Metallogeny and Tectonics of the Neacola Mountains and Lake Clark region, south-central Alaska

Field-based investigation involving geologic mapping and integrated studies of the geologic evolution and mineral resource potential of the Neacola Mountains and surrounding areas of south-central Alaska.

Abstract

This four-year, field-based study focuses on the tectonic and metallogenic evolution of the Neacola Mountains and Lake Clark region of Alaska. Here, magmatic belts of several ages host a variety of mineral deposits including porphyry copper prospects, intrusion-related gold, volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits, and, potentially, REE-bearing alkaline intrusive systems. New geologic mapping and focused application of comprehensive analytical techniques will document the extent, distribution, petrogenesis, exhumation, and tectonic setting of the Jurassic to Oligocene magmatic belts and associated mineralized systems. The project area fills a key remaining data gap between the Pebble deposit to the south and western Alaska Range mineral deposits (e.g., Whistler, Mt. Estelle) to the north, and project outcomes will lead to a comprehensive understanding of the tectonic evolution of the southern Alaska margin and controls on the formation, distribution, and style of mineral deposits throughout the region. This project also involves collaboration and coordination with University of Alaska Fairbanks scientists on a 2-year, NSF-funded seismic investigation of the crustal structure of the southern Alaska margin.

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Products

Title	Type
40Ar/39Ar Isotopic Data and Ages for Rocks from the Yukon-Tanana Upland of Eastern Alaska and the Northern Aleutian Range of South-Central Alaska	Data
Changing exhumation patterns during Cenozoic growth and glaciation of the Alaska Range: Insights from detrital thermochronology and geochronology	Publication
U-Pb geochronology and tectonic implications of a Silurian ash in the Farewell Terrane, Alaska	Publication
Late Oligocene to present contractional structure in and around the Susitna basin, Alaska—Geophysical evidence and geological implications	Publication
Pliocene erosional pulse and glacier-landscape feedbacks in the western Alaska Range	Publication
Low-Temperature Thermochronometric Data from the Revelation Mountains, Western Alaska Range, 2013-2018	Data
Metallogeny and Tectonics of the Lake Clark and Neacola Mountains Region, South-central Alaska	Project Website

Contacts

Jones, James V., 907-786-7442
Todd, Erin , 907-786-7441

Status: completed
Start Year: 2014
End Year: 2018

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Project Sites

Location

Lake Clark
Neacola Mountains

USGS Mission Area and Program

Energy and Minerals → Mineral Resources

Keywords

Solid Earth > Geochemistry
Solid Earth > Geomagnetism > Electrical Field
Solid Earth > Geomorphology > Tectonic Landforms/Processes
Solid Earth > Natural Resources > Metals
Solid Earth > Rocks/Minerals > Age Determinations
Solid Earth > Rocks/Minerals > Bedrock Lithology
Solid Earth > Rocks/Minerals > Igneous Rocks
Solid Earth > Rocks/Minerals > Metamorphic Rocks
Solid Earth > Rocks/Minerals > Sedimentary Rocks
Solid Earth > Tectonics