Lexicon 4

Lexicon of Canadian
Stratigraphy
Volume 4
Western Canada
Editor : D.J. Glass
Electronically Published
by Flexys Systems
Lexicon
of
Canadian Stratigraphy
Volume 4
Western Canada, Including
Eastern British Columbia,
Alberta, Saskatchewan
and
Southern Manitoba
Editor: D. Glass
Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists
1990 Calgary, Alberta

1997
ISBN 0-920230-23-7
Electronically Published in Canada

by
Flexys Systems
While every attempt has been made in the publishing of this lexicon to maintain the accuracy of the original
paper version, Flexys Systems cannot accept responsibility or liability for any errors that may have occurred
as a result of the OCR (optical character recognition) software utilized in digitizing the original.
Lexicons of Canadian Stratigraphy
Volume I - Arctic Archipelago (District of Franklin).
Volume 2 - Yukon-Mackenzie (Yukon Territory and District of Mackenzie).
Volume 3 - Western Cordillera (southwestern Yukon Territory and Western

British Columbia).
Volume 4 - Western Canada (eastern British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan

and southern Manitoba).
Volume 5 - Central Canada (Ontario, Quebec, northern Saskatchewan and

Manitoba and District of Keewatin).
Volume 6- Atlantic Region (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova

Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador).
PREFACE
The “Lexicon of Canadian Stratigraphy, Volume 4, Western Canada (including eastern British
Columbia, Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba) is the third lexicon to be published by the
Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists on stratigraphic units within the Western Canada
Sedimentary Basin. The first, published in 1954 contained 196 names of stratigraphic units in
Alberta. The “Lexicon of Geologic Names in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin and Arctic
Archipelago”, published in 1960 described 554 units.
Since 1960 the profusion of published and unpublished geological information has resulted in the
creation of many new names and an improved understanding of many earlier named units. The
coverage of the 1960 lexicon has been divided into three regions for the present “Lexicons of
Canadian Stratigraphy” series; the first two volumes of which, on the Arctic Archipelago (District of
Franklin) and Yukon Territory and District of Mackenzie were published in 1981; the present volume
completes the trio.
This volume contains 1178 entries ranging in age from Precambrian to Recent, arranged in
alphabetical order. It includes formal, many informal, some obsolete and some local names defined
in western Canada, but does not claim to include all of the geological unit names currently in use in
one way or another in Western Canada. A list of the contents of the volume by geologic system
follows the preface.
The area covered lies generally between 49°N and 60°N, from the Rocky Mountain Trench to
outcrops of the Precambrian Shield in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
The lexicon is intended to provide an initial reference for those seeking information on specific
stratigraphic units. Due to the scope of the volume however, some entries may be a little ‘dated‘,
but the extensive bibliography should lead researchers to further readings.
The entries in the lexicon reflect the efforts of at least the 121 contributors and reviewers listed
below. The Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists is grateful to these, and to the many others
whose names do not appear in the list, but who also contributed their time and knowledge.
RNA R.N. Adair KLC K.L. Currie RJH R.J. Hawes
JDA J.D. Aitken WGC W.G. Cutler BJH B.J. Hayes
LDA L.D. Andriashek CD C. Dawes CMH C.M. Henderson
JMA J.M. Andrichuk JAD J.A. Dolph HEH H.E. Hendry
HRB H.R. Belyea CED C.E. Dunn RYH R.Y. Higgs
RKAB R.K.A. Bezys RWE R.W. Edie LVH L.V. Hills
GB G. Bloy LSE L.S. Eliuk KEJ K.E. Jackson
GEB G.E. Bourns ZF Z. Farshori TTZJ T.T.Z. Jerzykiewicz
DRB D.R. Braman RPF R.R Featherstone DMK D.M. Kent
AIB A.I. Burnett PRF P.R. Fermor RWK R.W. Klassen
WGEC W.G.E. Caldwell NRF N.R. Fischbuch JWK J.W. Kramers
MPC M.P. Cecile WKF W. K. Foo FFK F.F. Krause
HAKC H.A.K. Charlesworth HG H. Gabrielse LKK L.K. Kreis
BIC B.I. Chi DWG D.W. Gibson JL J. Law
EAC E.A. Christiansen LDG L.D. Grayston GBL G.B. Leech
JEC J.E. Christopher RGG R.G. Greggs MML M.M. Lerand
JJC J.J. Clague ASPG Lexicon 1960 JFL J.F. Lerbekmo
WAC W.A. Cobban FMH F.M. Haidl ML M. Lomenda
DGC D.G. Cook HLH H.L. Halbertsma GM G. Macauley
MPC M.P Coppold RLH R.L. Hall SM S. Machielse
JHC J.H. Craig G.H. G. Hassler KAM K .A. McAdam
HRM H .R. McCabe DWO D.W. Organ CS C. Singh
JGM J.G. McCamis DFP D.F. Paterson SKS S.K. Srivastava
MRM M.R. McDonough AEHP A.E.H. Pedder AMacSS A. MacS. Stalker
AM A. McGugan EEP E.E. Pelzer CRS C.R. Stelck
RLM R.L. McKellar DGP D.G. Penner FAS FA. Stoakes
JRM J.R. McLean GGP G.G. Phipps DFS D.F. Stott
MEM M.E. McMechan DAP D.A. Pounder GCT G.C. Taylor
RDM R.D. McMechan LLP L.L. Price LTB L. Ter Berg
DHM D.H. McNeil RAP R.A. Price DRT D.R. Turner
NCMD N.C. Meijer Drees DCP D.C. Pugh JAV J.A. Vonhof
KRM K.R. Milner PEP P.E. Putnam JHW J.H. Wall
PAM P.A. Monahan RAR R.A. Rahmani IW I. Weihmann
PFM P.F. Moore BCR B.C. Richards JW J. Wendte
DWM D.W. Morrow BR B. Rottenfusser JAW J.A. Westgate
GDM G.D. Mossop JWR J.W. Rowling EPW E.P. Williams
EWM E.W. Mountjoy LSR L.S. Russell GKW G.K. Williams
MRM M.R. Mudge NWR N.W. Rutter RdeW R. deWit
BSN B.S. Norford HS H. Sabry FGY F.G. Young
AWN A.W. Norris WWS W.W. Shepheard GZ G. Zolnai
DKN D.K. Norris FS F. Simpson
The Society also expresses its appreciation to P.A.. Monahan for the early planning of the lexicon in
1978 and for serving as committee chairman until 1984. Thanks are also due to J. Grassby, who
headed the project from 1984 to 1986, and to all those who served on those committees.
The contribution of Canterra, Gulf Canada and CN Exploration, who housed the accumulating files
of data; Core Laboratories for providing the Stratigraphic Correlation Chart; Federal and Provincial
geological institutions, Universities and Industry, which provided contributors to the project was, as
always indispensible. Deanna Dunne, of the C.S.P.G. office, expertly typed and sorted the
reference list.
The present Lexicon Committee, with D.J. Glass as Editor completed the project in 1990.
Andre Chow
Paul Frydl
Carl Hughson
Jeff McLean
Christian Buck, Chairman
CONTENTS OF LEXICON BY SYSTEM
QUATERNARY
Aikins Till Hazel Formation Portage Mountain Till
Albertan Formation Hidden Creek Till Prelate Ferry Paleosol
Arran Formation Hummingbird Till Qu’Appelle Alluvium
Assiniboine Valley Sediments Irvine Bed (Glacier Peak Raven Creek Till
Athabasca Till Tephra) Regina Clay
Balzac Till Jackfish Creek Till Riddell Member
Baseline Till Kennedy Drift Roaring River Clay
Battleford Formation Kimball Drift Rosa Formation
Bedford Formation Labuma Till Roseau Formation
Belair Drift Lac du Bonnet Formation Rouleau Clay
Bighill Creek Formation Lake Agassiz Clays Sand River Formation
Bonnyville Formation Lamoral Till Saskatoon Group
Bow Valley Till Largs Formation St. Malo Formation
Bridge River Tephra Leinan Till Saskatchewan Gravels
Brocket Till Lennard Formation Senkiw Formation
Bronson Lake Formation Lenzie Silt Sheep River Silts and Clays
Buffalo Lake Till Lethbridge Drift Shell Formation
Calgary Silt Libau Drift Souris Sand and Gravel
Canmore Till Lochend Till Sprague Formation
Cartwright Till Lowland Gravel Spy Hill Till
Chain Lakes Clays and Silts Manyberries Volcanic Ash Stimson Creek Till
Coleharbor Member Marchand Formation Strathcona Sand and Silt
Condie Till Marguerite Till Stuartburn Formation
Crossfield Till Marie Creek Formation Sutherland Group
Cypress Hills Formation Marlboro Till Sylvan Lake Till
Cypress Hills Loess Marsh Creek Till Tableland Gravel
Deserters Canyon Till Marysville Sands Tee Lakes Formation
Drystone Creek Till Maunsell Till Timber Creek Till
Drywood Soil Mayberne Till Tofield Sand
Echo Lake Gravel Maycroft Till Tolstoi Formation
Edson Till Mazama Tephra (Galata Ash, Twin Cliffs Formation
Eisenhower Junction Till Bighill Spring Ash) Vita Formation
Elkwater Drift Midnapore Silts Walsh Drift
Empress Group (Formation) Minnedosa Formation Wascana Creek Ash
Ernst Till Misty Till (Pearlette Tephra)
Erratics Train Till Mitchell Bluff Formation Wellsch Valley Tephra
Ethel Lake Formation Morley Till Whitemouth Lake Formation
Etzikom Drift Mount St. Helen’s Set Y Whiteshell Formation
Expanse Formation Tephra Whoop up Formation
Floral Formation Muriel Lake Formation Wildhorse Drift
Furman Till Obed Till Wolf Island Sediments
Glacier Peak Tephra Oldman Drift Woodmore Formation
Glenwoodville Drift Pakowki Drift Wymark Till
Grand Centre Formation Pekisko Till Zelena Formation
Grunthal Formation Porcupine Till
TERTIARY
Del Bonita Gravels Peace Garden Member Sweetgrass Hills Dykes

Flaxville Formation Porcupine Hills Formation Swig Current Creek Beds
Foothills Series Ravenscrag Formation Turtle Mountain Formation
Goodlands Member Saddle Hills Conglomerate Wintering Hills Gravels
Hand Hills Formation Saint Eugene Formation Wood Mountain Beds
Kishenehn Formation Saskatchewan Gravels
Paskapoo Formation Swan Hills Gravels
CRETACEOUS
Alberta Group Bighorn Formation Cardinal Member
Alderson Member Birch Lake Member Cardium Formation
Alexander Sandstone Black Eagle Member Cardium Zone Member
Alice Creek Tongue Blackleaf Formation Carlile Shale
Allison Formation Blackmud Member Carrot Creek Member
Amundson Member Blackstone Formation Cessford Sand
Aquadell Member Blairmore Group (Formations Cheval Beds
Ardkenneth Member Blood Reserve Formation Chinook Member
Ardley Coal Seam Bluesky Formation Chungo Member
Ashville Formation Boissevain Formation Claggett Formation
Ashville Sand Bonanza Sandstone Clearwater Formation
Assiniboine Member Bootlegger Member Coal Sand
Athabasca Oil Sands Borradaile Member Coalspur Beds
Atlas Member Boulder Creek Formation Colony Sand
Bad Heart Formation Bow Island Formation Colorado Group
Bantry Shale Member Bowdoin Sandstone Commotion Formation
Barons Sand Boyne Member Comrey Member
Basal Colorado Sand Boyne Sand Cone Member
Basal Quartz Brazeau Formation Cosmos Sand
Bassano Member Brenot Formation Coulter Member
Bassano South Sandstone Broderick Member Crassier Group
Battle Formation Brosseau Member Crooked Hole Sand
Baytree Member Brown Lime Submember Crowsnest Formation
Bearpaw Formation Buckinghorse Formation Cruikshank Member
Beattie Peaks Formation Buick Creek Sand Cruiser Formation
Beaudette Group Bullhead Group Crystal Clinobed
Beaver Mines Formation Bulwark Sandstone Cummings Member
Beechy Member Bulwell Member Cut Bank Sandstone
Belanger Member Burnstick Member Dakota Formation (Group)
Belle Fourche Shale Member Cadomin Formation Dalhousie Conglomerate
Belly River Formation Cadotte Member Darling Sand
Benton Shale Calahoo Sandstone Deadhorse Coulee Member
Berland River Shares “Calcareous” Member Demaine Member
Bickerdike Member Cameron Sand Detrital (Deville) Beds
Bickford Formation Cantuar Formation Deville Formation (Detrital)
Big River Formation Carbon Gas Sandstone Dimmock Creek Member
CRETACEOUS (continued)
Dina Member Grizzly Bear Member Malcolm Creek Formation
Dismal Rat Member Hamilton Lake Sand Mannville Group
Doe Creek Sandstone Hanson Member Manyberries Member
Dokie Ridge Member Harmon Member Marco Calcarenite
Dowling Member Hasler Formation Marias River Shale
Dorothy Bentonite Haven Member Marshybank Member
Dorothy Sandstone Hell Creek Formation (Formation)
Dresser Formation Highwood Sandstone Martin Sandy Zone
Drumheller Marine Tongue Home Sand Matador Member
Dunlevy Formation Hoosier Clinobed McDougall-Segur
Dunvegan Formation Hornbeck Member Conglomerate
Dynneson Sandstone Horseshoe Canyon Formation McLaren Member
Eagle Formation Horsethief Sandstone McLeod Member
Eastend Formation Howard Creek Member McCloud Member
Edmonton Formation (Group} Howell Creek Intrusives McMurray Formation
Ellerslie Member Hulcross Formation Medicine Hat Sandstone
Entrance Conglomerate Inyan Kara Group Medicine Lodge Member
Falher Member Islay Member Merrington Clinobed
Favel Formation Joli Fou Formation Millwood Member
Ferdig Member Judith River Formation Milk River Formation
First Castor Sandstone Jumping Pound Member Mill Creek Formation
First White Speckled Shale Kakwa Member Minnes Group
Fish Scale Sandstone Karr Member Monach Formation
Flood Member Kaskapau Formation Montana Group
Flotten Lake Sand Keld Member Monteith Formation
Floweree Member Kevin Member Moosebar Formation
Foremost Formation Kipp Sandstone Moosehound Member
Fort Augustus Formation Kiska Member Morden Shale
Fort Nelson Formation Kneehills Tuff Mosby Sandstone
Fort St. John Group Kootenai Formation Moulton Member
Fox Hills Formation Kotaneelee Formation Mountain Park Formation
Frenchman Formation Labiche Formation Mowry Shale Formation
Gammon Ferruginous Shale Lander Sand Mulga Tongue
Garbutt Formation Laurier Limestone Beds Muskiki Member (Formation)
Garden Plain Tuff Lea Park Formation Musreau Member
Gates Formation Lepine Formation Myrtle Creek Formation
General Petroleum (G.P.) Sand Lethbridge Member Nevis Member
Gething Formation Leyland Member Newcastle Formation
Giroux Sand Lineham Member Newcastle Sandstone
Gladstone Formation Lloydminster Formation Member
Glauconitic Sandstone Lloydminster (Lloyd) Sand Niobrara Formation
Goodrich Formation Looma Member Nomad Member
Gorman Creek Formation Loon River Shale Nosehill Member
Grande Cache Member Luscar Formation Notikewin Member
Grand Rapids Formation Ma Butte Formation Nunki Sandstone
Greenhorn Lime MacGowan Concretionary Bed Odanah Member
Grit Bed Magrath Sandstone Okla Sandstone
CRETACEOUS (continued)
Opabin Member Second Castor Sandstone Torrens Member
Oldman Formation Second White Specks Tovell Member
Ostracod Beds Sandstone Tuscoola Member
Ostrea Shale Second White Speckled Tussock Member
O’Sullivan Member Shale Two Medicine Formation
Outlook Member Shaftesbury Formation Unnamed Upper Colorado
Oxarart Member Shandro Member Shale
Paddy Member Sherrard Member Vanalta Sand
Paintearth Member Sifton Formation Vanesti Tongue
Pakan Formation Sikanni Formation Vaughn Member
Pakowki Formation Skull Creek Shale Member Verdigris Member
Pale Beds Smiley Clinobed Vermilion Member
Peace River Formation Smoky (River) Group Vermilion River Formation
Pelican Formation Snakebite Member Victoria Member
Pembina Member Solomon Sandstone Viking Chert
Pembina Mountain Group Sparky Sand Viking Conglomerate
Pembina River Member Spikes Zone Viking Formation
Pense Formation Spinney Hill Member Vimy Member
Phillips Sandstone Spirit River Formation Virgelle Member
Pierre Shale St. Edouard Member Wabiskaw Member
Pocaterra Creek Member St. Eloi Clinobed Wainwright Sandstone
Pouce Coupe Member St. John Formation Walton Creek Member
Provost Member St. Mary River Formation Wapella Sand
Puskwaskau Formation St. Walburg Sandstone Wapiabi Formation
Ram Member Stockman’s Sand Wapiti Formation
Raven River Member Sturrock Member Wartenbe Sandstone
Red Speck Zone Success Formation Waskahigan Member
Residual Zone Sully Formation Waseca Sand
Rex Sand Sunburst Sandstone Member Westgate Member
Ribstone Creek Member Sunkay Member Whitemud Formation
Ricinus Member Sunset Sandstone Whitemud Member
Riding Mountain Formation Swan River Formation White Speckled Shale
Ryegrass Sandstone Taber Sandstone Wildhorn Member
Sage Hen Limestone Taft Hill Member Willow Creek Formation
Saunders Group Telegraph Creek Formation Wilrich Member
Sawridge Formation Thelma Member Young Creek Member
Scatter Formation Thistle Member
Scollard Formation Tolman Member
JURASSIC
Adanac Member Hillcrest Member Poker Formation
Amaranth Formation Kootenay Group Red Deer Member
Balmer Coal Seam Lille Member Red Jacket Formation
Belemnite Zone Masefield Shale Reston Formation
Black Chert Member Melita Formation Ribbon Creek Member
Brown Sand Mist Mountain Formation Ribbon Sand Member
Conrad Member Moose Mountain Member Rierdon Formation
Corbula munda Beds Morrison Formation Rock Creek Member
Crow Indian Lake Member Morrissey Formation Roseray Formation
Elk Formation Mutz Member Rush Lake Shale
Ellis Group Nikanassin Formation Sawtooth Formation
Fernie Formation (Group) Nordegg Member Shaunavon Formation
Firemoon Member Oxytoma Bed Swift Formation
Gravelbourg Formation Paper Shale Tampico Member
Green Beds Passage Beds Vanguard Formation (Group)
Grey Beds Pigeon Creek Member Waskada Formation
Gryphaea Bed Pine River Formation Watrous Formation
Gypsum Spring Formation Piper Formation Weary Ridge Member
Highwood Member Poker Chip Shale
TRIASSIC
Alder Member Farrell Member Flagstones Pardonet Formation
Artex Member Grayling Formation Phroso Siltstone Member
Baldonnel Formation Grey Beds Schooler Creek Group
Bearberry Sand (=Bear Flat) Groundbirch Member Septimus Member
Bear Grass (Bear Flat) Halfway Formation Siphon Member
Member Hart Pass Formation Spearfish Formation
Blueberry Member Inga Member Spray River Group
Bocock Formation Kobes Member Starlight Evaporite Member
Boundary Member La Glace Member Sulphur Mountain Formation
Brewster Limestone Member Liard Formation Tangent Dolomite
Cecil Member Llama Member Toad Formation
Charlie Lake Formation Ludington Formation Two Rivers Sand
Coplin Member MacKenzie Dolomite Lentil Valhalla (Cutbank) Sand
Cutbank (Braeburn, Valhalla) Mica Member Vega Siltstone Member
Sandstone Moberly Member/Dolomite Whistler Member
Dark SiItstones Montney Formation Whitehorse Formation
Demmitt Member Mount Wright Formation Wilder Member
Diaber (Daiber) Group Nancy Member Winnifred Member
Doig Formation North Pine Member Worsley (Tangent) Dolomite
Ducette Member Olympus Sandstone Lentil
PERMIAN
Belcourt Formation Ishbel Group Ranger Canyon Formation
Belloy Formation Johnston Canyon Formation Ross Creek Formation
Chowade Group Kindle Formation St. Martin Complex
Fantasque Formation Mount Greene Beds Telford Formation
Hanington Formation Mowitch Formation
PENNSYLVANIAN
Fording Formation Rocky Mountain Group Tobermory Formation
Fortress Mountain Beds (Formation) Todhunter Member
Greenoch Formation Spray Lakes Croup Tunnel Mountain Formation
Kananaskis Formation Storelk Formation (Restricted)
Misty Formation Storm Creek Formation Tyrwhitt Formation
Norquay Formation Taylor Flat Formation
MISSISSIPPIAN
Alida Beds Frobisher-Alida Beds Pekisko Formation
Allan Mountain Formation Frobisher Evaporite Poplar Beds
Auburnton-Huntoon Evaporite Gainsborough Evaporite Prophet Formation
Bakken Formation Golata Formation Queensdale Lime
Band Formation Hastings Evaporite Ratcliffe Beds
Banffian Series Hastings-Frobisher Beds Ray Member
Banner (Silt) Member Jasper Lake Member Routledge Shale Facies
Baril Member Kibbey Formation Rundle Group
Big Snowy Group Killdeer Beds Salter Member
Carievale Evaporite Kisbey Sandstone Scallion Member
Carnarvon Member Kiskatinaw Formation Shunda Formation
Castle Reef Dolomite Livingstone Formation Souris Valley Beds
Charles Formation Lodgepole Formation Stoddart Group
Clark’s Member Loomis Member Strathallen Beds
Clausen Formation Lower Porous Sun River Member
Coleville Member Madison Group Tilston Beds
Dando Evaporite Marston Member Turner Valley Formation
Debolt Formation Mattson Formation Upper Porous
Dessa Dawn Formation Midale Beds Virden Member
Dyson Creek Member Midale Evaporite Whitewater Lake Member
Elkton Member Middle Dense Wileman Member
Etherington Formation Mission Canyon Formation Willmar Evaporite
Exshaw Formation Moosehorn Formation Willmar Lime
Flossie Lake Member Mount Head Formation Winlaw Evaporite
Forget-Nottingham Limestone Opal Member
Frobisher Beds Oungre Evaporite
DEVONIAN
Alexandra Member (Formation) Cooking Lake Formation Grotto Member

Alexo Formation Coronach Formation Grumbler Group
Amco Shale Costigan Member Hare Indian Formation
Arcs Member Cripple Tongue Harris Member
Arnica Formation Crossfield Member Harrogate Formation
Ashern Formation Crowfoot Formation Hatfield Member
Banffian Series D1 Hay Camp Member
Basal Red Beds (Lotsberg) D2 Hay River Formation
Bear Rock Formation D3 Hay River Limestone
Beaver Member Davidson Evaporite Holdfast Evaporite
Beaverhill Lake Group Davidson Member Hollebeke Formation
(Formation) Dawson Bay Formation Hondo Member
Bedson Formation Dawson Bay (DB1-DB6 Horn River Formation
Beechy Halite members) Hubbard Evaporite
Belle Plaine Member Delia Member Ice River Complex
Besa River Formation Dellwood Formation Ireton Formation
Biggar Salt Dinsmore Evaporite Island River Member
Bigoray Member Dixonville Member Jean Marie (Utahn) Member
Big Valley Formation Dunedin Formation Jefferson Formation (Group)
Birdbear Formation Duperow Formation Kakisa Formation
Bistcho Member Duvernay Formation Keg River Formation
Black Creek Member Eatonia Evaporite Kiln Formation
Blackface Mountain Shale Ebbutt Member Klua Formation
Blue Ridge Member Elk Point Group Kotcho Formation
Borsato Formation Elm Point Formation La Loche Formation
Boule Formation Elrose Evaporite Last Lake Member
Broadwood Member Elstow Member Leduc Formation
Buffalo River Member Entice Dolomite Leofnard Salt
Bull River Unit Ernestina Lake Formation Little Buffalo Formation
Burnais Formation Escarpment Member Livock River Formation
Burr Member Esterhazy Member Lobstick Member
Cairn Formation Evie Member Lonely Bay Formation
Calmar Formation Fairholme Group Lotsberg Formation
Calumet (Calmut) Member Fiddle Formation Louise Falls Member
Camrose Member Firebag Member Lyleton Formation
Cardinal Lake Member First Red Beds Mafeking Member
Carievale Evaporite Fitzgerald Formation Majeau Lake Member
Cedared Formation Flat Lake Evaporite Maligne Formation
Cheviot Formation Flume Formation Manitoba Group
Chinchaga Formation Fort Simpson Formation Manning Sand
Chipewyan Member Fort Vermilion Formation Maxim Member
Cynthia Member Ghost River Formation McLean River Formation
Christina Member Gilwood Member Meadow Lake Formation
Cinquefoil Formation Graminia Formation Meekwap Member
Cold Lake Formation Granite Wash Messines Formation
Contact Rapids Formation Grosmont Formation
DEVONIAN (continued)
Methy Formation Presqu’ile Formation Swan Hills Formation
Mikkwa Member Qu’Appelle Group Tathlina Formation
Mikkwa Formation Quill Lakes Marker Beds Telegraph Member
Mildred Member Rainbow Member Territories Formation
Mink Member Ratner Member Tetcho Formation
Minnewanka Group Redknife Formation Three Forks Group
Moberly Member Regway Member Torquay Formation
Morro Member Roche Miette Formation Trout River Formation
Morse River Sand Ronde Member Turtle Mountain Group
Mount Forster Formation Rosevear Member Twin Falls Formation
Mount Hawk Formation Sagemace Member Virginia Hills Formation
Muncho-McConnell Formation Saskatchewan Group Vonda Member
Muskeg Formation Saskatoon Member Wabamun Group
Muskwa Member Sassenach Formation Wabasca Member
Nahanni Formation Second Red Bed Member Waterways Formation
Neely Member Seward Member Watt Mountain Formation
Nisku Formation Sharky Member Westerdale Member
Normandville Member Shell Lake Member White Bear Marker Beds
Nyarling Formation Simla Formation Whitkow Member
Otter Park Member Slave Point Formation Whitelaw Member
Palliser Formation Smoothstone River Formation Winnipegosis Formation
Patience Lake Member Souris River Formation Winterburn Group
Peace Point Member Southesk Formation Wokkpash Formation
Peechee Member Spence River Formation Wolf Lake Member
Perdrix Formation Springburn Member Wolverine Member
Pine Point Formation (Group) Starbird Formation Woodbend Group
Pipestone Formation Steen River Formation Wymark Member
Point Wilkins Member Stettler Formation Yahatinda Formation
Potlatch Member Stone Formation Z Marker
Prairie Evaporite Sulphur Point Formation Zama Member
Zeta Lake Member
SILURIAN
Atikameg Dolomite Fife Lake Formation Nonda (Ronning) Formation
Brandon Formation Fisher Branch Dolomite Risser Beds
Brisco Formation Guernsey Formation Rupert Beds
Cedar Lake Formation Hanson Beds Sandpile Group
Chemahawin Member Interlake Group (Formation) Strathclair Formation
Cross Lake Member Inwood Formation Taylorton Member
East Arm Dolomite Moose Lake Dolomite Tegart Formation
ORDOVICIAN
Beaverfoot Formation Hartaven Member Sarbach Formation
Bighorn (Tyndall) Group Hecla Beds Selkirk Member
Birse Member Herald Formation Sinclair Formation
Black Island Member Ice Box Member Skoki Formation
Carman Sand Lake Alma Member Stonewall Formation
Cat Head Member Mirage Point Formation Stony Mountain Formation
Chushina Formation Mons Formation Stoughton Member
Cloudmaker Formation Mount April Formation Survey Peak Formation
Coronach Member Mount Wilson Formation Tipperary Quartzite
Deer Island Member Outram Formation Tyndall Stone
Dog Head Member Owen Creek Formation Whiskey Trail Member
Fort Garry Member Penitentiary Member Williams Member
Glenogle Formation Red River Formation Winnipeg Formation
Gunn Member Redvers Unit Wonah Quartzite
Gunton Member Roughlock Member Yeoman Formation
CAMBRIAN
Adolphus Formation Fairview Formation Mural Formation
Albetella Zone Field Member Murchison Formation
Amiskwi Member Finnegan Formation Naiset Formation
Arctomys Formation Flathead Formation Narao Member
Atan Group Fort Mountain Formation Ogygopsis Shale Lentil
Barker Shale Gog Formation (Group) Ottertail Formation
Bison Creek Formation Goodsir Formation Paget Formation
Bosche Formation Gordon Formation Peyto Formation
Bosworth Formation Hitka Formation Pika Formation
Burgess Shale Lentil Hota Formation Ptarmigan Formation
Burton Formation Jonas Creek Formation Robson Limestones
Canyon Creek Formation Jubilee Formation Ross Lake Member
Castle Mountain Group Kechika Group Sabine Formation
Cathedral Formation Kinbasket Limestone Sawback Formation
Chancellor Formation Lake Louise Shale Sherbrooke Formation
Chephren Member Lyell Formation Snake Indian Formation
Chetamon Formation Lynx Formation and Group Snaring Formation
Chetang Formation Mahto Formation Stephen Formation
Corona Formation McKay Group St. Piran Formation
Cranbrook Formation McNaughton Formation Sullivan Formation
Deadwood Formation Midas Formation Sullivan Quartzite
Dome Creek Formation Mistaya Formation Sunwapta Peak Formation
Donald Formation Mount Selwyn Formation Takakkaw Tongue
Eager Formation Mount Synge Formation ‘Tanglefoot’ Unit
Earlie Formation Mount Whyte Formation Tangle Ridge Formation
Eldon Formation Mountain Creek Formation Tatei Formation
Elko Formation Mumm Limestone Tershishner Member
CAMBRIAN (continued)
Thompson Dolomite Wapta Member Weed Member
Titkana Formation Waputik Member Windsor Mountain Formation
Trinity Lakes Member Waterfowl Formation
Tsar Creek Formation
PRECAMBRIAN
Aida Formation Goathaunt Member Nicol Creek Formation
Aldridge Formation Granite Park Member Old Fort Point Formation
Altyn Formation Grinned Formation Otherside Formation
Appekunny Formation Haig Brook Formation Phillips Formation
Appistoki Member Hamill Series Purcell Lava
Athabasca Formation (Group) Hector Formation Purcell (Belt) Supergroup
Badshot Formation Hefty Formation Red Gap Member
Boulder Pass Formation Hell Roaring Member Roosville Formation
Byng Formation Henry Creek Formation Scenic Point Member
Carswell (Trout Lake) Horsethief Creek Group Sheppard Formation
Format ion Jasper Formation (Series) Siyeh Formation
Carthew Member Kintla Formation ‘Siyeh’ Formation
Chischa Formation Kitchener Formation Tetsa Formation
Corral Creek Formation Lazenby Formation Toby Formation
Creston Formation Lewis Series Tombstone Mountain
Crowfoot Dyke Locker Lake Formation Formation
Cunningham Formation MacDonald Formation Tuchodi Formation
Douglas Formation Manitou Falls Formation Tuma Lake Formation
Dutch Creek Formation Meadow Creek Formation Van Creek Formation
Fair Point Formation Miette Group Waterton Formation
Fort Steele Formation Miller Peak Formation Wigwam Formation
Galton Series Misinchinka Group Windermere Supergroup
Gataga Formation ‘Mount Baker Unit’ Wolverine Point Formation
Gateway Formation Mount Nelson Formation Wynd Formation
George Formation Mount Rowe Member
Comparison of United States-Canada Nomenclature for
Purcell-Belt Supergroup
United States Canada

Belt Supergroup Purcell Supergroup
Bonner Quartzite Phillips Formation
Empire Formation lower member of Siyeh Formation
Garnet Range Formation does not extend to Canadian Border

