Crustal velocity structure of the northern Yukon-Tanana upland, central Alaska: Results from TACT refraction/wide-angle reflection data

Research Article| August 01, 1994 Crustal velocity structure of the northern Yukon-Tanana upland, central Alaska: Results from TACT refraction/wide-angle reflection data BRUCE C. BEAUDOIN; BRUCE C. BEAUDOIN 1U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park California, and Department of Geophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-2215 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar GARY S. FUIS; GARY S. FUIS 2U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 94025 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar WILLIAM J. LUTTER; WILLIAM J. LUTTER 2U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 94025 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar WALTER D. MOONEY; WALTER D. MOONEY 2U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 94025 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar THOMAS E. MOORE THOMAS E. MOORE 2U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 94025 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information BRUCE C. BEAUDOIN 1U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park California, and Department of Geophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-2215 GARY S. FUIS 2U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 94025 WILLIAM J. LUTTER 2U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 94025 WALTER D. MOONEY 2U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 94025 THOMAS E. MOORE 2U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 94025 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (1994) 106 (8): 981–1001. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1994)106<0981:CVSOTN>2.3.CO;2 Article history First Online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation BRUCE C. BEAUDOIN, GARY S. FUIS, WILLIAM J. LUTTER, WALTER D. MOONEY, THOMAS E. MOORE; Crustal velocity structure of the northern Yukon-Tanana upland, central Alaska: Results from TACT refraction/wide-angle reflection data. GSA Bulletin 1994;; 106 (8): 981–1001. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1994)106<0981:CVSOTN>2.3.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract The Fairbanks North seismic refraction/ wide-angle reflection profile, collected by the U.S. Geological Survey Trans-Alaska Crustal Transect (TACT) project in 1987, crosses the complex region between the Yukon-Tanana and Ruby terranes in interior Alaska. This region is occupied by numerous small terranes elongated in a northeast-southwest direction. These seismic data reveal a crustal velocity structure that is divided into three upper-crustal and at least two middle- to lower-crustal domains. The upper-crustal domains are delineated by two steeply dipping low-velocity anomalies that are interpreted as signatures of the Victoria Creek fault, and the Beaver Creek fault or a fault buried by the Beaver Creek fault. This tripartite upper crust extends to 8-10 km depth where a subhorizontal interface undercuts the northern and central domains. Beneath the northern domain, this interface is interpreted as the southeastwardly dipping boundary between the Tozina and Ruby terranes. The continuation of this interface beneath the central domain suggests that it may represent the detachment or basal thrust for thin-skinned tectonic amalgamation of the terranes caught between the Yukon-Tanana and Ruby terranes. The lower crust and Moho reflection exhibit differences from north to south that define at least two lower-crustal domains, interpreted as the Yukon-Tanana and Ruby terranes. Finally, the crustal thickness along the profile is nearly uniform and ranges from 31 to 34 km. Our data suggest that after initial thin-skinned amalgamation of the various terranes, this region experienced thick-skinned tectonic reorganization via strike-slip faulting. This interpretation supports a model in which at least one strand of the Tintina fault exists in this important region of Alaska. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.