Stevens, D.S.P.
20110630
Surficial-geologic map of the northern Fairbanks mining district, Circle Quadrangle, Alaska
map
Report of Investigations
RI 2011-4
Fairbanks, Alaska
Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
1 sheet, scale 1:50,000
http://dx.doi.org/10.14509/22642
This surficial-geologic map shows the distribution of unconsolidated deposits and undifferentiated bedrock in the Faith Creek area in the Circle A-4, A-5, B-4, and B-5 quadrangles. This map was prepared principally by the interpretation of 1:63,360-scale, false-color, infrared aerial photographs taken in 1979 and 1981 and is locally verified by ground observations during field work in 2007.
The purpose of this map is to show the distribution of unconsolidated geologic deposits and related features in the northern Fairbanks mining district.
This project includes the following shapefiles:
>NEF_border Polygon of boundary outline of the mapped area.
>NEF_cirques Polylines showing headwalls of possible cirques.
>NEF_geology Polygons of surficial-geologic map units.
>NEF_photolinears Polylines showing photolinears.
>NEF_pingos Points showing locations of pingos.
2007
ground condition
None planned
-146.473760
-145.989693
65.409012
65.209562
ISO 19115 Topic Category
geoscientificInformation
ADGGS keywords
Aerial Geology
Alluvial Deposits
Alluvial Fan
Alluvium
Colluvial Deposits
Colluvium
Complex Deposits
Fluvial
Geologic Map
Geomorphology
Glacial Deposits
Glacial Drift
Glacial Geology
Landslide
Landslide Deposit
Man-Made Deposits
Mining
Placer
Pingos
Surficial
Surficial Geologic Map
Surficial Geology
Terrace
Till
ADGGS keywords
Chatanika River
Circle Quadrangle
Fairbanks Mining District
Faith Creek
Sourdough Camp
Steese Highway
ADGGS keywords
Little Champion glaciation
Prindle glaciation
ADGGS keywords
Holocene
Cenozoic
Pleistocene
Quaternary
This map is available directly from the State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (see contact information below).
The State of Alaska makes no express or implied warranties (including warranties for merchantability and fitness) with respect to the character, functions, or capabilities of the electronic data or products or their appropriateness for any user's purposes. In no event will the State of Alaska be liable for any incidental, indirect, special, consequential, or other damages suffered by the user or any other person or entity whether from the use of the electronic services or products or any failure thereof or otherwise. In no event will the State of Alaska's liability to the Requestor or anyone else exceed the fee paid for the electronic service or product.
State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (DGGS)
mailing and physical
3354 College Road
Fairbanks
Alaska
99709-3707
USA
907-451-5010
907-451-5050
Certainty in identification of the map units varies due to the scale and interpretive nature of the mapping. The geologic unit interpretations and boundaries presented in this report result from interpretation of nominal 1:65,000-scale aerial photographs taken in 1979 and 1981, investigative traverses throughout the map area, aerial reconnaissance via helicopter, and examination of road-cuts and river exposures. Surficial-geologic polygons and lines were edited and attributed using ArcGIS. This map has received two technical reviews by scientists familiar with the subject matter. We incorporated the reviewer's suggestions into the final draft.
Polygon topology is present and clean on the original geospatial dataset. All polygon features were topologically validated using ArcGIS prior to export to shapefile format.
The data set utilizes field observations and air photo interpretations to locate and characterize the geologic unit extent and features. It includes geospatial information about units traceable on air photos at a scale of ~1:65000 and/or in the field.
Surficial-geologic map data has a horizontal positional accuracy dependent on: 1) the 1:65,000-scale (nominal) aerial photographs upon which the mapping was done, with an estimated potential error due to a pen line width of approximately 0.25 mm being equivalent to approximately 16.25 meters on the ground; and 2) the accuracy of the orthorectification of the aerial photographs, error magnitude highly variable and potentially large in areas of significant relief but generally has an RMS error of less than 4 pixels, equivalent to approximately 16.5 meters on the ground. Total potential horizontal error for surficial-geologic map features is therefore estimated to be up to 32.75 meters.
Chapin, F.S., III
Viereck, L.A.
Adams, P.C.
Van Cleve, Keith
Fastie, C.L.
Ott, R.A.
Mann, Daniel,
Johnson, J.F.
2006
Successional processes in the Alaskan boreal forest
book chapter
New York
Oxford University Press
p. 100-120
Chapin, F.S., III (ed.)
Oswood, M.W. (ed.)
Van Cleve, Keith (ed.)
Viereck, L.A. (ed.)
Verbyla, D.L. (ed.)
2006
Alaska's changing boreal forest
book chapter
New York
Oxford University Press
paper
2006
publication date
Chapin and others, 2006
Provided information on vegetation succession on floodplains.
Kreig, R.A.
Reger, R.D.
1982
Air-photo analysis and summary of landform soil properties along the route of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System
document
Geologic Report
GR 66
Alaska
Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
149 p.
paper
1982
publication date
Kreig and Reger, 1982
Provided information helpful to interpreting aerial photographs and relating the images to geologic processes.
Mason, O.K.
Beget, J.E.
1991
Holocene flood history of the Tanana River, Alaska, U.S.A.
journal article
Arctic and Alpine Research
v. 23, no. 4
p. 392-403
paper
1991
publication date
Mason and Beget, 1991
Provided information useful for interpreting depositional and flood processes on streams in interior Alaska.
Rawlinson, S.E.
Hickmott, D.R.
1987
Surficial geology, lineaments, and placer resources in the Lime PeakMt. Prindle and Pinnell Mountain Trail areas, east-central Alaska
document
Miscellaneous Publication
MP 29D
Alaska
Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
p. 5.1-5.7, 4 sheets
Smith, T.E. (ed.)
Pessel, G.H. (ed.)
Wiltse, M.A. (ed.)
1987
Mineral assessment of the Lime PeakMt. Prindle area, Alaska
document
Miscellaneous Publication
MP 29D
Alaska
Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
63360
paper
1987
publication date
Rawlinson and Hickmott, 1987
Provided information about previous surficial-geologic mapping in the area.
Weber, F.R.
Hamilton, T.D.
1984
Glacial geology of the Mt. Prindle area, YukonTanana upland, Alaska
document
Professional Report
PR 86
Alaska
Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
p. 42-48
Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (ed.)
1984
Short notes on Alaskan geology
document
Professional Report
PR 86
Alaska
Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
paper
1984
publication date
Weber and Hamilton, 1984
Provided information about the glacial history of interior Alaska.
Fieldwork - Helicopter-supported fieldwork for surficial investigations, including traverses, road-cut investigations, and river exposures, was conducted for one week in June 2007 . Field notes and sediment samples were collected throughout the area for surficial investigations. Surficial mapping involved using Chapin and others (2006), Kreig and Reger (1982), Mason and Beget (1991), Rawlinson and Hickmott (1987), and Weber and Hamilton (1984) on a regular basis for checking glacial geology and general units. Observations were recorded on co-registered acetate overlays on 1:65,000-scale (nominal) color-infrared aerial photographs, and directly on 1:63,360-scale topographic base maps. Stations were located using air photos, topographic maps, and handheld GPS devices with location precision varying from approximately 3 to 15 meters.
Chapin and others, 2006
Kreig and Reger, 1982
Mason and Beget, 1991
Rawlinson and Hickmott, 1987
Weber and Hamilton, 1984
200706
Geologic map compilation - Surficial-geologic information was interpreted using 1:65,000-scale (nominal) air-photo stereopairs, and compiled using permanent ink pen onto co-registered clear acetate overlays.
2007
Digitization of geologic map data - Digital files of the air photos were orthorectified using OrthoMapper photogrammetric software. The co-registered acetate overlays of geologic mapping were then orthorectified using the same equations applied to the air photos. Resultant orthorectified map data were then imported into ArcGIS and heads-up digitized into a personal geodatabase with validated topology.
