Cenozoic tectono‐thermal history of the Tordrillo Mountains, Alaska: Paleocene‐Eocene ridge subduction, decreasing relief, and late Neogene faulting

A new thermochronology study of the Tordrillo Mountains in Alaska reveals rapid exhumation and cooling during the Eocene, likely linked to ridge subduction along the Resurrection-Kula spreading ridge. This event, affecting a broad region parallel to the continental margin, coincides with high-energy sediment deposition in nearby basins. The research combines K-feldspar thermochronology (KFAT) with existing U-Pb, 40Ar/39Ar, and apatite fission track data to constrain Paleocene pluton emplacement and subsequent tectonic movements. Findings suggest a long period of decreasing relief in the Tordrillo Mountains, contributing to our understanding of Cenozoic tectono-thermal evolution in this UNESCO World Heritage Site region.

Benowitz, J. A., Haeussler, P. J., Layer, P. W., O’Sullivan, P. B., Wallace, W. K., & Gillis, R. J. (2012). Cenozoic tectono‐thermal history of the Tordrillo Mountains, Alaska: Paleocene‐Eocene ridge subduction, decreasing relief, and late Neogene faulting. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 13(4). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1029/2011gc003951