Geologic mapping and sampling in remote interior Alaska

A USGS scientist is conducting geologic mapping and collecting a sample of bedrock for new geochronologic analysis on the flanks of Victoria Mountain in the Yukon-Tanana upland of eastern interior Alaska. The rock is a metamorphosed sandstone, and it contains a variety of minerals that will be dated using isotopic methods to help determine the rock’s age of formation and the possible source(s) of the original sediment. These data will be used to correlate the rock with other similar geologic units in the region and construct new geologic maps that illustrate the bedrock geologic framework of the region. These maps and associated analytical data improve mineral resource assessments and provide information that supports land use planning and a variety of stakeholder needs.