2008
Revision of map data - Map data were revised in response to technical reviews by Richard Reger and Trent Hubbard.
201106
Metadata creation - Metadata for this map was compiled by De Anne Stevens.
201107
This is a vector data set that includes point, line, and polygon features.
Vector
Point
GT-polygon composed of chains
Complete chain
Universal Transverse Mercator
6
0.999600
-147.00000
0
500000.0
0
coordinate pair
1
1
meters
NEF_border
Universal Transverse Mercator
6
0.999600
-147.00000
0
500000.0
0
coordinate pair
1
1
meters
NEF_cirques
Universal Transverse Mercator
6
0.999600
-147.00000
0
500000.0
0
coordinate pair
1
1
meters
NEF_geology
Universal Transverse Mercator
6
0.999600
-147.00000
0
500000.0
0
coordinate pair
1
1
meters
NEF_photolinears
Universal Transverse Mercator
6
0.999600
-147.00000
0
500000.0
0
coordinate pair
1
1
meters
NEF_pingos
North American Datum of 1927
Clarke 1866
6378206.4
294.9786982
NEF_border
NEF_border.shp
Polygon of boundary outline of the mapped area.
This report.
NEF_cirques
NEF_cirques.shp
Polylines showing headwalls of possible cirques.
This report.
NEF_geology
NEF_geology.shp
Polygons of surficial-geologic map units.
This report.
unit
Geologic unit.
This document.
b
EXPOSED BEDROCK Undifferentiated bedrock with essentially no cover
This document.
b'
THINLY COVERED BEDROCK Undifferentiated bedrock that is covered by a thin (generally less than 1 m thick) veneer of colluvium, drift, undifferentiated glacial or glaciofluvial deposits, or combinations of these deposits; cover is sufficiently thin that planar bedrock structures, such as joints, foliation, and bedding or glacier-scoured bedrock subcrops are reflected at the ground surface by linear and curvilinear shallow troughs and bands of moist ground or hydrophilic vegetation
This document.
Qa
ALLUVIUM, UNDIFFERENTIATED Elongate deposits of moderately to well-sorted, well-stratified, fluvial pebblecobble gravel, sand, and silt, with scattered to numerous boulders comprising channel and overbank deposits of generally small streams; medium to thick bedded, locally crossbedded, shows fining-upward cycles, and is locally auriferous; clasts generally rounded; extensive willowalder thickets grow on many Qa deposits in mature valley fills; unfrozen to discontinuously frozen with low to moderate ice contents; surface smooth to hummocky, except for local low scarps
This document.
Qaa
ALLUVIUM IN ACTIVE CHANNELS Chiefly well-sorted and well-stratified layers and lenses of pebble gravel, sand, and silt with rare to scattered cobbles comprising river bars subject to recurrent inundation by modern streams every 5 yr or less (Chapin and others, 2006); mapped extent is a function of river level (stage) and reflects the transitory extent of exposed river bars at the time the photographs were taken; in braided and anastomosing reaches, active channels typically shift positions from year to year and present channel locations may differ from locations on the 1979 and 1981 photography; active channel alluvium underlies upper stream bank and active stream channels and includes point-bar and meander-scroll deposits; composed dominantly of gravel and sand where stream is braided and anastomosing, and sand and silt bars where meandering; prone to liquefaction where fine grained, unfrozen and saturated; where braided, subject to formation of extensive, thick, seasonal stream icings (aufeis); generally unfrozen, except seasonally frozen to depth of frost penetration; shallow water table
This document.
