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-  Alaska Science Center 
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#           Western Alaska Range Metallogeny and Tectonics      

  Completed

      By Alaska Science Center      January 1, 2017    

            -              Overview           
            -              Science           
            -              Data           
            -              Publications           

There are many different types of mineral deposits present in the Western Alaska Range: plutonic gold, porphyry copper-gold (Pebble prospect), epithermal gold, tin-silver skarns, sedimentary barite, mafic hosted nickle-platinum-group elements, uranium-thorium rare earth elements, and even a diamond prospect.

**Return to Geology**

### Scientific Issue and Relevance

There are many different types of mineral deposits present in the Western Alaska Range: plutonic gold, porphyry copper-gold (Pebble prospect), epithermal gold, tin-silver skarns, sedimentary barite, mafic hosted nickle-platinum-group elements, uranium-thorium rare earth elements, and even a diamond prospect. All of these have been the targets of recent exploration efforts, but their relationships to the regional magmatic belts and stratigraphy is not known. Improved understanding of Alaska's geologic framework will help to put these mineral deposits into a regional magmatic and tectonic framework, which is the best predictor of mineral occurrence and contribute to improved assessments of undiscovered resources. The Nation will have more accurate estimates of the national mineral endowment as improvements are made concerning the distribution of these deposits, their age, and genetic processes that define the localization of the mineralizing events.

### Research Activities

The project objectives were to produce an improved model of the geologic framework underpinning the Western Alaska Range in south-central Alaska. Numerous ore deposits are present in this region, and most appear to be associated with magmatic events, but the ages and types of mineral deposits in relation to their host rocks needed to be identified. We conducted detailed geologic studies to delineate the magmatic, stratigraphic, and tectonic differences that distinguish this area from adjacent geologic terranes. Field mapping, geochronology, thermochronology, geochemical analyses, and geophysical data contributed to an improved understanding of the relationship between ore deposits and tectonic architecture that is critical to an assessment of the overall mineral potential of the area. Our main tasks are below.
                                - Produce a new geologic map of the western Alaska Range.
                                - Metallogeny of the western Alaska Range.
                                - Petrogenesis of western Alaska Range igneous rocks.
                                - Geophysical framework of the western Alaska Range.
                                - Exhumation, erosion, and tectonics of the western Alaska Range.
                                - Framework geology for mineral assessment.

### Study Area

### Contacts

#### Peter J Haeussler, Ph.D.

##### Research Geologist

Alaska Science Center

pheuslr@usgs.gov

907-786-7447

### Explore Search

                      - Mineral Resources
                      - Alaska Geology and Mineral Resources
                      - Geology
                      - Regional Studies and Mineral Resources
                      - Geology
                      - Minerals
                      - Mineral Resources Program (MRP)

View All **

Below are other science projects associated with this project.

link

May 22, 2018

####                 Metallogeny and Tectonics of the Lake Clark and Neacola Mountains Region, South-central Alaska              

Mineral Resources Program, Alaska Science Center

link

May 22, 2018

####   Metallogeny and Tectonics of the Lake Clark and Neacola Mountains Region, South-central Alaska

Learn More

Below are data or web applications associated with this project.

August 14, 2023

####                 Fission Track Data and Ages of Apatite and U-Pb Isotopic Data and Ages of Igneous and Detrital Zircon from Selected Rocks from the Lake Clark and Lake Iliamna Region of South-Central Alaska              

Alaska Science Center

July 8, 2022

####                 Whole Rock Major and Trace Element Chemistry for Igneous Rocks from Tyonek, Lime Hills, Talkeetna, McGrath, and Lake Clark Quadrangles, Western Alaska Range, Alaska              

Alaska Science Center

June 5, 2019

####                 U-Pb Isotopic Data and Ages of Detrital Zircon Grains and Graptolite Fossil Data from Selected Rocks from the Western Alaska Range, Livengood area, and Seward Peninsula, Alaska - 2018              

Alaska Science Center

Below are publications associated with this project.

December 10, 2020

####                 Cretaceous to Oligocene magmatic and tectonic evolution of the western Alaska Range: Insights from U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology              

Alaska Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

May 30, 2018

####                 The Mystic subterrane (partly) demystified: New data from the Farewell terrane and adjacent rocks, interior Alaska              

Alaska Science Center

October 1, 2016

####                 Late Oligocene to present contractional structure in and around the Susitna basin, Alaska—Geophysical evidence and geological implications              

Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Alaska Science Center

April 1, 2016

####                 Changing exhumation patterns during Cenozoic growth and glaciation of the Alaska Range: Insights from detrital thermochronology and geochronology              

Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Alaska Science Center

June 1, 2015

####                 Targeting Cu–Au and Mo resources using multi-media exploration geochemistry: An example from Tyonek Quadrangle, Alaska Range, Alaska              

Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

July 23, 2014

####                 Timing of ore-related magmatism in the western Alaska Range, southwestern Alaska              

Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

June 17, 2014

####                 Proterozoic geochronological links between the Farewell, Kilbuck, and Arctic Alaska terranes              

Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Alaska Science Center

September 29, 2009

####                 Detrital zircon geochronology of Cretaceous and Paleogene strata across the south-central Alaskan convergent margin              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center

There are many different types of mineral deposits present in the Western Alaska Range: plutonic gold, porphyry copper-gold (Pebble prospect), epithermal gold, tin-silver skarns, sedimentary barite, mafic hosted nickle-platinum-group elements, uranium-thorium rare earth elements, and even a diamond prospect.

