Geologic map of the Yukon River crossing area, Livengood Quadrangle, Alaska

Metadata also available as - [Parseable text] - [XML]

Frequently anticipated questions:


What does this data set describe?

Title:
Geologic map of the Yukon River crossing area, Livengood Quadrangle, Alaska
Abstract:
Geologic map of the Yukon River crossing area, Livengood Quadrangle, Alaska, Preliminary Interpretive Report 2026-4, presents results of fieldwork conducted by geologists from the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (DGGS) during June and July 2016 in Livengood D-6, C-6, and the northern portion of B-6 quadrangles as part of the Yukon River Crossing Capital Improvement Project. The study area spans approximately 567 mi2 (1,458 km2) and focuses on a geologically complex and vulnerable segment of the Trans Alaska Pipeline and the Dalton Highway. The project seeks to improve understanding of local geology near the Yukon River highway bridge crossing, where a 2012 landslide occurred west of the bridge's south abutment. Field data were collected during a helicopter-supported program from June 23 to July 4, 2016. Surficial geology is interpreted through a desktop study of remotely sensed imagery and relevant literature, verified by field observations. Bedrock geology is adapted from Weber and others (1992; 1997) and Chapman and others (1971; orientation points only), with limited modifications based on geophysical surveys (Emond and others, 2018; Emond and MPX Geophysics, Ltd., 2022) and field observations. Together, these datasets form the basis for updated geologic unit definitions, geomorphic interpretations, and structural observations. This mapping provides stakeholders with information about geologic hazards, including those related to seismic activity and slope stability, near the economically significant Yukon River Dalton Highway crossing. The complete report, geodatabase, and ESRI fonts and style files are available from the DGGS website: https://doi.org/10.14509/32121.
Supplemental_Information:
This geodatabase is organized according to the AK GeMS mapping schema Hendricks, M.D., Macpherson, A.E., Athey, J.E., Wyatt, W.C., Montayne, Simone, Buchanan, Wes, Rivera, P.G., and Steinleitner, A.M., 2024, AK GeMS data dictionary: A description of the Alaska geologic mapping schema: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Miscellaneous Publication 170 v. 2, 13 p. https://doi.org/10.14509/31172. The distribution package includes ESRI fonts and style files, along with usage instructions. Further documentation of the symbology is provided by Ekberg, P.G., Hendricks, M.D., and Athey, J.E., 2021, AK GeMS symbology: A description of the AK GeMS style file: Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys Miscellaneous Publication 169, 7 p. https://doi.org/10.14509/30584.
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Hubbard, T.D., Twelker, Evan, Koehler, R.D., Walser, S.L., and Salisbury, J.B., 2026, Geologic map of the Yukon River crossing area, Livengood Quadrangle, Alaska: Preliminary Interpretive Report PIR 2026-4, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 1 sheet, scale 1:50,000
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -150.067142
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -149.445222
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 66.008919
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 65.416978
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Beginning_Date: 2016
    Ending_Date: 2026
    Currentness_Reference:
    ground condition
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
    Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: geodatabase
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      This is a vector data set.
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      Grid_Coordinate_System_Name: Universal Transverse Mercator
      Universal_Transverse_Mercator:
      UTM_Zone_Number: 6
      Transverse_Mercator:
      Scale_Factor_at_Central_Meridian: 0.999600
      Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -147
      Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0
      False_Easting: 500000.000000
      False_Northing: 0
      Planar coordinates are encoded using coordinate pair
      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest .00000001
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest .00000001
      Planar coordinates are specified in Meters
      The horizontal datum used is NAD83.
      The ellipsoid used is GRS 80.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257222101.
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    yukon_crossing_ak_gems_db
    Geodatabase, layer files, style files, and fonts (Source: DGGS)
    yukon_crossing_gems_db
    Geodatabase, layer files, style files, and fonts (Source: DGGS)
    yukon_crossing_gems_geopackage
    SQLite Database file (Source: DGGS)
    yukon_crossing_gems_shapefile
    Shapefiles and open data files (Source: DGGS)