Qaf
ALLUVIAL FAN DEPOSITS Fan-shaped deposits of poorly to moderately sorted gravel, sand, and silt with numerous cobbles and boulders in proximal zone deposited by streams where they emerge from mountain valleys onto lower-gradient surfaces; lithologies reflect bedrock of source area; in general, size of clasts decreases and degree of sorting increases downfan; typically mixed with debris-flow deposits in proximal part of fans; unfrozen to discontinuously frozen, except in fine-grained distal deposits, where permafrost may be shallow and continuous; ice contents low to moderate
This document.
Qai
ALLUVIUM IN INACTIVE CHANNELS Elongate deposits of moderately to well-sorted, well-stratified, fluvial gravel, sand, and silt with scattered to numerous boulders forming modern floodplains and associated low terraces that are subject to flooding at least once or twice every century (Mason and Begét, 1991; Chapin and others, 2006); medium to thick bedded, locally crossbedded, shows fining-upward cycles, and may be locally auriferous; clasts generally rounded; may be covered by several meters of overbank silty sand and sandy gravel; may reflect former channels and flow regimes; may include more than one channel level; overbank sequences include flood-related features, like natural levees, crevasse-splays near channels, and fine-grained back-levee swale deposits farther from channels; lower surfaces may be flooded during periods of extremely high stream discharge; generally unfrozen in younger areas and discontinuously frozen in older areas with low to moderate ice contents; surface typically well vegetated, smooth to hummocky with local low scarps and bogs
This document.
Qat
TERRACE ALLUVIUM, UNDIFFERENTIATED Elongate deposits of well-sorted, well-rounded to subrounded pebblecobble gravel and sand with trace to some silt and rare to numerous boulders forming stream terrace treads no longer subject to inundations by the stream that deposited the alluvium (Kreig and Reger, 1982); may include several levels and incorporate outwash alluvium; may be covered by several meters of organic sandy silt and silty sand; surface smooth, except for local low scarps; continuously to discontinuously frozen with low to moderate ice contents
This document.
Qat4
TERRACE ALLUVIUM OF YOUNGEST AGE Elongate deposits of well-sorted, well-rounded to subrounded pebblecobble gravel and sand with trace to some silt and rare to numerous boulders forming stream terrace treads no longer subject to inundations by the stream that deposited the alluvium (Kreig and Reger, 1982); may include several levels; may be covered by up to a meter of organic sandy silt and silty sand; upper surface typically only a few meters above modern stream level; surface smooth, except for local low scarps; continuously to discontinuously frozen with low to moderate ice contents
This document.
Qat3
TERRACE ALLUVIUM OF YOUNG-INTERMEDIATE AGE Elongate deposits of well-sorted, well-rounded to subrounded pebblecobble gravel and sand with trace to some silt and rare to numerous boulders forming stream terrace treads no longer subject to inundations by the stream that deposited the alluvium (Kreig and Reger, 1982); may include several levels; may be covered by several meters of organic sandy silt and silty sand; upper surface about 30-50 m above modern stream level along upper Chatanika River and lower Sourdough Creek; surface smooth, except for local low scarps; continuously to discontinuously frozen with low to moderate ice contents
This document.
Qat2
TERRACE ALLUVIUM OF INTERMEDIATE AGE Elongate deposits of well-sorted, well-rounded to subrounded pebblecobble gravel and sand with trace to some silt and rare to numerous boulders forming stream terrace treads no longer subject to inundations by the stream that deposited the alluvium (Kreig and Reger, 1982); includes several levels; distribution and elevation of deposits suggest unit may incorporate outwash alluvium of Little Champion or Prindle glaciations, or both, of Weber and Hamilton (1987); largest measured cobbles up to 54 cm diameter; upper surfaces of some granite cobbles strongly weathered and decomposed, while undersides remain sound; may be covered by several meters of organic sandy silt and silty sand; upper surface about 90 m above modern stream level along upper Chatanika River and lower Sourdough Creek; surface smooth, except for local low scarps; continuously to discontinuously frozen with low to moderate ice contents
This document.