**Return to Geology**

### Scientific Issue and Relevance

There are many different types of mineral deposits present in the Western Alaska Range: plutonic gold, porphyry copper-gold (Pebble prospect), epithermal gold, tin-silver skarns, sedimentary barite, mafic hosted nickle-platinum-group elements, uranium-thorium rare earth elements, and even a diamond prospect. All of these have been the targets of recent exploration efforts, but their relationships to the regional magmatic belts and stratigraphy is not known. Improved understanding of Alaska's geologic framework will help to put these mineral deposits into a regional magmatic and tectonic framework, which is the best predictor of mineral occurrence and contribute to improved assessments of undiscovered resources. The Nation will have more accurate estimates of the national mineral endowment as improvements are made concerning the distribution of these deposits, their age, and genetic processes that define the localization of the mineralizing events.

### Research Activities

The project objectives were to produce an improved model of the geologic framework underpinning the Western Alaska Range in south-central Alaska. Numerous ore deposits are present in this region, and most appear to be associated with magmatic events, but the ages and types of mineral deposits in relation to their host rocks needed to be identified. We conducted detailed geologic studies to delineate the magmatic, stratigraphic, and tectonic differences that distinguish this area from adjacent geologic terranes. Field mapping, geochronology, thermochronology, geochemical analyses, and geophysical data contributed to an improved understanding of the relationship between ore deposits and tectonic architecture that is critical to an assessment of the overall mineral potential of the area. Our main tasks are below.
                                - Produce a new geologic map of the western Alaska Range.
                                - Metallogeny of the western Alaska Range.
                                - Petrogenesis of western Alaska Range igneous rocks.
                                - Geophysical framework of the western Alaska Range.
                                - Exhumation, erosion, and tectonics of the western Alaska Range.
                                - Framework geology for mineral assessment.

### Study Area

### Contacts

#### Peter J Haeussler, Ph.D.

##### Research Geologist

Alaska Science Center

pheuslr@usgs.gov

907-786-7447

### Explore Search

                      - Mineral Resources
                      - Alaska Geology and Mineral Resources
                      - Geology
                      - Regional Studies and Mineral Resources
                      - Geology
                      - Minerals
                      - Mineral Resources Program (MRP)

View All **

Below are other science projects associated with this project.

link

May 22, 2018

####                 Metallogeny and Tectonics of the Lake Clark and Neacola Mountains Region, South-central Alaska              

Mineral Resources Program, Alaska Science Center

link

May 22, 2018

####   Metallogeny and Tectonics of the Lake Clark and Neacola Mountains Region, South-central Alaska

Learn More

Below are data or web applications associated with this project.

August 14, 2023

####                 Fission Track Data and Ages of Apatite and U-Pb Isotopic Data and Ages of Igneous and Detrital Zircon from Selected Rocks from the Lake Clark and Lake Iliamna Region of South-Central Alaska              

Alaska Science Center

July 8, 2022

####                 Whole Rock Major and Trace Element Chemistry for Igneous Rocks from Tyonek, Lime Hills, Talkeetna, McGrath, and Lake Clark Quadrangles, Western Alaska Range, Alaska              

Alaska Science Center

June 5, 2019

####                 U-Pb Isotopic Data and Ages of Detrital Zircon Grains and Graptolite Fossil Data from Selected Rocks from the Western Alaska Range, Livengood area, and Seward Peninsula, Alaska - 2018              

Alaska Science Center

Below are publications associated with this project.

December 10, 2020

####                 Cretaceous to Oligocene magmatic and tectonic evolution of the western Alaska Range: Insights from U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology              

Alaska Science Center, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

May 30, 2018

####                 The Mystic subterrane (partly) demystified: New data from the Farewell terrane and adjacent rocks, interior Alaska              

Alaska Science Center

October 1, 2016

####                 Late Oligocene to present contractional structure in and around the Susitna basin, Alaska—Geophysical evidence and geological implications              

Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Alaska Science Center

April 1, 2016

####                 Changing exhumation patterns during Cenozoic growth and glaciation of the Alaska Range: Insights from detrital thermochronology and geochronology              

Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Alaska Science Center

June 1, 2015

####                 Targeting Cu–Au and Mo resources using multi-media exploration geochemistry: An example from Tyonek Quadrangle, Alaska Range, Alaska              

Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

July 23, 2014

####                 Timing of ore-related magmatism in the western Alaska Range, southwestern Alaska              

Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

June 17, 2014

####                 Proterozoic geochronological links between the Farewell, Kilbuck, and Arctic Alaska terranes              

Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Alaska Science Center

September 29, 2009

####                 Detrital zircon geochronology of Cretaceous and Paleogene strata across the south-central Alaskan convergent margin              

Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center