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USGS Professional Paper 1697 - Alaska Resources Library

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140 Metallogenesis and Tectonics of the Russian Far East, <strong>Alaska</strong>, and the Canadian Cordillera<br />

duction of parts of the South Anyui and Angayucham oceanic<br />

plate, thereby forming the South Anyui (SA), Velmay (VE),<br />

and (inner) Angayucham (AG) terranes, and subduction of the<br />

outboard margin of the Arctic <strong>Alaska</strong> terrane. An extensive<br />

zone of blueschist facies metamorphism occurs in this region in<br />

both the Angayucham and Arctic <strong>Alaska</strong> terranes. After initial<br />

accretion of the Koyukuk arc with the Arctic <strong>Alaska</strong> superterrane,<br />

beginning in the Late Jurassic at about 160 to 145 Ma<br />

(Moore and others, 1994a,b), subduction flipped to outboard of<br />

the new continental margin of this part of <strong>Alaska</strong>.<br />

(8) At about 140 to 135 Ma, sea-floor spreading and<br />

associated rifting, which started with the formation of grabens<br />

in the Late Jurassic or earlier (Lawver and Scotese, 1990;<br />

Grantz and others, 1990, 1991, 1998) formed (1) new oceanic<br />

crust and the large proto-Amerasia (ab) and proto-Canada<br />

(cb) basins, and (2) a collage of passive continental-margin<br />

terranes derived from the North American Craton Margin<br />

(Artis Plateau (AP), Chukchi Cap (CK), Chukchi Spur (CS),<br />

and Northwind Ridge (NR) terranes). Sea-floor spreading and<br />

opening of the Amerasia and Canada Basins is herein interpreted<br />

as causing (1) closure of the inner Angayucham Ocean,<br />

(2) subduction of the North American continental margin<br />

60 o<br />

o<br />

At 30 latitude<br />

MAI-MAINITSKIY<br />

ARC<br />

AV<br />

MO<br />

80 o<br />

LS<br />

?<br />

?<br />

(Chukotka terrane, CH, and the Arctic <strong>Alaska</strong> superterrane,<br />

AA), (3) beginning of closure of the South Anyui Ocean, (4)<br />

intense deformation and metamorphism of the southern margin<br />

of the eastern Chukotka terrane (CH) and southern Arctic<br />

<strong>Alaska</strong> superterrane (AA) to form the Seward (SD), Coldfoot<br />

(CO), and Ruby (RB) terranes, (5) formation of an extensive<br />

blueschist facies belt in both the subducted continental margin<br />

(Arctic <strong>Alaska</strong> superterrane (AA), and Seward (SD), Coldfoot<br />

(CO), and Ruby (RB) terranes) and in the overthrust Angayucham<br />

terrane (AG), and (6) deposition of synorogenic Early to<br />

mid-Cretaceous flysch in the Koyukuk Basin in what became<br />

western <strong>Alaska</strong>. For additional information the opening of the<br />

Canada Basin, whether by rifting and rotation, or by strike-slip<br />

translation, or by a combination of the two processes, please<br />

refer to the analyses by Grantz and others (1990, 1998) or<br />

Lane (1994, 1997).<br />

(9) Underthrusting in a subduction zone along the North<br />

American Craton Margin (NAM) resulted in consumption<br />

of the Farallon oceanic plate (FAR). Small tectonic lenses of<br />

terranes of alpine ultramafic and related rocks, which occur<br />

along the ancestral Denali Fault (fig. 63) (Nokleberg and others,<br />

1985, 1994a), may be remnants of the subduction-zone<br />

SOUTH ANYUI &<br />

ANGAYUCHAM OCEANS<br />

NU<br />

OPENING OF<br />

PROTO-<br />

AMERASIA<br />

BASIN<br />

SA<br />

NSS<br />

SK<br />

uz<br />

COLL<br />

(BU)<br />

KHINGAN<br />

ARC - ko<br />

ST<br />

NSC<br />

NSV<br />

UDA VK<br />

ARC<br />

ud TO tr no<br />

AL<br />

KO ma<br />

AY<br />

VE<br />

(TA, KT)<br />

COLL<br />

YP, ZL<br />

KU<br />

OLOY ARC<br />

LO<br />

KY<br />

UNK<br />

UNK<br />

CH<br />

AA<br />

B<br />

B<br />

B<br />

B<br />

B AA<br />

COLLAGE OF<br />

RIFTED<br />

TERRANES:<br />

NR, CK, CS, AP<br />

OPENING OF<br />

PROTO-<br />

CANADA BASIN<br />

NAC<br />

ZT AM, KB,<br />

KLM<br />

TD<br />

UL DP<br />

(KLO)<br />

ol<br />

SH OL<br />

AG<br />

KOYUKUK<br />

ARC<br />

B B<br />

B<br />

YA<br />

KM<br />

TL<br />

KONY-MURGAL<br />

ARC<br />

COLL<br />

PA<br />

WP<br />

PK<br />

PEKUL’NEY<br />

ARC<br />

KI<br />

GOOD-<br />

KY<br />

NEWS<br />

OCEAN<br />

NX, DL,<br />

MY<br />

TG,<br />

NY<br />

NAM<br />

ANCESTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN<br />

WSE<br />

GRAVINA<br />

ARC<br />

UNK<br />

MA,<br />

TAM<br />

LE<br />

AD<br />

kh<br />

WRA<br />

(PE)<br />

gg<br />

CG<br />

144 to 120Ma<br />

WRA<br />

(WR)<br />

FAR<br />

gg<br />

CG<br />

60 o<br />

WRA<br />

(AX)<br />

FARALLON<br />

OCEAN<br />

METALLOGENIC BELTS<br />

AL - Algama<br />

AY - Allakh-Yun<br />

DP - Darpir<br />

CB - Cariboo<br />

KO - Kondyor<br />

KU - Kular<br />

LO - Left Omolon<br />

NB - North Bureya<br />

OL - Oloy<br />

TAM - Tamvatney-Mainits<br />

SA - Samarka<br />

SH - Shamanikha<br />

SK - Selemdzha-Kerbi<br />

ST - Stanovoy<br />

TAMTamvatney-Mainst<br />

TO - Tompon<br />

VK - Verkhoyansk<br />

WSE - Western-<br />

Southwestern <strong>Alaska</strong><br />

YA - Yana-Kolyma<br />

YP - Yana-Polousnen<br />

COLL<br />

CBsb<br />

gg<br />

tt<br />

BR,EA<br />

MT<br />

BA<br />

WRA<br />

(WR)<br />

NAC<br />

gg<br />

NAM<br />

0 800 km<br />

0 800 km<br />

Figure 63. Early Cretaceous (Neocomian—144 to 120 Ma) stage of metallogenic-tectonic model for the Russian Far East, <strong>Alaska</strong>, and<br />

the Canadian Cordillera and adjacent offshore areas. Refer to text for explanation of metallogenic-tectonic events, to tables 3 and 4<br />

for descriptions metallogenic belts and significant deposits, and to figure 18 for explanation of abbreviations, symbols, and patterns.<br />

Adapted from Nokleberg and others (1997b, 1998, 2000).

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