Qat1
TERRACE ALLUVIUM OF OLDEST AGE Elongate deposits of well-sorted, well-rounded to subrounded pebblecobble gravel and sand with trace to some silt and rare to numerous boulders forming stream terrace treads no longer subject to inundations by the stream that deposited the alluvium (Kreig and Reger, 1982); includes several levels; distribution and elevation of deposits suggest unit probably incorporates outwash alluvium of Prindle glaciation or older of Weber and Hamilton (1987); commonly preserved as a thin veneer or gravel lag; upper surfaces of some granite cobbles strongly weathered and decomposed, while undersides remain sound; may be covered by several meters of organic sandy silt and silty sand; upper surface about 90-120 m above modern stream level along Faith Creek and about 180 m above modern stream level along upper Chatanika River; surface smooth, except for local low scarps; continuously to discontinuously frozen with low to moderate ice contents
This document.
Qat1?
POSSIBLE TERRACE ALLUVIUM OF OLDEST AGE Possible upstream continuation of unit Qat1 into upper reaches of Faith Creek and upslope of unit Qat2 along the Chatanika River at the mouth s of Faith and Sourdough creeks; mapped primarily on the basis of subtle slope breaks and smooth surface morphology along valley walls; upper surface about 120-180 m above modern stream level along upper Chatanika River and 90-120 m above modern stream level along Faith Creek
This document.
Qc
COLLUVIUM, UNDIFFERENTIATED Irregular, heterogeneous blankets, aprons, and fans of angular to subrounded rock fragments, gravel, sand, and silt that are left on slopes, slope bases, or high-level surfaces by residual weathering and complex, gravity-driven mass movements involving sliding, flowing, gelifluction, and frost creep of weathered bedrock and modified glacial drift; cobbles and boulders are scattered to numerous; on lower headwalls of cirques and upper walls of glaciated valleys includes talus aprons and steep fans built by snow avalanches and debris flows; may include thin residual deposits and lags of highly modified drift of ancient glaciations, particularly in the northern part of the map area; medium to thick bedded; generally unsorted to very poorly sorted; thickness is highly variable, with thickest deposits at the bases of slopes; locally washed by meltwater and slope runoff; surface disturbances, such as from excavation, may result in melting of permafrost and subsequent slumping and flowage; surface smooth, lobed, or terraced and, if deposit is thin, generally reflects morphologies of underlying materials; discontinuously to continuously frozen with low to moderate ice contents
This document.
Qcl?
POSSIBLE LANDSLIDE DEPOSIT Unsorted, unstratified mixture of gravel, sand and silt derived from adjacent unconsolidated deposits and bedrock and deposited at the base of slope by near-surface to deep creeping, flowing, and sliding of failed bedrock and unconsolidated surficial deposits; surface slightly irregular to hummocky
This document.
Qcf
MIXED COLLUVIUM AND ALLUVIUM Primarily fan-shaped or elongate, massive to poorly stratified, generally inorganic silt mixed with sandy angular to subangular pebble gravels derived from weathered bedrock uplands and deposited by debris flows and hyperconcentrated flows produced during brief, intense summer storms; colluvial processes dominate slightly over fluvial processes; contains numerous cobbles in glaciated terrain and angular to subangular, fresh to weathered rock fragments in weathered bedrock terrain; surface slightly irregular; discontinuously to continuously frozen with low to moderate ice contents
This document.
Qct
TALUS DEPOSITS Fans and aprons of coarse, angular, unsorted, frost-rived rock fragments downslope of bedrock outcrops with trace to some gravel, sand, and silt deposited on steep bedrock slopes by rock falls, snow avalanches, free fall, tumbling, rolling, and sliding; surface steep, slightly irregular, and covered with numerous rock fragments, particularly in distal zones; includes debris-flow tongues; unfrozen to discontinuously frozen with low ice contents
This document.
Qlc
LOWLAND COLLUVIUM Gravel, sand and silt derived from underlying or nearby bedrock and unconsolidated deposits and deposited in lowland areas adjacent to low-slope drainages primarily by mass-wasting processes; includes a component of primary and reworked eolian silt; overlies and incorporated into terrace deposits; surface smooth to gently sloping; discontinuously to continuously frozen with moderate to high ice contents
This document.
