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J. W. Cady

Publications and source records attributed to J. W. Cady.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Geologic implications of topographic, gravity, and aeromagnetic data in the northern Yukon-Koyukuk province and its borderlands, Alaska

The northern Yukon-Koyukuk province is characterized by low elevation and high Bouguer gravity and aeromagnetic anomalies in contrast to the adjacent Brooks Range and Ruby geanticline. Using newly compiled digital topographic, gravity, and aeromagnetic maps, I have divided the province into three geophysical domains. The Koyukuk domain, which is nearly equivalent to the Koyukuk lithotectonic terrane, is a horseshoe-shaped area, open to the south, of low topography, high gravity, and high-amplitude magnetic anomalies caused by an intraoceanic magmatic arc. The Angayucham and Kanuti domains are geophysical subdivisions of the Angayucham lithotectonic terrane that occur along the northern and southeastern margins of the Yukon-Koyukuk province, where oceanic rocks have been thrust over continental rocks of the Brooks Range and Ruby geanticline. Basalt of the Angayucham domain causes strong gravity highs and weak magnetic highs. The Kanuti domain is distinguished from the Angayucham domain by intense magnetic highs caused by cumulus mafic and ultramafic plutonic rocks, abundant ultramafic mantle tectonites, and magnetic syenite and monzonite. Long-wavelength, low-intensity magnetic highs and undulating gravity anomalies indicate an undulating basement surface of varied lithology beneath the Kobuk-Koyukuk and Lower Yukon basins. Modeling of gravity and magnetic anomalies shows that oceanic rocks of the Angayucham and Kanuti domains dip inward beneath the Kobuk-Koyukuk basin. The modeling supports, but does not prove, the hypothesis that the crust of the Kobuk-Koyukuk basin is 32–35 km thick, consisting of a tectonically thickened section of Cretaceous volcanic and sedimentary rocks and older oceanic crust. Plutons of the Brooks Range and the southern Ruby geanticline are nonmagnetic, ilmenite series, S-type granites that cause magnetic lows. Plutons of the northern Ruby geanticline are variable in their magnetic properties and cause both highs and lows. Plutons of both the eastern and western Yukon-Koyukuk province are variable in their magnetic expression but commonly cause magnetic lows in contrast to andesite.

Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth↗

The Alaska Mineral Resource Assessment Program: Background information to accompany folio of geologic and mineral resource maps of the Circle quadrangle, Alaska

The geology, geochemistry, geophysics, and Landsat imagery of the Circle quadrangle were investigated by an interdisciplinary research team for the purpose of assessing the mineral potential of the area. The quadrangle covers approximately 15,765 km 2 in east-central Alaska; most of it is included in the mountainous Yukon-Tanana Upland physiographic division, but the northernmost part is in the low-lying Yukon Flats section. The Circle mining district, in the east-central part of the quadrangle, has been a major producing area of placer gold since its discovery in 1893. For descriptive purposes, the Circle quadrangle is divided into three areas: the northwest Circle quadrangle, the area north of the Tintina fault zone, and the area south of the Tintina fault zone. The Tintina fault zone extends northwesterly through the northern part of the quadrangle. The northwest Circle quadrangle contains mostly folded and faulted, slightly metamorphosed sedimentary rocks that are intruded by Tertiary granitic plutons. In the northern part of the area north of the Tintina fault zone (Little Crazy Mountains and northern east Crazy Mountains), the rocks consist primarily of the gabbro and basalt of the Circle Volcanics and minor associated chert, graywacke, and limestone. Elsewhere in this area (south of the Circle Volcanics and in the western Crazy Mountains), the rocks are mostly slightly metamorphosed Paleozoic sedimentary rocks that have been folded and faulted. Rocks in the largest part of the quadrangle, the area south of the Tintina fault zone, consist largely of pelitic rocks that are regionally metamorphosed to greenschist and amphibolite facies. Felsic plutons, mostly Tertiary in age, occur throughout the area. The metamorphic rocks are separated from sedimentary rocks on the northwest by thrust faulting. The aeromagnetic and gravity data show clear differences between the areas north and south of the Tintina fault zone. The metamorphic terrane to the south has low overall gravity and local gravity lows over exposed granitic plutons. It is hypothesized that magnetic chlorite schist infolded with nonmagnetic quartzite and schist account for east-northeast-trending magnetic highs that approximately parallel the regional strike of the most prominent foliation in the metamorphic rocks. North of the Tintina fault zone, the Circle Volcanics are characterized by high gravity and east-west-trending magnetic highs. The Tintina fault zone has an intense magnetic high near the western margin of the Circle quadrangle overlying the magnetic granodiorite of the Victoria Mountain pluton. A magnetic high near Circle Hot Springs is less intense, but broader, and could reflect a buried magnetic pluton similar to that of the Victoria Mountain pluton. Computer-enhanced Landsat images of the Circle quadrangle show trends and patterns of concentrations of linear features. Features trending northeast-southwest predominate throughout the quadrangle; northwest-southeast-trending linear features are found mostly south of the Tintina fault zone. High concentrations of linear features were not found to correspond to areas of known mineralization in any consistent or significant way that could presently be used in locating areas of mineralization. Geochemical and mineralogical studies of stream sediment and heavy-mineral concentrates from the Circle quadrangle identify areas of anomalous concentrations of metallic elements, including gold, silver, tin, tungsten, lead, antimony, zinc, thorium, uranium, and beryllium. The data delineate areas of known mineral occurrences and areas that may contain undiscovered mineral resources. To date, placer gold has been the only significant metallic mineral resource from the Circle quadrangle, but the general geologic setting, especially the presence of post-orogenic plutons, is similar to that of regions that contain tin greisen deposits, tungsten skarn deposits, lode gold deposits in metasedimentary rocks, and uranium vein deposits. Six areas or tracts were identified in which such deposits might occur, and two more tracts were delineated as possible for the occurrence of shale-hosted Lead-zinc deposits. The discovery of two diamonds in the gravels of Cooked Creek point to the slight possibility of finding placer or lode diamond deposits. Although most of the past and present gold mining has taken place in four areas in the quadrangle, a sedimentary basin near the town of Central was identified as possibly containing buried placer gold deposits or sedimentary uranium deposits.

