Miocene basin development and volcanism along a strike-slip to flat-slab subduction transition: Stratigraphy, geochemistry, and geochronology of the central Wrangell volcanic belt, Yakutat-North America collision zone

New geochronologic, geochemical, sedimentologic, and compositional data from the central Wrangell volcanic belt (WVB) document basin development and volcanism linked to subduction of overthickened oceanic crust to the northern Pacific plate margin. The Frederika Formation and overlying Wrangell Lavas comprise >3 km of sedimentary and volcanic strata exposed in the Wrangell Mountains of south-central Alaska (United States). Measured stratigraphic sections and lithofacies analyses document lithofacies associations that reflect deposition in alluvial-fluvial-lacustrine environments routinely influenced by volcanic eruptions. Expansion of intrabasinal volcanic centers prompted progradation of vent-proximal volcanic aprons across basinal environments. Coal deposits, lacustrine strata, and vertical juxtaposition of basinal to proximal lithofacies indicate active basin subsidence that is attributable to heat flow associated with intrabasinal volcanic centers and extension along intrabasinal normal faults. The orientation of intrabasinal normal faults is consistent with transtensional deformation along the Totschunda-Fairweather fault system. Paleocurrents, compositional provenance, and detrital geochronologic ages link sediment accumulation to erosion of active intrabasinal volcanoes and to a lesser extent Mesozoic igneous sources. Geochemical compositions of interbedded lavas are dominantly calc-alkaline, range from basaltic andesite to rhyolite in composition, and share geochemical characteristics with Pliocene-Quaternary phases of the western WVB linked to subduction-related magmatism. The U/Pb ages of tuffs and Ar-40/Ar-39 ages of lavas indicate that basin development and volcanism commenced by 12.5-11.0 Ma and persisted until at least ca. 5.3 Ma. Eastern sections yield older ages (12.5-9.3 Ma) than western sections (9.6-8.3 Ma). Samples from two western sections yield even younger ages of 5.3 Ma. Integration of new and published stratigraphic, geochronologic, and geochemical data from the entire WVB permits a comprehensive interpretation of basin development and volcanism within a regional tectonic context. We propose a model in which diachronous volcanism and transtensional basin development reflect progressive insertion of a thickened oceanic crustal slab of the Yakutat microplate into the arcuate continental margin of southern Alaska coeval with reported changes in plate motions. Oblique northwestward subduction of a thickened oceanic crustal slab during Oligocene to Middle Miocene time produced transtensional basins and volcanism along the eastern edge of the slab along the Duke River fault in Canada and subduction-related volcanism along the northern edge of the slab near the Yukon-Alaska border. Volcanism and basin development migrated progressively northwestward into eastern Alaska during Middle Miocene through Holocene time, concomitant with a northwestward shift in plate convergence direction and subduction collision of progressively thicker crust against the syntaxial plate margin.

Processing and Composition Effects on the Fracture Behavior of Spray-Formed 7XXX Series Al Alloys

The fracture properties of high-strength spray-formed Al alloys were investigated, with consideration of the effects of elemental additions such as zinc,manganese, and chromium and the influence of the addition of SiC particulate. Fracture resistance values between 13.6 and 25.6 MPa (m)1/2 were obtained for the monolithic alloys in the T6 and T7 conditions, respectively. The alloys with SiC particulate compared well and achieved fracture resistance values between 18.7 and 25.6 MPa (m)1/2. The spray-formed materials exhibited a loss in fracture resistance (KI) compared to ingot metallurgy 7075 alloys but had an improvedperformance compared to high-solute powder metallurgy alloys of similar composition. Characterization of the fracture surfaces indicated a predominantly intergranular decohesion, possibly facilitated by the presence of incoherent particles at the grain boundary regions and by the large strength differentialbetween the matrix and precipitate zone. It is believed that at the slip band-grain boundary intersection, particularly in the presence of large dispersoids and/or inclusions, microvoid nucleation would be significantly enhanced. Differences in fracture surfaces between the alloys in the T6 and T7 condition were observed and are attributed to inhomogeneous slip distribution, which results in strain localization at grain boundaries. The best overall combination of fracture resistance properties were obtained for alloys with minimum amounts of chromium and manganese additions.