Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
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QE681
ISJ.C '"7 ~
-1982 \ ..,
LIBRARY
SEP 2 1 1982
CALGARY
lNST. SEDIMENTARY 5
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
prepared by
Ru sse ll L. Hall
University of Calgary
and
Nicholas J. Stronach
Texaco Research Lab, Calgary
for the
FIRST FIELD CONFERENCE
CALGARY, ALBERTA
August 9- 14, 1982
",
•••
,
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I GrYphaea . Bed
Grey Beds
Ribbon Cr eek Hember
15
16
16
Green Beds 17
I Passage Beds 18
Bibliog r aphy 46
,..
Plates I - 10
i
2
2 46 02 4 6 8 1012
WA PIABI
CA RDI UM
LI VI NGSTONE
COLE MAN
BlAIRMORE DYSON lllOUNTA1N
BEAR CREEK AND
[THERINGTON CR
THRUSTS
'UNIT NOT
PRESENT
1-- --, , .,
BANff "
"
AL L FA UL T S IN FIVE MEDI UM SI ZE "" . "
MOOSE MOU NTAIN FAULTS EA CH 50
AREA TO 100 M IL E S LON G
I
I
FIGURE 1.
I
UA _Ii A&4
,
I 3
•I
within the Fernie Formation are exposed .
Lithology
I dated Fernie strata in central and southern parts of the Rockies are
of Sinemurian age, rocks belonging to the basal Hettangian stage being
unknown; recently, Hettangian ammonites from the lowermost Fernie have
been reported i n northeastern British Columbia (Tozer, 19 82).
11 The "Passage Beds" , representing the uppermost unit of the Fernie.
are overlain conformably by the Weary Ridge Member of the Morrissey
Formation (Kootenay Group) in southern a r eas ; Gib son (1977) has placed
this contact at the base of the first continuous sandstone devoid of the
interbedded siltstones and shales which typify th e underlying "Passage
beds" of the Fern i e Formation. A similar relationship exists between
the "Passage Beds" and overlying Nikanassin Formation in the Foothills
of central- northern Alberta and also in northeastern Br i tish Columbia
with the overl ying Monteith Formation (Minnes Gr oup).
Palinspastic Restoration
Because of the extent of eastwardly-directed t hr usting which has
occurred in the Foothil l s and Front Ranges of the Rocky Mountains, any
discussions of depositional envir onments , paleogeography and paleoecology '1
must involve reconstructions in which present-day outcrops a r e res t ored to
their approximate site of depos it ion farther west. Figure 2 shows such
a re;s toration (from Stronach, 1981) .
..". -..
4
I
.5
06 I
•
C a lg ar y .
•J
08
•
1. Rock Creek
•
•
07
2. Carbonda l e River
3. Ford i ng River
•
4. Grassy Mountain
5. Bighorn Creek
6. Wi 1150n Creek
7. Ri bbon Creek
8. Banff traffic circle
.3
.4
Blairmore • • 1
Fernie.
03 04 01
02
-- -CANADA
---- ---------"
U.S.A.
FIGURE 2
, Palinspastic map with present-day (. ) and pre- orogen i c (0) positi on s of
Fern i e local i ties and leading edges of major thrusts s uperimposed on
present- day posit i ons of towns and politica l boundaries . ~1od;f ; ed after
Ball y et al. (1966) and Stronach (1981) .
I
I 5
I Biostratigraphy
As noted by Frebold (1957). although the Fernie Formation spans
nearly all of Jurassic time , it represents an incomplete depositional
I record for the Period, in that faunas equivalent to many of the Standard
Zones of western Europe are missing . While more recent work by Frebold
and others has filled in many of th ese " faunal gaps" , quite a few Zones
are still not represented in the Fernie (Table I).
I One of the factors contributing to the apparent lack of faunas of
certain ages was the development, beginning in Late Bajocian time and
extending through at least the entire Bathonian , of an East Pacific realm
I in the ammonites , with the appearance OL many endemic genera. Thus it has
become necessary to establish local ammonite zonal schemes applicable to
western North American sequences; correlation with the European Standard
I Zones is still being worked out for many such l ocal zones.
Establishment of good ammonite faunal sequences and distributions in
f ormations such as the Fernie has also become important for comparisons
with coeval faunas on the accreted terrains which comprise most of the
I Cordillera farther west. As re cent ly demonstrated by Tipper (1981),
northward displacement of faunal boundaries and distributions within these
terrains can provide important s uppo rting evidence for their allochthonous
I Sedimentary Facies
Sediments of the Fernie Formation have often been dismissed as uniform
dark shale; however, in detail they show a wide range of sedimentary facies
I deposited in a number of settings . Much of the Fernie Fcrmation is composed
of fine-grained mudstones which lack the grain-size variation and conspicuous
sedimentary structures up on which interpretation of coarser, sandy facies is
I (Rhoads and Mo r se, 1971) depending on the oxygen content of the water.
Anaerobic sediments show maximum preservation of organic carbon with
minimum biological activity . Fauna is mainly rest ri c t ed t o plankton, with
Bositra and Discinisca being the only benthic macrofossils , forms apparently
1 specialised t o this type of extreme environment . Aerobic conditions, on
· the other hand, led to a fully diverse benthic microfauna, preserved
burrows and local concentrations of shelly benthos. As a result of hi gh
1 biological activity, organic carbon contents are low and the shales are
light greenish-grey or brownish- grey in color . Dysaerobic sediments are
intermediat e in their organic carbon content and show macrofauna only
" is related to the depth of dep osit ion . Anaerobic sediments occur in the
FERNIE AMMONITE FAUNAS FERNIE
STAGE ZONE UN I TS
TITHONIAN
H
r
Passage
KIMMERIDGI AN Beds
Buchia concentriaa, Amoeboceras
Pseudoco rdata
De c ipien s
Cau s tinigr ae ~reen Bed s
OXFORDIAN
Pli ca tilis
Cor da tum Cardioceras (Scarburgiceros) a lphaco!'datwn~
Mariae C. mountjoyi, Goliathiceras c f. CI'Qss'Wn" Cryphaea nebrascensis
ibbon
Cr eek
Lamber ti . Member
Athle t a
CALLOVIAN Corona tum
Ja son
Calloviense
Macrocephalus Im Zayoceras miettense
KepplePites cf . tychonis" Iniskini tea intermedius , prey Beds
Di scu s
Aspidoides
Rec t ecos tat um
BATHONIAN Morri ss ! ~arrenoceras henryi, W. imZayi, W. rierdonense J Cobbanites engleri pl'yphaea
Subcontrac t us P4rareineckeia shelikofana, Cobbanites talkeetnanus Bed
Progr acilis Paracephalites gLabrescens J P. hashimotoi, P. metastatu8 ~Ol'bula
Zigzag Cranocephalitea coatidensus pnmda Beds
Pa r kinson!
Garantiana
Subfurcat um Negaaphaeroaera8 rotundum~ Spiroceras orbignyi 3 stephanocerati ds ighwood
BAJOCI AN Humph r iesianum Chondroceraa obZatum, ·C. allani~ Stephanoceras itinaae~ TeZoceras Membe r
Sauzei cJ"iakmayi ; ArkelZoaeraa mclearni
Laeviuscula Rock Cr eek '
Ovalis Sonninia gracili8, S . modesta 3 ?Pe Zekodi tea, ?Wi tche llia
Member
Disci tes
-- '.~ -
- - - -
STAGE ZONE FERNIE AMMONI TE FAUNAS FERNIE
UNITS
Con cavum
Murchi sonae
AALENIAN Sci ssum
Opalinum
,
<-
Levesque i
Thouar sense ?Granrnoceras
Variabilis Phymatoceras .. Haugiaaf f . navis .. H. aff . illustris .. 7Brodieia lPoke r
TOARCI AN ?Peronoceras
BHrons Chip
Fa!cife r Harpoceras exaratwn .. H. cf . f'alcifer .. DactyZioceras co17Ut1Wle,
Shale
Tenuicostatum Hildaites cf . serpintinum, Orthodactylites .. ?Whitbyiceras
Spina t um ed Deer
Margaritatus Amaltheu8 stokesi, A. d. gibbo8uS Member
PLIENSBACHIAN Davoei
I bex
J amesoni ,
Phricodocer as cf. taylori
Angulata
HETTANGIAN Liasicus
Planorbis PBiloceras CPanaphylloceras) calliphyllum
8
I
deepest water where a lack of wave or current induced circulation impedes
oxygen diffusion . However, they appear to occur in two distinct settings .
In the Poker Chip Shale. they form a widespread "blanket" facies (seen I
at Fording River , Rock Creek and Bighorn Creek in the extreme south and
north of the area) which passes very rapidly into the higher energy facies
of the Rock Creek Member. The contact is well exposed at Rock Creek itself.
In contrast, examples of organic enriched sed i ment higher in the sequence,
I
in the lower Highwood Member, are very localised in their distribution,
notably in the northwestern part of the area around the Kananaskis
Provincial Park . This facies also occurs to a limited extent in the
I
lower Highwood Member at Rock Creek. In both cases , the organic rich
sha l es are separated from , sands in the CorbuLa munda Beds by a thick ,
dysaerobic shale sequence . The Poker Chip Shale accumulated on a broad, I
shallow shelf, where circulation was damped at the edge, allowing the
development of stagnant conditions in the shelf interior (Hallam, 1967) .
In the Highwood Member , deposition took place in much deeper water and
oxygen depletion resulted from a gradual decline in circulation with
I
depth .
Sandstones occur in the Rock Creek Member, the lower Highwood
Member (at Willson Creek) , the Pigeon Creek Member and the upper Passage
I
Beds . In contrast to the Pigeon Creek Member and Passage Beds, which are
composed of episodically deposited, interbedded sands and shales , the
ear lier units consist of more massive , continuously 'reworked sands . I
Grading , partial Bouma sequences , or beds with a hummocky-cross stratified
base passing up int o a ripple laminated top , imply a storm or ~ediment
gravity flow o r igin for the sands of the Pigeon Creek Member and Passage
Beds . The Rock Creek Member and Highwood Member sandstones were possibly
1
sheets swept onto the shelf and reworked by tidal currents, although
locally bioturbation obscures original depositional structures in the
latter . No well-preserved exampl es of shoreline sands are to be found
in outcrop.
Sedimentary Cyclicity
Sedimentary facies are not distributed at random but are ar r anged
in five cycles, during eac~ of which a gradual shallowing of depositional 1
conditions took place . In genera l terms , anaerobic mudstones pass up
into aerobic mudstones and sandstones . Each cycle r epresents a gradual
regression ; the transgressive phases are marked by a cessation or a
slowing of sedimentation . Thus, each cycle top consists of a condensed
bed (facies K) which shows faunal concentrat ion relative to the rest of
the sequence and early diagenetic modifications, notably phosphate or
berthierine formation and early calcite cementation . Sedimentar y facies
deepen abruptly at the base of the overlying cycle . Cyclicity can be
attributed to sudden eustatic sea level rises and/or increments of.
subsidence with sediment progradation in the intervening " s tillstand" .
Cycle I encompasses the Poker Chip Shale and the Rock Creek Member .
A pebbly phosphate bed with bivalve and belemnite moulds can be seen '
at its top at Rock Creek. Cycle 2 i s thin and consists of a complex of
facies at the base of the Highwood Member. It culminates in the regional
faunal concentration of the Bajocian Limestone . The rest of the Highwood
Member passes up into shallow water sediment of the Corbula munda Beds
to form the third sedimentary cycle . It is in this transition that the
f ull r ange of anaerobic to aerobic conditions is represented, best seen
in che area of Kananaskis Park . In the south, cycle 3 is terminated
by the Gryphaea Bed , similar to the Bajocian Limestone at the top of
Cycle 2; to the north, however, the cycle ' s top cannot be recognised
in the Pigeon Creek Member (e.g. at Ribbon Creek), nor to the southwest
in the Grey Beds (e.g. at Fording River). Cycle 4 consists of the
- - --- ---------
rACIES !.I ntOI.OGY 'v.CllOrAt~A mCRO(ALO:;A ORG. C SEDIMEKTAR\' STRUCnrnr. DErO~lTiOSM. tNVIRO~"IE:NT
..,
. ,
•
I~
Dark guy-bhc k
<
0-
Drs_nle- r lch
shalea dhy ahllu.
hdlohd .
Sparse .,,~. I"';'" Pl · ~Y-"·r.,ry duvall"
Rat. II l'azln.l t. &l1,
BaBin o r _he l! .. lth \ 0"
ci r eul.tlnn. An ae r obic Poker Chip S 'T~~:~r ,
Lo" "r HI"h""od II
~
0
""c. calcaucua 'ou... I ~:rt o f Ribbon
H
H • Rutrlcted
ahd n
Dens~_ 8 r~: , aU oy
. hd ... .
hl_nite.
~"
AR~lutlnned
fo r ..., • • La" I'· ';'-' cluva~ • Disul muddy s hdf - ?110" • .
Dy ner-obl e
Upper H1~hvood
Pa n of Ribbon Cr uk
or slderltlc " diversi t y. l1nobe r.
"oncretions
"•
00
0
, Ullht grey Ll~ht ~r .. y - grey A~,lut1nn.d
I"'· " Iluddy .hd f. Dyuuoble Cray Be d.
~' ''". .
uttricted .tl ey aha l ••. f eu • • . LOw
"". I ,." 1 :;;;;
slldu
I>,',. elle . dl"ut1ty.
,,
'd
~
"
0
,
U ... nlt lc. Local
bentonlU.I .
'"
00
Cr un·brawn
.hale a
Lith . 8ftr,re"n· IIdelllnilu
brown 'luI l e~. ahe l: OyHer. f<>U_<~IBt I'·'~'·'
Sh.lu blot urb.ad .
Conc retloM bond.
Inuddy
I pRrt
ahe;:~~~erobIC. Pr oxl_al Corbul. _ undo Beds
•p. InaTbed. o f
hu l, . od nnd .
Nuculid l
Vene r Id .
dhe ... l t y . S. nd. ,,, .. Ilel
,
., . " ept a t o ....· '.eneut ed .
turr ent • .
~.
0 , ln t e rbedd.d Paull,,\ 8,,1"lInl ..,.
I',';',' ~.ndl . rlpplt IShelf or 11 ope . " ept by no .. • I'I"eon Cu" k Hnober
for •• ' :~~~lIt I ~i::~·t ed o r .edillen t ~ ..vlty
"•
~
t r ey nnds . nd
• hale.
o f jlu y Hn e .
I :~ ~~: tone .nd
shal e • .
dive r .!n • I::,;' ... h. " . , " . Aerobic.
'"" , Interbedded
b r Olom u nd .
P.. alld
of brOlom f lne _ ed
None
f" ...... . I'" I::'" . d,,,_ "-,,->.,,•.
1
. curr,n.. · ;~~ -
P.... ~ e Bed .
0 ". s U ty .halu.
s andstone . """
,
I" ,-" E ..
Bloturb~ted Light &"~y fin e 1'00oe Agglutlnn.d Sandy shelf wi th low e oernl Bua! Hi ~h...,od H_bn.
nnd ..one
! sl1tstone • . "'Occ .
fo ...... Lo ..
dlverd.y. ,
, ,
udl.. entn l on uu . Aerob i c. 018[11 Rock Cruk
11~ ,.bcr
, Cu"n
and , t lt s tones
Berth1trln.. ~ r l.ch
und l t onel Ind
Bele.. nl ... s
C... r op"".
1'l Inor
aulutin.ted
I,·'·" She lf p. rtl.lly s t . rv ed o f
sedillent. lIyunoblc · . uob!c.
Cree n Bed s
..,
llllcs ton". Local
Diverse
...lluICI O
hu na .
Unknown
,
1'·'=""
~
Sh,,1f U l rv"d of udlJol! nt
.11o " ln~ prolific hund
colon h' t lon Ind .Arl y
::::>::.':~
10
•
•
Ribbon Creek Member and the Green Beds and is best seen in the so utheast
of the a r ea at Carbondale River . The Green Beds are an anomalously
thick , although sparsely fossiliferous , berthierine- rich, condensed
•,
unit . The Passage Beds make up Cycle 5 , consisting of a thick, regressive
sequence of sands and shales which culminates in the shore line facies
at the base of the overlying Kootenay Group .
