An Online Stratigraphic Column of Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

1. An Online Stratigraphic Column of Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska Garner, Kelsey and Jorstad, Robert B., Geology/Geography Department, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL 61920 Location Map From State Parks.com http://www.stateparks.com/kenai_fjords.html Abstract As part of the Stratigraphy course, Eastern Illinois University undergraduate geology majors are required to perform library research on the geology of a national park. With the information obtained, students construct a stratigraphic column for the park. The column is included in a written that is placed on the web and presented orally to the class. Students examine each others columns as an introduction to the peer review process. Placement on the web provides and outreach service for the geoscience community. While researching Kenai Fjords National Park, it became obvious that there is very little detailed published geologic information pertinent to this park. This is due in part to the park’s inaccessibility and coverage by the Harding Icefield. This paucity of information combined with a desire to visit this Alaskan park in the future were important considerations in seeking a better understanding of the lithostratigraphy of the park. The online column is the most detailed that is readily available and can be found at http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/%7Ecfrbj/parks/kefj/kefj.html Pictures of Pedersons Glacier and Aerial shots of Kenai Fjords, by Ron Neibrugge http://www.wildnatureimages.com/KFNP%204.htm. Acknowledgements We would like to thank some special people and organizations for helping us on this project, otherwise it would not have been possible. We would like to thank T.D. Hyder of Center for Academic Technology Support at EIU for scanning our two geologic maps together to make one. It definitely made it possible to see what rocks belonged in the park. We would also like to thank Eastern Illinois University Geology/Geography Department for helping us get to the conference and aiding us in developing and proof reading our material. We would also like to thank the USGS for having the geologic maps available to do our research. Stratigraphic References Bradley, D.C, Kusky, T.M., Haeussler, P.J., Karl, S.M., and Dudley, D.T.;1999; Geologic Map of the Seldovia Quadrangle, South-Central Alaska: USGS Open File report OF 99-18, geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/open-file/of99-18/of99-18.pdf Tysdal, R.G., and J.E. Case. Geologic Map of the Seward and Blying Sound Quadrangles, Alaska. U.S. Geol. Surv. Misc. Invest. Series Map I-1150, 1979, 12 pp.