Palynological and thermal maturity analysis of outcrop samples from the Kenai, Seldovia, and Tyonek quadrangles, Cook Inlet region, Alaska

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Frequently anticipated questions:


What does this data set describe?

Title:
Palynological and thermal maturity analysis of outcrop samples from the Kenai, Seldovia, and Tyonek quadrangles, Cook Inlet region, Alaska
Abstract:
This data release provides palynomorph assemblages, kerogen observations, thermal maturity estimates, age interpretations, and field station locations of palynology samples collected (2006-2011) from measured stratigraphic sections and key middle Eocene to early Pliocene sedimentary rock outcrops throughout the Kenai, Seldovia, and Tyonek quadrangles. Palynological analysis of surface rock samples offers supporting data for geologic mapping and stratigraphic research conducted by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources' (Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys [DGGS] and Alaska Division of Oil & Gas [DOG]) Cook Inlet Basin Analysis Program. The Cook Inlet program provides publicly available baseline outcrop data and geologic findings from the petroleum source, seal, and reservoir rocks of the prospective Cook Inlet hydrocarbon basin. Program products inform interpretations of the geologic processes that shaped the petroleum system's basin evolution. The analytical data tables associated with this report are available in digital format as comma-separated value (CSV) files. Users can access the complete report and digital data from the DGGS website: http://doi.org/10.14509/30660.
Supplemental_Information:
palynology-summary:    Field station numbers, formation interpretations, kerogen observations, thermal maturity estimates, age interpretations, and sampling locations of palynology samples.	
palynomorph-detail:    Palynomorph assemblages and counts.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Zippi, P.A., Gillis, R.J., Montayne, Simone, and Loveland, A.M., 2021, Palynological and thermal maturity analysis of outcrop samples from the Kenai, Seldovia, and Tyonek quadrangles, Cook Inlet region, Alaska: Raw Data File RDF 2021-8, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 4 p.
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -152.199980
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -150.769350
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 61.781870
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 59.394300
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 2006
    Ending_Date: 2011
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: report, tabular data
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      This is a point data set.
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest 0.00001. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.00001. Latitude and longitude values are specified in decimal degrees. The horizontal datum used is NAD27.
      The ellipsoid used is Clarke 1866.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378206.40000000037.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/294.978698199999997.
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    rdf2021-008-palynology-summary.csv, rdf2021-008-palynology-summary-data-dictionary.csv
    Field station numbers, formation interpretations, kerogen observations, thermal maturity estimates, age interpretations, and sampling locations of palynology samples. (Source: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys)
    rdf2021-008-palynomorph-detail.csv, rdf2021-008-palynomorph-detail-data-dictionary.csv
    Palynomorph assemblages and counts. (Source: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys)

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
    Pathfinder Aviation and pilots Merlin (Spanky) Handley, Marty Staufer, Chuck Redd, Ray Hodges, Hightower Paxton, and Bob Fell, along with Tom (Rat) Ratledge of Yukon Helicopters, safely and skillfully provided transportation to rock outcrops throughout the Cook Inlet region. Jack Barber at Alaska Air Taxi flew personnel and gear to field base camp. Bob Freeman at Three-Mile Camp provided food and lodging on the west side of Cook Inlet; lodging on the Kenai Peninsula was provided by the Ocean Shores Hotel and Best Western Bidarka Inn in Homer, and Aspen Hotel in Soldotna. Land access was kindly permitted by Cook Inlet Region, Inc., and Tyonek Native Corporation. This project was funded by State of Alaska Capital Improvement Project funds and the U.S. Geological Survey's National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program STATEMAP component (award numbers G09AC00177 & G10AC00321).
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
    Metadata Manager
    3354 College Road
    Fairbanks, AK
    USA

    (907)451-5020 (voice)
    (907)451-5050 (FAX)
    dggspubs@alaska.gov
    Hours_of_Service: 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, except State holidays
    Contact_Instructions:
    Please view our website (https://www.dggs.alaska.gov) for the latest information on available data. Please contact us using the e-mail address provided above when possible.

Why was the data set created?

This data release provides palynomorph assemblages, kerogen observations, thermal maturity estimates, age interpretations, and sampling locations of palynology samples. This report and accompanying data supersede a prior release (Zippi and Loveland, 2012) and provide 39 additional analyses from the west side of Cook Inlet. The west Cook Inlet basin palynological age determinations accompany 40Ar/39Ar and zircon U-Pb data presented in Gillis and others (2021).

