Spatial variations in focused exhumation along a continental-scale strike-slip fault: The Denali fault of the eastern Alaska Range

Geosphere

Volumn 7, Issue 2, 2011, Pages 455-467

  Benowitz, Jeff A ^a   Layer, Paul W ^a   Armstrong, Phil ^b   Perry, Stephanie E ^c   Haeussler, Peter J ^d   Fitzgerald, Paul G ^c   VanLaningham, Sam ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS   (United States)

^b CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^c SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^d U S GEOLOGICAL SURVEY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ARGON-ARGON DATING; BIOTITE; DEFORMATION; EXHUMATION; FAULT GEOMETRY; FELDSPAR; FISSION TRACK DATING; MICROPLATE; NORTH AMERICAN PLATE; PLIOCENE; SPATIAL VARIATION; STRIKE-SLIP FAULT; THERMOCHRONOLOGY;

ALASKA; ALASKA RANGE; NENANA MOUNTAIN; UNITED STATES;

EID: 80054690383     PISSN: 1553-040     EISSN: 1553040X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1130/GES00589.1     Document Type: Article

References (74)

1. Aleinikoff, J.N., Farmer, G.L., Rye, R.O., and Nokleberg, W.J., 2000, Isotopic evidence for the sources of Cretaceous and Tertiary granitic rocks, east-central Alaska: Implications for the tectonic evolution of the Yukon-Tanana terrane: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 37, p. 945-956, doi: 10.1139/cjes-37-6-945.
2. Bemis, S.P., and Wallace, W., 2007, Neotectonic framework of the north-central Alaska Range foothills, in Ridgway, K.D., Trop, J.M., Glen, J.M.G., and O'Neill, J.M., eds., Tectonic Growth of a Collisional Continental Margin: Crustal Evolution of Southern Alaska: Geological Society of America Special Paper 431, p. 549-572, doi: 10.1130/2007.2431(21).
3. Berger, A.L., Gulick, S.P.S., Spotila, J.A., Upton, P., Jaeger, J.M., Chapman, J.B., Worthington, L.A., Pavlis, T.L., Ridgway, K.D., Willems, B.A., and McAleer, R.J., 2008a, Quaternary tectonic response to intensified glacial erosion in an orogenic wedge: Nature Geoscience, v. 1, p. 793-799, doi: 10.1038/ngeo334.
4. Berger, A.L., Spotila, J.A., Chapman, J., Pavlis, T.L., Enkelmann, E., Ruppert, N.A., and Buscher, J.T., 2008b, Architecture, kinematics, and exhumation of a convergent orogenic wedge: A thermochronological investigation of tectonic-climatic interactions within the central St. Elias orogen, Alaska: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 270, p. 13-24, doi: 10.1016/ j.epsl.2008.02.034.
5. Braun, J., van der Beek, P., and Batt, G., 2006, Quantitative Thermochronology: Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
6. Briner, J.P., and Kaufman, D.S., 2008, Late Pleistocene mountain glaciation in Alaska: Key chronologies: Journal of Quaternary Science, v. 23, p. 659-670, doi: 10.1002/jqs.1196.
7. Buscher, J.T., and Spotila, J.A., 2007, Near-field response to transpression along the southern San Andreas fault, based on exhumation of the northern San Gabriel Mountains, southern California: Tectonics, v. 26, p. TC5004, doi: 10.1029/2006TC002017.
8. Christeson, G.L., Gulick, S.P.S., van Avendonk, H.J.A., Worthington, L., Reece, R.S., and Pavlis, T.L., 2010, The Yakutat terrane: Dramatic change in crustal thickness across the Transition fault, Alaska: Geology, v. 38, p. 895-898, doi: 10.1130/G31170.1.
9. Clift, P.D., 2010, Enhanced global continental erosion and exhumation driven by Oligo-Miocene climate change: Geophysical Research Letters, v. 37, p. L09402, doi: 10.1029/2010GL043067.
10. Cormier, M.H., Seeber, L., McHugh, C.M.G., Polonia, A., Cagatay, N., Emre, O., Gasperini, L., Gorur, N., Bortoluzzi, G., Bonatti, E., Ryan, W.B.F., and Newman, K.R., 2006, North Anatolian fault in the Gulf of Izmit (Turkey): Rapid vertical motion in response to minor bends of a nonvertical continental transform: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 111, B4, p. B04102, doi: 10.1029/2005JB003633.