Greyson Formation Appekunny Formation
Helena Formation middle member of Siyeh Formation
McNamara Formation Roosville Formation
Missoula Group Gateway, Phillips and Roosville Formations
and Upper Member of Siyeh Formation
Mount Shields Formation Gateway Formation (Restricted)
Piegan Group middle member of Siyeh Formation
Ravalli Group Creston Formation
Red Plume Quartzite Phillips Formation
Shepard Formation Sheppard Formation
Snowslip Formation upper member of Siyeh Formation
Spokane Formation Grinnell Formation
Werner Peak Formation lower member of Siyeh Formation
Table of Contents
Lexicons of Canadian Stratigraphy Ashville Sand (Ashville Formation, Colorado
PREFACE Group)
CONTENTS OF LEXICON BY SYSTEM Assiniboine Member (Favel Formation)
Comparison of United States-Canada Assiniboine Valley Sediments
Nomenclature for Purcell-Belt Supergroup Atan Group
Athabasca Formation (William River Subgroup)
A Athabasca Oil Sands (Athabasca Tar Sands)
Athabasca Till
Atikameg Dolomite (Interlake Group)
Adanac Member (Mist Mountain Formation)
Atlas Member (Cantuar Formation)
Adolphus Formation
Auburnton-Huntoon Evaporite (Frobisher Beds)
Aida Formation
(Obsolete)
Aikins Till
Alberta Group
Albertan Formation B
Albertella Zone (Obsolete)
Alder Member (Charlie Lake Formation, Bad Heart Formation (Smoky Group)
Alderson Member (Lea Park Formation) Badshot Formation
Aldridge Formation (Purcell Supergroup) Bakken Formation
Alexander Sandstone (Ellerslie Formation, Baldonnel Formation (Schooler Creek Group)
Mannville Group) Balmer Coal Seam (Mist Mountain Formation)
Alexandra Member (Formation) (Twin Falls Balzac Till (Informal name)
Formation) Banff Formation (Uppermost Devonian)
Alexo Formation (Partly superseded) Banffian Series: (Obsolete)
Alice Creek Tongue (Grand Rapids Formation) Banffian Serifs (Obsolete)
Alida Beds (Frobisher-Alida Beds) Banner (Silt) Member (Shunda Formation)
Allan Mountain Formation (Madison Group) Bantry Shale Member (Lower Mannville
Allison Formation (Obsolete) Formation)
Altyn Formation (Belt-Purcell Supergroup) Baril Member (Mount Head Formation)
Amaranth Formation Barker Shale (Obsolete)
Amco Shale Barons Sand (Colorado Group)
Amiskwi Member (Stephen Formation) Basal Colorado Sand (Colorado Group)
Amundson Member (Cardium) Basal Quartz (Mannville Group)
Appekunny Formation (Belt-Purcell Supergroup) Basal Red Beds (Lotsberg Formation, Informal
Appistoki Member (Appekunny Formation, name)
Aquadell Member (Bearpaw Formation) Baseline Till
Arcs Member (Southesk Formation) Bassano Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Arctomys Formation Bassano South Sandstone (Bearpaw
Ardkenneth Member (Bearpaw Formation) Formation)
Ardley Coal Seam (Edmonton Formation) Battle Formation
Arnica Formation Battleford Formation
Arran Formation Baytree Member (Cardium Formation Smoky
Artex Member Group)
Ashern Formation (Elk Point Group) Bearberry Sand
Ashville Formation Bear Grass (Bear Flat) Member
Bear Rock Formation Black Island Member (Winnipeg Formation)
Bearpaw Formation, Montana Group Blackleaf Formation (Colorado Group)
Beattie Peaks Formation (Minnes Group) Blackmud Member (Edmonton Group, Disused)
Beaudette Group (Abandoned) Blackstone Formation (Alberta Group)
Beaver Member Blairmore Group (Formation)
Beaverfoot Formation Blood Reserve Formation
Beaverhill Lake Group (Formation) Blueberry Member (Charlie Lake Formation,
Beaver Mines Formation (Blairmore Group) Schooler Creek Group)
Bedford Formation (Informal name) Blue Ridge Member
Bedson Formation (Obsolete) Bluesky Formation
Beechy Halite (Hatfield Member, Babcock Formation (Schooler Creek Group)
Beechy Member (Bearpaw Formation) Boissevain Formation
Belair Drift (Informal) Bonanza Sandstone (Peace River Formation,
Belanger Member (Bearpaw Formation) Obsolete)
Belcourt Formation (Ishbel Group) Bonnyville Formation (Informal)
Belemnite Zone (Fernie Formation, Bootlegger Member (Blackleaf Formation)
Superseded) Borradaile Member (Mannville Formation,
Belle Fourche Shale Member (Ashville Disused)
Formation) Borsato Formation (Fairholme Group)
Belle Plaine Member (Prairie Formation, Elk Bosche Formation (Abandoned)
Point Group) Bosworth Formation (Obsolete)
Belloy Formation (Ishbel Group) Boulder Creek Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Belly River Formation (Group) Boulder Pass Formation (Purcell-Belt
Benton Shale (Colorado Group) (Abandoned in Supergroup, Abandoned)
Canada) Boule Formation (Obsolete)
Berland River Shales (Obsolete) Boundary Member (Charlie Lake Formation)
Besa River Formation Bow Island Formation (Colorado Group)
Bickerdike Member (Cardium Formation) Bow Valley Till
Bickford Formation (Minnes Group) Bowdoin Sandstone
Biggar Salt (Disused) Boyne Member
Bighill Creek Formation Boyne Sand
Bighorn Formation (Obsolete) Brandon Formation (Interlake Group)
Bighorn (Tyndall) Group Brazeau Formation
Bigoray Member (Nisku Formation) Brenot Formation
Big River Formation (Colorado Group, Brewster Limestone Member (Whitehorse
Cretaceous) Formation)
Big Snowy Group Bridge River Tephra
Big Valley Formation Brisco Formation (Abandoned)
Birch Lake Member (Judith River Formation) Broadwood Member (Alexo Formation)
Birdbear Formation (Saskatchewan Group) Brocket Till
Birse Member (Stony Mountain Formation, Broderick Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Disused) Bronson Lake Formation (Informal)
Bison Creek Formation Brosseau Member (Judith River Formation,
Bistcho Member Abandoned)
Black Chert Member (Fernie Formation, Brown Lime Submember
Superseded) Brown Sand (Fernie Formation, superseded)
Black Creek Member Buckinghorse Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Black Eagle Member (Bearpaw Formation) Buffalo Lake Till
Blackface Mountain Shale (Obsolete) Buffalo River Member
Buick Creek Sand (Gething Formation) Cat Head Member (Red River Formation)
Bullhead Group Cathedral Formation
Bull River Unit (Invalid) Cecil Member (Charlie Lake Formation,
Bulwark Sandstone (Bearpaw Formation) Schooler Creek Group)
Bulwell Member Cedared Formation
Burgess Shale Lentil (Stephen Formation) Cedar Lake Formation (Interlake Group)
Burnais Formation Cessford Sand (Colorado Group)
Burnstick Member (Cardium Formation) Chain Lakes Clays and Silts
Burr Member (Dawson Bay Formation, Chancellor Formation
Manitoba Group) Charles Formation (Madison Group)
Burton Formation (Abandoned) Charlie Lake Formation (Schooler Creek Group)
Byng Formation (Miette Group) Chemahawin Member (Cedar Lake Formation)
Chephren Member (Mount Whyte Formation)
C Chetamon Formation (Abandoned)
Chetang Formation
Cheval Beds (Abandoned)
Cadomin Formation (Blairmore and Bullhead
Cheviot Formation (Obsolete)
Groups)
Chinchaga Formation
Cadotte Member (Peace River Formation)
Chinook Member (Wapiabi Formation)
Cairn Formation (Fairholme Group)
(Obsolete)
Calahoo Sandstone (Ellerslie Member)
Chipewyan Member (Muskeg Formation)
“Calcareous” Member (Blairmore and Mannville
Chischa Formation
Formation, Group)
Chowade Croup (Redundant)
Calgary Silt (Informal name)
Christina Member (Beaverhill Lake (Waterways)
Calmar Formation (Winterburn Group)
Formation)
Calumet (Calmut) Member
Chungo Member (Wapiabi Formation, Alberta
Cameron Sand
Group)
Camrose Member (Ireton Formation, Woodbend
Chushina Fermation (Abandoned)
Group)
Cinquefoil Formation (Obsolete)
Canmore Till
Claggett Formation (Montana Group)
Cantuar Formation
Clark’s Member
Canyon Creek Formation
Clausen Fonnation
Carbon Gas Sandstone (Upper Mannville)
Clearwater Formation (Mannville Group)
Cardinal Member (Cardium Formation, Alberta
Cloudmaker Formation
Group)
Coal Sand (Blairmore Group)
Cardinal Lake Member (Wabamun Formation)
Coalspur Beds (Saunders Group)
Cardium Formation (Alberta Group)
Coldharbor Formation
Cardium Zone Member (Cardium Formation)
Coleville Member (Bakken Formation)
Carievale Evaporite (Frobisher Beds) (Obsolete)
Colony Sand (Joli Fou Formation) (Colorado
Carlile Shale (Colorado Group)
Group)
Carman Sand (Member or Lentil, Winnipeg
Colorado Group
Formation)
Commotion Formation
Carnarvon Member (Mount Head Formation)
Comrey Member (Oldman Formation)
Carrot Creek Member (Cardium Formation)
Condie Till
Carswell (Trout Lake) Formation
Cone Member (Marias River Shale)
Carthew Member
Conrad Member (Sawtooth Formation, Ellis
Cartwright Till (Informal name)
Group)
Castle Reef Dolomite (Madison Group)
Contact Rapids Formation
Castle Mountain Group (Obsolete)
Cooking Lake Formation (Woodbend Group)
Coplin Member (Charlie Lake Formation) Davidson Member (Souris River Formation,
Corbula Munda Beds (Fernie Formation) Manitoba Group)
Corona Formation (Abandoned) Dawson Bay Formation (Manitoba Group)
Coronach Formation (Obsolete) Dawson Bay Formation (Manitoba Group)
Coronach Member (Herald Formation) Deadhorse Coulee Member
Corral Creek Formation (Miette Group) Deadwood Formation
Cosmos Sand (Disused) Debolt Formation
Costigan Member (Palliser Formation) Deer Island Member (Winnipeg Formation)
Coulter Member (Pierre Shale) Del Bonita Gravels
Cranbrook Formation Delia Member (Abandoned)
Crassier Group (Abandoned) Dellwood Formation (Disused)
Creston Formation (Purcell Supergroup) Demaine Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Cripple Tongue (Mount Hawk Formation) Demmit Member (Charlie Lake Formation)
Crooked Hole Sand (Blairmore Group) Deserters Canyon Till (Informal name)
Crossfield Till (Informal) Dessa Dawn Formation (Obsolete)
Crossfield Member (Stettler Formation/ Detrital (Deville) Beds (Mannville Group)
Wabamun Group) Deville Formation (Detrial)
Cross Lake Member Diaber (Daiber) Group
Crowfoot Dyke Dimmock Creek Member (Cantuar Formation)
Crowfoot Formation (Winterburn Group) Dina Member (McMurray Formation, Mannville
Crow Indian Lake Member (Disused) Group)
Crowsnest Formation Dinsmore Evaporite (Wymark Member,
CrukShank Member, Bearpaw Formation Dismal Rat Member
Cruiser Formation Dixonville Member (Wabamun Formation)
Crystal Clinobed (Viking Formation, Colorado Doe Creek Member
Group) Dog Head Member (Red River Formation)
Cummings Member (Clearwater Formation, Doig Formation
Mannville Group) Dokie Ridge Member
Cunningham Formation (Cariboo Group) Dome Creek Formation (Cariboo Group)
Cutbank (Braebum, Valhalla) Sandstone Donald Formation
Cut Bank Sandstone Douglas Formation
Cynthia Member (Nisku Formation) Dowling Merrier (Wapiabi Formation, Alberta
Cypress Hills Formation Group)
Cypress Hills Loess (Informal narne) Dorothy Bentonite (Bearpaw Formation)
Dorothy Sandstone (Bearpaw Formation)
D Dresser Formation (Abandoned)
Drumheller Marine Tongue
Drystone Creek Till
D-1 (Redundant; superseded by Wabamun
Drywood Soil
Group)
Ducette Member (Baldonnel Formation)
D-2 (Nisku Formation)
Dunedin Formation
D-3 (Leduc Formation)
Dunlevy Formation (Bullhead Group) Obsolete
Dakota Formation and Group
Dunvegan Formation
Dalhousie Conglomerate (Blairmore Group)
Duperow Formation
Dando Evaporite (Mission Canyon Formation,
Dutch Creek Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Madison Group)
Duvenay Formation
Dark Siltstones (Obsolete)
Dynneson Sandstone
Darling Sand (Kootenai Formation, Disused)
Dyson Creek Member (Rundle Fomation)
Davidson Evaporite
(Obsolete)
E Farrell Member (Charlie Lake Formation,
Schooler Creek Group)
Favel Formation
Eager Formation
Ferdig Member (Marias River Shale)
Eagle Formation (Montana Group)
Fernie Formation (Group)
Earlie Formation
Fiddle Formation (Obsolete)
East Arm Dolomite (Interlake Group)
Field Member (Eldon Formation)
Eastend Formation
Fife Lake Formation (Interlake Group)
Eatonia Evaporite (Wymark Member,
Finnegan Formation
Ebbutt Member (Willow Lake Formation)
Firebag Member (Beaverhill Lake (Waterways)
Echo Lake Gravel
Formation)
Edmonton Formation (Group)
Firemoon Member (Piper Formation)
Edson Till
First Castor Sandstone (Bearpaw Formation)
Eisenhower Junction Till
First Red Beds (Souris River Formation)
Eldon Formation (Eldon Dolomite)
First White Speckled Shale
Elk Formation (Kootenay Group)
Fisher Branch Dolomite (Interlake Group)
Elko Formation
Fish Scale Sandstone
Elk Point Group
Fitzgerald Formation
Elkton Member (Turner Valley Formation)
Flagstones (Obsolete)
Elkwater Drift
Flat Lake Evaporite
Ellerslie Member (Mannville Group)
Flathead Formation
Ellis Group
Flaxville Formation
Elm Point Formation (Elk Point Group)
Flood Member (Blackleaf Formation)
Elrose Evaporite (Wymark Member, Duperow
Floral Formation
Elstow Member (Duperow Formation,
Flossie Lake Member
Saskatchewan Group)
Flotten Lake Sand (Colorado Group)
Empress Group (Formation)
Floweree Member (Marias River Shale)
Entice Dolomite (Waterways Formation,
Flume Formation (Fairholme Group)
Entrance Conglomerate (Coalspur Beck)
Foothills Series (Obsolete)
Ernestina Lake Formation
Foraging Formation (Obsolete)
Ernst Till
Foremost Formation
Erratics Train Till
Forget-Nottingham Limestone
Escarpment Member (Hay River Formation)
Fort Augustus Formation (Mannville Group,
Esterhazy Member (Prairie Evaporite, Elk Point
disused)
Group)
Fort Garry Member (Red River Formation)
Ethel Lake Formation (Informal)
Fort Mountain Formation
Etherington Formation (Rundle Group)
Fort Nelson Formation (Abandoned)
Etzikom Drift
Fort Simpson Formation
Evie Member (Horn River Foundation)
Fort Steele Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Expanse Formation (Informal name)
Fort St. John Group
Exshaw Formation
Fort Vermilion Formation (Member)
Fortress Mountain Beds (Kananaskis
F Formation)
Fox Hills Formation (Abandoned in Canada)
Fairholme Group Frenchman Formation
Fair Point Formation Frobisher Beds (Frobisher-Alida Beds)
Fairview Formation (Obsolete) Frobisher-Alida Beds
Falher Member (Spirit River Formation) Frobisher Evaporite (Midale Beds)
Fantasque Formation Furman Till (Informal name)
G Grotto Member (Southesk Formation)
Groundbirch Member (Charlie Lake Formation,
Gainsborough Evaporite (Alida Beds)
Grumbler Group (Formation)
Galton Series (Abandoned)
Grunthal Formation (Informal name)
Gammon Ferruginous Shale (Pierre Shale)
Gryphaea Bed (Fernie Formation)
Garbutt Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Guernsey Formation (Interlake Group)
Garden Plain Tuff
Gunn Member
Gataga Formation
Gunton Member (Stony Mountain Formation)
Gates Formation
Gypsum Spring Formation
Gateway Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
General Petroleum (G.P.) Sand
George Formation H
Gething Formation (Bullhead Group)
Ghost River Formation (Abandoned) Haig Brook Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Gilwood Member (Watt Mountain Formation) Halfway Formation
Glacier Peak Tephra Hamill Series
Gladstone Formation (Blairmore Group) Hamilton Lake Sand
Glauconitic Sandstone (Mannville Group) Hand Hills Formation
Glenogle Formation Hanington Formation (Obsolete)
Glenwoodville Drift (Informal name) Hanson Beds (Interlake Group)
Goathaunt Member (Obsolete; Siyeh Formation) Hanson Member (Wapiabi Formation, Alberta
Gog Formation (Group) Group)
Golata Formation Hare Indian Formation
Goodlands Member (Turtle Mountain Harmon Member
Formation) Harris Member (Souris River Formation,
Goodrich Formation (Fort St. John Group) Manitoba Group)
Goodsir Formation (Abandoned) Harrogate Formation
Gordon Formation Hartaven Member (Stony Mountain Formation)
Gorman Creek Formation (Minnes Group) Hart Pass Formation (Obsolete)
Graminia Formation (Winterburn Group) Hasler Formation
Grande Cache Member (Malcolm Creek Hastings Evaporite (Frobisher-Alida Beds)
Formation) Hastings-Frobisher Beds (Obsolete)
Grand Centre Formation (Informal) Hatfield Member (Souris River Formation,
Grand Rapids Formation (Mannville Group) Manitoba Group)
Granite Park Member (Siyeh Formation, Haven Member (Blackstone Formation)
Obsolete) Hay Camp Member
Granite Wash Hay River Formation
Gravelbourg Formation Hay River Limestone (Obsolete)
Grayling Formation (Obsolete) Hazel Formation (Informal name)
Green Beds (Fernie Formation) Hecla Beds
Greenhorn Lime Hector Formation (Miette Group)
Greenoch Formation (Redundant) Hefty Formation (Galton Series) (Abandoned)
Grey Beds (Fernie Formation) Hell Creek Formation (Montana Group)
Grey Beds (Obsolete) Hell Roaring Member
Grinnell Formation (Purcell Belt Supergroup) Henry Creek Formation
Grit Bed (Blackstone Formation) Herald Formation (Bighorn Group)
Grizzly Bear Member (Lea Park Formation) Hidden Creek Hill
Grosmont Formation (Woodbend Group) Highwood Member (Fernie Formation)
Highwood Sandstone (Chungo Member) Jubilee Formation
Hillcrest Member (Mist Mountain Formation) Judith River Formation
Hitka Formation (Abandoned) Jumping Pound Member (Jumping Pound,
Holdfast (Flat Lake) Evaporate Jungle Ridge)
Hollebeke Formation (Fairholme Group)
Home Sand (Blairmore Group) K
Hondo Member (Grosmont Formation)
Hoosier Clinobed
Kakisa Formation
Hornbeck Member (Cardium Formation)
Kakwa Member (Cardium Formation)
Horn River Formation
Kananaskis Formation (Spray Lakes Group)
Horseshoe Canyon Formation (Edmonton
Karr Member (Cardium Formation)
Group)
Kaskapau Formation (Smoky Group)
Horsethief Sandstone
Kechika Group
Horsethief Creek Group (Windermere
Keg River Formation (Upper Elk Point Group)
Supergroup)
Keld Member (Favel Formation)
Hota Formation
Kennedy Drift
Howard Creek Member
Kevin Member (Marias River Shale)
Howell Creek Intrusives
Kibbey Formation (Big Snowy Group)
Hubbard Evaporite
Killdeer Beds (Madison Formation)
Hulcross Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Kiln Formation (Obsolete)
Hummingbird Till
Kimball Drift (Informal name)
Kinbasket Limestone
I Kindle Formation
Kintla Formation (Lewis Series, abandoned)
Ice Box Member (Winnipeg Formation) Kipp Sandstone (Bearpaw Formation)
Ice River Complex Kisbey Sandstone
Inga Member (Charlie Lake Formation) Kishenehn Formation
Interlake Group (Formation) Kiska Member (Cardium Formation, Alberta
Inwood Formation (Interlake Group) Group)
Inyan Kara Group Kishtinaw Formation
Ireton Formation (Woodbend Group) Kitchener Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Irvine Bed (Glacier Peak Tephra) Klua Formation
Ishbel Group Kneehills Tuft (Edmonton Formation)
Island River Member (Invalid) Kobes Member (Charlie Lake Formation,
Islay Member (Mannville Formation) (Disused) Schooner, Creek Group)
Kootenai Formation
J Kootenay Group
Kotaneelee Formation
Kotcho Formation
Jackfish Creek Till
Jasper Formation (Series)
Jasper Lake Member (Shunda Formation) L
(Obsolete)
Jean Marie (Utahn) Member Labiche Formation
Jefferson Formation (Obsolete) Labuma Till
Johnston Canyon Formation Lax du Bonnet Formation (Informal)
Joli Fou Formation (Colorado Group) La Glace Member (Charlie Lake Formation,
Jonas Creek Formation (Obsolete) Schooler Creek Group)
Lake Agassiz Clays Lyleton Formation [Qu’Appelle, (Three Forks)
Lake Alma Member (Herald Formation) Group]
La Loche Formation Lynx Formation and Group (Revised)
Lake Louise Shale
Lamoral Till M
Lander Sand (Kootenai Formation)
Largs Formation
Ma Butte Formation (Blairmore Group)
Last Lake Member (Wabamun Formation)
MacDonald Formation (Galton Series)
Laurier Limestone Beds (Keld Member)
(Abandoned)
Lazenby Formation
MacGowan Concretionary Bed
Lea Park Formation
Mackenzie Dolomite Lentil (Vega Siltstone
Leduc Formation (Woodbend Group)
Member)
Leinan Till
Madison Group
Lennard Formation
Mafeking Member (Damson Bay Formation)
Lenzie Silt
Magrath Sandstone (Bearpaw Formation)
Leofnard Salt (Elk Point Group) (Disused)
Mahto Formation (Gog Group)
Lepine Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Majeau Lake Member (Cooking Lake
Lethbridge Drift
Formation, Woodbend Group)
Lethbridge Member (Oldman Formation)
Malcolm Creek Formation
Lewis Series (Abandoned)
Maligne Formation (Fairholme Group)
Leyland Member (Cardium Formation, Alberta
Manitoba Group
Group)
Manitou Falls Formation
Liard Formation (Schooler Creek Group)
Manning Sand (Watt Mountain Formation)
Libau Drift (Informal)
(Obsolete)
Lille Member (Fernie Formation)
Mannville Group
Lineham Member (Obsolete)
Manyberries Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Little Buffalo Formation
Manyberries Volcanic Ash
Livingstone Formation (Rundle Group)
Marchand Formation
Livock River Formation
Marco Calcarenite (Assiniboine Member)
Lama Member (Sulphur Mountain Formation)
Marguerite Till (Informal)
Lloydminster Formation (Superseded)
Marias River Shale (Colorado Group)
Lloydminster (Lloyd) Sand
Marie Creek Formation (Informal)
Lobstick Member (Nisku Formation)
Marlboro Till
Lochend Till (Informal)
Marsh Creek Till
Locker Lake Formation
Marshybank Member (Wapiabi Formation,
Lodgepole Formation (Madison Group)
Alberta Group)
Lonely Bay Formation
Marston Member (Mount Head Formation)
Looma Member (Grand Rapids Formation)
Martin Sandy Zone
(Obsolete)
Marysville Sands
Loomis Member
Masefield Shale (Formation)
Loon River Shale (Fort St. John Group)
Matador Member (Bearpaw Formation)
(Obsolete)
Mattson Formation
Lotsberg Formation (Elk Point Group)
Maunsell Till
Louise Falls Member (Hay River Formation)
Maxim Member
Lower Porous
Mayberne Till
Lowland Gravel
Maycroft Till
Ludington Formation (Schooler Creek Group)
Mazama Tephra (Galata Ash, Bighill Spring
Luscar Formation (Obsolete)
Ash)
Lyell Formation
McDougall-Segur Conglomerate Moberly Member/Dolomite
McKay Group Monach Formation (Minnes Group)
McLaren Member (Mannville Group) Mons Formation (Obsolete)
McLean River Formation (Elk Point Group) Montana Group
(Superseded) Monteith Formation (Minnes Group)
McLeod Member (Kootenay Formation) Montney Formation
(Obsolete) Moosebar Formation (Fort St. John Group)
McCloud Member (Cantuar Formation) Moosehorn Formation (Obsolete)
McMurray Formation (Mannville Group) Moosehound Member (Cardium Formation,
McNaughton Formation (Gog Group) Alberta Group)
Meadow Creek Formation (Miette Group) Moose Lake Dolomite (Interlake Group)
Meadow Lake Formation (Elk Point Group) Moose Mountain Member (Morrissey
Medicine Hat Sandstone Formation)
Medicine Lodge Member (Bearpaw Formation) Morden Shale
Meekwap Member (Nisku Formation, Morley Till (Informal)
Winterburn Group) Morrison Formation
Melita Formation Morrissey Formation (Kootenay Group)
Merrington Clinobed Morro Member (Palliser Formation)
Messines Formation (Obsolete) Morse River Sand (Superseded)
Methy Formation (Upper Elk Point Subgroup) Mosby Sandstone (Greenhorn Formation,
Mica Member Colorado Group)
Midale Beds Moulton Member
Midale Evaporite (Ratcliffe Beds) Mount April Formation
Midas Formation (Cariboo Group) ‘Mount Baker Unit’ (Purcell Supergroup)
Middle Dense (abandoned)
Midnapore Silts Mount Forster Formation
Miette (Formation) Group Mount Greene Beds (Ishbel Group)
Mikkwa Member (Muskeg Formation) Mount Hawk Formation (Fairholme Group)
Mikkwa Formation Mount Head formation
Mildred Member [Beaverhill Lake (Waterways) Mount Nelson Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Formation] Mount Rowe Member,
Milk River Formation Mount Selwyn Formation
Mill Creek Formation (Obsolete) Mount St. Helens Set Y Tephra
Miller Peak Formation Mount Synge Formation (Abandoned)
Millwood Member (Pierre Shale) Mount Whyte Formation
Mink Member (Muskeg Formation) Mount Wilson Formation
Minnedosa Formation Mountain Creek Formation
Minnes Group Mount Wright Formation (Schooner Creek
Minnewanka Group (Obsolete) Group)
Mirage Point Formation Mountain Park Formation
Misinchinka Group Mowitch Formation
Mission Canyon Formation (Madison Group) Mowry Shale Formation (Colorado Group)
Mistaya Formation Mulga Tongue (Lea Park Formation)
Mist Mountain Formation (Kootenay Group) Mumm Limestone (Abandoned)
Misty Formation Muncho-McConnell Formation
Misty Till (Informal) Mural Formation (Gog Group, Cariboo Group)
Mitchell Bluff Formation Murchison Formation (Abandoned)
Moberly Member (Beaverhill Lake Waterways) Muriel Lake Formation (Informal)
Formations Muskeg Formation
Muskiki Member (Wapiabi Formation, Alberta Olympus Sandstone Lentil (Starlight Evaporite
Group, and Member)
Muskwa Formation Opabin Member (Blackstone Formation and
Musreau Member (Cardium Formation) Kaskapau Formation)
Mutz Member (Mist Mountain Formation) Opal Member (Mount Head Formation)
Myrtle Creek Formation (Abandoned) Ostracod Beds (Mannville Group)
Ostrea Shale (Obsolete)
N O’Sullivan Member (Mannville Formation)
(Disused)
Otherside Formation
Nahanni Formation
Otter Park Member (Horn River Formation)
Naiset Formation
Ottertail Formation
Nancy Member (Charlie Lake Formation,
Oungre Evaporite (Ratcliffe beds)
Outlook Member, Bearpaw Formation
Narao Member (Stephen Formation)
Outram Formation
Neely Member (Dawson Bay Formation,
Owen Creek Formation
Manitoba Group)
Oxarart Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Nevis Member (Edmonton Group) (Disused)
Oxytoma Bed (Nordegg Member, Fernie
Newcastle Formation (Colorado Group)
Formation)
Newcastle Sandstone Member (Ashville
Formation)
Nicol Creek Formation (Purcell Supergroup) P
Nikanassin Formation
Niobrara Formation Paddy Member (Peace River Formation)
Nisku Formation (Winterburn Group) Paget Formation (Obsolete)
Nomad Member (Wapiabi Formation, Alberta Paintearth Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Group) Pakan Formation (Abandoned)
Nonda (Ronning) Formation Pakowki Drift
Nordegg Member (Fernie Formation) Pakowki Formation
Normandville Member (Wabamun Formation) Pale Beds (Variegated and Pale Beds)
Norquay Formation (Obsolete); (Obsolete)
North Pine Member (Charlie Lake Formation, Palliser Formation
Schooler Creek Group) Paper Shale (Fernie Formation) (Superseded)
Nosehill Member (Cardium Formation) Pardonet Formation (Schooler Creek Group)
Notikewin Member (Spirit River Formation) Paskapoo Formation (Saunders Group in
Nunki Sandstone (Kaskapau Formation) Foothills)
Nyarling Formation Passage Beds (Fernie Formation)
Patience Lake Member (Prairie Evaporite, Elk
O Point Group)
Peace Garden Member (Turtle Mountain
Formation)
Obed Till
Peace Point Member (Waterways Formation)
Odanah Member (Pierre Shale)
Peace River Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Ogygopsis Shale Lentil (Stephen Formation)
Peechee Member (Southesk Formation)
Okla Sandstone (Big River Formation, Colorado
Pekisko Formation (Rundle Group)
Group)
Pekisko Till (Informal)
Old Fort Point Formation (Middle Miette Group)
Pelican Formation (Colorado Group)
Quaternary (Classical Wisconsin)
Pembina Member (Pierre Shale)
Oldman Formation
Pembina Mountain Group (Obsolete)
Pembina River Member (Cardium Formation) R
Penitentiary Member (Stony Mountain
Formation)
Rainbow Member (Keg River Formation)
Pense Formation
Ram Member (Cardium Formation, Alberta
Perdrix Formation (Fairholme Group)
Group)
Peyto Formation (Member)
Ranger Canyon Formation
Phillips Formation (Purcell Supergroup}
Ratcliffe Beds
Phillips Sandstone
Ratner Member (Winnipegosis Formation, Elk
Phroso Siltstone Member
Point Group)
Pierre Shale
Raven Creek Till
Pigeon Creek Member (Fernie Formation)
Raven River Member (Cardium Formation)
Pika Formation
Ratner Member (Winnipegosis Formation, Elk
Pine Point Formation (Group)
Point Group)
Pine River Formation (Abandoned)
Raven Creek Till
Piper Formation
Pipestone Formation (Obsolete)
Ravenscrag Formation
Pocaterra Creek Member (Blairmore Group)
Upper Ravenscrag (Ravenscrag Formation)
Point Wilkins Member
Lower Ravenscrag (Frenchman Formation)
Poker Chip Shale (Fernie Formation)
Ray Member (Kibbey Formation)
Poker Formation (Fernie Group)
Red Gap Member (Grinnell Formation,
Poplar Beds
Obsolete)
Porcupine Hills Formation
Red Deer Member (Fernie Formation}
Porcupine Till (Informal)
Red Jacket Formation
Portage Mountain Till (Informal)
Redknife Formation (Grumbler Group)
Potlatch Member (Three Forks Formation)
Red River Formation (Bighorn Group)
Pouce Coupe Member
Red Speck Zone (Vaughn Member, Blackleaf
Prairie Evaporite (Prairie Formation, Elk Point
Formation)
Group)
Redvers Unit (Herald Formation)
Prelate Ferry Paleosol
Regina Clay
Presqu’ile Formation
Regway Member (Winnipegosis Formation, Elk
Prophet Formation
Point Group)
Provost Member
Residual Zone
Ptarmigan Formation (Ptarmigan Limestone)
Reston Formation
(Abandoned)
Rex Sand (Lower Grand Rapids Formation,
Purcell Lava (Purcell Supergroup)
Mannville Group)
Purcell (Belt) Supergroup
Ribbon Creek Member (Fernie Formation)
Puskwaskau Formation (Smoky Group)
Ribbon Sand Member (Swift Formation, Ellis
Group)
Q Ribstone Creek Member (Judith River
Formation)
Qu’Appelle Alluvium Ricinus Member (Cardium Formation)
Qu’Appelle Group (Disused) Riddell Member (Floral Formation)
Queensdale Lime (Frobisher-Alida Beds, Riding Mountain Formation
Informal) Rierdon Formation (Ellis Group)
Quill Lakes Marker Beds (Prairie Evaporite, Elk Risser Beds (Interlake Group)
Point Group) Roaring River Clay
Robson Limestones (Obsolete)
Roche Miette Formation (Obsolete)
Rock Creek Member (Fernie Formation) Selkirk Member (Red River Formation)
Rocky Mountain Group/Formation (Redundant) Senkiw Formation
Ronde Member (Southesk Formation) Septimus Member (Charlie Lake Formation,
Roosville Formation (Purcell Supergroup) Schooler Creek Group)
Rosa Formation (Informal) Seward Member
Roseau Formation Shaftesbury Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Roseray Formation Shandro Member (Lea Park Formation)
Rosevear Member (Abandoned)
Ross Creek Formation (Ishbel Group) Sharky Member (Muskeg Formation)
Ross Lake Member (Ross Lake Shale, Shaunavon Formation
Cathedral Formation) Sheep River Silts and Clays
Roughlock Member (Winnipeg Formation) Shell Formation
Rouleau Clay Shell Lake Member (Prairie Evaporite, Elk Point
Routledge Shale Facies (Lodgepole Formation) Group)
Rundle Group Sheppard Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Rupert Beds (Interlake Group) Sherbrooke Formation (Obsolete)
Rush Lake Shale (Formation) (Vanguard Group) Sherrard Member, Bearpaw Formation
Ryegrass Sandstone (Bearpaw Formation) Shunda Formation (Rundle Group)
Sifton Formation
S Sikanni Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Simla Formation
Sinclair Formation (Obsolete)
Sabine Formation
Siphon Member (Charlie Lake Formation,
Saddle Hills Conglomerate
Sage Hen Limestone
Siyeh Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Sagemace Member
“Siyeh Formation” (Map Unit 5, Leech, 1960)
Salter Member (Mount Head Formation)
Skoki Formation
Sandpile Group
Skull Creek Shale Member (Ashville Formation)
Sand River Formation (Informal)
Slave Point Formation
Sarbach Formation (Obsolete)
Smiley Clinobed (Viking Formation, Colorado
Saskatchewan Gravels
Group)
Saskatchewan Group
Smoky (River) Group
Saskatoon Group
Smoothstone River Formation (Elk Point Group,
Saskatoon Member
Disused)
Sassenach Formation
Snakebite Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Saunders Group
Snake Indian Formation
Sawback Formation (Obsolete)
Snaring Formation
Sawridge Formation (Obsolete)
Solomon Sandstone (Obsolete)
Sawtooth Formation (Ellis Group)
Souris River Formation (Manitoba Group)
Scallion Member (Lodgepole Formation)
Souris Sand and Gravel (Informal)
Scatter Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Souris Valley Beds (Madison Group)
Scenic Point Member
Southesk Formation (Fairholme Group)
Schooler Creek Group
Sparky Sand (Lower Grand Rapids Formation,
Scollard Formation
Mannville Group)
Second Castor Sandstone (Bearpaw
Spearfish Formation
Formation)
Spence River Formation
Second Red Bed Member
Spikes Zone (Big River Formation, Colorado
Second White Specks Sandstone
Group)
Second White Speckled Shale (Colorado
Spinney Hill Member
Group)
Spirit River Formation (Fort St. John Group) Sunset Sandstone
Sprague Formation (Informal) Sunwapta Peak Formation
Spray Lakes Group Survey Peak Formation
Spray River Group Sutherland Group
Springburn Member (Beaverhill Lake Formation Swan Hills Formation (Beaverhill Lake Group)
and Group) Swan Hills Gravels
Spy Hill Till (Informal) Swan River Formation
Starbird Formation Sweetgrass Hills Dykes
Starlight Evaporite Member (Whitehorse Swift Current Creek Beds
Formation) Swift Formation (Ellis Group)
Steen River Formation (Obsolete} Sylvan Lake Till
Stephen Formation (Stephen Shale)
Stettler Formation T
St. Edouard Member (Joli Fou Formation,
Colorado Group)
Taber Sandstone
St. Eloi Clinobed (Viking Formation, Colorado
Tableland Gravel
Group)
Taft Hill Member (Blackleaf Formation)
St. Eugene Formation
Takakkaw Tongue (Cathedral Formation)
St. John Formation (Disused)
Tampico Member (Piper Formation)
St. Malo Formation (Informal)
Tangent Dolomite (Superseded)
St. Martin Complex (Series)
‘Tanglefoot Unit’
St. Mary River Formation
Tangle Ridge Formation (Abandoned)
St. Piran Formation
Tatei Formation
St. Walburg Sandstone
Tathlina Formation (Grumbler Group)
Stimson Creek Till (Informal)
Taylor Flat Formation
Stockman’s Sand (Blairmore Group)
Taylorton Member (Interlake Group)
Stoddart Group
Tee Lakes Formation
Stone Formation
Tegart Formation
Stonewall Formation
Telegraph Member (Muskeg Formation)
Stony Mountain Formation (Bighorn Group)
Telegraph Creek Formation (Montana Group)
Storelk Formation (Spray Lakes Group)
(Informal)
Storm Creek Formation
Telford Formation (Ishbel Group)
Stoughton Member (Stony Mountain Formation)
Territories Formation
Strathallen Beds (Madison Formation)
Tershishner Member (Pika Formation)
Strathclair Formation (Interlake Group)
Tetcho Formation
Strathcona Sand and Silt
Tetsa Formation
Stuartburn Formation (Informal)
Thelma Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Sturrock Member (Cardium Formation, Alberta
Thistle Member (Wapiabi Formation, Alberta
Group)
Group)
Success Formation
Thompson Dolomite (Obsolete)
Sullivan Formation
Three Forks Group
Sullivan Quartzite (Invalid)
Tilston Beds
Sully Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Timber Creek Till (Informal)
Sulphur Mountain Formation (Spray River
Tipperary Quartzite
Group)
Titkana Formation
Sulphur Point Formation
Toad Formation (Obsolete)
Sunburst Sandstone Member
Tobermory Formation
Sunkay Member
Toby Formation (Winderemere Supergroup)
Sun River Member (Castle Reef Dolomite)
Todhunter Member (Etherington Formation) Viking Chert (Viking Formation, Colorado
Tofield Sand Group)
Tolman Member (Edmonton Group) (Disused) Viking Conglomerate
Tolstoi Formation (Informal) Viking Formation (Colorado Group)
Tombstone Mountain Formation (Purcell Vimy Member
Supergroup) Virden Member (Lodgepole Formation)
Torquay Formation (Three Forks Group) Virgelle Member (Eagle Formation, Montana
Torrens Member Group)
Tovell Member (Mannville Formation) (Disused) Virginia Hills Formation (Informal)
Trinity Lakes Member (Cathedral Formation) Vista Formation (Informal)
Trout River Formation Vonda Member (Prairie Evaporate, Elk Point
Tsar Creek Formation Group)
Tuchodi Formation
Tuma Lake Formation W
Tunnel Mountain Formation
Turner Valley Formation (Rundle Group)
Wabamun Group (Formation)
Turtle Mountain Formation
Wabasca Member (Muskeg Formation)
Turtle Mountain Group (Obsolete)
Wabiskaw Member (Clearwater Formation)
Tuskoola Sandstone (Kaskapau Formation,
Wainwright Sandstone (Sparky Formation
Smoky Group)
Walsh Drift
Tussock Member
Walton Creek Member
Twin Cliffs Formation
Wapella Sand (Informal)
Twin Falls Formation
Wapiabi Formation (Alberta Group)
Two Medicine Formation (Montana Group)
Wapiti Formation
Two Rivers Sand
Wapta Member (Stephen Formation)
Tyndall Stone
Waputik Member (Stephen Formation)
Tyrwhitt Formation (Spray Lakes Group)
Wartenbe Sandstone (Kaskapau Formation,
Smoky Group)
U Wascana Creek Ash (Pearlette Tephra)
Waseca Sand (Grand Rapids Formation,
Unnamed Upper Colorado Shale (Colorado Mannville Group) (Informal)
Group) Wasada Formation
Upper Porous Waskahigan Member (Cardium Formation)
Waterfowl Formation
V Waterton Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Waterways Formation
Watrous Formation
Valhalla (Cutbank) Sand
Watt Mountain Formation
Vanalta Sand (Disused)
Weary Ridge Member (Morrissey Formation)
Van Creek Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Weed Member (Mount Whyte Formation)
Vanesti Tongue (Lea Park Formation)
Wellsch Valley Tephra
Vanguard Formation (Group)
Westerdale Member (Ireton Formation,
Vaughn Member (Blackleaf Formation)
Woodbend Group)
Vega Siltstone Member
Westgate Member (Ashville Formation)
Verdigris Member (Foremost Formation)
Whiskey Trail Member (Beaverfoot Formation)
Vermillion Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Whistler Member (Sulphur Mountain Formation)
(Invalid)
White Bear Marker Beds/Member
Vermilion River Formation
Whitehorse Formation (Spray River Group)
Victoria Member
Whitelaw Member (Wabamun Formation) Y
Whitemouth Lake Formation
Whitemud Formation
Yahatinda Formation
Whitemud Member (Edmonton Group)
Yeoman Formation (Bighorn Group)
(Disused)
Young Creek Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Whiteshell Formation
White Speckled Shale
Whitewater Lake Member Z
Whitkow Member (Prairie Evaporite, Elk Point
Group) Z Marker (Woodbend Group)
Whoop up Formation (Informal) Zama Member
Wigwam Formation (Galton Series) Zelena Formation
(Abandoned) Zeta Lake Member (Nisku Formation)
Wilder Member (Charlie Lake Formation,
Schooler Creek Group) REFERENCES
Wildhorn Member
Wildhorse Drift
Wileman Member (Mount Head Formation)
Williams Member (Stony Mountain Formation)
Willmar Evaporite (Frobisher-Alida Beds)
(Informal)
Willmar Lime (Frobisher-Alida Beds) (Informal)
Willow Creek Formation
Wilrich Member (Spirit River Formation)
Windermere Supergroup
Windsor Mountain Formation
Winlaw Evaporite (Frobisher-Alida Beds)
Winnifred Member (Whitehorse Formation)
Winnipeg Formation
Winnipegosis Formation (Elk Point Group)
Winterburn Group
Wintering Hills Gravels (Informal)
Wokkpash Formation
Wolf Island Sediments
Wolf Lake Member (Nisku Formation)
Wolverine Member (Muskeg Formation)
Wolverine Point Formation
Wonah Quartzite (Obsolete)
Woodbend Group
Woodmore Formation (Informal)
Wood Mountain Beds
Worsley (Tangent) Dolomite (Charlie Lake
Formation)
Wymark Member
Wymark Till
Wynd Formation (Miette Group)
Upper Jurassic
Adanac Member (Mist Mountain Formation)
Author: Norris, D.K., 1959.
Type Locality: South face of Grassy Mountain, 8 km (5 mi) north of Blairmore, Alberta, along main
haulage road between Grassy No. 2 and Grassy No. 4 coal pits (Norris, 1959; Hughes, 1978). NTS
Map 82G/9 Blairmore.
History: Unit recognized and named by Norris 11959) as a member of the Kootenay Formation; now
included within the lower Mist Mountain Formation (Gibson 1979, 1985).
Lithology: Medium dark grey to black carbonaceous shale, medium grey, fine grained sandstone and
coal. At Grassy Mountain top of the member is characterized by No. 4 Grassy Mountain coal seam.
Thickness and Distribution: The Adanac is a locally recognized member of the Mist Mountain
Formation in the Crowsnest Pass area of the southwestern Alberta Foothills east of the Lewis Thrust,
and in the area adjacent to and south of Blairmore and Coleman as far as the Adanac Strip Mine
(Gibson 1977, 1985). The member ranges in measured thickness from a minimum of 20 m (66 ft) at
Grassy Mountain to 31 m (102 ft) on York Creek south of Coleman.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is conformably overlain by fine to medium grained sandstone
with interbeds of black silty mudstone and siltstone of the Hillcrest Member. At Grassy Mountain the
upper contact is placed at top of No. 4 seam. The Adanac is conformably underlain by carbonaceous,
micaceous, medium grey, fine grained quartz and chert sandstone of the Moose Mountain Member of
the Morrissey Formation.
References: Gibson, 1977, 1979, 1985; Hughes, 1978; Norris, 1959.
DWG
Lower Upper Cambrian
Adolphus Formation
Author: Burling, L.D., 1923, p. 741-743.
Type Locality: Mumm Peak (southeast spur), on Alberta-British Columbia boundary north of Robson
Pass and 9 km ‘5.6 mi) due north of Mount Robson.
History: Burling replaced the Hota Formation of Walcott (1918) with the Adolphus because he though
that Walcott had mis-correlated the Hota of the type section with the Mural. Mountjoy (1962) and others
used the term Hota-Adolphus for Hota on the basis of historical priority.
Thickness and Distribution: 122 m (400 h) of limestone cliffs in Mumm Peak; thought by Burling to be
Middle Cambrian.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Mahto Formation and is overlain by the Chetang
Formation along a distinct, sharp contact.
Paleontology: Scattered Lower Cambrian trilobites belonging to the upper part of the Bonnia-Olenellus
Zone; (although originally considered to be Middle Cambrian by Burling, 1923).
References: Burping, 1923, 1955; Mountjoy, 1962, 1980; Mountjoy and Fritz, 1975; Walcott, 1913,
1928.
EWM
?Helikian
Aida Formation
Author: Bell, R.T., first use 1966, first published 1968.
Type Locality: on the southeast flanks of Mount Aida, in the Tuchodi Lakes (94K) map area,
northeastern British Columbia. Geographic co-ordinates of the type section:
base of section: 58°11’30”N, 124°38’15”W
top of section: 58°11’30”N, 124°39’45”W
The type section is incomplete because of sub-Cambrian erosion; reference sections designated for
the poorly exposed base have the geographic co-ordinates 58°07’45”N, 124°32’30”W, and for the
complete top of the sequence 58°04’45”N, 124°42’45”W.
Lithology: A thick succession of very light brown and light grey weathering, slaty-cleaved, calcareous
and dolomitic mudstones with minor siltstones and fine grained, graded sandstones. Two hundred
metres (656 ft) above the base of the formation a green chamositic mudstone unit 60 m (197 ft) thick
overlain by 65 m (213 ft) of black, carbonaceous mudstone constitute a persistent marker unit. Much of
the upper two thirds of the Aida is a sequence of well developed rhythmites with partial Bouma
sequences.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation is exposed in a belt from the confluence of the Toad and
West Toad Rivers in the Tuchodi Lakes (94K) map-area to Muskwa River in northern Ware (94F) map-
area. Near the type section on Mount Aida the formation is 1000 m (3280 ft) thick; near Mount Churchill
it is slightly more than 2000 m (6560 ft) thick
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Tuchodi Formation and is conformably overlain
by the Gataga Formation. Over much of its exposure area the formation has been partially truncated by
sub-Cambrian erosion.
References: Aitken, 1975; Bell, 1966,1968; Taylor and Stott, 1973.
GCT
Quaternary
Aikins Till
Author: Christiansen, E.A., 1959, p. 33.
Type Locality: North bluff of Swift Current Creek near Aikins, Saskatchewan, in Lsd. 1 of Sec. 24, Twp.
15, Rge. 14W3M.
Lithology: A clay-loam till that is calcareous, montmorillonitic, plastic, and mostly unoxidized; pale
brown where oxidized, otherwise light greyish brown; properties of the Aikins Till resemble those of
the Wymark and Leinan Tills.
Thickness and Distribution: In the Swift Current area, where it is present north of the Wymark Till it is 4
to 12 m (13 to 39 ft) thick (Christiansen, 1959). Found also in the Kindersley area (Christiansen, 1965).
Relationship to Other Units: Lies between the “middle and lower stratified-drifts”; north of the
Clearwater Lake Moraine it is covered by the Leinan Till; south of that moraine it is exposed or else
covered by “middle stratified drift”; this is the till that directly overlies the Prelate Ferry Paleosol
(Christiansen, 1965, p. 23) and so would appear to correlate with the Battleford Formation and the
Condie Till. The unit is the second youngest till in the Swift Current area, and appears to be of
Wisconsin age. The name has not been much used in recent years, but if this unit can be traced to the
Battleford Formation and Condie Till, as appears probable, the name Aikins Till would appear to have
priority over both.
References: Christiansen, 1959, 1965; Greer and Christiansen, 1963.
AMacSS
Lower to Upper Cretaceous (Albian to Campanian)
Alberta Group
Author: Hume, G.S., 1930, p. 6B.
Type Locality: The name was originally applied in the Highwood River area, and a composite section
can be viewed along the Highwood River (Twp. 15, Rge. 3W5M) (Stott, 1963).
History: Hume introduced the term Alberta shales for strata previously referred to as Benton. Webb and
Hertlein (1934) raised it to group status. Clow and Crockford (1951) used the term Alberta Formation
in southeastern Alberta. The term Alberta Group is equivalent in part to the Colorado Group and to the
lower Montana Group.
Lithology: Predominantly dark grey, silty mudstone. A prominent sandstone sequence (Cardium
Formation) in the middle of the group lies between two thick shale successions, the underlying
Blackstone Formation and overlying Wapiabi Formation. Individual members of the shale formations
are characterized by silty mudstone with sideritic concretions or calcareous shales with thin beds of
argillaceous limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: The group is present along the southern and central foothills and adjacent
plains from the International Boundary in the south to the Athabasca River in the north, where
equivalent beds are included in the Smoky Group. At the Highwood River the group is about 609.6 m
(2000 ft) thick. In the Bighorn Basin, north of the North Saskatchewan River the thickness is in the
order of 1219.2 m (4000 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The group lies with marked disconformity, and with some evidence of
erosional unconformity on the Lower Cretaceous Blairmore and Luscar Groups throughout most of the
foothills, and on the volcanic Crowsnest Formation in southwestern Alberta. Stratigraphic equivalents
are the Colorado Group and Lea Park Formation in southern Alberta and the Smoky Group in northern
Alberta and British Columbia.
Paleontology: Characterized by ammonites and pelecypods, ranging from at least the Cenomanian
Dunveganoceras Zone to probably younger than the Santonian Desmoscaphites Zone (Stott, 1963). A
sequence of eleven generalized microfaunal zones were recognized (Wall and Germundson, 1963).
References: Clow and Crockford, 1951; Hume, 1930; Stott, 1963; Wall and Germundson, 1963; Webb
and Hertlein, 1934.
DFS
Quaternary (Pleistocene)
Albertan Formation
Authors: Dawson, G.M. and McConnell, R.G., 1895, p. 66.
Type Locality: Bow Valley near Calgary, Alberta (Dawson and McConnell, 1895, p. 59); not further
specified.
Lectostratotype Locality: Here designated as the Brocket Section on the left (northwest) bank of
Oldman River about 7 km (4.4 mi) northeast of Brocket, Alberta, in S/2 of Sec. 34, Twp. 7, Rge. 28W4M
(49°36’10”N, 113°42’30”W), where it forms the deposits lying directly above bedrock (Stalker, 1963, p.
30).
Lithology: Till, gravel and sand. The formation consists of 2 members, as suggested by Dawson (1895,
p. 510): “The Albertan Formation to comprise both the western boulder-clay and the derived
Saskatchewan gravels”. A third, higher member may be present elsewhere, as at the Kipp Section
(Stalker, 1972, p. 70-72). At the lectostratotype site the bottom member consists mainly of outwash
sand and coarse, commonly angular or sub-round till gravel. It is overlain with gradational contact by a
member consisting of indurated silty and sandy, very stony till that forms a steep cliff face with a
tendency towards columnar structure. The till coarsens eastward, where it shows more water working.
At Brocket the till is light brown or buff, south of the Oldman Valley commonly pink or purplish. The
possible upper member at Kipp consists of coarse, poorly sorted gravel overlying the till of the middle
member with gradational contact. The formation consists of material derived locally or from the Rocky
Mountains and is characterized by a lack of stones from the Canadian Shield.
Thickness and Distribution: At the lectostratotype section the bottom member is 2 m (7 ft) thick, the till
member 4.5 m (15 ft); at Kipp the till member is 2 m (7 ft), the overlying gravel 3 m (10 ft) or more thick.
Much greater thicknesses undoubtedly occur in some of the prairie preglacial valleys. Widely
distributed in south and central Alberta, particularly near the mountain front, and into western
Saskatchewan, but in many places destroyed by subsequent glaciation and river action. The till
member disappears east of Kipp.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies bedrock or, with gradational contact earlier river gravels that are
difficult to separate from it (see Saskatchewan Gravels). Overlain eastward with sharp contact by the
Labuma Till or the Twin Cliffs Formation, from which it is readily distinguished by its lack of Shield
stones and light color. In the western foothills and mountains overlain by younger tills, valley train and
alluvium. The unit is the earliest glacial deposit recognized in southwestern Alberta, but probably
represents the same glaciation that later laid down the Labuma Till and Twin Cliffs Formation. Dawson
(1895, p. 510) suggested that: “The “western” boulder-clay must represent an epoch of glaciation
antecedent to the Kansan.”, but it is now generally assigned to the Illinoian age (Stalker and Harrison,
1977, p. 885). It may represent a glaciation between and separate from the Kansan and Illinoian
glaciations as generally recognized. Probably contemporaneous with part of the Saskatchewan
Gravels, and eastward apparently grades into these. May include the Kennedy Drift and Baseline Till,
if so the name Albertan Formation has priority. This formation apparently represents the largest
Quaternary Cordilleran glaciation in the Rocky Mountains and Foothills, and it should correspond to
the “Great Cordilleran (Waterton 1) Advance” of Stalker and Harrison (1977). It undoubtedly laid down
the highest Cordilleran drift found in the Foothills, and also that extending farthest east onto the Plains.
References: Dawson, 1895; Dawson and McConnell, 1895; Horberg, 1952, 1954; Stalker, 1963, 1972;
Stalker and Harrison, 1977.
AMacSS
Middle Cambrian
Albertella Zone (Obsolete)
Author: van Hees, H., 1959.
Type Locality: Unspecified, but by implication the California Standard Parkland 4-12-15-27W4M well,
in southern Alberta.
History: The “Albertella Zone” was recognized only by van Hees (1959, 1964), who viewed it as a
division of the Cathedral Formation (in more recent work, it would be part or all of the Mount Whyte
Formation). In three successive publications on the Cambrian of Alberta Pugh (1971, 1973, 1975)
made no mention of it.
Lithology: Fine grained marine siliciclastics, characterized by high radioactivity.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness about 30 m (98 ft). From the westernmost wells in the
undeformed basin, extending eastward and passing into basal Cambrian sandstone west of the
Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary; and northward, passing into sandstone by about Twp. 38.
Relationship to Other Units: van Hees (1959, 1964) apparently viewed the “Albertella zone” as a
faunizone, but extended it by Ra-log correlation from the fossiliferous interval of the Parkland well. On
the data of van Hees and later workers however, the unit appears instead to be a diachronous,
unusually radioactive muddy facies separating nearshore sandstones from offshore limestones of the
Cathedral Formation. The term has not been used in formal publication since 1964.
Paleontology: The unit yielded the Middle Cambrian trilobite Albertella sp. at the Parkland 4-12 well,
but is probably younger than that, though still Middle Cambrian eastward and northward.
References: Pugh, 1971, 1973, 1975; van Hees, 1959, 1964.
JDA
Upper Triassic
Alder Member (Charlie Lake Formation,
Schooler Creek Group) (Superseded)
Author: Torrie, J.E., 1973, p. 170.
Reference Section: Pacific Fort St. John 2-18-84-19W6M, in northeastern British Columbia, between
1344.5 and 1346 m (4411 and 4416 ft): grey anhydrite equivalent (Siphon Member).
History: This name has been used in the Currant, Crush and Bulrush areas of British Columbia for the
Siphon Member of the Charlie Lake Formation (Hess, 1968). Union Oil used “Alder” for the Cecil
Member of the Charlie Lake Formation.
Lithology: Sandstone.
Thickness: 1 to 2 m (3 to 7 ft) thick.
References: Hess, 1968; Torrie, 1973.
JWR, KAM
Upper Cretaceous (Campanian)
Alderson Member (Lea Park Formation)
Authors: Meijer Drees, N.C. and Myhr, D.W., 1981; p. 42-74.
Type Locality: Meijer Drees and Myhr (1981) stated that the type section lies between 253.5 and 338.3
m (832 and 1110 ft) in the ARCO Alderson 10-4-15-10W4M well in southeastern Alberta.
Lithology: The member consists of grey to dark grey bioturbated, silty, montmorillonitic shale with
laminated lenses and interbeds of very fine grained, silty sandstone. Scattered greyish green
bentonitic shale beds, chert pebble beds and beds containing siderite nodules are present. The sand
content increases from the base upward.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness of the Alderson Member in southeastern Alberta is fairly
constant, ranging from 85 to 91 m (279 to 299 ft). The member thins northward to about 70 m (230 ft) at
Twp. 50. The southwestern limit of the member is defined by the appearance of the Virgelle Member
(Meijer Drees and Myhr 1981) of the Milk River Sandstone. The northeastern limit of the Alderson
Member is defined by the last occurrence of the thin pebble bed at the top which grades basinward
(northeast) into a laminated shale facies.
Relationship to Other Units: The top of the member is conformable, being marked by a chert pebble
bed, however there is no significant change in mechanical log character between the overlying upper
Lea Park and the Alderson. The basal contact is Conformable and transitional on mechanical logs, but
lithologically can be picked by the appearance of the first or upper White Speckled Shale. To the
southwest the Alderson is equivalent to the Deadhorse Coulee, Virgelle and Telegraph Creek
members of the Milk River Formation. In Montana this succession equates to the upper, middle and
Virgelle members of the Eagle Formation as well as the Telegraph Creek Formation. In central and
southern Saskatchewan the Alderson is equated with the lower portion of the Lea Park, and in
Manitoba with the Pembina Member of the Pierre Shale (formerly Vermillion River Formation). In the
central Alberta Foothills the Chungo and Hanson Members of the Wapiabi are of equivalent age.
References: Meijer Drees and Myhr, 1981.
RLM
Middle Proterozoic
Aldridge Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Author: Schofield, S.J., 1914a, p. 221.
Type Locality: Near Kingsgate, southeastern British Columbia.
History: Daly (1912) assigned strata near Kingsgate to his Kitchener Formation, which he defined as
overlying his Creston Formation, but Schofield (1912) showed that they were older not younger than
the Creston Formation and proposed that they be called the Aldridge Formation (Schofield, 1914a, p.
221).
Lithology: The Aldridge consists of rusty weathering, grew fine grained quartzite and argillaceous
quartzite, grey siltite and dark grey argillite are the dominant and characteristic rock types. In the
Purcell Mountains the lower part consists of rusty weathering, laminated, thinly bedded, light colored,
very fine grained quartzite, argillaceous quartzite and siltite, with minor black argillite partings. Cross-
bedding is common, and scour and fill structures occur but are rare (Reesor, 1958). These grade into
the middle part, which is a sequence characterized by light weathering, thin to thick bedded, light
colored, fine grained quartzite and argillaceous quartzite interbedded with laminated, rusty
weathering, grey siltite and black argillite. Intraformational debris-flow conglomerates and large scale
convolutions of bedding occur locally. Quartzite beds commonly grade to dark grey siltite in the top few
centimetres and many have flute or load casts at their base. Ripple-drift cross lamination occurs
locally. These quartzites are interpreted to be turbidite deposits (Bishop et al., 1970, Edmunds, 1973).
In the Hughes Range north of Fort Steele the middle part of the Aldridge Formation consists of
laminated and cross laminated siltite; laminated dark grey argillite, and minor quartzite (Hoy 1978); but
in the Lizard Range very rusty weathering, laminated siltite, massive siltite and rare quartzite
(McMechan, 1979) occur beneath the light weathering quartzite unit. In all of these areas the upper
part of the formation consists of rusty weathering, laminated siltite and dark argillite. Mud-cracked,
interlaminated dolomite and green siltite occur near the top of the formation in the Lizard Range.
Hornblende metagabbro sills and dykes are abundant in the lower parts of the formation.
Thickness and Distribution: Extends from north of Kimberley, British Columbia to south of Missoula,
Montana. Because the base of the formation is only exposed very locally the thickness is generally
unknown. In Canada the known thickness ranges from 2100 m (6890 ft) for the entire formation in the
Hughes Range, to 4000 to 5000 m (13120 to 16400 ft) with the base not exposed in the Purcell
Mountains. The Aldridge Formation is the host for the Sullivan stratiform Ag-Pb-Zn deposit at
Kimberley.
Relationship to Other Units: The Aldridge conformably overlies the Fort Steele Formation in the
Hughes Range, but elsewhere the base is not exposed. It is conformably overlain by the Crouton
Formation or the Ravalli Group (in the United States). The Prichard Formation is its United States
equivalent. The Aldridge Formation has been correlated with the Altyn and Waterton Formations of the
Clark Range (Price, 1964).
References: Bishop et al., 1970; Daly, 1905, 1912; Edmunds, 1973; Huebschman, 1973; Hoy, 1978,
Leech, 1958; McMechan, 1978, 1979; Price, 1964a; Reesor, 1958, 1973; Rice, 1937, 1941; Schofield,
1912, 1914a, 1914b, 1915.
RAP
Lower Cretaceous (Albian)
Alexander Sandstone (Ellerslie Formation, Mannville Group)
Author: First used by wellsite geologists for a sand at the top of the Ellerslie Member in the immediate
area of Alexander Indian Reserve No. 134. It was later described by Jackson and Bourns (1968).
Type Locality: Mid-Western Calahoo 6-1-55-27W4M, in Alberta, between 1155.5 and 1158.5 m (3790
and 3800 ft).
Lithology: Mainly fine to medium grained quark sandstone, containing numerous fossil fragments, a
few coal inclusions, with fair to good porosity.
Thickness and Distribution: Restricted to the immediate Alexander Indian Reserve No. 134 area
centred in Twp. 56, Rge. 27W4M. The thickness varies from zero to 8.5 m (28 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Alexander Sandstone is a sandstone unit occurring within the
uppermost Ellerslie Formation and the lower part of the Ostracode Zone. It is overlain by Ostracode
shale. It is separated from the underlying Calahoo Sandstone, another sandstone unit within the
Ellerslie Formation, by a 2 m (7 ft) thick shale unit.
References: Jackson and Bourns, 1968.
GEB; KEJ
Upper Devonian (Frasnian)
Alexandra Member (Formation) (Twin Falls Formation)
Author: Crickmay, C. H., 1953.
Type Locality: Alexandra Falls, on the Hay River, District of Mackenzie, at 60°30’N, 116°16’W. The
base of the member is 2 m (7 ft) above the base of the falls.
History: First used without definition by Crickmay (1952); re-defined by Crickmay (1957). Status
revised to Alexandra Member by Belyea and McLaren (1962), who excluded the upper 11 m (36 ft) of
Crickmay’s definition from the member.
Lithology: Principally limestone, with minor interbeds of shale, sandstone and siltstone. Biostromal.
Thickness and Distribution: The Alexandra Member is 30.8 m (101 ft) thick at the type section and 21.3
m (70 ft) at Briggs Tathlina Lake No. 3 borehole (60°49’29.49”N, 117°39’09.56”W). It is present in the
Hay River-Tathlina Lake area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Alexandra Member is the lowest member of the Twin Falls Formation
and conformably overlies the Hay River Formations. It is overlain by an unnamed upper member of the
Twin Falls Formation. On Hay River it corresponds approximately to map unit 17 (Douglas, 1959) and
to Douglas’s map units 17 and 18 and the upper part of 15 on Kakisa River. West of Tathlina Lake it
grades into the Fort Simpson Formation.
References: Belyea and McLaren, 1962; Crickmay, 1952, 1953, 1957; Douglas, 1959.
LVH; PAM
Late Devonian (Famennian)
Alexo Formation (Partly superseded)
Authors: deWit, R. and McLaren, D.J., 1950.
Type Locality: North Saskatchewan River Gap, north side, where the river cuts through the Brazeau
Range. Located 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Nordegg, Alberta. Lat. 52°26’N, Long. 115°54’W.
History: The formation, named after the village of Alexo, Alberta was erected by deWit and McLaren
(1950) to include all the silty carbonate beds between the top of the Southesk and Mount Hawk
Formations and the base of the Palliser Formation. A minor thickness revision was made by McLaren
(1955), who also divided the formation informally into upper and lower members. Further
paleontologic (McLaren, 1959) and stratigraphic studies in the Jasper region led McLaren and
Mountjoy (1962) to revise the formation nomenclature for that area. They designated the lower Alexo
as the Ronde Member of the Southesk Formation and the upper Alexo as the Sassenach Formation.
The term Alexo Formation is therefore no longer applied in the mountains north of the type section, but
is used to the south where the stratigraphy of this interval has not been fully elucidated and is possibly
due for revision.
Lithology: The Alexo Formation is informally divided into two members (McLaren 1955). The lower
member consists of interbedded dolomite and silty and argillaceous dolomites, grading up through
laminated siltstones and silty dolomites to thick bedded, vuggy grey dolomite. The basal part of this
member weathers thin bedded and somewhat recessive. The upper member is composed of
laminated, thin to medium bedded grey and green-grey argillaceous siltstones and silty dolomites.
Small penecontemporaneous slump structures are often present in this interval.
Thickness and Distribution: The Alexo Formation is essentially a basinal unit which onlaps and thinly
covers the Fairholme Group carbonate buildups in the Rocky Mountains. It is fully developed only far
from such buildups, where it may reach thicknesses of 100 m (328 ft), i.e. south of the North
Saskatchewan River. It is 73 m (240 ft) thick at the type section, with the lower and upper members
being 50 and 23 m (163 and 77 ft) thick respectively (McLaren 1955). To the north the upper member of
the Alexo Formation, now termed the Sassenach Formation thickens to approximately 200 m (656 ft)
in basinal sections in the Jasper area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Alexo Formation overlies the Southesk and Mount Hawk formations
of the Fairholme Group. The contact is unconformable on the carbonate buildups (i.e., overlying
Southesk Formation, Arcs Member) and conformable or paraconformable in the basins (i.e., overlying
the Mount Hawk Formation).
The lower contact is popularly taken as marking the Famennian-Frasnian boundary. This
determination is based on a sparse brachiopod fauna which occurs within the Alexo Formation,
although the basal part of the Alexo is very poorly fossiliferous and the boundary may occur within the
Alexo Formation (e.g., McLaren, 1955, 1959). The Alexo is conformably and gradationally overlain by
the Palliser Formation (McLaren, 1955). In the mountains north of the type section McLaren and
Mountjoy (1962) showed that the lower member of the Alexo grades into the Southesk Formation and
designated it the Ronde Member of the Southesk Formation; the upper member was re-designated the
Sassenach Formation. Price (1964) tentatively recognized the Sassenach Formation in the Crowsnest
Pass area, but its relationship with the Alexo Formation of southern Banff National Park is not fully
understood. In the subsurface the Alexo Formation is homotaxial with the Crowfoot Formation of
southeastern Alberta and the Calmar and Graminia formations of the central Alberta subsurface.
References: Belyea, 1958; de Wit and McLaren, 1950; McLaren, 1955, 1959; McLaren and Mountjoy,
1962; Price 1964.
MPC; EWM
Alice Creek Tongue (Grand Rapids Formation)
Author: Green, R. et al., 1970.
Type Locality: None designated. The term is applied to a series of sandstone outcrops equivalent to
the Grand Rapids Formation, on the north slope of the Birch Mountains in northeastern Alberta (Twp.
105, Rge. 18W4M).
Lithology: “Homogeneous, fine-grained, quartzose sandstone” (Green et al., 1970).
Thickness and Distribution: 15.3+ m (50+ ft) along the north slope of the Birch Mountains.
Relationship to Other Units: The Alice Creek Tongue conformably overlies the Loon River Formation
and is sharply overlain by the Shaftesbury Formation. It is considered equivalent to the upper beds of
the Grand Rapids Formation.
References: Green, 1972; Green et al., 1970.
JWK
Mississippian
Alida Beds (Frobisher-Alida Beds)
Author: Saskatchewan Geological Society, 1956.
Type Locality: Named after the Alida oil field. Fuzesy (1960) suggested that the standard reference
section for the Frobisher-Alida Beds should be the Imperial Workman 3-8-1-32W1M well.
Lithology: The Alida Beds vary from oolitic-pisolitic grainstones and packstones with interbedded
argillaceous silty and slightly dolomitic limestone to more argillaceous, sometimes shaly, generally
crinoidal limestones. This change in lithology appears to occur toward the south and west.
Thickness and Distribution: The Alida Beds average about 52 m (171 ft) thick, but vary from 45 m to 63
m (148 to 207 ft). Because of their dependence on the presence of the Kisbey Sandstone for
recognition the Alida Beds are limited to the area east of Range 14W2M.
Relationship to Other Units: The Alida Beds immediately overlie the Tilston Beds, the lower contact
being placed at the top of a 3 to 4.5 m (10 to 15 ft) thick argillaceous, silty and rarely shaly dolomite or
dolomitic limestone The upper contact is difficult to determine since there are several silty and sandy
intervals that may be mistaken for the Kisbey Sandstone. The contact is much more readily identified
in the extreme southeast corner of Saskatchewan, where an evaporitic interval, the Gainsborough
Evaporite is present at the top of the Alida Beds. Fuzesy (1960) used the most persistent quartz sand
horizon as the marker bed for the top of the Alida Beds.
Reference: Fuzesy, 1960.
DMK
Mississippian (Kinderhookian-Osagean)
Allan Mountain Formation (Madison Group)
Authors: Mudge. M.R., Sando W.J. and Dutro, J.T. Jr., 1962.
Type Locality: Exposures along north shore of Gibson Reservoir in the SE/4 Sec. 36, Twp. 22N, Rge.
10W. Sun River Canyon area, Patricks Basin, 7 1/2 min. Quadrangle, Teton County, Montana. Well
exposed to the south at Allan Mountain.
Lithology: Dark grey marine limestone and dolomitic limestone. Divided into three unnamed members.
The lower third of the lower member contains alternating thin to thick bedded, hard, dark grey, dense
limestone and magnesian limestone and very calcareous grey brown mudstone. The rest of the lower
member is very thin bedded, dark grey, argillaceous limestone with many thin shale partings. The
middle member is composed of medium bedded, dark grey chert and limestone. The chert occurs in
lenses and nodules spaced 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in) apart. Some have a fibrous appearance. The
upper member contains thick beds of fine to medium crystalline grey limestone, magnesian limestone
and dolomitic limestone. Some beds are encrinites. Some dark grey, grey-brown and milky grey chert
lenses and nodules occur in the lower part of the member. Fossils are abundant in the lower part of
the lower member and the upper part of the upper member.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation and its members are continuous in the eastern part of the
northern Rockies and adjacent plains and Sweetgrass Arch area of Montana. It ranges in thickness
from 165 to 200 m (541 to 656 ft). The lower member is 50 to 70 m (164 to 230 ft) thick, the middle
member 45 m (148 ft) and the upper member is 60 to 90 m (197 to 295 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Unconformably overlies the Upper Devonian Three Forks Formation,
which contains a black shale at the top that is probably equivalent to the Exshaw Formation.
Conformably overlain by the Castle Reef Dolomite. Laterally equivalent to the Lodgepole Limestone of
central Montana, and to the Band Formation and the lower part of the Livingstone Formation of the
southern Rockies and Plains of Alberta.
Paleontology and Age: Includes two, and the lower part of a third faunal zone which are of
Kinderhookian and Osagean age respectively.
References: Mudge, 1972; Sando and Dutro, 1962.
DMK
Upper Cretaceous
Allison Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Leach, W.W., 1912.
Type Locality: McGillivray Ridge, near Blairmore, southwestern Alberta.
History: Leach (1912) introduced the name Allison Creek Formation; Mackenzie (1914) changed it to
Allison Formation. The name was later dropped in favor of Belly River Formation.
Lithology: Soft, pale green to yellowish sandstones which weather to light colors.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation is 580 m (1900 ft) thick at the type locality.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies dark Alberta shales. Leach (1912) stated that “It is
possible that these beds are equivalent to the Belly River series but, as no fossils were found it was
decided to use the above name provisionally.”
References: Leach, 1912; Mackenzie, 1914; Stewart, 1916.
A.S.P.G. Lexicon, 1960

Middle Proterozoic
Altyn Formation (Belt-Purcell Supergroup)
Authors: Willis, B., 1902, p. 305-352; amended by Douglas, R.J.W., 1952.
Type Locality: Lower cliffs of Appekunny Mountain, north of Swiftcurrent River, Glacier National Park,
Montana; 48°50’N, 113°40’W.
History: The original description by Willis included beds of dolomite at the base which were later
defined as the Waterton Formation by Daly (1912). Douglas (1952) recognized fault repetitions and re-
described the formation, dividing it into lower, middle and upper divisions.
Lithology: in the eastern Lewis and Clark Ranges near the International Boundary the lower part
consists of relatively recessive, thinly bedded, light buff weathering, laminated grey dolomite which
changes to resistant, sandy dolomite and dolomite sandstone in the northeastern Clark Range, and
may change to relatively resistant, greenish, argillaceous dolomite, dolomitic argillite and argillite in
the southwestern Clark Range. The middle part consists of massive, very resistant, sandy dolomite,
stromatolitic dolomite and dolomite in the southeastern Clark Range along the International Boundary.
It changes westward, and probably northward to a sequence of interbedded, resistant, quartzitic and
dolomitic sandstone, and recessive green, dolomitic argillite and argillite. The upper part consists of
thinly bedded sandy and gritty dolomite, stromatolitic dolomite, and argillite in the eastern Clark Range
along the International Boundary. It grades westward, and probably northward into green argillites and
quartz sandstones.
Thickness and Distribution: The Altyn Formation crops out around the periphery of the synclinorium
that occupies the central parts of the Lewis and Clark Ranges in Alberta, British Columbia and
Montana. Its thickness varies because of abrupt facies changes and intertongueing with the
Appekunny Formation, but the stratigraphic interval laterally equivalent to the Altyn Formation as
defined by Douglas (1952) probably maintains a relatively constant thickness of about 300 m (984 ft)
throughout the Clark Range of Alberta and British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: The upper part of the Altyn Formation grades laterally into green argillites
and sandstones of the Appekunny Formation in the western Lewis and Clark Ranges and is
conformably overlain with gradational contact by the Appekunny Formation in the eastern Lewis and
Clark Ranges. It conformably overlies argillaceous dolomite and argillite of the Waterton Formation
with gradational contact. The Altyn is equivalent to the upper part of the Aldridge Formation in the
Purcell Range and western Rockies.
References: Daly, 1912; Douglas, 1952; Fenton and Fenton, 1937; Fermor and Price, 1983; Norris,
1959; Price, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1965; Ross, 1959; Willis, 1902.
PRF, RAP
Lower/Middle Jurassic
Amaranth Formation
Author: Kirks S.R., 1930.
Type Locality: Commonwealth Manitou No. 2, in 8-26-2-9WPM, southern Manitoba, between 359.7
and 426.7 m (1180 and 1400 ft), and Neepawa Salt Company No. 2, in 9-33-14-15WPM, between
228.6 and 301.7 m (750 and 990 ft). Suggested reference section is Tudale Neepawa 5-29-14-
14WPM, between 214.7 and 272.2 m (704.5 and 893 ft), completely cored.
History: The name was first used by Kirk (1930) in manuscript map, for gypsum bearing beds
outcropping in the vicinity of the town of Amaranth, in southwestern Manitoba. Wickenden (1945)
subsequently noted two subsurface type sections.
Lithology: The Amaranth consists of two members (Stott, 1955). The lower Amaranth consists of hard,
massive, reddish brown dolomitic shale that becomes progressively more silty and sandy towards the
base, in places grading to a sandstone. Sand grains are characteristically medium grained, well
rounded, Frosted and pitted, and anhydrite inclusions and fracture fillings are common towards the top.
A basal carbonate breccia is present in places. The upper Amaranth consists of massive beds of finely
crystalline, bluish white anhydrite with interbeds of greenish grey to brown shale and dolomite. Bluish
white chert concretions occur at the top of the unit. In proximity to the outcrop belt the anhydrite passes
to gypsum and is utilized as a commercial source of gypsum for Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Thickness and Distribution: The lower Amaranth ranges in thickness from zero to 45.7 m (150 ft) in
southwestern Manitoba, the thickness being controlled primarily by the paleotopography of the
underlying Paleozoic erosion surface. It is locally absent on paleotopographic highs in the Wawanesa
area (vicinity of Twp. 8, Rge. 18WPM), and in a large area north of Virden. The upper Amaranth attains
a maximum thickness of 53.3 m (175 ft) and thins progressively to the north and east, pinching out in
the vicinity of Twp. 26. Amaranth beds also occur as isolated outliers or erosional remnants in the area
of the Lake St. Martin crater structure and in the Winnipeg area. A major channel-fill type of deposit
occurs southeast of Winnipeg, in the Dominion City area (vicinity of Twp. 3) where Amaranth strata
extend up to 110 km (79 mi) east of the “normal” erosional limit. The name is applied only in the
outcrop belt and subsurface of southwestern Manitoba.
Relationship to Other Units: The Amaranth rests with marked angular unconformity on Mississippian
limestones in the extreme southwestern corner of Manitoba, and oversteps progressively older
Paleozoic strata to the north and east, to rest directly on Precambrian basement in the major Pre-
Mesozoic erosion channel in the Dominion City area (vicinity of Twps. 2 and 3, Rges. 6 to 10EPM).
Locally, in the Lake St. Martin area (vicinity of Twp. 32, Rge. 8WPM) it unconformably overlies a
sequence of brecciated Precambrian and lower Paleozoic strata and igneous (melt?) rocks of
approximate Permian age which comprise the St. Martin Complex.
The unit is overlain with slight disconformity by limestones of the Reston Formation. It is directly
correlative and continuous with the Watrous Formation of Saskatchewan. The lower Amaranth is
correlative with the upper part of the Spearfish Formation and the upper Amaranth with the basal part
of the Piper Formation of northern North Dakota.
References: Bannatyne, 1959; Kirk, 1930; McCabe and Bannatyne, 1970; Stott, 1955; Wickenden,
1945.
HRM
Middle Devonian (Givetian)
Amco Shale
Author: Campbell, N.L., 1950.
Type Locality: Pine Point mining area, Great Slave lake, District of Mackenzie, 60°51’N, 114°25’W.
Lithology: Dark greenish or bluish gray shale, argillaceous limestone and dolomite.
Thickness and Distribution: About 3 to 4 m (9 to 12 ft) thick. Occurs in the subsurface of the western
part of the Pine Point mining area and the subsurface of northern Alberta west of the 6th meridian.
North of Twp. 100 a similar marker can be recognized and is locally referred to as the “Shale Marker”.
Relationship to Other Units: The Amco is conformably overlain and underlain by limestones and
dolomites of the Slave Point Formation and is the lateral equivalent of the Fort Vermilion Member of
the Slave Point Formation, although Skall (1975) placed it at the base of the Slave Point Formation. It
is a tongue of the Buffalo River Member according to Jackson (1971).
Paleontology: Crinoids, brachiopods, stomatoporoids, corrals, Amphipora, ostracods.
References: Belyea and Norris, 1962; Campbell, 1950; Jackson, 1971; Law, 1955a; Norris, 1965;
Skall, 1975.
GKW, DWM, PAM, SM

Middle Cambrian
Amiskwi Member (Stephen Formation)
Author: Aitken, J.D., in press.
Type Locality: Immediately east of the Fossil Gully fault, south face of Mount Field, near Field, British
Columbia.
History: Friar (1971) noted that the upper part of the “thick” (basinal) Stephen Formation contained
more limestone than the lower and resembled lithologically the upper part of the “thin” (platform)
Stephen. McIlreath (1977a) noted, in the “thick” Stephen evidence of upward shallowing from the deep
water facies of the lower part. These concepts were followed by Aitken (in press) in erecting a lower,
Amiskwi and an upper, Wapta member for the basinal Stephen Formation.
Lithology: Mainly grey, brownish grey and brown, less commonly, black shale and subordinate
massive mudstone that are largely calcareous and generally silty, with common graded laminae. Slide
surfaces and penecontemporaneous overfolds are common. The content of carbonate rock is
insignificant, except for the “boundary limestone”, a wedge of limestone in front of the Cathedral
Escarpment (Fritz, 1971; Mcilreath, 1977a, 1977b).
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section, 174 m (571 ft). The Amiskwi is a part of the basinal
Stephen Formation and exposure is extremely limited. The member occurs only outboard of the
Cathedral escarpment and dips westward out of sight within a short distance.
Relationship to Other Units: The Amiskwi Member overlies the Takakkaw Tongue of the Cathedral
Formation at an abrupt, but apparently conformable contact (on Mount Stephen, the contact is a slide
surface). It is overlain conformably and gradationally by the Wapta Member. The Amiskwi butts
eastward against the Cathedral Escarpment.
Paleontology: The Amiskwi Member contains deep-water, open sea faunas of the Middle Cambrian
Glossopleura and Bathyuriscus-Elrathina Zones.
References: Aitken, in press; Fritz, 1971; McIlreath, 1977a, 1977b.
JDA
Upper Cretaceous (Turonian)
Amundson Member (Cardium)
Author: Plint, A.G., Walker, R.G. and Bergman, K.M., 1986.
Type Locality: West-central Alberta. Type section is in the Mobil Smoky River 6-29-59-1W6M well
between 2290 and 2294.5 m (7511 and 7526 ft).
Lithology: Clast supported conglomerate or pebbly sandstone or pebbly mudstone.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit ranges up to 7 m (23 ft) in thickness and is best developed in a
narrow belt about 4 km (2.5 mi) wide trending northwest from the type well. To the east and west it
thins rapidly to a pebbly mudstone or gritty siderite bed.
Relationship to Other Units: Underlain by the Karr Member, which may be of the Cardium or Wapiabi
formation. The Amundson is abruptly overlain by black mudstones of the Wapiabi Formation.
References: Plint, Walker and Bergman, 1986; Plint, Walker and Duke, 1988.
Lexicon Committee
Middle Proterozoic
Appekunny Formation (Belt-Purcell Supergroup)
Author: Willis, B., 1902, p. 305-352.
Type Locality: Northeastern spur of Appekunny Mountain, north of Swiftcurrent River, Glacier National
Park, Montana; 48°50’N, 113°40’W.
History: Daly (1912) extended the Appekunny Formation into southern Canada; Hage (1943)
recognized it in the Beaver Mines area of Alberta; Douglas (1952) provided more precise data on its
character and distribution in the Waterton Lakes Area; Price (1959, 1962, 1956) and Norris (1959)
mapped its distribution around the periphery of the Clark Range in southwestern Alberta and
southeastern British Columbia.
Lithology: Green and red argillite, green quartz sandstone, dolomite and quartz pebble conglomerate
and sandy dolomite in eastern Lewis and Clark Ranges; changes southwestward into grey and green
laminated argillite with thin beds of green quark sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: The Appekunny crops out around the periphery of the synclinorium that
occupies the central parts of the Lewis and Clark Ranges in Alberta, British Columbia and Montana. It
increases in thickness to the southwest and southeast from about 230 m (754 ft) in northeast Clark
Range, Alberta to about 500 m (1640 ft) at the International Boundary in central Lewis and Clark
Ranges and to about 1000 m (3280 ft) in east-central Lewis Range, Glacier National Park, Montana.
The westward increase in thickness is due in part to the westward gradation of the Altyn Formation
into the Appekunny Formation.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit conformably overlies the sandy dolomites of the Altyn Formation
with gradational contact in the eastern Lewis and Clark Ranges; the lower part of the Appekunny
Formation grades into and intertongues with the upper Altyn Formation in the western Lewis and
Clark Ranges. It is conformably overlain with gradational contact by red and green argillites and
siltstone and green quartz sandstones of the Grinned Formation. The Appekunny is equivalent to the
lower part of the Creston Formation of the Purcell Range and western Rockies, and to the Greyson
Formation of Glacier National Park, Montana .
References: Daly, 1912; Douglas 1952; Fermor and Price, 1983; Hage, 1943; Mudge, 1977; Norris,
1959; Price, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1965; Willis, 1902.
PRF, RAP
Middle Proterozoic
Appistoki Member (Appekunny Formation,
Purcell Supergroup) (Abandoned)
Authors: Fenton, C.L. and Fenton, M.A., 1931, p. 670-686.
Type Locality: Appistoki and Rising Wolf Mountains, southern Lewis Range, Glacier National Park,
Montana; 48°30’N, 113°22W.
History: The term was introduced by Fenton and Fenton (1931) to describe strata overlying the
Singleshot Member of the Appekunny Formation and underlying the Rising Wolf Member of the
Grinnell Formation. Ross (1959) concluded that the Appistoki Member is the equivalent of the
Appekunny Formation of Willis (1902).
Lithology: Green, brown and black argillite, sandy argillite and quartz sandstone.
References: Fenton and Fenton, 1931, 1937; Ross, 1959.
PRF, RAP
Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)
Aquadell Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Author: Caldwell, W.G.E., 1968.
Type Locality: The segment of the South Saskatchewan River valley from the town of Outlook in the
north to the Saskatchewan Landing bridge in the south, in southwestern Saskatchewan. The type
locality is the Imperial Oil Limited Structure Test Hole 168, located at the northern end of the Vermilion
Hills in 4-6-21-6W3M, and the type section lies between 606.5 and 657 m (1990 and 2155 ft). Only a
little more than the upper half of the Aquadell Member is contained in the type section, which is
complemented by a reference section in Imperial Oil Structure Test Hole 67, located in Sec. 10-20-
6W3M, on the eastern flank of the Vermilion Hills, in which the lower half of the member was cored
between 577.5 and 608 m (1894 and 1994 ft). The type and reference sections are a little over 8 km (5
mi) apart, and together they must span essentially the entire Aquadell Member; indeed, the two
sections may overlap slightly.
Lithology: Clay, silt and subordinate sand, locally lithified to claystone, shale, siltstone dominate the
Aquadell Member. The clays and silts are mid-grey, blocky, and non-calcareous; some of the clays
carry thin beds, lenses and pockets of silt and sand, and some of the silts carry similar bodies of clay
and sand. Beds of “purer” clay tend to be massive. In the type section 3 m (10 ft) of sand, greenish grey,
fine grained and slightly calcareous are present 26 m (85 ft) below the top of the member. The basal 6
m (20 ft) silt and siltstone in the reference section show an increasing sand content with depth as the
contact with the Cruikshank Member is approached. Carbonaceous streaks may be present in some of
the higher silts.
Thickness and Distribution: Only 50.5 m (166 ft) of the Aquadell Member are contained in the type
section but, in combination with the reference section the thickness of the member may be determined
to be about 81 m (266 ft). The Vermilion Hills district is exceptional however, in that a complete section
is preserved beneath an outlier of the Eastend Formation and Whitemud Formation. Within the type
area the member is generally incompletely preserved and that only where the bedrock surface is
relatively high. Southwestwards from the type area the member is known to be preserved patchily
beneath the sub-Pleistocene unconformity, at least as far as Twp. 5, Rge. 21W3M. From the type area
in other directions the distribution of the member is unknown; it probably has been largely removed by
erosion.
Relationship to Other Units: The Aquadell Member conformably succeeds the Cruikshank Member
and is conformably succeeded by the Eastend Formation. Contacts may be established with little
difficulty, but the bounding beds tend to be transitional in their lithologic characteristics. The upper
Bearpaw Formation in the Cypress Hills comprises the Oxarart, Belanger, Thelma and Medicine
Lodge members, with the uppermost beds of the Manyberries Member, and these must all be
correlatives of the Aquadell Member. The known distribution of the Aquadell Member, although limited
suggests that within a short distance northeast of the Cypress Hills sand of the Oxarart, Belanger and
Thelma members must undergo fairly rapid facies change into silty clays. To the east, in Manitoba
equivalents are present within an upper member of the Pierre Shale (Coulter Member of Baburak
(1978).
Paleontology: Molluscs are exceedingly rare in the Aquadell Member, but certain scaphitid
ammonites, recovered from limited outcrops in Snakebite Creek indicate that the middle beds fall
within the ammonite zone of Baculites baculus. It is largely inferred that the lower beds lie within the
zone of B. eliasi and the upper beds within the zone of B. grandis. A largely arenaceous-walled
foraminiferal fauna forms the basis for the Haplopbragmoides excavata Zone, which extends not only
through the entire Aquadell Member but also through the underlying Cruikshank Member and the
basal beds of the overlying Eastend Formation.
References: Caldwell, 1968; Caldwell et al. 1978; North and Caldwell 1970, 1975a.
WGEC; RJH
Arcs Member (Southesk Formation)
Author: Belyea, H.R. and McLaren, D.J., 1957a.
Type Locality: White Man Gap, at the southeast end of Mount Rundle, 6.5 km (4 mi) west of Canmore,
Alberta on the Spray Lakes reservoir road. Section measured on the north side of the pass. (51°04’N,
115°25’W). Subsurface section in the Hudson’s Bay West Drum 1-2-30-21W4M well, between 1675
and 1709 m (5494 and 5606 ft).
History: Belyea and McLaren (1957a) formally named and described members of the Southesk
Formation in a surface section in 1956. The Arcs Member replaced the informal upper grey dolomite
member previously used by these authors. Belyea and McLaren (1957a) also extended the Arcs
Member into the southern Alberta subsurface.
Lithology: The member consists of light grew medium bedded dolomites, generally medium crystalline,
with variable vug and intercrystalline porosity. The dolomites appear unfossiliferous, except for relict
Amphipora. In the Miette and Ancient Wall buildups the Arcs Member is preserved as limestone. The
member there consists of peloid grain, pack- and wackestones with fenestral pores usually filled by
sparry calcite cement. Calcispheres, foraminifera, Amphipora, and algae are the only common fossils.
Thickness and Distribution: The Arcs Member in the mountains is between 12 and 74 m (39 and 244
ft) thick, with maximum development at the type section. The average thickness is around 50 m (164 ft).
In the subsurface it is generally much thinner, 6 to 12 m (20 to 40 ft), but may locally reach 45 m (148 ft)
in thickness. The member is present in the Rocky Mountains in the upper part of carbonate buildups of
the Fairholme Group from the Ancient Wall to the Flathead area of southeastern British Columbia. In
the subsurface of southern Alberta the Arcs Member is recognized south of Twp. 30 and also east of a
line between Drumheller and Vermilion.
Relationship to Other Units: The Arcs Member is the uppermost member of the Southesk Formation,
except in the limited areas where the Ronde member is recognized. It overlies and may in part grade
laterally into the Grotto Member towards the margins of carbonate buildups. Rarely it overlies the
Peechee Member paraconformably. The boundary between the Arcs—Grotto members and the
Peechee Member is of great depositional significance, for it separates two cycles of Upper Devonian
sedimentation (Mountjoy and Mackenzie, 1973; Coppold, 1976). The Arcs and Grotto members are a
regressive-cycle formed subsequent to Peechee Member deposition. The Arcs Member is equivalent
to the upper part of the Mount Hawk Formation of basin sections.
In the mountains the Arcs Member is overlain either by the Ronde Member or the Sassenach or Alexo
formations. At the Ancient Wall the Arcs Member is usually overlain by the Palliser Formation. In the
subsurface the Arcs is overlain paraconformably by the Crowfoot Formation.
The Arcs Member is possibly equivalent to the upper Nisku depositional cycle of the central Alberta
subsurface, though it is not an exact lithologic counterpart of the Nisku formation. Such relationship is
currently the subject of some debate. Arcs strata of southern Alberta are referred to by some workers
as part of Nisku Formation. The member is probably equivalent to the Birdbear Formation of
Saskatchewan and part of the upper Jefferson Formation of Montana .
References: Belyea, 1958; Belyea and McLaren, 1956, 1957a; Coppold, 1976; Dooge, 1966;
Hargreaves. 1959; Mackenzie, 1969; Mountjoy, 1965; Mountjoy and Mackenzie, 1973: Price, 1964.
MPC; EWM
Middle Cambrian
Arctomys Formation
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1920.
Type Locality: On the northern slopes of Sullivan Peak, Glacier Lake Valley, Band National Park,
Alberta.
History: The Arctomys Formation was established by Walcott for a sequence of laminated limestones
(now the Waterfowl Formation) underlain by a thicker succession of red and green shales. However,
Walcott rarely adhered to his definition; he generally excluded the upper (Waterfowl beds, or added
Pika beds below. Later authors have settled on the lithologic usage described below (Aitken and
Greggs, 1967).
Lithology: Red, grey, green, platy shales, generally recessive weathering. The shales often exhibit mud
cracks, ripple marks and salt casts.
Thickness and Distribution: As re-defined by Aitken and Greggs (1967) the Arctomys Formation is 235
m (771 ft) thick at the type section. It thickens northward to 336 m (1100 ft) at Mount Robson; at Mount
Assiniboine to the southeast it is 40 m (132 ft) thick; and at its most southerly recognized occurrence at
White Man Mountain it is 102 m (1335 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The Arctomys is gradationally overlain by the Waterfowl Formation; its
lower contact with the Pika Formation is also gradational.
References: Aitken and Greggs, 1967; Coo, 1970; Deiss, 1940; Greggs, 1962; North and Henderson,
1954; Walcott, 1920.
RGG
Ardkenneth Member (Bearpaw Formation)
section is located in a creek that drains the badlands on the north side of the river, in Sections 4 and
10, Twp. 20, Rge. 12W3M, 14.5 km (9 mi) west of the old Herbert Ferry crossing.
Lithology: Sand, pale grey, grey, brownish grey and greyish brown, weathering in paler tones of the
same colors, patchily iron stained, fine to medium grained, silty, poorly consolidated, non-calcareous
and weakly cross-bedded near the base is the dominant sediment type of the Ardkenneth Member.
Like the upper Demaine Member the Ardkenneth is noted for its thin beds and concretions of brown,
rusty, and yellow weathering ironstone. The beds of ironstone, from 7.5 to 23 cm (3 to 9 in) thick, are
present between 6 and 9 m (20 and 30 ft) above the base and from 1.2 to 6.5 m (4 to 21 ft) below the
top, the most prominent being a 23 cm (9 in) dark brown, orange weathering bed containing preserved
cylindrical casts of burrows, at the top of the series. The 2.5 cm (1 in) diameter bedded ironstone
concretions are concentrated 6.1 to 9.1 m (20 to 30 ft) above the base, weathering out from beds of the
host sand about 0.3 m (1 ft) thick and giving these beds a spotted appearance. Fossiliferous
concretions of grey calcareous sandstone are present in the lower 6 m (20 ft) of the member in the type
section and are present also at higher levels in other sections. Locally the lowest and highest sands of
the member carry a visibly greater proportion of silt and clay.
Thickness and Distribution: Excepting the Outlook Member, which is only partly exposed the
Ardkenneth Member is the thickest of the sands of the Bearpaw Formation of the type area, throughout
which it can be traced readily by surface and subsurface sections. It is 21 m (69 ft) thick in the type
section, but within the type area varies between 9 and 43 m (30 and 141 ft). South of the type area,
between Rges. 11 and 15W3M it extends at well over 3 m (10 ft) to about halfway between the South
Saskatchewan River valley and the border with Montana. To the east of the type area it extends
through the Qu’Appelle River valley at least as far as the Eyebrow Hills, where it has a thickness of
about 20 m (66 ft). To the west of the type area the member is known to extend as far as Rge. 19W3M,
beyond which, like the underlying Beechy Member it probably has been largely removed by pre-
Pleistocene erosion. At its known westerly limits it is less than 10 m (33 ft) thick. Fluctuations in
thickness apparently are a result of varying rates of sedimentation and facies variation between the
upper silty clays of the Beechy Member and the lower silty sands of the Ardkenneth Member.
Relationship to Other Units: Completely exposed in the type section, the Ardkenneth Member may be
seen in conformable sequence with the underlying Beechy and overlying Snakebite members.
Contacts may be drawn clearly, but generally lie within beds that have transitional aspects to their
lithology. To the east, and to the west of the type area the ultimate disappearance of the Ardkenneth
Member is probably due to progressive downcutting of the sub-Pleistocene unconformity. Only to the
south of the type area is loss of identity clearly attributable to facies change into a thick composite
Beechy-Snakebite Member, which forms the principal component of the Manyberries Member of the
Bearpaw Formation. To the east in Manitoba, equivalents are present within the Odanah Member of
the Pierre Shale (Riding Mountain Formation).
Paleontology: Ovoid concretions of calcareous sandstone in the lowest 6 m (20 ft), like those near the
top of the Beechy Member, have yielded a molluscan fauna that includes the ammonite Baculites
Compresses robinsoni Cobban, which indicates that the lower part of the Ardkenneth Member lies
within the B. compressus Zone in the ammonite zonal scheme. The upper part is believed to lie within
the succeeding B. cuneatus Zone. The Ardkenneth Member is essentially barren of foraminifers, but its
shaly equivalents indicate that it occupies the position of the Praebulimina kickapooensis Subzone,
the youngest subzone of the Haplophragmoides fraseri Zone in the foraminiferal zonal scheme for the
southern interior plains .
References: Caldwell, 1968; McLean, 1971; Caldwell et al., 1978; North and Caldwell, 1970, 1975a, b.
WGEC; RJH
Upper Cretaceous
Ardley Coal Seam (Edmonton Formation)
Author: Allan, J.A. and Sanderson, J.O.G., 1945.
Type Locality: It has been mined at several places in the vicinity of Ardley, and outcrops along the
slopes of the Red Deer Valley from Ardley, in Twp. 38, southward to Twp. 32, Alberta.
History: The seam was designated “Seam No. 14” by Allan and Sanderson (1945) and is often referred
to as the “Big Seam”.
Lithology: Sub-bituminous B rank coal, with partings of shale, sandstone and bentonitic clay, and
Intervals of shady coal common.
Thickness and Distribution: At Ardley the entire seam is 3.2 m (10.5 ft) thick, of which 1.7 km (5.5 ft) is
mineable. The Ardley seam may correspond to the “Big Seam” on the North Saskatchewan River west
of Edmonton. The Pembina seam at Evansburg, and the Wabamun seam near Wabamun Lake, west of
Edmonton also occupy stratigraphic positions similar to that of the Ardley seam.
Relationship to Other Units: The Ardley seam usually occurs from 46 to 61 m (150 to 200 ft) below the
top of the Edmonton Formation. It is overlain by fresh water bentonitic beds and underlain by grey,
bentonitic sandstones.
Reference: Allan and Sanderson, 1945.

