High-Latitude Depositional Systems, Provenance, and Basinal Setting of the Late Cretaceous Cantwell Basin, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska: A Stratigraphic Framework for Paleontological and Paleoclimatic Studies
The Cantwell Formation of the central Alaska Range provides a robust archive of high-latitude, Late Cretaceous depositional systems and paleo-floral/faunal assemblages. Our stratigraphic analysis defines two mappable members. The lower member (1500–2000 m thick) represents vegetated alluvial fan and...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:af07e4c6687749b8840662c879a8ba42 2023-07-23T04:12:58+02:00 High-Latitude Depositional Systems, Provenance, and Basinal Setting of the Late Cretaceous Cantwell Basin, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska: A Stratigraphic Framework for Paleontological and Paleoclimatic Studies Brandon Keough Kenneth Ridgway 2023-06-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences13060181 https://doaj.org/article/af07e4c6687749b8840662c879a8ba42 EN eng MDPI AG https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/13/6/181 https://doaj.org/toc/2076-3263 doi:10.3390/geosciences13060181 2076-3263 https://doaj.org/article/af07e4c6687749b8840662c879a8ba42 Geosciences, Vol 13, Iss 181, p 181 (2023) basin analysis Cantwell basin Late Cretaceous tectonics paleoclimate paleontology Geology QE1-996.5 article 2023 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences13060181 2023-07-02T00:38:14Z The Cantwell Formation of the central Alaska Range provides a robust archive of high-latitude, Late Cretaceous depositional systems and paleo-floral/faunal assemblages. Our stratigraphic analysis defines two mappable members. The lower member (1500–2000 m thick) represents vegetated alluvial fan and braided fluvial systems that transition up-section to fluvial–estuarine systems that drained into an inland continental seaway. The upper member (~2000 m thick) represents estuarine–marginal marine and lacustrine systems. Previous paleontological studies demonstrate that the Cantwell basin was populated by various dinosaurs, fishes, bivalves, birds, and marginal marine micro-organisms. Integration of new and published geologic mapping allows for reconstruction of depositional systems at the basin scale and provides additional paleogeographic context. The northern basin margin was defined by a previously unrecognized south-verging thrust belt, whereas the southern margin of the basin was defined by a north-verging thrust belt inboard of an active magmatic arc. Sediment sources interpreted from U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology included the coeval magmatic arc and older Cretaceous plutons, and Proterozoic–Mesozoic strata exhumed along the basin margins. Results of our study provide a depositional, stratigraphic, and structural framework that may serve as a guide for future paleontological and paleoclimatic investigations of Late Cretaceous Arctic environments of the Cantwell basin. Article in Journal/Newspaper alaska range Arctic Alaska Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Geosciences 13 6 181 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
basin analysis Cantwell basin Late Cretaceous tectonics paleoclimate paleontology Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
basin analysis Cantwell basin Late Cretaceous tectonics paleoclimate paleontology Geology QE1-996.5 Brandon Keough Kenneth Ridgway High-Latitude Depositional Systems, Provenance, and Basinal Setting of the Late Cretaceous Cantwell Basin, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska: A Stratigraphic Framework for Paleontological and Paleoclimatic Studies |
topic_facet |
basin analysis Cantwell basin Late Cretaceous tectonics paleoclimate paleontology Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
The Cantwell Formation of the central Alaska Range provides a robust archive of high-latitude, Late Cretaceous depositional systems and paleo-floral/faunal assemblages. Our stratigraphic analysis defines two mappable members. The lower member (1500–2000 m thick) represents vegetated alluvial fan and braided fluvial systems that transition up-section to fluvial–estuarine systems that drained into an inland continental seaway. The upper member (~2000 m thick) represents estuarine–marginal marine and lacustrine systems. Previous paleontological studies demonstrate that the Cantwell basin was populated by various dinosaurs, fishes, bivalves, birds, and marginal marine micro-organisms. Integration of new and published geologic mapping allows for reconstruction of depositional systems at the basin scale and provides additional paleogeographic context. The northern basin margin was defined by a previously unrecognized south-verging thrust belt, whereas the southern margin of the basin was defined by a north-verging thrust belt inboard of an active magmatic arc. Sediment sources interpreted from U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology included the coeval magmatic arc and older Cretaceous plutons, and Proterozoic–Mesozoic strata exhumed along the basin margins. Results of our study provide a depositional, stratigraphic, and structural framework that may serve as a guide for future paleontological and paleoclimatic investigations of Late Cretaceous Arctic environments of the Cantwell basin. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Brandon Keough Kenneth Ridgway |
author_facet |
Brandon Keough Kenneth Ridgway |
author_sort |
Brandon Keough |
title |
High-Latitude Depositional Systems, Provenance, and Basinal Setting of the Late Cretaceous Cantwell Basin, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska: A Stratigraphic Framework for Paleontological and Paleoclimatic Studies |
title_short |
High-Latitude Depositional Systems, Provenance, and Basinal Setting of the Late Cretaceous Cantwell Basin, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska: A Stratigraphic Framework for Paleontological and Paleoclimatic Studies |
title_full |
High-Latitude Depositional Systems, Provenance, and Basinal Setting of the Late Cretaceous Cantwell Basin, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska: A Stratigraphic Framework for Paleontological and Paleoclimatic Studies |
title_fullStr |
High-Latitude Depositional Systems, Provenance, and Basinal Setting of the Late Cretaceous Cantwell Basin, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska: A Stratigraphic Framework for Paleontological and Paleoclimatic Studies |
title_full_unstemmed |
High-Latitude Depositional Systems, Provenance, and Basinal Setting of the Late Cretaceous Cantwell Basin, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska: A Stratigraphic Framework for Paleontological and Paleoclimatic Studies |
title_sort |
high-latitude depositional systems, provenance, and basinal setting of the late cretaceous cantwell basin, denali national park and preserve, alaska: a stratigraphic framework for paleontological and paleoclimatic studies |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences13060181 https://doaj.org/article/af07e4c6687749b8840662c879a8ba42 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
alaska range Arctic Alaska |
genre_facet |
alaska range Arctic Alaska |
op_source |
Geosciences, Vol 13, Iss 181, p 181 (2023) |
op_relation |
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/13/6/181 https://doaj.org/toc/2076-3263 doi:10.3390/geosciences13060181 2076-3263 https://doaj.org/article/af07e4c6687749b8840662c879a8ba42 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences13060181 |
container_title |
Geosciences |
container_volume |
13 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
181 |
_version_ |
1772189048167727104 |