tephra, Alaska: Geophysical
Council of Canada, 110 p. Research Letters, v. 15, p. 376-379.
Pewe, T.L., 1975, Quaternary stratigraphic nomenclature in cen Wintle, A.G., and Westgate, J.A., 1986, Thermoluminescence age
tral Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 862, of Old Crow tephra in Alaska: Geology, v. 14, p. 594-597.
300
I I I
BEAUFORT SEA KILOMETERS
CHUKCHI SEA
-·
EXPLANATION
D
Basins Fault
(!) Denali fault
BB Bell Basin
®
BfB Bluefish Basin Kaltag fault
BPB Bonnet Plume Basin
CRB Copper River Basin ® Kobuk fault
KF Kanuti Flats
@) Kugruk fault
OCB Old Crow Basin
YF Yukon Flats ®
Tintina fault
Figure 1. Some major geographic and geologic features of Alaska and the Yukon mentioned in papers and discussion-session
reports in this volume.
2 Late Cenozoic History of the Interior Basins of Alaska and the Yukon
WORKSHOP PROGRAM
Wednesday, February 11 Thursday, February 12
Welcome and Introduction Discussion Sessions
L.D. Carter and T.D. Hamilton 1. Geochronology
Discussion Leader: Brigham-Grette, Julie
Resume of the joint Canadian-American field trip of 1985
Vincent, Jean-Serge, and Carter, L. David 2. Neotectonics
Discussion Leader: Thorson, Robert M.
Brief Presentations
3. Late Tertiary events
I. Northern Alaska, Yukon, and Mackenzie District
Discussion Leader: Matthews, John V., Jr.
Brigham-Grette, Julie
Carter, L. David
4. Early and middle Pleistocene events
Vincent, Jean-Serge
Discussion Leader: Hamilton, Thomas D.
Beget, James E.
II. Interior basins of northwest Canada
Hughes, Owen L. Friday, February 13
Morison, Stephen R.
Jackson, Lionel E., Jr.
Discussion Sessions
Tamocai, Charles
5. Late Pleistocene glacial advances
Schweger, Charles E.
Discussion Leader: Vincent, Jean-Serge
III. Basins of central Alaska
6. Late Pleistocene interstadial intervals
Hopkins, David M.
Discussion Leader: Schweger, Charles E.
Hamilton, Thomas D.
Williams, John R.
7. Canadian-American collaborative research
Edwards, Mary E. Discussion Leader: Carter, L. David
Pewe, Troy L.
Williams, John R.
Ferrians, Oscar, J., Jr.
IV. Regional studies
Thorson, Robert M.
Yeend, Warren E.
Repenning, Charles A.
Judge, Alan S.
Harington, C. Richard
Ager, Thomas A.
Matthews, John V., Jr.
Workshop Program 3
WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS
Thomas A. Ager David M. Hopkins
Branch of Paleontology and Stratigraphy Department of Geology and Geophysics
U.S. Geological Survey 408 Brooks Building
National Center-MS 970 University of Alaska
Reston, Virginia 22092 Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-0760
James E. Beget
Owen L. Hughes
Department of Geology and Geophysics
Geological Survey of Canada
408 Brooks Building
3303-33rd Street
University of Alaska
Calgary, Alberta
Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-0760
Canada T2L 2A7
Julie Brigham-Grette
Lionel E. Jackson, Jr.
Department of Geology
Geological Survey of Canada
University of Alberta
IOO West Pender Street
Edmonton, Alberta
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada T6G 2E3
Canada V6B IR8
Present address:
Department of Geology and Geography
Alan S. Judge
University of Massachusetts
Geological Survey of Canada
Amherst, Massachusetts OI003-0026
I Observatory Crescent
Ottawa, Ontario
L. David Carter
Canada KIA OY3
Branch of Alaskan Geology
U.S. Geological Survey
John V. Matthews, Jr.
4200 University Drive
Geological Survey of Canada
Anchorage, Alaska 99508-4667
60I Booth Street
Ottawa, Ontario
Mary E. Edwards
Canada KIA OE8
Marlboro College
Marlboro, Vermont 05344
Stephen R. Morison
Present address:
Department of Indian and Northern Affairs
Department of Geography
200 Range Road
University of Oregon
Whitehorse, Yukon
Eugene, Oregon 97403-I2I8
Canada YIA 3VI
Oscar J. Ferrians, Jr.
Branch of Alaskan Geology Troy L. Pewe
U.S. Geological Survey Department of Geology
4200 University Drive Arizona State University
Anchorage, Alaska 99508-4667 Tempe, Ariwna 85287
Thomas D. Hamilton Richard D. Reger
Branch of Alaskan Geology Alaska Division of Mining and Geology
U.S. Geological Survey 794 University Ave.
4200 University Drive Fairbanks, Alaska 9970I
Anchorage, Alaska 99508-4667
Charles A. Repenning
C. Richard Harington Branch of Paleontology and Stratigraphy
National Museum of Natural Sciences U;S. Geological Survey-MS 9I9
Ottawa, Ontario Box 25046-Denver Federal Center
Canada KIA ON8 Denver, Colorado 80225-0046
4 Late Cenozoic History of the Interior Basins of Alaska and the Yukon