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Paleoenvironmental Implications of Alaskan Siliceous Deposits

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Siliceous Deposits of the Tethys and Pacific Regions

Overview

Biogenic siliceous deposits in Alaska originally accumulated in a variety of oceanic and continental margin settings. Oceanic environments are distinguished by the absence of any continental deposits. The continental margin environments are marine, but contain continentally derived sediments. Alaskan siliceous deposits can be grouped in terms of six lithologically defined facies associations that can be used to interpret primary depositional environments. (1) The chert/basalt/ultramafic rock association may represent an oceanic or marginal sea spreading center environment. (2) The chert/basalt association may represent deposition on various types of oceanic or marginal basin volcanic edifices. (3) The chert/basalt/andesite/graywacke association represents a marginal basin in the vicinity of a volcanic arc. (4) The chert/mafic to silicic volcanic rock/clastic rock association may represent a volcanic arc, a marginal rift or marginal transform basin. (5) The chert/carbonate/clastic rock association may represent a continental platform basin or shelf setting. (6) The chert/shale association may represent a restricted basin, or an outer shelf or slope environment.

Specific siliceous facies associations characterize certain periods of geologic time and certain regions in Alaska. These characteristic depositional sequences can be used to compare, and possibly relate, basin histories in technically disrupted areas. Lower Paleozoic cherts in Alaska that were deposited in continental margin settings tend to occur north of the Denali fault. On the other hand, Mesozoic volcanic arc-related associations occur throughout the state. The pattern of regional tectonic juxtaposition of siliceous oceanic deposits between contempor aneous continental margin deposits in northern, central, and southeastern Alaska provides insights for unravelling the complex tectonic processes that assembled Alaska.

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Authors
  1. Susan M. Karl
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California, USA

    James R. Hein

  2. University of Beograd, Beograd, Yugoslavia

    Jelena Obradović (Faculty of Mining and Geology) (Faculty of Mining and Geology)

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Karl, S.M. (1989). Paleoenvironmental Implications of Alaskan Siliceous Deposits. In: Hein, J.R., Obradović, J. (eds) Siliceous Deposits of the Tethys and Pacific Regions. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3494-4_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3494-4_12

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