( Paleogeography
During the early Jurassic, sediment was swept from the southeast
across a shallow shelf t o form the Poker Chip Shale and Rock Creek
Member . During deposition of the Bajocian Limestone, however, the
northwestern part of the area was deepened substantially and a marked
distinction between shelf (CorbuLa munda Beds) and basin (upper High-
wood Member) arose in Cycle 3 . Sediment input was still largely from the
southeast . During the l ater part of Cycle 3 two westerly sediment
influxes were initiated by the first phases of uplift in what is now
south-central British Columbia : the Grey Beds in the southwest of the
area and the Pigeon Creek Member in the northwest. Thus , quartzarenites
characterise the Rock Creek Member, de r ived from mature sour ce areas
on low-lying l and to the east, whereas sands more variable in composition
occur in the later units. Chert and possibly metamorphic and volcanic
clasts have been recognised. Basin infilling by the Passage Beds took
place largely from the south and southwest (Hamblin and Walker, 1979) .
Acknowledgements
Gratitude is expresse~ ,to Michele Braun for assisting with some
of the typing and Rick Larush for assistance with the illustrations.
R. G. Blackadar, Geological Survey of Canada , Ottawa, gave permissi?n
to re-publish photographs from G.S.C. publications and provided some
copies free of charge. Part of the costs of this guidebook were
provided from a Conference Grant from the University of Calgary .
11
I
I DESCRIPTION OF LITHOSTRATIGRAPHIC UNITS
I
1. Nordegg Member. Sinemurian. This unit is not further discussed
I as it will not be seen on this fleldtrip .
I 3.
it will not be seen on this fieldtrip .
.'
r ange in t hickness from 1 . 8 to 14 . 4 m; pinches o ut eastwar d
in southern Alberta by onlap ove ~ Mississippian carbona t es .
•
•
5. Lille Member ?Bajocian
Type Locality : Foot of the southern slope of Gr assy Mountain, 7km north
of Blairmore; g rid r eference 861051, Blairmore 1 : 50 ,000 t opo-
graphic sheet. 82 G/9 . Locality 4 of this fieldtrip .
•
Lithology : Bed of calcareous grit and coquina, comprised l argely of
bival ve she lls ; especially abundant are immature specimens of
oysters . •
Thickness and Distribution : 2 . 25 m thick at Grassy Mountain , the sole
locality f r om which t hi s horizon has been r eported .
•
Relation to o ther units : At Grassy Mountain r ests conformably on unfoss-
iliferous , platy, gr ey - black siltstone ( ?Rock Creek Member );
•
•
upper contact unknown.
Fauna and Age: The bivalves Chlamys mcaonnelli, Grypr.aea and Ostrea; no
ammonites have been r ecovered from the unit and its ass umed
6.
Bajocian age is based on s tratigraphic position a l one .
Author :
Lower Baj ocian .
P. S . Wa rren , 1934.
•III
•III
Type Locality : Headwate r s of Rock Creek on the east slope of Livingstone
Range , about 6 km due north - east of Frank ; grid r efer ence 918994 ,
Blairmore 1 : 50,000 topog r aphic sheet , 82 G/9 .
History : Warren ( 1934) pr oposed the name Rock Creek Member fo r a marker
horizon of calcareous sandstone . 1 . S- 9 . lm thick whi ch was be t ween
15 and 45m above the base of the Fern i e . Later in the same paper,
Warren refers to a ri ch and dis tin ct i ve fauna with Baj ocian
ammonites (Teloceras, Stephanoceras, Sterrmatoceras, Chondroc.e ras)
and biva lve s , which ha s since been known as the "Teloceras .fauna" ,
occu rring in the Rock Creek Member. I n fact, at the type l ocalit y
on Rock Creek, ammonites r epresenting the so-called "Teloceras fauna"
..I .
"
I 13
I distance above and not within the siltstone unit . The name "Rock
Creek Member " has subsequently been used for a sequence of dark
grey, rusty weathering shales with concretions and beds of sandy
Fauna and Age ; Sonninia ~ Pleuromya; Early Bajocian . Much farther north in
I
I
14
7. Highwood Member .
Author :
Bajocian - ?Bathonian .
N. J . Stronach, 1981.
Thickness and Distribution : Occurs throughout the outcrop belt of the Fernie,
ranging f r om 17m in Canyon Cre ek to 157m in Wilkinson Creek .
Relation to other Units : Sharp contact with the underly.ing sands of the Rock
Creek Member , but where this Member is absent it r ests direc t ly on
the shales of the Poker Chip Shale . Upper contact usually gradationa l
•
•
to the overlying green-brown shale of the Pigeon Creek Member or the
Corbuta munda Beds .
Fauna and Age : Belemnites at many leve ls, with a rich bivalve - ammonite fauna
in the Bajocian Limestone : Chondroceras obZatum~ C. aZUxni ,
Stephanoceras itinsae belon g to the Zone of Chondroeeras oblatum
which i s latest Early Bajocian .
•
8. Pigeon Creek Member. ?Bathonian .
•
•
Author: M. B. B. Crockf ord. 1949 .
Thickness and Distribution : At the type section i n Pigeon Cr eek, 44m , thinning
t o t he south in Evans-Thomas Creek where i t is 20- 25m thick .Known
•
~
I
Lithology : Brownish-gr ey , silty shales with green hue; interbeds of coq uin a
and fine-grained, hard, c al careous sandstones up to 45cm thick;
I abundant bivalves and some ammonite s . Bored and reworked concretions .
Thickness and Distribution : 30m thick at the type l ocal ity with fOSSilifer ous ,
I hard , ca l careous bands only in upper 21m .
Alberta .
Restricted to southwest e rn
Type Locality : Best exposed in several r oadc ut s on the south slope of Grassy
Mountain app r oximately 7km north of Blairmo rej grid referen ce 861051,
I Blairmore 1 : 50 , 000 topographic s heet , 82 G/9. Lo cality 4 of this trip.
I Thickness and Distr i bution: 1. 2m thick, with sharp upper and lower surfaces.
Known only i n the Blairmore area (Gra ssy Mountain , Carbondal e River ,
Daisy Creek and Rock Creek) .
I
I
--- --------------------------------
16
•
11. Grey Beds. Bathonian .
•
•
Author : H. Frebold. 1957 .
•
Relation to other Units : Lower boundary gradational to darker, ~ore laminated
and often rusty weathering shales of the Highwood Member. Overla in
conformably , but with sharp lithological change, by the green,
bert hierine sands of the Green Beds; this boundary repr esents a
significant hiatus in deposition probably corresponding t o most of
the Callovian stage.
•
•
Fauna and Age : Paracephalites glabrescens ~ P. hashimotoi~ Cobbanites cf .
C. taZkeetnanus ~Parareineckeia cf. P . shelikofana~ Warrenoceras spp .
and Kepplerites cf . K. tychonis have been found in the Grey Beds
•
at various l ocalities in southe rn Alberta and B.C . This fauna
r epresents part of the Early and also Late Bathonian . Farther north
near Jasper , Kepplerites mclearni and Warrenoceras spp. have been
collected from strata cor r elated with the Grey Beds . I f such a
•
l
correlation is valid " then the Grey Beds range through the entire
Bathonian and perhaps into the Lower Callovian with the presence of
ImZayoceras miettense , a zonal index which is an endemic form not yet
found in association with other ammonites , but occurring in strata
above the Zone of Kepplerites mcZearni.
Lithology: Dark gr ey , silty, clayey, shales with lar ge (1m diameter), orange
weathering s ideritic concretions; in the south , th ese concretions
are lacking and there a r e bentonite horizon s in the lower parts of
the section .
Thickness and Distribution : Occurs throughout most of the outcrop belt of the
17 •
I
I Fernie in sou t hern Albe rta. Ranges in th ickness from about 18m
at Grassy Mountain and Daisy Cr ee k in the south to S7m farther north
in Pigeon Creek , near Banff .
I Relation to o ther Units : In the south the Ribbon Creek Member is overlain b y
t he Green Beds, but els ewhere it grades upward s into the Passage
Beds by the gradual in coming of thin , s ilt y s trin ge rs . Abruptly
I overlies eit her the Gryphaea Bed or , farther north , the Pigeon
Creek Member .