Early to Middle Devonian
Arnica Formation
Author: Douglas, R.J.W. and Norris, D.K., 1961.
Type Locality: on the south side of First Canyon on the South Nahanni River in the Virginia Falls map
area (95F), District of Mackenzie (61°17’N, 124°14W).
Lithology: Dolomite dark grey and brownish grew fetid, fine to medium crystalline, thick bedded. In
many places the lower part of the Arnica is distinctively banded with white dolomite laminates and
dolomitized pelletal and intraclast packstones displaying a fenestral fabric. The upper part is more
biostromal, and in some places is porous and vuggy. Chert nodules also occur in the upper part of the
formation.
Thickness and Distribution: The Arnica is 625 m (2050 ft.) thick at the type section and extends
throughout the Mackenzie Mountains. It is present, but thinner in the subsurface of the western part of
the Mackenzie Plain. Westward from the type section it thins to less than 200 m (656 ft) and terminates
west of 126°W.
Relationship to Other Units: Previously the Arnica was thought to overlie unconformably the Sombre
Formation (Douglas and D.K. Norris, 1961), but this view was questioned by Gabrielse et al. (1973).
Recent work has shown that the Arnica overlies the Sombre with a gradational, Conformable contact
and the lower part of the Arnica correlates with the upper part of the Sombre (Morrow and Cook,
1987). In places it has been noted to unconformably overlie the Delorme and Camsell formations. The
Manetoe and Landry formations conformably overlie the Arnica throughout the Mackenzie Mountains,
except in the southwest Wrigley Lake map area, where it is gradational into and overlain by the Natla
Formation, and in the Grizzly Bear lake area, where the Manetoe may interbed with the Arnica
(Morrow 1977), it is overlain by the Grizzly Bear Formation. The Arnica passes laterally eastward to
the Bear Rock Formation and northward to the Dolomite Member of Corsage Formation (Aitken et al.
(1982). Westward, towards the Selwyn Basin the Arnica passes to shales of the Road River
Formation. Southward is passes to the upper part of the Stone Formation of northeastern British
Columbia. Strata included in the Arnica were previously included in the Lone Mountain Formation
(Kindle and Bosworth, 1921). The Arnica corresponds to map-unit 16 of Douglas and D.K. Norris
(1960) and correlates in part with the Ernestina Lake Formation, and with the Chinchaga Formation.
Paleontology: Amphiporids, colonial corals brachiopods, crinoids, (Gasterocoma bicaula), faunas

poorly preserved.
References: Aitken et al., 1982; Blusson, 1971; Chatterton, 1978; Douglas and D.K. Norris, 1960,
1961, 1963; Gabrielse, 1967a; Gabrielse et al., 1965; Gabrielse et al., 1973; E.M. Kindle and Bosworth,
1921; Law, 1971; Morrow and Cook, 1987; Noble and Ferguson, 1971; D.K. Norris and Hopkins, 1977;
Perry and Lenz, 1978; Roed, 1969.
DWM; LVH, PAM

Quaternary (Wisconsin)
Arran Formation
Author: Klassen, R.W., 1979, p. 10.
Type Locality: Roadcut on provincial highway 49, in SE/4 of Sec. 6, Twp. 34, Rge. 30WPM
(approximately 51°53’N, 101°42’W), 1 km (0.63 mi) east of Arran, Saskatchewan.
History: Formerly included in Lennard Till (now Lennard Formation) by Klassen (1969).
Lithology: Till composed almost equally of sand, silt and clay, the silt containing between 34 and 65%
carbonate. The till displays various shades of brown in outcrops, in the subsurface it is generally dark
brown.
Thickness and Distribution: Normally 2 to 5 m (7 to 16 ft) thick. Found east of the Manitoba Escarpment
in the Riding Mountain-Duck Mountain area of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and particularly in re-
entrants between those mountains and the Porcupine Hills Upland.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Minnedosa or Zelena formations: generally the surface unit in
the Valley River, Westlake and Swan River Plains. It is the youngest drift in the region, deposited
during Classical Wisconsin time by lobes of the last glacier to invade the region.
References: Klassen, 1979.
RWK; AMacSS
Upper Triassic
Artex Member
(Charlie Lake Formation, Schooler Creek Group)
Author: Stewart, R., British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.
Type Locality: Baay et al. Wilder 10-2-83-20W6M, in northeastern British Columbia, between 1478 and
1481 m (4848 and 4858 ft).
Lithology: Fine to medium grained, grey to brown, quartzose sandstone, moderately to well sorted,
occasionally cemented by anhydrite and dolomite; grading to light grey, dolomitic, quartzose siltstone.
Thickness and Distribution: 1 m (3 ft) thick throughout the Peace River Block, northeastern British
Columbia; southward, in the Brassey area it thickens locally to 4 m (13 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Lies 8-10 m (26 to 33 ft) above the Halfway Formation.
KAM, JWR
Lower Middle Devonian
Ashern Formation (Elk Point Group)
Author: Baillie, A.D., 1951
Type Locality: Outcrops near town of Ashern, Manitoba (vicinity of Twp. 25, Rge. 7WPM), but no type
section defined because of poor exposure. Suggested reference subsurface section is Manitoba
Mineral Resources Division core hole M-4-79, in Lsd. 2, Sec. 22, Twp. 27, Rge. 7WPM, between 3 and
10 m (10 and 33 ft) located at the Spearhill Quarry, 16 km (10 mi) north of Ashern.
Lithology: In outcrop poorly thin bedded, brick red to greyish orange, unfossiliferous, slightly silty,
argillaceous dolomite to dolomitic shale. In the subsurface the lower red bed facies commonly grades
upward through variegated green and red shales to grey shales and argillaceous dolomite. Salt casts
and minor amounts of anhydrite and iron sulphide are present. Basal beds show development of
prominent carbonate breccia in places, and may contain significant amounts of quartz silt and sand.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness variable and rather erratic, ranging from 3 to 4.6 m (10 to 15 ft)
along the Manitoba outcrop belt. The subsurface thickness ranges up to as much as 55 m (180 ft) in
North Dakota. Ashern strata extend throughout the Manitoba and Saskatchewan portions of the Elk
Point Basin, except locally in the area of the Swift Current Platform, and at places on the basin flank
where they are overstepped by Winnipegosis strata.
Relationship to Other Units: The Ashern overlies Silurian and Ordovician carbonate rocks with
pronounced, slightly angular unconformity; possibly local, incipient pre-Devonian karst development. It
is overlain with possible slight unconformity by dolomites or limestones of the Winnipegosis
Formation, or Elm Point Formation where it is developed. It correlates with the Contact Rapids
Formation of central Alberta.
References: Baillie, 1951, 1953; Grayston et al, 1964; Uyeno et al., 1980.
HRM
Lower to Upper Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian)
Ashville Formation
Author: Kirk, S.R., 1930.
Type Locality: On the Wilson River, in Twp. 25, Rges. 20 and 21W1M, near Ashville Manitoba. A
composite type section on the Wilson River has been described by McNeil and Caldwell (1981).
History: The “Ashville beds” were originally defined by Kirk. Wickenden (1945) later recognized them
as a formation. Price (1963) applied the name Ashville Group in areas of southeastern Saskatchewan,
where subdivisions of the Ashville succession were recognized as formations. An informal division of
the Ashville was introduced by Rudkin (1964) and Williams and Burk (1964), consisting of a lower and
an upper Ashville separated by the base of the Fish-scale marker beds. McNeil and Caldwell (1981)
established a four member division of the Ashville Formation comprising, in ascending order, the Skull
Creek Shale, Newcastle Sandstone, Westgate and Belle Fourche Shale members.
Lithology: Grey-black, non-calcareous shale with subordinate amounts of silt, sand and calcarenite. At
the base the Skull Creek Member consists of shale with minor amounts of sand, siltstone, rare
phosphatic nodules and disseminated pyrite. Glauconitic sand lenses are common in its lowermost
part. The overlying Newcastle Member (previously the informal Ashville sand) is made up of fine
grained sand, silt and clay. The Westgate Member is a uniform shale with rare beds of silty shale with
sandy lenses. The Belle Fourche, the uppermost member of the Ashville is predominantly a black
carbonaceous shale which is marked in its lowermost part by lenses and laminae of silt and fish
fragments constituting the regional Fishscale marker beds. The upper Belle Fourche contains minor
units of calcarenite, one of which forms the Ostrea beloiti beds associated with a regional marker
bentonite bed which, with the oyster bearing calcarenite forms a widespread marker unit in the eastern
part of the Western Interior of Canada and the United States.
Thickness and Distribution: The Ashville Formation is applied only in western Manitoba and eastern
Saskatchewan. It is 50 to 80 m (164 to 262 ft) thick in the Manitoba escarpment about 100 m (328 ft)
thick in eastern Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The Ashville rests with sharp contact on the white sands of the Swan
River Formation. The contact rises stratigraphically southeastward as the Skull Creek Member
diminishes in thickness. The upper contact with calcareous, chalk-speckled shale of the Favel
Formation is conformable in southeastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba, but sharp and
unconformable to the northwest in the Porcupine and Pasquia Hills areas of east-central
Saskatchewan (McNeil and Caldwell, 1981). The Ashville correlates westward with the Colorado
Group (below the Second (lower) White-speckled shale marker) in Saskatchewan and eastern
Alberta, including the Joli Fou and Viking Formations, and an overlying shale unit (Big River
Formation of Simpson, 1975) equivalent to the Westgate and Belle Fourche members. Southward the
Ashville correlates with the Skull Creek Shale, Newcastle Sandstone, Mowry Shale and Belle
Fourche Shale in North Dakota, eastern Montana and Wyoming, and western South Dakota.
References: Bannatyne, 1970; Kirk, 1930; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; Price, 1963; Rudkin, 1964;
Simpson, 1975; Wickenden, 1945; Williams and Burk, 1964.
DHM; LLP
Lower Cretaceous (Late Albian)
Ashville Sand (Ashville Formation, Colorado Group)
Type Locality: None designated.
Lithology: White and light grey, fine to coarse grained sand and interbedded dark grey shale.
Thickness and Distribution: Of widespread distribution in the subsurface of southern Manitoba.

Maximum thickness values in the range 6 to 37 m (20 to 121 ft) are obtained in an irregular northwest-
southwest belt, some 3 to 13 km (1.9 to 8 mi) wide, extending from Twp. 13, Rge. 27WPM, to Twp. 4,
Rge 14WPM (Bannatyne, 1970, McCabe, 1971). To the northeast of this belt the unit is a blanket sand
3 to 6 m (10 to 20 ft) thick, while to the southwest it is generally less than 6 m (20 ft) thick and
undergoes progressive decrease in both thickness and grain size, to be replaced laterally by shales
and mudstones of the lower Ashville succession in the vicinity of the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border
Relationship to Other Units: Occurs in the middle of the lower part of the largely argillaceous Ashville
Formation. The sand is conformably overlain by the lower Ashville shales. The lower contact appears
to be erosional, notably in the belt of anomalously high isopachous values, which seems to reflect
channel excavation and infilling. The unit is approximately equivalent to the Viking Formation of
eastern Saskatchewan and the Newcastle Formation of North Dakota.
References: Bannatyne 1970; Davies et al., 1962; Kirk, 1930; McCabe, 1971; Rudkin, 1964; Simpson,
1975; Wickenden, 1945.
FS
Upper Cretaceous (Middle Turonian)
Assiniboine Member (Favel Formation)
Author: Dowling, D.B., 1920; Kirk, S.R., 1930.
Type Locality: Exposures on the Vermilion River, southwest of Dauphin, Manitoba The type section is
located in Lsd. 5, Sec. 35, Twp. 23, Rge. 20W1M.
Lithology: Calcareous shale. The Assiniboine Member is an olive-black calcareous, chalkspeckled,

carbonaceous shale, with thin interbeds of bentonite and calcarenite. It is less calcareous, more
carbonaceous and softer than the underlying Keld Member. The upper Assiniboine contains a 1 m (3
ft) thick fossiliferous limestone marker bed named the Marco Calcarenite (McNeil and Caldwell, 1981).
Bivalves, especially Mytiloides, planktonic foraminifers and coccoliths are common to abundant in the
Assiniboine Member. The characteristic chalk specks of the Assiniboine are thought to be coprolitic
aggregates of coccoliths (Hattin, 1975a)
Thickness and Distribution: The Assiniboine Member is recognized in outcrop along the Manitoba
escarpment from the Assiniboine River to the Pasquia Hills, and in the subsurface of southern
Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan. The member is 16 m (53 ft) thick in its type section, slightly
thicker in subsurface sections to the south at approximately 20 m (66 ft), but thinner to the northwest at
only 9 m (30 ft) in the Pasquia Hills of east-central Saskatchewan. McNeil and Caldwell (1981)
attributed the northwestward decrease in thickness to internal condensation and disappearance of the
uppermost beds by disconformity.
Relationship to Other Units: The Assiniboine conformably overlies the Keld Member of the Favel
Formation, but is in disconformable contact with the overlying black, non-calcareous Morden Shale.
The Assiniboine Member is a correlative of the Fairport Chalk Member of the Carlile Shale of the
Western Interior United States. It correlates with the upper part of the Second (lower) White-speckled
shale of the Colorado Group of western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta, and with the Vimy
Member (upper part) of the Blackstone Formation of the central and southwestern Alberta Foothills.
References: Dowling, 1920; Hattin, 1962, 1975a; Kirk, 1930; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; Wall, 1967;
Wickenden, 1945.
DHM; LLP
Quaternary (Wisconsin and Recent)
Assiniboine Valley Sediments
Type Locality: Given in 1969 as Assiniboine River in general. However, in 1975 Klassen subdivided
the unit into the Virden fill and the Assiniboine alluvium, and assigned type localities to each of these
subunits. The type locality for the Virden fill is here designated as the Lectostratotype Locality for the
whole unit. This site is a borehole in the bottom of the Assiniboine Valley about 6 km (3.75 mi) east-
northeast of Virden, Manitoba, in SE/4 of Sec. 32, Twp. 10, Rge. 25WPM (approximately 49°53’N,
100°50’W), (Klassen, 1975 Appendix, Section 1). As the Assiniboine alluvium also occurs in the upper
part of this section, this lectostratotype locality gives a good representation of the unit as a whole. In
the borehole the Virden fill is between 19 and 41 m (62 and 135 ft) below surface.
The type locality for the Assiniboine alluvium is a borehole in the bottom of the Assiniboine Valley
north of Alexander, Manitoba, in the SW/4 of Lsd. 4, Sec. 9, Twp. 11, Rge. 21WPM (approximately
49°54’N, 100°18’W), where it occurs from the surface to bedrock at a depth of 15 m (49 ft).
History: Unit named informally by Klassen in 1969; attained more formal status when Klassen (1975, p.
17) subdivided it into members.
Lithology: Mainly clay and silt, with lesser sand and gravel; organic debris, mollusc shells and
ostracode sheds scattered throughout the unit, but especially common in the Assiniboine alluvium.
The Virden fill consists of clay, silt and sand, with gravel present especially near the valley sides; the
clay and silt are very dark grey where unoxidized, olive grey where oxidized; the fill is mostly alluvium,
but includes local pond deposits. The Assiniboine alluvium is mostly clay, silt and fine sand, with local
lenses of gravel; it is olive grey where oxidized and very dark grey where unoxidized; the sediments in
this unit are less compact than those of the Virden fill. The contact between the Virden fill and
Assiniboine alluvium varies from sharp to gradational over a 7 m (23 ft) zone.
Thickness and Distribution: Normally 30 to 60 m (98 to 197 ft) thick, with the Virden fill 18 to 30 m (59
to 98 ft) thick, the Assiniboine alluvium generally about 18 m (59 ft). The latter is restricted to the
Assiniboine Valley and the Virden fill is confined to the Assiniboine, Qu’Appelle and Virden Valleys.
Relationship to Other Units: Generally overlies shale bedrock, locally overlies till; exposed to surface.
The Virden fill found in the Qu’Appelle Valley may, in part correlate with the “lower stratified drift” and
“Regina Clay” of Christiansen (1961, p. 35) (see Klassen, 1975, p. 42). In the Virden Valley the Virden
fill is overlain by up to three till sheets.
Radiocarbon dates indicate the transition from Virden fill to Assiniboine alluvium occurred about
11,600 years ago. The lamer, therefore appears to be largely Holocene in age, whereas the Virden fill
is considered to be mostly of mid-Wisconsin age, but it may include earlier Wisconsin sediments.
References: Christiansen, 1961; Klassen, 1969, 1975; Klassen and Wyder, 1970.
RWK; AMacSS
Cambrian (Early)
Atan Group
Author: H. Gabrielse, H., 1954.
Type Locality: No type section defined, but Gabrielse (1963, p. 26) stated that “excellent exposures
occur in the mountains north and south of French River and near Atan Lake, after which the group was
named”.
History: Gabrielse (1954) first described the Atan Group in the McDame (104P) map-area in north-
central British Columbia, and in a second paper (1963) repeated the description, suggesting a type
area. Fritz (1978, p. 7) designated a type section for the upper carbonate part of the Atan (geographical
co-ordinates: top of section 59°16.25’N, 129°10.5W, base of section 59°16.25’N, 129°13.25’W) and
suggested that the type section for the lower clastic part be defined from the continuation downward of
this section.
Lithology: The Atan Group comprises two distinct units: the upper Atan, consisting of carbonates,
mainly thick bedded limestones and carbonate debris flows with numerous anchaeocyathids, and a
lower Atan, dominantly of clastic rocks, a basal white quartzite overlain by a thicker succession of
brown to rust weathering, very fine grained sandstone and siltstone.
Thickness and Distribution: In the type area the lower Atan is approximately 500 m (1640 ft) thick and
the upper Atan approximately 1000 m (3280 ft) thick, although no complete section has yet been
described. The Atan Group has been recognized over a considerable region outside the type area,
including the Jennings River (1040) map-area to the west and in much of the northern Rocky
Mountains and Cassiar Mountains north of Peace River east of the type area. Tentative recognition of
the Atan Group has also been proposed in the Pelly Mountains of Yukon Territory.
Relationship to Other Units: In the type area apparently conformably overlies Good Hope (now
Ingenika Group) clastics of late Proterozoic age, and is unconformably overlain by incompetent
carbonate of the Kechika Group.
References: Fritz, 1978; Gabrielse, 1954, 1963; Mansy and Gabrielse, 1978
GCT
Precambrian (Middle Helikian)
Athabasca Formation (William River Subgroup)
Author: McConnell, R.G., 1893.
Type Locality: Northern Saskatchewan. No type section designated.
History: Noted in 1893 as the “Athabasca sandstone” by McConnell for granular, siliceous rocks
cropping out along the south shore of Lake Athabasca. More extensively reported on by Tyrrell and
Dowling, 1896, who traversed the Athabasca sandstone from Lake Athabasca to Cree Lake. Alcock
(1920) correlated these beds with the Dubawnt series of the Northwest Territories and assigned a
Keweenawan age to the “Athabasca series”. Fahrig (1960) restricted the term “Athabasca Formation”
to the unmetamorphosed sandstones and excluded the Trout Lake (Carswell) Limestone of Blake
(1956). Ramaekers (1979, 1980) raised the Athabasca Formation to a subgroup, the William River,
and created an Athabasca Group, comprising the Athabasca Formation (sensu stricto), younger
argillaceous siltstones of the Douglas Formation and dolomites of the Carswell Formation. He divided
the William River subgroup into 7 formations with indeterminate boundaries: namely, from oldest to
youngest, the Fair Point, Manitou Falls, Lazenby Lake, Wolverine Point, Locker Lake, Otherside and
Tuma Lake.
Lithology: Composed predominantly of bedded and cross-bedded quartzose sandstone units, a

number of which include basal conglomerates. There is a general fining upward of grain size and an
alternating upward transition from a fluviatile setting to marine. Tuffs and phosphatic beds occur in the
uppermost beds.
Thickness and Distribution: The Athabasca Formation is distributed across 100000 km2 (39060 mi2) of
northwestern Saskatchewan and northeastern Alberta between Lake Athabasca in the north and west
and Cree Lake in the south, and Wollaston Lake in the east. Thickness ranges from a peripheral zero
to 1400 m (4592 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Forms an exposed sedimentary rock cover on a regolith up to 50 m (164
ft) thick on an igneous-metamorphic basement comprising the Western Granulite, Virgin River,
Mudjatik and Wollaston Domains.
References: Alcock, 1920; Blake, 1956; Currie, 1969; Fahrig, 1960; McConnell, 1893; Ramaekers,
1979, 1980.
JEC
Lower Cretaceous
Athabasca Oil Sands (Athabasca Tar Sands)
Informal designation for the bitumen saturated sands of the McMurray Formation that form the
Athabasca Oil Sands Deposit: See McMurray Formation.
PAM
Athabasca Till
Author: Boydell, A.N., 1978, p. 25.
Type Locality: South side of North Saskatchewan River, in Sec. 8, Twp. 39, Rge. 7W5M, Alberta.
History: Name introduced in Ph.D. thesis by Boydell (1972, p. 61), and given formal status by him in
1975; deposits earlier described by Roed (1968).
Lithology: A sandy, stony till of mixed Laurentide and Rocky Mountain provenance, this mixture is
reflected in both heavy mineral and stone content, medium brown at surface, grey-brown where
unweathered; carbonate content of matrix 18%; stones include Shield types, dolomites, limestones,
and quartzites from the Rocky Mountains, and garnet talcose schist pebbles from west of the
Continental Divide; heavy minerals have high garnet content.
Thickness and Distribution: Generally less than 15 m (49 ft) thick, but reaches 35 m (115 ft) southeast
of Clearwater River. Forms the principal glacial deposit in the eastern part of the Rocky Mountain
House area.
Relationship to Other Units: At the type locality overlies Paskapoo Formation bedrock and is overlain
by glacial-lake deposits and postglacial wind-deposited sand. Elsewhere commonly overlain by
glacial lake and stream deposits. The blocks of the Foothills Erratics Train (Stalker, 1956) are
associated with this till (see also Erratics Train Till; Balzac Till). Intervenes between the Laurentide
Sylvan Lake Till and Rocky Mountain Jackfish Creek and Lamoral tills; probably of similar age as the
Obed, Marlboro and Edson tills of Roed (1975), and Elkton Creek and Sundre tills of Boydell (1970).
Boydell (1978, p. 32) suggested a “Late Wisconsin” age for the unit. Other sediments, including
glaciofluvial and glaciolacustrine deposits, some of which grade into the Athabasca Till are given the
general name “Athabasca deposits” by Boydell. This unit is not otherwise defined.
References: Boydell, 1970, 1972, 1978; Roed, 1968; 1975; Harris and Waters, 1977.
AMacSS
Lower or Middle Silurian
Atikameg Dolomite (Interlake Group)
Author: Stearn, C.W., 1956.
Type Locality: South shore of Lake Atikameg (Clearwater Lake), 0.8 km (0.5 mi) west of Clearwater
Bay (approximately Sec. 6, Twp. 58, Rge. 24WPM), Manitoba.
Lithology: Dolomite, pale yellowish brown, weathering pale orange to dark yellowish orange and
brown with pronounced vuggy porosity, massive to thick bedded, probably biostromal, but sparsely
fossiliferous. Relatively coarsely crystalline, sub-saccharoidal; some very tine grained, compact
interbeds
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum reported thickness 5.0 m (16.4 ft); relatively uniform throughout
area of occurrence. A mappable unit only in the northern part of the Silurian outcrop belt of
southwestern Manitoba, where it comprises a distinctive stratigraphic marker, commonly capping a
prominent scarp at or near the Silurian erosional edge, The Atikameg scarp extends north from Grand
Rapids and east of Highway 6 for approximately 92 km (58 mi), and then bends westward. Extensive
shore cliffs occur on Buffalo, Little Limestone, William and Talbot Lakes. The southernmost reported
outcrop is on Dunsekikan Island in Lake St. Martin.
Relationship to Other Units: The contact of the Atikameg with the underlying aphanitic, stromatolitic
Moose Lake Dolomite ranges from sharp to gradational; it is generally conformable although there is
local evidence of disconformity. The contact with the Overlying sandy East Arm dolomites also
appears locally disconformable. In the subsurface of southwestern Manitoba and Saskatchewan
equivalent strata comprise a part of the lower Interlake Group (Porter and Fuller), or a part of the lower
Brandon Formation of the Interlake Group (King, in: Cowan (1971)).
References: Baillie, 1951; King, in: Cowan, 1971; Porter and Fuller, 1959; Stearn, 1956.
HRM
Atlas Member (Cantuar Formation)
Author: Christopher, J.E., 1974.
Type Locality: Named from the cored section in the Tidewater Atlas Crown No. 3 well, in Lsd. 8, Sec.
20, Twp. 18, Rge. 14W3M, southwestern Saskatchewan, between 950 and 965 m (3118 and 3167 ft).
Lithology: Consists of a tripartite sequence of early sandstones, middle shales and late sandstones.
Generally olive green (chloritic) and white (kaolinitic) speckled, the early sandstones are a lithic
arenite consisting of well indurated, medium to fine grained quartz with subordinate (20 to 40%) green
chlorite, green biotite, dark grey chert, black chert, white feldspar and carbonized plant fragments
often aligned on the bedding. Texture ranges from medium to fine grained, with high and low angle
trough cross-beds and smaller scale festoons. The unit generally grades upward into the middle
shales of olive green and grey chloritic mudstones. The upper sandstones share a similar mineralogy,
but tend to be finer grained, well sorted and more permeable; beds are more lenticular and interfinger
and interlense with mudstones.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is the upper member of the Cantuar Formation in southwestern
Saskatchewan and generally blankets the inselbergs of the Jurassic-capped paleo-upland, except for
the highest peaks. Because of the underlying unconformity, as well as an overlying disconformity the
member varies in thickness regionally from zero to 45 m (148 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Atlas Member is traceable eastward and northward into the Waseca
and possibly the McLaren members of the Mannville Formation of central Saskatchewan.
References: Christopher, 1974, 1984b.
JEC
Mississippian
Auburnton-Huntoon Evaporite (Frobisher Beds) (Obsolete)
Author: Fuller, J.G.C.M., 1956.
Type Locality: Fuller did not establish a type section, but in his discussion of the Hastings-Frobisher
Beds he specifically referred to the Imperial Antler River 8-34-3-33WPM well, in southeastern
Saskatchewan to show the relationship between the evaporites and carbonates in that part of the
section.
Lithology: Varicolored anhydrite, evaporitic dolomite and dolomitic anhydrite.
Thickness and Distribution: Fuller suggested that the Auburnton-Huntoon evaporite is in the order of
7.6 m (25 ft) thick. He considered it to have a limited areal distribution along the strike of the subcrop
trace of the Frobisher Beds.
Relationship to Other Units: It lies about 3 m (10 ft) above the Carievale Evaporite. Fuzesy (1960)
thought that it could be included in a much thicker evaporitic interval which he defined as the Hastings
Evaporite.
Reference: Fuzesy, 1960
DMK
Upper Cretaceous (Coniacian)
Bad Heart Formation (Smoky Group)
Author: McLearn, F.H., 1919.
Type Locality: Cliffs along the Smoky River from below Puskwaskau River to Little Smoky River,
Alberta; Bad Heart Creek (55°28’40”N, 118°12’-117°38’W).
Lithology: Medium to coarse grained marine sandstone, weathering dark red in most exposures.
Individual quartz grains are mostly clear and subangular. Ironstone concretions are common and
some interbedded sandy shale is found. Marine fossils are numerous and bands of chert pebbles are
present. North of Hines Creek, in the Clear Hills region this formation carries sedimentary oolitic iron
deposits of sub-commercial level.
Thickness and Distribution: The Bad Heart varies from 1.5 to 8 m (5 to 26 ft) thick in the type area.
Found in the Peace River area of northern Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The Bad Heart is conformable with both the overlying Puskwaskau and
the underlying Kaskapau formations, pinching out toward the east and changing to iron-formation in
the Clear Hills. It is approximately equivalent to the base of the First White Specks marker bed of the
Colorado Group and may be correlated (Stott, 1967) with the Marshybank Member of the Wapiabi
Formation of the central and northern Alberta Foothills. It is correlated with part of the Kotaneelee
Formation of the Liard drainage and with part of the Labiche Formation of northeastern Alberta.
Paleontology: A very prolific fauna of Scaphites, lnoceramus stantoni and Pinna indicates clean
marine environment of deposition and an age of Late Coniacian to Early Santonian.
References: Gleddie, 1949; McLearn, 1919,1926; Rutherford, 1930.
CRS
?Precambrian to Cambrian
Badshot Formation
Author: Walker, J.F. and Bancroft, M.F., 1929.
Type Locality: No type locality was designated, but the name derives from Mount Badshot, British
Columbia. The first occurrence of the Badshot Formation described is “from the head of Boyd Creek to
Howser Ridge. South from this point it becomes narrower and loses its distinctive topographic
character” (Walker and Bancroft, ibid., p. 10).
Lithology: Grey, crystalline, occasionally siliceous limestone, banded to massive.
Thickness and Distribution: Increases in thickness from 46 m (150 ft) on Lavina Ridge to the area of
Hall and Lake creeks. The authors reported that intense folding in the latter area makes accurate
estimates of thickness very difficult.
Relationship to Other Units: The Badshot Formation is overlain by the metamorphosed sediments of
the Lardeau series and underlain by the quartzites, schists, and limestones of the Hamill Series.
Reference: Walker and Bancroft, 1929.
RGG
Lower Mississippian (Kinderhookian)
Bakken Formation
Author: Williston Basin Correlations Committee, reported by Nordquist, W., 1953.
Type Locality: The Amerada Bakken No. 1 well, in C SWNW, Sec. 12, Twp. 157N, Rge. 95W, in
Williams County, North Dakota, between 2930.6 and 2962.7 m (9615 and 9720 ft).
Lithology: A tripartite unit composed of a medial calcite, or rarely dolomite cemented fine, quartzose
sandstone and siltstone with ripples, cross-bedding and flaser bedding, as well as interlamination of
sandstone and claystone and local occurrences of oolitic calcarenite. The upper and lower members
are black, organic rich shales that contain an impoverished fauna and flora dominated by conodonts,
lingulids and palynomorphs. In parts of Alberta there is a basal sandstone as well.
Thickness and Distribution: Strata to which the name is applied are found in Manitoba, Saskatchewan
and parts of Alberta, Montana, North and South Dakota, and Wyoming. It varies in thickness from a
minimum of about 3 m (10 ft) to a maximum of about 40 m (131 ft).
Relationship to Other Units : For the most part the Bakken is disconformable with underlying strata
regardless of whether they belong to the Upper Devonian Wabamun, Big Valley, Torquay or Three
Forks formations, but its upper contact varies from conformable to unconformable with the superjacent
Madison Group. The unconformity is recognized as a progressively deeper westward truncation of the
members until the Madison lies directly on Lower Bakken. In Alberta the lower black shale and basal
sandstone together form the Exshaw Formation. The Bakken is equivalent wholly or in part to the
Englewood of the Dakotas, Montana and Wyoming, as well as to the Sappington of southwestern
Montana.
References: Brindle, 1960, Christopher, 1961; Harker and McLaren, 1958; MacQueen and Sandberg,
1970; Penner, 1958.
DMK
Upper Triassic (Karnian)
Baldonnel Formation (Schooler Creek Group)
Author: Clark, L.M., 1957.
Type Locality: Subsurface of the Peace River Plains, northeastern British Columbia in the Pacific Fort
St. John No. 16 well in 2-18-84-19W6M, between 1257.9 and 1297.2 m (4127 and 4256 ft). Surface
reference section at Brown Hill, on the north side of Williston Lake, 11-E/94-B-2 (Colquhoun, 1962).
History: First described by Clark (1957) in the Peace River Plains subsurface for the dolostone unit
capping the Triassic rock succession. Type section assigned by Hunt and Ratcliffe (1959) to the Pacific
Fort St. John No. 16 well. Facies recognition and name extended by Colquhoun (1962), Pelletier
(1964) and Gibson (1971) to include equivalent surface strata in the Rocky Mountain Foothills
between the Muskwa and Sukunka rivers.
Lithology: Field exposures of the Baldonnel are divided into two lithofacies (Gibson 1971, 1975). The
main or upper unit is recognized in the Rocky Mountain Foothills and Peace River Plains between the
Liard and Sukunka rivers areas and comprises pale grey to brownish grey weathering, resistant, cliff
forming limestone and dolostone, with lesser siltstone and very fine grained sandstone. The lower unit,
called the Ducette Member (Gibson, 1971) is confined to the area immediately adjacent to and
between the Peace and Sukunka rivers and consists of dark grey-brown weathering, carbonaceous-
argillaceous siltstone, very fine grained sandstone, limestone and minor amounts of dolostone, which
lithologically resembles strata of the Pardonet Formation. In the subsurface of the eastern foothills and
Peace River Plains the Baldonnel consists predominantly of dolostone with well developed porosity
and permeability, and in many areas forms a productive gas reservoir.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is recognized in exposures in the Rocky Mountain Foothills
between the Sukunka and Liard rivers and in the subsurface of the Peace River Plains The Baldonnel
attains a maximum recorded thickness of 146 m (479 ft) near the headwaters of the Eleven Mile Creek
between Pine River and Williston Lake (Peace River).
Relationship to Other Units: The Baldonnel is conformably overlain by thinly bedded, very dark grey
weathering limestone and siltstone of the Pardonet Formation. Throughout most areas of the Peace
River Plains and eastern foothills it is unconformably overlain by the Jurassic Fernie Formation. North
of Peace River-Williston Lake and in the subsurface of the Peace River Plains the Baldonnel is
conformably and gradationally underlain by medium grey dolostone, siltstone and limestone of the
Charlie Lake Formation. Between Peace River-Williston Lake and Sukunka River the contact is abrupt
and distinct and is placed where yellowish brown to pale grey weathering strata of the Charlie Lake
contrast sharply with the overlying dark greyish brown weathering limestone and dolomitic siltstone of
the Ducette Member of the Baldonnel Formation. The Baldonnel Formation is equivalent to the upper
part of the ‘Grey Beds’ of McLearn (Pelletier, 1964), the upper part of the Ludington Formation to the
north (Gibson, 1975), the Brewster Limestone, and most of the Winnifred members of the Whitehorse
Formation of Alberta (Gibson, 1975).
References: Colquhoun, 1962; Clark, 1957; Gibson, 1971, 1975; Pelletier, 1964.
DWG
Upper Jurassic
Balmer Coal Seam (Mist Mountain Formation)
Author: Crowsnest Industries Limited, Cameron A.R. and Babu, S.K., 1968.
Type Locality: Sparwood-Michel area, southeastern British Columbia.
History: Thick coal seam near the base of the Mist Mountain Formation of the Kootenay Group, locally
referred to as No. 10 or Balmer Seam.
Lithology: Bituminous coal.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized throughout the Sparwood, Fernie and Greenhills Range
areas of southeastern British Columbia, and possibly the Blairmore-Coleman area of Alberta. The
seam in the Sparwood-Fernie area attains a maximum thickness of 18 m (59 ft).
DWG
Quaternary
Balzac Till (Informal name)
Author: Tharin, J.C., 1960, p. 70.
Type Locality: In Calgary, Alberta, on the north side of Riverside Boulevard, in Lsd. 9, Sec. 14, Twp. 24,
Rge. 1W5M.
History: Informal name introduced in Ph.D. thesis; further used by Rutter and Wyder, 1969, p. 4.
Lithology: A brown, sandy till that is crumbly, moderately stony and moderately plastic. Stones mostly
of local or Rocky Mountain origin, rare Shield stones present. Carbonate content about 23%.
Composition intermediate between Cordilleran and Laurentide tills.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section 9 m (30 ft) thick; present over much of the eastern part
of the Calgary map-area.
Relationship to Other Units: At the type section overlies the “Lochend Stratified drift”; the contact with
the underlying “Lochend till” part of that unit generally is gradational.
Other Features: Assigned a Wisconsin age by Tharin (1960, p. 61), who also suggested (p. 122) that it
was laid down by ice that originated in the Athabasca Valley near Jasper. Blocks of the Foothills
Erratics Train are distributed on the surface of this till.
Tharin separated the Balzac Stratified drift from this unit. This “drift” unit consists of silt, clay and gravel,
and locally forms a thin veneer over the “Balzac till”, with which it generally has a gradational contact.
As this unit is described only in a thesis, where it is given the same name (Balzac) as the till unit, the
name should be considered informal. The type locality is given as NW of Sec. 12, Twp. 26, Rge. 1W5M.
References: Harris and Waters, 1977; Rutter and Wyder, 1969; Tharin, 1960.
AMacSS
(Uppermost Fammenian) to Lower Carboniferous (Tournaisian)
Banff Formation (Uppermost Devonian)
Author: Kindle, E.M., 1924; Warren, P.S., 1927.
Type Locality: Northwest end of Mount Rundle, near Banff; 51°09’54”N, 115°31’08”W; NTS 82O/4,
southwestern Alberta (Warren, 1927; Macqueen and Bamber, 1967).
History: The name Banff series was introduced by McConnell (1887) for a thick succession of
Devonian to Triassic strata near Banff, Alberta. Kindle (1924) restricted the Banff to include only the
lower Banff shales of McConnell and called that unit the Banff Formation. Kindle (1924) and Warren
(1927) included in the basal type Banff Formation a black shale unit and overlying siltstone unit that
jointly constitute the Exshaw Formation. Warren (1937) restricted the Banff by designating the black
shale unit the Exshaw Formation. Clark (1949) and Macqueen and Sandberg (1970) further restricted
the Banff by placing the siltstone unit into the Exshaw.
Lithology: The Banff Formation was partly divided into a lower, middle and upper member by Clark
(1949) and members A to F by (Richards et al., in press). In general the formation comprises a lower
succession of shale and marlstone grading upward and eastward into spiculite, bedded chert and
carbonates that pass into interbedded sandstone, siltstone, and shale.
Member A, forming the basal Banff ranges in thickness from <8 m (26 ft) in southwestern Alberta to
about 490 m (1607 ft) in the northwest. The member consists of black to dark grey shale with
subordinate turbiditic sandstone and silty to cherty carbonates.
Member B, extending from southern Alberta into northeastern British Columbia gradationally overlies
member A and ranges from 50 to 250 m (164 to 820 ft) in thickness. Member B, partly equivalent to the
informal Clark’s Member of Sikabonyi and Rodgers (1959) constitutes the middle Banff or most of the
lower and middle Banff. Lower and southwestern facies are laminated to rhythmically bedded, cherty
to argillaceous dark grey spiculite, siltstone, dolostone, lime mudstone and wackestone. These
deposits grade upward and northeastward into medium bedded, cherty, dark grey, bryozoan-
pelmatozoan lime packstone to wackestone. The latter pass into massive to cross-stratified, medium to
light grey lime grainstone which is medium to very thick bedded.
Member C is widely distributed on the interior Plains and in the eastern Cordillera from southern
Alberta to east-central British Columbia. Normally less than 100 m (328 ft) thick, medium bedded
member C gradationally overlies and passes southwestward into the more resistant upper member B.
Southwestern occurrences of member C comprise medium grey, cherty, skeletal lime wackestone and
packstone with subordinate shale, marlstone and dolostone. These deposits pass northeastward into
medium grey, algal-peloid lime wackestone and fenestral, cryptalgal carbonates associated with
shale, silty dolostone and anhydrite.
Member D is present on the plains from southern Alberta into northeastern British Columbia and
occurs locally in the Foothills of Alberta. It gradationally overlies member U or C and ranges in
thickness from <40 m (131 ft) in the south to >135 m (443 ft) in the northwest. The thin to medium
bedded member comprises interbedded light olive grey siltstone, silty to sandy carbonates, sandstone
and dark grey to greenish grey shale. Small scale cross-bedding is common in eastern and upper
member D.
Member E, present in the eastern Cordillera of southwestern Alberta and the western part of the
southern plains, generally conformably overlies member B and passes northeastward into the basal
Pekisko Formation. This medium to thick bedded member is generally greater than 30 m (98 ft) thick. It
contains rhythmically bedded turbidite-like beds, and consists of dark grew cherty, spiculitic, skeletal
lime packstone and wackestone.
Member F, correlative with the middle to upper Pekisko Formation and the basal Shunda Formation,
overlies member E and occurs in the same areas. This medium to thick bedded member, less resistant
and more argillaceous than member E comprises marlstone, rhythmically interbedded with dark grey
dolostone and cherty, pelmatozoan wackestone to packstone. The member, generally more than 130
m (426 ft) thick in the northeast, thickens southwestward in the eastern front ranges.
Most of the Banff is undivided in the southernmost interior plains and in the southernmost Rocky
Mountains. The undivided Banff overlies member A and consists of dark grey, laminated to thin
bedded spicular chert and cherty lime mudstone to wackestone that grade upward into medium
bedded chert and cherty bryozoan-pelmatozoan limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: The Band extends from the United States border in southern Alberta and
southeastern British Columbia into southwestern District of Mackenzie (Macauley et al., 1964). At its
structurally thickened stratotype it is 366 to 411 m (1201 to 1348 ft) thick (Macqueen and Bamber,
1967). The southern Band thins slowly northeastward below the Rundle Group, ranging from more
than 400 m (1312 ft) in the Rocky Mountains to about 150 m (492 ft) on the plains. In the Peace River
Embayment and farther northward the formation thins slowly below the Rundle from more than 450 m
(1476 ft) in the southwest to about 300 m (984 ft) in the northeast. Thinning is accompanied by a
decrease in the proportions of chert and shale and a corresponding increase in that of limestone,
siltstone and sandstone. Northeastward of the subcrop edge of the Rundle the Band is rapidly
truncated beneath Mesozoic strata.
Relationship to Other Units: The Band unconformably overlies the Palliser Formation in the central
Rocky Mountains and commonly the Wabamun and older strata in the Peace River Embayment of
west-central Alberta (Richards and Higgins, 1988; Richards, 1989). To the south the Banff generally
unconformably overlies the Exshaw, but to the north the basal Band becomes older northward as the
Exshaw passes laterally into it
The Pekisko and Livingstone formations overlie the Banff (Macqueen et al., 1972; Chatellier, 1988)
except in northeastern British Columbia, where an unnamed correlative of the Shunda Fornication
commonly overlies it. The Banff/Pekisko contact is erosional except on the southern interior plains and
in the southeastern Cordillera, where it is gradational. Members E and F of the Banff pass laterally into
the Pekisko Formation toward the northeast in the southeastern Cordillera (Moore, 1958; Richards,
1989). Basinward (generally southwestward) of the southwestern limit of the Pekisko the Livingstone
overlies the Band and passes basinward into it.
The southern Banff is lithologically and stratigraphically equivalent to the Lodgepole Formation. Their
arbitrary nomenclatural boundary lies along the Sweetgrass Arch in southeastern Alberta and along
the 49th parallel. In northeastern British Columbia the Band passes southwestward into the Besa
River Formation (Bamber and Mamet, 1978). Northeast of the subcrop edge of the overlying Rundle
Group Mesozoic strata unconformably overlie the Band.
References: Bamber and Mamet, 1978; Chatellier, 1988; Clark, 1949; Kindle, 1924; Macauley et al.,
1964; Macqueen and Bamber 1967; Macqueen et al. 1972; Macqueen and Sandberg, 1970;
McConnell, 1887; Moore, 1958; Richards and Higgins, 1988, 1989; Richards et al., in press; Sikabonyi
and Rodgers, 1959; Warren, 1927, 1937.
BCR
Lower Carboniferous (Tournaisian)
Banffian Series: (Obsolete)
Author: Harker, R. and Raasch, G.O., 1958.
Type Locality: The stratotype is the type section of the Banff Formation at the northwest end of Mount
Rundle, near Banff, Alberta (Harker and Raasch, 1958).
History: The name Banffian Series of Harker and Raasch (1958) has not been used since originally
proposed and should be formally abandoned. It is a homonym of Banffian Series (Keys, 1924), an
obsolete upper Devonian chronostratigraphic unit.
Lithology: At Mount Rundle the Banffian Series (sensu Harker and Raasch, 1958) is represented by
the type section of the Band Formation of Kindle (1924), as restricted by Warren (1937) and Clark
(1949). The type Banff comprises: a lower, recessive unit of shale and dolomitic siltstone grading
upward into rhythmically interbedded lime wackestone and marlstone; a middle, resistant unit of cherty
lime wackestone; and an upper, recessive unit of rhythmically interbedded, dolomitic wackestone and
marlstone (Macqueen and Bamber, 1967). East of the Rocky Mountains the series comprises fine
grained terrigenous clastics and carbonates of the Band Formation and overlying skeletal and oolitic
carbonates of the Pekisko Formation (Harker and Raasch, 1958).
Thickness and Distribution: The Banffian is a provincial series confined to western Alberta. Details of
the distribution and thickness of the series have not been published. Its principal constituent the
northeastward thinning Band Formation is 366 to 411 m (1200 to 1348 ft) thick at its structurally
thickened stratotype (Macqueen and Bamber, 1967). The Band, widely distributed in the eastern
Cordillera and on the interior plains extends from the United States border in southern Alberta and
southeastern British Columbia into southwestern District of Mackenzie. The northeastward thinning
Pekisko, about 40 to 120 m (131 to 394 ft) thick in the eastern Cordillera is preserved in most of the
same region.
Relationship to Other Units: The Banffian Series (sensu Harker and Raasch, 1958) correlates with the
middle to upper part of the Kinderhookian Series (Meek and Worthen, 1861; Collinson, 1961) and
lower part of the overlying Osagean Series (Williams, 1891) of the United States it also correlates with
part of the Tournaisian (Tn2 and lower Tn3) Series (Dumont, 1832; Conil et al. 1976) of Belgium.
At its type locality the Banff Formation overlies the upper Famennian to lowermost Carboniferous
(Tournaisian, Tn1b) Exshaw Formation and is conformably overlain by the upper Tournaisian to middle
Visean (Tn3 to V2) Livingstone Formation. The middle and upper units of the type Banff pass
northeastward into the middle to upper Tournaisian (Tn2 to lower Tn3) Pekisko Formation and basal
Shunda Formation (Moore, 1958; Richards et al., in press). The lower boundary of this
chronostratigraphic unit is defined by the base of the Angustidontus seriatus brachiopod Zone and its
top by the upper boundary of the Spirifer rowleyi brachiopod Zone (Marker and Raasch, 1958).
References: Clark, 1949; Collinson, 1961; Conil, Groessens and Pirlet, 1976; Dumont, 1832; Harker
and Raasch, 1958; Keys, 1924; Kindle, 1924; Macqueen and Bamber, 1967; Meek and Worthen, 1861;
Moore 1958; Richards et al., in press; Warren, 1937; Williams, 1896.
BCR
Upper Devonian (Frasnian and Famennian)
Banffian Serifs (Obsolete)
Author: Keyes, C., 1924.
Type Locality: The type area is the Bow River Valley near Banff, in the Rocky Mountain front ranges
southwestern Alberta (Keyes, 1924). Boundary stratotypes and a type section have not been selected
History: The name Banffian Series was introduced for upper Devonian strata of the Banff limestone
and dolomite of Kindle (1924), equivalent to the lower Band limestone and intermediate limestone in
the Band series of McConnell (1887). Banffian Series (Keys, 1924) has seen used only by Wilmarth
(1938) since it was proposed and should be abandoned. It is a homonym of Banffian Series (Harker
and Raasch, 1958), an obsolete lower Carboniferous chronostratigraphic unit.
Lithology: The Banffian Series (sense Keys, 1924) is equivalent to the succession comprising
Frasnian dolostone of the Fairholme Group (McLaren, 1955), sandstone and silty dolostone of the
lower Famennian Sassenach Formation (McLaren and Mountjoy, 1962), and limestone and dolostone
of the Famennian Palliser Formation (Beach, 1943).
Thickness and Distribution: The Banffian Series is a provincial series used only in the Bow Valley near
Banff, southwestern Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The Banffian Series (sensu Keys, 1924) correlates with the Frasnian
Stage and most of the Famennian Stage of the Upper Devonian Series. In the Bow Valley, where the
Banffian Series unconformably overlies Cambrian strata and locally Givetian deposits of the Yahatinda
Formation the series is unconformably overlain by the upper Famennian to Tournaisian
(Carboniferous) Exshaw Formation (Morrow and Geldsetzer, 1988).
References: Beach, 1943; Harker and Raasch, 1958; Keys, 1924; Kindle, 1924; McConnell, 1887;
McLaren, 1955; McLaren and Mountjoy, 1962; Morrow and Geldsetzer, 1988; Wilmarth, 1938
BCR
Mississippian (Tournaisian)
Banner (Silt) Member (Shunda Formation)
Author: Douglas, R.J.W., 1953.
Type Locality: No type section was designated; Douglas (1953, p 87, and 1958, p. 182) indicated the
unit to be present in the Anglo Canadian et al. Devonian Test Well in 2-25-19-3W5M, in southwestern
Alberta.
Lithology: Arenaceous, granular limestone and dolomite, siltstone and sandstone, and thin, coarsely
crystalline limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness of the unit ranges from 4.6 m (15 ft) in the Mount Head map-
area to 21 m (70 ft) in the Pekisko region and thins to 12 m (40 ft) in the subsurface of the Turner Valley
area. The Banner is of local development in the southern Rocky Mountains and foothills.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit overlies the grain supported echinoderm-bryozoan limestones of
the Pekisko Formation and is overlain by dark, micritic limestone of the Shunda Formation. The
Banner is the basal member of the Shunda Formation and represents a localized terrigenous elastic
incursion into the dominantly carbonate interval of the Livingstone Formation and its equivalents.
References: Douglas, 1953; Douglas and Harker, 1956.
GM
Lower Cretaceous
Bantry Shale Member (Lower Mannville Formation)
Author: Coveney, J.W., 1960.
Type Locality: This unit has not been formally described and no type locality has been defined. It is
named for the interval 979.0 to 985.1 m (3212 to 3232 ft) in the Calstan CPR Bantry 6-31-17-12W4M
well in southern Alberta. It is thus an informal member of the lower Mannville Formation (Glaister,
1959) or of the lower Mannville Group (Hawryszko, 1968), or of the lower Mannville Subgroup
(Hamilton, 1966).
Lithology: Shale.
Thickness and Distribution: The Bantry Shale is approximately 5 m (16 ft) thick in the area of Bantry
Field. It is not laterally persistent.
Relationship to Other Units: The Bantry Shale Member overlies the Sunburst Sandstone Member and
underlies sandstones and shales of the lower Mannville Formation.
References: Coveney, 1960; Glaister, 1959; Hamilton, 1966; Hawryszko, 1969
PFM
Lower Carboniferous (Lower and Middle Visean, V1 and V2)
Baril Member (Mount Head Formation)
Type Locality: East side of ridge immediately north of Highwood River and highway 541; 1.9 km (1.2
mi) northwest of mouth of Cataract Creek; 50°23’42”N, 114°36’20”W; NTS 82J/7; southern Highwood
Range, eastern Rocky Mountains, southwestern Alberta (Douglas, 1958).
Lithology: The resistant, medium to very thick bedded Baril member of the lower Mount Head
Formation is chiefly light to medium grew pelletoid-skeletal and skeletal-ooid lime grainstone with
subordinate lime packstone, wackestone and dolostone. Small to large scale cross-bedding is
common. In most of east-central British Columbia, and near the western depositional limit of the Baril
in western Alberta peloid-skeletal wackestone and packstone that contain numerous nodules and
irregular masses of chert commonly predominate in the middle to upper Baril (Macqueen and Bamber,
1968; Macqueen et al., 1972; Sando et al., in press) .
Thickness and Distribution: The Baril, preserved principally in the eastern Rocky Mountain front
ranges and the foothills is widely distributed from southeastern British Columbia to about 51°45’N in
southwestern Alberta (Oswald, 1964; Macqueen and Bamber 1968). From approximately 51°45’N to
53°30’N the Mount Head has not been divided into members and the Baril may not be developed.
Farther northwest strata provisionally assigned to the Baril extend from 53°30’N in western Alberta to
the Narraway River region of east-central British Columbia (Richards et al., in press, Sando et al., in
press). The southern Baril, 12.5 m (41 ft) thick at its type section is mainly between 11 m (36 ft) thick
in the northeast and 39 m (128 ft) thick in the southwest. In west-central Alberta and east-central
British Columbia it ranges from less than 18 m (59 ft) in the northeast to 52 m (171 ft) in the southwest
Relationship to Other Units: The Baril abruptly and commonly unconformably overlies the Wileman
Member of the Mount Head and in the south passes southwestward into the Livingstone formation
(Macqueen and Bamber, 1968; Richards et al., in press). The Baril is overlain mainly by the Salter
Member of the Mount Head. Their contact is sharp and locally erosional in the east, but gradational in
the southwest. Mesozoic deposits locally overlie the Baril northeast of the erosional edge of the Salter.
References: Douglas, 1953, 1958; Macqueen and Bamber, 1968; Macqueen, Bamber and Mamet,
1972; Oswald, 1964; Richards et al., in press; Sando, Bamber and Richards, in press.
BCR
Middle Cambrian
Barker Shale (Obsolete)
Author: Michener, C.E., 1934.
Type Locality: None given. General area is the Sweetgrass Arch, southeastern Alberta.
Lithology: Shale.
Thickness and Distribution: “700 ft.” (214 m)
Relationship to Other Units: Underlies approximately 100 m (328 ft) of “Meagher Limestone” and
overlies an unknown thickness of ?Flathead Sandstone. The original Barker Formation (Weed, 1899)
consisted of seven units, the bottom three of which were the Meagher Limestone, Wolsey Shale and
Flathead Sandstone. The “Barker Shale” may thus have been a synonym of “Wolsey Shale”. Since no
wells are mentioned and no cross-sections were supplied by Michener it is not possible to correlate
his Barker Shale with certainty. It is possibly equivalent to the Stephen Formation, but the thickness is
excessive.
Reference: Michener, 1934.
PFM
Cretaceous (? Late Albian-Cenomanian)
Barons Sand (Colorado Group)
Author: Chetin, A.K., 1960.
Type Locality: Barons oil field, southern Alberta. The discovery well was the Barons No. 1 well, in 10-
15-12-23W4M, in which the productive Barons Sand lies between 1250.9 and 1252.4 m (4103 and
4108 ft).
Lithology: Medium grey light olive grey and olive grew fine and very fine grained sandstones and
coarse grained siltstones, in beds up to several centimetres thick, alternating in vertical sequence with
dark grew noncalcareous shales and mudstones of similar thickness. The sandstones and siltstones
exhibit horizontal and gently inclined lamination and graded bedding, as well as sharply defined
soles. The sandstones incorporate layers of pebbles and granules and sporadic accumulations of fish-
skeletal debris. The argillaceous intercalations are finely laminated and include comminuted fish-
skeletal material The graded beds are contorted in places. Several bentonite layers, each a few
centimetres thick are present. A calciteveined, calcareous siltstone layer, a decimetre or so thick
occurs near the top of the unit.
Thickness and Distribution: The Barons Sand is the producing interval of the Barons field and in this
area reaches a maximum thickness of 3 m (10 ft). The unit represents localized attainment of good
reservoir quality in part of the Fish Scale Sandstone.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit rests conformably on and is conformably overlain by graded
sandstone-shale alternations rich in fish-skeletal debris and referable to the Fish Scale Sandstone, a
stratigraphic marker of widespread distribution throughout the northern Great Plains region. The
Barons Sand is replaced laterally by similar graded beds, which contain reduced proportions of
siliciclastic material.
Reference: Chetin, 1960.
FS
Lower Cretaceous (Middle Albian)
Basal Colorado Sand (Colorado Group)
Author: Not known.
Lithology: Relatively well washed and variably shady fine to coarse grained sandstone, with
interbedded siltstone and mudstone. Subordinate conglomerate and pebbly sandstone are frequently
present. The well washed sandstones are cross-laminated and incorporate relatively scarce shale
intercalations. The shaly sandstones include bioturbated deposits several metres thick, with variable
proportions of mudstone as discontinuous partings, and sequences made up of thin, graded
sandstones and siltstones regularly alternating in vertical succession with thin mudstones and shales.
One or two coarsening upward sequences are defined by upward decrease in the proportion of
intercalated shale; these are capped by conglomerates in which the main coarse components are
chert and phosphorite.
Thickness and Distribution: The Basal Colorado Sand has an average thickness of 6.5 m (21 ft). The
unit is sporadically distributed in southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan and adjacent parts of
Montana and North Dakota.
Relationship to Other Units: The Basal Colorado Sand rests disconformably upon sandstones of the
Blairmore-Mannville-Swan River succession and is conformably overlain by shales of the Joli Fou
Formation. To the north the Basal Colorado Sand passes gradually into Joli Fou shales. It is also
known as the Basal Colorado Sandstone. In parts of southeastern Alberta the unit is divided into the
upper and lower Basal Colorado Sand. The unit is also called the Cessford Sand, especially in the
vicinity of the Cessford production locale of southeastern Alberta.
References: Cole, 1969; Manry, 1969; Simpson, 1975; Simpson and O’Connell, 1979.
FS
Lower Cretaceous
Basal Quartz (Mannville Group)
General Comment: “Basal Quartz” is a descriptive term for the dominantly quartzose sandstone of the
basal Mannville Group. It should be discarded in favor of Ellerslie, Dina and McMurray in formal
literature, although it is much used in the petroleum industry and will probably continue to be so. It is
equivalent to the Dina sand in the Lloydminster area and to the McMurray sand in the tar sand areas of
northeastern Alberta.
PEP; AIB
Lower Devonian
Basal Red Beds (Lotsberg Formation, Informal name)
Author: Sherwin, D.F., 1962, p. 187.
Type Locality: Canadian Seabord Ernestina Lake 10-13 (Lsd 10, Sec. 13, Twp. 60, Rge. 4W4M),
between 1225.3 and 1297.8 m (4020 and 4258 ft).
Lithology: Brick red dolomitic or calcareous silty shales, grading downwards through red sandy shale
into greenish grew fine to coarse grained quartzose sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is confined to the central Alberta Sub-basin of the Elk Point Basin
and merges at the margins of this basin with higher red beds.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is an exact equivalent of Crickmay’s (1954) member 9 of the Elk
Point Formation, also referred to by him as the “fourth red bed”. Despite the provision of a type section,
this name is not in conformity with the Stratigraphic Code and could easily be confused with many
other “basal red beds”. It should therefore always be accompanied by the qualifier “of the Lotsberg
Formation” when used in this way.
Paleontology: The Lotsberg Formation has yielded no diagnostic fossils but underlies rocks of
probable Emsian age. Using sequential analysis, Moore (in press) has suggested a Late Silurian to
Early Devonian age for the Lotsberg.
References: Crickmay, 1954; Moore, in press; Sherwin, 1962.
PFM
Baseline Till
Type Locality: At Baseline Ski area, in Sec. 19, Twp. 37, Rge. 10W5M, Alberta.
History: Originally named by Boydell (1972, p. 41) in Ph.D. thesis, formal status given in Boydell
(1978).
Lithology: Stony till, with stones typically well rounded and under 4 cm (1.6 in) in diameter, consisting
mostly of cherts, quartzites, sandstones, minor limestones and dolomites, lacks Shield stones; till
commonly sandy, it matrix contains about 2% calcite and 12% dolomite; zircon and tourmaline chief
heavy minerals; till has not been observed in non-oxidized state, and so its original color not known. A
large content of material from the Cadomin Conglomerate determines many of its characteristics,
including the extreme roundness of many of its stones, which is an important characteristic of the unit.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum exposed thickness of 3 m (10 ft) present at the type locality;
found “only on the plateau of the Brazeau Piedmont” in the Rocky Mountain House area.
Relationship to Other Units: “Because of its unique position on the Brazeau Plateau, the till has no
demonstrable stratigraphic contacts with any other glacial deposit of the study area”. However, on p. 32
Hoyden suggests that it is the Rocky Mountain equivalent of the Laurentide Marsh Creek Till and of
the Rocky Mountain “Valley or piedmont” deposits of Roed (1968). Former limits of unit are completely
unknown. It was deposited by Rocky Mountain (Cordilleran) ice that moved southeastward across the
Brazeau Range. To do so this ice-sheet required a surface elevation of more than 2000 m (6560 ft),
about 500 m (1640 ft) higher than any succeeding Cordilleran glacier in the region, so it undoubtedly
represents a very large glacier. This glaciation appears to correspond to the “Great Cordilleran
(Waterton 1) Advance” of Stalker and Harrison (1977), which is the first and strongest Cordilleran
glaciation represented in southwestern Alberta. If this is so the Baseline Till, Albertan Formation and
Kennedy Drift would be correlative. The name Albertan Formation would have priority.
On page 32 Boydell suggested an “Early Wisconsin” age for the unit.
References: Boydell, 1972, 1978; Harris and Waters, 1977; Roed, 1968, 1975; Stalker and Harrison,
1977.
MacSS
Upper Cretaceous
Bassano Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Author: Russell, L.S., 1932b, p. 125-126.
Type Locality: None designated, presumably on the Bow River near Bassano, Alberta. A good
exposure of the upper Bearpaw, with which this member equates is present about 13 km (8 mi) south
of Bassano in Sec. 6, Twp. 20, Rge. 18W4M.
Lithology: Finely banded, brown sandy shales and clayey sandstones.
Thickness and Distribution: Up to 61 m (200 ft) in places; present from the Hanna district south to the
Little Bow River, south-central Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: Not specifically mentioned by Russell. The lower boundary was said to be
very indefinite, which may be interpreted as gradational with the dark grey clayey shales of the lower
part of the Bearpaw. Later, the author (in: Russell and Landes, 1940 p. 83) mentioned the overlying unit
as the basal member of the Edmonton Formation (Horseshoe Canyon), consisting of 6 to 9 m (20 to 30
ft) of light grey soft sandstone with concretions. The Bassano Member seems to be the equivalent of
the upper part of the Paintearth Member of the Lines (1963) and of part of the Manyberries Member of
the Bearpaw Formation in the Cypress Hills of southeastern Alberta. The lower part of the Bassano
Member seems correlative with the Brassano South sandstone of Given and Wall (1971).
References: Given and Wall, 1971; Lines, 1963; Russell, 1932b; Russell and Landes, 1940.
JHW; LSR
Upper Cretaceous
Bassano South Sandstone (Bearpaw Formation)
Author: Given, M.M. and Wall, J.H., 1971, p. 508.
Type Locality: None designated. Good exposures are present along the east bank of the Bow River
about 13 km (8 mi) south of Bassano, Alberta, in 8-6-20-18W4M.
Lithology: Sandstone, silt and shale. A basal massive, slightly argillaceous, fine grained buff-grey
sandstone followed by alternating beds of dark brown and greenish grey argillaceous silt and grey
and brown shale, with a strongly glauconitic sandstone band at top (Byrne and Farvolden, 1959, p. 24).
Thickness and Distribution: 22 m (73 ft) at above locality. Unit may be fairly widely distributed in south-
central Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies blue-grey clayey shale and is overlain by greyish brown silty
shale of the Bearpaw Formations. The top of this sandstone is 26 m (85 ft) below the base of the
Horseshoe Canyon Formation. The unit seems correlative with the lower part of the Bassano Member
of Russell (1932b, p. 125-126), but appears to occupy a higher stratigraphic position than the ‘’middle
sandstone member” of Clark (1931) from the same area which Given and Wall (1971) thought was
identical. The Bassano South sandstone is likely the stratigraphic equivalent of the first Castor
sandstone of Given and Wall (op. cit.) present about 175 km (110 mi) north of this area. Rahmani
(1980, pers. comm.) has advised that the equivalent of this sandstone outcrops on the northeast bank
of the Red Deer River just southeast of East Coulee, Alberta, which is the same sand recorded at the
base of section E of Shepheard and Hills (1970, p. 172 and Fig. 11) in the Cypress Hills of
southeastern Alberta the equivalent stratigraphic level is within the Manyberries Member.
Given and Wall (1971, Fig. 6) erroneously showed this unit to be 14 m (45 ft) thick as a result of mis-
identifying the silt beds recorded by Byrne and Farsolden (op. cit.). The prominent glauconitic sand
band was originally thought to be at the top of a sill unit 8.5 m (28 ft) lower than its actual position.
As this unit was informally designated and its boundaries incorrectly recorded by the authors it has no
valid status.
References: Byrne and Farvolden, 1959; Clark, 1931; Given and Wall, 1971, Russell 1932b;
Shepheard and Hills, 1970.
JHW; RAR
Battle Formation
Author: Furnival, G.M., 1942, 1946.
Type Locality: North face of Eagle Butte (Sec. 9, Twp. 8, Rge. 4W4M), in southeastern Alberta, in
Quarry No. 45 of the Medicine Hat Brick and Tile Company. Designated by Irish (1970).
History: Considered part of the Laramie (McConnell, 1885); “zone 4” of the Whitemud Formation
(Fraser et al., 1935); Kneehills Cuff horizon of Allan and Sanderson (1945). In the area around
Eastend, Saskatchewan Kupsch (1956) considered the Battle to be no more than a clay facies of the
Frenchman Formation. Classed as the upper part of the “Kneehills Tuft zone” (Ower, 1970); the upper
part of the “Kneehills Tuff member” or “Kneehills Tuft zone” (Campbell, 1962); Blackmud of Srivastava
(1965); upper part of “Kneehills Tuft zone” (Irish and Havard, 1968); and in the Cypress Hills area in the
Battle Formation was considered equivalent to the Battle Member of the Edmonton Formation in
south-central Alberta by Binda (1970); Irish (1970) gave the Battle formation status over all of Alberta
and raised the Edmonton Formation to Edmonton Group.
Lithology: Mauve-grey weathering, dark brownish grey to purplish black, bentonitic, silty shale with
porous popcorn-like weathered crust. Most of the clay is montmorillonite; the sand and silt fractions
contain quartz, feldspar, quartzite and chert; the heavy minerals are unweathered and commonly
euhedral, with zircon the most abundant. Composition of the Battle varies little over the wide area of its
occurrence. The Kneehills Tuff occurs in the upper part of the Battle Formation; it occurs as one 15 to
25 cm (6 to 10 in) bed or as two or three 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 in) beds. It is a pale grey weathering, brown-
grey, hard rock with silica or bentonitic clay filled microscopic vugs. Main components are quartz,
feldspar and glass shards in a ground mass of opaline silica and montmorillonite; zircon and
magnetite are the main heavy minerals. Composition is uniform over the area of occurrence.
The Battle Formation is poorly fossiliferous, but contains spores (Binda and Srivastava, 1968), bone
and teeth fragments, algal remains, and carbonized wood; it has yielded one specimen of
?Haplophragmoides sp.
Thickness and Distribution: Up to 14 m (46 ft) thick (Binda, 1970), but commonly less because the
upper contact has been eroded. Erosion has removed part of all of the formation in parts of the Red
Deer River valley and Bow River valley of Alberta, and along the Frenchman River valley in southern
Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The difficulty of establishing the nature of the upper and lower contacts of
the Battle Formation has led to some disagreement. Furnival (1946) described the lower contact with
the Whitemud Formation as “... everywhere conformable . . . “ and “... sharp ...”, Russell (1948) noted
that it was easy to recognize the contact where the Battle was in contact with the white clays of the
Whitemud, but that otherwise its position was assigned arbitrarily; Kupsch (1956) interpreted
disconformable relationships where the Battle overlay the Whitemud; and Irish (1970) remarked “... The
lower contact . . . is normally sharp and abrupt.” At the upper contact Furnival (1946) remarked that the
overlying beds generally were sandstones of the Frenchman Formation, but if “... pre-Frenchman
erosion ... has been negligible ... there is ... difficulty in fixing the contact.” Russell (1948) found difficult
in pin-pointing the contact where the Battle was overlain by clays of the Frenchman Formation, and
used the color change from “... the purplish hue of the Battle shale ...” to the “... brownish or greenish
tones in the Frenchman.” Kupsch (1956) interpreted some of the Battle-Frenchman contacts as non-
erosional, so bolstering his argument that the Battle was no more than a facies of the Frenchman
separated from the Whitemud by an erosional surface. Irish (1970) identified both apparently
Conformable and unconformable upper contacts at different localities.
In the Oldman River region the Battle overlies the Whitemud abruptly, and is overlain, apparently
conformably by shales and sandstones of the Willow Creek Formation, in the Red Deer River-Bow
River region the Battle overlies the Whitemud and is overlain unconformably by the Paskapoo
Formation. As part of the “Kneehills Tuff zone” (Irish, 1970, Irish and Havard, 1968) the Battle
Formation is recognized over the southern Alberta plains on either side of the Sweetgrass Arch, and
in southwestern Saskatchewan. It is equivalent to the St. Mary River facies of the Edmonton Group in
the area of the Little Bow River; and correlative with part of the Brazeau Formation in the central
foothills of Alberta. It correlates with part of the Fox Hills Formation in Montana and North Dakota.
References: Allan and Sanderson, 1945; Binda, 1970; Binda and Srivastava, 1968; Campbell, 1962;
Fraser et al., 1935; Furnival, 1942, 1946; Irish, 1970, Irish and Havard 1968; Kupsch, 1956; McConnell,
1885; Ower, 1970; Russell, 1948; Srivastava, 1965.
HEH
Battleford Formation
Author: Christiansen, E.A., 1968a, p. 330.
Type Locality: Road cut near Battleford, Saskatchewan, in the NW/4 of Lsd. 4, Sec. 17, Twp. 37, Rge.
19W3M.
Lithology: Soft ablation till overlying a discontinuous harder, grey, basal till that commonly exhibits
disseminated yellowish brown staining. Grey where unoxidized, elsewhere olive grew Basal 0.5 m
(1.6 ft) commonly consists of a boulder pavement whose boulders are set in the underlying deposit
with their flat, striated surfaces covered directly by the till of the Battleford formations
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness ranges from less than 1 m (3 ft) in the plains to 100 m (328 ft) in
upland areas; extends throughout southern Saskatchewan, south of the Canadian Shield.
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformably overlies the Floral Formation, conformably overlain by
surficial stratified drip, Commonly lake clay and silt. Would appear to correlate directly with the Leinan
Till (Christiansen, 1959) and Condie Till (Christiansen, 1961). Klassen (1972) correlated the Battleford
Formation to his Lennand Till, Fenton (1974, p. 124) correlated the unit with the Libau Drift.
It is the uppermost till in west-central Saskatchewan, and so undoubtedly is of Wisconsin age. It the
Battleford Formation does correlate directly with the Leinan and Condie Tills, the name Leinan would
have priority over both Condie and Battleford.
References: Christiansen, 1959, 1961, 1968a, b, 1971, 1972; Fenton, 1974; Klassen, 1972; Richmond,
1977; Westgate et al, 1977
EAC; AMacSS
Baytree Member (Cardium Formation Smoky Group)
Author: Gleddie, J., 1949, 1954, p. 498.
Type Locality: Gleddie indicated that the type locality was south of the Baytree post office. Stelck
(1955, p. 35) indicated that the type section of the Baytree conglomerate is a few kilometres to the
north of Pouce Coupe, across the Alberta border. The location is in NW/4, Sec. 25, Twp. 8, Rge.
13W6M, northwestern Alberta
History: The name was introduced informant by Gleddie <1949, 1954, p. 49a) but originated with C.R
Stelck. Stelck (1955, p. 177) provided additional information.
Lithology: The member is a massive, well indurated conglomerate, grading into coarse grained
conglomeratic sandstone at some localities. At the type locality rounded to subrounded pebbles,
composed mainly of chert and quartzite, average about 6 to 25 mm (0.24 to 1 in), although cobbles as
much as 76 mm (3 mi) in diameter are present. The matrix consists of well indurated, coarse grained
sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickest conglomerate is in the type region, where 11 m (37 ft) of beds
are well exposed. The member extends along the ridge south of the type section and eastward across
the Pouce Coupe South gas field. It extends westward along the escarpment south of Dawson Creek
to Mount Puggins, being 6 to 8 m (20 to 26 ft) thick, and southward toward the junction of Flatbed
Creek and Murray River.
Relationship to Other Units : The Baytree Member occurs at the top of the Cardium Formation and was
considered by Stott (1967, p. 36) to be a facies of the nonmarine Moosehound sediments.
Paleontology: No fauna or flora reported. Underlies Puskwaskau shales lying within the latest
Turonian zone of Scaphites preventricosus and Inoceramus deformis.
References: Gleddie, 1949, 1954; Stelck, 1955, Stop, 1967.
DFS
Upper Triassic
Bearberry Sand
(Charlie Lake Formation, Schooler Creek Group, Superseded)
Author: Unknown.
Type Locality: Petromark HB Goose 10-32-84-21W6M, in northeastern British Columbia, between

