New research on the Denali Fault reveals three geologic sites were once united in a suture zone, marking the integration of Wrangellia into North America. The study uses inverted metamorphism and monazite analysis to trace tectonic history.
New research has revealed that three sites along a 620-mile segment of Alaska’s Denali Fault were once part of a smaller, unified geologic structure, marking the final connection of two ancient land masses. Over millions of years, this structure was torn apart by tectonic forces.
The study, led by Sean Regan, an associate professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Geophysical Institute and the UAF College of Natural Science and Mathematics, is featured on the cover of the December issue of Geology, the journal of the Geological Society of America.