I Fauna and Age : At the Banff traffic ci r cle sec tion, Frebold (1962) recorded
"Turbo " ferniensis f r om dark shales now correlated with this Membe r.
which indicates an Oxfordian age . Near Jasper, dark shales with
I large concretions which are partly interbedded wi th, and also ove rlie,
several beds of gr een , glaucon iti c sand , have yielded Oxfordian
fossils: Cardiaceras ~ Buahia concentrica . The st raigraphy of this
a r ea is not yet c l ea rly understood (Frebold et aZ . ~ 1959).
I 13. Green Beds. Oxfordian .
Type LQcality : McLearn introduced thi s term in a general descr i ption of the
I Thickness and Distribu tion: Known t hroughout the Foothills and Front Ranges
from the international bo rd er t o the Peace River area in the sub -
surface where it forms an excellent marker hori zon l.5- 9.lm thick .
I On Carbondale River 15.8m t hick, t hinning northward and westward .
Unknown in outcrop throughou t most of southern Albe rta , but occurs
again at Willson Cr eek (Localit y 6 of this fie ld t r ip) and far t he r
I north ne a r Jaspe r .
Type Locality: Blairmore area . Probably the best exposed and most easily
I
accessible section is that just east of the Banff traf fic circle
on Highway 1; grid r eference 027740, Banff 1 : 50,000 topographic
sheet , 82 0/4 E. Locality 8 of this fieldtrip .
I
Lithology:Lower part dark grey sha l es fracturing into small blocky to
splinte r y f r agments; elongated , yellow- brown weathering concretions I
often present . Thin (60cm) sil ty bands, weather in g brown in color ,
occur higher in the section producing a r egularly banded or
ribboned appearance . The abundance and thickness of these silts t ones
I
increase upwards through the section . and they co nsist of coarser ,
sandier sediment. They exhibit parallel laminati on, hummocky and
ripple cross- lamination, bioturbation, sale marks and plant debris .
I
Thickness and Distribution : The Passage Beds crop out in mos t sec tions of
the Fernie Formation in the Foothills of Alberta and north-easte r n
B. C. and form t he uppermost unit of this Formation . They range
up to 185m in thickness .
I
Relation to other Units : Conformably overlie the Green Beds where these are
present , with abrupt changes in color and rock type ; elsewhere
J
they overlie Grey Beds . In southern Alberta and B.C . t he Passage
Beds grade up into the Kootenay Group (basal Weary Ridge Member)
and Gibson (1979) has placed the contact at the base of the first
continuous sandstone devoid of the interbedded shales and siltstones
I
which a re typical of the PaSsage Beds.
Fauna and Age : No dateable macrofauna has been recovered from t he Passage
I
Beds but from the stratigraphic position of the uni t, between
Oxfordian Green Beds and t he basal Kootenay which has produced
s pecimens of Titanites oaaidentaZis of Portlandian age , the Passage
I
Beds are usually assigned a Kimmeridgian age .
I
~
I
I
•
19
I CIRCUM-PAC IF IC JURASSIC RESEARCH GROUP FIELD CONFERENCE
FERNI E FORMATION
I PART II. RDAD LOG
I DAY 1
Dista nce On Highway 2 proceed south trom CaLgary to junction with Highway 3
I km
(cumulative)
just west of Fort Macleod
this point .
(161 km) ; distance measurements begin trom
I 0.0 Turn right (west) onto Highway 3 . Proceed through Peigan Indian
Reservation at fu>oaket" r.1ith Oldman River and Porcupine Bills to the
right (north) .
I 70.5 TUrn right (north) onto North Burmis Road (gravel) . Gently folded
Cretaceous sediments on the right, Livingstone Range on left . At 77 . 5 km
I pass Milvain Ranch on the left; permission required for acceS8 to Rock
Creek section .
79.0 Turn left through gate onto trail leading past gas plant; continue
I westward up Rock Cr eek (several gates and care needed on some sections
and creek crossings) . Park vehicles at top of steep descent to croBsing
of Rock Creek~ approximately 4 Jon along trail; walk up hill westward
I to reach exposed Fernie section in creek to your right .
LOCALITY 1. Rock Creek secti on , Ferni e Formati on
Descri ption of sect i on begins page
I
Return to Highway 3.
I 95.5 TUrn right (west) onto Highway 3 and proceed to village of Bellevue .
104 . 8 TUrn left (south) onto road leading to Hillcrest Mines ~ cross
I Crowsnest River and continue straight through village (trailer park on
the right) .
I 108 .6 1ttke right fork onto gravel road through Texas gate immediately
after passing Falls Creek greenhouses on the left . Continue south on
this road towcz.rds Lynx Creek Recreational area . In roadcuts along the
descent down the eastern side of Webb Creek valley are various exposures
I of the Fernie Formation~ many strongly defor,med (includes Gl'yphaea bed~
Bathonian grey s hales ~ Green Beds and Passage Beds) . At foot of hill
the road swings sharply toward the west (right) to follow north bank of
I Carbondale River.
PulZ of! on right side of road to ' view Crowsnest Mountain klippe
to the north . Lewis Thrust has placed Devono- Mississippian rocks on
•
Upper cretaceous .
15. 8 Cross trace of Lewis Thrust .
37. 5 Turn right (north) onto road to Elk VaUey and Elkford; strip mine I
workings of B. C. Coal to north. and south of road are in Kootenay Formation . '
(Lower Cretaceous and uppermost Jurassic) . Cross Elk River .
•
43. 0 T- intersection; turn left onto Elkford road .
56.6 TUrn right (east) onto road leading to Line Creek mine of Crowsnest
•
Resources . Immediately after crossing bridge over Elk River, turn left
onto gravel forestry road .
Immediately after crossing bridge over Fording River~ turn right
•
59.4
onto narrow track leading up steep incline and following north/west
bank of Fording River; proceed approximately 2.3 km along this track
to second cleared area . Lower Fernie section exposed at base of very
•
steep bank to the right (Toarcian) While Bajocian- Bathonian strata are
exposed in next meander downstream .
•Ii
LOCALITY 3. Fording Ri ver secti on, Ferni e Formati on
Descript ion of section begin s page
Return to Blairmore .
123 . 4 In Blairmore, turn left (north) at the traffic lights onto 29th
St~eet, .cro~s bridge over Crowsnest River~ then follow gravel road up
sl~ght ~ncltne to left~ through gate onto old mine property . Bear left
around abandoned mine buildings and coal dwnps ~ then curve sharply to
132. 9
right and follow main track up hill with more abandoned buildings in trees
to right . Continue on this road to the foot of Grassy Mountain .
FOur-way intersection of tracks; turn left and follow up hill around .
sharp curve to the right and park at junction with next small track
"
leading off to the left (133 .6 km)
LOCALITY
,~"
4. Grassy Mountain section, Ferni e Formation
Descri pt ion of sect i on begins page
Return to Highway ;3 at Blairmore, then to Calgary . End of road log
•
for day 2 .
I DAY 3
21
I 13.0 TUrn right (north) onto Nordegg Forestry Trunk Road3 Route 940 3
just after passing gas plant on the left .
94.4 Mountain Air e Lodge and bridge over Red Deer River.
I 94.5 TUrn left (west) onto narrow road leading to Ya - Ha Tinda ranch .
120.9 General interest stop to view McConnell Thrust and Mount Yamnuska .
148:2
160
River .
Enter Banff National Park
Park on right hand side of road just before bridge over Cascade I
LOCALITY 8. Banff traffic c ircl e section, Fernie Formation
Descri ption of section begins Eage
I
NO HAMM ERS AT THI S OUTCROP PEASE
Return to Calgary; end of road log for day 4.
. \r ...
,
I 23
,
I ,
(,
BAN F F t . .,
Qee r " ..
• ,,
I (
LAKE
" ,
.,
LOUISE , ~~~~~~~SU~NDRE
I NAT IONAL ;; Red Oeer
q,• "
•
I " I
~,
' ............:
,
I ~
.
L
-,
BANFF
PAR K,l
_
- ..... ".".......
CANMORE
'
, ,
I rJ I:
I
-.
"
\
I
... r! ~\.~ 0"~..
t"....... ·
._ , ~O
.