Qdlc
DRIFT OF LITTLE CHAMPION AGE Till associated with the Little Champion glaciation of Weber and Hamilton (1984); subrounded cobbles and boulders and some angular chips of schist and quartzite in a yellowish-brown matrix of silty sand (Rawlinson and Hickmott, 1987) deposited by glacial ice and reworked by meltwater streams; primary surface morphology largely obliterated due to post-depositional modification by weathering and slope processes; mapped by photo-interpretation at a single site in study area, at head of Hope Creek tributary drainage
This document.
Qdp
DRIFT OF PRINDLE AGE OR OLDER Till associated with the Prindle glaciation of Weber and Hamilton (1984) and possibly older glacial deposits; discontinuous to continuous sheets of heterogeneous pebble gravel with rare to numerous cobbles, boulders, and blocks up to 2 m in diameter in a brown matrix of sandy silt deposited directly from melting glacial ice and reworked by meltwater streams and mass-movement processes; generally thin, but locally up to 9.4 m thick; clasts generally subangular to subrounded; scattered angular pebbles; some small granite cobbles and pebbles are decomposing, but most are sound
This document.
Qdp?
Possible DRIFT OF PRINDLE AGE OR OLDER Till associated with the Prindle glaciation of Weber and Hamilton (1984) and possibly older glacial deposits; discontinuous to continuous sheets of heterogeneous pebble gravel with rare to numerous cobbles, boulders, and blocks up to 2 m in diameter in a brown matrix of sandy silt deposited directly from melting glacial ice and reworked by meltwater streams and mass-movement processes; generally thin, but locally up to 9.4 m thick; clasts generally subangular to subrounded; scattered angular pebbles; some small granite cobbles and pebbles are decomposing, but most are sound
This document.
Qh
CONSTRUCTION PAD Artificial fill of pebble-cobble gravel with trace to some sand and silt forming bases for DOT station; well to poorly sorted; surface smooth to irregular; extent based on distribution in August 1981 when the aerial photographs were taken
This document.
Qmt
MINE TAILINGS Water-washed pebblecobble gravel with trace to some sand and silt piled in active or formerly active gravel pits, open-pit mines, and dredged areas; typically well sorted; surface smooth to irregular or forming symmetrical ridges and cones; unfrozen
This document.
NEF_photolinears
NEF_photolinears.shp
Polylines showing photolinears.
This report.
NEF_pingos
NEF_pingos
Points showing locations of pingos.
This report.
LAT
Latitude of point.
This document.
65.2
65.3
degrees
LON
Longitude of point.
This document.
-146.5
-146.0
degrees
State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
mailing and physical
3354 College Road
Fairbanks
AK
99709-3707
USA
907-451-5020
907-451-5050
dggspubs@alaska.gov
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Please view our web site (http://www.dggs.alaska.gov) for the latest information on available data. Please contact us using the e-mail address provided above when possible.
The State of Alaska makes no express or implied warranties (including warranties of merchantability and fitness) with respect to the character, function, or capabilities of the electronic services or products or their appropriateness for any user's purposes. In no event will the State of Alaska be liable for any incidental, indirect, special, consequential, or other damages suffered by the user or any other person or entity whether from the use of the electronic services or products, any failure thereof, or otherwise, and in no event will the State of Alaska's liability to the requester or anyone else exceed the fee paid for the electronic service or product.
Current publication is available on paper. To purchase this or other printed reports and maps, contact DGGS by phone (907-451-5020), e-mail (dggspubs@alaska.gov), or fax (907-451-5050). Payment accepted: Cash, check, money order, VISA, or MasterCard.
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20101004
Metadata manager
mailing and physical
State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
Fairbanks
AK
99709-3707
USA
907-451-5020
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