Alaska↗

The Alaska Mineral Resource Assessment Program: Guide to information contained in folio of geologic and mineral resource maps of the Philip Smith Mountains quadrangle, Alaska

The geology and mineral resources of the Philip Smith Mountains quadrangle were virtually unexplored until the investigations for oil began in northern Alaska. Construction of the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline System has now made the quadrangle accessible by road. In 1975 and 1976 a team of geologists, geochemists, and geophysicists investigated the quadrangle in order to assess its mineral resource potential. This report is a guide to the resulting folio of twelve maps that describe the geology, stream sediment geochemistry, aeromagnetic features, Landsat imagery, and mineral resources of the area. The bedrock geology and aeromagnetic surveys show that mineral deposits associated with intrusive rocks are probably absent. However, the geology and geochemical anomalies do indicate the possibility of vein and strata-bound deposits of copper, lead, and zinc in the Paleozoic shale and carbonate rocks in the southern part of the quadrangle and of stratabound deposits of zinc and copper in the Permian and Mesozoic shales along the mountain front. The northwestern part of the quadrangle has a low to moderate potential for oil or gas; Mississippian carbonate rocks are the most likely reservoir. The only minerals produced to date have been construction materials.

Alaska↗

Calculation of gravity and magnetic anomalies of finite-length right polygonal prisms.

An equation is derived for the vertical gravity field due to a homogeneous body with polygonal cross‐section and finite strike‐length. The equation can be separated into the two‐dimensional (2-D) terms of Talwani et al. (1959) and exact terms for the contributions of the ends of the prism. Equations for the magnetic field due to a similar body were derived by Shuey and Pasquale (1973), who coined the term “two‐and‐a‐half dimensional” (2 1/2-D) to describe the geometry. Magnetic intensities are expressed as a vector sum, from which the common dot product formulation can be obtained by binomial expansion.

Geophysics↗

The Alaskan Mineral Resource Assessment Program: Guide to information contained in the folio of geologic and mineral resource maps of the Chandalar quadrangle, Alaska

The Chandalar quadrangle in east-central Alaska was investigated by a multidisciplinary research group to assess the mineral resource potential of the quadrangle. This circular serves as a guide to and integrates with a folio of 10 miscellaneous field study (MF) maps and 2 open-file (OF) reports (table 1) concerned with the geology, geophysics, geochemistry, Landsat imagery, and mineral resources of the area. Revisions to the previously published Chandalar quadrangle geologic map, a new radiometric age determination, and a bibliography are also included.

Alaska↗