1459.1 and 1461.2 m (4787 and 4794 ft).
History: This name has been used by Petromark Minerals Ltd. in the Goose Field, northeastern British
Columbia for the Bear Flat Member of the Charlie Lake Formation.
Lithology: Sandstone.
Thickness: 2 m (7 ft) thick.
JWR
Upper Triassic
Bear Grass (Bear Flat) Member
(Charlie Lake Formation, Schooner Creek Group, Superseded)
Author: Unknown.
Type Locality: Pacific Red Creek 10-33-85-21W6M, in northeastern British Columbia, between 1407.9
and 1410 m (4619 and 4626 ft).
History: This name has been used by Pacific Petroleums Limited in the Red Creek field, northeastern
British Columbia, for the Bear Flat Member of the Charlie Lake Formation.
Lithology: Sandstone
Thickness: 2 m (7 ft) thick.
JWR
Late Silurian to Middle Devonian
Bear Rock Formation
Author: Hume, G.S. and Link, T.A., 1945.
Type Locality: Type section is in the Canol area on Bear Rock, which is at the junction of the Great
Bear and Mackenzie rivers at Fort Norman, Northwest Territories.
Lithology: At the type section the Bear Rock is subdivided into three parts; a lower part of white
weathering, gypsiferous lensing dolomite, a thin middle part of indistinctly bedded grey dolomite and
limestone, and a thick upper part of dolomitic limestone breccia. South and west of the type section, in
the Mackenzie Mountains the Bear Rock is almost entirely lime stone breccia in outcrop, with no
evaporites. In the subsurface the Bear Rock is a sequence of interbedded anhydrite and dolomite
(Law, 1971).
Thickness and Distribution: The Bear Rock is 66 to 90 m (215 to 295 ft) thick at the type section and
reaches a maximum subsurface thickness of more than 1500 m (4920 ft) in the Candel et al.
Dahadinni M-43A and IOE et al Dahadinni I-7O wells in the Dahadinni map area (95N). The Bear
Rock Formation is not mapped south of 62°30’N or west of 130°W and is bounded eastward by the
Canadian Shield. Northward it does not extend beyond about 68°N. Over most of its extent the Bear
Rock is about 305 to 763 m (1000 to 2500 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The Bear Rock unconformably overlies the Mount Kindle Formation and is
overlain by the Hume Formation. Westward the Bear Rock passes to the Arnica, Landry and Manetoe
formations, and southward to the lower part of the Chinchaga Formation. Northward it passes to
limestone of the Gossage Formation.
Paleontology: Fauna virtually nonexistent, some ostracodes (Moelleritia canadensis), brachiopods

and colonial corals.
References: Balkwill and Yorath, 1970a, b; Cook and Aitken, 1971; Douglas and Norris, 1961, 1963;
Gabrielse et al., 1973; Hume and Link, 1945.
DWM; LVH
Upper Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian)
Bearpaw Formation, Montana Group
Author. Hatcher, J.B. and Stanton, T.W., 1903; Stanton, R.W. and Hatcher, J.B, 1905.
Type Locality: The Bearpaw Mountains of north-central Montana (48°15’N, 109°30’W) where the
“Bearpaw shales ... are well developed around the northern, eastern and southern borders” (Hatcher
and Stanton, 1903, p. 212).
Lithology: Dark grey clays, claystones, silty claystones, shales, silts and siltstones, with subordinate
brownish grey silty sands, sands and sandstones; numerous concretionary beds, and thin beds of
bentonite are the principal rock of sediment types of the Bearpaw Formations The argillaceous rocks
have been variously described; originally called “clay shales”, this term has been perpetuated by
some subsequent workers, but most have referred to them as shales. They do, in fact range from
blocky clays and capstones to true shales. Generally they have limited fissility, poor induration and a
substantial, if variable, content of silt and sand. They contain numerous bedded concretions, some
calcareous, others noncalcareous and sectarian and others again composed of mixed rusty iron
oxides. The arenaceous rocks, composed mainly of weakly cemented, fine to medium sized grains of
quartz, feldspars, chert, glauconite, various non-opaque heavy mineral and iron oxides, form widely
traceable units in many parts of the plains. In some parts they occur only near the base and top of the
formation; in others they alternate with argillaceous units throughout. Commonly clayey and silty near
the base, the arenaceous units are usually thick bedded to massive, display an increase in grain size
and “purity” in upward sequence, and may be capped by a prominent bed of hard, resistant sandstone.
They carry various kinds of bedded concretions, some large, calcareous and fossiliferous, others
small, composed of mixed iron oxides and unfossiliferous. Thin beds and partings of bentonite (altered
volcanic ash) occur throughout the formation but are concentrated in the middle shaly beds. Marine
foraminifers and molluscs also are recurrent throughout, and banks and carpets of rock-forming
inoceramid, mytilaceid, ostreid and pteriaceid bivalves are present locally. The argillaceous units
suggest the prevalence of open sea conditions of the deposition; the arenaceous units point to
episodes of shallowing, perhaps accompanied by regression; the highest beds of some sandy units
providing evidence of deposition in brackish waters of the intertidal zone.
Thickness and Distribution: Widely distributed through southern Alberta and southwestern
Saskatchewan, where it forms much of the bedrock surface, the Bearpaw Formation can be traced
from Montana as far northwards as Edmonton, with an outlier believed to exist in the Buffalo Head
Hills of northern Alberta, and from the Rocky Mountain foothills as far eastwards as Regina.
Thicknesses are variable, but because of its wedge-like form generally decrease northwards and
westwards. Originally estimated to be about 183 m (600 ft) at the type locality and 230 m (750 ft) in the
southern interior plains of Canada, the latter figure would be conservative even as an average. About
350 m (1148 ft) would be a more appropriate figure for the thickness in the Qu’Appelle and South
Saskatchewan River valleys of south Saskatchewan, 300 m (984 ft) in the Alberta-Saskatchewan
borderland, 150 m (492 ft) in the western part of the outcrop belt between Bassano and Castor in
southern Alberta, and 30 m (98 ft) in the subsurface between Calgary and Drumheller in southern
Alberta. The formation retains a notable thickness of about 290 m (951 ft) in the Crowsnest River
valley of the southernmost Rocky Mountain foothills.
Relationship to Other Units: in apparently conformable relationship the Bearpaw Formation succeeds
the Belly River Formation in the southern Rocky Mountain Foothills, and the Judith River Formation
eastwards across the plains. It is apparently conformably succeeded by the Blood Reserve and the
overlying St. Mary River Formation in southwestern Alberta, by the Horseshoe Canyon Formation (in
places with a thick series of transitional beds) in the main outcrop of the southern Alberta Plains
between the Bow River and Battle River valleys, and by the sequence of thin units known, in
ascending order as the Eastend, Whitemud and Battle formations in the Cypress Hills of the Alberta-
Saskatchewan borderland, in the South Saskatchewan River valley and other parts of southwestern
Saskatchewan. From mid-Saskatchewan the Bearpaw Formation thins westwards by facies change
between its lowest and highest beds of marine silty clays and sands and continental to marginal-
marine sandy beds of the underlying the overlying formations. Eastwards it loses it identity where the
underlying Judith River is replaced by the Pierre Shale. There it loses its sandy members by facies
change into silty clays and becomes the upper part of the Pierre Shale (formerly Riding Mountain
Formation) in the eastern plains of Saskatchewan and the Manitoba escarpment. Northwards from
southwestern Saskatchewan the Bearpaw Formation is thinned by pre-Pleistocene erosion and
disappears completely south of the North Saskatchewan River valley. Only to the northwest can it be
traced as a diminishing wedge as far as Edmonton, where it ultimately passes completely by facies
change into the Judith River Formation below and the Edmonton Group above. Further northwest the
Judith River Formation and Edmonton Group comprise the Wapiti Formation which, in the Foothills is
equivalent of the Brazeau Formation. From its type area in the Bearpaw Mountains the Bearpaw
Formation can be traced across northern Montana, where it displays similar stratigraphic relationships
to those in Alberta and Saskatchewan. West of Great Falls the formation wedges to the point of
disappearance by facies change with the underlying Judith River Formation and overlying Horsethief
Sand, St. Mary River and Hell Creek formations. Beyond the point of disappearance the nonmarine
formations coalesce to form the Two Medicine Formation, which includes thick volcanic products.
Eastwards from the type locality, to the border with North Dakota the Bearpaw Formation persists,
underlain by the Judith River Formation (in marine sandy facies) and succeeded by the Fox Hills
Sandstone and overlying Hell Creek Formation. The Judith River Formation disappears in the
borderland with North Dakota, beyond which the Bearpaw Formation becomes the upper part of the
Pierre Shale.
Paleontology: Fossils are critical to understanding the stratigraphy of the Bearpaw Formation, and
Bearpaw molluscs (baculitid, scaphitid, and placenticeratid ammonites, bivalves, gastropods, and
scaphopods) are among the best known fossils of the southern interior plains. The formation also
carries rare bryozoans, articulate and inarticulate brachiopods, annelids, rudistid and sepiod
molluscs, and ophioderms. The base of the formation lies as low as the ammonite zone of Baculites
gregoryensis in mid-Saskatchewan, and climbs to lie in the zone of B. compressus across the plains of
southern Alberta. The top of the formation lies mostly in the zones of B. baculus and B. grandis. A
sequence of foraminiferal faunas has been described from the formation. Most of the component
species are arenaceous-walled, but a well diversified and rich arenaceous- and calcareous-walled
assemblage characterizes the middle shaly beds. In terms of the foraminiferal zonal scheme for the
southern interior plains the base of the fully developed formation lies in the zone of Eoponidella linki
and the top high in the zone of Haplophragmoides excavata. Ostracodes occur rarely. The
disarticulated remains of fishes, mososaurs, plesiosaurs, a hadrosaur reptile, avians and other
vertebrates have been reported from the formation, as have logs and branches of coniferous trees,
diatoms, dinoflagellates, pollen grains and spores.
References: Caldwell, 1968; Caldwell et al., 1978; Clark, 1931: Douglas, 1942; Fraser et al., 1935;
Furnival, 1946; Given and Wall, 1971; Hatcher and Stanton, 1903; Jeletzky, 1968, 1971, Lines, 1963;
Link and Childerhose, 1931; North and Caldwell, 1970; Russell, 1948; Russell and Landes, 1940;
Stanton and Hatcher, 1905; Wall and Rosene, 1977; Wall and Singh, 1975; Sweet and Hills, 1971;
Warren, 1934, Williams and Burk, 1964, Williams and Dyer, 1930.
WGEC; RJH
Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian)
Beattie Peaks Formation (Minnes Group)
Author: Mathews, W.H., 1947, p. 11.
Type Locality: Mathews did not provide a detailed description of the formation. Hughes (1964a) briefly
described the formation at Beattie Peaks in the foothills of British Columbia.
Lithology: The Beattie Peaks Formation comprises a succession of weakly resistant mudstone, shaly
siltstone and sandstone of marine origin. The mudstones are silty and extensively burrowed.
Sandstone is commonly thin bedded, grey to brownish grey, fine grained and finely laminated. Many
lenticular sand bodies have features characteristic of channel-fill. Small banks of Buchia occur
sporadically.
Thickness and Distribution: The Beattie Peaks Formation extends from south of Pine River in the
foothills of northeastern British Columbia to Prophet River (Stott, 1967, 1975). It ranges from 270 to
almost 390 m (886 to 1279 ft) in thickness, with thickest sections occurring along the western foothills.
Thickness decreases eastward toward the plains.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Monteith Formation and gradationally underlies
quartzose sandstones of the Monach Formation. The formation is the lateral equivalent of the lower
part of the nonmarine Gorman Creek Formation of the Kakwa River region .
Paleontology: Fauna range from either the Late (latest?) Berriasian Zone of B. uncitoides or the Early
Valanginian Zone of Tollia tolli to the zone of Buchia n. sp. aff. B. inflata of Late Valanginian (Stott,
1975).
References: Mathews, 1947; Hughes, 1964a, Stott, 1967, 1975.
DFS
Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous
Beaudette Group (Abandoned)
Author: Hughes, J.E., 1964a.
Type Locality: No type section was described.
Lithology: The group was defined as comprising the Monteith, Beattie Peaks and Monach formations.
The Monteith was described as consisting of sandstones and quartzites for the most part; the Beattie
Peaks Formation of interbedded shales, siltstone and sandstone; and the Monach Formation of
sandstones with or without quartzites which have variable distribution in its upper part.
Thickness and Distribution: Reported to contain 182.9 to 1066.8 m (600 to 3500 ft) of strata in foothills
area of the Peace, Moberly and Pine rivers.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies transitionally on Fernie shales. Hughes suggested the presence of a
disconformity at the top of the Monach Formation and placed the contact between his Beaudette and
Crassier Groups at that level. Beds lying between the quartzose sandstone of the Monach Formation
and the conglomeratic (Cadomin) sandstone are much more closely related to the underlying strata in
their depositional history and should be combined with them. That interval included the beds between
the Fernie and Cadomin formations and was defined as Minnes by Ziegler and Pocock (1960). For
those reasons Stott (1967,1973) rejected the use of the Beaudette.
References: Hughes, 1964a; Stott, 1967, 1973; Ziegler and Pocock, 1960.
DFS
Beaver Member
(Winnipegosis Formation, Elk Point Group
Author: Fuzesy, L.M., 1975a, p. 194; 1975b, p. 68; 1980a, p.165. Not formally defined.
Type Locality: Dome Saskoil McKinnon 12-20-4-21W2M, in Saskatchewan, between 2487.2 and
2492.3 m (8158 and 8175 ft) (L. Fuzesy, pers. comm., and see Fuzesy, 1980a).
Lithology: Interbedded dolomite and anhydrite, with bands or aggregate of nodular anhydrite (locally
brecciated).
Thickness and Distribution: Fuzesy (1975b) indicated thicknesses up to 12 m (39 ft). Variations in
thickness are governed by the degree of Regway Member carbonate bank accretion because the
Beaver Member is predominantly an inter-bank deposit.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably (locally disconformably) overlies carbonates of the Regway
Member, and is conformably overlain by salts and the Prairie Evaporite. Where the latter are absent
there is an unconformable contact with carbonates of the Dawson Bay Formation. The Beaver Member
is equivalent to the upper part of the upper Winnipegosis of Jones (1965) and the upper Ratner
Member of Keinson and Wardlaw (1972). Fuzesy (1975b, p. 67) considered that “formal separation of
the [Regway and Beaver] units in southeastern Saskatchewan is ... important for petrological and
economical reasons”.
References: Fuzesy, 1975a, b, 1980a; Jones, 1965; Reinson and Wardlaw, 1972.
CED; KM
Upper Ordovician to Lower Silurian
Beaverfoot Formation
Author: Burling, 1922; Norford, 1969.
Type Locality: Pedley Pass, Beaverfoot Range, about 25 km (15.6 mi) southeast of Golden, British
Columbia. (51°07’N, 116°40’W).
History: Burling (1922) named the Beaverfoot Formation for dolomites and limestones, believed to be
upper Ordovician, in the western ranges and, locally, in the Purcell Range, southeastern British
Columbia. Walcott (1924) named the Brisco Formation for a succession of limestones and dolomites
(believed by him to be lower Silurian) that are approximately coextensive with the underlying
Beaverfoot Formation. Subsequent mappers could not distinguish between the two formations on
lithologic grounds and the combined succession was for many years referred to as the Beaverfoot-
Brisco Formation (Norford, 1962). Norford (1969) proposed that the names Brisco Formation and
Beaverfoot-Brisco Formation be abandoned, that rocks at the Brisco type section be included in the
Beaverfoot Formation, and that recessive beds in the lower part of the Beaverfoot Formation be
named the Whiskey Trail Member; he also proposed the Pedley Pass section as the type locality for the
formation.
Lithology: A thin sequence of recessive rocks (Whiskey Trail Member) is present at the base of the
Beaverfoot Formation in most sections. Most of the formation consists of resistant grey and light grey
dolomite and limestone; the dolomitization crosses bedding and is variable in lateral development.
Chert nodules are present in some beds.
Thickness and Distribution: At Pedley Pass the Beaverfoot Formation is 500 m (1640 ft) thick (Norford,
1969, p. 28). The formation forms resistant cliffs in the western ranges along the eastern wall of the
Rocky Mountain Trench; it is present also in the main ranges, Alberta between the Clearwater and
North Saskatchewan rivers, and in the Purcell Range west of Radium, British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: At the type section the Beaverfoot Formation lies disconformably on the
Mount Wilson Formation. Regionally Beaverfoot strata overlap the Mount Wilson and lie
disconformably on older rocks. The Whiskey Trail Member is not present where the Beaverfoot
Formation overlaps the Mount Wilson Formation to rest on older rocks. The Lower Silurian Tegart
Formation (Norford, 1969) conformably overlies the Beaverfoot Formation in the western ranges. (The
Tegart includes argillaceous limestones once assigned to the Brisco Formation). Between Clearwater
and North Saskatchewan rivers the Beaverfoot Formation is not younger than Upper Ordovician and
is overlain by Devonian beds.
References: Burling, 1922; Henderson, 1954; Norford, 1922, 1969; Walcott, 1924.
HRB
Middle-Upper Devonian
Beaverhill Lake Group (Formation)
Author: Geological Staff, Imperial Oil Ltd., 1950, p. 1807-1825.
Type Locality: Anglo-Canadian Beaverhill Lake No. 2, in 11-11-50-17W4M, in Alberta, between 1318.3
and 1538.3 m (4325 and 5047 ft), continuously cored.
History: The Beaverhill Lake Formation was originally defined, and by inference restricted to the
Edmonton area. It was later shown to be equivalent, in whole or in part to the Waterways Formation of
northeastern Alberta, which was divided into five members by Crickmay (1957), in ascending order
the Firebag, Calmut, Christina, Moberly and Mildred. These members were later recognized in the
Beaverhill Lake Formation. In the general Swan Hills area Fong (1959, 1960) proposed the Swan
Hills Member for the reefal carbonate in the Beaverhill Lake. Leavitt and Fischbuch (1968) raised the
Beaverhill Lake of this area to group status, consisting of the Fort Vermilion, Swan Hills and
Waterways formations. Griffin (1965) used the term Beaverhill Lake Formation in northern Alberta and
northeastern British Columbia for calcareous shales and argillaceous limestones equating to the
Waterways and overlying the Slave Point Formation, which is equivalent to the lower Swan Hills and
basal limestone of the type Beaverhill Lake Formation.
Lithology: In the type area the Beaverhill Lake Group consists of cyclical beds of limy shales and
argillaceous micrites. The following units are now recognized, in ascending order a basal limestone,
and the Firebag, Calmut, Christina, Moberly and Mildred members. To the northeast, in the Swan Hills
area the Beaverhill Lake Group consists of the thinly bedded dense brown anhydrites of the Fort
Vermilion Formation, which are overlain by a stromatoporoid-rich reef complex (Swan Hills
Formation). These are overlain and surrounded by the nodular limestones and shales of the
Waterways Formation. The Fort Vermilion Formation is not present in the Beaverhill lake Group south
of Swan Hills. As used by Griffin (1965) the Beaverhill Lake Formation of the northern Alberta and
northeastern British Columbia consists of argillaceous limestone and calcareous shales, with the
shales becoming dominant to the west.
Thickness and Distribution: The Beaverhill Lake Group is generally between 150 and 220 m (492 and
722 ft) thick in central Alberta. It is recognized in the subsurface in Alberta from the Drumheller area
northward to Fort McMurray. The Beaverhill Lake is recognized to the west toward the foothills and
thins to zero around the Peace River Arch. Further northwest the Beaverhill Lake Formation, as used
by Griffin is recognized as a northwesterly thinning wedge across northern Alberta into the Northwest
Territories and northeastern British Columbia, where it loses its identity in the Fort Simpson and Horn
River shales at the Slave Point-Sulphur Point-Keg River facies front.
Relationship to Other Units: The Beaverhill Lake Formation of the type area and eastern Alberta is
overlain conformably by carbonates of the Cooking Lake Formation. West of the Meadowbrook-
Rimbey Leduc Reef trend the upper Cooking Lake carbonates are not present and the Beaverhill Lake
is overlain by shales of the Woodbend, locally referred to as the Majeau Lake Shale. The Beaverhill
Lake Formation and Group are underlain generally conformably, but locally disconformably by shales,
siltstones and evaporites of the Elk Point Group. In northwestern Alberta and northeastern British
Columbia the Beaverhill Lake Formation, as defined by Griffin (1965) is disconformably overlain by
the Muskwa Formation and conformably and diachronously overlies the Slave Point Formation, which
is equivalent to the lower part of the Beaverhill Lake Formation of the type area, and the lower part of
the Swan Hills Formation of the Beaverhill Lake Group.
In northeastern Alberta the equivalents of the type Beaverhill Lake Formation are the Slave Point and
Waterways formations. Further north, into the adjoining District of MacKenzie the equivalents are the
Slave Point Formation and the Lower part of the Hay River Formation. Northwest of the Slave Point-
Keg River facies front the Slave Point, Beaverhill Lake and Waterways lose their identity into shales of
the Horn River and Fort Simpson formations which further west are replaced by the Besa River shale.
The Beaverhill Lake Formation is replaced to the southeast by the Souris River Formation in
southeastern Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and is equivalent to part of the Flume Formation
of the Fairholme Group of the Rocky Mountains.
Paleontology: The open marine shales and nodular limestones of the Beaverhill Lake and Waterways
formations of the Beaverhill Lake Group contain a brachiopod fauna of Atrypa, Eleutherokomma,
Allanaria. Nudirostra and others, and crinoids, gastropods and ostracodes. The reefal portion of the
Beaverhill Lake Group (Swan Hills Formation) is composed mainly of stromatoporoids, with a minor
amount of corals, algae, brachiopods, crinoids and ostracodes.
References: Committee on Slave Point Beaverhill Lake, 1964; Crickmay, 1957; Griffin, 1965; Hemphill
et al., 1970; Leavitt and Fischbuch, 1968.
NRF; PAM
Beaver Mines Formation (Blairmore Group)
Author: Mellon, G.B., 1967.
Type Locality: Composite section on Gladstone and Mill Creeks, southwestern Alberta Secs. 25 and
26, Twp. 5, Rge. 2W5M.
Lithology: Greenish grey sandstone, fine to coarse grained, interbedded with greenish grey mudstone,
siltstone, very fine grained sandstone, with subordinate conglomerate, bentonite and tuff. Minor
argillaceous limestone occurs near the top in the type area. Colors are mottled green and maroon in
upper part of the formation as far north as Sheep River. Some conglomerate beds contain pebbles of
volcanic origin (Norris et al., 1965).
Thickness and Distribution: The type section is 280 m (918 ft) thick, increasing to 455 m (1492 ft) to the
northwest at Ma Butte in Crowsnest Pass. Northward along the Foothills thicknesses from 240 to 280
m (787 to 918 ft) are reported. The formation is not recognized east of the foothills, or north of Ram
River (about 52°N).
Relationship to Other Units: Lies abruptly and disconformably on the Gladstone Formation and is
overlain abruptly and disconformably by the Ma Butte Formation (formerly part of the obsolete Mill
Creek Formation) in the southern foothills as far north as about the Red Deer River. To the north it is
overlain abruptly and disconformably by the Blackstone Formation (Sunkay Member). To the north in
the foothills it is homotaxial with the Malcolm Creek and Mountain Park formations (McLean, 1980). To
the east correlated with the upper Mannville in the southern plains, the Fort Augustus or Clearwater
and Grand Rapids formations in the central and northeastern Alberta Plains and Lloydminster through
Colony members of the Mannville Group in the Lloydminster area.
References: McLean, 1980: Mellon, 1967.
JRM
Quaternary
Bedford Formation (Informal name)
Author: Fenton, M.M., 1974, p 73.
History: Name introduced informally in Ph.D. thesis; not defined elsewhere.
Lithology: Consists of two members, an unnamed fine grained one, and the Sandiland Sand Member,
consisting mostly of fine to medium, well sorted sand, with local silt and coarse sand with rare
boulders, mostly crystalline; stratigraphic relation between these members not stated.
Thickness and Distribution: In one borehole the unnamed member is 2 m (7 ft) thick; the Sandiland
Sand Member increases in thickness southward, generally it ranges from 15 to more than 60 m (53 to
197+ ft.) thick; the formation is present in southeastern Manitoba, with the unnamed member found
west of the Sandiland Sand, and the latter occurring east of Rge. 9EPM.
Relationship to Other Units: Includes all the stratified sediment above the Senkiw Formation and
below the Roseau Formation; locally overlain by the Steinbach Formation; upper contact generally
sharp; Sandiland member commonly exposed. May correlate with the Zelena Formation, the upper
part of the Belair Drift. It is probably of glaciofluvial origin.
Reference: Fenton, 1974.
AMacSS; RWK
Devonian
Bedson Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Raymond, P.E., 1930, p. 229.
Type Locality: Exposures along the railroad at the southern end of the de Smet Range, Jasper
National Park, Alberta; Twp. 47, Rge. 1W6M.
History: Raymond proposed the term Bedson for 331 m (1086 ft) of “thickly bedded grey limestone”,
which he mistakenly assigned to the Mississippian (Allan et al., 1932, p. 238). These strata are now
recognized to be the Devonian Palliser Formation Moore, 1958, p. 169).
References: Allan et al., 1932; Moore, 1958; Raymond, 1930.
PAM
Beechy Halite (Hatfield Member,
Souris River Formation, Manitoba Group)
Author: Lane, D.M., 1964, p. 33. Not formally defined.
Type Locality: Tidewater Beechy Crown No. 1, in 1-29-23-11W3M, Saskatchewan, between 1461.5
and 1471.3 m (4795 and 4827 ft).
Lithology: Halite.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum thickness of 9.8 m (32 ft) occurs in the type well. The halite
occurs in two sub-basins: 1) the Beechy sub-basin, a 220 by 80 km (134 by 49 mi) basin extending
north-northeast from west of Swift Current; and 2) the smaller Davidson sub-basin, within which the
halite does not exceed a thickness of 4 m (13 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Beechy halite is commonly sandwiched between beds of anhydrite. It
occurs in the lower half of the Hatfield Member.
Reference: Lane, 1964.
CED; KRM
Beechy Member (Bearpaw Formation)
locality lies where the South Saskatchewan River reaches its most southerly point in Saskatchewan,
and the type section is located in a creek that drains the badlands on the north side of the river, in
Secs. 4 and 10, Twp. 20, Rge. 12W3M, 14.5 km (8.9 mi) west of the old Herbert Ferry crossing.
Lithology: Clays, dark grey weathering mid-grey to brownish grey many of them silty and locally sandy,
noncalcareous, iron stained in impersistent seams and patches, the middle bed containing
unfossiliferous siltstone concretions, the upper beds some fossiliferous, calcareous sandstone
concretions. A persistent 7.5 cm (3 in) thick bed of mealy-textured, soft, yellow bentonite is present just
over 2 m (7 ft) above the base of the member, and the clays beneath carry numerous, generally
disarticulated shells of Ostrea patina Meek and Hayden. The O. patina clays and bentonite bed are
useful markers for correlation of the Beechy and contiguous members both within and beyond the type
area. Crushed bivalves occur at some levels above the bentonite marker in the type locality.
Thickness and Distribution: The type section at 33.5 m (110 ft) is one of the thickest sections of the
Beechy Member within the type area; thicknesses of about 20 m (66 ft) are more typical. South of the
type area the member is thicker, ranging between 25 and 45 m (82 and 148 ft) and commonly over 30
m (98 ft), but its extent is limited by that of the overlying sands of the Ardkenneth Member which,
between Rges. 15 and 22W3M extend less than half way between the South Saskatchewan River
valley and the border with Montana. To the east the Beechy Member extends through the Qu’Appelle
River valley at least as far as Buffalo Pound Lake, north of Moose Jaw, where outcrops reveal up to 15
m (49 ft) of its estimated 40 m (131 ft) thickness. To the west the member is not known beyond Rge.
19W3M. In the Alberta Saskatchewan borderland area north of the Cypress Hills, and south of the
South Saskatchewan River disappearance of the member probably is due to erosion of the Bearpaw
Formation to a sub-Beechy level.
Relationship to Other Units: Apart from a short covered interval 5 m (16 ft) below the top, the Beechy
Member is exposed completely in type section, and its conformable relationship with the sands of the
underlying Demaine Member and overlying Ardkenneth Member is readily apparent from the contact
relationships. Although the contacts are sufficiently sharp to be drawn without difficulty, the high silt
and sand content and the presence of fossiliferous concretions similar to those near the base of the
Ardkenneth Member confer a transitional aspect on the upper 5 m (16 ft) of the Beechy Member. Only
to the south of the type area is the reason for disappearance of the Beechy Member quite clear.
Beyond Twp. 11, with the loss of identity by facies change of the overlying Ardkenneth Sand the
Beechy Member becomes part of a composite, thick Beechy-Snakebite Member, which in turn
becomes the principal component of the Manyberries Member of the Bearpaw Formation around the
Cypress Hills.
Paleontology: Ovoid concretions of calcareous sandstone in the transitional beds of the upper 5 m (16
ft) have yielded Baculites compressus robinsoni Cobban, Placenticeras intercalare (Meek), P. meeki
Boehm and other mollusks. B. Compressus robinsoni is the northern subspecies of B. compresses
and indicates that at least the uppermost beds of the Beechy Member fall within the B. Compressus
Zone. The foraminiferal fauna shows that the Beechy Member is the uppermost complete division of
the Bearpaw Formation to fall within the Gaudryina bearpawensis Subzone of the Haplophragmoides
fraseri Zone in the foraminiferal zonal scheme for the southern interior plains.
References: Caldwell, 1968; Caldwell et al., 1978; North and Caldwell, 1970, 1975a, b.
WGEC; RJH
Belair Drift (Informal)
Author: McPherson, H.J., 1970, p. 110.
Type Locality: Approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) east of Belair, Manitoba, in Secs. 2 and 11, Twp. 19, Rge.
7EPM.
History: Name introduced in Ph.D. thesis as a “morphostratigraphic unit”, unit not described elsewhere.
Lithology: Till and outwash; derived primarily from acid igneous rocks; the till is described as a light
olive grey loam till with about 50% sand, 32% silt and 19% clay.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness of unit not stated. The till is not exposed in the Beausejour area
of Manitoba, where it is reported only from boreholes, but outwash and associated drift of the unit are
exposed around the type locality near the “Belair End Moraine”.
Relationship to Other Units: The outwash and associated drift commonly are exposed at surface.
Correlated by Keatinge (1975, p. 40) with the Senkiw and Whiteshell formations, and by Fenton (1974,
p. 124) with the Zelena Formation. It was deposited by ice moving southwest from the Precambrian
Shield; considered to be of Woodfordian age.
References: Fenton, 1974; Keatinge, 1975; McPherson, 1970; McPherson et al., 1971.
AMacSS; RWK
Belanger Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Author: Furnival, G.M., 1941, p. 58-60.
Type Locality: East side of Sucker Creek, in the Cypress Hills of southwestern Saskatchewan, in 4-25-
6-26W3M.
History: in the Cypress Hills intercalated sands and clays in the upper 100 m (328 ft) of the Bearpaw
Formation were correlated with the “Fox Hills” by McConnell, (1885, p. 25) and Dyer (1926, p. 16b,
19b) and with the lower part of the Eastend Formation by Russell (1933, p. 132). Furnival (1941, p. 58-
67; 1946, p. 38-39) placed these beds into the Bearpaw Formation and recognized three eastward
thinning sandstone wedges. These he named, in ascending order, the Oxarart, Belanger and Thelma
members. Furnival (1946, p. 51-52, 72, 74-75) correlated the type section of the Belanger Member with
the middle of three of the Bearpaw Formation sands exposed in the interprovincial area. Russell
(1948, p. 19-20) concluded that the Oxarart and Belanger members of Saskatchewan are
prepresented by a combined middle sand in Alberta. Lomenda (1973, p. 11 -12, 113) recognized
complex intertonguing of sands and clays and provisionally grouped the beds between the
Manyberries Member and the Eastend Formation into the Oxarart-Medicine Lodge Composite
“Member”.
Lithology: Greenish brown, streaky grey and buff weathering, clayey, glauconitic, very fine to fine
grained sand containing numerous thin interbeds and fragments of grey clay. Interbedded sand and
clay in the lower half grade up into slightly “cleaner” and coarse grained sand. In places burrowing
organisms have obliterated primary sedimentary structures. A concretionary layer about the middle of
the member contains mollusks belonging to the Zone of Baculites bacillus.
Thickness and Distribution: Cypress Hills area. About 6 m (20 ft) thick, thinning to 3 m (10 ft) of silt 16
km (10 mi) eastward at Palisade Cap. South of the Cypress Hills the sand crops out in Old Man on His
Back Plateau (Twp. 3, Rge. 25W3M) and Boundary Plateau (Twp. 2, Rge. 23W3M). Furnival correlated
the Belanger Member with sands exposed in the western extension or the Cypress Hills.
Relationship to Other Units: Stratified between units of dark grey clay and Bearpaw Formation about
38 m (125 ft) beneath the Eastend Formation. The Belanger Member occurs in the middle part of the
Ammodiscus-gyroidina foraminiferal zone of Loranger and Gleddie (1953) and the middle part of the
Haplophragmoides excavata fauna (North and Caldwell, 1970, p. 73) it disappears into Aquadell
Member clays in south-central Saskatchewan and grades into marine and nonmarine sediments of the
Horseshoe Canyon Formation at Castor Alberta and the St. Mary River Formation in southwestern
Alberta.
References: Caldwell et al., 1978; Dyer, 1926; Furnival, 1941, 1946; Lines 1963; Lomenda, 1973;
Loranger and Gleddie, 1953; McConnell, 1885; North and Caldwell, 1970; Russell, 1933, 1948.
ML
Lower Permian (Asselian and Sakmarian)
Belcourt Formation (Ishbel Group)
Author: McGugan A. and Rapson, J.E., 1963.
Type Locality: At elevation of 2164 m (7100 ft) on west end of west trending ridge, northwest side of
Muinok Mountain; 54°20’28”N, 120°24’41”W, NTS 93I/8, eastern Rocky Mountain front ranges, east-
central British Columbia (McGugan and Rapson, 1963; Bamber and Macqueen, 1979).
History: The Belcourt Formation of McGugan and Rapson (1963) is equivalent to the lower unit of
Forbes and McGugan (1959) and to the Hanington Formation of Bamber and Macqueen )1979). The
Hanington is known from two localities in east-central British Columbia (Bamber and Macqueen,
1979). It was differentiated from the Belcourt because the Hanington contains foraminifers that were
erroneously interpreted to be of Late Carboniferous age (Ross and Bamber, 1978) and was thought to
be separated from overlying Permian carbonates of the Belcourt by a regional unconformity. New,
unpublished foraminiferal (pers. comm., S. Penard) and conodont data from the Hanington indicates
that unit is Early Permian in age. Because Permian carbonates of the Hanington cannot be
distinguished from those of the Belcourt Formation Richards (1989) and Richards et al. (in press)
assigned the unit to the Belcourt. The name Hanington Formation should be abandoned.
Lithology: The resistant Belcourt Formation is dominantly yellowish grew dolomitized skeletal
wackestone and packestone, ovid grainstone and very fine to finely crystalline dolostone containing
sand and silt (McGugan and Rapson-McGugan, 1976; Bamber and Macqueen, 1979; Henderson et
al., in press). Light to medium grey skeletal and oolitic limestone (mudstone to packstone and
grainstone) predominates at some northwestern outcrops in east-central British Columbia. Abundant
nodules and irregular masses of grey chert are preserved in most dolostone and many limestone
beds. Many carbonate beds in the eastern Belcourt contain fusulinaceans, commonly best preserved
in chert nodules; other beds contain numerous colonial rugose corals. Tabular boundstone units,
possibly dominated by the ?hydrozoan Palaeoaplysina lie locally in east-central British Columbia.
Most sections include a basal chert and carbonate granule to boulder conglomerate or conglomeratic
carbonate ranging in thickness from less than 10 cm to 5.8 m (4 in to 19 ft). Above the basal beds there
are from one to several conglomerate beds that overlie intraformational erosion surfaces.
Conglomerate and grainstone beds locally show medium to large scale cross-bedding. Northwestern
occurrences of the formation are rhythmically bedded and show sharp based graded beds and debris-
flow conglomerate. Elsewhere the medium to thick bedded Belcourt Consists of lenticular beds and
massive, undulose beds.
Thickness and Distribution: Confined to the eastern Rocky Mountains the Belcourt extends from
northern Jasper National Park in west-central Alberta to Mountain Creek south of Pine Pass in east-
central British Columbia (Bamber and Macqueen, 1979; McGugan and Rapson-McGugan 1976).
The formation varies greatly and abruptly in thickness because of block faulting and accompanying
erosion prior to deposition of overlying Permian and Triassic units (McGugan and Rapson-McGugan,
1976; Bamber and Macqueen, 1979; Richards, 1989). In the Wapiti Lake region of east-central British
Columbia local southwestward thinning occurs, but to the south a general southwestward thickening
trend is evident. The thickest deposits lie west of Sukunka River in the northwest, where the Belcourt
is over 130 m (426 ft) thick. At its faulted and poorly exposed type section the formation is between
47.8 m (157 ft) (McGugan and Rapson, 1963) and 41.6 m (137 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units : In most areas the Belcourt unconformably overlies lower to middle Visean
carbonates of the Rundle Group (Bamber and Macqueen, 1979). West of Sukunka River in east-
central British Columbia it unconformably overlies uppermost Devonian shale of the Besa River
Formation (Richards, 1989). The Belcourt is generally unconformably overlain by the Permian
Mowitch Formation in the northeast and by the Permian Fantasque Formation to the southwest.
Artinskian sandstone and siltstone (?Kindle Formation) unconformably overlie the Belcourt northwest
of Sukunka River, and Triassic deposits locally overlie it to the southeast near Hook Lake. Toward the
northeast the Belcourt passes into the partly coeval subsurface Belloy Formation, and is separated
from the latter by an arbitrary nomenclatural boundary at the northeastern margin of the Rocky
Mountains (Henderson et al., in press).
References: Bamber and Macqueen, 1979; Forbes and McGugan, 1959; Henderson et al., in press;
McGugan and Rapson, 1963; McGugan and Rapson-McGugan, 1976; Richards, 1989; Richards et al.,
in press; Ross and Camber, 1978.
BCR, EWB, CMH

Middle Jurrasic (Bajocian)
Belemnite Zone (Fernie Formation, Superseded)
Author: Hume, G.S., 1930.
Type Locality: Subsurface of Turner Valley area, Alberta; crops out in Canyon Creek, Moose Mountain
area. No specific well was designated as a type section.
History: Originally recognized as marker horizon 9.1 to 10.7 m (30 to 35 ft) above Paleozoic limestone
in many wells of the Turner Valley area and compared by Hume to an outcrop in Canyon Creek which
is now included within the Highwood Member (q. v.).
Lithology: Throughout the eastern foothills belt usually dark grey to black, silty shales with blocky to
laminated fracture and rusty weathering surfaces or dark brown to grew fine grained sandstones and
siltstones with calcareous cement. Within the shales belemnites usually concentrated in oval, dark
grey calcareous concretions of variable size. Closely associated with rich stephanoceratid ammonite
and bivalve faunas; belemnites usually form thin, distinct lower band of this fossiliferous horizon.
Thickness and Distribution: Known in outcrop throughout the eastern foothills of the Rockies;
individual belemnite horizons usually only a few centimetres thick, but several may be present in a
section, e.g., at Canyon Creek three thin bands of belemnites associated with concretions occur n
dark shales over a stratigraphic interval of approximately 7 m (23 ft). Similar repetitions occur in
Bighorn Creek and Willson Creek and in the latter case range up into strata of known Bathonian age.
Relationship to Other Units: Occurs within great rusty weathering shales now assigned to Highwood
Members
References: Hall, 1984; Hume, 1930; Marion, 1984 Stronach, 1984.
RLH
Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian)
Belle Fourche Shale Member (Ashville Formation)
Author: Collier, A.J.. 1920,1922.
History: The “Belle Fourche Shale Member” was introduced as the upper member of the “Graneros
Shale” in the Black Hills area of Wyoming by Collier (1920, 1922). It was defined as the shale unit
between the Mowry Shale and the Greenhorn Limestone and has remained unmodified except for a
change in rank from member to formation. The Belle Fourche Shale has been mapped extensively in
Wyoming, Montana, and South and North Dakota (Hansen 1955; McGookey et al., 1972). In 1981 the
name was introduced in Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan by McNeil and Caldwell, who
correlated the unit from its type locality northwards to the Manitoba escarpment, where it was
designated as the Belle Fourche Shale Member of the Ashville Formation, replacing the informal
name “upper Ashville” of Williams and Burk (1964).
Lithology: A uniform, greyish black, carbonaceous, noncalcareous shale with numerous bentonite
beds and minor thin beds or lenses of silt, fine grained sand, or calcarenite. Red weathering clay-
ironstone concretions are rare to common in the Belle Fourche.
In Manitoba the regional Fish-scale marker beds, which include lenses and laminae of silt and fish
fragments occur at the base of the member. The upper Belle Fourche contains calcarenite beds termed
the Ostrea beloiti beds, associated with a regional marker bentonite bed which, with the oyster-
bearing calcarenite form a widespread marker in the eastern part of the Western Interior of Canada
and the United States (McNeil and Caldwell, 1981).
Thickness and Distribution: The Belle Fourche Shale is recognized in Wyoming, Montana, and South
and North Dakota. In eastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba it is recognized as the upper
member of the Ashville Formation (McNeil and Caldwell, 1981), in central Montana it forms the lower
member of the Colorado Shale. In the type area, flanking the western and northern Black Hills uplift
the Belle Fourche Shale ranges form 113 to 229 m (371 to 751 ft) in thickness due to facies changes
with the overlying calcareous shale of the Greenhorn Formation (Robinson et al., 1964). It is thinner
eastwards, 61 m (200 ft) in South Dakota, 30 m (98 ft) in eastern North Dakota. In southern Manitoba
the Belle Fourche Shale Member is approximately 45 m (148 ft) thick, but diminishes northwestward to
10 or 15 m (33 or 49 ft) in east-central Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The Belle Fourche Shale rests conformably on the siliceous Mowry Shale
and passes by interdigitation into the overlying calcareous shale of the Greenhorn Formation. In
southeastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba the Belle Fourche Shale Member rests
conformably on dark shale of the Westgate Member and conformably underlies calcareous shale of
the Favel Formation. Farther north a disconformity marks the contact between the Belle Fourche and
the Favel.
The Belle Fourche Shale correlates southward with the Graneros Shale of Colorado, Kansas and
Nebraska. Westward it correlates with the lower part of the Frontier Formation in E Wyoming. In
western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta it correlates with shale (upper pan of Big River Formation
of Simpson, 1975) in the lower Colorado Group situated between the base of the regional subsurface
Fish-scale marker beds and Second (lower) White-speckled shale. In the central and southwestern
Alberta Foothills the Belle Fourche correlates with the Sunkay Member (partly above and including
the Fish Scale Sandstone) of the Blackstone Formation
References: Collier, 1920, 1922; Hansen, 1955; Hattin, 1965; McGookey et al., 1972; McNeil and
Caldwell, 1941; Price 1963; Robinson et al., 1964; Simpson, 1975, Wall, 1967; Williams and Burk,
1964.
OHM; LLP
Belle Plaine Member (Prairie Formation, Elk Point Group)
Author: Holter, M.E., 1969.
Type Locality: Sifto Salt Tugaske 14-32-22-2W3M well, in Saskatchewan, between 1440.5 and 1450.5
m (4726 and 4759 ft).
History: The Belle Plaine Member was previously referred to as zone 2 (Goudie, 1957), K-2 Zone
(Klingspor, 1966) and zone C (Harding and Gorrell, 1967).
Lithology: Primarily potash (mainly as sylvite, but with up to 68% carnallite), with halite and a
maximum of 6% “insolubles”. The Belle Plaine Member contains a higher percentage of carnallite than
the other potash-rich members of the Prairie Evaporite. Where the member is thickest there is a
maximum of carnallite.
Thickness and Distribution: A maximum thickness of 46 m (151 ft) occurs in the General Petroleum
Saskatoon 6-12-38-4W3M well, where only minor amounts of potash are present. The member is
present from near Saskatoon southwestward to Maple Creek, and southeastward to Esterhazy in
those areas where the Prairie Evaporite occurs. Thickest developments are between Saskatoon and
Quill Lakes.
Relationship to Other Units: The member is the middle of three main potash-bearing members
recognized by Holter (1969). It is overlain and underlain by un-named beds of halite. Contacts are
generally sharp.
References: Goudie, 1975; Harding and Gorrell, 1967; Hotter, 1969; Klingspor, 1966.
CED; KRM
Permian
Belloy Formation (Ishbel Group)
Author: Halbertsma, H.L., 1959, p. 109.
Type Locality: Imperial Belloy 12-14-78-1W6M Alberta, between 1246 and 1294 m (4087 and 4246 ft)
History: Halbertsma (1959) divided the Belloy Formation into three members, a lower carbonate
member, a middle sand member and an upper carbonate member. Sikabonyi (1959) included
consideration of sedimentation, depositional trends, thickness and correlation of the Belloy Formation
in his paper on Paleozoic sedimentation in the northern half of the Western Canadian Sedimentary
Basin. Naqvi (1972) studied the Belloy Formation of the Peace River subsurface. He related the Belloy
Formation to part of the Ishbel Group, including the Mount Greene beds, but could not recognize
consistently mappable members. Naqvi believed that diagenesis and lithification took place in a
chemically active phosphate and evaporite producing environment, following Rapson-McGugan
(1970).
Lithology: Sandy dolostones and sandstones with spicular cherts, calcareous, glauconitic and quartz
sandstones, phosphorites, siltstones and phosphatic chert conglomerates within the formation and at
the base.
Thickness and Distribution: Zero to 274 m (900 ft) (Halbertsma, 1959). Zero edge in the east,
increasing to more than 183 m (600 ft) near the foothills south of Fort St. John (Naqvi, 1972). Present
in most of the subsurface of the Peace River area and in adjoining foothills of northeastern British
Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: Unconformably overlies various Carboniferous horizons (Naqvi, 1972 Fig.
4). Overlain disconformably by Lower Triassic shales and siltstones. Homotaxial with Mount Greene
Beds, Belcourt and Kindle formations of central and southern Rocky Mountains, northeastern British
Columbia and Alberta. It is presently thought that correlatives of the Fantasque and Ranger Canyon
formations are not represented in the Belloy, although they may be preserved locally (Henderson et
al., in press; Henderson, 1989).
Paleontology: Contains spores, foraminifera, ammonoids and brachiopods of Permian age (Naqvi,
1972, pi 78, 80 and 82). Conodonts have also recently been recovered (C.M.H., unpublished).
References: Bamber and Macqueen, 1971; Bamber, Taylor and Procter, 1968; Halbertsma, 1959;
Henderson, 1989; Henderson et al., in press; Naqvi, 1972; Nassichuk, 1969; Rapson-McGugan, 1970;
Sikabonyi, 1959; Taylor and Bamber, 1970.
AM, CMH
Upper Cretaceous (Santonian-Campanian)
Belly River Formation (Group)
Author: Dawson, G.M., 1883, p. 8B; 1984.
Type Locality: Named from exposures along the Belly and Bow rivers. Dawson (1884, p. 70c to 76c)
referred specifically to exposures on the Belly River from the mouth of the St. Mary River (Twp. 8, Rge.
22W4M) downstream to the vicinity of the confluence of the Belly (now Oldman) and Bow rivers (Twp.
11, Rge. 13W4M). These may be taken as typical exposures.
History: The name Belly River was applied to the sequence of sediments between the Pierre Shale
(now Bearpaw Formation) and “lower dark shales of Rocky Spring Plateau” (now Colorado Group).
However, it is now clear that Dawson mis-correlated the latter with shale exposures along the Milk
River of what is now the Pakowki Formation. Thus, in the southern Alberta Plains Belly River was
used as a group name to encompass the Pale beds, Foremost, Claggett and Milk River formations by
Dowling (1916, 1917), but confined to beds above the Pakowki and below the Bearpaw by Williams
and Dyer (1930). Russell 11940) discontinued use of Belly River in the southern Alberta Plains in
favor of Oldman and Foremost formations. This usage was followed by Irish (1971 !. McLean (1 971)
found that the distinction of the Oldman from Foremost was not clear or consistent and proposed that
the name Judith River Formation, which has precedence be applied to the undivided sequence
between the Pakowki and Bearpaw formations. The names Belly River and Oldman, which had been
applied in western Saskatchewan and east central Alberta were also replaced by the name Judith
River, thus unifying the nomenclature throughout southern Alberta and Saskatchewan wherever the
overlying Bearpaw and the underlying Pakowki or Lea Park formations could be recognized. The
name Belly River Formation has been applied in the southern Alberta Foothills to the undivided
sequence from the Wapiabi Formation to the Bearpaw Formation, including Judith River, Pakowki and
Milk River equivalents. The Pakowki is not recognized in the foothills, rendering the Judith River and
Milk River indistinguishable. This usage has been consistent and is widely accepted. Usage of the
term Belly River Formation in the plains has been fraught with confusion and should be discontinued.
Lithology: Predominantly interbedded mudstones to very fine grained sandstones with subordinate,
but prominent coarser grained sandstone beds. Bentonite, coal and concretionary beds are minor
constituents. The dominant colors are shades of grey and green. A predominantly sandstone unit is
present in the basal 10 to 30 m (33 to 98 ft), generally very fine to medium grained, with an overall
upward increase in grain size. Some cross-bedding is usually present. Above, thick to massive
sandstones are the most prominent lithology. These are fine to very coarse grained, with minor
conglomerate, and usually are abrupt based and exhibit an upward decrease in grain size. Between
are thick sequences of interbedded finer clastics, well indurated to unconsolidated, open with
abundant carbonaceous debris. These more recessive beds often constitute a large proportion of the
entire section.
Thickness and Distribution: in its restricted sense the Belly River is confined to the southern Alberta
Foothills from the International Boundary to about the Clearwater River, Thicknesses of 900 to 1300 m
(2952 to 4264 ft) are reported. The name is often used in the plains region, where it generally refers to
the interval between the Pakowki or Lea Park formations. It may be found anywhere in the region from
the International Boundary to about 53°30’N and as far east as 104°W in eastern Saskatchewan. It
generally thins to the east from the values given above for the foothills to a depositional edge in
Saskatchewan. Except for the westernmost edge, thicknesses in the plains rarely exceed 350 m (1148
ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Wapiabi Formation gradationally and is overlain abruptly but
conformably by the Bearpaw Formation. To the north, in the foothills the Belly River is equivalent to a
lower part of the Brazeau Formation. The Milk River, Pakowki and Judith River (or Oldman and
Foremost) formations are lateral equivalents in the plains.
References: Dawson, 1883, 1884; Dowling, 1916, 1917; Irish, 1971; McLean, 1971,1977; Russell,
1940, 1970; Shaw and Harding, 1949; Stott, 1963; Williams, 1956; Williams and Dyer, 1930.
JRM
Upper Cretaceous
Benton Shale (Colorado Group) (Abandoned in Canada)
Author: Meek, F.B.; Hayden, F.V., 1862.
Type Locality: Named for Fort Benton on Missouri River, about 64.4 km (40.25 mi) below Great Falls,
Montana, but the stratigraphic limits of formation are based largely on sections along the Missouri
River in northern Nebraska.
History: Originally called Fort Benton Group, the “Fort” was later dropped from the name, the term
Benton Shale was used. The Benton, as defined equated in large part with the Blackstone and
Cardium formations of the Alberta Foothills. In Canada Cairnes (1906, p. 6), working in the Moose
Mountain district applied (incorrectly) the term Niobrara-Benton to shale now included in the
Blackstone and Cardium formations. Rose (1920, p. 17c), in the Highwood area applied the term
Benton to the marine Cretaceous sequence now assigned to the Alberta Group. Slipper (1921) and
Rutherford (1927) both continued to use the name Fenton. Subsequently Hume (1930, p. 6B) pointed
out the discrepancy in the stratigraphic interval between the original Fort Benton of the Missouri River
sections and the shale sequence in the Alberta Foothills. Hume proposed the new name, Alberta, and
since that time Alberta Group has replaced Benton.
References: Cairnes, 1906; Hayden, 1876; Hume, 1930; Meek and Hayden, 1862; Rose, 1920;
Rutherford, 1927; Slipper, 1921.
DFS
Cretaceous
Berland River Shales (Obsolete)
Author: MacVicar, J., 1924, p. 34B.
Type Locality: None designated; used by MacVicar in the foothills area between the Athabasca and
Smoky rivers, Alberta (Twp. 50, Rge. 27W5M to Twp. 58, Rge. 9W6M).
History: Used by MacVicar for the succession of dark shales overlying the Sunset Sandstone
(Mountain Park Formation; Mellon, 1966, p. 28) and overlain by 76 m (250 ft) of sandstone and shale
with coal seams, 305 m (1000 ft) of dark marine shale, and a succession of shales and sandstone with
conglomerate and coal seams. These three overlying units probably represent the Cardium, Wapiabi
and Brazeau formations respectively, so that the term Berland River Shales was probably intended to
refer to the Blackstone-equivalent shales, as suggested by Allan and Rutherford (1934, p. 33). A thick
sandstone unit within the Berland River probably represents the Dunvegan. Strata assigned to the
Berland River Shales are now included in the Shaftesbury (Fort St. John Shales), Dunvegan, and
Kaskapau formations (Stott, 1963; Irish, 1965). MacVicar reported a thickness of 900 m (2952 ft) for
this unit, although this is excessive due to faulting. Stott (1963, fig. 15a) indicated thickness in the
order of 430 m (1410 ft) for Blackstone-equivalent strata northwest of the Athabasca River.
References: Allan and Rutherford, 1934; Irish, 1965; MacVicar, 1924; Stott, 1963.
PAM
Middle Devonian (Givetian) to Lower Carboniferous
(Upper Visean and Serpukhovian)
Besa River Formation
Author: Kidd, R.A., 1963.
Type Locality: The type section, exposed in the core of the Muskwa River anticline along an unnamed
stream and on a ridge to the east, lies 6.4 km (4 mi) north of the Muskwa River; 57°56’30”N, 123°43’W,
NTS 94G/13; western Rocky Mountain Foothills, northeastern British Columbia (Kidd, 1963; Taylor
and MacKenzie, 1970).
History: The upper part of the type section sensu Kidd (1963) includes strata assignable to
Sutherland’s (1958) lower member A of the Prophet Formation. Bamber and Mamet (1978) recognized
this problem and placed the top of the type Besa River at the base of the Prophet, but they did not
formally restrict the stratotype.
In southeastern Yukon and southwestern District of Mackenzie part of the succession that Harker
(1961; 1963) assigned to the Etanda Formation in the region west of the La Biche syncline axis
belongs to the Besa River. All deposits that Harker (1961, 1963) and Douglas et al. 11963) placed in
the Etanda were included in the Besa River by Douglas (1976) and Bamber et al. (1984). However,
Harker (1961, 1963) and Douglas et al. (1963) included Prophet and Golata equivalents in the Etanda
at its type locality and in much of the La Biche syncline to the south. Richards (1989) abandoned the
name Etanda Formation because that formation included the Besa River and other formations that had
priority of publication.
Lithology: A dark-shale lithofacies constitutes most of the Besa River Formation, but a spiculite
lithofacies occurs in the upper part from east-central British Columbia into southwestern District of
Mackenzie. In addition there is a sandstone and shale facies in the upper Besa River of northeastern
British Columbia and southeastern Yukon and in the lower Besa River of the Rockies from about
55°00’N to 55°50’N (Pelzer, 1966; Bamber et al., 1968; Bamber and Mamet, 1978; Richards et al., in
press). In the Rocky Mountains of east-central British Columbia the lower Besa River contains a
resistant unit of brown weathering nodular, argillaceous limestone (McMechan, 1987). The dark-shale
lithofacies, which generally underlies and grades eastward into the other facies is mainly dark grey to
black, slightly calcareous to siliceous shale containing sponge spicules and radiolarians. At the type
section most of the shale is calcareous, buff weathering and assembles that of the Banff Formation
with which it is partly coeval. Macrofossils are rare in this lithofacies, and sideritic bands and nodules
are locally common.
Spiculite, bedded chert and spicule-rich carbonates constitute the spiculite lithofacies. All of these
deposits are commonly intercalated with the dark-shale facies and occur as tongues that thin
basinward (southwestward).
The shale and sandstone facies consists of silty to sandy shale and mudstone interbedded with
subordinate siltstone and sandstone turbidites and slump deposits. This lithofacies also locally
contains plant bearing conglomerate (Muller, 1967, p. 80; Richards, in press).
Thickness and Distribution: The Besa River Formation is widely distributed from 54°45’N in east-
central British Columbia into southwestern District of Mackenzie (Pelzer, 1966; Taylor and MacKenzie,
1970; Taylor and Stott, 1973; Bamber and Mamet, 1978; McMechan, 1987; Thompson, 1989, Richards
et al., in press). It is preserved mainly in the eastern Rocky Mountain Thrust Belt and southern
Mackenzie Fold Belt, but in the northeast it is present on the western Interior Platform.
The Besa River, up to 1655 m (5428 ft) thick (Richards, 1989, Table 1) is generally thickest in the
foothills and on the extreme western part of the Interior Platform. Westward of this narrow belt there is
a marked decrease in thickness (Pelzer, 1966; Bamber et al., 1968; Richards, 1989, Table 1). At the
type section, where about 823 m (2700 ft) of Besa River are exposed (Pelzer, 1966), the lower part of
the formation is folded, faulted and mainly covered.
Relationship to Other Units : From southeast to northwest the lower contact of the Besa River becomes
progressively older as the upper contact becomes younger. This reflects a lateral change from
carbonate and sandstone dominated formations in the east to shale, mudstone and spiculite in the
west (Taylor and Stott, 1973). In most of the region south of 60°N the Besa River abruptly overlies the
Devonian (Eifelian to Givetian) Dunedin Formation, but in the eastern part of this southern area it
locally overlies the upper Givetian Slave Point Formation. West of the basinward depositional limit of
the Dunedin the Besa River overlies upper Eifelian deposits of the Road River Formation and, locally,
Emsian carbonates of the Stone Formation. North of 60°N the Besa River generally overlies the Road
River in the west and Givetian deposits of the Nahanni Formation in the east (Taylor and MacKenzie,
1970; Douglas and Norris, 1976; Morrow and Geldsetzer, 1988; Bamber et al., 1968).
The Besa River passes eastward to southeastward into Middle Devonian (Givetian) to upper Lower
Carboniferous (Visean and Serpukhovian) strata (Pelzer, 1966; Bamber et al., 1968; Taylor and
MacKenzie, 1970; Morrow and Geldsetzer, 1988; Richards, 1989; Richards et al. in press). In
southwestern District of Mackenzie and northernmost British Columbia the formation passes into the
Devonian Fort Simpson, Imperial and Exshaw formations. In the region to the south the Besa River
passes eastward into the Devonian Dunedin, Horn River and Exshaw formations. The Besa River
passes eastward into the Lower Carboniferous Banff, Yohin, Clausen, Golata and Mattson formations
and into the Rundle and Stoddart groups.
In the east most of the Besa River is gradationally overlain by the middle Tournaisian to upper Visean
Prophet Formation. The eastern Besa River of east-central British Columbia is locally gradationally
overlain by middle Tournaisian carbonates of the Banff Formation and, locally, in District of Mackenzie
the formation is gradationally overlain by the Yohin Formation. West of the basinal depositional limit of
the Prophet sandstone of the Mattson Formation and Stoddart Group conformably overlie the Besa
River. Permian strata locally unconformably overlie the western Besa River of British Columbia
(Bamber et al., 1968; Pelzer, 1966; Richards, 1989; Richards et al., in press).
The Besa River is lithologically and stratigraphically equivalent to the western Fort Simpson
Formation as mapped by Douglas and Norris (1976), the Canol Formation (Bassett, 1961), and the
Earn Group (Campbell, 1967). Its boundaries with the eastern Earn and the Fort Simpson are arbitrary
and poorly known.
References: Bamber, Macqueen and Richards, 1984; Bamber and Mamet, 1978; Bamber, Taylor and
Proctor, 1968; Bassett, 1961; Campbell, R.B.; 1957; Douglas, 1976; Douglas, Harker and Norris, 1963;
Douglas and Norris, 1976; Harker, 1961, 1963; Kidd, 1962, 1963; McMechan, 1987; Morrow and
Geldsetzer, 1988; Muller, 1967; Pelzer, 1966; Richards, 1989; Richards et al., in press; Sutherland,
1958; Taylor and MacKenzie, 1970; Taylor and Stott, 1973; Thompson 1989.
BCR, BWB
Upper Cretaceous (Turian)
Bickerdike Member (Cardium Formation)
Author: Plint, A.G.; Walker R.G. and Bergman, K.M., 1986.
Type Locality: West-central Alberta. Type section is in the Fina Stanolind Nosehill 14-19-55-19W5M
well, between 2084.7 and 2098.2 m (6482 and 6886 ft).
Lithology: Laminated mudstones and fine grained sandstones. Where fully developed the unit
coarsens upward toward the contact with the Kakwa Member.
Thickness and Distribution: Varies from zero to 18 m (59 ft) in the type area. Erosionally truncated to
the east.
Relationship to Other Units: The Bickerdike is underlain by the Nosehill and overlain by the Kakwa
members of the Cardium Formation.
Reference: Plint, Walker and Bergman, 1986.
Lexicon Committee
Lower Cretaceous
Bickford Formation (Minnes Group)
Author: Stott. D.F., 1981.
Type Locality: Ridge extending westward from the main peak of Mount Bickford (53°57’N, 122°26’W);
NTS 93O/9 West, Mount Hulcross, British Columbia.
Lithology: Comprises a succession of carbonaceous mudstone, siltstone, and sandstones with thin
coal seams. Sandstones are fine grained, brown, finely laminated, cross-bedded and thin bedded to
flaggy. Some are extremely finely laminated, black, carbonaceous, limonitic and weather orange
brown. The interbedded shales are rubbly to platy, dark olive brown to black and commonly
carbonaceous. Coals appear to be relatively thin, although a few are 3 to 4 m (10 to 13 ft) thick.
Thickness and Distribution: Best developed in Carbon Creek Basin between Pine and Peace Rivers
in foothills of British Columbia, but extends southward to about the big bend in Sukunka River and
northward to Halfway River. Eastward it is eroded beneath the pre-Cadomin unconformity. The
formation reaches a maximum thickness in western exposures of about 400 m (1312 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact with the underlying Monach Formation, apparently
conformable is drawn at a distinct change from thin, cyclic units of alternating mudstone, siltstone and
sandstone of the Bickford to quartzose sandstone of the Monach. The upper contact is unconformable,
drawn at the abrupt change to resistant conglomerate of the Cadomin Formation. Equivalent of the
upper Gorman Creek Formation of the Kakwa River region. Equivalent beds are not present in the
subsurface of the plains.
Paleontology: No fauna has been recovered from typical Bickford rocks. Fauna obtained from
equivalent beds are of the Late Valanginian Zone of Buchia n. sp. aff. B. inflata.
Reference: Stott, 1981.
DFS
Middle Devonian
Biggar Salt (Disused)
Old informal name for salts later defined as the Prairie Evaporite. Name is derived from the town of
Biggar, Saskatchewan, close to the original discovery of potash.
CED
Quaternary (Wisconsin-Holocene)
Bighill Creek Formation
Author: Stalker, A.Mac.S., 1968, p. 1457.
Type Locality: Gravel pit about 1 km (0.63 mi) southeast of Cochrane, Alberta and 1 km (0.63 mi) east
of Bighill Creek, in NW/4 Sec. 35, Two. 25, Rge. 4W5M (50°10’50”N, 114°27’35”W) .
Lithology: Gravel, lesser amounts of sand and grit, minor silt, rare scattered bones; coarse at base,
fines upward but right to surface contains scattered boulders to 1 m (3 ft). The Clarke Pit Member of
this formation (type locality at same site) lies 1.5 to 3 m (5 to 16 ft) below surface of highest terrace
south of Cochrane. The member consists predominately of sand and grit, with scattered stones and
mudballs, and contains most of the bones. It has sharp, horizontal contacts with the underlying and
overlying coarse gravels of the rest of the formation.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality 30 m (98 ft) thick, with the Clarke Pit Member 1 to 3 m
(3 to 7 ft) thick; elsewhere the formation is generally 2 to 15 m (7 to 49 ft) thick. Intermittent but
widespread along Bow valley from above Cochrane to below Calgary, and probably in other valleys
issuing to plains farther north and south.
Relationship to Other Units: Generally, as at type locality overlies Tertiary bedrock; locally overlies
Saskatchewan Gravels and Sands. Either exposed at surface or covered by thin river lake, or wind
deposits.
The formation consists of valley fill laid down in the Bow Valley and probably other foothill valleys
during the final retreat of Wisconsin Cordilleran glaciers and during the advances and retreats of
Holocene glaciers. It consists basically of outwash mingled with river alluvium, in places re-deposited
by later streams. At the type locality radiocarbon dates indicate that the Clarke Pit Member was laid
down about 11000 years ago, with extensive reworking and redeposition of upper part of the formation
5000 to 7000 years B.P.
References: Harris and Waters, 1977; Stalker, 1968.
AMacSS
Upper Cretaceous
Bighorn Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Malloch, C.S., 1911, p. 23.
Type Locality: Malloch measured and described a section on the more southerly of the two main
branches of Wapiabi Creek. This section is in Twp. 41, Rge. 18W5M, Alberta.
History: Malloch (1911), during his investigation of the Bighorn Basin near the North Saskatchewan
River introduced new names for the Upper Cretaceous marine succession, believing tile rock units not
to be precisely the same age as similar beds described by Cairnes (1906) further south near Moose
Mountain. Thin beds of sandstone, shale and conglomerate Iying between two thick shale sequences
were included in the Bighorn Formation. Cairnes applied the name Cardium to the equivalent
sandstone, and that name was used informally in the southern foothills until 1927, when Rutherford
raised the unit to formational rank. The two names Bighorn and Cardium were used interchangeably
until the discovery of oil in the sandstone at Pembina. Many workers used Cardium in preference to
Bighorn because the name Bighorn was pre-empted by the Ordovician dolomite of Wyoming named
by Danton in 1904. After the Pembina discovery the usage by industry of the name Cardium prevailed.
References: Cairnes, 1906; Malloch, 1911; Rutherford, 1927
DFS
Upper Ordovician
Bighorn (Tyndall) Group
Author: Ross, R.J. Jr., 1957.
Type Locality: Not defined.
History: Originally introduced for the Red River/Stony Mountain carbonate sequence in the subsurface
of Montana that is correlative with the Bighorn Dolomite in outcrop in Montana and Wyoming. Included
in this sequence are strata correlative with the Stonewall Formation of the Manitoba outcrop belt.
Baillie (1951) included the Stonewall Formation in the Interlake Group. However Stearn (1956) placed
it in the Bighorn Group on the assumptions that the Stonewall strata were Ordovician in age and that
the Interlake Group should include only Silurian strata. Subsequent usage commonly includes the
Stonewall Formation with the Bighorn Group. Kendall’s (1976) Bighorn Group comprises, from bottom
to top the Yeoman, Herald, Stony Mountain and Stonewall formations; the Herald and Yeoman
combined are equivalent to the Red River Formation. The term Tyndall Group was proposed by the
Saskatchewan Geological Society in 1958 for this sequence, but this term has not found acceptance .
Lithology: Predominantly carbonates. The Yeoman Formation is composed of mottled, dolomitic

