Gravina-Nuzotin unit

Unit symbol: KJgn
Age range Lower Cretaceous and Upper Jurassic (163.5 to 100.5 Ma)
Lithology: Sedimentary
Group name: Gravina-Nuzotin unit
Marine graywacke and mudstone, subordinate conglomerate and andesitic to basaltic volcanic rocks, minor limestone, and regionally metamorphosed and deformed equivalents of these strata. Unit is exposed in southeast Alaska and in eastern Alaska near the Denali Fault System. Metamorphic grade varies regionally; in southeast Alaska, it generally increases from nonmetamorphosed or subgreenschist facies in the southwest to greenschist and locally amphibolite facies in the northeast (Berg and others, 1972; Gehrels and Berg, 1992). Higher grade parts of unit are primarily phyllite, schist, and gneiss. Unit consists of the Gravina Island and Seymour Canal Formations and unnamed strata in southeast Alaska (Berg and others, 1978, 1988; Eberlein and others, 1983; Lathram and others, 1965; Muffler, 1967). In south-central Alaska, includes the Nutzotin Mountain sequence of Lowe and others (1982) and other unnamed graywacke and mudstone rock units south of the Denali Fault System. In southwest Alaska, the Koksetna River sequence of Wallace and others (1989) is also included here. In southeast Alaska, the Gravina-Nutzotin unit is locally mapped as an undivided unit that includes several volcanic-rich parts. Where possible these volcanic-rich rocks are included here in unit KJgv. Gehrels and Berg (1992) suggested that geologic and geochemical considerations indicate that some volcanic rocks in this unit are genetically related to Early Cretaceous ultramafic bodies of unit Kum here (Irvine, 1973, 1974) and possibly to Early Cretaceous and (or) Jurassic diorite and gabbro of unit KJdg here (Berg and others, 1978, 1988). Fossils in the widespread Gravina-Nutzotin unit range in age from Cenomanian to Late and possibly Middle Jurassic (Berg and others, 1972; Brew and others, 1984; Buddington and Chapin, 1929). Wallace and others (1989) reported four fossil localities in the Koksetna River sequence, which contain Buchia mosquensis of Late Jurassic (late Kimmeridgian) age and Buchia sublaevis of Early Cretaceous (Valanginian) age. Unit represents a thick deep-ocean trench, fossil-poor marine flysch sequence. Unit locally subdivided into unit KJgv

Source map information

Source map Brew, D.A., and Ford, A.B., 1985, Preliminary reconnaissance geologic map of the Juneau, Taku River, Atlin, and part of the Skagway 1:250,000 quadrangles, southeastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 85-395, pamphlet 23 p., 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.
Symbol KJsc
Unit name Gravina belt, Stephens Passage Group, Conglomerate member of Seymour Canal Formation
Description Massive to thick bedded; pebble to cobble size well rounded clasts; poorly sorted; according to Lathram and others (1959) the matrix is graywacke and the most common clasts are dark gray to black argillite, bedded graywacke, light to medium gray limestone, marble, felsite, quartz, chert, granite, and quartz diorite; exposed on Shelter Island (as the Shelter Formation of Barker (1957) and on northeastern Admiralty Island.
Lithology Sedimentary

Correlated geologic units

Label KJcg
Description Conglomerate, and minor sandstone, siltstone, shale, and volcanic rocks of the Gravina-Nuzotin belt
Geologic age Late-Jurassic to Early-Cretaceous
Geologic setting Sedimentary, shallow-marine-siliciclastic
Lithology Form Importance
Latite < Felsic-volcanic < Volcanic < Igneous Dike or sill Indeterminate, major
Latite < Mafic-volcanic < Volcanic < Igneous Dike or sill Indeterminate, major
Conglomerate < Clastic < Sedimentary Bed Indeterminate, major
Shale < Mudstone < Clastic < Sedimentary Bed Indeterminate, major
Sandstone < Clastic < Sedimentary Bed Indeterminate, major
Siltstone < Clastic < Sedimentary Bed Indeterminate, major