<?
\ ~ ~,
I : KANANASKIS
I PROVINCIAL
,
; PAR K
'..1"'-'1 ,
I BRITISH
,
ALBERTA
,
,
I COLUMBIA
\
~, 1. Rock Creek
I ,\
2 . Carbondale River
3 . Fording River
4 . Grassy Mountain
I <
,
I
J
•
5.
6.
Bighorn Creek
Willson Creek
3 [' I 7. Ribbon Creek
I .",
• 8. Banff Traffic Circle
,I 10 0
I , I I I
10 2 0 3 0 4 0
I I !
!.,.
I J kilo ....
I
I
I FIGuaE 3. General locality m~p
I
24
I
R NC H
I
I
I
I
I
LOCALITY 5. Bighorn Creek, Alberta. Grid LOCALITY 6. Willson Creek, Alberta. Grid
I References: <aJ OOB330, (bJ 010333 and
(cJ 016336, Barrier Mountain 1:50,000 tapa
sheet, B2 0/12.
Reference 171418, Limestone Mountain
1:50,000 tapa sheet, 82 0/14.
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
LOCAL ITY 7. Ribbon Creek, Alberta. Grid LOCALITY B. Banff traffic circle, Alberta.
I Reference 298437, Spray Lakes Reservoir
1:50,000 tapa sheet, 82 J/14.
Grid References 029737 to 035733, Banff
1:50,000 tapa sheet, 82 0/4.
FIGURE 4 (cont ' d)
I
I 27
Stratigr aphy : The l owest unit within the Fernie at this locality is
I a fossiliferous sandstone, with coarse shelly debris and bone f r ag -
~ents, which forms the core of the an ti clinal structure . Above this
are the typical paper y black shales of the Poker Chip Shale with
abundant Bositra and Harpoceras (Toarcian). The main anticlinal
structure is clearly outlined by the resistant, fine sandsto~e con-
stituting the Rock Creek Member sensu stricto ; this is the type lo-
cality of this unit as defined by by Warren (1934). Next comes a
I continuous sequence of dark grey and brown shales with concretiona r y
bands and some cemented siltstone beds , over 50 m thick, and in which
are found several f ossil horizons yielding Bajoc i an faunas . In the
I southern part of the area are isolated outcrops representing several
units in the upper Fernie : the Grey Beds (with i mpressions of Keppler-
itea cf . K. tyahonis of late Bathonian age , PlateS) , the Gryphaea Bed
I (Bathonian), the Gr een Beds (Oxfordian), and the Passage Beds, which
form the top of the Fernie.
A detailed section through t he middle parts of the Fernie at Rock
Creek is shown in Fig . bb ; it was measured on the south bank of Rock
I Creek.
Near the base of the section is the Rock Creek Member sensu ~tric
~ , a fine-grained quart z arenite with irregular, wispy cross lamina-
•
dark grey shales with i nterbeds of si l t •
•
PASSAGE BEDS
and very fine sand, lO-20mm thick
• GREEN BEDS
at top green berthierine sand, interbedded
purple s ilts; irregular platy cl eavage and
calcareous concretions
_--::-:-::-:=--::-:-::-:-c-_-=b..:.
RIBBON CREEK
? OXFORDIAN
e l ow, lig ht blue- grey, spli ntery sha l es
dark grey, pl aty sha l es, Boeitm, KeppZeritee .
• •
•
•
(disturbed, covered interva l )
•
•II
•
50
•
(see deta iled, enlarged section, Figure 5h )
•
---] •
0
f/ " .
. l,o:'
•..
m =====J calcareous , phosphatic sand with poorl y
preserved bivalves, gastropods , vertebrate
bones ? SINEMURIAN
FIGU RE 5a Stratigra ph i c section , Rock Creek
- - -- ---- - - -- -- - - -
29
I o
• - Retroaeramus, Lios t r ea
I ..~
li ght grey- grey. calcareous. phosphatic
sandstones , parallel bedded, lOO-200mm
ROCK CREEK MEMBER beds. Becomes phosphatic-limonitic
near top with Pleuromya
20
JO
dark grey sha les, papery-platy
cleavage, occas i ona l calcareous beds
POKER CHI P SHALE and concreti ons . Abu ndant Bositra~
Harpoceras
..
at thi s locality that ammonites repres entin g the l ate ear l y Bajocian
zone of Chondroceras obZatwn (or the "Teloceras fauna " of various
authors) occur well above the Rock Creek Member ~ stri cto (Plate Ib).
Above thi s concretionary ho ri zon the shales be come darker and
mor e platy, with occasional har der . cal car eous- cemented, flaggy
beds about 10 em thick. From one s uch bed 25 m ahove th e top of the
Rock Creek Member comes the l a t e Bajocian fauna r epres enting the
zone of Megasphaeroaeras rotundum (Plate lb). In addition t o the
zonal index, it includes Bpiroaeras cf. S . orbignyi3 s tephanoce r at id s ,
a few bivalves (Bositra3 inoceramids), belemnites and possible
ammonite jaH structures, all preserved as flattened impressions .
A similar hard band 3 m highe r in the sect i on has yielded impressions
of s t ephanocera tids , bivalves, and a small, comple t e specimen of a
primitive Leptolepid fi sh (M.V . Wilson , personal communication,
19 82). Further excavation by Mark Wilson this summe r has produced
abund an t fish r emains as well a s additional spiroceras and other
ammonite and inoceramid fragments . A diverse microfauna of radio-
.-
larians, ost r acods and for aros has also been r ecover ed from this
part of the section inc luding Haplophragmoides 3 Verneuilinoides
(agglutinated), Marginulinopsis 3 Astacolus 3 Dentalina 3 Trocihammina 3
Nodosaria 3 Lenticulina and aitharina . Toward th e top of the sec tion
are two horiz ons of large (80 em), orange-weathering s i de ritic
concr et i ons; from a calcareous concre tion 46 m above the top of
the Rock Creek Member sensu stricto comes the fragmentary specimen
of Cobbanites cf . C. talkeetnanus of l atest Bajocian or earl y
II
Ba thoni an age. He r e the surrounding mudstones are li ghter in
color with a bluish tint on weathered s urfaces and the re a r e occa-
sional thin (10 - 20 mm) , silty stringers . This part of the section
represents the Corbuta munda Beds. •.-
DAY 1, LOCALITY 2 CARBONDALE RIVER, ALBERTA
(Fig. 6 ; P lo l d,e ) .-
i
Introduction : Th i s exp os ure of the Fe rnie Formation a long the north
bank of the Carb ondale Rive r i s on the nose and limbs of a major,
southward- plunging anticline. While the Gryphaea Bed, Ribbon Cr eek
•
Member, Green Beds and Passage Beds are all presen t in this section ,
they a r e intensely deformed by sma ll drag f olds and repeated by
several thrust faults .
I
I
I
I
I dark grey sha l es with platy cl eavage;
in terbeds of si ltstone and very fine
50 PASSAGE BEDS sandstone, l O- 15mm thick
I = ~~,
='- ."+ C:, If; - - - - - - - -green,
I---L, <J -
berthieri ne sands with calcar-
I "-I ~~ eOU5 concretl. ons up to 0 . 3m in d lameter;
alterna t ing purpl e, s ilty shales .
·
I
I
I
I .~
,'
I FIGURE 6 "1"
"," Strat i graphic sect i on, Carbondale River.
-
32
Introduction : The Fernie Formation cr ops out along both banks of the
Fording River , upstream and downstream from the mou th of Line Creek .
The best, and most easily accessibl e , sect ions are on the west bank,
o
where the Fernie occurs in very broad folds whose limbs dip at 10 or
l ess . Parts of these sect ions have been discussed in several publica-
tions by Fr ebold (1957, 1963, 1969 , 1976).
•..
consisted of a 2m thick phosphatic unit topped by a thin concretionary
limestone. From this came many poorly pr eserved arie tit id s , incl uding
Arnioceras, gastropods and bivalves (especially PZeuromya) . It was
correlated with the uppe r part of the Bucklandi and l ower part of the
Semicostatum Zones of the Lowe r Sinemurian . The Upper Sinemurian
Densinodulum Subzone is here represented by approximately 2. 4 m of
al t ernating shales and ca l careous be ds which have yielded one poorl y
•
preserved eoderoceratid, with Atractites at the top.
