Malamute Drop Zone, flowing through a series of
olny (1959), Cederstrom et al. (1964), Schmoll and
wetlands in an abandoned outwash channel, and
Dobrovolny (1972a) and more recently by Yehle
discharges into the salt marshes of the Eagle
and Schmoll (1987a,b, 1989), Yehle et al. (1990,
River Flats. The old channel is incised into fluted
1992), and Schmoll et al. (1996). Other studies of
ground moraine and represents a meltwater
the regional surficial geology have been made by
pathway that was active as Elmendorf ice retreat-
Karlstrom (1964), Reger and Updike (1983, 1989),
ed from the area (Plate 1).
and Reger et al. (1995). The area is generally cov-
Numerous tributaries including the south and
ered by deposits of glacial, glacial marine (glacio-
north forks of Campbell Creek drain the western
estuarine), and glacioalluvial origin, with bed-
flanks of the Chugach Mountains south of Ship
rock outcrops found on the south and east along
Creek. These eventually flow into Chester Creek
the Chugach Mountains (Fig. 1; Plate 1). These
west of the Fort Richardson border. The larger
Quaternary-age sediments form a westward
South Fork Campbell Creek originates in the
thickening wedge, beginning at the base of the
Chugach Mountains, and locally reach about 213
Chugach Mountains, while the North Fork is fed
by a series of unnamed and poorly defined
m.* Below the Fort Richardson cantonment,
streamlets that discharge from gullies along the
these sediments are at least 70 to 98 m thick,
based on well logs described by Cederstrom et al.
mountains.
(1964).
Because glacial sediments were deposited dur-
SURFICIAL GEOLOGY
ing multiple ice advances, they possess a complex
The geology of Fort Richardson and adjacent
lands has been mapped by Miller and Dobrov-
* Personal communication with H.R. Schmoll, USGS, 1996.
Figure 3. Stratigraphic cross section from Fire Island (after Schmoll and Barnwell 1984) demonstrating the
complex relationship among glacial sedimentary units.
4
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