Alaska is sometimes called the “last frontier”, and it is true in that it is one of the states in the U.S.A. most rugged and least explored. This is amplified even more when you get out to the bewildering Alaskan Peninsula. Recently I traveled out there for work, and much like other places in Alaska, the peninsula also has a very rich geological potential for hosting mineral deposits.
Because it is so rugged and remote, the history of exploration hasn’t been as extensive as the mainland, so it makes for a pretty “out there” experience… Thus, this blog post is a bit about the peninsula, its isolation and a brief geological spiel of what it is made of.
Brief Background Geology of the Peninsula
The Alaskan peninsula is located in the far northwest of North America. Geologically and geographically speaking, the Alaskan Peninsula consists of both the continental margin of southwest Alaska and the Aleutian volcanic arc. Rocks are late Paleozoic to Quaternary sedimentary, igneous and minor metamorphic rocks with numerous magmatic arc, including Late Triassic to early Jurassic island arc and late Eocene to early Miocene arcs. Young volcanism was renewed since the late Miocene, and this continuous magmatic activity formed, and continues to form, the dramatic modern volcanoes and isolated islands of the Aleutian arc (Burk, 1966; Wilson et al., 2015).
Geography, exploration and furry inhabitants
The Alaskan Peninsula and subsequent islands contain the Aleutian Range, home to lots of active volcanoes and the most northern region of the Pacific “ring of fire”. Flying over the peninsula you can see the cone-shaped tips of these volcanoes covered with ice and snow, just peaking above the clouds. We landed in a very small fishing town called Sand Point (population is around 1000 in summer and only a few hundred in winter).
The extend of paved (or any) road isn’t very much, so helicopter is really the best way to get around if you are exploring in the mountains.
Another thing to watch out for, even though the human population may be scares, are the plethora of bears. We spotted a few bears while we were out in the field. I thought they were a Kodiak bears but apparently Kodiak bears are only limited to the Kodiak Archipelago, which was not where I was… thus, I think they are blonde grizzly bears? Happy to be corrected though!
As with some other areas of the world, particularly arid parts of the Andes in South America, mountains have visible and obvious bright yellow and white colour anomalies. This is sometimes (but not always) due to hydrothermal alteration, causing bright staining on the tops of mountains.
In mineral exploration you look for these colour anomalies from the sky and investigate them on the ground, as the hydrothermal alteration that caused these anomalies might have also formed a mineral deposit of interests, like copper or gold. Of course, alteration doesn’t necessarily mean anything of interest is there, but it is just one of the many things to look out for and explore for.
Final thoughts
Exploration in such a remote area has its challenges. The isolation from other towns and society, and the exposure to elements and the rough terrain, makes you cautious and precise (e.g., time and money-wise) with just about everything. However, it does offer its rewards and makes for quite a unique experience and opportunity. If you ever get a catch to get out to the peninsula, I would strongly recommend it, but be prepared, as you might find yourself “way out there”…
-Stephanie
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Great blog Steph, looks very cool but watch out for the bears! And happy new year!
Thank you and Happy New Year to you too!
According to this article: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id=314
the blonde bears you saw were blonde brown bears. The bear’s blonde coloring was caused by a rare recessive gene that only expresses itself in isolated bear populations where inbreeding occurs. (White black bears have also been seen in parts of Alaska).
Since I will never make it to Alaska, I enjoy very much reading about your adventures. Thanks for sharing.
According to this article: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wildlifenews.view_article&articles_id=314
the blonde bears you saw were blonde brown bears. The bear’s blonde coloring was caused by a rare recessive gene that only expresses itself in isolated bear populations where inbreeding occurs. (White black bears have also been seen in parts of Alaska).
Since I will never make it to Alaska, I enjoy very much reading about your adventures. Thanks for sharing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grizzly%E2%80%93polar_bear_hybrid
Hi Timothy. Hmm, thanks a lot for the information. I think you/the article are correct in what I saw was indeed blonde brown bears. Thanks for the comment and stopping by my blog, cheers!