In the r iver bank nearby, the main sec t ion begins in the Poker Chip
Shale of early Toarcian age ; no strata of Pliensbachian age are known
•
and the cont act with the underlying Sinemurian strata is now covered .
Along the west bank of the river approximately 9 m of almost flat
lying, dark gr ey, soft shales of t he Poker Chip Shale are continuously
exposed (Plate I f) . They have platy to papery c l eavage with some
flaggy , calcareous layers and have yield ed nume r ous flattened impres-
sions of Harpoceras , ?OrthodactyZites, Dacty Zioceras , Phymatoceratinae
(i ncluding Haugia) and Bositra at various horizons (Plate 5a- c). No
detailed faunal succession has been worked ou t , but both Lower and
Middle Toarci an str ata appear to be represented . These shales have
also y ield ed abundant specimens of t he radiolarian Eucyrtidium, the
agglutinated forams Haplophragmoides , AmnodisCU8 and FlabeZlcurunina.,
as wel~ . as the calcareous forms NodOsaria and LinguZina .
Th~: .overlying Rock Cr eek Member is r epresented by a gradual
coarsening upwards , with development of a more flaggy cleavage . It is
topped by a · lim~nitic bed rich in belemnites. Frebo ld (1976) reporte d
Sonninia sp. from s ilts tone s in t h is unit (Plate Ih). It is believed
•.-
,
.-
.\
I 33
I
I
I
I 50
I
"
FIGURE 7a Strat i graphic secti on, Fording Ri ver
I
I
34
•
•
40
o
•
Cor bul a munda
BEDS
l ight grey-brown, calcareous sha l es with
bluish weathering surfaces, irregu l ar pl aty
cleavage; occas i onal large, calcareous
concretions
•
30
0
C1"anooephalites cf. oostidensus
EARLY BATHONIAN
"•
0
,
"•
•
dark grey. papery to pl aty sha le s, often
20 HIGHWOOD MEMBER ye ll ow-weathering. f ine sand. Bentonites up
to 50mm thick, be l emnite bands and calcareous
•
0
concreti ons up to 2m long
6 Bajocian Li mestone
DO 6 <0 <J Stephanooeras ~ oysters in calcareous con c ret i O ~.'
l atest EARLY BAJDC IAh
10
!
6
,
1
6 ----------------------d7a-c
r k grey, calcareous , platy , becoming flaggy III
6 ,;f! upwards; limonitic, be l emn ite -ri ch bed at top L.
I 35
I part of the sec tion described above from just upstream. The Grey Beds
here consist of dark to light grey shales with platy, blocky and
conchoidal fra cture. At fairly regular intervals (4 - 6 m apart)
throughout these shales there are thin, resi stan t, brown weathering ,
I calcareous beds (numbered 1 t o 6 up section; Plate 2a). Along a band
only 10 em thick in the grey shales between resistant beds 3 and 4
occur tiny, pyritized nuc1eii of Cobbanites cf. talkeetnanus and
I Parareineckeia cf. shelikofana (Plate 7a,c,e . f) which indicate a
probable Early Bathonian age (Hall. in prep., Imlay, 1980) . Frebo1d
(196 3) also reported Warrenoceras in this section. Microfaunal
elements recovered f rom the se beds include EUcyr tidium, Haplophragmoides,
I Ammobaculites, Ammodiscus and Marginulinopsis . From an undetermined
locality near the Fording River bridge Frebold (1963) also recorded
Paracephalites glabrescens . and P. hashimotoi from the Grey Beds ind i -
I cating the presence of Lower Bathonian strata .
•
Gryphaea BED
Warrenoceras spp ., Cobbanites
engler i 3 Gryphaea impre88Umargina ~
grey, ca l careous , fos s iliferous
s iltstone ; diverse fauna restric-
•
~
o.
o. grey- brawn-green shales with platy III
cleavage; i nterbedded shell y si lt-~
o. 0
stones -fine sandstones, calcareous,
o. " a. 3m thick beds . Paraaephalites ~
00-
• spp. in upper l O.5m
j
0 • EARLY BATHONIA
•
G
'" ! •
•
• COl'bu Za munda
• BEDS
•
0
•
•
o.
•
•
JO
0'" t
~ ;;: • jru
0
I
grey-green -brown shales wi th 0.3 - •
'"
0
O.6m thick beds of she l ly, cal ca r-
eous silts t one and fine sandstone
'0 <:.-:
.,
•• 0
• ~
~ •
o •
..
•
FIGURE 8 Detailed strat i graphic sections, Grassy Hounta i n
•1$
37
I
the type locality of the Zone of Raraeephalites g~bre8cen8 (Plate
I 7g, i) . which was original ly placed in the very late Bathonian or
early Callovian (Frebold, 1963) , but is now regarded as Early Bath-
onian (Imlay . 1980b). being equivalent to ·t he Zone of Parucephalites
I tain and it has recently been found at a similar stra ti graphic level
at Rock Cr eek (Plate 8g) .
I
•..
m
38 55
Highwood M ember
• Shale, IIrey_ brown , . of t , pl .. ty
•
•
50
•
•
Shoo "' , gr.y. w!.;t l.h wuthering
45 0Q""C::>C .. _
--.
•
Shle. ~.Y
sn.1., , •• I, lan l , ,ed-brown
?L Bajocian
40
35
30
Silts tone, grey . celc a.eolls
Poker Chi p Sha le
•
Shale . dark II'.Y. 110ft. dark brown
wnlhe, ing , p lely to II&pery
•
25
I-=----~ i
H. rpo ce ,., .". ,alUm, Declylioc . r••
L To",elen
•
20
•
•
co"...d
---'R"e:'d"Oee r Member
~.
DK l ylioc er • •
Shale , g.ey to bllck . celcereou a:
•
platy to pap..-), . Interbeds of
rlll, tanl , Ii.,. black .il' I IGna
15 Amell".u" a ' oIenl, A. ?, ibb ollu,
AI,ac,".' c t, . m.1
U. F'1 ie nsbac lli.n
•
•
5
L. S inemu,i .. n
Siltstone , g.ay to black . calcara .... l :
•
o~
• - - :._ _ _ _-;;:'.:ri:'~ly and highly fo ni /iter-ou,, : A. iel il ide
Spray River Gro up
•
Slttttone, eoarae. r.ti,tant
Tria..i.c
D
I
I
I
I
m
I 20
?Grey Beds
I 15
I
I
Shale . grey : grey_b'Dwn we athering:
10 • blocky
•
1Jo$/,, _, rhynchone lfids : "alce,,,,,,,,
shal e
I
o .l=o=====" -- Shale . black . platey
I ,~ ..
I
40
•..
grammo ceras~ Brodieia?~ Whitbyiceras and HiZdaites cf . &serpenti-
formis have all been r ecorded·, all as completely flattened impressions.
accompanied by bivalves , fish scales and rare belemni t es . The Poker
Chip Shale on the east bank is approximately 10 m thick, consis ting
of the typical dark grey to b l ack, silty shales with platy and papery
cleavage and occasional hard, cemented bands. These grade upwards
into the grey shales of the Highwood Member which is 4t least 20 m
thick (Plate 3a). These shales are sof t, with characteristic yellow
and red-brown weathering and thin interbeds of calcarerous concretions
{up to 1 m long and 23 cm thick) , smaller black phosphatic nodules
•
•
and pebbles, badly weathered belemnites and rosettes and blades of
gypsum. Near the top of the sequence are four whitish-orange, thin,
soft clay bands. probably bentonitic. No ammonites have been found
•
in this part of the section; it is presumed to correlate with the
top of the Lower Bajocian which is nearly always characterised by
interbedded belemnite-rich horizons and yellow clay layers within
red-brown weathering, grey shales. Note that there is no develop-
ment of the sandy facies of the Rock Creek Member in this area .