11. Crone, A., Personius, S., Craw, P., Haeussler, P., and Staft, L., 2004, The Susitna Glacier thrust fault Characteristics of ruptures that initiated the 2002 Denali fault earthquake: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 94, no. 6B, p. S5-S22, doi: 10.1785/ 0120040619.
12. Cross, R., and Freymueller, J., 2008, Evidence for and implications of a Bering plate based on geodetic measure ments from the Aleutians and western Alaska: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 113, B07405, doi: 10.1029/ 2007JB005136.
13. Csejtey, B., Jr., Mullen, M.W., Cox, D.P., and Stricker, G.D., 1992, Geology and geochronology of the Healy quadrangle, south-central Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Map I-1961, scale 1:250,000.
14. Dair, L., and Cooke, M.L., 2009, San Andreas fault geometry through the San Gorgonio Pass, California: Geology, v. 37, p. 119-122, doi: 10.1130/G25101A.1.
15. Eberhart-Phillips, D., Haeussler, P.J., Freymueller, J.T., Frankel, A.D., Rubin, C.M., Craw, P., Ratchkovski, N.A., Anderson, G., Carver, G.A., Crone, A.J., Dawson, T.E., Fletcher, H., Hansen, R., Harp, E.L., Harris, R.A., Hill, D.P., Hreinsdottir, S., Jibson, R.W., Jones, L.M., Kayen, R.E., Keefer, D.K., Larsen, C.F., Moran, S.C., Personius, S.F., Plafker, G., Sherrod, B.L., Sieh, K., Sitar, N., and Wallace, W.K., 2003, The 2002 Denali fault earthquake, Alaska: A large magnitude slip-partitioned event: Science, v. 300, p. 1113-1118, doi: 10.1126/science.1082703.
16. Eberhart-Phillips, D., Christensen, D.H., Brocher, T.M., Hansen, R., Ruppert, N.A., Haeussler, P.J., and Abers, G.A., 2006, Imaging the transition from Aleutian subduction to Yakutat collision in central Alaska, with local earthquakes and active source data: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 111, p. B11303, doi: 10.1029/2005JB004240.
17. Echelmeyer, K., Butterfield, R., and Cuillard, D., 1987, Some observations on a recent surge of Peters glacier, Alaska, U.S.A: Journal of Glaciology, v. 33, no. 115, p. 341-345.
18. Elliot, J.L., Larsen, C.F., Freymueller, J.T., and Motyka, R.J., 2010, Tectonic block motion and glacial isostatic adjustment in southeast Alaska and adjacent Canada constrained by GPS measurements: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 115, doi: 10.1029/ 2009JB007139.
19. Enkelmann, E., Garver, J.I., and Pavlis, T.L., 2008, Rapid exhumation of ice-covered rocks of the Chugach-St. Elias orogen, Southeast Alaska: Geology, v. 36, no. 12, p. 915-918, doi: 10.1130/G2252A.1.
20. Enkelmann, E., Zeitler, P.K., Pavlis, T.L., Garver, J.I., and Ridgway, K.D., 2009, Intense localized rock uplift and erosion in the St. Elias orogen of Alaska: Nature Geoscience, v. 2, p. 360-363, doi: 10.1038/ngeo502.
21. Ferris, A., Abers, G.A., Christensen, D.H., and Veenstra, E., 2003, High resolution image of the subducted Pacific plate beneath central Alaska, 50-150 km depth: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 214, no. 3-4, p. 575-588, doi: 10.1016/S0012-821X(03)00403-5.
22. Finzel, E., Ridgway, K., Reifenstuhl, R., Blodgett, R., White, J., and Decker, P., 2009, Stratigraphic framework and estuarine depositional environments of the Miocene Bear Lake Formation, Bristol Bay Basin, Alaska: Onshore equivalents to potential reservoir strata in a frontier gas-rich basin: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 93, no. 3, p. 379-405, doi: 10.1306/10010808030.
23. Fisher, M.A., Ratchkovski, N.A., Nokleberg, W.J., Pellerin, L., and Glen, J.M.G., 2004, Geophysical data reveal the crustal structure of the Alaska Range orogen within the aftershock zone of the Mw 7.9 Denali fault earthquake: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 94, p. S107-S131, doi: 10.1785/0120040613.
24. Fitzgerald, P.G., Stump, E., and Redfield, T.F., 1993, Late Cenozoic uplift of Denali and its relation to relative plate motion and fault morphology: Science, v. 259, p. 497-499.
