BRANCH OF ALASKAN GEOLOGY

George Gryc and John Galloway

The Branch of Alaskan Geology was created in 1903 (separate from the other geologic branch covering the rest of the U.S.) to map and survey the geology and mineral resources of the then Territory of Alaska. The Alaskan Branch covered all aspects of geology and geography, including topographic surveys and mineral, water, and hydropower resource studies, The Branch continued with headquarters in Washington, D.C. through WW II. In 1946, a reorganization of the USGS converted Branches to Divisions and the Alaskan Branch was combined with the stateside branch to create the Geologic Division. The topographic surveys, water and hydropower studies were transferred to the appropriate new Divisions. Geologic and mineral resource studies in Alaska continued in Washington under various titles as a Branch or section in various branches including the Foreign Branch. In 1949 George Gates followed by other Alaskan geologist were transferred to San Francisco to begin to create and organize a new center for the Pacific Region. In 1954 the Alaskan Branch headquarters with George Gates as the Chief were established in Menlo Park. Joined by the Western Minerals Branch and stimulated by the WW II growth in personnel and projects and relocation, the Alaskan Branch went through a rebirth in activity and importance. Significant new projects included reconnaissance geologic mapping that soon covered all of Alaska and revised the interpretation of the geologic history and tectonic setting of the new State. New petroleum studies were started including support of the U.S. Navy’s exploration of Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4. The results of these studies outlined and described all the petroleum provinces of Alaska for the first time. Mineral studies and surveys stimulated new exploration and development. Alaskan Branch geologists from Menlo Park quickly took up studies and prepared reports on the effects of the 1964 Alaska Good Friday Earthquake. This stimulated interest and gained support for earthquake studies and their effects throughout the United States and indeed throughout the World. With a staff of more than 200 and operational support by a seagoing vessel and contract aircraft, the new Alaskan Branch reached the peak of its capability and productivity.

Branch Chiefs

George O. Gates, Chief of Alaskan Geology Branch, Feb. 1952 to Nov. 1959 – Branch Headquarters moved to Menlo Park, 1954, from San Francisco Office.

G. Donald Eberlein, Assistant Chief of Alaskan Geology, March 24, 1957 through November 15, 1959; Acting Chief, June 1958 through November 15, 1959. Chief of Alaskan Geology Branch, November 16, 1959 (memo from W.H. Bradley, Chief Geologist) to September 1, 1963

George Gryc, Chief of Alaskan Geology Branch, September 1, 1963 to January 18, 1976 (known as Branch of Alaskan Mineral Resources from 1969-1972)

A. Thomas Ovenshine, Chief of Alaskan Geology Branch, January 18, 1976 to January 12, 1980.

Branch headquarters moved to Anchorage, Alaska, January 13, 1980.

The "Modern Era"

[From Robert M. Chapman’s notes – talk presented September 19, 1979, 30th Alaska Science Conference, Fairbanks, Alaska. (Modified by J. Galloway, March 16, 2004)]

The period from 1952 to 1979 can be arbitrarily characterized as the "modern era" of Alaska geology. Many new projects and longer-range programs were initiated to anticipate needs and achieve a balance between the 1:250,000-scale geologic mapping, detailed mapping of key areas, evaluations of fuel, metallic, and non-metallic resources, topical studies of geologic problems, and regional geologic synthesis to keep pace with the development of Alaska, and the National and world interest in Alaskan resources.

Major efforts were made in the 1960’s and '70’s on specialized programs, such as the 1964 earthquake investigations, the Heavy Metals program, the Rampart and Yukon-Taiya power projects, the Wilderness area study in Glacier Bay, the oil and gas pipeline studies, mineral resource assessment programs (AMRAP, Tom Ovenshine and Henry Berg), Trans Alaska Crustal Transect (TACT, Bob Page and Warren Nokelberg), Yukon-Koyukuk Transect (William Patton), geothermal investigations, the earth satellite EROS and Landsat imagery program, and the management of the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA, George Gryc), which became the responsibility of the USGS in 1977.

As of September 1979 the Alaskan Geology Branch had a staff of 48 full-time geologists and a support staff of 83 part-time geologists and clerical staff.

Major Publication--DNAG (Decade of North American Geology)

Plafker, George, and Berg, H.C., eds., 1994, The Geology of Alaska: Geological Society of America, The Geology of North America, volume G-1, 1055 p. [33 chapters, 13 plates. The senior authorship of thirteen of the chapters (39 percent of the volume) were written by members of the Brach of Alaska Geology, Menlo Park.

In 1975 the USGS initiated an annual series of investigative reports carried on in Alaska, under the broad umbrella of the geological sciences. From 1975 through 1988, Geologic Studies in Alaska was published as a series of USGS Circulars which were titled "The United States Geological Survey in Alaska": From 1989 to 2001, the series was published as a more formal USGS Bulletin or Professional Paper. A list of articles published in this series can be found at http://minerals.usgs.gov/west/pubs/alaska/bintro.shtml

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