Paleozoic radiolarian biostratigraphy of the northern Brooks Range, Alaska
Mississippian, Pennsylvanian, and Permian radiolarians are the most abundant fossils in many of the allochthonous siliceous rocks-Lisburne Group (part) and Etivluk Group- found in the foothills of the northern Brooks Range, Alaska. The upper Paleozoic and lower Mesozoic Lisburne (part) and Etivluk Groups lie in a 1100-km east-trending belt that has been thrust northward over coeval platform rocks of the North Slope. In recent years, many Paleozoic radiolarian chert samples were collected for microfossil analysis in conjunction with the mapping of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA) and related adjacent areas. In 1978 the senior author devised a scheme whereby Paleozoic radiolarians collected over a wide area could be allocated to biostratigraphic radiolarian faunal groups and by which approximate ages could be assigned. In 1979 the exploration program for the NPRA sponsored field work in the Brooks Range that permitted the junior author to measure and collect radiolarian reference sections. In this chapter the authors describe the Paleozoic radiolarian zonation scheme and show that the deduced succession of faunas is largely contained in an inverted succession at one locality, Nigu Bluff, which provides a reference section for the greater part of the Paleozoic radiolarian-bearing succession of the northern Brooks Range. Much work on Paleozoic radiolarians since the chapter was first drafted in 1980 has necessitated considerable revision of taxonomy and somewhat lengthy discussion. No significant alteration of the 1980 age assignments has been necessary.
- OSTI ID:
- 6911669
- Journal Information:
- United States Geological Survey, Professional Paper; (USA), Journal Name: United States Geological Survey, Professional Paper; (USA); ISSN XGPPA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
AGE ESTIMATION
ALASKA
ANIMALS
CARBONIFEROUS PERIOD
EXPLORATION
FEDERAL REGION X
FOSSILS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
GEOLOGIC MODELS
GEOLOGIC STRATA
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
INVERTEBRATES
MICROORGANISMS
MOUNTAINS
NORTH AMERICA
PALEONTOLOGY
PALEOZOIC ERA
PERMIAN PERIOD
PROTOZOA
RESERVES
RESOURCES
STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE
STRATIGRAPHY
USA