Stratigraphic and Tectonic Analysis of Neogene Coal-Bearing Basins Along the Alaska Range Suture Zone

小行星9725587 该提案寻求资金，用于对位于阿拉斯加山脉中北部沿着的新近纪沉积盆地进行为期三年的调查。 这些盆地包含了沿着古老缝合带的盆地发展记录、北美最高山脉的隆起历史、广泛的低硫煤储量和潜在的石油储层。 东西向盆地被河流和湖泊沉积物填充，由中新世Usibelli群（~ 600 m厚）和上新世Nenana砾石（~ 1000 m厚）组成。 要解决的一般问题包括：（1）盆地是如何形成的碰撞/增生造山背景的内部？ 能否为沿着前缝合带的盆地形成建立一个概念模型？ (2)这些盆地中的同造山期沉积物能告诉我们什么关于阿拉斯加山脉的新近纪隆起？ 碎屑岩记录是否包含了造山带变形和隆升如何沿沿着和时间变化的信息？ 在阿拉斯加山脉去顶过程中，古气候对碎屑成分的影响是什么？ (3)Usibelli集团的煤炭正在成为阿拉斯加和出口到太平洋沿岸国家的越来越重要的能源来源。 在这些盆地中，沉积、构造和气候对煤沉积的控制作用是什么？ 要回答这些问题，需要一个区域综合地层、古地理和构造格架。 将通过重建每个盆地的沉积系统、通过阿拉斯加山脉中部建造一系列横截面以及对砂岩和砾岩进行成分分析来建立一个数据库。 拟议的研究的主要贡献包括沉积盆地的长期演变的文件沿着缝合带;描绘沿着走向变化的阿拉斯加山脉的隆起历史;和分析潜在的商业煤炭的分布，为未来的勘探。

9725587 Ridgway This proposal seeks funding for a three-year investigation of Neogene sedimentary basins located along the north-central flank of the Alaska Range. These basins contain the record of basin development along an ancient suture zone, the uplift history of the highest mountain range in North America, extensive low-sulfur coal reserves, and potential petroleum reservoirs. The east-west trending basins were filled by fluvial and lacustrine deposits and consist of the Miocene Usibelli Group (~ 600 m thick) and the Pliocene Nenana Gravel (~ 1000 m thick). The general questions to be addressed include: (1) How do basins form within the interior of collisional/accretionary orogenic settings? Can a conceptual model be developed for basin formation along former suture zones? (2) What can the synorogenic deposits contained within these basins teach us about the Neogene uplift of the Alaska Range? Does the detrital record contain information on how deformation and uplift changed along strike and through time for this orogenic belt? What was the influence of paleoclimate on detrital composition during unroofing of the Alaska Range? (3) Coal from the Usibelli Group is becoming an increasingly important energy source for Alaska and for export to Pacific Rim countries. What were the depositional, tectonic, and climatic controls on coal deposition in these basins? A regionally integrated stratigraphic, paleogeographic and tectonic framework for all the Neogene basins will be needed to answer these questions. A database will be established by reconstructing the depositional systems for each basin; construction of a series of cross sections through the central Alaska Range; and compositional analysis of sandstone's and conglomerates. Major contributions of the proposed research include documentation of the long term evolution of sedimentary basins along a suture zone; delineation of along strike variations in the uplift history of the Alaska Range; and analysis of the distribution of potentially commercial coals for future exploration.