In the cutbank of the next meander up s tream on the east bank is
a shale cliff (Plate 3c) , f r om which f r agments of Bathonian ammonites
•
•
have been recovered. At water level is a band rich in belemnites
(Plate 3b) . The black, platy a~d papery shales have some thin yellow-
red-brown weathering bands; the second of these is 5.5 m above the
belemnite bed . Another 1 m above this is the horizon which has
yielded fragments identified as Iniskinites cf . intermedius (Plate
8i); also present are fragments of various ?Eurycephalitinae
Bositra and other bivalves. All occur as completely flattened
•
•
impressions. Another I m above this fossiliferous layer are three
hard, calcareous beds with shaly partings containing Bositra and
small rhynchonellid brachiopods. Grey, blOCkY shales continue to
•
the top of the exposure, with three interbedded or ange- brown clay
bands.
Int roduction : Middle and upper parts of the Fer nie and part of the
overlying Kootenay are b rou ght to the surface by a southeastward
- - - - - - -- -
r m
..", ,
Passage Beds
shale. dark grey. hard.
41
45
I ....". with minor brownish
siltstone stringers.
? Odordian
I 40
Green Beds
sandstone. dark green.
soft. with brown nod-
I siltstones
. grey. resistant,
yellow-weathering
Shale. dark grey, silty
I 35
with siltstone dykes.
bioturbation
I Cobbsniles , Iniskiniles,
Keppferiles cr. K .lychonis
I
25
I • 2 Siltstone. calcareous,
yellow-weathering
I 20
Shale, da rk grey_brown,
splintery, platy at top
I 15
Shale. grey. splintery to
blocky
• = • - .- •
I ~ ~
I 10
weathering
I --
~~-
~
Shales. ceme nted and
concretionary: rusty
brown and yellow wea _
thering . ?ChondrocereS
5
~
l. Bajocian
~
weathering . soft
~kCreek Member
0 Sandstone. mottled grey
I
and yellow. massive :
black pebbles at top
I FIGUR E 10 Detail ed strati graphi c sec '~i on, Will son Creek
.J
-
42
•
of calcareous concretions, white to orange-yellow, sticky, bento-
nitic clays and belemnites (Plate 3d) . One of the latter. 6 . 5 m
above the basal sand is a spectacular "belemnite battefield" up to
0.6 m thick (Plate 3f). Several fragments of ?Chondroceras from this
part of the section again indicate a late Early Bajocian age. Careful
tracing of most of these distinctive interbeds indicates the presenc e
of many minor contortions in these strata. Also present are three
•
conspicuous, resistant, yellow-brown weathering, calcareous beds,
0.3-0.5 m thick which provide good markers (Plate 3e) ; these occur
at 17m, 23 . 6m and 30m above the basal sand . In blocky siltstones
•
•
immediately overlying the uppermost of these markers, very poorly
preserved, squashed and f r agmented ammonites have been collected .
They include KeppZerites cf.tychonis, K.epplerites sp.,Cobbanites sp.
•
and Iniskinitea sp . (Plate 8d,f ,h) suggesting a Late Bathonian age
(Imlay. 1980).
About 8.5 m above this horizon in an exposure of typical Green
Beds lithology: soft, friable, dark green sands with brown-weather-
ing siltstone , presumed to be of Oxfordian age. Above are grey to
brown, platy shales with thin siltstone stringers appearing after
1.5m; these coarsen and thicken upwards app r oaching the base of the
•
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Kootenay .
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bentonite horizon . At its base is a layer with abundant be l emnites
and the whole unit has an abundant and diverse fauna of bivalves
and ammonites.
The .bivalve community is predominantly epifaunal, dominated
by:
EhtoZium 67% reclining. non-siphonate, suspension feeder
Liostrea 8% cemented, non-siphonate, suspension feeder
•
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r 43
I
I
I PASSAGE BEDS
dark grey sha les with platy cleavage;
l O-20mm thick siltstones, micac~ous,
with plant fragments
I o
I RIBBON CREEK
dark grey shales with 1m d i am~t~r.
orange-brown weathering. siderit;c
MEMBER concretions
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I
light grey shales with platy cleavage,
I PIGEON CREEK
MEMBER
si l tstone and fine sandstone interbeds,
locally calcareous
I
100
I
t
I poorly exposed dark grey-black
platy-papery shales with O.75m
HIGHWOOD MEMBER thick grey, oolitic l imestone with
I abundant belemnites, biva l ves and
Chondrocer(1S ob"latwn., C. aUani.,
Stephanoaeras i tinsae., Te loce_rall
I warreni. 1a tes t EARLY BAJOC IAN
I
o
m SPRAY RIVER TR IASSIC
GROUP
FIGURE 11 Stratigraphic section, Ribbon Creek
44
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1s one of the most persistent horizons in the Fernie and provides
an invaluable marker horizon over a wide area and marks the top
of depos itional cycle 2.
•
DAY 4, LOCALITY 8 BANFF TRAFF I C CIRCLE , ALBERTA
(P1 3g, 3h)
Introduction: This locality is within Banff National Park so collecting
•
or the use of hammers on the .
outc r op a r e not permitted . Middle and upper parts of Fernie are
exposed in this section and along nearby parts of Cascade River .
On the hhghway the lowest unit seen is the Pigeon Creek Member.
while the top of the section has continuous exposure from the Passage
Beds into the overlying Kootenay. This whole section, which is over
380m thick, is part of. the overturned southwest limb of a syncline
•
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in the footwall of the Rundle Thrust. The lower part of this section
is severely deformed . Mt . Rundle and Cascade Mountain are formed
by Paleozoic C2rbonates brought to the surface by the Rundle Thrust .
•
ferniensis~ suggesting an Oxfordian age for this par t of the section
which would now be correlated with the Ribbon Creek Member.
After another zone of intensely deformed shales and fine sand-
stones comes a sequence of regularly alternating shales and resistant
f i ne sandstone beds, each up to O.5m thick. from which Amoeboceras
was recorded by Frebold (1962) .
In contrast to this lower part of the section just described,
•
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the remainder seems to have suffer ed little deformation. It consists
of an anomalously thick section (perhaps 260m) of the Passage Beds,
with r y·thmically alternating grey-brown shales and brownish silts
•
and fine ·sands . Upwards through the sec t ion, the proportion, grain-
size and thickness of these sandstones increas e till the massive-
bedded brown weathe r ing sandstones marking the base of the Kootenay
are r eached . Throughout, the sandy beds are characterised by
•
45
I
intense bioturbation, sol e markings, plant debris and current struc-
tures. Two fossil tree trunks are also present in the section . The
Passage Beds have recently been interpreted as turbidites generated
by storms (Hamblin and Walker, 1979), while the Kootenay r epresents
a north-easterly prograding beach and fluvial complex .
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
I FREBOLD. H. 1957. The Jurassic Fernie Group in the Canadian Rocky Mountains
and Foothills . Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 287, 197 p .
~'
l Geology~ 27 :1 83-208 .
•
ammonites in the Fernie Formation , Al berta .
of Earth Scienaes 3 18:919-925 .
Canadian Journal
•
IMLAY . R . W. 1980a . Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) ammonites from southern
Alaska. United States Geological Survey> Professional Paper 1091,
42 p .
•
1980b. Jurassic paleobiogeography of the conterminous United
States in its continental setting. United States Geological Survey ~
Professional Paper 1062 , 134 p .
•
LEACH, W. W. 1903 . The Balirmore-Frank coalfields . Geological Survey of
Canada~ Summary Report for 1902~ 169A-181A.
1912. Geology of the Blairmore map area, Alberta . Geological
•..
Survey of Canada ~ Summary Report for 19l1~
192-200 .
1914 . Blairmore map area, Alberta. Geological Survey of Canada,
Report for 19l2~ Map 107A , p . 234 .
MCCROSSAN , R. G. and GLAISTER, R.P . 1964 . Geological Hi story of Western Canada .
Alberta Society of Petroleum Geologists, Calgary .
MCEVOY , J . and LEACH, W. W. 1902 . Geological and topographic map of Crowsnest
coalfields , East Kootenay District, B. C. Geological Survey of Can.ada~
map 130A.
MCLEARN, F .B . 1927 . Some Canadian Jurassic faunas . Royal Society of Canada ~
TPansactions ~ series 3, sec tion 4 , 21 : 61 - 73 .
1929 . Stratigraphic paleonto l ogy , Blairmore region , Alberta .
National MUseum of Canada ~ Bulletin 58 , number 50 : 80-107 .