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?
    This work was made possible through funding from a capital improvement project sponsored by the State of Alaska. We gratefully acknowledge the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Doyon Limited, Ban O Yeel Kon Corporation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for providing the necessary permits to carry out this fieldwork. We thank the staff and management at the Yukon River Camp for their hospitality while we collected field data.
  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 map supports evaluation of geologic hazards and infrastructure vulnerability along a critical segment of the Trans Alaska Pipeline and the Dalton Highway, including areas affected by a 2012 landslide. The publication provides updated geologic interpretations based on field observations, remote sensing, existing mapping, and recent geophysical surveys to assist stakeholders in assessing seismic and slope-stability risks in the project area.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
    Ekberg, P.G. and others, 2021 (source 1 of 3)
    Ekberg, P.G., Hendricks, M.D., and Athey, J.E., 2021, AK GeMS symbology: A description of the AK GeMS style file: Miscellaneous Publication MP 169, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 7 p
    Type_of_Source_Media: paper
    Source_Contribution: GIS analysis and digital cartography
    Hendricks, M.D. and others, 2021 (source 2 of 3)
    Hendricks, M.D., Ekberg, P.G., Athey, J.E., Wyatt, W.C., Willingham, A.L., and Naibert, T.J., 2021, AK GeMS data dictionary: A description of the Alaska geologic mapping schema: Miscellaneous Publication MP 170, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 10 p
    Type_of_Source_Media: paper
    Source_Contribution: GIS analysis and digital cartography
    U.S. Geological Survey National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, 2020 (source 3 of 3)
    U.S. Geological Survey National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, 2020, GeMS (Geologic Map Schema) - A standard format for the digital publication of geologic maps: Techniques and Methods TM 11-B10, U.S. Geological Survey, United States.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 1 p
    Type_of_Source_Media: paper
    Source_Contribution: GIS analysis and digital cartography
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: 2026 (process 1 of 2)
    Geologic mapping - DGGS staff collected field observations during a helicopter-supported program from June 23 to July 4, 2016 in Livengood D-6, C-6, and northern B-6 quadrangles. Surficial geology was interpreted through a desktop review of remotely sensed imagery and published literature, and verified with field observations. Bedrock geology was compiled from existing maps by Weber and others (1992, 1997) and Chapman and others (1971), and was updated using geophysical survey data from Emond and others (2018) and Emond and MPX Geophysics Ltd. (2022). These datasets were integrated to produce updated geologic unit definitions, geomorphic interpretations, and structural observations for the Yukon River Crossing project area.
    Date: 2026 (process 2 of 2)
    Data packaging - DGGS organized and attributed the geologic and geographic features according to the AK GeMS schema, then programmatically transformed the data into four distribution formats: (1) an AK GeMS data package containing the full database and supporting files, (2) a GeMS data package converted to the USGS base standard, (3) a SQLite database file, and (4) a simplified shapefile package with shapefile representations of the data.
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
    Hubbard, T.D., Koehler, R.D., Twelker, Evan, Jose, Aleena Merin, Walser, S.L., Crawford, N.E., and Barefoot, J.D., 2025, Field station locations and magnetic susceptibility data for the Yukon River Crossing Project, Alaska, collected June-July 2016: Raw Data File RDF 2025-22, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 2 p
    Koehler, R.D., 2020, Assessment of potentially active faults in the northwestern Livengood Quadrangle, Alaska: Report of Investigation RI 2020-4, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 35 p
    Koehler, R.D., Reger, R.D., Sicard, K.R., and Spangler, E.R., 2013, Yukon River bridge landslide: Preliminary geologic and geotechnical evaluation: Preliminary Interpretive Report PIR 2013-6, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 69 p
    Twelker, Evan, Walser, S.L., and Montayne, Simone, 2025, Major-oxide and trace-element geochemical data from rocks collected near the Dalton Highway, Yukon River crossing, Alaska: Raw Data File RDF 2025-29, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 3 p
    Wolken, G.J., and Wikstrom Jones, K.M., 2019, Photogrammetry-derived digital surface model and orthoimagery of areas near the Dalton Highway, Yukon River Crossing, Alaska: Raw Data File RDF 2019-4, Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys, Fairbanks, Alaska, United States.

    Online Links:

    Other_Citation_Details: 5 p

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

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    Attribute fields within each feature class are populated using the map symbology and corresponding applicable values from the GeMS and AK GeMS specifications. When known, certainty in attribute interpretation is indicated in the relevant fields. Attribute accuracy varies throughout the map and is scale-dependent.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    Certainty in feature boundaries or location varies throughout the map. Data fields within each feature class and the accompanying orientation and location confidence lookup tables record the authors' degree of confidence in the location of applicable features.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    This publication is a DGGS Preliminary Interpretive Report (PIR). PIRs present emergent interpretations of geologic mapping or analytical investigation. These publications are reviewed for clarity and consistency and receive limited peer review.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    All polygon features were topologically validated according to the AK GeMS geologic mapping schema specifications.

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? PIR 2026-4
  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: 27-Jul-2026
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 Mon Jul 27 12:14:51 2026