The Chitina leader., 1912-06-22
GEOLOGICAL WORK OF
IMPORTANCE TO NORTHLAND

DR.. D. D. Cairnes, of Ottawa, ex
plains that although he is not going
to be in the Dawson district this sea-
son, the work in which he is to be
engaged along the 141st meridian
the Yukon-Alaska boundary-north
of Yukon river, is of very great i'm
portance to the people of Yukon Ter
ritory, much more so than is gener'
ally recognized, not only from a sci
entific but from an economic stand
point. This fact may not at first
thought be any too apparent to the
average northerner and miner in
particular, to whom all such work
is liable to be considered as value
less that does not Immediately add
to the general wealth of the COM
munity.
| Each summer one or two Canadian
geological survey parties are engaged
in Yukon and their work is CORE
lated more or less directly with that
in British Columbia to the south
I. e., the various rock formations
have been followed from districts in
which their general relation to the
North American geology is well I'M
derstood to points in which they
have been found to occur in Yukon.
Alaskan biologists have not had this
advantage of correlation, as Alaska
| is so far from other United States
points, and, in any case, the geology
of Alaska is more closely related to
that of the Asiatic continent to the
west than with the formations and
structures characteristic of North
| America. The result is that all for
nations in Alaska have necessarily
been given purely local names, fire.
quently of but very limited signifi-
canoe, geographically.
1t is apparent, therefore, the doc
tor explains, that it is very import
ant that the relation of the geologic
formations of Alaska and Yukon be
better known; and particularly is
this important to Yukon since eight
to ten United States geological sur
vey parties are engaged in Alaska
as compared with one or two Cana
dian geological survey parties in the
Yukon. If the Alaska and Yukon
geology could be completely correlat-
ed the people of Canada and Yukon
| in particular would, therefore, profit
very largely by the considerable
amount of very excellent geologic
work being performed each year in
Alaska. For instance, if strike
should suddenly be made anywhere
in Alaska and a certain formation
should be found to carry rich depos-
it's of gold, silver, tin or other pre-
cious metals, and if our Yukon ge-
ology could be correlated with that
of Alaska, Canadian biologists would
be able to point Immediately to all
the known points in Yukon in which
the same ore-containing formation
occurs.
The geologic section at present
being made along the Yukon-Alaska
international boundary will greatly
| facilitate this correlation, and the
section will be regarded as classic in
nature. In connection with this work
a common formational nomenclature
will be adopted and in the future
both Alaskan and Yukon biologists
will attempt to tie their work to
this section, which will greatly IA
cilitate the geologic work in both
territoies.
In addition to the above advan-
tages relative to this work, there is
a considerable possibility that min
eral deposits of present Importance
may be discovered along the portion
of this boundary line, at present be-
ing explored. e., between Yukon
river and the Arctic. A particularly
likely strip occurs just north of the
Yukon, where for 100 miles or more
no geologist has as yet been over
the ground, and placer deposits have
been found on the Alaskan side of
the line just south of the Yukon at