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
    Wolfe, J.A. and others, 1966 (source 1 of 2)
    Wolfe, J.A., Hopkins, D.M., and Leopold, E.B., 1966, Tertiary stratigraphy and paleobotany of the Cook Inlet region, Alaska: Professional Paper P 398-A, U.S. Geological Survey, United States.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: p. A1-A29, 1 sheet
    Type_of_Source_Media: paper
    Source_Contribution: palynological analysis
    Zippi, P.A. and Loveland, A.M., 2012 (source 2 of 2)
    Zippi, P.A., and Loveland, A.M., 2012, Palynological analysis of 228 outcrop samples from the Kenai, Seldovia, and Tyonek quadrangles, Cook Inlet region, Alaska: Raw Data File RDF 2012-1, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 10 p
    Type_of_Source_Media: paper
    Source_Contribution: field observation verification
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: 2011 (process 1 of 4)
    Sample collection - Samples were collected from mudstone, silty mudstone, and, less commonly, muddy siltstone. Coal underclays were a common lithology targeted for analysis. When possible, composite samples were collected over a meter or more of the stratigraphic interval, and fresh material was excavated from several centimeters deep to avoid surface contamination.
    Date: 2011 (process 2 of 4)
    Sample preparation - Raw outcrop samples were water washed to remove surficial contaminants. Carbonate minerals were dissolved using HCl, and silicate minerals were removed using HF. Heavy liquid separation may have been required if insoluble minerals were present. The organic residue was washed with HNO3, followed by a wash with ammonia or KOH. The residues were sieved through a 7-10 micrometer mesh screen to remove small particles that would be unidentifiable in transmitted light microscopy. Organic residues were mounted on a coverslip with polyvinyl alcohol and fixed to a microscope slide with polyester resin. All samples in this report were processed by Russ Harms of Global Geolab Limited in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada.
    Date: 2011 (process 3 of 4)
    Palynological analysis - The prepared slides were examined for palynological analysis with a research-grade Zeiss Axio Imager microscope with phase contrast and differential interference contrast illumination using oil immersion objectives at a minimum of 500X. When possible, palynomorph occurrence data were collected until the total count reached 100 specimens for relative abundance data, after which the remaining area of the slide was scanned for rare taxa that may have stratigraphic significance. Rare taxa were added to the count data. The age zones are reported with reference to the palynostratigraphic terminology used in the Cook Inlet Palynology Database of Zippi, 2006, which follows the nomenclature of Wolfe and others (1966). Kerogen residues are typically separated from the palynology residues after demineralization with HCl and HF but before oxidation. For samples that do not require strong oxidation, the kerogen can be described from the lightly oxidized palynology slides. Vitrinite reflectance and maximum temperatures were estimated from pollen/spore color. Dr. Pierre Zippi, Biostratigraphy.com, LLC, performed the palynological, kerogen, and spore color analyses. Data sources used in this process:
    • Wolfe, J.A. and others, 1966
    Date: 2020 (process 4 of 4)
    Field observation verification - This work incorporates careful review of sample sites relative to ESRI basemap imagery and field notebooks. Observers corrected sample numbering and location transcription errors that were incorporated in prior releases (Zippi and Loveland, 2012, Lepain, 2009). Data sources used in this process:
    • Zippi, P.A. and Loveland, A.M., 2012
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
    Gillis, R.J., Wartes, M.A., Herriott, T.M., LePain, D.L., Benowitz, J.A., Wypych, Alicja, Donelick, R.A., O'Sullivan, P.B., Zippi, P.A., and Layer, P.W., 2020, 40Ar/39Ar and U-Pb geochronology of Cretaceous-Paleocene igneous rocks and Cenozoic strata of northwestern Cook Inlet, Alaska: Linkages between arc magmatism, cooling, faulting, and forearc subsidence: Professional Report PR 125, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 74 p
    LePain, D.L., 2009, Preliminary results of recent geologic investigations in the Homer-Kachemak Bay area, Cook Inlet basin: Progress during the 2006-2007 field season: Preliminary Interpretive Report PIR 2009-8, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 187 p

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    Data records include notes or flags to indicate uncertainty in interpretations, insufficient recovery, or poor slide quality. Laboratory interpretations have been examined in conjunction with geologic mapping and stratigraphic-structural investigations. This report includes a comprehensive review of the field sample numbering, laboratory labels, and sample metadata. Values herein supersede a previous release of a subset of this data (Zippi and Loveland, 2012).
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    Location data were collected using handheld recreational grade Garmin GPS units. These devices have a typical reported error of 1-10 m. However, the location accuracy of the sample site coordinates varies according to the sampling context and recording conventions of the observer. A location confidence range, when known, is reported in the data. Locations for samples collected along a measured stratigraphic section reflect the GPS reading at the base of the measured section.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    This data release is complete.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    not applicable

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
Access_Constraints:
This report, map, and/or dataset is available directly from the State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (see contact information below).
Use_Constraints:
Any hard copies or published datasets utilizing these datasets shall clearly indicate their source. If the user has modified the data in any way, the user is obligated to describe the types of modifications the user has made. The user specifically agrees not to misrepresent these datasets, nor to imply that changes made by the user were approved by the State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys. 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.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
    Metadata Manager
    3354 College Road
    Fairbanks, AK
    USA

    (907)451-5020 (voice)
    (907)451-5050 (FAX)
    dggspubs@alaska.gov
    Hours_of_Service: 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, except State holidays
    Contact_Instructions:
    Please view our website (https://www.dggs.alaska.gov) for the latest information on available data. Please contact us using the e-mail address provided above when possible.
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? RDF 2021-8
  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
    The State of Alaska makes no expressed 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.
  4. How can I download or order the data?

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 22-Apr-2021
Metadata author:
Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
Attn: Simone Montayne
Metadata Manager
3354 College Road
Fairbanks, AK
USA

(907)451-5020 (voice)
(907)451-5050 (FAX)
dggspubs@alaska.gov
Hours_of_Service: 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, except State holidays
Metadata standard:
FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
Metadata extensions used:

Generated by mp version 2.9.50 on Wed Apr 21 16:54:22 2021