limestones and dolomites. The Herald Formation consists of microcrystalline dolomitic limestones and
dolomites that are commonly argillaceous and laminated; interbeds of anhydrite are present in the
central portion of the Williston Basin. The Stony Mountain Formation in the central portion of the basin
comprises a lower, argillaceous, fossiliferous dolomite and fossiliferous shale sequence, a middle,
sparsely fossiliferous, nodular microdolomite, and an upper anhydrite; throughout the rest of the basin
the micro-dolomites constitute the entire formation. The Stonewall Formation is composed of sparsely
fossiliferous dolomite, with interbeds of argillaceous, and locally arenaceous dolomite; thin anhydrite
beds are present near the centre of the basin.
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformably overlain by the Interlake Group. It overlies the Winnipeg
Formation with probable disconformity in the eastern part of the Williston Basin and overlies
unconformably the Deadwood Formation in the west.
References: Andrichuk, 1959; Baillie, 1951,1952; Fuller, 1961; Kendall, 1976; Kent, 1960; McCabe and
Bannatyne, 1970; Porter and Fuller, 1958, 1958, 1959; Richards and Nieschmidt, 1957; Saskatchewan
Geological Society, 1958; Stearn, 1956.
FMH
Bigoray Member (Nisku Formation)
Author: Exploration Staff, Chevron Standard Limited (1979).
Type Locality: Chevron-Norcen PL Brazeau 7-4-49-12W5M, west-central Alberta, between 3104 and
3121 m (10185 ft and 10240 ft); entirely cored.
Lithology: A lower unit of 4 m (13 ft) of dark grey, very calcareous, variably dolomitic, slightly pyritic,
argillaceous siltstone which is sparsely fossiliferous (brachiopods). It has a mudstone texture. An
upper unit of 13 m (42 ft) of grey-brown, slightly argillaceous and silty limestone with thin beds grading
to very calcareous, slightly dolomitic argillaceous siltstone. This unit is variably fossiliferous and
contains beds with abundant oncolites. Fossils include abundant corals, some tabular
stromatoporoids, brachiopods and minor other organisms. The non-skeletal matrix is lime mud, slightly
dolomitic and anhydritic with a minor component of quartz silt, clay, pyrite and organic matter. The
dominant textural type is wackestone.
Thickness and Distribution: in the type section well the Bigoray is 17 m (55 ft) thick. The member is
present in the West Pembina area, northwest of the Nisku Formation carbonate shelf, where it varies
slightly in thickness. It is absent where reefs of the Zeta Lake Member of the Nisku Formation are
developed. Northwest of this area it thins and eventually disappears into undifferentiated shales of the
Winterburn Group.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Lobstick Member and underlies the Cynthia
Member of the Nisku Formation. The member is homotaxial to a portion of the massive carbonates of
the Nisku shelf to the south and east. Equivalent to some portion of the Winterburn shales to the north
and west.
Reference: Exploration Staff, Chevron Standard Ltd., 1982
DAP; PAM
Upper Albian (Cenomanian)
Big River Formation (Colorado Group, Cretaceous)
Author: Price, L.L. and Ball, N.L. 1971: Simpson, F., 1975,1982.
Type Locality: The unit takes its name from the Big River Provincial Forest region of westcentral
Saskatchewan, where it exhibits greatest lithologic variation. The type section is from 376 to 447.4 m
(1233.5 to 1468 ft) in the Duval Saskatoon 6-18-36-6W3M well in central Saskatchewan Two
incomplete reference sections have also been designated: from 105.2 to Ca. 180 4 m (345 to ca. 592
ft) in the D.N.R. Flotten Lake No. 2 well (Lsd. 4-10-65-17W3M) in west-central Saskatchewan and from
334.1 to 352.7 m (1096 to 1157 ft) in the Imperial Okra 1-29-35-8W2M well in east-central
Saskatchewan.
History: The first detailed description of the entire unit is by Price and Ball (1971), who referred to it as
“unnamed beds”, penetrated by the Duval Corporation Potash Shaft No. 1 (Lsd. 6-18-36-6W3M) at
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Lithology: Dark grey noncalcareous shale and mudstone of variable fissility, with minor interbedded,
fine and medium grained sandstone and coarse grained siltstone. The sandstone and siltstone occur
as lenses, commonly a few millimetres thick, and as graded layers up to several centimetres in
thickness, composed of horizontal or very gently inclined laminae. Bioturbated, shaly sandstones and
siltstones form relatively scarce layers, up to several centimetres thick. Sand-grade pelecypod debris,
notably calcite prisms of Inoceramus, and fish skeletal material form skeletal calcarenites and
phosphatic sandstones respectively, which occur in common layers, similar in structure to those of
siliciclastic composition. Thin layers of chert pebbles also occur. Subordinate lithologies include
bentonite, nodular phosphorite and concretionary layers of siderite, calcite and pyrite; Price and Ball
(1971) have observed veins of barite up to 12 mm (0.5 in) wide.
In southern Saskatchewan and southern and central Alberta the unit consists chiefly of shales and
incorporates the interbedded fish-skeletal sandstones and mudstones of the Fish Scale Sandstone,
which thins northeastward and is not present in central Saskatchewan. In west-central Saskatchewan,
to the north of the North Saskatchewan River the lower half of the Big River Formation includes
interbedded kaolinitic and shaly sandstones and noncalcareous mudstone of the northeastward
thickening St. Walburg Sandstone; in east-central Saskatchewan the unit incorporates kaolinitic
sandstone and noncalcareous mudstone of the northward thickening Okla Sandstone. Elongate
megaspores, commonly tightly packed in thin layers Characterize the upper part of the Big River
Formation above the Fish Scale Sandstone and in stratigraphically equivalent parts of the unit where
the latter is not recognized.
Thickness and Distribution: The Big River Formation attains a maximum thickness of 150 m (492 ft) in
southwestern Saskatchewan, thinning to about 42.7 m (140 ft) in east-central Saskatchewan. The unit
also thins markedly in the Rocky Mountain Foothills of southern Alberta, where it is replaced to a large
extent by the uppermost sandstones of the Bow Island Formation, which is succeeded by a thick Fish
Scale Sandstone sequence. The Big River succession is of widespread distribution in the subsurface
of the western Canada Sedimentary Basin.
Relationship to Other Units: The Big River Formation is conformable upon and makes gradational
contact with the underlying Bow Island-Viking succession of southern Alberta and western
Saskatchewan, and the Newcastle-Viking sequence upon which it rests in eastern Saskatchewan. In
west-central Saskatchewan, north of the North Saskatchewan River the unit is lithologically
gradational with the underlying Flotten Lake Sand. The Big River Formation is disconformably
overlain by calcareous shales and shaly chalks of the Second White-speckled shale and lithologically
similar equivalent strata. This contact is for the most part sharply defined, both lithologically and on
geophysical well logs, and is commonly used as a subsurface datum. In central Saskatchewan, where
the Big River Formation in places is succeeded by a single white-speckled shale the disconformity is
particularly pronounced, in that the Fish Scale Sandstone and overlying Big River Shale are not
present (Caldwell, et at. 1978). The appearance of successively younger strata above the
disconformity in a basinward direction (North and Caldwell, 1975; Simpson, 1975) further limits the
time significance of this correlation surface. In parts of southwestern Saskatchewan the Big River
Formation is overlain by shaly sandstones and siltstones of the Phillips Sandstone. However, in
adjacent north-central Montana the lowermost Phillips lithologies occupy the uppermost part of the
Belle Fourche Formation which, together with the underlying Mowry Formation is equivalent to the Big
River succession. In southern Manitoba the Big River sequence is represented by noncalcareous,
variably bituminous shales referable to the upper part of the Ashville Formation. In northern Alberta
the Big River has equivalents in the Sunkay Member of the Blackstone and Kaskapau formations, and
lower Labiche Formation.
References: Caldwell et al., 1978; North and Caldwell, 1975; Price, 1963: Price and Ball 1971, 1973;
Rudkin, 1964; Simpson, 1975, 1979a, b, d, 1982; Simpson and O’Connell 1979; Williams and Burk,
1964.
FS
Mississippian (Chesteran)
Big Snowy Group
Author: Smith, H.W., 1935.
Type Locality: Named after the Big Snowy Mountains of central Montana. The type section is located
on the north flank of these mountains, in Sec. 6, Twp. 12N, Rge. 20E.
Lithology: Smith (1935) divided the Big Snowy Group into three formations: Heath, consisting of black
shales and cross-bedded sandstone lenses, Otter, composed of limestones and grey to green shales;
and the basal Kibbey, a red, shaly sandstone. In the Williston Basin Bluemle et al. (1980) identified the
Big Snowy Group as consisting of an upper greenish to reddish grey sometimes carbonaceous shale
with minor occurrences of marry fossiliferous and oolitic Limestone, and a lower interval of reddish
and light grey fine to medium grained quartz sandstone accompanied by a dolomitic limestones some
reddish to variegated silty shale and gypsum,.
Thickness and Distribution: According to Smith’s (1935) description the Big Snowy Group at the type
section is 240 m (787 ft) thick and attains a maximum outcrop thickness of 366 m (1200 ft). However,
these thicknesses probably include an interval that Mundt (1956) described as the Tyler Formation and
separated from the Big Snowy Group. Bluemle et al. (1980) indicated a maximum thickness of 135 m
(443 ft) for the Big Snowy in the Williston Basin. The group underlies 51800 km2 (20234 mi2) of central
Montana, outcropping in the Little Belt Mountains, Castle Mountains and Lombard Hills as well as in
the type locality. It extends eastward in the subsurface into the Williston Basin, where it underlies much
of the central portion of the basin, extending as far north as extreme south-central Saskatchewan. In
Saskatchewan the Big Snowy underlies an area between Rges. 7 and 26W2M, to a maximum
distance of 19 km (12 mi) north of the U.S. border in the area east of Ratcliffe (Fuzesy, 1960).
Relationship to Other Units: In the type locality the Big Snowy Group disconformably rests on the
Madison Group. Smith (1935) reported relief of as much as 1.2 to 1.6 m (4 to 5 ft) at the contact
between the two units. The upper contact has been somewhat problematical in the past but Mundt
(1956) proposed that a disconformity existed within the Heath Formation and consequently placed the
overlying strata into the Tyler Formation, which he considered to mainly Pennsylvanian in age. Thus
the overlying strata including the Tyler can be a Minnelusa equivalent. This subdivision and
relationship was followed by Bluemle et al. (1980) in the Williston Basin as well. However, in the basin
there is little evidence of a basal unconformity as the Kibbey Formation appears to be conformable
and transitional with the Poplar Beds. In Saskatchewan the Big Snowy Group is unconformably
overlain by the Watrous Formation. It is thought to be primarily Chesteran in age.
References: Bluemle, Anderson and Carlson, 1980; Fuzesy, 1960; Gardner, 1959; Mundt, 1956.
DMK
Upper Devonian (Famennian)
Big Valley Formation
Author: Wonfor, J.S. and Andrichuk, J.M., 1953, 1956.
Type Locality: Canadian Gulf Rumsey 6-30-33-21W4M, in Alberta, between 1600.2 and 1613.9 m
(5250 and 5295 ft).
Lithology: Grey, tan and brown micritic limestone, locally bioclastic and commonly fossiliferous
(brachiopods, etc.). The limestones are variable, argillaceous and interbeds of grey and green shale
occur increasingly toward southeastern Alberta. Chert nodules are locally present. The limestones are
variably dolomitized in the Calgary area.
Thickness and Distribution: The Big Valley Formation averages 15 to 20 m (49 to 66 ft) in thickness in
southwestern Saskatchewan and southern Alberta, thickening to 30 to 40 m (98 to 131 ft) in the
mountains (Banff-Jasper area), where it is referred to the Costigan Member of the Palliser Formation.
To the north it passes into the undifferentiated Wabamun Group; to the south it forms part of the Three
Forks of Montana. Locally, in southwestern Alberta facies changes (dolomitization, evaporites)
preclude identification of the unit.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Stettler Formation in southern Alberta or the
Torquay Formation is southwestern Saskatchewan; the change from dolomites and/or evaporites of
the underlying formations to limestones and argillaceous beds of the Big Valley being usually
distinctive. The contact with the overlying black share of the Exshaw (Bakken) is abrupt, and may be
disconformable Post-Paleozoic erosion has truncated the Big Valley to the northeast; where the Big
Valley subcrops it may be overlain by Mesozoic sands and shales.
References: Andrichuk, 1960; Andrichuk and Wonfor, 1954; Beales, 1956; Belyea, 1955 1957, 1964;
Raasch, 1956; Sutterlin, 1958; Wonfor and Andrichuk, 1953, 1956.
JMA, FAS, JW
Birch Lake Member (Judith River Formation)
Author: Slipper, S.E., 1919, p. 8c.
Type Locality: Outcrop along northeastern shore of Birch Lake, east-central Alberta in Twp. 50, Rge.
11W4M . No outcrop was observed when this locality was visited in 1965.
Type Locality: introduced by Slipper (1919) as a formation name in the Belly River Series. Divided into
an upper and lower sandstone unit by Nauss (1945), with the Mulga Tongue between. McLean (1971)
restricted the Birch Lake Member to only the upper sandstone unit. The lower sandstone unit,
recognized only in the subsurface is unnamed at present.
Lithology: Sandstone, very fine to fine grained is dominant. Appears massive but may contain siltstone
or mudstone beds. Cross-bedding is visible in some outcrops. Weathers buff and contains prominent
calcareous concretions up to 2 m (7 ft) in diameter. An oyster bed is reported near the base of the type
section. Becomes more argillaceous to the east in west-central Saskatchewan.
Thickness and Distribution: The member is 15 m (49 ft) thick at its type location, and 26 m (85 ft) was
measured in a cored borehole in west-central Saskatchewan. Known only in east-central Alberta and
west-central Saskatchewan. Exact lateral extent is unknown.
Relationship to Other Units: The Birch Lake is one of several members of the Judith River Formation
where it is prominently intertongued with the Lea Park Formation. It overlies the Mulga Tongue
gradationally and is overlain abruptly but conformably by the upper unnamed member of the Judith
River Formation west of the pinchout of the Mulga Tongue of the Lea Park Formation. To the east the
Birch Lake Member and overlying, unnamed member thin and reach a deposition pinchout in central
Saskatchewan and are replaced by the marine Riding Mountain Formation.
References: Hume and Hage, 1941; McLean, 1971; Nauss, 1945; Shaw and Harding 1949; Slipper
1919.
JRM
Birdbear Formation (Saskatchewan Group)
Author: Sandberg, C.A. and Hammond, C. R., 1958.
Type Locality: Mobil Oil Producing Co. No. 1 Birdbear (C SENW-22-149N-91W), in Dunn County, North
Dakota, between 3142.5 and 3169.9 m (10310 and 10400 ft).
A characteristic reference section in southwestern Saskatchewan (Kent, 1963) is in the Mobil Oil
Woodley Sinclair Cantuar X-2-21 well, in Lsd. 2-21-16-17W3M, between 1377.1 and 1396.9 m (4518
and 4583 ft).
Lithology: The lower member is composed predominantly of non-argillaceous limestones and

dolomites, the upper member is mainly dolomite with interbedded evaporites. Near the Saskatchewan-
Alberta border the lower Birdbear is composed of argillaceous carbonates. Generally the carbonates
are yellowish brown and crypto- to micro-crystalline, with sparse faunal content except for the upper
part of the lower member, and local concentrations. Faunal descriptions are given in Warren and
Stelck, 1956; 1968a; Nichols, 1970.
Thickness and Distribution: On average the Birdbear Formation is about 30 to 45 m (98 to 148 ft) thick,
with the thickest sections occurring in west-central Saskatchewan. The lower member ranges in
thickness from 5 to 33 m (16 to 108 ft), the upper member range is from 6 to 42 m (20 to 138 ft). The
thickest development of the lower member is in the Kindersley Rosetown area of western
Saskatchewan. The upper member is thickest in the Maple Creek area of southwestern
Saskatchewan. The formation is present south of a line running approximately east-west near
Saskatoon, throughout the Williston Basin.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact with argillaceous carbonates of the Duperow Formation
is generally conformable, though locally disconformable (Kent, 1968a, p. 35; Dunn, 1975, p. 26). The
upper contact with carbonates of the Torquay Formation is irregular and gradational. The local
absence of some Torquay strata in western Saskatchewan gives rise to a disconformable contact. The
Birdbear is equivalent to the upper Southesk Formation of the Rockies and eastern Alberta, and the
upper Ireton and lower Nisku formations of central Alberta.
References: Halabura, 1982; Kent, 1963, 1968a; Nichols, 1970; Sandberg and Hammond, 1958;
Warren and Stelck, 1956.
CED; KRM
Upper Ordovician (Ashgillian)
Birse Member (Stony Mountain Formation, Disused)
Author: Okulitch, V.J., 1943.
Type Locality: Birse Quarry, 4.8 km (3 mi) northeast of Stonewall, Manitoba (approximately 4-14-
2EPM).
History: Okulitch (1943) defined the Birse Quarry beds as the upper member of the Stony Mountain
Formation in the Manitoba outcrop belt. However Baillie (1952) indicated that the Birse beds were
merely a part of the Gunton Member and dropped the unit from his outcrop succession. Subsequent
drilling and quarry development has shown this to be correct, and the term Birse should be
abandoned
Lithology: Pale orange to yellowish brown dolomite, faintly mottled, finely crystalline, medium to thin
bedded, sparsely fossiliferous with some fossil solution porosity.
Thickness and Distribution: See Gunton Member.
Relationship to Other Units: A part of the Gunton Member.
References: Baillie, 1952; Okulitch, 1943.
HRM
Upper Cambrian
Bison Creek Formation
Author: Greggs, R.G., 1962; Aitken J.D. and Greggs, R.G., 1967.
Type Locality: On Mount Murchison, above and west of the north branch of Bison Creek, in Alberta, on
the slopes above the prominent cliffs of the Lyell Formation.
History: Beds constituting the Bison Creek Formation (and the overlying Mistaya) were occasionally
included by Walcott in his Mons Formation. In later years the term Sabine Formation was used for the
Bison Creek sequence. On the basis of similarity of trilobite faunas Walcott often correlated part of his
Mons with the Sabine Formation.
Lithology: Interbedded calcareous grey and green shales, with somewhat thicker beds of argillaceous
shaly limestones; silty interbeds are present near the base. Large, well developed stromatolites
(Collenia) are a consistent feature, and limestone pebble conglomerates occur near the top of the
formation.
Thickness and Distribution: The Bison Creek Formation is 192 m (629 ft) thick at the type section, and
203 m (664 ft) thick at Mount Whiterose to the west. The formation merges to the north into the upper
Lynx Group. In eastern exposures, in the Sawback and Bourgeau ranges the unit is slightly over 61 m
(200 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The Bison Creek overlies the massive carbonates of the Lyell Formation
with very sharp contact. The contact with the overlying Mistaya Formation is gradational, from shaly
carbonates into increasingly thicker, more massive carbonates.
Paleontology: The rich trilobite fauna of the Bison Creek contains all of the faunal zones of the
Franconian Stage, and representatives of the Saukia Zone present in the top of the formation suggest
that the Trempealeauan Stage is also present.
References: Aitken and Greggs, 1967; Greggs, 1962; Walcott, 1920, 1928.
RGG
Bistcho Member
(Muskeg Formation, Upper Elk Point Group)
Author: McCamis, J.G. and Griffith, L.S., 1967; p. 443.
Type Locality: British American Hudson Bay Zama North 16-19-116-4W6M, in Alberta, between 1320
and 1344 m (4330 and 4411 ft).
Lithology: Lower unit: dolomite, greyish brown, laminated, medium crystalline, sucrosic. Upper unit:
limestone, brown, often laminated, medium grained, pelletoidal calcarenitic. Intergranular and vuggy
porosity are often well developed in both facies.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is 21 to 30.5 m (70 to 100 ft) thick in the type area; it is
recognizable from the Shekilie Barrier in the west to its depositional edge near the 6th meridian, and
from Rainbow Lake to Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories.
Relationship to Other Units: The Bistcho Member conformably overlies the upper anhydrites of the
Muskeg Formation and grades into typical Muskeg lithologies along the depositional edge. The upper
contact with the Watt Mountain Formation appears disconformable. The Bistcho Member equates to
the Sulphur Point Formation of Hriskevich (1966); and to the uppermost parts of the Muskeg Formation
and the Prairie Evaporite. It grades northwestward into the Shekilie Barrier.
References: Hriskevich, 1966; McCamis and Griffith, 1967.
JGM, GLS
Lower Jurassic (Sinemurian)
Black Chert Member (Fernie Formation, Superseded)
Author: Warren, P.S., 1934.
Type Locality: Not specified by Warren, but he noted that it was well developed in the Cadomin area,
Alberta.
History: Used informally for what is now the Nordegg Member (q. v.)
Lithology: Black chert with interbedded dark shales.
Reference: Spivak, 1949.
RLH
Middle Devonian
Black Creek Member
Author: Hriskevich, M.E., 1 966,1 967.
Type Locality: Subsurface of northwestern Alberta, Imperial Black Creek 10-27-109-9W6M well,
approximate depth interval 1926.3 to 2002.5 m (6320 to 6570 ft).
Lithology: The Black Creek Member consists “essentially of salt (halite)”. The member was partially
cored in the Band Mobil Rainbow West 9-24-109-8W6M well. It is composed of light grew semi-
translucent, coarsely crystalline halite and includes thin stringers of anhydrite. Fuller and Porter (1969,
Fig. 17) noted the presence of chevron structures in the salt.
Thickness and Distribution: In the nine wells that have penetrated the member the salt ranges in
thickness between 24.3 and 82.9 m (80 and 272 ft). Mobil Oil Canada Ltd. suggest that the distribution
of the Black Creek salt is limited to Twp. 107, Rges. 7-10; Twp. 109, Rges. 5-10 and Twp. 110, Rges. 6,
8 and 9W6M.
Relationship to Other Units: In the Rainbow Lake region the member occurs in the lower part of the
Muskeg Formation. In the type section it sharply overlies carbonates of the Keg River Formation and is
overlain by an interbedded succession of anhydrite and dolostone. The salt beds are laterally
equivalent to fossiliferous carbonates of the Rainbow Member of the Keg River Formation and it is
generally believed that they were deposited in paleotopographic depressions between the Rainbow
mounds. The general relationships between the salt beds, the anhydrites and the carbonates
resemble those between the Prairie Evaporite and Winnipegosis formations in south-central
Saskatchewan (Wardlaw and Reinson, 1971 )
Some geologists believe that the Black Creek Member had a much larger distribution than it has today
and that the present limits are the result of dissolution (Barss et al., 1970; Bebout and Maiklem, 1973;
Klose and Holland, 1976; Davies and Ludlam, 1973).
References: Barss, Copland and Ritchie, 1970; Bebout and Maiklem, 1973; Davies and Ludlam, 1973:
Hriskevich, 1966, 1967; Klose and Holland, 1976; McCamis and Griffith, 1967; Meijer Drees, 1986;
Tranchant, 1975; Wardlaw and Reinson, 1971.
NCMD
Black Eagle Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Author: Russell, L.S., 1948, p. 20.
Type Locality: East side of Thelma Creek, near the Black Eagle Ranch, in the Cypress Hills of
southeastern Alberta, Lsd. 14-25 and 2-36-6-3W4M.
History: In the Cypress Hills intercalated sands and clays in the upper 100 m (328 ft) of the Bearpaw
Formation were correlated with the ‘’Fox Hills” by McConnell, (1885, p. 25) and by Dyer (1926, p. 16B,
19B), and with the lower part of the Eastend Formation by Russell (1933, p. 132), Furnival (1941, p.
58-67; 1946, p. 38-39) placed these beds-in the Bearpaw Formation and recognized three eastward
thinning sandstone wedges. He named them in ascending order the Oxarart, Belanger and Thelma
members Russell (1948, p. 20) concluded that the lowermost sand in the western part of the Cypress
Hills was a fourth member, the Black Eagle Sandstone, which merged with clays a few kilometres east
of the interprovincial boundary. The name “Black Eagle Sandstone” is rarely recognized by modern
workers. Lomenda (1973, p. 11-12,113) supported Furnival’s correlation of this sand with the Oxarart
Member, but Concluder that intertonguing in the upper Bearpaw Formation is too complex to justify
Member status to every sand and clay unit. He provisionally grouped the beds between the
Manyberries Member and the Eastend Formation into the Oxarart-Medicine Lodge Composite
“Member”.
Lithology: Light brown weathering, cross-bedded, very fine to fine grained sand with minor
intercalations of clay. The lower half consists of fining upward sequence usually less than a metre thick
which, in places grade up into a thin bed or parting of clay. Herringbone cross-stratified sand
characterizes the upper half. A ledge forming sandstone layer or coal seam caps the unit.
Thickness and Distribution: Cypress Hills area. About 82 m (269 ft) thick on Thelma Creek. Russell
(1948, p. 19-20) correlated this unit with a sand exposed in Medicine Lodge Coulee (Twp. 8-3W4M)
and Battle Creek (Twp. 6-29W3M).
Relationship to Other Units: Contacts with the underlying Manyberries Member and overlying clays of
Bearpaw Formation are sharp and conformable. The Black Eagle Sandstone occurs in the basal part
of the Ammodiscus-gyroidina foraminiferal zone of Loranger and Gleddie (1953) and the basal part of
North and Caldwell’s (1970, p. 73) Haplophragmoides excavate Fauna of south-central
Saskatchewan. Thus this sandstone is equivalent to the lower part of Aquadell Member clays east and
northeast of the Cypress Hills. Furnival (1941, 1946) and Lomenda (1973) correlated the type Black
Eagle with the Oxarart Member, although Russell had considered the Black Eagle a lower sand.
Northwestward this unit grades into marine and nonmarine sediments of the Horseshoe Canyon
Formation. Correlation of the Black Eagle (Oxarart) Sandstone with the Blood Reserve Formation of
southwestern Alberta was made by early investigators.
References: Caldwell et al., 1978; Dyer, 1926; Furnival, 1941, 1946; Lines, 1963; Lomenda, 1973;
Loranger and Gleddie, 1953; McConnell, 1885; North and Caldwell, 1970; Russell, 1933,1948.
CAL
Upper Devonian
Blackface Mountain Shale (Obsolete)
Author: Kelly, W. A., 1939a, unpublished manuscript; first published by Allan et al., 1932, p. 234.
Type Locality: Blackface Mountain (Twp. 45, Rge. 24W5M), 10 km (6 mi) southwest of Mountain Park,
Alberta.
History: in the Mountain Park area McKay (1929) divided the Devonian into three units. Kelly, who was
with McKay in the field proposed in an unpublished manuscript the name Blackface Mountain Shale
for the middle unit (unit 1b of McKay), which consists of “calcareous shale and argillaceous limestone”.
Kelly’s intended usage of the term (Lang, 1947) was for strata now included in the Perdrix and Mount
Hawk formations, and he used it in that manner in two short abstracts (1936, 1939). However the first
published description and definition of the unit was by Allen et al. (1932, p. 234), who equated it with
strata now assigned to the Perdrix Formation. The term has been abandoned because of its
inconsistent definition and usage (McLaren, 1953, p. 91-92; Tab and Olson, in A.S.P.G., 1960, p. 37-38).
Lithology: Calcareous dark grey and black shale and argillaceous limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: 366 m (1200 ft) in type area.
References: Allan, Warren and Rutherford, 1932; Kelly, 1936; Kindle, 1929; Lang, 1947; McKay 1929;
McLaren, 1953; Taft and Olson, in A.S.P.G., 1960.
HRB; PAM
Middle Ordovician
Black Island Member (Winnipeg Formation)
Author: Genik, G.J., 1951.
Type Locality: Outcrops on Black Island, southern part of Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba.
History: Genik (1951) proposed the Black Island unit as the basal unit of the Winnipeg Formation in his
M.Sc. thesis. In 1954 he referred to it as the Black Island Member.
Lithology: In the type area the Black Island consists of poorly consolidated to completely
unconsolidated pure quartz sandstone The quartz grains are white to slightly yellowish orange,
medium to fine grained, well sorted, highly rounded, frosted and pitted. The member is massive or
shows poor, thick, horizontal bedding. In the subsurface the member often shows weak cementation
with clay or calcite.
Thickness and Distribution: In the type area the member is about 14 m (46 ft) thick. It extends
westwards into Saskatchewan and thins to zero, primarily because of non-deposition some 100 km
(63 mi) east of the Alberta border. In both Saskatchewan and Manitoba it feathers northwards to an
edge at the Precambrian Shield. The member thickens to the south, reaching a maximum of 50 m (164
ft) in southern Saskatchewan and northwestern North Dakota and slightly less in northeast Montana. It
is barely present in northern South Dakota.
Relationship to Other Units : The Black Island rests unconformably on Precambrian basement in
Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan, and unconformably on the Deadwood Formation everywhere
else. It is overlain by shales of the Ice Box Member over most of the Williston Basin, but peripherally
the Ice Box dies out and the Black Island is overstepped by the carbonates of the Red River
Formation.
References: Baillie, 1952; Carlson, 1960; Genik, 1951,1954; Paterson, 1971.
DFP
Lower and ?Lower Cretaceous
Blackleaf Formation (Colorado Group)
Author: Stebinger, E., 1918; p. 158.
Type Locality: Blackleaf Creek, in northern Teton County, Montana. Generalized columnar section
described in Sec. 18, Twp. 26N, Rge. 8W, and Sec. 13, Twp. 26N, Rge. 9W.
History: Originally named the Blackleaf Sandy Member of the Colorado Shale. Elevated to formation
rank by Cobban, Erdmann, Lemke and Maughan (1959, p. 2787). Colorado elevated to group rank in
the same paper.
Lithology: Chiefly medium to dark grey marine shale interbedded with grew shallow water sandstone,
siltstone and mudstone, with many beds of bentonite and local thin beds of conglomerate. Upper part
grades westward into nonmarine mudstone, siltstone and sandstone. Divided into four members, listed
in ascending order: Flood Member, black grey shale and light grey quartz sandstone; Taft Hill Member,
medium grey silty shale and greenish grey glauconitic sandstone; Vaughn Member, mostly nonmarine,
bentonitic mudstone and light grey sandstone; and Bootlegger Member, shallow water marine
sandstone, siltstone, sandy shale and bentonite.
Thickness and Distribution: As little as 190 m (623 ft) on the Sweetgrass Arch; thickens Westward to
as much as 488 m (1601 ft) in the Disturbed Belt. Present on the Sweetgrass Arch of Montana and
Alberta and westward into the Disturbed Belt Name used as far east as Fort Benton on the southeast
flank of the Sweetgrass Arch .
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformably overlies the variegated, nonmarine Kootenai Formation of
northwestern Montana. A slight disconformity separates the Blackleaf from the overlying marine
Marias River Shale. It is equivalent to the Mowry, Muddy, Skull Creek and Fall River of eastern
Montana. Equivalents in Alberta include the Bow Island Formation and the lower part of the Colorado
Group (below the top of the Fish Scale Zone). In the foothills of southern Alberta it correlates with the
Ma Butte Formation of the Blairmore Group and, possibly with the lowest part of the Blackstone
Formation.
References: Cobban et al. 1959, 1976; Stebinger, 1918.
WAC
Blackmud Member (Edmonton Group, Disused)
Author: Srivastava, S.K., 1968.
Type Locality: High on the eastern bank of the Red Deer River, about 8 km (5 mi) west of Scollard
(51°56’N, 112°50’W), Alberta, in Twp. 34, Rge. 21W4M.
Lithology: Dark grey to mauve-black shales enclosing selenite crystals. These beds include a silicified
volcanic tuff layer the “Kneehills Tuft”.
Thickness and Distribution: 5 to 8 m (16 to 26 ft) thick in the Red Deer River valley in the Scollard
area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Blackmud Member is equivalent to the mauve-shale sense Snead
(1969) and the Battle Formation of the Edmonton Group sensu Irish (1970) and Gibson (1977), by
which it has been replaced. This member overlies the white bentonitic shaly sandstone beds of the
Whitemud (member sensu Srivastava (1968) or formation sensu Irish (1970) and Gibson (1977)). It
underlies the Scollard Formation sensu Gibson (1977).
Paleontology: Silicified megaspores are present in the Blackmud Member (Binda and Srivastava,
1968)
References: Binda and Srivastava, 1968; Gibson, 1977; Irish, 1970; Snead, 1969; Srivastava, 1968.
SKS
Lower to Upper Cretaceous
Blackstone Formation (Alberta Group)
Author: Malloch, G.S., 1911.
Type Locality: Bighorn River, central foothills Sec. 30, Twp. 39, Rge. 17W5M, Alberta (Stott, 1963).
Lithology: Consists mainly of dark grey to black marine mudstone and siltstone with minor beds of
argillaceous limestone, sandstone, bentonite, and some sideritic concretions. The formation contains
more silt in westernmost exposures along the foothills. It is divided into four members: the Sunkay
consists of shale, siltstone and thin coarse sandstone; Slimy consists of calcareous shale and
siltstone; Haven of rusty weathering shale; and the Opabin of concretionary mudstone.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation is recognized along the foothills from the International
Boundary to Athabasca River. It increases in thickness from 79.9 m (262 ft) at Lynx Creek in the
Carbondale map-area to 426.7 m (1400 ft) at Thistle Creek, a tributary of Brazeau River. It decreases
in thickness from west to east across the foothills.
Relationship to Other Units: Regional relationships, distinct boundaries lack of interbedding with the
underlying Blairmore and Luscar Groups basal pebble beds, and local unconformities indicate that the
basal Blackstone contact is disconformable. It is equivalent to the lower part of the Colorado Shale to
the east, and to the north the pre-Cardium part of the Kaskapau, Dunvegan and Shaftsbury formations.
To the south it grades into the lower part of the Marias River Shale and upper Blackleaf Member. A
layer of coarse gritty sandstone in the Sunkay Member probably represents the Fish Scale Marker
Horizon.
Paleontology: Contains ammonites and pelecypods from the Zones of Dunveganoceras to

Prionocyclus woollgari of Cenomanian and Turonian age. Foraminifera were described by Wall and
Germundson (1963), who identified Albian Miliammina manitobensis from basal beds in the type
region, and Cenomanian and Turonian assemblages, including a lower pelagic microfauna of
Hedbergella and Heterohelix.
References: Malloch, 1911; Stott, 1963; Wall and Germundson, 1963.
DFS
Lower Cretaceous
Blairmore Group (Formation)
Author: Leach, W.W., 1914.
Type Locality: No type section was designated. A section on Ma Butte, 14 km (8.75 mi) northeast of
Blairmore, Alberta, mentioned by Leach (1912) and described by Norris (1964) is the principal
reference section, although the lower part of the group is no longer well exposed. The group has been
divided into four formations in the type area: Cadomin, Gladstone, Beaver Mines and Ma Butte, all of
which are defined by type sections.
History: Leach (1914) included in his Blairmore Formation all of the strata between a prominent
conglomerate bed (now the Cadomin Formation) and the Crowsnest Volcanics. Rose (1917) included
the conglomerate bed in the Blairmore Formation. Douglas (1950) elevated Blairmore to group status.
Mellon (1967) included the Crowsnest Volcanics as a member of the Blairmore Group, but because
this is contrary to the work of all other geologists in the type area Norris (1978) and McLean (1980)
reverted to the definition of Rose (1917). South of 51°N the Pocaterra Creek Member, found below the
Cadomin Formation in some areas is included in the Blairmore Group. Use of the Blairmore Group
traditionally has been confined to the southern Alberta Foothills as far north as the North
Saskatchewan River. Similarities in lithology but differences in nomenclature to the north suggest that
extension of the name Blairmore Group to the vicinity of the Smoky River would emphasize the
elements of continuity in lower Cretaceous stratigraphy in the foothills (McLean, 1980).
Lithology: The basal unit, the Cadomin Formation is typically a very resistant, siliceous pebble
conglomerate, but includes beds of quartzose sandstone and, in some sections, particularly in the
eastern foothills is entirely quartzose sandstone. The lower part of the overlying redefined Gladstone
Formation is a series of interbedded grey mudstone to sandstone, the proportions of which are very
variable. Sandstones, which rarely exceed fine grain size often exhibit a distinct upward decrease in
grain size. The upper Gladstone Formation is characterized by dark grey, argillaceous limestone and
fossiliferous calcareous shale. North of the Clearwater River (52°N) limestone beds are rare or absent.
The Beaver Mines Formation in the south, and the Mountain Park Formation in the north are
composed of interbedded mudstone to very fine grained sandstone with subordinate, but prominent
coarser and thicker sandstone units with abrupt bases and fining upward grain size. Conglomerate
beds are a minor constituent. The Malcolm Creek Formation, confined to the area north of Waiparous
Creek (51°20’N) consists of the marine mudstone Moosebar Member, overlain by the prominent
sandstone dominated Torrens Member and the coal bearing Grande Cache Member. The Ma Butte
Formation consists of mudstone to very fine grained sandstone, with subordinate coarser sandstone
and conglomerate beds. Tuffaceous mudstones are common in the upper part of the formation in the
type area, but disappear to the northwest along the foothills. The entire formation is absent north of the
Clearwater River. Shades of red and green, often mottled, are very common south of the Bow River.
Grey predominates to the north, except in the Mountain Park Formation, where greenish grey is the
dominant color in more southerly sections and is more prominent upward. The proportion of the
section with a prominently greenish color decreases northward and is confined to a subdued shade of
greenish grey in the uppermost part of the formation in the Smoky River region.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness at the Ma Butte section is 635 m (2083 ft) (Norris, 1964). The
maximum reported thickness, in the Fernie Basin is estimated at 2000 m (6560 ft). A distinct west to
east thinning occurs, with thicknesses of about 300 m (984 ft) reported from the easternmost foothills.
To the northwest, along the foothills thicknesses of 400 to 600 m (1312 to 1968 ft) prevail. Use of the
name Blairmore is confined to the Fernie Basin and the Alberta Foothills between the International
Boundary and the Smoky River.
Relationship to Other Units : The Blairmore Group overlies the Kootenay Group disconformably. It is
overlain gradationally by the Crowsnest Formation in the type area and as far north as about 50°05’N.
To the northwest the Blackstone Formation rests abruptly and disconformably on the Blairmore Group.
The group is equivalent to the Bullhead Group and lower part of the Fort St. John Group in
northeastern British Columbia, and to the Mannville Group in the Alberta Plains. Correlatives in
northwestern Montana are: the Cut Bank Sandstone with the Cadomin Formation; the lower Kootenai
Formation, including the Draney Limestone with the Beaver Mines Formation; and the lower Blackleaf
Formation with the Ma Butte Formation.
References: Leach, 1914; McLean, 1980; Mellon, 1967; Norris, 1964, 1978; Rose, 1917.
JRM
Upper Cretaceous
Blood Reserve Formation
Author: Russell, L.S., 1932a, p. 32B.
Type Locality: St. Mary River, Secs. 23 and 24, Twp. 6, Rge. 23W4M, Blood Indian Reserve,
southwestern Alberta.
History: The name Blood Reserve Sandstone was proposed by Russell (op. cit.) for a thick sandstone
bed overlying the shales of the Bearpaw Formation in southwestern Alberta which had previously
been referred to as the Fox Hills Sandstone by various authors, including Williams and Dyer (1930),
Sanderson (1931) and Link and Childerhose (1931). On the basis of both stratigraphic and
paleontological evidence the author (in: Russell and Landes, 1940, p. 84) stated that the Blood
Reserve Formation is older than the Fox Hills Formation of northwestern United States.
Lithology: Massive, hard to soft, cliff forming to castellated, medium grained, light grey or grey-buff
sandstone weathering to a buff, yellow or greenish tinge; cement varies from calcareous to
argillaceous; cross-bedding and irregular concretions commonly developed.
Thickness and Distribution : The formation forms a narrow outcrop belt extending northward from the
International Boundary, where it is about 30m (100 ft) thick, to the Monarch Fault Zone on the Oldman
River (Sec. 31, Twp. 9, Rge. 23W4M, Alberta), where it is approximately 12 m (40 h) thick (Irish,
1968b). It is interpreted as part of a barrier beach-tidal inlet sequence by Young and Reinson (1975)
and Reinson (1979).
Relationship to Other Units: The upper and lower contacts were said to be usually sharp by the author
(in: Russell and Landes 1940, p. 82), but they appear conformable. The formation overlies arenaceous
shales and sandstone beds of the Bearpaw and is overlain by soft sandy shales of the St. Mary River
Formation. The formation is the extension of the Horsethief Sandstone of northern Montana and is also
correlated with the Black Eagle Member of the Bearpaw in the Cypress Hills of southeastern Alberta
by Russell (1950, p. 36), and with the basal Edmonton Formation (Horseshoe Canyon) by Russell
(1932b, p. 130). Although it is older, the Blood Reserve is the westward lithostratigraphic equivalent of
the Fox Hills Formation, which is recognized in the northern United States as the diachronous
(becoming younger eastward) sequence of sandy strata occurring between the Bearpaw or Pierre
Shale below and the dominantly continental clastics of the Hell Creek Formation above.
Paleontology: A burrow-structure, Ophiomorpha nodosa, is abundant and a distinguishing feature of