•
a. General northward view of Jurassic outcrops in headwaters of Rock Creek,
showing anticline in resistant sandstones of Rock Creek Member (Locality 1).
i lowermost Fernie consisting of dark, sandy coquina bed,{?S;nemurian) .
b.
ii - type section, Rock Creek Member (Lower Bajocian).
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EXPLANATION OF PLATE 2
iii
Red Deer Member (type section) with AmaZtheus stokesi (Upper
Pliensbachian) .
black, platy shales on top of Red Deer Member which have yielded •
large Dactylioceratids.
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PLATE 2
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EXPLANATION OF PLATE 3
•
Bathonian) .
f. Top surface of Lower Bajocian "be l emnite battlefield at Wi ll son Creek (shown
tl
i n Plates 3d , 3e) .
g. Banff traffi c circle . Locality 8. Partial section from Frebold. 1962. showi ng
part of the Passage Beds with interbedded shales and bioturbated sil tstones .
•
•
h. Banff traffic circle, Local ity 8. Partial secti on from Frebold, 1962.
P. - Grey Beds (Bathonian)
•
B - black shales with "Turbo " fern:iensis (Oxfordian)
C sha l es and sand stones with Amoeboaeras (U pper Oxfordian - Kimmeridgian)
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PLAT
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EXPLANATION OF PLATE 4
(all figures xl unless otherwise . i ndicated)
•
(1969), Plate 1, fig. 11.
c. DactyZioceras (Orthoda c tylites) sp . Bighorn Creek, Lower Toarcian,
•
Exaratum Subzone. From Frebold (1976), Plate 4, fig. 1.
d. DactyZioceras (Orthodactyli tes) sp . Bighorn Creek , Lower Toarcian,
Exaratum Subzone. From Frebold (1976), Pl ate 4, fig. 2.
e. Harpoceras exaratum (Young and Bird). Bi ghorn Creek, Lower Toarcian ,
Exaratum Subzone . . From Frebo1d (1976) , PLate 5, fi g. 1.
•
f. Harpoceras cf. H. falcifer (Sowerby).
Falcifer Subzone.
Bighorn Creek, Lower Toarcian,
From Frebold (1976), Plate 5, fig. 2.
•
g. Brodieia ? sp.
Plate 6, fig. 3.
Bighorn Creek , t~idd l e Toarc ia n. From Frebold (1976) ,
•
h. Brodieia ? sp .
Plate 7, fig . 6.
Bi ghorn Cr eek, Mi ddl e Toarcian . From Frebold (1976) ,
•
•
;. Whitbyiceras? sp. Bighorn 'Creek, Lower Toarcian, Falc ifer Subzone.
From Frebold (1976) , Plate 5, fi g. 3. . .
•I
j. Hi ldai tes cf. H. serpentiformis Buckman. Bighorn Creek, Lower Toarcian,
Fa l ci fer Subzone. From Frebold (1976), Plate 5, fi g. 4.
k. Hildaites cf. B. serpentiformis Buckman. Bighorn Creek, Lower Toarcian,
Fa l ci fer Subzone . From Frebold (1976), Plate 5, fig. 5.
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PLATE 4
.
- ---
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EXPLANATION OF PLATE 5 I
(a ll figures xl unless otherwise i ndicated)
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a. Hildaites sp. nov. ? fording River, Lower Toarcian, Falcifer Subzone .
From Frebold (1976) , Plate 7, f i g. 1.
•
b. Haugia sp. fordi ng River, ~1iddle Toarcian, Variabilis Zone. From Frebold
(1976). Pl ate 7, fig. 9.
c. Haugia sp. Fording River, Midd l e Toarcian, Var;abi1is Zone. From Frebold
d.
e.
(1976 ), Plate 7, fig. 8.
Sonninia gracilis (Whiteaves).
"$owerbyi II Zone.
Lake Minnewanka area, Lower Bajocian,
From Frebold (1976), Plate 8, fig. 2.
unidentifi ed ammonite from top of Rock Creek Member at its type locality.
•I
Rock Creek.
f. Stephanoceras itinsae (McLearn ) 9.
Ribbon Creek, Lower Bajocian, Zone of
Chondroaeras obZatwn (= middle to upper Humphriesianum Zone). From Frebold
I
(1957), Plate 23 , fig . lao
g. stephanoceras itinsae (McLearn) Q . Inner whorls of same specimen as in I
•I
f. above . From Frebold (1957), Plate 23, fig. lb .
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.,.
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PLATE 5
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EXPLANATION OF PLATE 6
c, d. Stephanoceras itinsae (Mc Learn) OW. Ribbon Creek , Lower Bajocian, Zone
of Chondroceras obZatum (= middle and upper Humphr;esianum Zone), From
•I
Hall and Westermann (1980), PLate 8 , fig. 7a, b.
f.
(1981), Plate 1, fi9. 2a.
Spir oceras cf. S . orbignyi (Baug;er and Sauze). Rock Creek, Upper Bajocian,
I
Zone of Megasphaer oeer as rotundum (= Subfurcatum Zone). From Hall and
~ Stronach (1981), Plate 1, fig . l a . I
g, h.Stephanoceratidae gen. et sp. indet. Rock Creek, Upper Bajocian, Zone of
Megasl?haeroceras ro,t undwn (= Subfurcatum Zone). From Ha11 and Stronach
(1981), Plate 1,fi gs. Sf, e.
I
.,
i. Cobbanites cf. C. taZkeetnanus Imlay.
and Stronach (1981), Plate 1, fig. 3.
Rock Creek, ?Bathonian. From Hall
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PLATE 6
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EXPLANATION OF PLATE 7 I
(a ll f igures xl un l ess otherwi se indicated)
I
a, b. CranocephaZites cf. c. costidensus Imlay. Fording River, Lower Bathonian,
Zone of CranoaephaZites costidensus (= Zigzag Zone). From Hall (1982).
I
c, d. Parareineckeia cf . P. sheZikofana (Imlay) . Fording River, Bathonian .
e , f.
From Hall (1982). x 2.
Cobbanites cf . c. taZkeetnanus Imlay . Fording River, Bathonian. From
I
Hall (1982) . x 2.
g. ParacephaZites gZabrescens Buckman. Grassy Mounta i n, Lower Bathonian,
I
Zone of ParacephaZit es gZabr escens . From Frebo1d (1963), Pl ate 2,
fig. 3a.
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EXPLANATION OF PLATE 8
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(a ll figures xl unless otherwi se i ndicated) II
a. Cobbanites engleri (Frebold).
Zone of Warrenoae r a s henryi .
Grassy Mountain. Lower or ~1iddle Bathonian ,
From Frebold (1957) , Pl ate 40, fi9. lao I
b. Kepplerite s sp .
Warrenoceras henryi .
Adanac mine road. Lower or Middle Bathonian, Zone of
From Frebold (1963), Plate 9, fig. 2. I
c. Cryphaea impressimarginata McLearn. Adanac mi ne road, Lower or Middle
Bathonian, Zone of Warr enoceras henryi . From Frebold (1957) , Plate 40 ,
fig. 3.
•
d. Kepplerites sp . Willson Creek, Upper Bathonian. From Hal l (1982) .
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•
e. Kepplerites aff. K. tychonis Ravn. Grassy Moun tain, Upper Bathonian .
From Frebo ld (1963), Plate 9, fig . 3.
f. KeppZerites cf. K. tychonis Ravn . Hillson Creek, Upper Bathonian.
g.
,
From Ha ll (1982).
Kepplerites cf. K. tychoni s Ravn . Rock Creek , Upper Bathonian. From
•
•
Ha ll (1982) .
h. . Iniskinites cf . I . intermedius (Imlay) . Wi ll son .Creek, Mi dd l e or Upper
•J
Ba thonian. From Hall (1982) .
i . Iniski nites cf. I . inter.mediuR (Imlay) . Bighorn Creek, Middle or Upper
Bathonian. From Hall (1 982).
j, k. Buahia aonoentriaa (Sowerby ). Ca rbondale River. Oxfordian. From
Frebold (1957), Plate 38, figs. 4a, b.
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r PLATE 8
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EXPLANATION OF PLATE 9 1.
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(al l figures shown xl )
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EXPLANATION OF PLATE 10
(a ll figures shown xl )
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