25. Fitzgerald, P.G., Sorkhabi, R., Redfield, T., and Stump, E., 1995, Uplift and denudation of the central Alaska Range: A case study in the use of apatite fissiontrack thermochronology to determine absolute uplift parameters: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 100, p. 20,175-20,191, doi: 10.1029/95JB02150.
26. Haeussler, P.J., 2008, An overview of the neotectonics of interior Alaska, far-field deformation from the Yakutat Microplate collision: Geophysical Monograph, v. 179, p. 83-108.
27. Haeussler, P.J., Bruhn, R.L., and Pratt, T.L., 2000, Potential seismic hazards and tectonics of the upper Cook Inlet basin, Alaska, based on analysis of Pliocene and younger deformation: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 112, p. 1414-1429.
28. Haeussler, P.J., Schwartz, D.P., Dawson, T.E., Stenner, H.D., Lienkaemper, J.J., Cinti, F., Montone, P., Sherrod, B., and Craw, P., 2004, Surface rupture of the 2002 Denali Fault, Alaska, Earthquake and comparison with other strike-slip ruptures: Earthquake Spectra, v. 20, p. 565-578.
29. Haeussler, P.J., O'Sullivan, P., Berger, A.L., and Spotila, J.A., 2008, Neogene exhumation of the Tordrillo Mountains, Alaska, and correlations with Denali (Mt. McKinley), in Freymueller, J.J., Haeussler, P.J., Wesson, R., and Ekstrom, G., Active Tectonics and Seismic Potential of Alaska: Washington, D.C., American Geophysical Union Monograph 179, p. 269-285.
30. Hallet, B., Hunter, L., and Bogen, J., 1996, Rates of erosion and sediment evacuation by glaciers: A review of field data and their implications: Global and Planetary Change, v. 12, p. 213-235, doi: 10.1016/ 0921-8181(95)00021-6.
31. Harrison, T.M., Celerier, J., Aikman, A.B., Hermann, J., and Heizler, M.T., 2009, Diffusion of 40Ar in muscovite: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 73, p. 1039-1051, doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2008.09.038.
32. Harrison, W.D., and Post, A., 2003, How much do we really know about glacier surges?: Annals of Glaciology, v. 36, p. 1-6, doi: 10.3189/172756403781816185.
33. Hilley, G., and Arrowsmith, J., 2008, Geomorphic response to uplift along the Dragon's Back pressure ridge, Carrizo Plain: California Geology, v. 36, doi: 10.1130/ G24517A.1.
34. Humphrey, N.F., and Raymond, C.F., 1994, Hydrology, erosion and sediment production in a surging glacier: Variegated glacier, Alaska, 1982-1983: Journal of Glaciology, v. 40, no. 136, p. 539-552.
35. Kamb, B., Raymond, C., Harrison, W., Engelhardt, H., Echel meyer, K., Humphrey, N., Brugman, M., and Pfeffer, T., 1985, Glacier surge mechanism: 1982-1983 surge of Variegated glacier, Alaska: Science, v. 227, p. 469-479, doi: 10.1126/science.227.4686.469.
36. Lagoe, M.B., Eyles, C.H., Eyles, N., and Hale, C., 1993, Timing of late Cenozoic tidewater glaciation in the far North Pacific: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 105, p. 1542-1560, doi: 10.1130/0016-7606.
37. Lisiecki, L.E., and Raymo, M.E., 2005, A Pliocene-Pleistocene stack of 57 globally distributed benthic ™18O records: Paleoceanography, v. 20, p. PA1003, doi: 10.1029/2004PA001071.
38. Little, T.A., Cox, S., Vry, J.K., and Batt, G., 2005, Variations in exhumation level and uplift rate along the obliqueslip Alpine fault, central Southern Alps, New Zealand: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 117, p. 707-723, doi: 10.1130/B25500.1.
39. 39Ar step-heating results II: Relevance of laboratory argon diffusion properties to nature: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 66, no. 7, p. 1237-1255, doi: 10.1016/S0016-7037(01)00846-8.
40. Lu, Z., Wright, T., and Wicks, C., 2003, Deformation of the 2002 Denali fault earthquakes mapped by Radarsat-1 interferometry: Eos (Transactions, American Geophysical Union), v. 84, no. 41, doi: 10.1029/2003EO410002.
41. Manley, W.F., and Daly, C., 2005, Alaska geospatial climate animations of monthly temperature and precipitation: Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, http://instaar.colorado.edu/QGISL/AGCA.
