New Devonian and Mississippian Formations in De Long Mountains, Northern Alaska

Abstract

The Kugururok formation, of Late Devonian age, consists largely of dolomite and limestone with minor shale, sandstone, and conglomerate, and is probably more than 2,000 feet thick. The Mississippian Lisburne group is divided into three marine formations: the Utukok, Kogruk, and Tupik. The Utukok formation is at least 2,500 feet thick at its type locality and consists mostly of ferruginous sandy limestone, calcareous and quartzitic sandstone, and calcareous shale. The Kogruk formation, as much as 1,500 feet thick, is composed of thick-bedded, fine- to coarse-grained, gray limestone with minor beds and lenses of chert. The Tupik formation, as much as 700 feet thick, is predominantly dark gray to black, finely crystalline limestone and black chert. Geographic distribution of these units is shown, and they are compared with the Devonian and Mississippian sequence in the Shainin Lake area, central Brooks Range. Other unnamed Devonian and Mississippian units in and near the De Long Mountains area are briefly described.