the formation (Young and Reinson, 1975). This is the same form which earlier workers had believed to
be a fossil seaweed Called Halymenites major.
References: Irish, 1968b; Link and Childerhose, 1931; Reinson, 1979; Russell, 1932a, b, 1950;
Russell and Landes, 1940; Sanderson, 1931; Williams and Dyer, 1930; Young and Reinson, 1975.
JHW; LSR
Upper Triassic
Blueberry Member (Charlie Lake Formation, Schooler Creek Group)
Author: Hess, E.B., 1968.
Type Locality: Sun et al. Blueberry #b-13-D, in b-13-D/94-A-13, northeastern British Columbia,
Lithology: Redbed sequence with variable lithologies: sandstone, grew fine grained, with calcite and
dolomite cement; siltstone, rust to reddish brown, some cream to orange grey dolomitic, anhydritic,
grading from very fine siltstone to silty, dolomitic mudstone; limestone, buff to light grey to red brown,
chalky to microcrystalline, argillaceous, anhydritic; dolomite, grey-brown, argillaceous,
microcrystalline, occasionally sandy.
Thickness and Distribution: 2 to 4 m (7 to 13 ft). The unit occurs throughout most of the Charlie Lake
Basin, and is eroded east of the Blueberry Structure by the Coplin Unconformity.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies approximately 13 m (43 ft) below the Kobes Member and 16 m (53 ft)
above the Inga Member of the Charlie Lake Formation.
References: Hess, 1968; Torrie, 1973; McAdam, 1979.
JWR, KAM
Blue Ridge Member
(Graminia Formation, Winterburn Group)
Author: Choquette, A.L., 1955, p. 70-75.
Type Locality: In the well Canadian Gulf Blue Ridge 5-14-58-8W5M, Alberta, between 1826.4 and
1878.2 m (5992 and 6162 ft), not cored.
History: The member was established by Choquette (1955) to designate the productive dolomite zone
in the Canadian Gulf Blue Ridge well, the first well to discover oil in this horizon. Previous correlations
had called this level Nisku, but Choquette was able to demonstrate that the Nisku had “shaled out” in
areas where the Blue Ridge was present, and that the Blue Ridge was a younger carbonate deposit.
Lithology: At the type section the member is composed of burrowed, nodular, silty dolomite and fine
siltstones, with occasional thin shale partings. Fauna is generally scarce and confined to scattered
brachiopods and crinoids where discernable. To the east, in the area of the Leduc-Rimbey-
Meadowbrook trend it thins and is dominantly a silt, with thin stringer of silty dolomite.
Thickness and Distribution: The Blue Ridge Member is 51.8 m (170 ft) thick at the type section, which
is beyond the “shale-out” of the underlying Nisku Formation in the Winterburn Basin. Towards the east
the Blue Ridge thins gradually, reaching average 7.6 to 9 m (25 to 30 ft) in the west Pembina area. It
thins abruptly where the underlying Nisku shelf is present (Exploration Staff, Chevron Standard Ltd.,
1979) and continues thinning to a point east of the Leduc-Rimbey-Meadowbrook trend, where it
cannot easily be distinguished from the overlying Graminia silt unit. This point approximates the
depositional limit of the marine Blue Ridge sediments.
Westwards the Blue Ridge maintains isopach values of around 40 m (131 ft) over most of the
Winterburn Basin to the Rocky Mountains and north towards the Peace River Arch. On the west side
of the basin Workum (1984) depicted a unit called Blue Ridge in outcrop in the Miette area, where it
shows similar stratigraphic distribution and development to that in the subsurface of the east side of
the basin.
Relationship to Other Units: The Blue Ridge is the lower member of the Graminia Formation. It overlies
a thin silty unit assigned to the Calmar Formation and is overlain by another silt unit designated the
Gaminia silt. To the east these two silt horizons merge (Exploration Staff, Chevron Standard 1979, Fig.
10) and the Blue Ridge dolomite can not be recognized. To the west the underlying Calmar Formation
silt decreases in thickness and changes facies to a dense argillaceous limestone. In the mountains
Workum (1984) equated the Blue Ridge with the Ronde Member of the Southesk Formation.
References: Choquette, 1955; Exploration Staff, Chevron Standard Limited, 1979; Workum, 1984.
FAS
Lower Cretaceous (Lower Albian}
Bluesky Formation
Author: Alberta Study Group, 1954; first published by Badgley, RC., 1952.
Type Locality: Shell B.A. Bluesky No. 1, in Lsd. 4, Sec. 29, Twp. 81, Rge. 1W6M, Alberta, between
834.5 and 857 m (2736 and 2810 ft)
History: The Alberta Study Group (1954) defined the Bluesky as the sandstone with the underlying
shale overlying the Gething; Workman (1959) limited the name to the sandstone, showing that the
sand is the deposit formerly known as the “Glauconitic Sand” and the underlying shale is the
“Ostracode Zone”. In the Peace River area the shale lacks the ostracodes and is in a cleaner marine
facing
Lithology: Sandstone, brown to brownish grey fine to medium grained, usually glauconitic, containing
fair porosity. Chert granules may appear at the top and in the Peace River town area the salt-and-
pepper sand is saturated with tarry oil. West, north and east from the town of Peace River the
sandstone becomes more quartzose.
Thickness and Distribution: The Bluesky is 23 m (74 ft) thick in the type well. It thickens to 46 m (1 51
ft) in the Pouce Coupe area and pinches out to shale in northwestern Alberta. Thinner sands are
usually encountered north and south of Peace River, with irregular distribution throughout the Peace
River area of Alberta and British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: The Bluesky rests conformably on sandstones, shales and coals of the
Gething Formation or unconformably on Mississippian limestones and shales north and east of Peace
River town. It is overlain conformably by the Wilrich Member of the Spirit River Formation. It is in effect
the homotaxial shallow bar facies of the Wilrich marine transgression. It correlates homotaxially with
the “glauconite sandstone” of the Mannville Formation of central and east-central Alberta, and
corresponds to the Wabiskaw Member of the base of the Clearwater Formation in the lower Athabasca
River area of northern Alberta. To the southwest Bluesky beds are difficult to distinguish from the
underlying Gething Formation.
References: Alberta Study Group, 1954; Badgley, 1952; Caldwell et al, 1978; Singh, 1971; Workman,
1959.
CRS
Upper Triassic (Upper Norian)
Babcock Formation (Schooler Creek Group)
Author: Gibson, D.W., 1971.
Type Locality: Headwaters of the north fork of Carbon Creek, in the Peace River Foothills at 55°41.5’N,
122°46.25’N, NTS Map 93O/10W Callazon Creek. Formation named after excellent exposures in
vicinity of Bocock Peak.
History: A newly recognized rock unit between the Fernie and Pardonet formations in the Pine Pass-
Peace River area, northeastern British Columbia. Because of the similarity to carbonates of the
Triassic Baldonnel Formation, and the contrast in lithology with the Jurassic Fernie Formation the
Bocock is considered part of the Triassic succession.
Lithology: Resistant, light grey to yellowish brown weathering, medium to thick bedded limestone,
which is medium to medium light grey and ranges in texture from aphanitic to coarsely crystalline to
bioclastic. No identifiable fossils have been recovered and the age is uncertain, although presumed to
be Triassic.
Thickness and Distribution: The Bocock Formation ranges in measured thickness from 19.8 m (65 ft)
near Bocock Peak, to a maximum of 63.4 m (208 ft) on the north fork of Carbon Creek. The formation is
confined to the Rocky Mountain Foothills between Pine Pass and Peace River, although strata of
similar composition to the Bocock are present in the Placid-Federal C-29E well, north of Peace River
(Gibson, 1975).
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is unconformably overlain by dark grey to black siltstone, shale
and limestone of the Jurassic Fernie Formation. It is abruptly and possibly unconformably underlain by
dark brownish grey weathering limestone, calcareous and dolomitic siltstone and shale of the
Pardonet Formation. The Bocock Formation has no known lateral equivalent.
Reference: Gibson, 1971, 1975.
DWG
Boissevain Formation
Author: Parks, W.A., 1916; Wickenden, R.T.D., 1945.
Type Locality: Originally unspecified, inferred to be south and southeast of Boissevain, Manitoba.
Bamburak (1978) formally designated the south half of Twp. 3 in Rges. 19 and 20W1M and the north
half of Twp. 2, Rge. 19W1M as the type area. The type section was designated as a stream cut on the
south side of Highway 3 in the northeast quarter of Lsd. 14, Sec. 35, Twp. 2, Rge. 19W1M.
Lithology: Fine to medium grained, light colored sandstone with minor beds of silt and clay. Typical
Boissevain sand is light grew medium grained, moderately sorted, subangular, and quartzose, but
with dark grains giving a “salt-and-pepper” appearance. It is largely unconsolidated, but in places well
indurated by calcitic cement. Kaolinitic interbeds of silt or clay, as well as discontinuous ironstone
concretionary layers are common. The dominant sedimentary structure in outcrop is trough cross-
bedding. Cross-lamination, including rippledrift lamination, and horizontal lamination are less
common. Fine laminae of organic debris often distinguish the cross-beds. The Boissevain is generally
unfossiliferous, but contains rare plant fragments; its age is based on inference.
Thickness and Distribution: Confined to the Turtle Mountain outlier of southern Manitoba and
northernmost North Dakota. It is uniformly between 30 and 45 m (98 and 148 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact with the Pierre Shale (Riding Mountain Formation)
occurs in a clay, silt and sand gradation in the subsurface of Turtle Mountain. Bamburak (1978) drew
this contact at the base of the first sandstone overlying the clayey silt of the uppermost Pierre. The
upper contact with the lignite-bearing, sandy Turtle Mountain Formation is unconformable.
The Boissevain Formation correlates with the Fox Hills Sandstone and possibly the lower part of the
Hell Creek Formation of North Dakota. From Turtle Mountain across to western Saskatchewan it
equates with the Eastend, White Mud and Battle formations and, possibly, to the lower Frenchman
Formation (Williams and Burk, 1964)
References: Bamburak, 1978; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; Parks, 1916; Wickenden, 1945; Williams
and Burk, 1964.
DHM; LEP
Lower Cretaceous
Bonanza Sandstone (Peace River Formation, Obsolete)
Author: Pacific Petroleums, 1951.
Type Locality: Sunrise gas field, 16 km (10 mi) northwest of Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Twp. 78
and 79, Rges. 16 and 17W6M.
History: Term used informally for the gas productive sand of the Pouce Coupe field, near Bonanza,
Alberta. However, the name was pre-empted by Gunning (1932) for Upper Triassic and (?)Lower
Jurassic rocks on Vancouver Island.
Lithology: Very fine to coarse, mainly fine, partly calcareous, partly sideritic, locally glauconitic, salt-
and-pepper sandstone with fair to good porosity. Chert pebbles near the top.
Thickness and Distribution: 76 m (249 ft) thick in the Sunrise gas field. Generally confined to the Pouce
Coupe area south of the Peace River.
Relationship to Other Units: The Bonanza Sandstone is equivalent to the Paddy plus the Cadotte
members of the Peace River area. It is overlain conformably by the Shaftesbury Formation and
underlain conformably by the Harmon Member.
References: Cunning, 1932; Smith, et al., 1985.
CRS
Quaternary
Bonnyville Formation (Informal)
Author: Andriashek, L.D., 1985, p. 96-118.
Type Locality: Between 18 and 30 m (59 and 98 ft) in Alberta Research Council borehole T-43, located
in Lsd. 16, Sec. 26, Twp. 61, Rge. 7W4M, near Bonnyville, east-central Alberta.
History: Name introduced informally in unpublished M.Sc. thesis, and defined in Alberta Research
Council Bulletin.
Lithology: The Bonnyville Formation is composed of two units: a basal dark grew clayey (28% sand,
42% clay) diamicton, in places overlain by sand and gravel, and an upper dark grey diamicton which
grades from very sandy (48% sand, 24% clay) in the eastern part of the Sand River area to clayey-
sand (36% sand, 31 % clay) in the west; as a whole the formation is characterized by 58% Shield
rocks, 34% quartz and 5% carbonate rocks in the very coarse sand fraction, with 3-12% matrix
carbonate content. The surface of the formation is extensively oxidized to olive brown in the southwest,
elsewhere the formation is dark grey.
Thickness and Distribution: The lower unit lies mainly along segments of major buried bedrock valleys
in the Sand River area. The thickness of the lower clayey diamicton is about 10 m (33 ft) but is as
much as 68 m (223 ft) near the town of Spedden. More than 15 m (49 ft) of sand and gravel lie between
the clayey and sandy diamictons of the formation in the area east of Wolf Lake. The upper sandy
diamicton is widespread throughout the area. Its thickness ranges from less than 10 m (33 ft) to more
than 30 m (98 ft) near Wolf and Marguerite lakes. The combined thickness of both units exceeds 70 m
(230 ft) in the southwestern part of the Sand River area .
Relationship to Other Units: The basal till unit of the Bonnyville Formation commonly has a gradational
contact with the underlying bedrock. In places glacially displaced bedrock makes up the bulk of the
unit. The contact between the two tills of the Bonnyville Formation is varied, ranging from sharp, where
sand and gravel separate the two to gradational where the two are in contact. The upper till has a
sharp contact with stratified deposits of the Ethel Lake Formation.
The formation is recognized only in boreholes. The presence of a poorly developed and preserved
oxidized profile on the surface of the Bonnyville Formation in the east, and an extensive, well
developed profile in the southwest is evidence that the Bonnyville Formation was exposed and
weathered during a nonglacial period. The formation can tentatively be correlated with the lower
carbonate tills in the Sutherland Group in Saskatchewan.
References: Andriashek, 1985; Andriashek and Fenton, 1986; Christiansen, 1968.
LDA
Lower (?) Cretaceous (Albian?)
Bootlegger Member (Blackleaf Formation)
Author: Cobban, C.A., et al. 1959; p. 2791.
Type Locality: Bootlegger Trail, 9.5 km (5.8 mi) north of Great Falls, in Sec. 1, Twp. 21 N., Rge. 3E.,
Cascade County, Montana. Type section is in Secs. 34 and 35, Twp. 22N., Rge. 1W.
Lithology: Chiefly dark grey shale, grey sandy shale, thin beds of grey, fine grained sandstone and
siltstone, and thin to thick beds of bentonite, all of shallow water marine origin. Fish scales are
abundant in parts of the member.
Thickness and Distribution: Thins westward from 37 m (318 ft) on the east flank of the Sweetgrass
Arch in northwestern Montana to 18 m (59 ft) on the west flank. This westward thinning is due to
gradual facies change of the lower part into nonmarine rocks assigned to the Vaughn Member.
Outcrops of the Bootlegger Member are unknown in the Disturbed Belt west of the Sweetgrass Arch
owing to facies change into Vaughn lithology. On the east flank of Sweetgrass Arch the Bootlegger
Member loses its sandstone content and becomes less distinctive.
Relationship to Other Units: The marine sandy shale or sandstone of the Bootlegger Member sharply
overlies nonmarine, black carbonaceous shale, light to medium grey or green bentonitic mudstone, or
white bentonitic sandstone of the Vaughn Member. The top of the Bootlegger is conglomerate
sandstone or hard, medium grey, fish-scale bearing interlaminated sandstone, siltstone and shale,
disconformably underlying the darker and softer shale of the Marias River Shale. The Bootlegger
Member is equivalent to the nearshore sandy facies of the Mowry Shale, which is equivalent to the
upper Bow Island Formation and part of the overlying Colorado Group shales, up to and including the
Fish Scale Zone (part of the Big River Formation). In the southwestern Alberta Foothills it is correlative
with the upper Ma Butte Formation (Blairmore Group) and with most of the lower Blackstone
Formation.
Reference: Cobban et al., 1959, 1976.
WAC
Borradaile Member (Mannville Formation, Disused)
Author: Nauss, A.W., 1945.
Type Locality: Named after the village of Borradaile in central eastern Alberta. The type section of the
Borradaile Member is in the northwest Mannville No. 1 well, in 1-18-50-8W4M, between the depths of
607.8 and 616.9 m (1994 and 2024 ft).
History: The Mannville Formation was defined by Nauss as a western plains subsurface equivalent of
the Blairmore Formation cropping out in the eastern Rocky Mountains, and the sub-Colorado
Cretaceous formations (McMurray, Clearwater and Grand Rapids) exposed in the valleys of the
Clearwater and Athabasca rivers of central eastern Alberta. The type section of the Mannville is
located in the northwest Mannville No. 1 well, between 560 and 704 m (1838 and 2308 hi). Six
members were designated (oldest to youngest): Dina, Cummings, Islay, Tovell, Borradaile and
O’Sullivan. Only the first two of these divisions and names have come into general usage.
Lithology: Unconsolidated, well sorted and rounded quartzose sand with an average grain diameter of
0.15 mm. Abundant nodular pyrite, up to 3.6 cm (1.4 in) in diameter is also present as are woody plant
fragments. The sand is oil productive and thickest in the Borradaile Field. Thickness ranges from zero
to 18 m (59 ft).
JEC
Borsato Formation (Fairholme Group)
Author: Price, R .A., 1965.
Type Locality: in the southern Flathead Range, on the Continental Divide near North Kootenay Pass,
2400 m (7870 ft) east of Mount Borsato; section 14 of Price (1965).
Lithology: Dark brownish grey and brownish black, medium to coarse crystalline, saccharoidal, fetid
dolomite in beds from about 10 cm to 1 m (4 in to 3 ft) thick; weathers medium brownish grew with faint
lamination etched into relief, and is a resistant unit that forms prominent topographic features.
Amphipora, relict stromatoporoids and tabulate corals are important lithic constituents locally.
Thickness and Distribution: It occurs within the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains west of (above)
the Lewis thrust fault and south of about 49°45’N. It is 20 to 60 m (66 to 197 ft) thick. The Borsato
Formation is thicker and more massive weathering where it underlies the carbonate facies of the
Fairholme Group, than where it underlies the shaly facies.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact is a relatively abrupt gradation into the Hollebeke
Formation; the upper contact is gradational into argillaceous limestones of the Mount Hawk Formation
or light grey dolomite of the laterally equivalent Peechee Member of the Southesk Formation. The
Borsato Formation is gradational laterally into the dark shales of the Perdrix Formation in the shaly
facies of the Fairholme Group, and into the dark “organic” dolomite that forms a transitional facies
between the Mount Hawk and Southesk formations in the carbonate facies of the Fairholme Group
(Price, 1962, 1964 and 1965).
Reference: Price, 1962, 1964b, 1965.
RAP
Middle Cambrian
Bosche Formation (Abandoned)
Author: Raymond, P.E., 1930, units 1, 2 and 3 of Roche Miette.
Type Locality: Roche Miette, central-western Alberta.
History: Name derived from Bosche Range northwest of Roche Miette for the lowest part of the sub-
Devonian sequence. This was shown by Mountjoy (1960, 1961, 1962) to include the Eldon (Titkana)
Formation and the unnamed map unit 3 (now Snake Indian Formation, Mountjoy and Aitken, 1975)
The term was found not useful and was discarded.
Thickness and Distribution: More than 153 m (500 ft) of impure nodular limestone and chits forming,
massive grey limestone at the top. Lowest part of Cambrian sequence on Roche Miette also
considered to be present on Mount Chetamon.
References: Mountjoy, 1960, 1961, 1962; Mountjoy and Aitken, 1978; Raymond, 1930.
EWM
Middle to Upper Cambrian
Bosworth Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1908a.
Type Locality: “Ridge extending northeast from Mount Bosworth, and southeast base of Paget Peak
and Mount Daly”, (Walcott, 1908a, p.3), in British Columbia.
History: The term has been rarely used, and then usually only in the Mount Bosworth area. North and
Henderson (1954) and Greggs (1962) recommended that it be abandoned.
Lithology: Arenaceous, dolomitic limestones, massive and shady with bands of purple and grey
siliceous shales.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality the Bosworth is 565 m (1855 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit was originally considered to overlie the Arctomys Formation and
to underlie the Paget Formation. However, in 1928 Walcott correlated the basal beds of the Bosworth
with the Arctomys Formation of Glacier Lake Valley. Greggs (1962) concluded that “the Bosworth
apparently comprises some 1000’ of Eldon, 400’ of Pika, 300’ of Chephren (Arctomys in part), and
some of the Waterfowl Formation”.
References: Greggs, 1962; North and Henderson 1954; Walcott, 1908a, b, 1928.
RGG
Boulder Creek Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Author: Spieker, E.M ., 1921.
Type Locality: On Commotion Creek north of the John Hart Highway, Pine Pass/Mackenzie (93O)
map-area, British Columbia. Reference section were defined by Stott (1968): Bullmoose Mountain
(55°14’N, 121°29’W) and Dokie Ridge (55°42’N, 122°18’W).
History: Used by Spieker (1921) for conglomerates on “Boulder Creek” (Commotion Creek) which he
believed were part of the “Bull Head Mountain Formation”. Wickenden and Shaw (1943, p. 5) showed
that these beds were not part of the Bullhead Group and included them in the Commotion Formation.
The name Boulder Creek was retained by Stott (1968, p. 80) for a newly defined member of the
Commotion Formation. Subsequently the Boulder Creek beds were raised to formational status by
Stott (1982, p. 17).
Lithology: The formation at the type locality is readily divided in three units: a lower unit of thick bedded
to massive, fine grained, well sorted marine sandstone; a middle, massive conglomerate; and an
upper, coal bearing succession of interbedded carbonaceous shales and argillaceous sandstone
(Stott, 1968, 1982) Elsewhere the three-fold division is not so evident, and Gibson (in press) assigns
the basal sandstones to the Dokie Ridge Member and overlying carbonaceous beds to the Walton
Creek.
Thickness and Distribution: The Boulder Creek Formation ranges from 73 to 171 m (240 to 560 ft). It is
well developed in the foothills region between Peace River and Wapiti River and can be traced
southward almost to Kakwa River. It outcrops along Peace River eastward from Hudson Hope, and
equivalent beds in the subsurface are included in the Peace River Formation .
Relationship to Other Units: Gradationally overlies marine shales and siltstones of the Hulcross
Formation and conformably underlies marine shales of the Hauler Formation. Equivalent beds are
found in the Cadotte Member and, possibly in the Paddy Member of the Peace River Formation of the
Peace River Plains. In the foothills near Grande Cache equivalent beds may be present. In the
uppermost beds of the Luscar Group. The formation correlates with beds in the middle Buckinghorse
Formation in the Muskwa River area, and the Tussock Member of the Scatter Formation of the Liard
River area.
Paleontology: Ammonites of the Middle Albian Gastroplites Zone characterize the formation (Stott,
1968, 1982). In addition the flora is characterized by several species of angiosperms which mark a
major change from the older “lower Blairmore” flora. A microfaunal assemblage, known as the Cadotte
microfauna was reported by Stelck et al. (1956).
References: Gibson, in press (b); Spieker, 1921: Stelck et al., 1956; Stott, 1968, 1982; Wickenden and
Shaw, 1943.
DFS
Middle Proterozoic
Boulder Pass Formation (Purcell-Belt Supergroup, Abandoned)
Author: Fenton, C L. and Fenton, M.A., 1931; p. 672.
Type Locality: Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks, northern Montana and southwestern
Alberta.
History: Fenton and Fenton (1931) proposed the Boulder Pass Formation to include strata that Willis
(1902) and Daly (1912) had assigned to the Kintla, Sheppard and Purcell Lava formations. Fenton and
Fenton (1937) replaced the Boulder Pass by the Spokane, Purcell Lava, Shepard and Miller Peak
formations. The strata are now assigned to the upper Siyeh (Snowslip), Purcell Lava, Sheppard
(Shepard) and Gateway (Mount Shields) formations. The term Miller Peak is sometimes used for beds
equivalent to the Boulder Pass Formation.
References: Clapp and Deiss, 1931; Daly, 1912; Fenton and Fenton, 1931, 1937; Willis 1902.
RAP
Upper Devonian
Boule Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Raymond, P.E., 1930, p. 295, 296.
Type Locality: Northern end of the Miette Range, 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Jasper, Jasper National
Park (Twp. 48, Rge. 27W5M). Well exposed at tunnel at southeast end of Boule Range, from which
name is derived.
History: Proposed by Raymond for zones 3 and 4 of his seven zone subdivision of the Devonian
defined at Roche Miette in Jasper National Park. However his subdivision was based on a faulted
section and the Boule represents the youngest Devonian strata in his section. Lang (1947), continued
use of the name, but de Wit and McLaren (1950, p. 5-7, p. 20-25) assigned zone 3 to the Mount Hawk
Formation and zone 4 to the Alexo and Palliser formations (McLaren, 1953). McLaren (1955) revised
the base of the Mount Hawk downward, so that zone 3 now represents the upper part of the Mount
Hawk Formation. McLaren and Mountjoy (1962) erected the Sassenach Formation to replace the
Alexo Formation in basinal “offreef” sections of the Devonian Fairholme Croup, so that zone 4 is now
assigned to the Sassenach and overlying Palliser Formation
Lithology: 122 m (464 ft) of impure shaly and nodular limestone containing an abundant brachiopod
fauna (zone 3), overlain by 366 m (1200 ft) of massive, thick bedded limestone showing alteration to
dolomite along “fucoidal” streaks (zone 4).
Thickness and Distribution: Raymond called his underlying zone 2 the Perdrix Formation, a name
which is still accepted. However, McLaren (1955) revised the top of the Perdrix downward at Roche
Miette, so that zone 2 now includes the lower Mount Hawk Formation. At Roche Miette overlying strata
of Raymond’s (Fox, 1951, p. 823; McLaren, 1953, p. 92; Moore, 1958, p. 168).
References: Allan, Warren and Rutherford, 1932; de Wit and McLaren, 1950; Fox, 1951; Lang, 1947;
McLaren, 1953, 1955; McLaren and Mountjoy, 1962; Raymond, 1930; Taft and Olson, in A.S.P.G., 1960.
HRB; PAM
Upper Triassic
Boundary Member (Charlie Lake Formation)
Author: Armitage, J.H., 1962
Type Locality: Imperial Pacific Boundary Lake No. 11-10 well, in Lsd. 11, Sec. 10, Twp. 84, Rge.
23W6M, Alberta, between 123!3.6 and 1248.2 m (4063.5 and 4095 ft).
Lithology: The Boundary limestone is light brownish to darker or greyish, generally micritic to finely
microgranular to skeletal fragmental , with coarse micro granular matrix; usually anhydritic.
Thickness and Distribution: The Boundary Member is located near the middle of the Charlie Lake, 30
m (98 ft) or more above the Coplin unconformity. Its thickness ranges from zero to more than 10 m (33
ft). It is restricted to the Boundary Lake field and vicinity.
Relationship to Other Units: At Boundary Lake the top of the member is placed at the first occurrence
of limestone and the base at the top of the underlying massive anhydrite. The top is an erosional
surface overlain by calcareous siltstone. The top of the underlying anhydrite is possibly a pre-
Boundary erosional surface (Roy, 1972).
References: Armitage, 1962; Hess, 1968 (unpubl.); Roy, 1972; Torrie, 1973.
KAM
Lower Cretaceous (Middle to Upper Albian)
Bow Island Formation (Colorado Group)
Author: Not known.
Type Locality: Name of subsurface unit taken from the Bow Island No. 1 well, in Lsd. 6-15-11-11W4M,
drilled by the Canadian Pacific Railroad, northwest of Bow Island, Alberta.
Lithology: Relatively well washed and variably shaly, line to coarse grained sandstone, with
interbedded siltstone and mudstone and with generally subordinate conglomerate and pebbly
sandstone. The well washed sandstones characteristically exhibit tabular crosslaminae, but ripple-drift
and trough types and horizontal laminae also occur. The shaly sandstones include bioturbated
deposits several metres thick, with variable proportions of mudstone as discontinuous partings and
sequences, made up of thin, graded sandstones and siltstones, regularly alternating in vertical
succession with thin mudstones and shales. Varicolored chert and reworked-relict, nodular
phosphorite are noteworthy coarse components of the conglomerates. Coalified plant fragments are
locally abundant. The mudstones and shales are dark grey and noncalcareous. Bentonites and
concretionary layers of siderite are also present.
The principal lithologies occur as up to three composite sandstone bodies, termed First, Second and
Third Bow Island Sands in order of increasing age, separated in vertical succession by sequences
composed mainly of mudstones and shales. Each of these sandstone bodies and the lithologically
similar Cessford Sand at the base of the Colorado Group is largely made up of coarsening upward
sandy sequences, occurring in either solitary or multistorey arrangements and characterized by
upward decrease in the proportion of intercalated shale. Locally, individual Bow Island sandstones are
further subdivided into discrete “sands”, alphabetically designated A through D in order of increasing
age. The sandstone bodies undergo progressive northward and eastward decrease in thickness and
concomitant grain-size diminution. Near the International boundary, where it crosses the Sweetgrass
Arch the unit incorporates bentonitic clays and clayey sandstones with distinctive orange-red specks
of clinoptilolite in the interval between the First and Second Bow Island Sands.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit occurs in southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan;
Bow Island terminology is also widely applied in north-central Montana. The stratigraphic interval
between the base of the Fish Scale Sandstone and the top of the Mannville Group is some 175 m (574
ft) thick in the Bow Island area, where the aggregate sandstone thickness is 24.4 m (80 ft). A maximum
aggregate sandstone thickness of some 42.7 m (140 ft) is attained in the Lethbridge area. Farther
north and east the unit is replaced by the Viking Formation. Individual sandstone bodies are up to 15
m (49 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The Bow Island sandstone bodies pass northwards and eastwards into
shales and mudstones referable to the Upper Albian part of the Big River Formation and to the Joli
Fou Formation respectively, which are separated in central Alberta 8 and much of southern
Saskatchewan by the eastward thinning sandstones of the Viking Formation. In the southern foothills
region the Bow Island Formation is overlain, apparently with unconformity by the Fish Scale
Sandstone. However, in the foothills the boundary with the underlying Mannville Group is hard to
determine, since the Bow Island Formation appears to grade vertically downwards and laterally
westwards into Blairmore or Mannville sandstones. To the north and east of the foothills the lower
boundary of the unit with the Blairmore is relatively sharply defined. The Bow Island Formation is
equivalent to the lower part of the Blackleaf Formation of northwestern Montana; and red-speckled
strata near the international boundary belong to the Vaughn Member of this formation and are known
as the Red Speck Zone.
References: Gammell, 1955; Rudkin, 1964; Simpson, 1975; Teague, 1975; Tizzard and Lerbekmo,
1975; Simpson, 1979a, Simpson and O’Connell, 1979.
FS
Bow Valley Till
Author: Rutter, N.W., 1972, p. 15.
Type Locality: Southwest side of Cascade River, about 1 km (0.63 mi) southwest of Band Power
House, Banff, Alberta (51°11’40”N, 115°31’W).
Lithology: Compact till with rare lenses of silt, sand and gravel; light olive grey where not oxidized,
elsewhere yellowish grew Matrix mainly a calcareous sandy clay loam, with carbonate content of fine
fraction generally over 50%. Stones constitute about 20% of the till, these are of local origin and are
subangular to rounded; till has a low content of heavy minerals, these also are of local origin.
Thickness and Distribution: Occurs as thick till on floor of Bow Valley from Eisenhower Junction to
Exshaw; at the type locality about 38 m (125 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: Near Band overlies outwash probably from an earlier glaciation,
elsewhere overlies bedrock or unknown deposits. Exposed at surface or covered by thin gravel and
sand or colluvium. Apparently equivalent to the Morley Till, also correlates with Marguerite and Misty
tills (all informal names).
Other Features: Unit laid down during Bow Valley advance. Rutter did not include the extensive
outwash deposits laid down during retreat of this glacier in the unit. The author (p. 40) suggests an
Early Pinedale (Wisconsin) age for the unit. Down-valley this till cannot be distinguished from the later
Canmore Till.
References: Ratter, 1972 ; Waters, 1975.
AMacSS
Bowdoin Sandstone
(Unnamed Upper Colorado Shale, Colorado Group)
Author: Schroth, H.A. 1953; Henry, K.C., 1979.
Type Locality: Bowdoin gas field, Phillips and Valley Counties, Montana. The discovery well was the
Martin well (Sec. 13, Twp. 31N, Rge. 35E) although the Bowdoin No. 1 well (Sec. 22, Twp. 31N, Rge.
31E) revealed the reservoir character of the Bowdoin Sandstone and Phillips Sandstone, which yield
commercial production of natural gas in the area.
Lithology: Largely composed of monotonously repeated, light olive grew fine and very fine grained
sandstones and coarse grained siltstone, in beds up to several centimetres thick, alternating in vertical
sequence with black and dark grey, noncalcareous shales and mudstones of similar thickness. The
sandstones and siltstones exhibit horizontal and gently inclined lamination and graded bedding, as
well as sharper defined soles with common tool markings. Pelecypod coquinoidal layers and
accumulations of fish-skeletal debris are common.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum thickness is in the order of 61 m (200 ft) in the Bowdoin gas
field. The unit best developed in the Bowdoin Dome region of Phillips and Valley Counties, Montana,
and adjacent southwestern Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The Bowdoin Sandstone is replaced laterally in western and south-central
Saskatchewan by dominantly noncalcareous shales and mudstones, separating the calcareous First
and Second White-speckled shales; these correlative, unnamed upper Colorado argillaceous rocks
are equivalent in age to the Carlile Formation of northern Montana. The upper and lower contacts of
the unit are relatively sharply defined in well cuttings.
References: Balster, 1971; Henry, 1979; Rice, 1976; Rice and Shurr, 1978; Scroth, 1953; Simpson,
1979a, 1979c.
FS
Upper Cretaceous (latest Turonian-earliest Campanian)
Boyne Member
(Vermilion River Formation)
Type Locality: Exposures in the Pembina River valley of southern Manitoba, from near the International
boundary northwestward to Sec. 4 and 5, Twp. 2, Rge. 7W1M, north of Windygates, Manitoba.
History: The name “Boyne beds” was introduced by Kirk (1930) for the calcareous shale between the
Morden and Pembina noncalcareous shales. Kirk acknowledged previous use of the name by
MacLean in an unpublished 1915 manuscript, but raised the upper boundary of MacLean’s Boyne to
include the lithologically similar Cheval beds of MacLean’s original scheme. Wickenden (1945)
recognized the Boyne as the middle member of the Vermilion River Formation. McNeil and Caldwell
(1981) have recommended the name Boyne be abandoned in favor of the name Niobrara, which they
recognized to be co-extensive with the Boyne along the entire length of the Manitoba escarpment.
Lithology: The lower Boyne Member consists of olive-black, carbonaceous, chalkspeckled, calcareous
shale with minor beds of greyish black shale, thin bentonite beds and, in its lowermost 1 or 2 m (3 to 7
ft) lenses of silty or fine quartzose sand. The upper Boyne consists of buff weathering, chalky, olive-
black shale with subordinate interbeds of black, noncalcareous shale and numerous bentonite beds.
The Boyne reaches a calcite content of up to 55 per cent (Bannatyne, 1970) due to an abundance of
calcareous microfossils (foraminifers and coccoliths). Its characteristic white or chalky specks were
determined to be coprolitic aggregates of coccoliths (Hattin, 1975a, 1981).
Thickness and Distribution : Recognized in the Manitoba escarpment through the subsurface of
southern Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan. The maximum thickness of the Boyne is approximately
73 m (239 ft) in the subsurface or southern Manitoba; it decreases gradually to the northwest to about
15 m (49 ft) in the Pasquia Hills of east-central Saskatchewan. In the vicinity of Riding Mountain the
Boyne is anomalously thin at 12 m (39 ft), primarily due to the disappearance of its upper chalky facies
(McNeil and Caldwell, 1981).
Relationship to Other Units: The Boyne rests with sharp, possibly unconformable contact on the
Morden Member and is unconformably overlain by the greyish black, noncalcareous Pierre Shale. The
Boyne correlates westwards with the First Suppers White-speckled shale of western Saskatchewan
and eastern Alberta and the Muskiki! Marshybank, Dowling, Thistle and Hanson members of the
Wapiabi Formation of the central and southeastern Alberta Foothills. Southwards it correlates directly
with the lithologically similar Niobrara Formation of North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas,
eastern Wyoming and Colorado.
References: Bannatyne, 1970; Dowling, 1920; Hattin, 1975a, 1981; Kirk, 1930; McNeil and Caldwell,
1981; Wickenden, 1945; Williams and Burk, 1964.
DHM; LLP
Upper Cretaceous (Santonian)
Boyne Sand
(Boyne Member, Vermilion River Formation, Obsolete)
Author: Not known .
Type Locality: The Boyne Sand is the name given to the reservoir strata of the Kamsack gas field in
east-central Saskatchewan. The discovery well was the Kamsack No. 5 well, in the NE/4 of Sec. 23,
Twp. 29, Rge. 32W1M.
Lithology: The unit is composed of dark grey calcareous shale and brownish, friable shale,
interbedded with dark grey, noncalcareous shale. The calcareous shale incorporates thin chalk layers
and calcarenites of Inoceramus prisms These shales contain flecks of light grey and white coccolithic
debris. No sand grade, siliciclastic material was recovered from Boyne strata in the Kannsack area
(Wickenden, 1945) and the reservoir strata appear to be the brownish, friable shales (Edmunds, in
Hume and Ignatieff, 1950).
Thickness and Distribution: Not known.
Relationship to Other Units: The brownish shales are not readily correlated with any of the intervals
described by Wickenden (1945) from the same general area on the basis of core and drill-cuttings
examination. The occurrence of reservoir conditions appears to be related to a localized anomalous
condition of the Boyne Member, possibly connected with fracturing of the shales or with the
occurrence of calcarenitic strata.
References: Hume and Ignatieff, 1950; Saskatchewan Department of Mineral Resources, 1960;
Simpson, 19 70; Wickenden, 1945.
FS
Lower Silurian (Llandoverian?)
Brandon Formation (Interlake Group)
Author: King, K.R., 1964a, b.
Type Locality: Dome Pelican Lake well, in 7-34-4-15WPM, Manitoba, between 837.9 and 851.3 m
(2749 and 2793 ft.).
History: King (1964a) attempted to correlate into the subsurface of Manitoba the units defined by
Stearn (1956) for the Interlake Group of the Manitoba outcrop belt. Not all the formations could be
correlated so King subdivided the Interlake into three formations, from bottom to top the Strathclair,
Brandon and Cedar Lake.
Lithology: Subdivided into two members. The lower member consists of fine to medium grained
skeletal, oolitic and stromatolitic dolomites that grade laterally and vertically to either cryptocrystalline
or microcrystalline dolomite. The top of the lower member is marked by the sandy argillaceous u2
marker bed, and the base by the u2 marker bed. The upper Brandon consists of cryptocrystalline
dolomite, with only a few occurrences of coarser grained dolomite. The top of this unit is defined by the
top of the v marker.
Thickness and Distribution: The Brandon Formation is approximately 12 m (39 ft) thick in the type area
and thickens gently to the north to about 21 m (69 ft). Strata equivalent to the Brandon Formation
extend throughout the Williston Basin, but the name is not commonly used in the subsurface.
Relationship to Other Units: The Brandon Formation overlies the Strathclair Formation and is overlain
by the Cedar Lake Formation. Both the top and bottom contacts of the unit are marked by thin, sandy,
argillaceous “non-sequential” marker beds (Porter and Fuller, 1959) which probably represent slight
disconformities. The Brandon is equivalent to the lower part of the East Arm, Atikameg and Moose
Lake formations in the Manitoba outcrop belt. It is approximately equivalent to the combined Fife Lake
and Guernsey formations in the subsurface of Saskatchewan.
References: Haidl, 1987; Jamieson, 1979; Johnson and Lescinsky, 1986; King, 1964a, b; Magathan,
1987; Porter and Fuller, 1959; Stearn, 1956.
HRM, FMH
Upper Cretaceous
Brazeau Formation
Author: Malloch, G.S., 1911, p. 21.
Type Locality: Section measured on the southernmost branch of Wapiabi Creek in the Bighorn Basin of
the central Foothills, Alberta (52°27’N, 11 6°35’W).
History: The name Brazeau was first introduced by Malloch (1911) for 520 m (1716 ft) of “...alternating
beds of black and brown shales, with greenish grey sandstones containing pebbles of chert...” which
he observed above the marine Wapiabi Formation in the Bighorn Basin. The formation was included in
the Saunders Group by Allan and Rutherford (1923). MacKay (1930, p. 486) later extended the name
Brazeau to the Coal Valley area, where he applied it to the entire estimated thickness of 3330 m (9812
ft) of post-Wapiabi strata including the coal beds. Later MacKay (143, p. 3) modified his ideas on the
Brazeau Formation and limited it to an interval of about 1425 m (4674 ft) of strata above the Wapiabi
Formation and below a quartzite cobblestone conglomerate at the base of the Edmonton Formation
which he observed about 275 m (902 ft) below the lowest coal seam. Lang (1947, p. 32) used the
name Brazeau for the interval from the top of the Wapiabi Formation up to the base of a prominent
conglomerate bed which he named the Entrance Conglomerate. The Brazeau Formation has
subsequently been utilized in mapping by Douglas (1958), Irish (1965), Ollerenshaw (1966), and in
regional stratigraphic studies (Jerzykiewicz and McLean, 1980).
Lithology: A nonmarine succession of interbedded mudstone, siltstone and fine grained sandstone
with subordinate, but prominent coarser grained sandstone layers. Chert-pebble conglomerate occurs
in the lower part of the formation. Thin coal beds, coaly shale and numerous thin bentonites occur in
the upper part of the formation. The sandstone is grey to greenish grey, and usually has a salt-and-
pepper appearance due to chert and lignitic fragments. The mudstone is greenish grey to dark grey;
some organic-rich mudstones are almost black. Fluvial fining upward cycles are most common, but a
variety of lacustrine facies, including offshore rhythmites are also present.
Thickness and Distribution: Malloch (1911) indicated the type section to be about 520 m (1706 ft) thick
in the Bighorn Coal Basin. However, the section there is not a true thickness because the top has
been erosionally truncated. Recently a complete, 950 m (3116 ft) thick section of the Brazeau
Formation was measured and described by Jerzykiewicz (1985) and Jerzykiewicz and Sweet (1988)
along Blackstone River between 52°44’N, 116°15’W and 52°42’40”N, 116°19’W, which now serves as
a supplemental reference section. The Brazeau Formation occurs within the Foothills between the
Kakwa River valley in the northwest to the Bow River valley in the southeast.
Relationship to Other Units: The Brazeau Formation overlies the marine Wapiabi Formation and is
overlain by the nonmarine Entrance Conglomerate, which occurs at the base of the Coalspur
Formation. The Brazeau is correlative to the Belly River, Bearpaw and St. Mary River formations of the
southern foothills.
References: Allan and Rutherford, 1923; Douglas, 1958; Irish, 1965; Jerzykiewicz, 1985; Jerzykiewicz
and McLean, 1980; Jerzykiewicz and Sweet, 1988; MacKay, 1930, 1943; Malloch, 1911; Lang, 1947;
Ollerenshaw, 1966.
TTZJ
Lower Cretaceous
Brenot Formation
Author: Hughes, J. E., 1964a.
Type Locality: French Petroleum Company-Richfield Brenot Creek No. 1 well, near Hudson Hope,
northeastern British Columbia, between 1132.3 and 1241.8 m (3715 and 4074 ft).
Lithology: Includes interbedded shales, siltstone and sandstone, coals and black, fissile,
carbonaceous shales. Sandstones are very fine to medium grained and some have a speckled
appearance, due to abundant dark chert.
Thickness and Distribution: 109.4 m (359 ft) in the Brenot Creek No. 1 well.
Relationship to Other Units: Hughes believed the Brenot Formation was underlain by the Monach
Formation and correlated the subsurface unit with those surface exposures lying between the Monach
Formation and coarse grained to conglomeratic sandstone and conglomerates of the Carbon Creek
Basin. Stott (1967, p. 20) questioned the correlation, pointing out that the Monach sandstone is missing
in pans of the eastern foothills, and that not only Monach beds but also any overlying sediments were
eroded before deposition of the Cadomin conglomeratic sandstone. Subsequently Stott (1981, p. 2),
believing that the name Brenot cannot be applied with validity to the exposed beds occurring above
the Monach in Carbon Creek Basin, defined the Bickford Formation as those sediments lying between
the Monach and Cadomin formations.
References: Hughes, 1964a; Stott, 1967, 1981.
DFS
Brewster Limestone Member (Whitehorse Formation)
Author: Gibson, D.W, 1968.
Type Locality: Small tributary of Whistler Creek about 2.4 km (1.5 mi) above Junction with Sulphur
River, Sec. 11, Twp. 54, Rge. 8W6M, AIberta. NTS 83E/11E, Hardscrabble Creek.
History: Originally named ‘Crinoidal Limestone Member’ (Gibson, 1965), because of conspicuous
concentration of crinoid ossicles.
Lithology: Resistant cliff forming sequence of pale to medium grey weathering, medium to thick
bedded, pelletoid, fossiliferous limestone with local intercalations of slightly silty to sandy dolostone
and intraformational limestone breccia. Pale grey lenses of chert up to 15 cm (6 in) long occur in some
areas north of Athabasca River. The member contains abundant fragmented pelecypod and/or
brachiopod shells and crinoid columnals, although most are not identifiable. It forms a distinct marker
in the Whitehorse Formation because of its cliff forming nature.
Thickness and Distribution: The Brewster Limestone Member has limited distribution and is confined
to the Rocky Mountain Foothills and front ranges between the Kakwa and Athabasca rivers. It ranges
in measured thickness from a minimum of 3 m (10 ft) to maximum of 63 m (207 ft).
Relationship to Other Units : The unit is conformably but abruptly underlain by recessive yellow to light
grey weathering ‘chalky’ sandy to silty limestones, dolostone, and solution breccia of the Starlight
Evaporite Member; it is conformably and abruptly overlain by less resistant, yellowish to medium dark
grey weathering dolostone and limestone of the Winnifred Member. The member is not recognized
south of Athabasca River and east of the Persimmon, Starlight and DeSmet ranges, Alberta because
of probable facies change to strata of the upper Starlight Evaporite Member. The member is correlative
with the Baldonnel Formation in the surface and subsurface foothills and Peace River Plains, and also
the upper Ludington Formation of northeastern British Columbia.
Reference: Gibson, 1965, 1968.
DWG
Quaternary (Holocene)
Bridge River Tephra
Author: Nasmith, H. et al., 1967.
Type Locality: The Meager Mountain district of southwestern British Columbia.
History: First published by Robertson (1911).
Lithology: Dacitic tephra (Stevenson, 1947) with phenocrysts of hornblende, hypersthene, augite,
biotite, plagioclase feldspar and iron-titanium oxides.
Thickness and Distribution: Found in a narrow plume eastward from the source. It forms a widespread
mantle in the Bridge River district of British Columbia, where locally on terraces it reaches a thickness
of 60 cm (24 in); in the Lillooet Valley it attains a thickness of 30 m (98 ft). It was carried over the
Continental Divide as far as west-central Alberta, some 550 km (344 mi) for the source vent
(Westgate, 1977). Radiocarbon dates on trees engulfed by the tephra during its eruption indicate an
age of close to 2350+/- 50 radiocarbon years (Lowden and Blake, 1978).
References: Lowden and Blake, 1978; Nasmith et al., 1967; Robertson, 1911; Stevenson, 1947;
Westgate, 1977.
JAW; NWR, AMacSS

Lower Silurian
Brisco Formation (Abandoned)
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1924; Norford, B.S., 1969.
Type Locality: Brisco Range, near Harrogate, British Columbia (Evans, 1933).
History: Walcott (1924, pp. 11-13, 32, 47, 48) named the Brisco Formation for Silurian carbonates and
argillaceous rocks thought to be lithologically distinct from the Beaverfoot Formation of Burling (1922).
Subsequent mappers could not distinguish the two formations and the name Beaverfoot-Brisco was
used for a time (Norford, 1962). Norford (1969) proposed the name Brisco Formation (and Beaverfoot-
Brisco Formation) be abandoned and the rocks of the Brisco type section be included in the
Beaverfoot Formation (expanded from Burling’s original usage).
Lithology: Thin bedded grey dolomite and dolomitic limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: Approximately coextensive with the Beaverfoot Formation of Burling
(1922).
Relationship to Other Units: Walcott (1924) believed the Brisco Formation was entirely Silurian. The
entire Brisco type section is now placed in the Beaverfoot Formation; rocks called Brisco by Walcott in
other places are now included in the Beaverfoot and Tegart formations (Norford, 1969, p. 32).
References: Burling, 1922; Walcott, 1924; Evans, 1933; Norford, 1962, 1969.
HRB
Upper Devonian
Broadwood Member (Alexo Formation)
Author: Crabb, J., 1957.
Type Locality: South-facing draw of an extension of Mount Broadwood, approximately 4.9 km (3 mi)
east of Elks, British Columbia.
Lithology: Dark grey, calcareous siltstone, overlain by light grey quartzite, shaly and, at top, light grey,
calcareous, buff to pink weathering quartzite.
Thickness and Distribution: 68.6 m (225 ft) thick on Mount Broadwood. The unit has been mapped
north and northwest from Mount Broadwood through the Lizard Range in southeastern British
Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: The Broadwood is the lower member of Leech’s (1957) Alexo Formation. It
overlies the Fairholme Formation and is overlain by a thin, buff weathering, silty limestone at the top of
the Alexo Formation.
References: Crabb, 1957; Fuglem, in. A.S.P.G. Lexicon of Geologic Names, 1960; Leech, 1957.
HRB
Brocket Till
Author: Stalker, A.MacS 1963, p. 7.
Type Locality: Brocket Section, on northwest bank of Oldman River, about 7 km (4.4 mi) northeast of
Brocket, Alberta, in S/2 Sec. 34, Twp. 7, Rge. 28W4M (49°36’10”N, 113°42’30’W).
Lithology: A dark brown silty and clayey till, generally less stony than other nearby Laurentide tills but
includes stones of Shield, Rocky Mountain and Prairie origin. Moderately indurated, massive, and on
fresh cuts forms steep, near vertical faces with, locally, columnar structures and even hoodoos.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section 2 m (7 ft) thick; rarely thick, but at Kipp section 8 m (26
ft) (Stalker, 1963, p. 21, unit H). Thought to be widely distributed in preglacial and interglacial valleys of
southern and especially central Alberta, rare in interfluve areas. Readily confused with Maunsell Till
where the two do not occur together.
Relationship to Other Units: At Brocket Section overlies the Maunsell Till with a contact that is difficult
to delineate on the spot but sharp and readily observed from a distance; in preglacial valleys generally
overlies bedrock, in interglacial valleys either Labuma or Maunsell Till; overlain by the Buffalo Lake
Till, lake and stream deposits and, in local places near the Mountain Front by Cordilleran Till or
outwash (as possibly at Brocket).
Stalker and Harrison (1977, p. 885) assigned a late Illinoian age to the Brocket Till. Horberg (1952, p.
311 ) probably included this till in his lower till, and Dawson and McConnell (1885, p. 140c) in their
lower boulder clay.
References: Alley, 1973; Dawson and McConnell, 1885; Horberg, 1952; Stalker, 1963, 1972, 1976;
Stalker and Harrison, 1977.
AMacSS
Broderick Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Type Locality: The segment of the South Saskatchewan River valley from Outlook in the north to the
Saskatchewan Landing bridge in the south, in southwestern Saskatchewan. The type section is
located in Twp. 28, Rge. 8W3M, on the east bank of the river, 12.9 km (8 mi) south and 5 km (3 mi) east
of Outlook.
Lithology: At the type section the Broderick Member consists of clays, dark grey or dark greyish brown
when fresh, but weathering in paler grey and brownish grey hues, stained by rusty and yellow iron
oxides, many of the clays soft, producing small chips or blocks on weathered surfaces and containing
small selenite crystals. The type section is somewhat atypical in a number of respects. Firstly, the clays
contain a relatively low amount of silt and, when traced laterally pass into clays that contain a much
higher, if variable content of silt and sand. Secondly, the type section fails to expose a prominent,
yellow, mealy textured bentonite seam about 7.6 cm (3 in) thick, Iying about 6 m (20 ft) above the base
of the member. Thirdly, at the contact with underlying Outlook Member the highest Outlook bed is a
grey, hard, pavement forming sandstone, and the transitional beds of neighboring sections are
missing. Patchy exposures of higher beds of the Broderick Member suggest that it is composed
throughout of dark grey, silty clays, usually noncalcareous, with rare thin bentonite beds and with ribs
of pale brownish grey calcareous sandstone in the uppermost 7.5 m (25 ft).
Thickness and Distribution: The Broderick Member has been traced in surface and subsurface section
throughout the type area and southwards, throughout most of the southwestern corner of
Saskatchewan. Between Rges. 20 and 22W3M it can be identified almost to the border with Montana.
Both within and beyond the type area the Broderick Member is usually about 30 m (98 ft) thick.
Thickness varies as a result of facies changes with the underlying and overlying sands of the Outlook
and Matador members, but rarely is it less than 16 m (53 ft) or more than 50 m (164 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Poorly exposed in general, only the basal 8.8 m (29 ft) of the member are
present at the type section, and this and other sections at the type locality rest conformably on the
Outlook Member of the Bearpaw Formation, commonly with an intervening transitional zone. Within
the type area the highest 7.6 m (25 ft) of the Broderick Member are exposed directly beneath the type
section of the overlying Matador Member and show the upper contact also to be conformable. At its
southern limits the Broderick Member loses its identity in different ways Where the overlying Matador
Member is absent it becomes part of a composite Broderick-Sherrard Member. Where the overlying
Matador is present it and the Broderick Member pass into the lower Manyberries Member of the
Bearpaw Formation and ultimately by facies change into the upper Judith River Formation. The
Broderick Member extends an unknown distance east of Rge. 20W3M, and west of Rge. 22W3M it
passes by facies change into the upper Judith River Formation.
Paleontology: The highest 7.6 m (25 ft) of the Broderick Member contain Baculites rugosus Cobban,
indicating that at least the uppermost part of the member falls within the ammonite zone of
Exiteloceras jenneyi. Molluscs in general are rare. An arenaceous-walled foraminiferal fauna is
sparsely developed through the member and indicates that it falls within the Dorothia cf. smokyensis
Subzone of the Haplophragmoides fraseri Zone in the foraminiferal zonal scheme for the southern
interior plains.
WGEC; RJH
Quaternary
Bronson Lake Formation (Informal)
Type Locality: Between 53 and 61 m (174 and 200 ft) in Alberta Environment borehole E802, located
in Lsd. 5, Sec. 32, Twp. 61, Rge. 5W4M, near Fort Kent, Alberta, in the eastern part of the Sand River
area, NTS 73L.
History: Name introduced informally in unpublished M.Sc. thesis and defined in Alberta Research
Council Bulletin.
Lithology: Diamicton with variable texture, locally interbedded with clay of undetermined origin; in one
borehole the diamicton has a clayey (24% clay) texture; 35% Shield rocks, 42% quartz, 6% carbonate
rocks and 14% local bedrock fragments in the very coarse sand fraction; 9% matrix carbonate content;
oxidized to olive brown in one borehole, elsewhere dark grey in color.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation lies within or along segments of major buried bedrock
valleys in east-central Alberta. It is about 8 m (26 ft) thick at the type section, but as much as 28 m (92
ft) thick in segments of buried valleys.
Relationship to Other Units: The Bronson Lake Formation is most easily mapped in segments of
buried bedrock valleys where the formation overlies sand and gravel of the Empress Group and is
overlain by sand and gravel of the Muriel Lake Formation. The lower contact may be difficult to
establish where the Bronson Lake Formation overlies silt and clay of the Empress Group or bedrock
shale. The unit is recognized only from borehole electric log responses, lithologs and samples.
References: Andriashek, 1985; Andriashek and Fenton, 1986.
LDA
Brosseau Member (Judith River Formation, Abandoned)
Author: Allan, J.A. 1919, p 12c.
Type Locality: Along the North Saskatchewan River between Shandro ferry (Sec. 3, Twp. 58, Rge.
15W4M) and Fort Island (Sec. 26, Twp. 55, Rge. 8W4M), east-central Alberta.
History: Introduced as a formation name by Allan (1919) as the lowest unit of the Belly River series
along the North Saskatchewan River. Reduced to member status by Shaw and Handing (1949).
Abandoned by McLean (1971) when correlation showed the type Brosseau to be equivalent to the
Ribstone Creek of Slipper (1919). The sandstone unit to which the name was applied by Shaw and
Harding (1949) remains an unnamed member of the Judith River Formation (McLean, 1971, p. 37). It is
difficult to correlate with certainty and may have a very limited areal extent.
Lithology: “The upper part of the formation consists of flaggy sandstone and clayey sandstones,... The
lower part of the formation consists of brown sandy shales, thin bedded sandstones and thin seams of
coal.” (Allan, 1919, p. 13c). “Elsewhere, from subsurface information, the member consists of fine, grey,
calcareous sandstone and sandy, brownish grey shale.” Shaw and Harding (1949).
Thickness and Distribution: Allan (1919) indicated a thickness of at least 100 m (328 ft). The more
restricted unit of Shaw and Harding (1949) is 0.3 to 30 m (1 to 98 ft). Shaw and Harding (1949, Fig. 1)
show an easterly limit between Rges. 8 and 1W4M and between Twps. 35 and 57. The westerly limit is
that of the overlying unnamed shale (formerly Shandro) from about Twp. 33, Rge. 3W4M to Twp. 59,
Rge. 19W4M.
Relationship to Other Units: The lowest member of the Judith River Formation (McLean, 1971).
Transitional lower contact with the Lea Park Formation and abrupt upper contact with the overlying
unnamed dark shale unit (formerly Shandro Tongue). To the west becomes part of the undifferentiated
Judith River Formation when the overlying shale pinches out. To the east comes to a depositional
edge within the Lea Park Formation.
References: Allan, 1919; McLean, 1971; Shaw and Harding, 1949, 1954.
JRM
Brown Lime Submember
(Moulton Member, Kootenai Formation)
An American term used in the North Cut Bank area of northern Montana, immediately southwest of
Coutts, Alberta. A very local term, only informally defined, it is equivalent to limestone beds near the
base of the widespread “Calcareous” Member of southern Alberta.
BJH
Upper Jurassic (? Portlandian)
Brown Sand (Fernie Formation, superseded)
Author: Madgwick, T.G., 1929.
Type Locality: Subsurface, Turner Valley area, Alberta.
History: Regarded by some as representing the top of the Fernie in well sections and usually
incorporated into the Passage Beds as recognized in outcrop. However Gibson (1979) suggested that
this unit should rather be considered part of the Weary Ridge Member (Morrissey Formation, Kootenay
Group; q. v.).
Lithology: Brown weathering grey, medium grained sandstones, thin bedded in lower pain, ribboned in
upper part.
References: Gibson, 1979; Spivak, 1949.
RLH
Buckinghorse Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Author: Hage, C.O., 1944.
Type Locality: Intermittent outcrops along Buckinghorse River west of the Alaska Highway bridge,
northeastern British Columbia; 57°24’N, 122°55’W.
History: Although the name was used for shales west of Liard Range, it is no longer used in Yukon
Territory and District of Mackenzie. More recent studies utilize the Garbutt, Scatter and Lepine
formations
Lithology: Moderately recessive dark grey to black, silty marine mudstone with some units of fine
grained marine sandstone. Large sideritic concretions occur in basal and upper parts.
Thickness and Distribution: In northeastern British Columbia the Buckinghorse Formation extends
northwesterly in a broad, low lying belt along the eastern edge of the foothills between the Halfway
and Muskwa rivers. In the type region it is about 1000 m (3300 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The Buckinghorse Formation is equivalent to the Garbutt, Scatter and
Lepine formations occurring in the vicinity of Liard River. In the type region the Buckinghorse lies on
the Lower Cretaceous Gething Formation. Elsewhere it lies with marked unconformity on beds ranging
in age from Triassic to Mississippian. It is overlain by the Sikanni Formation. To the south it is
equivalent to the Moosebar, Hasler and Commotion formations.
Paleontology: Contains fauna of the generalized Arcthoplites and Beudanticeras amine zone of Albian
age. Also contains a relatively unstudied assemblage of Foraminifera.
References: Anan-Yorke and Stelck, 1978; Hage, 1944; Stott 1960.
DFS; DWM, LVH

Buffalo Lake Till
Author: Stalker, A.MacS., 1960; pp. 22-23.
Type Locality: Given by Stalker as exposures near Buffalo Lake, Alberta, about 130 km (81 mi)
southeast of Edmonton. Lectostratotype area designated by Richmond et al. (1977, p. 3) as Sec. 6,
Twp. 40, Rge. 20W4M (52°24’N, 112°52’W).
Lithology: Typically a silty and clayey till, with coarseness dependant upon lithology of the underlying
bedrock; contains stones from Precambrian Shield, Prairies and Rocky Mountains; generally grey to
light blue where unoxidized, various shades of brown, buff or yellow if oxidized. Weak and poorly
indurated, with irregular and not very prominent jointing or fractures; rarely forms steep bluffs.
Thickness and Distribution: In morainal knobs reaches thickness of 20 m (66 ft) or more, in interfluve
areas generally 3 to 7 m (10 to 23 ft) thick. Widespread and nearly continuous in southern and central
Alberta and western Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: in interfluve areas typically overlies Cretaceous or Tertiary bedrock, and in
preglacial or interglacial valleys Lebuma or Maunsell tills or else stream or lake deposits. At the
surface throughout much of its area of distribution, but in broad areas also covered by lake or wind
deposits. This unit represents the last Laurentide glaciation and is the till commonly referred to in
various geology and soils reports for the region. It includes tills of the main Classical Wisconsin
advance and subsequent readvances, and perhaps from pre-Classical Wisconsin glaciation. This unit
would appear to include the silt till of Warren (1954) and possibly his Brown Till, though the latter more
likely Corresponds to the Maunsell Till, Alley (1973) apparently used Buffalo Lake Till to replace
“Beaver Creek Till” named informally by him in 1972.
References: Alley, 1972, 1973; Harris and Waters, 1977; Richmond et al, 1977; Stalker, 1960, 1963,
1973; Stalker and Harrison, 1977; Warren, 1954.
AMacSS
Buffalo River Member
Author: Campbell, N.L., 1950; Norris, A.W., 1965.
Type Locality: Cominco G-4 borehole, Pine Point mining area, Northwest Territories, 60°54’N,
114°46W; between 52.7 and 109.1 m (173 and 358 ft).
Lithology: Dark bluish green shale, pyritic, calcareous.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is 56 m (171 ft) thick in the type well, it is known only in the
subsurface under the southern part of Great Slave Lake and its southern shore.
Relationship to Other Units: The Buffalo River Member overlies the Bituminous Limestone and Shale
Member gradationally. It is overlain by a limestone unit considered by A.W Norris (1965) to be the
Sulphur Point Formation (i.e., conceived to be part of the carbonate barrier) but argued by Skall (1975)
to have accumulated during deposition of the Watt Mountain Formation. This shale unit abuts against
and interfingers with the carbonate bank in the Pine Point area Jackson (1971) indicated that it
extended as high stratigraphically as the Amco Member. The Buffalo River Shale is a member of the
Pine Point Formation. In British Columbia the Otter Park Member (shale) which is in a similar
stratigraphic position, is a member of the Horn River Formation (Gray and Kassube, 1963).
Paleontology: Thin shelled brachiopods.
References: Campbell, 1950; Gray and Kassube, 1963; Jackson, 1971; Norris, 1965; Skall, 1975.
GKW; DWM
Buick Creek Sand (Gething Formation)
Author: Pacific Petroleums Ltd., 1953.
Type Locality: Texaco NFA Buick Creek No. 1, in 94-A-11, I-98-d, in northeastern British Columbia,
between 1075 and 1095 m (3525 and 3590 ft)
Lithology: The Buick Creek is a fine to medium grained quartz sandstone, with occasional coarse
grained intervals. It is the producing unit at the Buick Creek and West Buick Creek fields.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is 20 m (65 ft) thick in the type well. It varies considerably in
thickness since it lies on the pre-Cretaceous erosional surface. It is probably the basal part of the
Gething Formation, but may also include part of the Jurassic Nikanassin sand in places. The Buick
Creek usually rests on the Jurassic Fernie shales and is conformably overlain by shale, thin coal beds
and salt-and-pepper sand of the Gething Formation. It is equivalent to part of the Monteith of Stott
(1975). It is best developed in the Fort St. John area of northeastern British Columbia.
References: Weihmann, 1960; Stott, 1975.
Lexicon Committee
Lower Cretaceous (Barremian? to Early Albian)
Bullhead Group
Author: McLearn, F.H., 1918, p. 16c.
Type Locality: No specific location was designated as type, although the type section of Gething
Formation (Stott, 1973) provides the most complete exposure of the group. The section is found on the
west bank of the upper Peace River immediately downstream from the Bennett Dam, 56°01’N,
122°14’W, Halfway River (94B) and Pine Pass (93O) map-areas, northeastern British Columbia. Only
the uppermost beds of the Cadomin are exposed at the base of the Gething Formation, although much
more was exposed prior to the construction of the dam. Almost all of the Gething Formation is exposed
downstream from the dam and in side tributaries flowing into Peace River from the south between
Moosebar and Gething creeks.
History: McLearn (1918, p. 16c) originally applied the name “Bull Head Mountain Formation” to a thick
series of strata of fresh water origin lying between Triassic Shale below and the St. John Shale above.
When McLearn realized that Jurassic Shale is present within the succession the definition was
modified (McLearn and Kindle, 1950, p. 63) to include only the overlying sandy strata. The formation
was raised to group status and the name shortened to Bullhead by Wickenden and Shaw (1943, p. 2).
McLearn originally had divided the formation into two members; the upper was named Gething by
McLearn (1923, p. 4b) and the lower was named Dunlevy by Beach and Spivak (1944, p. 4). Mathews
(1947, p. 9), working in Carbon Creek Basin recognized three formations which he considered
equivalent to the lower Dunlevy, and to which he referred to as the “marine Bullhead”. The upper,
continental, coal bearing part was included in the “nonmarine Bullhead”. The Alberta Study Group
(1954, p. 277) recognized the Nikanassin, Cadomin and Gething formations within the succession and
restricted the Bullhead Group to beds overlying the unconformity at the top of the Nikanassin
Formation. Subsequently Hughes (1964) proposed two new groups, the Beaudette Group and
Crassier Group within the Bullhead “supergroup”. Stott (1967, 1968, 1973) restricted the Bullhead
Group to include only the Gething and Cadomin formations.
Lithology: The Bullhead Group comprises a thick succession of piedmont fan, alluvial plain and
transitional sediments (Stott 1968, 1973) The basal part is characterized by massive, resistant
conglomerate comprising well rounded pebbles, cobbles and boulders of chert, quartz and quartzite.
The upper part of the group contains a cyclical succession of fine grained sandstone, siltstone and
mudstone. The succession is coal bearing south of the Peace River, but grades northward into fine
grained sandstone of deltaic to marine origin.
Thickness and Distribution: The group forms a wedge that decreases from more than 900 m (3000 ft)
in the western foothills of northeastern British Columbia to about 100 m (328 ft) in the Peace River
Plains and to a zero edge north of Fort St. John. The group occurs throughout the foothills of
northeastern British Columbia as far south as Smoky River and as far north as Tuchodi River.
Relationship to Other Units: The Bullhead Group lies unconformably on successively older rocks from
west to east and also northward from Peace River. It is overlain conformably, or possibly
disconformably locally by shales of the Fort. St. John Group. Equivalent beds are included in the basal
Luscar Group of the northern and central Foothills of Alberta and in the basal Blairmore Group of
southwestern Alberta and southeastern British Columbia. In the central and southern Plains of Alberta
equivalent beds are included in the lower Mannville subgroup. In the foothills north of Tuchodi River
the marine sandstone of the Bullhead Group grades laterally into marine shale of the Fort St. John
Group.
Paleontology: The lower Blairmore flora, ranging from Aptian to Early Albian in age occurs in the
group. A small assemblage of microflora was reported to be similar to the Mannville assemblage of
Late Barremian to Early or early Middle Albian age. Dinosaur tracks of both herbivorous and
carnivorous dinosaurs were first studied by Sternberg (1932), and more recently by P. Currie of the
Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. Microfauna recovered from marine strata of the Gething have been
dated as Barremian to Early Albian.
References: Alberta Study Group, 1954; Beach and Spivak, 1944; Hughes, 1964; Mathews, 1947;
McLearn, 1918, 1923; McLearn and Kindle, 1950; Sternberg, 1932; Stott, 1967,1968, 1973; Wickenden
and Shaw, 1943.
DFS
Middle Devonian
Bull River Unit (Invalid)
Author: Thompson, 1962.
Type Locality: Southeast of Bull River, southeastern British Columbia, between 49°34’N and 49°37’N,
115°12W and 115°20W, as shown on Thompson’s map.
Lithology: Not described by Thompson.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness not reported; only the one locality described as above.
Relationship to Other Units: Thompson’s legend indicates that the Bull River Unit comprises the basal
Devonian Burnais and Harrogate formations. It overlies beds of Cambrian age and is overlying, where
not eroded, by the upper Devonian Fairholme Group.
Reference: Thompson, 1962.
HRB
Upper Cretaceous
Bulwark Sandstone (Bearpaw Formation)
Type Locality: None designated; many exposures reported from near the mouth of Beaverdam and
Young Creeks at Lorraine, in the southeast portion of Twp. 39, Rge. 12W4M, Alberta.
Lithology: Hard, massive and bedded brown sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness not recorded by author, but a sandstone in same area believed
by Lines (1963) to be identical is 9 m (30 ft) thick. The unit is reported to be fairly widely distributed in
south-central Alberta. Three separate sandstones have been recognized within the Bulwark interval in
the Castor and Hanna areas by Hackbarth (1975, p. 4) and Borneuf (1978, p. 5).
The locality of Lorraine is no longer designated on recent maps of the National Topographic Series. It
is shown on Geological Survey of Canada Map 502A-Hardisty by Warren and Hume (1939) in Sec. 12,
What is now named Young Creek on N.T.S maps 73-D, Wainwright 1:250,000 and 73D/5, Alliance,
1:50,000 is in Twp 38, Rge. 13W4M and is not the same as the Young Creek shown on G.S.C. Map
502A-Hardisty in Twp. 38 and 39, Rge. 12W4M with the many exposures to which Slipper (1919) and
Lines (1963) alluded. The name “Beaverdam Creek” was replaced by Castor Creek on the Sullivan
Lake sectional sheet (Map 216) published in 1926 by the Topographical Survey of Canada.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies and is overlain by shales of the Bearpaw Formation (“upper
Pierre” of author). The Bulwark is thought by Given and Wall (1971) to be correlative with the second
Castor sandstone. Occurs within the informally designated Paintearth Member of Lines (1963), which
equates with part of the Manyberries Member of southeastern Alberta .
References: Borneuf, 1978; Given and Wall, 1971; Hackbarth, 1975; Lines, 1963; Slipper, 1919; Warren
and Hume, 1939.
JHW; LSR, RAR

Lower Cretaceous (Early to Middle Albian)
Bulwell Member
(Scatter Formation, Fort St. John Group)
Author: Stott, D F., 1982.
Type Locality: Scatter River, about 2.4 km (1.5 mi) upstream from its confluence with the Liard River,
northeastern British Columbia.
Lithology: Characterized by thick bedded, fine grained sandstone, with interbedded mudstone and
argillaceous sandstone. Sandstone is commonly laminated, grey to greenish grey, with abundant
ripple marks, worm burrows, trails and castings Channel-fill structures, crossbedding and large scale
slump features occur. Glauconite is extremely abundant throughout.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized in the Liard River region between the Toad River to the south
and the Kotaneelee River to the north The member is 129 m (423 ft) thick at the Scatter River and
appears to be of about the same thickness in the vicinity of Fantasque Lake in Yukon Territory it thins
eastward and southward, grading into shales of the Buckinghorse Formation.
Relationship to Other Units: The basal beds of the Bulwell Member are gradational into the underlying
mudstone of the Garbutt Formation. The upper beds are gradational into the Wildhorn Member of the
Scatter Formation, and grade south and east into shales of the Buckinghorse Formation. The Bulwell
is equivalent to the Gates Formation and parts of the Spirit River Formation.
Paleontology: Diagnostic fossils are lacking Stratigraphically the member appears to lie within the
Arcthoplites Zone of Early Albian age.
Reference: Stott, 1982
DFS
Middle Cambrian
Burgess Shale Lentil (Stephen Formation)
Author: Walcott, C. D., 1911c, p. 51 .
Type Locality: On the west side of the ridge connecting Mount Field and Mount Wapta, near Field,
British Columbia, at 51°26’N, 116°28’W.
History: Walcott (1928) identified the Burgess Shale Member as a 125 m (410 ft) thick shale section
which contained near the base the 2 3 m (91 in) thick “Phyllopod Bed” that is world famous for its
fossils, particularly the many soft bodied forms known only from that interval. Fritz (1971) pointed out
that such designation of the “member” served no useful purpose and treated the Burgess Shale as an
outcrop of the Stephen Formation containing the famous fossil quarry
Lithology: Interlaminated dark blue-grey clay shale and sooty, silty shale near the base; upward the
shale becomes silty and calcareous and some ripple cross-lamination appear. Rare beds of
particulate limestone, with skeletal fragments, ooids and oncoids appear at about the middle of the
exposure and increase in amount upward - these beds are dolomitized at the top.
Thickness and Distribution: Approximately 161 m (528 ft) of beds are exposed at the type locality.
Paleontology: The fauna of the “Phyllopod Bed” is famous for its beautifully preserved fossils of soft
bodied animals. “The majority of the approximately 150 species placed in some 95 genera) are unique
to the single Burgess Shale locality . . . “ (Whittington, 1971).
References: Fritz, 1971; Rasetti, 1951; Walcott, 1911c, 1928; Whittington, 1971.
RGG
Middle Devonian (Eifelian)
Burnais Formation
Author: Henderson, G.G.L., 1954.
Type Locality: None designated; Henderson reported the Burnais from seven localities in the Stanford
Range, western ranges of the Rocky Mountains, southeastern British Columbia.
History: The formation was established for the rich gypsum deposits and associated sedimentary rocks
near Windermere Creek. The gypsum was reported in 1926, has been mined continuously since 1949
and now is the primary source for Western Canada.
Lithology: Well bedded and laminated gypsum, weathering light to purplish grey; interbedded with
limestone and dolomitic limestone, thinly to thickly bedded; breccia beds with angular fragments of
carbonates and silty mudstone and large stratified slabs in gypsum matrix and in carbonate matrix;
rubbly weathering limestones and shale; quartz sand grains present within many of the different type
of rocks.
Thickness and Distribution: Faulting is prevalent in the area of outcrop of the formation and the
thickness is difficult to ascertain. Henderson reported exposures with more than 200 m (656 ft.) of
bedded gypsum and guessed that the Burnais could be as much as 400 m (1312 ft) thick. The Burnais
is limited to the Stanford Range and the northern Hughes Range of the western ranges but gypsum
beds that may be related have been reported from elsewhere in the western ranges and in the main
ranges.
Relationship to Other Units: The Burnais is part of an intricate facies-complex of Middle Devonian
formations and normally grades vertically and laterally into the Cedared Formation, which is largely
equivalent to the lower Elk Point Group of Alberta
References: Bassett and Stout, 1967; Belyea and Labrecque, 1972; Belyea and Norford, 1967;
Douglas et al., in: Douglas, 1970; Grayston, Sherwin and Allan, 1964; Henderson, 1954; Leech, 1958;
Norford, 1981; North and Henderson, 1954.
BSN
Burnstick Member (Cardium Formation)
Author: Walker, R. C., 1983.
Type Locality: Carrington and Caroline oil fields, Twps. 33-36, Rges. 3-8W5M, westcentral Alberta.
Type section is in the Hudson’s Bay Garrington 11-32-34-4W5M well, between 2069 and 2070.8 m
(6788 and 6794 ft); reference sections are the Mesa Amoco Caroline 11-31-34-6W5M well, between
2489.6 and 2493.7 m (8168 and 8181 ft), and the Hudson’s Bay Fina Muskeg 4-9-55-18W5M well,
between 1873.5 and 1878 m (6145 and 6160 ft).
History: The author proposed the Burnstick Member for the informal term “B” sand of the type areas
Lithology: Sandstone, very fine to occasionally medium grained, quartzose, variably laminated, and, in
the upper part, cherty, sideritic conglomerate (facies 7 and 8) that is poorly sorted, with occasional
mud partings and common, variable mud matrix.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit ranges from zero to a maximum of 3.4 m (13 ft) at Garrington to
6.5 m (21.3 ft) at Caroline. It can be correlated from the type area westward under the Ricinus field
and, more or less, to the southeastward in the Lochend and Crossfield oil producing trends, finally
vanishing south-southeast of Calgary. Equivalents are present in areas of Cardium occurrence to the
northwest in Alberta, e.g., Edson and Pine Creek fields.
Relationship to Other Units: The Burnstick is overlain by the massive dark mudstones that underlie the
Raven River Member (as originally defined) of the Cardium Formation. It is underlain by a thin,
speckled, gritty mudstone or muddy sandstone containing scattered coarse to very coarse quartz and
chert grains (facies 6), the basal part of the “Burnstick sequence” (Hornbeck Member) or the Nosehill
Member of the Cardium.
References: Krause, 1983; Plint and Walker, 1987; Plint, Walker and Bergman, 1986; Swagor, Oliver
and Johnson, 1976; Stott, 1963; Walker, 1983a, b, c.
Lexicon Committee
Burr Member (Dawson Bay Formation, Manitoba Group)
Author: Dunn, C.E., 1982, p. 5.
Type Locality: Dominion Potash Burr 4-18-35-23W2M, in Saskatchewan, between 936.3 and 955.5 m
(3072 and 3175 ft).
History: This sequence of rocks includes the DB2 and most of the DB3 members of Lane (1959)
Lane’s members are combined because the sequence can rarely be divided on the basis of
geophysical well log responses.
Lithology: Microcrystalline, medium grey to pale brown limestone characterized by about 20 planes of
discontinuity interpreted as hardgrounds (Dunn, 1982). Corals, brachiopods and crinoid ossicles are
scattered throughout the upper 15 m (49 ft) of the member. The underlying 4 to 5 m (13 to 16 ft) of
carbonate is commonly drab olive brown, mottled dolomite devoid of fossils. The lowermost few
centimetres are finely laminated bituminous limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: Consistently about 20 m (66 ft) thick. Present from outcrop in Manitoba
(Lake Winnipegosis) throughout the subsurface of Saskatchewan, except for the extreme southwest
corner of the province and a 100 km (63 mi) wide zone south of and parallel to the edge of the
Precambrian Shield.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact is disconformable and locally exhibits an angular
unconformity with the Second Red Bed Member. The upper contact is at a plane of discontinuity,
locally erosional, with an argillaceous carbonate representing the base of the Neely Member. In
western Saskatchewan this contact is difficult to discern on gamma-ray logs, due to the low
argillaceous content of the overlying bed. The Burr Member is the exact equivalent of Bannatyne’s
Unit B in Manitoba. It is equal to Lane’s (1959) DB2 Member plus all but the uppermost argillaceous
carbonate of his DB3 Member. In Alberta it is probably equivalent to the lower part of the Watt
Mountain Formation.
References: Bannatyne, 1975; Braun and Mathison, 1382; Dunn, 1980, Lane, 1959.
CED; KRS
Middle Cambrian
Burton Formation (Abandoned)
Author: Schofield, S.J., 1914.
Type Locality: Burton Mine, 3 km (1.9 mi) northwest of Elko, southeastern British Columbia; Fernie
West-Half map-area, 82 G/6 E.
History: The name was introduced for an undifferentiated elastic sequence lying unconformably upon
the Precambrian Roosville Formation of the Purcell Supergroup, and overlain conformably by the
Middle Cambrian Elko Formation. Insofar as the type Burton embraces the Flathead and Gordon
formations, it was recommended (Fritz and Norris, 1965) that the name Burton be abandoned.
Lithology: A lower calcareous, conglomeratic, quartz sandstone (Flathead Formation) and an upper
green, micaceous shale with thin interbeds of fossiliferous limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation is 47 m (155 ft) thick at the type section. Its equivalents
elsewhere would be the stratigraphic interval represented by the combined thickness of the Flathead
and Gordon formations.
Relationship to Other Units: The Burton Formation rests unconformably upon the Purcell (Belt)
Supergroup and is overlain conformably by the type Elko Formation
Paleontology: The upper part of the Burton Formation at its type section contains fossils of the
Plagiura-Poliella and Albertella faunizones and is, therefore Middle Cambrian.
References: Fritz and Norris, 1965; Schofield, 1914.
DKN
Upper Proterozoic
Byng Formation (Miette Group)
Author: Slind, O.L. and Perkins, G.D., 1966.
Type Locality: Western slopes of Monte Cristo, about 3 km (1.9 mi) east of Byng Pass (Snake Indian
Pass), British Columbia.
History: Proposed by Slind and Perkins (1966), mapped by Mountjoy (1980), and studied in detail by
Teitz and Mountjoy (1985).
Lithology: Shallow water platformal carbonate consisting of dolomitic, pisolitic packstone, stromatolitic
dolostone forming large mounds, peloidal dolostone and intraclastic dolostone, with minor shale,
siltstone and quartz sandstone. At Yellowhead Platform Ediacaran fauna found in thinly laminated
green siltstone include Cyclomedusa, Irridinites and Protodipleurosoma.
Thickness and Distribution: Near Yellowhead Pass the Byng Formation forms discontinuous carbonate
platforms of local extent near the top of the upper Miette Group, lying from zero to 900 m (2952 ft)
beneath the base of the McNaughton Formation. It is 287 m (941 ft) thick at its type section and
thickens to 400 m (1312 ft) in the Yellowhead Platform at Mount Fitzwilliam, from which it thins
markedly toward the southeast and northwest.
Relationship to Other Units: The Byng Formation is conformably overlain by marine shales and
quartzose sandstones of the upper Miette Group, and locally unconformably overlain by the Cambrian
McNaughton Formation. At Yellowhead Platform about 3 m (10 ft) of karsted relief is infilled by
conglomeratic sandstone of the basal McNaughton Formation. The Byng Formation conformably
overlies part of the upper Miette Group and interfingers with laterally equivalent siliciclastics of the
upper Miette. It has been correlated with the Cunningham Formation of the Cariboo Group, with the
limestone unit of the Horsethief Creek Group of the Dogtooth Mountains, and with the Espee
Formation of the Cassiar Mountains.
References: Hoffman et al., 1985; Mansy and Gabrielse, 1978; Mountjoy, 1980; Poulton, 1973; Slind
and Perkins, 1966; Teitz and Mountjoy, 1985; Young, 1972a.
MRM
Lower Cretaceous
Cadomin Formation (Blairmore and Bullhead Groups)
Author: Mackay, B.R., 1929a, b, c; 1930.
Type Locality: No type section specified by Mackay, but named for exposures in the vicinity of
Cadomin, west-central Alberta (Sec. 5, Twp. 47, Rge. 23W5M).
History: First introduced by Mackay (1929) in the Cadomin area and correlated with the Blairmore
Conglomerate of the southern Alberta Foothills. Use extended to the foothills of northeastern British
Columbia (Alberta Study Group, 1954; Stott, 1960).
Lithology: Characterized by conglomerate. Average clast size l to 5 cm (0.4 to 2 in), up to 40 cm (16 in).
Matrix is generally fine to coarse grained sand, and cement is silica. Chert and quartzite are the
predominant clast lithologies, but sandstone is present in some areas. The conglomerate is usually
hard, resistant to erosion and forms prominent outcrops. More than one bed of conglomerate occurs in
some sections, with interbedded sandstone, siltstone and mudstone, often with a high carbonaceous
content and Occasionally coal beds, particularly in sections north of the Smoky River. Average clast
size generally thicker and coarser grained than overlying sandstone beds.
Thickness and Distribution: Ranges from less than 1 m to over 170 m (3 to over 558 ft). Generally
thicker and coarser to the west. Recognized in the foothills of Alberta and British Columbia between
49°N and about 56°30’N. Eastern limit appears to be an erosional escarpment trending slightly west of
north (McLean, 1977) and diverging from the foothills trend to the north. West of the escarpment the
formation is recognized in the subsurface.
Relationship to Other Units: Rests disconformably on the Kootenay Group, Nikanassin Formation,
Minnes Group and Fernie Group. Overlain abruptly to gradationally by the Gladstone and Gething
formations. May be equivalent in part to the Cut Bank Sandstone of southern Albertan the Deville
(Detrital) and the Ellerslie formations in the central plains, and possibly the basal beds of the
McMurray Formation in the northeastern Alberta Plains. The Cadomin replaces the name Dalhousie
sandstone in the eastern foothills of southern Alberta.
References: Mackay, 1929a, 1929b, 1929c, 1930; McLean, 1977; Stott, 1968,1973.
ARM
Upper Cretaceous (Middle Albian)
Cadotte Member (Peace River Formation)
Author: McLearn, EH., 1944.
Type Locality: The Alberta Study Group (1954) suggested Wickenden’s (1951) section on the north
side of a small tributary valley to Peace River about 150 m (492 ft) from the water’s edge on the west
side of Peace River in NE/4 Sec. 25 or SE/4 Sec. 26, Twp. 85, Rge. 21W5M.
History: McLearn’s original name included all of the upper sandstone member of the Peace River
Formation, but Wickenden (1951 ) restricted the term Cadotte to the lower marine portion and
proposed the term Paddy for the continental upper portion.
Lithology: Grey to light grey to greenish grey fine to very fine grained, friable to firm, locally calcareous
or sideritic, often glauconitic, salt-and-pepper sandstone with good porosity. Rare chert pebbles occur.
Sometimes interbedded with dark grey marine shale and silt.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness varies from 12 to 52 m (29 to 171 ft), with an average of
around 25 m (82 ft) in the Peace River region, thinning to the north and east from the Peace River
town-Pouce Coupe-Grande Prairie area. Change to continental facies to the south makes separation
of this unit from the Paddy difficult in the area south of Grande Prairie. North of Twp. 93 the sandstone
passes into the shale facies of the Fort St. John Group.
Relationship to Other Units: The Cadotte is conformable with the underlying Harmon Member of the
Peace River Formation. It is overlain disconformably by the Paddy Member south of Twp. 88 and
unconformably by the Shaftesbury Formation north of Twp. 88. It correlates in part with the upper
Scatter Sandstone (Tussock Member, Stott, 1981) of the Muskwa area of northeastern British
Columbia, and with part of the lower Lepine Formation. The basal part of the Boulder Creek Member
of the Commotion Formation of the Pine Pass area is equivalent to the Cadotte Member of the Pine
Pass area and the Peace River Canyon.
Paleontology: The Cadotte sand carries the ammonite Gastroplites and Inoceramus cadottensis as
well as other molluscs and starfish. Singh (1971) reported an extensive microflora with primitive
angiosperm pollen. Wickenden (1951) described an extensive arenaceous microfauna from the
Cadotte.
References: Alberta Study Group, 1954; McLearn, 1918; Singh, 1971; Stott, 1981; Wickenden, 1951.
CRS
Cairn Formation (Fairholme Group)
Author: McLaren, D J., 1955.
Type Locality: Mount Dalhousie, northern spur. Located in southeastern Jasper National Park,
immediately south of the junction of the Southesk and Cairn rivers; 63 km (39 mi) westnorthwest of
Nordegg townsite, 52°38’N, 116°58’W.
Where the Cairn can be subdivided the Socony Entice No. 1 well, in 12-25-28-24W4M has been
designated the type section of the upper Cairn Members between 2183.8 and 2304 m (7165 and 7560
ft) (Belyea and McLaren, 1956).
History: McLaren (1955) raised the Fairholme Formation of Beach (1943) to group status and named
the former lower member the Cairn Formation. McLaren designated a new type section on Mount
Dalhousie, within the Southesk-Cairn carbonate buildup.
Raymond (1930) had earlier erected the Flume Formation to describe the carbonate platform
underlying basin sections of Fairholme Group in the Jasper area (see Flume Formation). Correlation
has since shown Raymond’s Flume Formation to be equivalent to McLaren’s cherty dolomite member
of the Cairn Formation of carbonate buildups of the Fairholme Group. Although most geologists now
recognize that the Flume Formation is a widespread carbonate platform upon which areally restricted
carbonate buildups later developed (i.e., the Flume is present beneath both buildup and basin
sections), the Cairn Formation has never been formally restricted to McLaren’s upper organic dolomite
member. Thus modern studies have called the Flume a formation in the basin, but a member of the
Cairn Formation in the buildups (e.g. Cook, 1972; Mountjoy, 1965; Mountjoy and Mackenzie, 1973;
Noble, 1979). Part of the reason for this situation is related to the stratigraphy of the Fairholme
carbonate shelf of the southern Alberta Plains. There the lithostratigraphic equivalent of the Flume
(i.e., the Cooking Lake) is not recognized where continuous organic buildup occurs, and the Cairn
Formation encompasses all beds between the top of the Beaverhill Lake Group and the base of the
Southesk Formation (Belyea and McLaren, 1956).
Lithology: The lower cherty dolomite member (Flume Member) consists of dark grey fine to medium
crystalline dolomite in medium to thick beds. The dolomites may be slightly silty toward the base. The
member contains Amphipora and scattered stromatoporoids, but is principally distinguished by the
abundant dark grey chert nodules and stringers present in the unit. The upper organic dolomite
member is composed of dark grey dolomites containing abundant Amphipora and bulbous
stromatoporoid remains. Fresh rock surfaces often have a fetid odor and the unit is variably
argillaceous. The thicker, more massive weathering beds contain mainly bulbous stromatoporoids with
scattered Amphipora and corals, the thinner beds have abundant Amphipora and fewer
stromatoporoids. There also appears to be a lateral gradation of fossil content, with stromatoporoids
most abundant near the buildup margins and Amphipora dominant in the interior of buildups. The
bulbous stromatoporoid beds are often lenticular in shape and probably represent low-relief
biostromes. Noble (1970) divided the Cairn into five biofacies. The upper member may contain limited
chert, but is distinguished from the lower (Flume) member by its thicker and more massive bedding,
larger average stromatoporoid size and absence of abundant chert.
Although the Cairn Formation is generally dolomitized, some limestone interbeds do occur. They are
mainly peloid-intraclast wackestones and packstones, with rare grainstones. Fossils are non-
diagnostic but include calcispheres, ostracods, bryozoans, corals, brachiopods, algae and
foraminifera in addition to Amphipora and stromatoporoids.
Thickness and Distribution: The Cairn Formation, including the Flume Member is between 140 and
230 m (459 and 755 ft) thick. If the Flume Member is omitted the Cairn Formation ranges from 80 to
180 m (262 to 590 ft) in thickness. Exceptionally thick sections have been reported by McLaren (1955)
at Mount Coleman, and Mountjoy (1978) at Coronation Mountain. At Mount Coleman the full Cairn is
255 m (837 ft) and the upper Cairn Member 141 m (463 ft) in thickness; at Coronation Mountain they
are 320 m (1050 ft) and 156 m (512 ft) thick respectively.
The Cairn Formation outcrops in the carbonate buildups of Fairholme Group of the Rocky Mountain
front and main ranges, from Kakwa Lake in northeastern British Columbia to south of the Bow Valley.
The lower Flume Member is also recognized in basin sections, where it has been given formation
rank. The Cairn Formation does not occur in the Flathead area farther to the south (Price, 1964), and
relationships in the intervening area have not been established. The Cairn Formation is recognized in
the subsurface southern Alberta carbonate shelf south of about Twp. 30 and also east of a line
between Drumheller and Vermilion.
Relationship to Other Units: The Cairn Formation is areally restricted to carbonate buildup and shelf
facies of the Fairholme Group, although the lower Flume Member is also recognized as a formation in
basin sections in the mountains. The Cairn Formation overlies the pre-Fairholme subgroup in the
mountains and is overlain by the Southesk Formation. At carbonate buildup margins the Cairn may
interfinger with or be or lapped by the Perdrix Formation. Subsurface relationships at the southern
Alberta carbonate shelf margin between the Cairn and Duvernay formations appear to be similar. The
Cairn is equivalent to the lower Leduc and Cooking Lake formations of central Alberta and to the
lower Duperow Formation and possibly to the upper Souris River Formation of the Williston Basin. The
Flume Member is in part equivalent to the upper Beaverhill Lake Croup. The Cairn Formation in the
southern Alberta carbonate shelf overlies the Beaverhill Lake Formation or Souris River Formation.
The Cairn is homotaxial with the Borsato and Hollebecke of the Crowsnest area, but the exact
relationships are not yet established.
References: Beach, 1943; Belyea and McLaren, 1956; Cook, 1972; Coppold, 1976; Kirker, 1959;
McLaren, 1955; Mountjoy, 1965, 1978; Mountjoy and Mackenzie, 1973; Noble, 1970.
MPC; EWM
Calahoo Sandstone (Ellerslie Member)
Author: First used by wellsite geologists for a sand near the top of the Ellerslie Member in the
immediate area of Alexander Indian Reserve No. 134. It was later described by Jackson and Bourns
(1968).
Type Locality: Midwestern No. 6-1 Calahoo well, in 6-1-56-27W4M, in Alberta, between 1160.4 and
1167.7 m (3806 and 3830 ft).
Lithology: Mainly fine to medium grained quartz sandstone, angular, shell sorted, with common thin
black shale partings, fair to good porosity.
Thickness and Distribution: Restricted to the immediate Alexander Indian Reserve No. 134 area
centred in Twp 56. Rge 27W4M. Where developed the sand has a relatively constant thickness
averaging 6.4 m (21 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Calahoo Sandstone is a sandstone unit near the top of the Ellerslie
Member and occurs below the Alexander Sandstone, from which it is separated by 2 m (7 ft) of shale.
Where the Alexander Sandstone is not developed the Calahoo Sandstone forms the top of the
Ellerslie Member and is directly overlain by the Ostracode Zone, which is most commonly a shale. It is
underlain by other sandstones and shales of the Ellerslie Member.
Reference: Jackson and Bourns, 1968.
GEB; PAM
Lower Cretaceous
“Calcareous” Member (Blairmore and Mannville Formation, Group)
Author: Glaister, R.P., 1959.
History: Informal name proposed by Glaister (1959, p. 605) for a generally thin limestone with
calcareous mudstone siltstone and sandstone occurring 100 to 150 m (328 to 492 ft) above the base
of the Blairmore in the southern foothills. The “Calcareous” Member is now recognized as the upper
part of the Gladstone Formation (Mellon, 1967; McLean, 1980). Glaister (1959, p. 620) also used this
term for equivalent calcareous strata in the Mannville Formation (Group) of the adjacent plains, where
it is more commonly referred to as the Ostracode Zone.
References: Glaister, 1959; McLean, 1980; Mellon, 1967.
PAM
Quaternary
Calgary Silt (Informal name)
Type Locality: Bank of Bow River near Calgary, Alberta, in Sec. 35, Twp. 24, Rge. 2W5M.
History: Informal name introduced by Tharin in Ph.D. thesis; further used by Rutter and Wyder (1969, p.
4).
Lithology: Clay, sand; mostly lake deposit but surface locally reworked by wind, the type section of the
Calgary silt is not described as including significant silt.
Thickness and Distribution: At Type Locality 42 m (138 ft) thick; no other thicknesses given. Exposed
near Calgary and over much of the south-central portion of the Calgary map-area.
Relationship to Other Units: Rests on Spy Hill Till or bedrock, westward may be overlain by the Morley
gravels. Deposited in preglacial lake, probably in Wisconsin time.
References: Morgan, 1966; Rutter and Wyder, 1969; Tharin, 1960.
AMacSS
Calmar Formation (Winterburn Group)
Author: Geological Staff, Imperial Oil Limited, 1950.
Type Locality: Type section is in the well B.A. Pyrcz No. 1 well, in 12-25-50-26W4M, Alberta, between
1482.9 and 1496.3 m (4865 and 4909 ft). A representative cored interval is from the 6-36-44-22W4M
History: The term Calmar was originally proposed as a member of the then Winterburn Formation
(Geological Staff, Imperial Oil Ltd., Western Division, 1950) and replaced the term “Red Bed Zone”
established by Layer, et al., (1949). Andrichuk and Wonfor (1954, p. 2505) recommended elevation of
the Winterburn to group status and its included members to Formation rank.
Lithology: In the type section the Calmar Formation consists of mottled red and green dolomitic shales
and siltstones, interbedded with anhydrite. Relative amounts of carbonate, siltstone, shale and
anhydrite are quite variable within the formation in central Alberta. In west-central Alberta the
formation becomes increasingly argillaceous and less silty.
Thickness and Distribution: The Calmar Formation is 13.4 m (44 ft) thick at the type section and ranges
in thickness locally from less than 3 m (10 ft) to greater than 10 m (33 ft). The upper and lower contacts
occasionally appear to be gradational, making the unit difficult to distinguish from enclosing strata.
Relationship to Other Units: The formation conformably overlies silty dolomites, dolomites and
anhydrites of the Nisku Formation in central Alberta. West of the Rimbey-Meadowbrook-Leduc Reef
trend it overlies slightly argillaceous carbonates of the Wolf Lake Member of the Nisku Formation and
its exact contact may be difficult to distinguish. In Rocky Mountain outcrops the Calmar Formation is
partly correlative with the Ronde Member of the Southesk Formation. The Calmar Formation is
overlain by dolomitic siltstones, silty dolomites and anhydrites of the Graminia Formation (Winterburn
Group). In central Alberta these become burrowed dolomites of the Blue Ridge Member (Graminia
Formation).
References: Geological Staff, Imperial Oil Ltd., Western Division, 1950; Andrichuk and Wonfor, 1954.
FAS
Middle or Upper Devonian
Calumet (Calmut) Member
Beaverhill Lake (Waterways) Formation
Author: Crickmay, C.H., 1957.
Type Locality: On the Athabasca River 4.8 km (3 mi) downstream from the mouth of the Calumet River,
at a locality formerly called Pierre au Calmut and now known as Pierre au Calumet. In Bear Biltmore
No. 1 well, in Lsd. 7, Sec. 11, Twp. 87, Rge. 17W4M, northern Alberta, between 429.8 and 460.9 m
(1410 and 1512 ft).
Lithology: Medium grey and medium brownish grey, fine grained to cryptograined, argillaceous, hard,
rubbly thin bedded limestone interbedded with olive green shales towards the top. Brachiopods are
abundant in the argillaceous limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness of the Calumet Member is remarkably uniform in the
subsurface, ranging from 29.1 to 31.1 m (96 to 102 ft) in the Bear wells. It is exposed in thin sequences
along the Clearwater River upstream from the mouth of the Christina River and the mouth of the
Cottonwood River. It is known to occur in central and northeastern Alberta, and is erosionally
truncated at its northeastern limit.
Relationship to Other Units: An abundant and varied brachiopod fauna including Stopheodonta
costata (and three other species Schizophoria sp. Atrypa gigentia, Spinatrypa albertensis, Pugnoides
sp. E, Ambocoelia sp, Eleutherokomma sp., Devonoproductus sp. n., and Spinocyrtia capax. The
numerous species of Stropheodonta and Schizophoria in the Calumet are either identical to or very
close to species found in the Cedar Valley limestone of Iowa.
References: Crickmay, 1957; Norris, 1963.
JHC, GGP
Cretaceous (Albian)
Cameron Sand
Author: Rudolph, J.C., 1960.
Type Locality: Bellshill Lake Field, Alberta (Twp. 41, Rge. 12W4M).
Lithology: Dark grew calcareous, quartzose, fine to medium grained sand.
Thickness and Distribution: About 1 to 4 m (3 to 13 ft) in thickness. It appears to be a local sand only in
the Bellshill Lake area (T41-42, Rge. 12-13W4).
Relationship to Other Units: Occurs locally as sand lenses above the main Basal Quartz sands and
below the Glauconite sands of the Bellshill Lake oil field area.
Reference: Rudolph, 1960.
GB
Camrose Member (Ireton Formation, Woodbend Group)
Author: Belyea, H . R., 1958.
Type Locality: Type well Canadian Gulf W.E. Porter 16-31-41-18W4M, in Alberta between 1413 and
1431 m (4637 and 4694 ft), cored. Supplementary section in Mobil Flint Duhamel 13-17-45-21W4M,
between 1402 and 1423 m (4602 and 4670 ft), cored.
History: Name, derived from the city of Camrose, first informally applied by W.W. Waring. Originally
named the Camrose “tongue”, it is now formally considered as a member of the Ireton Formation.
Lithology: Composed of a sequence of bedded, tabular stromatoporoid framestones with abundant