42. Matmon, A., Schwartz, D., Haeussler, P., Finkel, R., Lienkaemper, J., Stenner, H., and Dawson, T., 2006, Denali fault slip rates and Holocene-late Pleistocene kinematics of central Alaska: Geology, v. 34, no. 8, p. 645-648, doi: 10.1130/G22361.1.
43. McAleer, R., Spotila, J., Enkelmann, E., and Berger, A., 2009, Exhumation along the Fairweather fault, southeastern Alaska, based on low-temperature thermochronometry: Tectonics, v. 28, p. TC1007, doi: 10.1029/ 2007TC002240.
44. 39Ar Method (2nd edition): New York, Oxford University Press, 269 p.
45. Mériaux, A.-S., Sieh, K., Finkel, R.C., Rubin, C.M., Taylor, M.H., Meltzner, A.J., and Ryerson, F.J., 2009, Kinematic behavior of southern Alaska constrained by westward decreasing postglacial slip rates on the Denali fault, Alaska: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 114, p. B03404, doi: 10.1029/2007JB005053.
46. Molnar, P., and England, P., 1990, Late Cenozoic uplift of mountain ranges and global climate change: Chicken or egg?: Nature, v. 346, p. 29-34, doi: 10.1038/346029a0.
47. Nokleberg, W.J., Aleinikoff, J.N., Dutro, J.T., Jr., Lanphere, M.A., Silberling, N.J., Silva, S.R., Smith, T.E., and Turner, D.L., 1992, Map, tables, and summary of fossil and isotopic age data, Mount Hayes quadrangle, eastern Alaska Range, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map 1996-D, scale 1:250,000.
48. O'Sullivan, P., and Currie, L., 1996, Thermotectonic history of Mt. Logan, Yukon Territory, Canada: Implications of multiple episodes of middle to late Cenozoic denudation: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 144, p. 251-261, doi: 10.1016/0012-821X(96)00161-6.
49. Owen, L.A., Thackray, G., Anderson, R.S., Briner, J.P., Kaufman, D., Roe, G., Pfeffer, W., and Yi, C., 2008, Integrated mountain glacier research: Current status, priorities, and future prospects: Geomorphology, v. 103, p. 158-171, doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2008.04.019.
50. Plafker, G., 1987, Regional geology and petroleum potential of the northern Gulf of Alaska continental margin, in Scholl, D.W., et al., eds., Geology and Resource Potential of the Continental Margin of Western North America and Adjacent Ocean Basins: Circum-Pacific Council for Energy and Mineral Resources Earth Science Series, v. 6, p. 229-268.
51. Plafker, G., Naeser, C.W., Zimmermann, R.A., Lull, J.S., and Hudson, T., 1992, Cenozoic uplift history of the Mount McKinley area in the central Alaska Range based on fission-track dating: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2041, p. 202-212.
52. Plafker, G., Moore, J.C., and Winkler, G.R., 1994, Geology of the southern Alaska margin, in Plafker, G., and Berg, H.C., eds., The Geology of Alaska: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America, Geology of North America, v. G-1, p. 389-449.
53. Post, A., 1969, Distribution of surging glaciers in western North America: Journal of Glaciology, v. 8, p. 229-240.
54. Ratchkovski, N.A., Wiemer, S., and Hansen, R.A., 2004, Seismotectonics of the Central Denalis Fault, Alaska, and the 2002 Denali Fault Earthquake Sequence: Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, v. 94, p. S156-S174, doi:10.1785/0120040621.
55. Raymond, C.F., 1987, How do glaciers surge?: A review: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 92, no. B9, p. 9121-9134, doi: 10.1029/JB092iB09p09121.
56. Reiners, P.W., and Ehlers, T.A., eds., 2005, Low-Temperature Thermochronology: Techniques, Interpretations, Applications, Volume 58: Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry: Chantilly, Virginia, Mineralogical Society of America, Geochemical Society, 622 p.
57. Richter, D.H., Smith, J.B., Lanphere, M.A., Dalrymple, G.B., Reed, B.L., and Shew, N., 1990, Age and progression of volcanism, Wrangell volcanic field, Alaska: Bulletin of Volcanology, v. 53, p. 29-44.
