HR: 1340h
AN: GP43C-1499 [Abstracts]
TI: Revisiting the Paleomagnetism of the Ghost Rocks Formation of the Kodiak Islands, Alaska
AU: * Gallen, S F
EM: gallens@cc.wwu.edu
AF: Geology Department, Western Washington University, 516 High st, Bellingham, WA 98225,
United States
AU: Housen, B A
EM: bernieh@cc.wwu.edu
AF: Geology Department, Western Washington University, 516 High st, Bellingham, WA 98225,
United States
AU: Sarah, R M
EM: roeske@geology.ucdavis.edu
AF: Geology Department, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616,
United States
AU: O'Connell, K
EM: oconnell@geology.ucdavis.edu
AF: Geology Department, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616,
United States
AB:
The Paleocene Ghost Rocks Formation is the second youngest unit in the accretionary complex that comprise the
Kodiak Islands, AK, part of the Chugach terrane, and consist of a sequence of turbidites interbedded with pillow
lavas. Most workers agree that the anomalous near trench magmatism is a result of the passage of a trench-
ridge-trench (TRT) along the margin of North America. However, it remains controversial as to the location where
this interaction took place relative to the ancient North American margin. Plumley et al. (1983) conducted a
paleomagnetic study on the pillow lavas of the Ghost Rocks Formation and concluded that they had formed at a
latitude of 40° N. Discordant locality mean directions at the two localities of the study, Alitak and Kiliuda
Bays and a complex two-stage structural correction used at Alitak Bay have cast doubt on the strength of this
conclusion.
This collaborative structural and paleomagnetic study seeks to resolve the location where the Ghost Rocks
Formation formed using more detailed sampling and structural analysis. A total of 176 sites were sampled in
2006 and 2007, from four localities in the Kodiak Islands. This abstract will focus on samples collected from the
Jap Bay locality, where sedimentary rocks were sampled. Preliminary results of sites taken at Jap Bay have two
components of magnetization. The second-removed component has dual polarity and an improvement in
clustering is observed upon tilt correction. These results are consistent with preliminary result of samples
collected at two other sites of this study, Alitak and Kiliuda bays, suggesting the magnetic character recorded in
the Ghost Rocks Formation is primary in origin. The inclinations are shallow relative to those expected for North
America and at this time support models that place the Chugach terrane >1000km south of their present
location.
DE: 1525 Paleomagnetism applied to tectonics: regional, global
SC: Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism [GP]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting