TO: U.S. Geological Survey
345 Middlefield Road, MS-999
Menlo Park, California 94025
Attn: Ken Bird/J. Kelley

SUBJECT: U.S.G.S./Kelley outcrop samples. North Slope, Alaska

INTRODUCTORY SUMMARY

Micropaleo Consultants, Inc. (M.C.I.) processed and examined for Foraminifera an dpalynomorphs 34 outcrop samples. This work was done under U.S.G.S. Contract #14-08-0001-21911, Order #66746, Requisition #4-9410-4964.

This work was part of Micropaleo Consultants, Inc. Job No. 84-102. Palynomorph interpretations were done by Hideyo Haga. The Foraminifera interpretations were done by Michael B. Mickey.

The Foraminifera assemblage, palynomorph assemblage, age, and washed lithology description were recorded for each sample. The depositional environment was also noted, however, the palynomorph environments were merely categorized as nonmarine, marginal marine, or marine. These categories are based on the absence, or presence and abundance of dinocysts and acritarchs in the sample.

Standard techniques were used in processing the material. All of the Foraminifera samples were boiled in Quaternary-O and washed over 20 and 200 mesh screens. Foraminifera frequency symbols correspond to the following numerical values: X = very rare (1); R = rare (2-10); F = few (11-32); C = common (33-99); and A = abundant (100+). The palynomorph frequencies for the recorded taxa represent the following quantities: X = very rare (1 specimen); R = rare (2-5 specimens); F = few (6-15 specimens); C = common (16-30 specimens); and A = abundant (more than 30 specimens). An asterisk indicates reworked taxon. The biostratigraphic zones used appear on Figure 1 and are those presently used by the U.S.G.S. in the NPRA area.

A listing of the age, environment, fauna or flora, and a description of washed lithology for each sample follows.