58. Ridgway, K., Thoms, E., Layer, P., Lesh, M., White, J., and Smith, S., 2007, Neogene transpressional foreland basin development on the north side of the central Alaska Range, Usibelli Group and Nenana Gravel, Tanana basin, in Ridgway, K.D., et al., Tectonic Growth of a Collisional Continental Margin: Crustal Evolution of Southern Alaska: Geological Society of America Special Paper 431, p. 507-547, doi: 10.1130/ 2007.2431(20).
59. Roeske, S., Till, A., Foster, D., and Sample, J., 2007, Introduction, in Till, A., Roeske, S., Foster, D., and Sample, J., eds., Uplift and Extension along Continental Strike-Slip Faults: Geological Society of America Special Paper 434, p. 15-33.
60. Sherwood, K.L., and Craddock, C., 1979, General geology of the central Alaska Range between the Nenana River and Mount Deborah: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Open-File Report AOF-116, scale 1:63,360, 3 sheets.
61. 3He thermochronometry: Science, v. 310, p. 1668-1670, doi: 10.1126/science.1118519.
62. Smith, N.D., 1990, The effects of glacial surging on sedimentation in a modern ice-contact lake, Alaska: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 102, p. 1393-1403, doi: 10.1130/0016-7606(1990)102 <1393:TEOGSO>2.3.CO;2.
63. Spotila, J., and Berger, A., 2010, Exhumation at orogenic indentor corners under long-term glacial conditions: Example of the St. Elias orogen, southern Alaska: Tectonophysics, v. 490, p. 241-256, doi: 10.1016/ j.tecto.2010.05.015.
64. Spotila, J.A., Farley, K.A., and Sieh, K., 1998, Uplift and erosion of the San Bernardino Mountains associated with transpression along the San Andreas fault, California, as constrained by radiogenic helium thermochronology: Tectonics, v. 17, p. 360-378, doi: 10.1029/98TC00378.
65. Spotila, J.A., Niemi, N., Brady, R., House, M., and Buscher, J., 2007, Long-term continental deformation associated with transpressive plate motion: The San Andreas fault: Geology, v. 35, p. 967-970, doi: 10.1130/ G23816A.1.
66. St. Amand, P., 1957, Geological and geophysical synthesis of the tectonics of portions of British Columbia, the Yukon Territory, and Alaska: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 68, p. 1343-1370, doi: 10.1130/ 0016-7606(1957)68[1343:GAGSOT]2.0.CO;2.
67. Sylvester, A.G., 1988, Strike-slip faults: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 100, p. 1666-1703, doi: 10.1130/0016-7606(1988)100<1666:SSF>2.3.CO;2.
68. Thomson, S.N., Brandon, M.T., Tomkin, J.H., Reiners, P.W., Vasquez, C., and Wilson, N.J., 2010, Glaciation as a destructive and constructive control on mountain building: Nature, v. 467, p. 313-317.
69. Wahrhaftig, C., Turner, D., Weber, F., and Smith, T., 1975, Nature and timing of movement on Hines Creek strand of Denali fault system, Alaska: Geology, v. 3, no. 8, p. 463-466, doi: 10.1130/0091-7613(1975)3 <463:NATOMO>2.0.CO;2.
70. Westgate, J.A., Stemper, B.A., and Pewe, T.L., 1990, A 3 m.y. record of Pliocene-Pleistocene loess in interior Alaska: Geology, v. 18, p. 858-861, doi: 10.1130/0091-7613 (1990)018<0858:AMYROP>2.3.CO;2.
71. Whipple, K., 2009, The influence of climate on the tectonic evolution of mountain belts: Nature Geoscience, v. 2, p. 97-104, doi: 10.1038/ngeo413.
72. Woodward, J., Carver, S., Kunzendorf, H., and Bennike, O., 2002, Observations of surge periodicity in East Greenland using molybdenum records from marine sediment cores, in Dowdeswell, J.A., and Ó Cofaigh, C., eds., Glacier-Influenced Sedimentation on High-Latitude Continental Margins: The Geological Society of London Special Publication 203, p. 367-373.
73. Zachos, J., Pagani, M., Sloan, L., Thomas, E., and Billups, K., 2001, Trends, rhythms, and aberrations in global climate 65 Ma to present: Science, v. 292, p. 686-693, doi: 10.1126/science.1059412.
74. Zhang, P.Z., Molnar, P., and Downs, W.R., 2001, Increased sedimentation rates and grain sizes 2-4 Myr ago due to the influence of climate change on erosion rates: Nature, v. 410, p. 891-897, doi: 10.1038/35073504.