corals, Amphipora floatstones with a dark bituminous carbonate matrix and occasionally sedimentary
breccias interbedded with light micritic carbonate.
Its lower contact is everywhere a discontinuity surface that exhibits early lithification. The unit is
coarsely dolomitized and shows abundant evidence of solution leaching, replacement and infill by
white anhydrite.
Thickness and Distribution: Found throughout the East Shale Basin, it varies in thickness from 1 to 25
m (3 to 82 ft) in thickness. It shows an overall decrease in thickness north and Westwards passing into
an electric log marker surface that drops stratigraphically westwards into shales of the West Shale
Basin. It thickens appreciably wherever it overlies Leduc reefal buildups and in these locations the
tabular stromatoporoid facies predominates. To the northeast it is truncated in the subsurface by the
pre-Cretaceous unconformity.
Relationship to Other Units: The Camrose Member is enclosed within shales of the upper Ireton. Its
lower contact is everywhere a minor discontinuity surface, and it exhibits a shoaling upward
sequence, being separated from carbonates of the Nisku Formation by a thin 2 to 5 m (7 to 16 ft),
green shale break. This shale break thickens westward and northward as the underlying Camrose
thins. Where the Camrose Member is thickly developed it may be overlain directly by the Nisku
Formation, as in the Stettler area. When traced onto the southern Alberta Woodbend Shelf and
Bashaw reef complex it becomes difficult to separate from carbonates of the underlying Leduc and
overlying Nisku formations.
Paleontology: Abundant fauna of tabular and branching stromatoporoids thamnoporoid and disphyllid
corals, gastropod brachiopods.
References: Belyea, 1958; Newland, 1954; Stoakes, 1977, 1979.
FAS
Canmore Till
General Comment: Ascribed by Harris and Waters (1977, p. 53) to Rutter (1972). Rutter, however did
not use this name in his 1972 Bulletin, but merely referred to till laid down during the Canmore
advance (previously the Bow Valley re-advance of Rutted 1965). The unit has never been described.
Rutter (1972, pp. 16, 22) emphasized that the till from the Canmore Advance cannot be distinguished
lithologically from Bow Valley Till. Ratter (1972, p. 41) assigned the Canmore advance to the middle
Pinedale
References: Harris and Waters, 1977; Roed, 1975; Rutter, 1965, 1972.
AMacSS
Lower Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian)
Cantuar Formation
Author: Price, L.L., 1963; Maycock, J.D., 1967.
Type Locality: Type section is in the Tidewater Matador Crown No. 1 well, in Lsd. 4, Sec. 25, Twp. 20,
Rge. 16W3M, southwestern Saskatchewan, between 825 and 865 m (2708 and 2837 ft).
History: The name arose from oil field usage for a Lower Cretaceous producing sand in the Cantuar oil
field district northwest of Swift Current, southwestern Saskatchewan, which was assigned to a
“Blairmore” Formation (Humphreys and Rogers, 1954; Elphinstone, 1958). This Cantuar sand was re-
defined and re-named the Success Formation (Christopher. 1974), because the type Section of the
Cantuar Formation as defined by Price (op. cit.) does not include the Cantuar sand as earlier identified.
Lithology: Comprises mostly a mudstone indurated arenite incorporating facies of: (a) kaolinite-
indurated, white, quartzose sandstones with subordinate kaolinized feldspar, white, unaltered
feldspar, grey and black chert and brown sphaerosiderite, and scattered to abundant lenses of lignite
and carbonized plant fragments; (b) dark grey, green to grey and olive green mudstone, indurated
arenites of quartz, feldspar, lignite flakes, green biotite and chlorite, mudstone and schist fragments,
with accessory glauconite, amphibole and pyroxene; (c) dark grey and black carbonaceous mudstone,
lignitic mudstones and lignite with variable proportions of arenite (b).
Thickness and Distribution: The Cantuar Formation is arbitrarily limited to the Williston Basin region of
Saskatchewan, where it comprises three members, (oldest to youngest) the McCloud, Dimmock Creek
and Atlas Its northern limit can be defined as Latitude 52°N, and coincides with the underlying
topographic escarpment fronting the southerly dipping Mississippian formations. The formation drapes
an Early Cretaceous topography marked by a series of cuestas that become younger southward
across the Late Jurassic Vanguard and Jura-Cretaceous Success strata. Accordingly, thickness of the
Cantuar Formation ranges regionally and focally from zero to 120 m (395 ft) but is generally greatest
overall in the east and locally in subjacent valleys in the west
Relationship to Other Units: The Cantuar Formation is the middle of the three formations comprising
the Mannville Group of southern Saskatchewan, which also includes the overlying Pense and
underlying, patchily distributed Success formations. North of Latitude 52°N, by virtue of the attenuation
of the Pense Formation the Cantuar correlates with all members of the Mannville from the Dina to the
Waseca. In the Williston basin region the Cantuar is represented by those strata of the Inyan Kara
below the Fall River Sandstone in North Dakota and the Kootenai Formation of Montana.
References: Christopher 1974, 1984b; Elphinstone, 1958; Humphrey and Rogers, 1954; Maycock,
1967; Price, 1963.
JEC
Middle and Upper Cambrian
Canyon Creek Formation
Author: Evans, C.S., 1933.
Type Locality: Canyon Creek, west of Columbia River, 10 km (6.3 mi) south of Golden, British
Columbia (51°14’N, 116°57’W).
History: Evans (1933) applied the name “Canyon Creek Slates” and suggested from regional
considerations that the rocks are Middle Cambrian in age. Wheeler (1963) applied the name Canyon
Creek Formation to the structurally complicated succession of rocks.
Lithology: Dark greenish grey slate (lower greenschist metamorphic facies) with thin beds of grey
limestone, very thin calcareous laminations and some small calcareous nodules.
Thickness and Distribution: Canyon Creek rocks are present in the footwall of the Purcell Fault along
the western floor of the Rocky Mountain Trench, from a few kilometres north of Donald, British
Columbia to Cedar Creek. The rocks are complexly folded and faulted; neither the top nor bottom of
the formation is known to be exposed. Evans (1932) estimated that the unit is more than 600 m (2000
ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The formation contains Trempealeauan and possibly Franconian trilobites
(Balkwill, 1969, p. 64) and is at least partly Upper Cambrian; it is probably correlative with the lower
part of the McKay Group of the Western Ranges of the Rocky Mountains.
References: Balkwill, 1969; Evans, 1933.
HRB
Lower Cretaceous
Carbon Gas Sandstone (Upper Mannville)
Author: Workman, L.E., 1958.
Type Locality: Central and southern Alberta. Typical sections are present in the wells CWNG 7-31-29-
22W4M, and Socony Gatine No. 1, in 3-34-28-22W4M.
Lithology: Light grey to light brown, fine to medium grained, well sorted quartzarenite, predominantly
of sub-angular grains. Over a wide area the composition and texture of the sandstone shows
considerable variation. East of the 5th Meridian and south of Edmonton, including the Carbon-Ghost
Pine gas field the producing Carbon Sandstones are non-glauconitic and vary in thickness.
Thickness and Distribution: The Carbon Gas Sandstone is 6 to 25 m (20 to 82 ft) thick in the Carbon
Field at a depth of about 1460 m (4789 ft), consisting of several lenticular sand bodies separated by
thin shaly layers. The sandstone is widely distributed in central and southern Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit overlies the Ostracod Beds (Farshori, 1983) and consists of one
or more sand bodies. The Carbon Gas Sandstone is the approximate stratigraphic equivalent of the
Glauconitic (Channel) sandstones that trend northwest, west and southwest (Conybeare, 1976) it lies
approximately 15 m (49 ft) below a coal seam. The Carbon Sandstone may be incised into the
Ostracod Beds and exhibits an erosional relationship with all underlying beds. The sandstone is
overlain unconformably by a thick succession of upper Mannville bioturbated shales and siltstones
and feldspathic sandstones.
Reference: Workman, 1958.
ZF
Upper Cretaceous
Cardinal Member (Cardium Formation, Alberta Group)
Author: Stott, D.E, 1963.
Type Locality: Within the type Cardium Formation, Wapiabi Creek, Alberta Foothills, Twp. 41, Rge.
18W5M.
Lithology: Includes beds of massive, argillaceous siltstone and sandstone occurring in the middle of
the formation. The siltstone is dark grew greenish to maroon weathering and contains large sideritic
concretions. Sandstone is fine grained, argillaceous and weathers brown to buff. The top of the
member is commonly cemented with sideritic, concretionary material.
Thickness and Distribution: Extends southward from Thistle Creek in the central foothills to the
Crowsnest Pass region. Thickness is relatively constant along the foothills, being in the order of 5 to 7
m (16 to 23 ft), but decreases eastward.
Relationship to Other Units: In the south the member lies gradationally on marine shale of the Kiska
Member. At a few localities in the central foothills the Cardinal lies directly on the non-marine
Moosehound Member. It is replaced northwesterly from Thistle Creek by nonmarine beds included in
the Moosehound Member. Elsewhere it is overlain with a marked change in lithology by marine shales
of the Leyland Member.
References: Stott, 1963, 1967.
DFS
Upper Devonian
Cardinal Lake Member (Wabamun Formation)
Author: Halbertsma, H.L. and Meijer Drees, N.C., 1987.
Type Locality: Texcan IOE Venus 11-23-100-7W6M, in northwestern Alberta, between 1143 and 1202
m (3750 and 3945 ft).
History: Halbertsma and Meijer Drees (1987) originally subdivided the Cardinal Lake (1987) into
upper and lower Cardinal Lake. Later Halbertsma changed the lower Cardinal Lake to Cardinal Lake
and the upper Cardinal Lake to Last Lake because the original upper Cardinal Lake (1987) is a
transgressive facies that has no relation to the original lower Cardinal Lake (1987) which is regressive
and correlates with the upper Stettler evaporites.
Lithology: The Cardinal Lake is, at the base a grey brown argillaceous bioclastic limestone, but higher
up buffs often dolomitized wackestones, packstones and, in particular, pelletoidal grainstones
predominate. Porosity is in generally fair to poor due to clay plugging. Supratidal conditions of
deposition with disconformities are evident (birdseyes, fenestral structures, dolomites) as are
hardgrounds which occur as sharp surfaces.
Thickness and Distribution: In north-central Alberta the thickness varies from zero to 75 m (246 ft). The
Cardinal Lake covers nearly completely the Peace River Arch, where it, like the underlying
Normandville tends to form grainstone barriers.
Relationship to Other Units: The Cardinal Lake is overlain conformably by the transgressive Last Lake
Member and underlain by the Normandville Member of the Wabamun Formation. It is correlated with
the upper Stettler evaporites of east-central Alberta.
References: Halbertsma, 1990; Halbertsma and Meijer Drees, 1987.
HLH
Upper Cretaceous
Cardium Formation (Alberta Group)
Author: James Hector, as reported in Whiteaves, J.F. 1985; Cairnes, D.D., 1907.
Type Locality: Cairnes (1907) described a generalized section on the Bow River near the mouth of Old
Fort Creek, but as sections along the Bow are faulted or mostly inaccessible Stott (1963) designated a
type section, originally described by Malloch (1911), on the more southerly of the two main branches
of Wapiabi Creek, in Twp. 41, Rge. 18W5M (52°37’30”N, 116°0’30”W), Alberta.
History: The term “Cardium Shales” was used by Dr. James Hector to identify beds from which fossil
collections were made during the Palliser explorations (Whiteaves, 1895, p. 110). Cairnes (1907, p. 29)
restricted the use of the term Cardium to the succession of sandstone within the shale series on Bow
River. Rutherford (1927, p. 25) raised the unit to formation status.
Lithology: The Cardium Formation is characterized by its fine grained, marine sandstone. Six
distinctive members are recognized in the central foothills (Stott, 1963). Three massive sandstone
units are separated by marine and nonmarine shale. The basal sandstone is the Ram Member; the
middle one, Cardinal, and the upper one, Sturrock. The lower shaly interval contains two members; the
nonmarine Moosehound Member and the partly equivalent, partly overlying, marine Kiska Member.
The shale between the Cardinal and Sturrock members is named the Leyland Member. In the
subsurface of the Garrington-Caroline area, Alberta Walker (1983) proposed the names Raven River
Member and Burnstick Member for two sandstone units within the lower part of the Cardium
Formation. He also defined (1985) another sandstone within the Ricinus Field as the Ricinus Member.
Krause (1984) divided the Cardium of the Pembina Field into the Pembina River and Cardium Zone
members.
Thickness and Distribution: Extends from the Drywood River, near the International Boundary along
the foothills into northeastern British Columbia near Dawson Creek (Stott, 1963, 1967). It extends from
the front range eastward across the foothills belt into the plains. The formation is a major oil producer
in the Pembina field southwest of Edmonton. The formation grades laterally eastward into shale. It
ranges in thickness from a minimum of 22.6 m (74 ft) at Drywood River to a maximum of 108.8 m (357
ft) at Ram River in the central foothills. Near Wapiti River in northeastern British Columbia the
thickness is 41.8 m (137 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact of the Cardium Formation is drawn at the base of thickly
bedded sandstone lying on strata of the Blackstone Formation in the southern and central foothills,
and of the approximately equivalent Kaskapau Formation in northeastern British Columbia. A
transition zone from shale through interbedded shale and thinly bedded sandstone to massive
sandstone is almost always present. The upper contact with the overlying Wapiabi Formation is sharp
and well defined, but presumably conformable
Paleontology: Ammonites comparable with Scaphites mariasensis Cobban and S. impendicostatus

from the lower subzone of Scaphites preventricusus Zone occur in the upper beds of the Cardium
Formation in the southern foothills. Wall and Germundson (1963) described the foraminiferal content.
References: Cairnes, 1907, Krause, 1984; Malloch, 1911; Rutherford, 1927, Stott, 1963 1967; Walker,
1983, 1985; Wall and Germundson, 1963; Whiteaves, 1895.
DFS
Cardium Zone Member (Cardium Formation)
Author: Krause, F.F. and Nelson, D.A., 1984.
Type Locality: Pembina oil field, central Alberta. The type section is defined in the well 16-27-48-
11W5M, in the western limit of the Pembina Field, between 1743 and 1768 m (5720 and 5800 ft).
Lithology: Shale, black, finely laminated and bioturbated, and shale siltstone with infrequent stringers
of coarse sand and chert pebble conglomerate. Siderite nodules are commonly present.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is variable in thickness, commonly ranging between 18 and 33 m
(59 and 108 ft). It is known throughout the Pembina field, and is also present in the Carrot Creek field,
Alberta (Swagor, 1975; Swagor, et al., 1976).
Relationship to Other Units: The Cardium Zone Member rests on the Pembina River Member, the
contact being a discontinuity surface characterized by an abrupt change in ethology from
conglomerate below to shaly siltstone above. The Cardium Zone Member is overlain by shales of the
Wapiabi Formation, and may itself be pan of the Wapiabi (Heise, 1987).
References: Groeneveld, 1964; Heise, 1987; Krause and Nelson, 1984, Nielsen, 1957; Patterson and
Arneson, 1957; Swagor, 1975; Swagor, et al., 1976.
FFK
Mississippian
Carievale Evaporite (Frobisher Beds) (Obsolete)
Type Locality: Fuller (1956) did not establish a type section, but in his discussion of the Hastings-
Frobisher beds he specifically referred to the Imperial Antler River 8-34-3-33WPM well, southeastern
Saskatchewan to show the relationship between the carbonates and evaporites in that part of the
section.
Lithology: Varicolored anhydrite, evaporitic dolomite and dolomitic anhydrite.
Thickness and Distribution: Fuller (1956) recognized the Carievale to be about 9 m (30 ft) thick. It
occupies a triangular area between the Frobisher subcrop, the U.S. border and its depositional margin
in the vicinity of Rge. 33WPM.
Relationship to Other Units. According to Fuller (1956) the Carievale Evaporite lies about 24 m (79 ft)
above the top or the Gainsborough Evaporite. Fuzesy (1960) was of the opinion that the Carievale
was in fact two evaporites, the upper one being part of his Hastings Evaporite and the lower one he
named the Winlaw.
DMK
Upper Cretaceous
Carlile Shale (Colorado Group)
Term used in northern plains of United States; equivalent strata in southern Alberta and
Saskatchewan referred to the unnamed upper Colorado Shale between the First and Second White-
speckled shales.
Reference: Rice and Shurr, 1960.
PAM
Middle Ordovician
Carman Sand (Member or Lentil, Winnipeg Formation)
Author: Andrichuk, J.M., 1959.
Type Locality: None specified. The only occurrence specifically depicted by Andrichuk is for the B.A.
Wiebe 7-35-7-4WPM well, in Manitoba, between 351.7 and 374.3 m (1154 and 1228 ft). Thickest
known development is in ASM-BTO et al. Pelican Lake Prov. 13-11-5-16WPM, between 1153.4 and
1184.5 m (3783 and 3885 ft), which is situated near the centre of the sand body.
History: First noted and described in general terms by Andrichuk; name subsequently used by other
workers in local area of occurrence (Vigrass 1971, McCabe 1978).
Lithology: Sandstone, poorly consolidated to unconsolidated, quartzose, well sorted, ranges from fine
to medium grained; grains are well rounded, frosted and pined.
Thickness and Distribution: Occurs as a discrete, east-west trending bar type sand body,
approximately 240 km (150 mi) long and up to 48 km (30 mi) wide, in southwestern Manitoba. Narrows
and pinches out to the west, but extends to subcrop limit east-southeast of Winnipeg; no surface
exposures are known. Axis of the sand body extends from Rges 17WPM to 7EPM in Twp. 5. Maximum
thickness is 31 m (102 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: A conformable unit occurring within the upper part of the Winnipeg
Formation.
References: Andrichuk, 1959; Fuller and Porter, 1959; McCabe, 1978; Vigrass, 1971.
HRM
Lower Carboniferous (Upper Visean, V3)
Carnarvon Member (Mount Head Formation)
Author: Douglas, R.J .W., 1953,1958.
Type Locality: Exposure is 1.6 km (1 mi) north of junction of Highwood River and Cataract Creek, on
east side of north trending ridge; 50°24’13”N, 114°37’10”W; NTS 82J/7; southern Highwood Range,
eastern Rocky Mountains, southwestern Alberta (Douglas 1958).
Lithology: Light to medium grey mixed-skeletal and peloid-foraminifer-algal lime packstone to

wackestone constitute most of the well bedded, cliff forming Carnarvon Member of the upper Mount
Head Formation. Fenestral, cryptalgal lime boundstone is common in the eastern front ranges. Chert-
rich and dolomitic beds are widespread in the upper Carnarvon, and brownish grey weathering
dolostone predominates in some foothills sections. Beds and lenses of ooid and skeletal grainstone
are also commonly present. Most carbonate beds have great lateral Continuity and are rhythmically
interbedded with thin shale and marlstone beds (Macqueen and Bamber, 1968; Macqueen et al.,
1972).
Douglas (1958) divided the Carnarvon of the type area into three informal units which were extended
to other regions by Macqueen and Camber (1968). Micritic limestone separated bar thin shale beds
dominates the lower and middle units. The upper unit is distinguished from those below by the greater
abundance of skeletal limestone, the presence of cherty and dolomitic beds and the presence of
greenish grey shale in place of the dark grey shale characteristic of the lower and middle units.
Thickness and Distribution: The Carnarvon, preserved in the eastern Rocky Mountains and foothills is
widely distributed from southeastern British Columbia (Price, 1965; Oswald, 1964) to Mount White on
the Red Deer River, southwestern Alberta. It cannot be recognized in most of the western Fairholme
Range of the Bow Valley region, Alberta, where the Carnarvon has apparently changed facies to the
Opal Member of the Mount Head (Macqueen and Bamber, 1968).
The Carnarvon, which generally thins southwestward in Alberta is 46.3 m (152 ft) thick at its type
section. In Alberta the Carnarvon ranges in thickness from 22 to 65 m (72 to 213 ft) in the northeast
and from 6 to 21 m (20 to 69 ft) in the southwest (Macqueen and Bamber, 1968). Price (1965) recorded
a thickness of 90 m (295 ft) in the Flathead map-area of southeastern British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: The Carnarvon overlies the Marston Member of the Mount Head in the
northeast and the Opal Member of the Mount Head to the southwest. At the type section the
Carnarvon/Marston contact is erosional, elsewhere it is mainly gradational. The lower and middle
Carnarvon of eastern sections grade southwestward into the Opal. In the Fairholme Range the upper
Carnarvon also passes into the Opal. The contact between the upper Carnarvon and underlying Opal
is generally sharp and, therefore possibly unconformable. In most areas the Carnarvon Is
unconformably overlain by the Etherington Formation, but in the southwest this contact may be locally
conformable (Macqueen and Bamber, 1968). Mesozoic strata unconformably overlie the Carnarvon
northeast of the erosional edge of the overlying Etherington.
1972; Oswald, 1964; Price, 1965.
BCR
Carrot Creek Member (Cardium Formation)
Type Locality: West-central Alberta. Type section is in the Pan American C-1 Carrot Creek 4-17-52-
12W5M well, between 1643.1 and 1656.9 m (5389 and 5435 ft).
Lithology: Conglomerate, quartz, chert, with some mudstone laminae in the lower part.
Thickness and Distribution: The Carrot Creek varies from near zero to about 20 m (66 ft) in the Carrot
Creek oil field (Twps. 52-53, Rges. 11-14W5M). Correlative conglomerates are present at the Niton,
Cyn-Pem, Pembina, Willisden Green and Ferrier oil fields, and the member can be traced to the
Garrington and Caroline fields to the south, and westward beyond the Kakwa area, Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: Underlain by the Raven River Member regionally, with a scoured contact;
overlain by the Dismal Rat (Cardium Zone Member) Member of the Cardium Formation .
References: Krause and Nelson, 1984; Plint, Walker and Bergman, 1986.
Lexicon Committee
Carswell (Trout Lake) Formation
Author: Blake, D.A.W., 1956.
Type Locality: Carswell Lake, south of Lake Athabasca; NTS 74K-11, northwestern Saskatchewan.
History: Originally the Trout Lake Limestone of Blake (1956); the name was changed to Carswell
Formation when Trout Lake became Carswell Lake (Fahrig, 1960). See Athabasca Formation .
Lithology: Dominantly grey to brown-grey, flaggy, stromatolitic dolomite interbedded with subordinate
oolitic calcarenite; overlain by an upper unit of massive, buff dolomite. Brecciated throughout.
Thickness and Distribution: Restricted to the 40 km (25 mi) wide Carswell structure as annular cliffs,
with thicknesses of dolomite up to 100 m (328 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Douglas Formation (Harper, 1978), and is the uppermost
formation of the Athabasca Group (Ramaekers, 1980).
References: Blake, 1956; Currie, 1969; Fahrig, 1960; Harper, 1978; Ramaekers, 1980.
JEC
Middle Proterozoic
Carthew Member
(Altyn Formation/ Purcell Supergroup) (Abandoned)
Author: Fenton, C.L. and Fenton, M.A., 1937; p. 1837-1970.
Type Locality: Eastern cliffs of Cameronian Mountain above Cameron Creek, Waterton Lakes Park,
Alberta; 49°03’N, 113°57’W.
History: The Carthew was proposed as the upper member of the Altyn Formation, overlying the Hell
Roaring Member. Douglas (1952) showed that in the type section and elsewhere it consists of several
fault slices, each containing parts of the same stratigraphic intervals of the Altyn and Waterton
formations.
Lithology: Sandy dolomite, fine crystalline, grey, nodular dolomite and limestone, finely laminated,
reddish brown dolomite and other lithologies typical of the Waterton and Altyn formations.
References: Douglas, 1952; Fenton and Fenton, 1937.
PRF, RAP
Quaternary
Cartwright Till (Informal name)
General Comment: Name introduced by Waters (1975, p. 62), in M.Sc. thesis for a grew loose, silty till
restricted largely to the Highwood, Pekisko and Sheppard valleys in the foothills of the Rocky
Mountains southwest of Calgary, Alberta. Type Locality given as “grid reference 814816”. Waters
suggested that the Cartwright is an eastern extension of the Early Wisconsin till of Douglas (1958).
One of four names introduced by Waters for deposits laid down by local valley glaciers in different
regions of the Pekisko Creek-Happy Valley Area during his Event 2, the others being the Pekisko,
Stimson Creek and Timber Creek tills. Waters (p. 48) correlated these tills with each other, with the
Maycroft Till of Alley (1973), and with the Furman Till of Day (1971) and suggested a pre-Classical
Wisconsin age for them. As the name Cartwright was introduced solely for a local area in a thesis, it is
informal and has received little usage.
References: Alley, 1973; Day, 1971; Douglas, 1958; Harris and Waters, 1977; Skaters, 1975.
AMacSS
Mississippian (Osagean and Meremecian)
Castle Reef Dolomite (Madison Group)
Author: Mudge, M.R., Sando, W.J. and Dutro, J.T. Jr., 1962.
Type Locality: Along ridge north of Diversion Lake and on east side of Hannan Gulch, in Sec. 35, Twp.
22N, Rge. 9W, north side of Sun River in Sun River Canyons Sawtooth Ridge 7 1/2 min. Quadrange,
Teton County, Montana.
Lithology: Marine dolomite, calcitic dolomite, dolomitic limestone and limestone. Divided into two
members. The lower, unnamed member is mainly limestone and magnesian limestone with
interbedded dolomitic limestone, calcic dolomite and dolomite; generally light grey fine to medium
crystalline, commonly with some coarsely crystalline beds of encrinite. Finely crystalline dolomite
beds are scattered throughout the member. A widespread chert bearing zone, about 6 m (20 ft) thick
and consisting of thin lenses of chert in grey limestone occurs about 30 m (98 ft) above the base. Other
chert lenses, mostly milky grey are present locally in the middle and upper parts of the member. The
overlying Sun River Member consists almost entirely of light grey dolomite that is fine to medium
crystalline, thick bedded and contains some nodules and lentils of smoky grey chert. Locally contains
one or more thin beds of dolomitic limestone and calcic dolomite. Geodes and cavities occur near the
top of the member.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation and its members are continuous in the eastern part of the
northern Rockies and adjacent plains and Sweetgrass Arch of Montana. Ranges in thickness from
230 to 305 m (754 to 1000 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Allan Mountain Limestone and everywhere is
overlain unconformably by the Jurassic Ellis Group. Laterally equivalent to the Mission Canyon
Limestone of central Montana. Equivalent to the upper pan of the Mount Head Formation of the
southern Rocky Mountains and plains of Alberta.
Paleontology and Age: Fossils, especially corals are common and represent one, and part of another
faunal zone that are of Osagean and Meremecian age respectively.
References: Mudge, 1972; Mudge, Sando and Dutro, 1962.
MRM; PAM
Cambrian and Ordovician
Castle Mountain Group (Obsolete)
Type Locality: No type locality was assigned but the name comes from Castle Mountain, in 51°18’N,
115°53’W, in the Main Ranges of the Rocky Mountains.
Lithology: “Essentially a limestone formation, and consists of ordinary and magnesian limestones,
together with every gradation between them and calcareous shales and schists.”
Thickness and Distribution: “It has a known minimum thickness of 7700 ft (2345 m), but ... it is highly
probable that this estimate is too small, and that its total volume (sic) approaches 10000 ft (3000 m).”
The Group occurs on both sides of the Castle Mountain thrust, from the Front Ranges west.
Relationship to Other Units: In the Front Ranges it is overlain by the “Intermediate limestone”
(Devonian), and in the east, along the Columbia River by the “Graptolitic shales” (Glenogle, McKay).
Walcott (19081 proposed a subdivision of the group into formations. Aitken and Norford (1967, p. 153)
observed that it included (inter alia) the Survey Peak and Outram formations. It comprises all the
carbonate formations of the Cambro-Ordovician and their interbedded shales in the southern Rocky
Mountains.
References: Aitken and Norford, 1967; McConnell, 1887; Walcott, 1980.
PFM
Upper Ordovician (Caradocian)
Cat Head Member (Red River Formation)
Author: Dowling, D.B., 1900; Foerste, A.F., 1929a, b.
Type Locality: Cat Head, on the west shore Lake Winnipeg, 64 km (40 mi) northwest of Lake Winnipeg
Narrows (approximately 34-36-1WPM). Suggested reference core hole is Manitoba Core Hole M-3-80.
Anama Bay (10-27-34-5WPM), between 62.5 and 80.5 m (205 and 264 ft).
History: Name originally proposed by Dowling (1900) for a subdivision of the “Trenton” dolomites, and
later formalized by Foerste (1929a and b) as the medial member of the Red River Formation.
Erroneously correlated by Sinclair (1959) as equivalent to the dolomites of the upper Red River of the
subsurface
Lithology: Dolomite, noncalcareous, pale yellowish grew faintly mottled, medium crystalline to medium
saccharoidal, medium bedded, sparsely fossiliferous, containing scattered to abundant chert nodules.
The Cat Head is lithologically recognizable only in the central portion of the Manitoba outcrop belt in
the type area. To the north the overlying Selkirk and the underlying Dog Head both change facies to
dolomite similar to the Cat Head, and to the south the Cat Head becomes increasingly calcareous
until, approximately in the Winnipeg area it becomes indistinguishable from the overlying and
underlying units.
Thickness and Distribution: In the type area the Cat Head is 18 m (59 ft) thick. The unit appears to thin
to the south, but thickness variations are irregular, probably because of local facies changes. The
overall Red River shows a well defined thickening to the south coincident with the decrease in
dolomitization.
Relationship to Other Units: Contacts with the overlying Selkirk Member and the underlying Dog Head
Member are transitional and conformable, and in large part reflect lateral facies changes The term Cat
Head is not used in the subsurface, where equivalent strata form part of the Yeoman Formation
(Kendall, 1976) or lower Red River (Porter and Fuller, 1959).
References: Dowling, 1900; Foerste, 1929a, b; Kendall, 1976; Porter and Fuller, 1959; Sinclair, 1959.
HRM
Middle Cambrian
Cathedral Formation
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1908a, p. 4; 1908b, p. 212.
Type Locality: South slopes of Mount Bosworth, 8.3 km (5 2 mi) northwest of Lake Louise Alberta, at
51°28’N, 116°19’W (following Rasetti, 1951).
History: Walcott (1917a) amended his original definition of the Cathedral Formation by transferring the
lower part to the Ptarmigan Formation (abandoned). Present usage follows that original definition.
Lithology: Limestone, mainly burrow-mottled dolomitic lime-mudstone with minor beds of pellet
grainstone and, near the base, a few polite beds. In the Main Ranges this facies is extensively altered
to fine to coarse crystalline dolomite. It is a major cliff forming unit.
Along the Kicking Horse Rim (Aitken, 1971; McIlreath, 1977a) limestone and dolomite of peritidal
origin (oolites, stromatolites and cryptalgal laminite) are prominent; tongues of cryptalgal laminite
extend some distance eastward. A tongue of grey-green shale with Albertella, the Ross Lake Member,
that may be considered a tongue of the Mount Whyte Formation extends westward almost to the crest
of the Rim. A higher, lithologically similar unnamed tongue with Glossopleura is less extensive.
Thickness and Distribution: At Ross Lake, the nearest complete section to the faulted type section the
Cathedral is 375.4 m (1231 ft) thick. The thickest section known, at Mount Stephen reaches about 610
m (2000 ft). Immediately west of this maximum the upper third, more or less, of the Cathedral
terminates in the Cathedral Escarpment (McIlreath, 1977a; 1977b), while the lower third persists
westward as a rapidly thinning tongue of deep water limestones (ibid.). The Cathedral thins eastward
to 159.1 m (522 ft) at the mountain front at Ghost River, and disappears in the subsurface of the plains.
Relationship to Other Units: The Cathedral is in gradational contact with the underlying Mount Whyte
and Naiset formations, and with the overlying Stephen Formation. Locally, along the Kicking Horse
Rim it is in disconformable contact with underlying Gog Group (Precambrian) beds.
The Cathedral thins eastward, in part by facies change to the Mount Whyte and Earlie formations.
Westward the upper part of the Cathedral terminates along a line through Mount Stephen in a near-
vertical reef, the Cathedral Escarpment, buried in shaly rocks of the Stephen Formation (McIlreath,
1977); the lower part persists a few kilometres further westward in a thinning wedge of slope facies.
(ibid.) Southward, along the structural grain the Cathedral plunges from view south of Mount
Assiniboine; when coeval rocks next appear, shale-out of the Cathedral (Gordon Shale) has occurred.
The considerably thinned carbonate unit remaining is either the Elko Formation or, less likely the Elko
plus Windsor Mountain formations. Northward the Ross Lake Shale (with Albertella) and the higher
shales (with Glossopleura) thicken, other shaly tongues appear, and the Cathedral passes into the
mid-part of the Snake Indian Formation.
References: Aitken, 1971; Deiss, 1939, 1940; McIlreath, 1977a, 1977b; Pugh, 1971; Rasetti, 1951;
Walcott, 1908a, b, 1917a, 1928.
JDA; LVH
Upper Triassic
Cecil Member (Charlie Lake Formation, Schooler Creek Group)
Author: Ingram, W.L., British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.
Type Locality: Pacific Cecil Lake No.1, in 4-11-85-17W6M, northeastern British Columbia, at 1367 m
(4485 ft). Reference Section: Pacific Fort St. John 2-18-84-19W6M, between 1351.5 and 1356.4 m
(4434 and 4450 ft).
History: Previously known as the Triassic “C”, Triassic “Stray”, Alder Member, Red Creek Member or
Montney Member (Hess, 1968)
Lithology: Fine grained, well sorted, anhydritic sandstone, grading into anhydritic siltstone or
gypsiferous anhydrite.
Thickness and Distribution: 1.5 to 2 m (5 to 7 ft) where poorly developed, 3 to 4 m (10 to 13 ft) along
the main depositional trend. Occurs throughout the Charlie Lake basin of British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies 5 to 6 m (16 to 20 ft) below the Siphon Member of the Charlie Lake
Formation.
References: Hess, 1968; McAdam, 1979.
JWR
Cedared Formation
Author: Belyea, H.R. and Norford, B.S., 1967.
Type Locality: Unnamed gully near Hatch Creek, Brisco Range, Western Ranges of the Rocky
Mountains, southeastern British Columbia (51°00’N, 116°23’W).
History: Originally applied in the Western Ranges; later its basal unit was recognized locally in the
eastern Purcell Range but included within the Mount Forster Formation.
Lithology: Dolomites with floating quartz sand and silt, dark aphanitic dolomites, dolomitic quartz
sandstones; rare quartzites, mudstones, argillaceous limestones, and breccias, all well bedded and
with diverse light weathering colors. Charophytes, fiery rare ostracods, gastropods and brachiopods
are present. Internal dating by charophytes indicates Middle Devonian; Lower Devonian charophytes
are unknown from western Canada. Externally the stratigraphic position below the Eifelian Harrogate
Formation restricts the age to Eifelian .
Thickness and Distribution: 213 m (699 ft) at the type section: apparently thins to the northwest and
southeast, except where thickened by tongues of the evaporitic Burnais Formation. Present through
much of the Western Ranges and Main Ranges.
Relationship to Other Units: The Cedared is part of an intricate facies-complex of Middle Devonian
formations. Its base is an unconformity mostly on Upper Ordovician and Lower Silurian horizons within
the Beaverfoot Formation, and locally on the Lower Silurian Tegart Formation. The upper contact is
concordant with the Harrogate Formation, but is covered in all known outcrops. Eastward its relations
to the basal Devonian unit in the Main Ranges and to the Upper Devonian Yahatinda Formation of the
Front Ranges are uncertain. Regionally the Cedared is coeval with much of the lower Elk Point Group
of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
References: Belyea and Labrecque, 1972; Belyea and Norford, 1967, Eyer, 1971; Leech, 1979; Mott,
Dixon and Helmstaedt, 1986; Norford, 1981.
BSN
Lower Silurian (Wenlockian?)
Cedar Lake Formation (Interlake Group)
Type Locality: Cedar Lake region, approximately 70 km (44 mi) southeast of The Pas, Manitoba. No
type section was designated. Subsequent flooding of the Grand Rapids forebay by Manitoba Hydro
has drowned many of the outcrops noted by Stearn. Suggested reference core hole is Manitoba Core
Hole M-4-78, Denbeigh Point, in 7-33-46-16WPM, between zero and 28.5 m (94 ft), immediately south
of the type area.
History: Originally defined in outcrop by Stearn (1956). King 119641 extended the unit into the
subsurface and included in it “that portion of Stearn’s East Arm Dolomite lying above the v marker
Lithology: Mostly very fine grained to aphanitic dolomite, with thin wavy bedding. Fragmental
dolomites, intraformational conglomerates and stromatolitic dolomites are present but are rare in
contrast to the underlying East Arm Formation. Chert nodules are common near the top of the unit and
fossils are sparse, although locally abundant in some beds. Local discontinuous sub-units are the
basal, highly crinoidal Cross Lake Member and an upper, reeflike coral stromatoporoid unit, the
Chemahawin Member.
Thickness and Distribution: In the Manitoba outcrop belt thicknesses range from about 30 m to 50 m
(98 to 164 ft). Cedar Lake strata occur throughout the Manitoba outcrop belt and extend in the
subsurface throughout the Williston Basin to their subcrop edges. Maximum thickness of the Cedar
Lake in southern Saskatchewan, where overlain by Taylorton (upper Interlake) strata is approximately
100 m (328 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: In the type area the Cedar Lake rests, with possible slight disconformity
on the underlying Silurian East Arm Formation and is overlain with gentle angular unconformity by the
Middle Devonian red shales of the Ashern Formation. In the deeper basin the Cedar Lake is
disconformably (7) overlain by the Taylorton Formation (upper Interlake).
References: Haidl, 1987; Jamieson, 1979; Johnson and Lescinsky, 1986; King, 1964; Magathan, 1987;
Porter and Fuller, 1959; Saskatchewan Geological Society, 1958; Stearn, 1956.
HRM, FMH
Cessford Sand (Colorado Group)
Author: Not known.
Type Locality: No type section designated. The name is taken from the Cessford gas field in
southeastern Alberta. The discovery well is the Hudson’s Bay Delhi Cessford 2-32-25-13W4M well.
History: In early reports reference was made to two productive sands: the upper Cessford sand at the
base of the Colorado Group, and the lower Cessford sand at the base of the underlying Mannville
Group. Subsequently the former became known as the Cessford Sand, and the latter was correlated
with the Ellerslie Formation.
Lithology: Relatively well washed and variably shaly fine to coarse grained sandstone, with
interbedded siltstone and mudstone and with generally subordinate conglomerate and pebbly
sandstone. The well washed sandstones are cross-laminated and incorporate minor shale
intercalations. The shaly sandstones include bioturbated deposits several metres thick, with variable
proportions of mudstone as discontinuous partings, and sequences made up of thin, graded
sandstones and siltstones, regularly alternating in vertical succession with thin mudstones and shales.
Chert, quartzite, sandstone and phosphorite are noteworthy coarse components of the conglomerates.
The mudstones and shales are dark grey and noncalcareous. The unit is a single coarsening upward
sequence, characterized by upward decrease in the proportion of intercalated shale.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is about 6.2 m (20.3 ft) thick in the Cessford area. It occurs at the
base of the Colorado succession in southeastern Alberta and adjacent southwestern Saskatchewan.
A relatively fine grained equivalent unit is sporadically distributed in southern Alberta and
southeastern Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The Cessford Sand rests disconformably on the Mannville (Blairmore)
Group and is in sharp, conformable contact with the overlying’ Joli Fou shales. Lateral passage into
the partly enclosing Joli Fou shales and mudstones is gradual. It is also known as the Basal Colorado
Sandstone, which is divided into two parts (upper and lower Basal Colorado Sandstone) at some
locations, e.g., at the Countess gas field in southeastern Alberta.
References: Cole, 1969, Manry, 1969; Simpson, 1975; Simpson and O’Connell, 1979.
FS
Quaternary (Illinoian or Wisconsin)
Chain Lakes Clays and Silts
Author: Jackson, L. E., 1980, p. 464.
Type Locality: Excavation directly south of Chain Lakes Reservoir, in Lsd. 7, Sec. 27, Twp. 14, Rge.
2W5M, southwestern Alberta
Lithology: Finely laminated clay, silt, sands minor gravel. At the type locality consists of grew finely
bedded deposits, presumably clay and silt, with local beds of fine sand; mostly lake deposit, but locally
includes outwash gravel in stream valleys that were graded to several stages of Glacial Lake Westrup
(Alley and Harris, 1974).
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality 2 m (7 ft) thick; elsewhere borings indicate thicknesses
of a few metres at the foot of valley slopes to as much as 25.3 m (83 ft) in Happy Valley. Found in
Chain Lakes Valley and its southward continuation.
Relationship to Other Units: At the Type Locality overlies Maycroft Till, elsewhere overlies Maycroft Till
or Maunsell Till, with which it is locally gradational Commonly exposed at surface, but north of Chain
Lakes Reservoir apparently overlain by till, and along Stimson Creek separates Maycroft Till and
Erratics Train Till. Resembles the Sheep River Silts and Clays, from which unit it is distinguished by its
geographical location and higher elevation.
Other Features: Unit deposited in Glacial Lake Westrup, which had a high stand of 1400 m (4592 ft),
and occurs between elevations of 1372 and 1400 m (4500 and 4592 ft). Deposited during Jackson’s
Glacial Episode 2, whose age is unknown but possibly is Illinoian.
References: Alley and Harris, 1974; Jackson, 1980.
AMacSS
Middle and Upper Cambrian
Chancellor Formation
Author: Allan, J.A., 1912.
Type Locality: Chancellor Peak (51°13’N, 116°30’W) British Columbia. Allan (1917, p. 75)
chose the name “because beds of this division are especially well exposed on the east and
north slopes of Chancellor peak”. No type section has been designated.
History: Allan (1912) named the Chancellor Formation and considered it to be upper Cambrian He
showed two subdivisions on his map (1914). Balkwill (1969) and Cook (1970, 1975) subdivided the
Chancellor into a number of mappable informal units. Cook showed the formation to be Middle and
Upper Cambrian in age and considered it to be equivalent to the eastern sequence from the Middle
Cambrian Mount Whyte Formation to the Upper Cambrian Sullivan Formation inclusively. McIlreath
(1974, 1977) further revised the correlation, showing that the Chancellor is equivalent to the lesser
sequence from the Middle Cambrian Eldon Formation to the Upper Cambrian Sullivan Formation.
Lithology: Three gross, informal units are discernible. The lowest comprises irregularly interbedded
grew argillaceous limestone, brown and greenish brown shale, and thin bedded brown, argillaceous
dolomite, with local intrastratal, chaotic slump folds, slump breccias and large carbonate slide blocks.
The middle unit comprises slates and cleaved argillaceous limestones, locally divisible into a lower
recessive slate and silty dolomite sub-unit, and an upper thin bedded, grey weathering, cleaved
argillaceous limestone sub-unit. The uppermost unit comprises cleaved, rusty weathering, calcareous
slate with local thin to medium bedded, partly oolitic and calcarenitic limestone beds. The highest
beds are interbedded micritic limestone and light green slate and calcareous slate constituting a
transition zone to the overlying Ottertail Formation.
Thickness and Distribution: Few sections of Chancellor strata have been measured, but thicknesses
have been estimated. The Chancellor Formation has been tectonically thickened and all observed
thicknesses can be considered greater than the original depositional thickness. The lower Chancellor
correlates with some part of the Eldon and Pika formations (see McIlreath, 1974, p. 272, figs. 2a and
2b). Consequently, immediately adjacent to the facies change it can be at most 700 m (2296 ft) thick
and locally is much less.
The upper Chancellor has an estimated thickness of 1370 m (4493 ft) (Cook, 1975, p. 23) near Mount
Hurd and a measured thickness of 1000 m (3280 ft) at Mount Laussedat (J.D. Aitken, pers. comm. in:
Cook, 1975, p. 22). These thicknesses include a tectonic increase estimated to be 65 per cent by Cook
(1975, p. 58) and 25 to 70 per cent by Gardiner (1977, p. 179)
The Chancellor Formation occurs in the western Main Ranges and the Western Ranges of the
Canadian Rocky Mountains. It has been mapped by Price et al. (in press) as far southeast as Vermilion
Crossing in the southwest part of Band (west half) Map-area (82O/4, W/2), and is known to occur
further southeast in Kananaskis Map-area (82J). It has been mapped by Wheeler (1963) as far
northwest as Sullivan River in Rogers Pass Map-area (82N).
Relationship to Other Units: The Chancellor Formation is a western slope and deep water facies
equivalent to the eastern shelf sequence comprising the Eldon, Pika, Arctomys, Waterfowl and
Sullivan formations. Because the facies change migrated shoreward at some localities, and basinward
at others, lowest beds vary in age from place to place For example, at Park Mountain the lowest
Chancellor beds rest on Stephen Formation shales, whereas at Prospector’s Valley the Chancellor is
underlain by lower Eldon Formation (McIlreath 1974, p. 272, fig. 2a).
McIlreath (1974, p. 272, fig. 2b) correlated the lower Chancellor with only the lower part of the Eldon
Formation at Dennis Pass, yet showed the lower Chancellor to be equivalent to the upper part of the
Eldon and the Pika Formation at Prospector’s Valley. This discrepancy is unresolved. The top of the
middle Chancellor can be correlated with the top of the Waterfowl Formation (Cook, 1975), thus the
entire middle Chancellor can correlate with some or all of the sequence upper Eldon-Pika-Arctomys-
Waterfowl, depending on resolution of the discrepancy noted above. The upper Chancellor can be
correlated with the Sullivan Formation (Cook, 1975)
The Chancellor is overlain with transitional contact by limestones of the Ottertail Formation.
Paleontology: No fossils have been reported from the lower Chancellor. A single collection of trilobites
from near the top of the middle Chancellor represents the Middle Cambrian Bolaspidella zone (see
Fritz in. Cook, 1975) From the upper Chancellor trilobites representing the Cedaria and Crepicephalus
zones were reported by Fritz (in: Cook. 1975).
References: Allan, 1912, 1914; Balkwill, 1969; Cook, 1970 1975: Gardiner, 1977; McIlreath, 1974,
1977; Price and Mountjoy, 1972: Price, et al., in press; Wheeler, 1963 .
DGC; KRM
Mississippian
Charles Formation (Madison Group)
Author: Seager, O.A., 1942.
Type Locality: Arro-California Charles 4 well, in Sec. 21, Twp. 15 N., Rge. 30E, Garfield Country,
Montana.
History: Seager’s (1942) description of the Charles in the type well did not define a depth interval but
did define a stratigraphic position, as he placed it in the Big Snowy Group. Perry and Sloss (1943)
established the Charles as Iying between the depths of 929.6 and 1161.3 m (3050 and 3810 ft) in the
type well. Nordquist (1953) showed that the depth of 929.6 m actually represented the top of the
“Kibbey limestone” and revised both the top and bottom of the type Charles to 973.8 m and 1158.2 m
(3195 and 3800 ft). Sloss (1952) removed the Charles from the Big Snowy Group and included it in the
Madison. Sando (1978) strongly recommended that the term be restricted to the subsurface of the
Williston Basin.
Thickness and Distribution: The Charles Formation is 184.4 m (605 ft) thick at the type section in
central Montana and increases in thickness to more than 243.8 m (800 ft) in the central Williston Basin
area (Nordquist 1953). Because of pre-Jurassic truncation the Charles decreases in thickness
northward toward its erosional limit in southern Saskatchewan.
Relationship to other Units: The Charles Formation is conformably underlain by the Mission Canyon
Formation. In Montana the Charles is overlain conformably by the Chesteran Big Snowy Group; in
southern Saskatchewan the upper boundary represents a major unconformity covered by Triassic-
Jurassic redbeds. The Charles is represented by the Mount Head formation in southwestern Alberta
and the Midale, Ratcliffe and Poplar beds in southern Saskatchewan (Sask. Geol. Soc., 1956). Brindle
(1960, p. 11) showed the “Charles facies” to extend downward from the Poplar beds to the base of the
Kisbey sandstone in the middle of the Frobisher-Alida beds.
References: Brindle, 1960; Edie, 1958; Fuzesy, 1960; Haidl, 1978; Nordquist, 1953; Perry and Sloss,
1943; Sando, 1978; Sask. Geol. Soc., 1956; Sloss, 1952.
DMK
Charlie Lake Formation (Schooler Creek Group)
Author: Clark, L.M., 1957.
Type Locality: In the subsurface Peace River Plains of northeastern British Columbia, Pacific Fog St.
John No. 16 well, in 2-18-84-19W6M, between 1297.2 and 1575.2 m (4256 and 5168 ft) Surface
reference section at Brown Hill, on the north side of Peace River-Williston Lake Reservoir, NTS 11-E/
94-B-2 (Colquhoun, 1962).
History: Name proposed by Clark (1957) for subsurface unit in Fort St. John area of northeastern
British Columbia. Name formally proposed and type section designated by Hunt and Ratcliffe (1959).
Facies recognized and name extended to include foothills exposures between Muskwa and Sukunka
rivers by Pelletier (1964), Colquhoun (1962) and Gibson (1971, 1975).
Lithology: Foothills exposures consist of a variable sequence of yellowish brown to yellow pale grey to
orange-brown weathering, dolomitic to calcareous sandstone, siltstone, sandy limestone, dolostone
and lesser amounts of intraformational and/or solution breccia. In the subsurface plains to the east the
formation is dominated by massive anhydrites, red dolomitic siltstones, evaporitic dolomites and minor
halite. The Charlie Lake displays a transition from evaporitic facies in the east to sandstone and
carbonate facies in the west. In the subsurface several oil and gas producing members have been
defined—the Coplin, Inga, Boundary Lake and Nancy (Fitzgerald and Peterson, 1967; Armitage, 1962;
and Hess, 1966). Members are not recognized with any degree of certainty in foothills exposures.
Thickness and Distribution: Attains a thickness of 405 m (1328 ft) in foothills exposures near the
headwaters of Schooler Creek, north of the Williston Lake Reservoir. In the subsurface foothills and
plains the Charlie Lake varies from zero in the extreme east and north to over 556 m (1804 ft) adjacent
to the foothills south of Peace River. Thinning to east is in part due to erosional effects and in part to
deposition. The Charlie Lake occurs in the Peace River Plains as far east as Grande Prairie and in
foothills exposures between the Muskwa and Sukunka rivers. Hess (1968) demonstrated an
approximate mid-Charlie Lake unconformity at the base of the Coplin Member, effecting a division
between an ‘upper’ and ‘lower’ Charlie Lake. Generally the lower Charlie Lake sediments dip
southwest at a considerably greater rate, displaying the angular nature of the “Coplin Unconformity”.
Hess stated that it “is the most pronounced break in upper Triassic sedimentation in northeast British
Columbia. It progressively truncates from southwest to northeast every member of the lower Charlie
Lake and, in turn, is truncated by the Pre-Cretaceous Unconformity. It seems reasonable to assume
that the Coplin Unconformity also truncated the Halfway, however, there is no way of knowing for
certain since this part of the Triassic section was removed by Pre-Gething erosions.
Relationship to Other Units: The Charlie Lake Formation is gradationally overlain in exposures by pale
grey weathering, cliff forming limestone and calcareous dolostone of the Baldonnel Formation north of
the Peace River-Williston Lake Reservoir area. Between the Peace River-Williston Lake Reservoir
and Sukunka River it is abruptly overlain by dark greyish brown weathering limestone and dolomitic
siltstone of the Ducette Member of the Baldonnel Formation. In the subsurface it is overlain by
secondary dolomites of the Baldonnel Formation. In easternmost areas it is unconformably overlain by
the Jurassic Fernie Formation and in northern regions, by the Cretaceous Fort St. John Group. It is
gradationally underlain in the foothills by pale to medium grey to yellowish grey sandstone, siltstone
and lesser dolostone of the Liard Formation. It is conformably underlain in the subsurface plains and
eastern foothills by the Halfway Formation, except in the far east, where it rests disconformably on the
Doig Formation (formerly referred to as the Toad-Grayling Formation). The formation is equivalent to
the lower half to two thirds of the deeper water Ludington Formation to the west and northwest. In the
Jasper-Banff area of Alberta it is equivalent to the Starlight Evaporite Member of the Whitehorse
Formation.
References: Armitage, J.H., 1962; Clark, 1957; Colquhoun, 1962; Fitzgerald and Peterson, 1967;
Gibson, 1971, 1975; Hess, 1968; Hunt and Ratcliffe, 1959; Pelletier, 1964.
DWG
Chemahawin Member (Cedar Lake Formation)
Type Locality: No specific section designated by Steam, but named for outcrops in the vicinity of the
former settlement of Chemahawin, at the mouth of the Saskatchewan River on the west shore of
Cedar Lake, Manitoba. This area is now largely submerged in the Grand Rapids forebay, and the
outcrops form islands in the vicinity of Twp. 50, Rge. 20WPM. An alternative reference section noted by
Stearn is at the Lundar Quarry, in Lsd. 14, Sec. 6, Twp. 20, Rge. 4WPM
Lithology: Reefal dolomite, massive, pale yellowish grey coral-stromatoporoid biolithite, zenith
interbeds of bioclastic and aphanitic dolomite. Clathrodictyon and Favosites are especially abundant.
Thickness and Distribution: The name is applied only in the outcrop belt of southwestern Manitoba
Occurs, apparently discontinuously, throughout the outcrop belt. Thickness ranges from zero to a
maximum reported 3 m (10 ft) (partly eroded).
Relationship to Other Units: A reefal facies of the Cedar Lake Formation in the outcrop belt, occurring
at or near the top of the formation. Probably overlain unconformably, in places by red shales of the
Devonian Ashern Formation. Equivalents occur in part of the middle Interlake Group as defined in the
subsurface of Manitoba and Saskatchewan (Porter and Fuller, 1959) and in the Cedar Lake Formation
of the Interlake Group as defined by King, in Cowan (1971).
References: Baillie, 1951; King, in Cowan, 1971; Porter and Fuller, 1959; Stearn, 1956.
HRM
Middle Cambrian
Chephren Member (Mount Whyte Formation)
Type Locality: on the western slopes of Mount Weed, above the Banff-Jasper Highways Alberta,
superjacent to the type section of the Weed Member.
History: The Mount Whyte Formation was first divided into formal members by Aitken (in press; see
also Aitken, 1989); this followed Hockley’s (1973\ recognition of two distinct, informal members.
Lithology: Recessive weathering or ledgy alternation of units of greenish grey and grey-brown shale
and minor siltstone, with units of a variety of limestone types.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum thickness of the Chephren Member is 100 m (328 ft) near
Fortress Lake, and the member thins to zero over and near the Kicking Horse Rim. Variation in
thickness is irregular but the member forms a progressively larger proportion of the Mount Whyte
Formation as the Mount Whyte thins eastward into the subsurface of the plains (Aitken, in press).
Relationship to Other Units: The Chephren overlies the Weed Member at an intertongued, eastward-
younging contact and is overlain by the Cathedral Formation at a contact of similar character it passes
northwestward into lower parts of the Snake Indian and Chetang formations. The age equivalent, off-
platform facies, namely the Naiset Formation is of markedly different lithologic character.
Becoming younger eastward, the Chephren Formation yields trilobites of both the Plagiura-Poliella
and Albertella Zones, both early Middle Cambrian.
References: Aitken, in press, 1989; Hockley, 1973.
JDA
Middle Cambrian
Chetamon Formation (Abandoned)
Author: Raymond, P.E., 1930, units 4 and 5.
Type Locality: Roche Miette, central-western Alberta.
History: Named after Chetamon Mountain, where it outcrops. Shown by Mountjoy (1960, 1961, 1962)
to be approximately equivalent to the Pika Formation (Deiss, 1939) and base of the Arctomys
Formation. Since overlying and underlying units were discarded because recount Robson and Bow
Valley nomeclature are more suitable, this unit was discarded.
Thickness and Distribution: 61 m (200 ft) of shaly limestones with abundant tribobite fragments
overlain by yellow dolomite with green shale. Middle pan of Cambrian sequence on Roche Miette
between the Bosche and Snaring formations.
References: Mountjoy, 1960, 1961, 1962; Deiss, 1939; Raymond, 1930.
EWM
Middle Cambrian
Chetang Formation
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1913, p. 338.
Type Locality: Low cliffs immediately southwest of Coleman Brook, in central-western Alberta.
History: Recognized by all workers as a distinctive formation above the Hota Formation.
Thickness and Distribution: Walcott (1913) estimated 275 m (900 ft) for Coleman Brook section, but it
is 397 m (1300 ft) on Mural Brook, along strike to the northwest (Mountjoy, 1962; Mountjoy and Aitken,
1978). The base consists of 43 m (142 ft) of brown, micaceous siltstone. It is overlain by orange to grey
weathering limestones and dolomites. A distinctive red siltstone occurs about 162 m (530 ft) above the
base and forms a distinctive marker (Fritz and Mountjoy, 1975).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies elements of the Plagiura-“Poliella”, Albertella and Glossopleura
Zones.
References: Fritz and Mountjoy, 1975; Mountjoy, 1962; Mountjoy and Aitken, 1978; Walcott, 1913.
EWM
Upper Cretaceous
Cheval Beds (Abandoned)
Author: MacLean, in Kirk, S.R., 1930.
Type Locality: Pembina Mountain area of southern Manitoba.
History: Introduced by MacLean in an unpublished 1915 manuscript which was cited by Kirk (1930).
MacLean’s stratigraphic scheme recognized calcareous shale of the “Boyne beds “ overlain by chalky
calcareous shale of the “Cheval beds” in Pembina Mountain, Manitoba. Kirk considered the division
unnecessary and adopted the name “Boyne beds” for both. Subsequently the name “Cheval” has
never been used.
Lithology: Chalky shale or argillaceous chalk. The Cheval beds correspond to unit no. 7 of MacLean
(1916) which was described as Chalk: a bluish grey highly calcareous shale, fairly consistent in
texture. Weathers to yellow or buff surface and breaks into columnar fragments.
Thickness and Distribution: The Cheval beds were recognized only in the Pembina Mountain area of
southern Manitoba. Their thickness was given by Kirk (1930) as 6 to 8 m (20 to 26 ft), but Tovell (1948)
considered that the name applied to 21 m (69 ft) of strata, which would correspond approximately to
the chalky shale member of the Niobrara Formation as mapped in southern Manitoba and east-central
Saskatchewan by McNeil and Caldwell (1981)
Relationship to Other Units: Lower contact is sharp and probably conformable on noncalcareous shale
within strata now included in the Niobrara Shale in Pembina Mountain. The upper contact is sharp and
Unconformable with dark noncalcareous Pierre Shale. The Cheval beds correspond to the upper part
of the upper, First White-speckled shale of western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta, and with the
upper Niobrara of the western interior United States.
References: Kirk, 1930; MacLean, 1916; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; Tovell, 1948.
DHM; LLP
Upper Devonian (Frasnian and Famennian)
Cheviot Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Kelly, W.A. unpubl. First published in Fox, F.G., 1951, p. 830.
Type Locality: Applied by Kelly to exposures on Mount Cheviot west of Mountain Park, Alberta, in Twp.
45, Rge. 24W5M. Fox (1951) described it from outcrops along the road north of Jasper between the
bridge crossing the Athabasca and Cold Sulphur Spring (Twp. 45, Rge. 1W6M), and from the gorge of
Deception Creek, 6.4 km (4 mi) south of Cheviot Mountain.
History: The term was used for strata now assigned to the Mount Hawk and Alexo formations in
basinal “offreef” sections of Devonian Fairholme Group in the Rocky Mountains and was abandoned
because it obscured the important lithologic and stratigraphic break between the Frasnian Mount
Hawk Formation and the Famennian Alexo Formation (McLaren, 1953, p. 92; Stevenson, in: A.S.P.G.
1960, p. 74). North of the north Saskatchewan River the term Alexo has been replaced by the
Sassenach Formation.
Lithology: Lower part (Mount Hawk Formation): limestone, dark grey to black, fine grained, dense, silty
at top, becoming argillaceous towards base, thinly bedded, concretionary, partings of black, soft,
fissile, calcareous shale towards base; overlain by limestone, dark grey medium grained dense,
massive; this overlain by limestone, blacks fine to medium grained, dense, silty, thinly bedded, rubbly,
fossiliferous at top.
Upper part (Alexo Formation): shale, dark grey, soft, fissile, calcareous, fossiliferous in upper 15.2 m
(50 ft); overlain by limestone, dark grey, medium grained, argillaceous, thinly bedded, concretionary,
fossiliferous, weathering grey; at top sandstone, grey to dark grey, fine grained, well sorted, slightly
calcareous, quartzitic in part, thinly bedded with fine cross-bedding, weathering brown.
Thickness and Distribution: 91 to 311 m (299 to 1020 ft); generally less than 183 m (600 ft). Present in
basinal “offreef” sections of the Devonian in the Rocky Mountains between the Crowsnest Pass and
Jasper National Park.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably underlain by the Perdrix Formation and overlain by the
Palliser Formation.
References: Fox, 1951; McLaren, 1953; Patterson, 1955; Stevenson in A.S.P.G. Lexicon, 1960.
HRB; PAM
Middle Devonian (Eifelian-Givetian)
Chinchaga Formation
Author: Law, J., 1955a.
Type Locality: The type section is in the California Standard 2-22-117-5W6M well, in northwestern
Alberta, between 1670 and 1732 m (5475 and 5680 ft).
Lithology: They type section consists of anhydrite and cryptocrystalline dolomite underlain by quartz
sandstone with argillaceous and anhydritic cement; anhydrite and anhydritic dolomite, greenish grey
dolomitic shale containing quartz sand grains at base. The formation grades eastward to anhydrite
with minor amounts of salt and interbedded cryptocrystalline dolomite overlying basal sandstone and
shale. It includes a higher proportion of sand and shale in the vicinity of the Tathlina and Peace River
uplifts. No fossils have been found in the unit.
Thickness and Distribution: From zero at the margins of the Peace River and Tathlina uplifts to 76 m
(250 ft). Extends from the Fort Nelson area of northeastern British Columbia across northern Alberta
between the Peace River and Tathlina uplifts; extends into southern District of Mackenzie on to the
southwest, northeast and north flanks of the Tathlina Uplift. Thickens westward to the north of the
Tathlina Uplift.
Relationship to Other Units: The Chinchaga is the lower half of Crickmay’s Member 3. It overlies
Precambrian and basal, detrital red beds on the flanks of the Peace River and Tathlina uplifts; rests on
the Cold Lake Formation in northern Alberta, and, where present in southern District of Mackenzie, on
the flanks of the Tathlina Uplift. It grades laterally into the Contact Rapids Formation of Saskatchewan
and is equivalent to part of the Ashern Formation of that province, and to the Landry-Manetoe
Formation, the overlying Headless, and part of the Nahanni formations of southern District of
Mackenzie. Elsewhere it rests on basal Devonian red beds. It is overlain in the northern Alberta
subsurface by the Keg River Formation; in the northeastern Alberta outcrop area by the Little Buffalo
Formation; and in the adjacent Great Slave Lake area by the Lonely Bay and Pine Point formations.
References: Belyea and Norris, 1962; Douglas, 1968; Govett, 1961; Law, 1955; Norris, 1963, 1965;
Sherwin, 1962.
HRB; DWM
Upper Cretaceous
Chinook Member (Wapiabi Formation) (Obsolete)
Author: Gleddie, J., 1949, 1954.
Type Locality: Northwestern Alberta-northeastern British Columbia. Reported as present along the
outer foothills belt in the gorge of Fish Creek (presumably Belcourt Creeks about 0.8 km (0.5 mi)
above its junction with the Wapiti River.
Lithology: Littoral marine sandstone and sandy shale containing glauconite.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness of 22.9 m (75 ft) along the east edge of Swan Lake, south of the
town of Pouce Coupe, but thinning in an easterly direction to 3 m (10 ft) on Smoky River.
Relationship to Other Units: Member described as occurring 27.4 to 30.5 m (90 to 100 ft) below the
basal sandstone of the overlying Wapiti Formation. Correlated on the basis of electric logs with the top
of the Milk River Formation. Owing to the uncertainty of the definition, type section and stratigraphic
position of the Chinook Sandstone the sandstone at the top of the Pushwaskau (Wapiabi) Formation
was included in the Chungo Member (Stott, 1967; see also Wall and Germundson, 1963, p. 345).
References: Gleddie, 1949, 1954; Stott, 1967; Wall and Germundson, 1963.
DFS
Middle Devonian
Chipewyan Member (Muskeg Formation)
Author: Klingspor, A., 1969, p. 947.
Type Locality: Pan American D1 Chipewyan 10-16-91-18W4M well, in northern Alberta, between 670
6 and 716.3 m (2200 and 2350 ft).
History: On the basis of widespread shaly or residual elastic markers Klingspor (1969), divided the
Muskeg of northeastern Alberta into the following informal cyclic members, in ascending order the
Telegraph, Mikkwa, Wabasca, Wolverine, Chipewyan, Mink and bear members. The five middle
members consist of “several repetitive cycles, each progressing vertically from a normal marine
carbonate or less concentrated evaporite to a higher order concentrate” (p. 935). In addition the
proportion of anhydrite increases northwestward and the proportion of halite increases southeastward.
Lithology: At the type section predominantly halite, sulfatic clay varves and anhydrite interbeds, with a
basal anhydrite and dolomite unit. Anhydrite increases to the northwest and halite increases to the
southeast.
Thickness and Distribution: 45 m (148 ft) thick; present in northeastern Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Wolverine Member and overlain by the Mink Member of the
Muskeg Formation in northeastern Alberta, but southeast of La Crete Basin overlain by the Watt
Mountain Formation or correlative Dawson Bay Formation. Loses its identity to northwest into
undifferentiated dolomites and evaporites of the Muskeg Formation, and to the southeast into the
Prairie Evaporite. In eastern Alberta, where most workers recognize the Prairie Evaporite rather than
the Muskeg (Grayston et al., 1964) the Chipewyan may be considered a member of the Prairie
Evaporite.
References: Grayston et al., 1964; Klingspor, 1969.
PAM
?Helikian
Chischa Formation
Type Locality: on the south side of Chischa Valley at the mountain front in the Tuchodi Lakes (94K)
map-area of northeastern British Columbia.
Geographical co-ordinates of type section:

top of section: 58°17’45”N, 124°22’30”W
Geographical co-ordiinates of reference section:

top of section: 58°32’00”N, 124’38’20”W
Lithology: Pale grey and pastel hued, aphanitic dolomites are the characteristic ethology. Quartzites
are common in the lower beds exposed and dominate in the upper 300 m (984 ft). Stromatolites,
desiccation breccias, molar tooth structures and ripple marks are common in the lower dolomites; the
upper dolomites are commonly laminated and thin bedded.
Thickness and Distribution: The Tuchodi Formation crops out only in the core of the Muskwa
Anticlinorium in the Tuchodi Lakes (94K) map-area, where it constitutes the oldest beds exposed.
Approximately 490 m (1607 ft) are exposed on Tetsa River and 310 m (1017 ft) at the type section on
Chischa River.
Relationship to Other Units: Oldest rocks exposed in the Rocky Mountains of northeastern British
Columbia. Unconformably overlain by rocks of the Tetsa Formation, with local relief of 1 m (3 ft) on the
unconformity surface. Facies relationships suggest possible zone of truncation at the unconformity.
References: Bell, 1966, 1968: Taylor and Stott, 1973.
GCT
Permian
Chowade Croup (Redundant)
Author: Hovdebo, H.R., 1962, p. 89-96.
Type Locality: Section 1, 21 km (13 mi) north-northwest along strike from Mount Brewster at 56°22 N.
123°15’W. British Columbia. Supplemented by Section 1A, 26 km (16 mi) northwest of Goldbar, on a
tributary of Graham River, at 56°13’N, 122°53’W (Hovdebo, 1962).
History: Hovdebo (1962) proposed the name Chowade Group for upper Paleozoic rocks north of the
Peace River and divided the group into three units, in ascending order A, B and C, and correlated unit
C with the Taylor Flat and Belloy formations of the Peace River subsurface (Pacific Fort St. John No.
23, in 3-29-83-18W6M). McGugan (1967), noted that the Chowade Group encompassed essentially
the same interval as the old term Rocky Mountain Group further south, which had already been
subdivided into several Pennsylvanian and Permian Formations by McGugan and Rapson (1960,
1961b). McGugan (1967) recognized that unit C of Hovdebo’s Chowade Group, although poorly
exposed is of Permian age and directly correlative lithologically and faunally with the Mount Greene
Beds and Ranger Canyon Formation (Ishbel Group) (Section 150A, McGugan, 1967). McGugan and
Rapson-McGugan (1976) pointed out that the Mount Greene Beds are in part the age equivalent of the
Belcourt Formation (Ishbel Group) of the Wapiti Lake area.
Lithology: Unit A: dark grey, fissile shale with ironstone nodules and a few limestone stringers. Unit B:
fine grained, quartzose sandstone, with occasional black chert grains and pebbles. Unit C:
argillaceous and sandy limestones, weathering plate and flaggy, with interbedded shales and
occasional calcareous siltstones. Unit becomes sandy to north and no satisfactory separation from
unit B is evident.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section, unit A is 91 m (300 ft) thick, unit B is 130 m (426 ft) and
unit C is 182 m (597 ft). The group thins to 373 m (1223 ft) in Section 4 and is truncated by Triassic
strata northward. It is correlated with 760 m (2493 ft) of section in Pacific Fort St. John No. 23 to the
east.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Prophet Formation (Carboniferous).

Unconformably overlain by shales of the Lower Triassic Grayling Formation. Correlated with the
Golata, Kiskatinaw, Taylor Flat and Belloy formations in Pacific Fort St. John 23.
Paleontology: Unit C contains a Permian brachiopod fauna similar to that from the Mount Greene Beds
and the Telford Formation.
References: McGugan, 1965, 1967; McGugan et al., 1968; Naqvi, 1972; Rapson-McGugan, 1970.
AM, CMH
Christina Member (Beaverhill Lake (Waterways) Formation)
Type Locality: Crickmay indicated that beds of this member outcrop in northeastern Alberta for about
1.9 km (1.2 mi) along Clearwater River, around the mouth of Christina River, after which the member
was named. Norris (1963) visited the area and reported no Christina Member outcrops within the area
indicated by Crickmay. Outcrops of Christina Member were found by Norris between 1.6 and 6.4 km (1
and 4 mi) up Christina River.
Lithology: Greenish grey, grey and buff argillaceous limestone and shales containing brachiopods .
Thickness and Distribution: Crickmay reported a thickness of 27.4 m (90 ft) for the Christina member. It
is present in central and northeastern Alberta, being erosionally truncated at its northeastern limit.
Relationship to Other Units: it is overlain conformably by the Moberly Member and underlain
conformably by the Calumet Member of the Waterways Formation. It is the equivalent of the “Second
Argillaceous” limestone of the Beaverhill Lake Formation and it is the equivalent of the interval 1432.6
to 1461.5 m (4699 to 4794 ft) in the Anglo-Canadian Beaverhill Lake No. 2 Well in Lsd. 11, Sec. 11,
Twp. 50, Rge. 1 17W4M, central Alberta.
Paleontology: The most diagnostic fossils seem to be a very finely costate form of Spinatrypa n.sp, and
Hypothyridina cf. parva. Crickmay reported a small form of Allanaria and Eleutherokomma jasperensis.
This is the earliest occurrence of Allanaria in the Waterways Formation .
JHC, GGP
Upper Cretaceous
Chungo Member (Wapiabi Formation, Alberta Group)
Author: Stott, D.F., 1963.
Type Locality: Within the type section of the formation on Thistle Creek, Alberta Foothills, in Sec. 17,
Lithology: The Chungo Member contains three sedimentary facies. In western sections of the northern
half of the area sandstone predominates. The sandstone is very fine grained and has characteristic
flaggy to platy bedding. Argillaceous, dark grey siltstone is dominant in eastern sections and from the
North Saskatchewan River to the Bow River. Greyish green shale with some coal beds occur near the
top of the member in the area west of the Bighorn Range and in the Highwood area.
Thickness and Distribution: The Chungo Member is recognized throughout the foothills. It is 79.2 m
(260 ft) thick in the type region but is between 41.4 m and 53.3 m (136 and 175 ft) on the eastern side
of the foothills.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower beds are gradational into the underlying Hanson Member. The
upper contact with the Nomad Member is distinct and probably slightly disconformable. In the southern
Alberta Foothills the member loses its typical marine character and contains coarse grained,
carbonaceous sandstone that has generally been included in the Belly River Formation. The basal
sandstone unit of the Chungo Member in the Highwood region is the Highwood Sandstone (Webb
and Hertlein, 1934). The Chungo Member is correlated with sandstone of the Milk River Formation of
the southern plains of Alberta and grades into shales of a part of the lower Lea Park. The Chungo
Member is recognized in the Puskwaskau Formation of the Smoky Group in the Smoky River area.
Paleontology: Baculites and pelecypods are found but no diagnostic species have been identified. The
member is considered to be stratigraphically equivalent to the Campanian Milk River sandstone.
References: Stott, 1963, 1967; Webb and Hertlein, 1934.
DFS
Lower Ordovician
Chushina Fermation (Abandoned)
Author: Walcoat C.D., 1923.
Type Locality: West-central Alberta. On the northwest slope of Chushina Ridges southwest of
Snowbird Pass; at the north base of Lynx Mountain; and at Extirguisher Tower. The type section has
not been described; only the basal part has been discussed by Walcott (1923, 1928), Purling (1955)
and Mountjoy (1962,1964).
History: Walcott’s definition of the Chushina was modified by Burping (1955) so that the Lynx-
Chushina contact was located using lithology, where massive, cliff forming limestones of the Lynx
gave way to thin bedded lirnestones, shales and interformational conglomerates. Following regional
mapping (GSC Bow-Athabasca Project) it was shown that the Chushina is a lateral equivalent of the
Survey Peak Formation (which replaced the Mons Formation). This has been applied in the Jasper-
Mount Robson area (Mountjoy, 1980) and further northwest in the McBride and Morkman Pass areas
(McMechan, 1985)
Lithology: “Hard, dark grey linrestones in thick layers that break down into thin layers on weathering.
Interbedded bands of calcareous shales occur at several horizons” (Walcott, op. cit.).
Thickness and Distribution: Mestimated at 1500 ft but this is probably too small”. (Walcott 1928) gave a
very limited geographic extent: “Robson Peak massif and probably east of Moose Pass”.
Relationship to Other Units: The Chushina rests upon the Upper Cambrian Lynx Formation, with
DikeZocephaltrs present at the type locality. The formation is laterally equivalent to the Mons
Formations (now Survey Peak) of the Glacier Lake area.
References: Curling, 1923, 1955; Campbell, Mountjoy and Young, 1973; McMechan, 19B5; Mountjoy,
1962, 1964,1980; Slind and Perkins, 1966; Walcott, 1923,1928.
EWM
Upper Devonian
Cinquefoil Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Raymond, P.E., 1930, p. 296-298.
Type Locality: Along Highway 16, between the bridge over the Athabasca River and Cold Sulphur
Spring, Jasper National Park; Twp. 47, Rge. 1W6M.
History: Proposed by Raymond (1930) for the “western, wholly calcareous facies of the upper part of
the Upper Devonian”. This unit was proposed as the equivalent of his Boule, Coronach, Fiddle and
Kiln Formations. Howsoever these latter units were based on a faulted section at Roche Miette,
unrecognized by Raymond, and are therefore invalid. Thus the Cinquefoil is also meaningless (Fox,
1951; McLaren, 1953, p. 92). At the type section strata assigned to the Cinquefoil overlie the Perdrix
Formation and are overlain by strata assigned to the Mississippian by Raymond. However, in this area
Raymond had mis-assigned strata of the Devonian Palliser Formation to the Mississippian (Allan et
al., 1932, p. 238; Moore, 1958, p. 169), so that the Cinquefoil strata probably represent a faulted
succession of the Mount Hawk and Sassensach formations of modern usage (see Mountjoy, 1962).
Lithology: “Dark grey, thickly bedded argillaceous limestone which weathers a rusty brown”.
Thickness and Distribution: 400 m (131 2 h) reported at type section.
References: Allan et al., 1932; Fox, 1951; Moore, 1958; Mountjoy, 1962; Raymond, 1930.
HRB; PAM
Upper Cretaceous
Claggett Formation (Montana Group)
Author: Stanton, T.W. and Hatcher, I.B., 1905.
Type Locality: Near the town of Judith, in central Montana.
Lithology: The formation consists largely of dark shales with variable intercalated bands and beds of
sandstone, especially in the upper half. The formation contains a characteristic marine fauna.
Thickness and Distribution: In the type area the formation is about 121.9 m (400 ft) thick. It extends
from the type area in central Montana in southerly and northerly directions. In the west the formation
thins from the top down and grades into the Two Medicine Formation.
Relationship to Other Units: It overlies the Eagle Formation with a fairly sharp contact and is
transitionally overlain by the Judith River Formation. The upper contact is often difficult to determine
because of its interbedded nature. Stanton and Hatcher (1905) traced the Claggett Formation
northward and established the equivalence of the “lower dark shales” mapped by Dawson (1875) near
Pakowki Lake and the upper part of the Claggett. The shales near Pakowki Lake were later referred to
as the Pakowki Formation (Dowling 1916,1917) and the name Pakowki Formation is thus a synonym
of the Claggett Formation.
References: Dawson, 1875; Dowling, 1916, 1917; Stanton and Hatcher, 1905.
NCMD
Lower Carboniferous (Middle Tournaisian, Tn2).
Clark’s Member
(Banff Formation) (Informal)
Author: Sikabonyi, L.A. and Rodgers, W.J., 1959.
History: The name Clark’s Member, equivalent to middle Band of Martin (1969) and upper member B
of Richards et al. (in press) is commonly used by Canadian Stratigraphic Services and some oil
companies operating in west-central Alberta, but has seldom been published. The origin of the name
is obscure. Clark (1949) divided the Band Formation in the Rocky Mountain Front Ranges of the Bow
Valley, Alberta into three informal members. His middle, resistant, skeletal limestone member,
correlative with the lower Pekisko Formation to the east was erroneously correlated with the middle
Band carbonates of west-central Alberta by Sikabonyi and Rodgers (1959). Lomnes (1975) and others
named the latter unit the Clark’s Member because it resembled the middle Band of Clark (Cormick,
1965). The name is most frequently used in the Wabamun Lake region west of Edmonton, where it is
an oil and gas producing horizon in the Majeau Lake, Glenevis, Cherhill and Alexis fields (Lomnes,
1975).
Lithology: The Clark’s Member of the middle Band of Martin (1969) consists mainly of skeletal lime
mudstone and wackestone that is locally cherty. Dolostone is widely present in the member, which has
been extensively dolomitized below the regional sub-Cretaceous unconformity near Wabamun Lake,
west of Edmonton (Martin, 1969; Lomnes, 1975; Cormick, 1965). Dolostone breccias are moderately
common in the latter area. Dolomitization and subsequent fracturing resulted in development of a good
vuggy and fracture porosity. Carbonate buildups resembling Waulsortian mounds (buildups consisting
largely of carbonate mudstone, lacking an organic framework) and encased in variably dolomitized
lime mudstone are present near Wabamun Lake (Lomnes, 1975).
Thickness and Distribution: The distribution of the Clark’s Member is not well documented. Strata
assigned to the member lie mainly between townships 50 and 83 in west-central Alberta. In the
northern part of this region they extend westward from their subcrop zero edge at Lesser Slave Lake
to Rge 24W5M. In the south they are preserved from their erosional edge near Wabamun Lake to at
least as far west as Rge. 15W5M (Sikabonyi and Rodgers, 1959: Cormick, 1965; Lomnes, 1975).
Similar deposits that are coeval with the Clark’s Member are widely preserved within upper member B
of Richards et al (in press) in the foothills and eastern Rocky Mountains of east-central British
Columbia and west-central Alberta. In the Wabamun Lake region the unit has an average thickness of
about 30 m (98 ft) and ranges from 15 to 68 m (49 to 223 ft) (Martin, 1969). To the northwest, near
Lesser Slave Lake Sikabonyi and Rodgers (1959) included about 55 to 67 m (180 to 220 ft) of strata in
the unit.
Relationship to Other Units: The Clark’s Member gradationalIy overlies interbedded argillaceous
carbonates, marlstone and shale of the lower band. In most areas the member is gradationally overlain
by interbedded siltstone, sandstone, shale and carbonates of the upper Band Formation
Northeastward of the eastern erosional edge of the upper Banff the Clark’s Member is truncated by the
regional sub-Cretaceous unconformity (Sikabonyi and Rodgers 1959; Lomnes, 1975; Cormick,1965).
References: Clark, 1949; Cormick, 1965; Lomnes, 1975; Martin, 1969; Richards et al., in press;
Sikabonyi and Rodgers, 1959.
BCR
Lower Mississippian
Clausen Fonnation
Author: Harker, R. 1961; more complete description and type section in Harker, P. 1963.
Type Locality: West side of Yohin Ridge, about 19 km (12 mi) south of South Nahanni River and about
35 km (22 mi) west of South Nahanni . NTS 95G; 61°06’N, 123°55’W.
Lithology: Thinly laminated black shales, with a few calcareous layers and some beds of more
resistant black mudstone. Shales are noncalcareous in type section, but elsewhere are variably
calcareous and may contain interbedded siltstones.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognition of the formation as defined is restricted to the area of
distribution of the overlying Flett Formation and the underlying Yohin formation; the latter unit in
particular is limited to a relatively small area straddling the Yukon-British Columbia boundary. Within
this limited area measured thickness variations of the Clausen range from 152 to 1 72 m (500 to 565
a). Equivalent shales of Kinderhook age are, however widely distributed throughout western Canada.
The Clausen corresponds to map unit 6 of Douglas and D.K. Norris (1959), map-unit 31 of Douglas
and D.K. Norris (1960) and map-unit 2 of Patton (1958).
Relationship to Other Units: The Clausen Formation conformably overlies the Yohin Formation and is
conformably overlain by the Flett Formation. Both formation boundaries appear to be transitional in
character and may therefore be variable from point to point. The Yohin Formation equates to map unit 5
of Douglas and D.K. Norris 11959), map unit 30 of Douglas and D.K. Norris (1960) and to unit 1 of
Patton (1958). in age the unit would appear to equate, at least in part with the Banff Formation of
Alberta. It is equivalent to the Etanda and Besa River formations.
References: Bamber and Mamet, 1978; Douglas and D.K. Norris, 195g, 1960; Harker, 1961, 1963;
Patton, 1958; Pelzer, 1966.
EEP; EVH, PAM

Lower Cretaceous (Aibian)
Clearwater Formation (Mannville Group)
Type Locality: None designated. The formation is well exposed along the Athabasca River from Brule
Rapids (Twp. 87, Rge. 16W4M) to Boiler Rapids (Twp. B7, Rge. 14W4M) and along the Christina River,
southeast of Fort McMurray, AIberta.
History: McConnell (1893, p. 30D) proposed the name Clearwater Shale for an argillaceous formation
underlying the Grand Rapids sandstone along the lower Athabasca River. McLearn (1917) raised it to
formation status.
Lithology: In the area where it was first named the Clearwater Formation consists of soft black and
greenish grey shales, with some interbedded grey and green sands, and ironstone concretions. At the
base of the formation is a thin glauconitic sand called the Wabiskaw Member (Badgley, 1952). To the
southeast in the Cold Lake area the Clearwater Formation consists of continuous, massive salt and
pepper and glauconitic sands and interbedded shales, with bitumen resources estimated at 6.4 x 109
cu m (40.3 x 109 bbl) bv Outtrim and Evans (1978).
Thickness and Distribution: In the lower Athabasca River area the Clearwater Formation is
approximately 85 m (279 ft) thick. The formation thins to the south and southeast and in the Cold Lake
area it varies in thickness from 6 to 60 m (20 to 197 ft) (Minken, 1974). It is recognized from
northeastern Alberta to central Alberta (Edmonton area).
Relationship to Other Units: The Clearwater Formation conformably overlies the McMurray Formation
and is conformably overlain by, and laterally interfingers with the Grand Rapids Formation. In the
Peace River area the Clearwater Formation is equivalent to the Bluesky and lower part of the Spirit
River formations. The term Cleanvater is not recognized in the Lloydminster area, however the
Cummings Formation appears to be its equivalent. Mellon (1967) considered the Clearwater to be the
lower shady facies of the Fort Augustus Formation. In central Alberta the Clearwater Formation is
equivalent to the lower part of the upper Mannville of Glaister (1959) and Mellon and Wall (1963).
Paleontology: Throughout the formation there are extensive marine faunal and floral assemblages
documented by McLearn, 1933; Mellon and Wall, 1956; Stelck et al. 1956; and Singh, 1964.
References: Badgley, 1952; Glaister, 1959; Kendall, 1977; McConnell, 1893; McLearn, 1917, 1933;
Mellon, 1967; Mellon and Wall, 1956, 1963; Minken, 1974; Outtrim and Evans, 1978; Singh,1964;
Stelsk et al., 1956.
TWK
Middle to Upper Ordovician
Cloudmaker Formation
Author: Jackson, D.E., Steen, G. and Sykes, D.,1965.
Type Locality: Cloudmaker Mountain, Ware map-area (NTS 94F), British Columbia.
History: Although proposed in 1965, the term Cloudmaker Formation has not been used in the type
area by subsequent workers (Taylor, 1979; Taylor, et al., 1979; Cecile and Norford, 1979) and is
considered instead as part of the broader term Road River Formation.
Lithology: Graptolitic, calcareous shales, siltstones, quartzites, limestones and cherty dolomite.
Thickness and Distribution: 360 m (1183 ft) thick at the type locality, but ranging from zero to 380 m
(1255 ft). Reported by Jackson, Steen and Sykes (1965) as outcropping in a 320 km (120 mi) by 16 km
(10 mi) belt from the Halfway River to the confluence of the Turnagain and Kechika rivers.
Relationship to Other Units: The Cloudmaker Formation is equivalent to parts of the upper Road River
Formation or upper Kechika Group. It overlies conformable, and partly diachronously the Mount April
Formation, and is unconformably overlain by the SD unit of the Road River Formation of Cecile and
Norford (1979) in the Ware Map area.
Paleontology: Graptolites are abundant and include most graptolite zones for the Meddle and Late
Ordovician.
References: Burnes, Norford and Skevington, 1981: Cecile and Norford, 1979; Jackson, Steen and
Sykes, 1965; Taylor, 1979; Taylor et al., 1979.
MPC
Lower Cretaceous
Coal Sand (Blairmore Group)
Author: Unknown. Driller’s term used in the Turner Valley oil field.
Type Locality: In the Turner Valley oil field, Alberta
Lithology: Light grey, quartzitic, calcareous sandstone composed of fine, angular grains. Usually
present just below a thin coal seam and may contain thin lentils of carbonaceous material. A brackish
water deposit.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum thickness 4.6 m (15 ft) in the southern part of the Turner Valley
field.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit occurs in the lower part of the upper Blairmore, about 46 to 92 m
(150 to 300 ft) above the Home Sand, and between 61 and 183 m (200 and 600 ft) befow the top of the
Blairmore.
Reference: Beach, 1938.

Upper Crebreous to Lower Tertiary
Coalspur Beds (Saunders Group)
Author: Mackay, B.R., 1949.
Type Locality: None specified. Partially exposed in the Coal Valley area in the vicinity of Coalspur,
west-central Alberta, in Twp. 48, Rge. 21W5M, and in the Saunders area, in Twp. 40, Rge. 13W5M.
History: Used by Mackay (1949) for the interval between the Brazeau and Paskapoo formations to
separate the major coal seam zone from those formations. He showed them on two of his maps,
numbers 16 and 17, of the Coalspur and Saunders blocks. ‘Coalspur beds’ was used by Jerzykiewicz
and McLean (1980) as a formation name in the Coal Valley area, but only in an informal sense
because of lack of a suitable type section. However, its use has considerable merit as a
lithostratigraphic unit between the Athabasca and North Saskatchewan rivers, as discussed by
Jerzykiewicz and McLean (1980).
Lithology: Massive to thin interbedded sandstone, siltstone, mudstone and coal, with subordinate
conglomerate, bentonite and tuft. The basal unit is conglomeratic and is represented by the Entrance
Conglomerate in the vicinity of the Athabasca River. Thick to massive, fine to very coarse grained,
abrupt based sandstone beds are a prominent component Several thick coal seams occur over an
interval of 100 to 200 m (328 to 656 it) 270 m (886 ft) above the base. Interbedded olive-grey to
greenish grey mudstone, siltstone and very fine grained sandstone form thick but often recessive units.
Bentonite and tuft beds are minor but conspicuous components. One tuff bed, named the Saunders
Tuff (Sanderson, 1931) may be useful in correlabon
Thickness and Distribution: The name Coalspur beds to date has been used only between the North
Saskatchewan and Athabasca rivers but it may be applicable north and south of these boundaries.
The name is only applied in the outer Alberta Foothills. No complete sections are known but the
estimated thickness is in the order of 550 m (1804 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Brazeau Formation abruptly. It is not certain if the contact is
conformable or not. It is overlain abruptly but conformably by the Paskapoo Formation. Laterally it is
equivalent to an upper part of the Wapiti Formation in the west-central Alberta Plains, approximately
equivalent to the Scollard Formation of the Edmonton C;roup in the central plains, a lower part of the
Willow Creek Formation in the southwestern Alberta plains, and part or all of the Ravenscrag
Fornnation in southern Saskatchewan.
References: Mackay, 1949; Jerzykiewicz and McLean, 1980; Sanderson, 1931.
JRM
Cold Lake Formation (Elk Point Group)

Middle Devonian (probably Eifelian)
Author: Sherwin, D.F., 1962.

Type Locality: Canadian Seaboard 10-13-60-4W4M, in Alberta, between 982.1 and 1037.8 m (3222
and 3405 ft). Name derived from White Rose C & E Cold Lake 7-22-66-1W4M, between 811.7 and
863.2 m (2663 and 2832 ft).
Lithology: Halite, with thin basal red calcareous to dolomitic shale, 6 m (20 ft) thick in type welI .
Thickness and Distribution: The Cold Lake Formation extends from the vicinity of the Meadow Lake
escarpment (approx. 54°31’N. 105°40’W) through northwestern Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta to
the south flank of the Peace River-Athabasca Arch. It is present north of the arch, where it extends
across northern Alberta into northeastern British Columbia east of the Fort Nelson Arch, and into
southern District of Mackenzie, east and north of the Tathlina Arch. In District of Mackenzie it is
considered a member of the Mirage Point Formation. It is up to 56 m (184 ft) thick in the eastern
Alberta Basin, 79 m (259 ft) in northern Alberta, and 117 m (389 ft) in southern District of Mackenzie
(Meijer Dreesr pers. comm., 1979).
Relationship to Other Units: The Cold Lake overlies the Ernestina Lake Formation, is overlain by the
Contact Rapids Formation in western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta, and by the Chinchaga
Formation in northern Alberta, northeastern British Columbia and southern District of Mackenzie. In
general the unit grades into Basal Red Beds of the Elk Point Group around the margins of the basin
and across the Peace River-Athabasca arch. It grades into Coarse ciastics on the flank of the Peace
River and Tathlina arches that are referred to as Elk Point Sands or Granite Wash (Barss et al., 1970).
In central Alberta it grades westward into red, dolomitic shales overlying the Ernestina Lake Formation
which are included in the Contact Rapids Formation (Sherwin, 1962). East and north of the Tathlina
Arch the Cold Lake is considered a member of the Mirage Point Formation (Meijer Drees, pers. comm.,
1979), which passes northwestward into anhydrite and dolomites of the Bear Rock Formations and
thence into carbonates of the Arnica and Gossage formations. It is probably equivalent to part of the
Cedared and Burnais formations of southwestern British Columbia.
Paleontology: No fauna has been found in the Cold Lake Formation, but stratigraphic equivalents in
the western District of Mackenzie contain a fauna of Eifelian age.
References: Barss, Copland and Ritchie, 1970; Bassett and Stout, 1967; Douglas, 1970; Grayston,
Sherwin and Allan, 1964; Hriskevich, 1967, 1968; Law, 1971; Sherwin, 1962.
HRB ; PAM, LDG

Pleistene
Coldharbor Formation
Author: Bluemle, J.P., 1 9B1.
Type Locality: Type area lies 10 km (6.3 mi) west of Coleharbor, McLean County, North Dakota, along
the shore of Lake Sakakawea in Secs. 14, 15 and 22, Twp. 147N, Rge. 84W. (101°21’W, 47°32’N).
Type section is located about 274 m (900 ft) south of the mouth o f Dead Man Coulee, in the NWNE
Sec. 22, Twp. 147N, Rge. 84W, McLean County, North Dakota.
Lithology: Consists of thousands of alternating beds characterized by three main facies: 1 )

interlayered bouldery, cobbly, pebbly, sandy, silty clay; 2) sand and gravel; and 3) silty clay.
Thickness and Distribution: Ranges from zero to 185 m (607 ft) in thickness in North Dakota. It covers
rnost of the northeastern two-thirds of North Dakota, eastern South Dakota, Saskatchewan, Manitoba,
northern Montana, and western and southern Minnesota. The northeastern limit is probably near Lake
Manitoba, where sandy, highly calcareous, nonnnontmorillonitic drift replaces it. The northern and
western limits are probably near the Canadian Shield and Rocky Mountains.
Relationship to Other Units: It unconformably overlies older rocks of all ages and is overlain in many
areas by sediments of Holocene age.
Reference: Bluemle, 1971.
PFM
Lower Mississippian (Kinderhookiian)
Coleville Member (Bakken Formation)
Author: Reasoner, M.A. and Hunt, A.D., 1954.
Type Locality: Coleville-Buffalo Coulee area, in Twps. 31 and 32, Rges. 24-26W3M, Saskatchewan.
Lithology: Fairly well sorted, fine grained sandstone and quartzose siltstone cemented by either
dolomite or calcite. Has lenticular partings of green shales which in places are sufficiently abundant to
separate the coarse clastic unit into two intervals. A 0.6 to 1.2 m (2 to 4 ft) fossiliferous and oolitic
limestone occurs at the base of the member in an area underlying about 2590 km2 (1012 mi2 ) within
the type area.
Thickness and Distribution: The medial sandstone of the Bakken formation underlies a large portion of
the northern Great Plains region, but the name Coleville is confined to westcentral Saskatchewan and
eastern Alberta. In that region the unit has local and regional thickness variations, thus within a
particular field it may vary from 3 to 18 m (10 to 59 ft) and regionally the variation is from 15 to 30 m (49
to 98 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Coleville is conformable with the underlying and overlying black
shales of the Bakken Formation in the type area. Because of its equivalence with the medial
sandstone of that formation it is correlative to the siltstone unit of the Exshaw Formation in the Rocky
Mountains of Alberta, as well as to the siltstone interval of the Sappington Formation of western
Montana.
References: Berg, 1953; Kents, 1959; Macqueen and Sandberg, 1970; Reasoner and Hunt 1954
DMK
Lower Cretaceous
Colony Sand (Joli Fou Formation) (Colorado Group)
Author: Wickenden, R.T.D., 1948.
Type Locality: Originally restricted to the subsurface in the Lloydminster area (being the gas sand in
the Colony No. 1 well, in Lsd. 14, Sec. 25, Twp. 49, Rge. 28W3M, Saskatchewan). More recently the
name has been used more widely both north and south of LIoydminster, particularly to the north,
where it has been applied to the uppermost sandy interval of the Mannville Group.
Lithology: A fine to medium grained, clean, friable sand, glauconitic in the upper part and argillaceous
in the lower.
Thickness and Distribution: The sand is present throughout east-central Alberta and westcentral
Saskatchewan, attaining a maximum thickness of about 5 m (15 ft). In the Cold Lake area the Colony
is indistinguishable from thick (15 m, 49 ft) channel fills that are probably of deltaic origin and predate
Colony deposition. For practical purposes the Colony can be viewed as the uppermost sand of the
Mannville Croup. Stelck (1958), however concluded that the Joli Fou Forrnation contains a basal
sandstone member which is, in fact the Colony. Subsequent palynological work by Norris (1967)
appeared to substantiate Stelck’s hypothesis.
References: Badgley, 1952: Norris, 1967; Putnam, 1980; Stelck, 1958; Vigrass, 1977.
PEP, AIB
Cretaceous (Middle Albian-Santonian)
Colorado Group
Author: Hague, A. and Emmons, S.F., 1877.
Type Locality: Exposures along the eastern base of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in
Colorado.
History: Term originally applied by King and co-workers (Hague and Emmons, 1877; King, 1878) to the
thick shale sequence comprising the Fort Benton Group, Niobrara Division and Fort Pierre Group
previously recognized by Meek and Hayden (1861) in the upper Missouri region. White (1878)
subsequently restricted usage to include only the Fort Benton and Niobrara units. The Colorado
Shale, exposed in the vicinity of the Black Hills was seen to be made up of contrasting lithologic units,
many of which were distinctively fossiliferous (Dartonr 1909; Rubey, 1930), and became accepted as a
standard sequence. Cobban (1952) recognized that the Colorado Shale of central and northwestern
Montana was divisible into a number of lithologic units, which he correlated with the standard Black
Hills succession. In the Canadian part of the Western Interior early progress in correlating the
Colorado sequence was hampered by the general paucity and sporadic distribution of exposure along
the southern perimeter of the Precambrian Shield. However, the term gained widespread usage in
subsurface studies for the argillaceous succession resting upon the Blairmore-Mannville-Swan River
sequence and overlain by Lea Park shales. Badgley (1952) provided one of the earliest descriptions of
Lower Cretaceous units in the subsurface of Central Alberta referable to the lower part of the Colorado
Group.
Lithology: Dominantly argillaceous, incorporating subordinate shaly conglomerate, sandstone and

siltstone, as well as minor shaly chalk, chalky limestone, bentonite, pelecypod coquinas,
accumulations of fish-skeletal debris, nodular phosphorite and concretionary layers of calcite, siderite
and pyrite. The Colorado Group is divisible in Canada into an upper, calcareous and a lower,
noncalcareous part at the base of the lower of two widespread marker units, the First (upper) and
Second (lower) White Speckled Shale. The white speckled markers are characterized by abundant
white flakes of coccolithic debris and, together with an intervening unnamed sequence of
noncalcareous shale, make up the upper Colorado sequence. Each of the upper Colorado units
incorporates one or more sandstone sequences of restricted distribution: the Phillips (Second White
Specks) Sandstone of the Second While Speckled Shale; the Bowdoin and Cardiurn Sandstones of
the unnamed noncalcareous shale unit; and the Martin Sandy Zone and Medicine Hat Sandstone of
the First White Speckled Shale. The lower Colorado succession comprises upper and lower
noncalcareos shale units—the Big River and Joli Fou formations respectively—separated by a
prominent northeastward thinning wedge of coarse, siliciclastic strata, the Bow Island-Viking
sequence. The Big River shales include a widespread marker unit, the Fish Scale Sandstones which
consists of fishskeletal debris in shady sandstone layers, spanning the Lower to Upper Cretaceous
boundary. Both the Big River and Joli Fou successions are replaced northeastwards by localized
sandstone units, the St. Walburg and Spinney Hill sandstones respectavely. The lower Colorado
sequence remains undifferentiated where the Bow Sand-Viking succession and its northern
equivalents, the Pelican Sandstone and Flotten Lake Sand are absent
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized across central and southern Alberta and the western half of
Saskatchewan it is best known fronn subsurface data, although scattered exposures are found,
notably along the northern erosional edge near the southern perimeter of the Precambrian Shield.
Maximum thicknesses exceed 1000 m (3280 ft) in southern Alberta, minimum values for the complete
succession are in the order of 150 m (492 ft) in central Saskatchewan .
Relationship to Other Units: The Colorado Group is overlain by the Montana Group and overlies the
Dakota Group in the type area and throughout most of the northern Great Plains region of the United
States. In western Canada the Colorado Group is unconformably overlain by the Lea Park Shale,
which forms the basal unit of the Montana Group throughout much of the region; in southwestern
locations however, the Milk River Sandstone at the base of the Montana Group appears to be
lithologically gradational with the Colorado Group. The unit rests unconformably on sandstones of the
Blairmore-Mannville-Swan River sequence. In southern Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan the
lower Colorado succession is termed the Ashville Formation, while the upper and lower calcareous
markers are represented by the Boyne Member of the Vermilion River Formation and the Favel
Formation respectively; the Borden Member of the Vermilion River Formation corresponds to the
unnamed noncalcaneous shale. In the Rocky Mountain Foothills of Alberta the units corresponding to
the Colorado Group are the Crowsnest Volcanics, Blackstone Formation, Cardium Formation, and the
lower part of the Wapiabi Formation, in order of decreasing age. The Alberta Shale of central Alberta
includes the Colorado Group and overlying Lea Park Shale. In northern Alberta the Colorado Group is
represented by all but the uppermost beds of the Smoky Group and the Dunvegan, Shaftesbury and
Paddy formations, and essentially all of the Labiche Formation. The name Lloydminster Shale,
introduced by Nauss (1947), includes all lithologic divisions of the Colorado Group and is no longer
used.
References: Badgley, 1952; Caldwell et al., 1978; Cobban, 1952; Darton, 1909; Hague and Emmons,
1877; King, 1878; McGookey et al., 1978; Meek and Hayden, 1861; Nauss, 1947; North and Caldwell,
1975; Price and Ball, 1971; Rubey, 1930; Rudkin, 1964; Simpson, 1975, 1979a, 1979b, 1979d; White,
1878; Williams and Burk, 1964.
FS
Commotion Formation
(Fort St. John Group) (Abandoned)
Author: Wickenden, R.T.D. and Shaw, G., 1943, p 5
Type Locality: The formation was named from Commotion Creek, which drains into Pine River, British
Columbia. The succession is incomplete al that locality, although Soon (196t, p. 58, 59) described the
exposures which give a fair approximation of the lithology. Two reference sections were defined by
Mutt 11968); one on Bullmoose Mountain (55°14’N, 121°29’W) and one at Dokie Ridge (55°42’N,
122°1SW).
History: Sandstone, shale and conglomerate overlying the Moosebar marine shales in Pine River
valley of northeastern British Columbia were defined as the Commotion Formation by Wickenden and
Shaw (1943) They recognized three distinct members. Stott (1963, 1968) included the alluvial, deltaic
and nearshore sediments in the lower and upper members, Gates (McLearn, 1923, p 6B) and Boulder
Creek (Spieker, 1921) respectively and designated the middle marine shale as the Hulcross Member.
Subsequently, when coal exploration companies further subdivided the men bers Stott (1982, p. 14)
proposed that Gates, Hulcross and Boulder Creek be elevated to formational status and that the term
Commotion be abandoned.
Thickness anti Distribution: The beds included in the Commotion formation extend northward from
Pine River and eastward along Peace River. They extend southward along the foothills to Kakwa
River. The combined thickness of the three members varies from about 335 m (1100 ft) in the eastern
foothills to about 490 m (1607 ft) at Bullmoose Mountain.
Relationship to Other Units. The Gates sandstones grade downward into the underlying Moosebar
shales. The contact between Boulder Creek sediments and overlying Hasler marine shales is abrupt
and may be disconformable. Equivalent beds south of Smoky River are included in the Luscar Group
(Langenberg and McMechan, 1984). To the north of Peace River the sandy sediments grade laterally
into marine shales of the Buckinghorse Formation. In the plains beds in a similar stratigraphic position
are included in the Spirit River and Peace River formations.
Paleontology: Marine fauna are representative of Early to Middle Albian zones ranging frorn
Beaudanticeras affine and Arcthoplites to Gastroplites. A large “Luscar” or “lower Blairmore” flora
occurs in the lower member and an agiosperm flora is found in the upper member. The middle and
upper members are characterized by the Haplophragmoides multiplum and Ammobaculites sp.
microfauna respectively.
References. Langenberg and McMechan, 1985; McLearn, 1923; Spieker, 1921; Stott, 1968, 1982;
Wickenden and Shaw, 1943.
DFS
Upper Cretaceous
Comrey Member (Oldman Formation)
Author: Russell, L.S. and Landes, R.W., 1940.
Type Locality: The Comrey sand forms the crest of the Milk River valley from the east side of Rge
7W4M to the Canada-U.S. boundary. A good exposure is on the north side of the valley in Lsd. 1, Sec.
23, Twp. 2, Rge. 7W4M, southeastern Alberta.
Lithology: Buff, grey-buff, coarse to medium grained sand, well cross-bedded, containing bands of clay
pellets and shell fragments. The sand appears to be the product of stream erosion and deposition
within the Oldman Formation.
Thickness and Distribution: In the type locality the Comrey is about 15.3 m (50 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit lies about 46 m (150 ft) above the base of the Oldman Formation.

Condie Till
Author: Christiansen, E.A., 1961, p. 31
Type Locality: Reference section is on the east wall of Waskana Creek Valley, in Lsd. 14 of Sec. 21,
Twp. 18, Rge. 21W2M, near Condie, Saskatchewan.
Lithology: A calcareous, montmorillonitic till that is sandy clay loam to clay Ioam; olive brown to light
brownish grey where oxidized, otherwise grey to greyish brown. In places the Condie Till consists of
several till sheets representing local advances of the Condiean Glacier, separated by gravel, sand. silt
and clay; in one place four such sub-units are present (Christiansen, 1961, p. 31).
Thickness and Distribution: At reference section 3 m (10 ft) thick, elsewhere in the Regina area
between 3 and 55 m (10 and 180 ft), and in the Wynyard area 15 to 60 m (49 to 197 ft) thick. Defined
as the till exposed north of the Condie Moraine in the Regina map-area; widespread there and
probably in the Wynvard area (Creer and Christiansen, 1961, p. 31, 35).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies flower stratified drifts either exposed to surface or covered by
Regina Clay. In places the Condie Till and Regina Clay are interbedded; further, at its reference
section the Wascana Creek Ash divides the Condie Till into two sub-units (Christiansen, 1961, p. 64).
This ash may be part of the Condie Till unit (p. 34). The unit was deposited by the last ice-sheet to
occupy the region and so should be of Classical Wisconsin age. Elsewhere the till unit that overlies
the Wascana Creek Ash at its type section is called the Battleford Formation and the underlying till the
Floral Formation (Westgate et al., 1977); these two formations together forming the Saskatoon Group.
The Condie Till as originally defined would constitute much of that group, and evidently both these
formations can be traced into the Condie Till. The name Condie Till would appear to have priority over
those other names. However, the name Condie Tilt probably should be restricted to that part of the unit
overlying the Wascana Creek Ash, and having priority it would then replace only the name Battleford
Formation. Furthermore, if the Leinan Till is the same unit, as appears probable, this last name would
have priority over both the names Battleford Formation and Condie Till (see also Wymark Till, Aikins
Till, Leinan Till).
References: Christiansen, 1961; Greer and Christiansen, 1963; Westgate et al., 1977.
AMacSS
Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian)
Cone Member (Marias River Shale)
Author: Cobban, W.A. et al., 1959; p. 2794.
Type Locality: Cone triangulation hill, 5.5 km (3.4 mi) south of Power, in Sec. 13, Twp. 22N, Rge. 1W,
Teton County, Montana; this is also the type section.
History: the Cone Member is the so-called Greenhorn Limestone of northern Montana. The type
Greenhorn Formation of southeastern Colorado consists of the Lincoln Limestone Member at the
base, the Hanland Shale Member and the Bridge Creek Limestone Member at the top; the formation is
overlain by the Fairport Chalky Shale Member of the Carlile Shale. The Cone Member is the northern
equivalent of the Bridge Creek and Fairport members.
Lithology: Mostly white weathering fossiliferous marine calcareous shale, with some thin beds of
limestone, limestoneconcretionsS bentonite and noncalcareous shale.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness is 15 to 1 8 rn (49 to 59 ft.) over n ost of the sweetgrass
Arch. Thickens eastward to 24 m (79 ft) in the Sweetgrass Hills and westward to 30 m (98 ft) in the
Disturbed Belt. Widely distributed over northern Montana.
Relationship to Other Units: The calcareous shale of the Cone Member rests abruptly on the
noncalcareous shale of the Floweree Member, and sharply underhes the noncalcareous shale of the
Ferdig Member. Both contacts are probably slight disconformities. Lateral equivalents of the Cone
Member include the Second White Speckled Shale of the Colorado Group in southern Alberta, the
Vimy Member of the Blackstone Formation in the foothills and part of both the Greenhorn Formation
and the Carlile Shale in the norther U .S. plains.
References: Cobban et al.,1959,1976.
WAC
Middle Jurassic (Bathonian)
Conrad Member (Sawtooth Formation, Ellis Group)
Author: Weir,J.D., 1949
Type Locality: Conrad oiI field, Twps. 5-6, Rge .15W4M (no well specified).
Lithology: Well sorted, fine to medium grained quarz-arenite, with minor interbedded tureen shale and
traces of glauconite, locally carbonate cemented. It generally coarsens upward and exhibits character
sties of shoreface to beach depositional environments. Reservoir properties are excellent, although
locally degraded by interbedded shales or carbonate cementation
Thickness and Distribution: Ranges from zero to 9 m (29 5 ft) in the vicinity of the Conrad field, the
thickness being controlled primarily by topography on the underlying Mississippian unconformity
Relationship to Other Units: The Conrad represents a concentration of sandy sediments over the
Sweetgrass Arch; it grades into and becomes indistinguishable from the underlying members of the
Sawtooth Formation away from the type area. It is comparable in stratigraphic position and lithology to
the upper sandstone member of the Sawtooth as originally described in Montana by Cobban (1945).
References: Cobban, 1945; Davies,1983; Weir, 1949
BJH
Middle Devonian
Contact Rapids Formation
Author: Sherwin, D.F.,1962.
Type Locality: Canadian Seaboard Ernestina Lake 10 13 60-4W4M. in Alberta between 938.2 and
982.7 m (3076 and 3222 ft).
Lithology: Grey to green, argillaceous dolomite and dolomitic shale, grading to red at the base.
Thickness and Distribution: The Contact Rapids Formation is 44.5 m (146 ft) thick at the type section
and reaches 48.8 m (160 ft) in central Alberta. It is present in east-central and northeastern Alberta
and in northwestern Saskatchewan north of the Meadow Lake Escarpment in the western part of the
Elk Point Basin it thickens to include Cold Lake
Formation equivalents; near the Peace River Arch it includes thick feldspathic sandstone (Assineau
Sandstone of Suska, 1960).
Relationship to Other Units: The Contact Rapids overlies the Cold Lake Formation in the type area; in
the western part, with the incorporation of Cold Lake equivalents it overlies the Ernestina Lake
Formation. It is overlain by the Winnipegosis Formation in eastern Alberta and northwestern
Saskatchewan (Keg River Formation in northwestern Alberta). It is laterally equivalent to the
Chinchaga Formation of northern Alberta, northeastern British Columbia and southern Northwest
Territories; further north and northwest to the Willow Lake and upper part of the Bear Rock formations,
and to the Nahanni-Headess-Manetoe-Landry formations respectively. To the southeast, in
Saskatchewan it grades into the Ashern Formation. It is probably equivalent to part of the Cedared
and Mount Forster formations of southeastern British Columbia.
References: Grayston, Sherwin and Allen, in: McCrossan and Glaister (Eds.), 1964; Hamilton, 1971;
Norris, 1963; Norris, in: Carrigy and Kramers (Eds.). 1973; Sherwin, 1962; Suska, 1 960.
HRB
Upper Devenian (Frasnian)
Cooking Lake Formation (Woodbend Group)
Type Locality: Calmont Leduc No. 3, in 4-14-51-21W4M, central Alberta, between 1521 and 1594 m
(4990 and 5230 ft).
History: Originally proposed as a member of the then Woodbend Formation to replace the informal
term “First Fragmental”. Recommended for elevation to formation status by Andrichuk and Wonfor
(1954, p. 2505).
Lithology: Predominantly limestone except for a belt of dolomite up to 29 km (18 mi) wide along the
western margin of the formation (Rimbey-Meadowbrook reef-chain). Limestones and their dolomitized
equivalents consist of varied lithologiest including greyish brown nodular mudstones (with scattered
crinoids and brachiopods), light to medium brown mudstones and wackestones with gastropods and
ostracodes - some with stromatolitic carbonaceous laminae, tan, non-skeletal grainstones with pellets,
intraclasts and coated grains, and light to medium brown stromatoporoid rudstones and floatstones.
The stromatoporoid bearing carbonates are thickest beneath and immediately away from the overlying
Leduc reef complexes.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation extends from the southern Alberta Woodbend shelf north
and west into central Albena, terminating as an effective unit roughly west of the Fifth meridian.
Northeast and east of the Redwater Leduc reef the Cooking Lake incorporates increasing amounts of
basing micrites in its upper cycles until only the lower Cooking Lake remains as a correlatable
carbonate unit that extends to subcrop at the pre-Cretaceous unconformity. Thickness ranges from 60
to 90 m (197 to 295 ft), with maximum thicknesses occurring beneath areas of subsequent Leduc reef
growth.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Beaverhill Lake and is conformably overlain,
with only minor hiatus by the Leduc Formation reefs or Duvernay Formation off-reef sediments. It
clearly predates Leduc reef growth, but may have equivalents in the micritic sediments assigned to the
Duvernay away from Leduc build-ups. To the west, beyond the carbonate platform margin basing
sediments of the Majeau Lake Member progressively replace the upper, and finally the greater part of
the Cooking Lake carbonates in the deeper pan of the Ireton Basin. Cooking Lake platform
equivalents probably occur beneath Leduc Windfall reefs in west central Alberta, although they have
not been distinguished. In the mountains the Flume Formation is considered to be
lithostratigraphically similar to, but probably older than the suburface Cooking Lake Formation.
References: Andrichuk, 1958; Andrichuk and Wonfor, 1954; Belyea, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1958;
Geological Staff, Imperial Oil Limited, 1950; Kirker, 1959; Wendte, 1974.
FAS
Upper Triassic
Coplin Member (Charlie Lake Formation)
Author: Fitzgerald, E.L. and Peterson, D.J., 196~.
Type Locality: The type section is in Tenneco-Canadian Superior et al. Inga d-8-J, 94-A-12 in
northeastern British Columbia, between the cored interval 1584.4 m (5198.2 ft) and 1586.3 m (5204.4
ft).
Lithology: At the type section the Coplin comprises an upper and lower sandstone separated by 0.3 m
(1 ft) of anhydrite and siltstone. The sandstones are light grey, fine to medium grained, cemented with
dolomite, friable in part, and composed of clear, rounded, well sorted quartz grains. The anhydrite is
dark grey, crystalline, and the siltstone green-grey, dolomitic and anhydrilic.
Thickness and Distribution: At the Inga field, although thickness ranges from 1.2 to 2.4 m (4 to 8 ft) and
averages 1.5 m (5 ft), hydrocarbon pay thicknesses approach 6 m (20 ft) elsewhere (e.g, Blueberry
field). Over the greater part of the basin, however the Coplin Member consists of anhydrite or dense
dolomite (Hess, 1 968).
Relationship to Other Units: The upper contact of the Coplin Member is conformable with an overlying
anhydrite-dolomite sequence, but the lower contact is unconformable and is referred to by Hess
(1968) as the “Coplin Unconformity”. The latter effects a division between an ‘upper’ and ‘lower’
Charlie Lake. Hess stated that the unconformity “is the most pronounced break in upper Triassic
sedimentation in northeast British Columbia. It progressively truncates from southwest to northeast
every member of the lower Charlie Lake and, in turn, is truncated by the Pre-Cretaceous
Unconformity”.
References: Fitzgerald and Peterson, 1967; Hess, 1968; Torrie, 1973.
KAM
Middle Jurassic (Bathulnian)
Corbula Munda Beds (Fernie Formation)
Type Locality: South slope of Grassy Mountain, approximately 7 km (4.4 mi) north of Blairmore,
southwestern Alberta; grid reference 861051, NT5 Blairmore 82G/9.
Lithology: Brownish grey silty shales with green tinges, inierbeds of coquina and fine grained, hard,
calcareous sandstone up to 45 cm (18 in) thick; abundant bivalves and some ammonites .
Thickness and Distribution: At type locality 30 m (98 ft) thick, with fossiliferous, hard, calcareous bands
only in upper 21 m (69 ft). Restricted to southwestern Alberta, occurring at Daisy Creek and along road
to Adanac strip mine on Hastings Ridge (south of Bellevue) in addition to the type locality.
Relationship to Other Units: In part a lateral equivalent of the Grey Beds in other parts of southwestern
Alberta and southeastern British Columbia. Equivalent to parts of the Sawtooth and Rierdon
formations on the Sweetgrass Arch and the lower Vanguard Group in the subsurface of the plains
region. The uppermost bed is known as the Gryphaea Bed (q v.).
References. Frebold, 1957, 1963; Hall, 1988.
RLH
Upper Cambrian
Corona Formation (Abandoned)
Author: Greggs, R.C., 1962.
Type Locality: On the southwest slopes of Mount Murchison, above the cliff forming Waterfowl
Formation. Measured along Bison Creek, 10.4 km (6.5 mi) west of North Saskatchewan River bridge,
in Alberta.
History: The Corona was proposed as a new name for the revised Sullivan Formation, but later
abandoned in favor of the commonly accepted Sullivan .
References. Aitken and Greggs, 1967; Greggs, 1962.
RGC
Upper Devonian
Coronach Formation (Obsolete)
Type Locality: On highway 1.6 km (1 mi) south of Disaster Point. Jasper National Park, Alberta (Twp.
48, Rge.28W5M).
History: Proposed by Raymond for zone 5 of his seven zone subdivision of the Devonian defined at
Roche Miette in Jasper National Park. However, Raymond misunderstood the structure of Roche
Miette and at this locality these strata are the lower part of the Mississippian Band Fornnation. At
Disaster Point beds assigned to the Coronach are the Mississippian Banff Formation and near
Snaring Junction are the Perdrix Formation repeated by faulting (Fox, 1951, p. 823; McLaren, 1953, pi.
92; Moore, 1958, p. 168; Rennie, in: A.S.P.G., 1960, p. 84; Woodward, 1955, p. 158).
Lithology: “Black shale, with interbedded black, fine grained limestone.”
Thickness and Distribution: 183 m (600 ft) reported at Roche Miette.
Relationship to Other Units: Raymond’s underlying zone 4, which he included in the Boule Formation
is now assigned to the Devonian Palliser Formation. Raymond’s overlying zone 6, which he called the
Fiddle Formation is recognized as Faulted repeat of the lower Boule Formation, now recognized as
Devonian Mount Hawk Formation.
References: Allan, Warren and RutheHord, 1932; Fox, 1951; Lang, 1947; McLaren, 1953; Moore, 1958;
Raymond, 1930; Rennie in A.S.P.G., 1960; Woodward, 1955.
HRB; PAM
Upper Ordovician
Coronach Member (Herald Formation)
Author: Kendall, A.C., 1976.
Type Locality: The Imperial Long Range 4-31-1-27W2M well, in Saskatchewan, between 2670 and
2680.7 m (8760 and 8795 ft).
Lithology: Where fully developed the Coronach Member is composed of the following cyclic sequence:
1) a basal argillaceous dolomite with scattered quartz grains; 2) fossiliferous wackestones (may be
dolomitized); 3) laminated microdolornites; and 4) an upper anhydrite (informaily called the Coronach
anhydrile).
Thickness ard Distribution: This unit has been mapped only in Saskatchewan, where its maximum-
thickness is 4.6 m (15 ft). Stratigraphically equivalent units are present in Montana, North Dakota and
Manitoba. The anhydrite is restricted to an area south of Twp. 12, between Rges. 3 and 29W2M,
approximately
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformably overlain by the Redvers unit (uppermost strata of the
Herald Formation, Kendall, 1976) or the Stony Mountain Formation. It is underlain by the Lake Alma
Mernber with Slight disconformity. Equivalent to the upper Red River of Porter and Fuller (1959) from
the q horizon to the R anhydrite. Correlates with a portion of the Font Garry Member of the Red River
Formation in Manitoba.
References: Porter and Fuller, 1958, 1959; Andrichuk, 1959; Kendall, 1976, Kent 1960; McCabe and
Bannatyne, 1970; Porter and Fuller, 1958, 1959.
FMH
Upper Proterozoic (pre-Ediacaran?)
Corral Creek Formation (Miette Group)
Author: Walcott, C .D ., 1910.
Type Locality: Corral Creek, northeast of Lake Louise, Band National Park, Alberta.
History: The Formation was named and loosely defined by Walcott (1910, 1928). Aitken (1969)
provided further data, and correlated the Corral Creek-Hector with the Meadow Creek Old Fort Point-
Wynd succession of the Miette Group at Jasper.
Lithology: Grey and greenish grey slates and some thin beds and laminae of siltstone, with which is
interbedded a variable amount of feldspathic, generally coarse grained sandstone, grit, and pebble
conglomerate. Earlier considered fluvial in origin, the coarse grained rocks are today generally
considered to be deposits mass-emplaced into a deep water setting in which hemipelagic mud was
settling and silt was being emplaced as distal turbidites.
Thickness and Distribution: The base is not exposed and the thickness, therefore unknown. The
formation is al least 300 m (984 ft) thick in the type area and 200 m (656 ft) at Castle Mountain, its most
easterly exposure (Aitken, 1969). it is known only east of the Continental Divide, from Mount
Assiniboine in the south to Mount Hector in the north.
Relationship to Other Units: In the type area the base is unknown and the formation is conformably
overlain by the Hector Formation. The Hector is erosionally bevelled beneath the Lower Cambrian
Gog Group eastward and southward so that the Gog comes to rest unconformably on the Corral Creek.
For regional correlations, see “Hector Formation”.
The Corral Creek Formation underlies the Hector Formation and the Hector correlates with the Old
Fort Point and Wynd Formations (or upper Miette Group) of the Jasper area (Aitken, 1969) The upper
Wynd has yielded Ediacaran fossils (Hofmann et al., 1985). The Miette Group is bevelled by an
unconformity at the base of the Gog Group. The Gog yields Lower Cambrian body fossils as old as
Nevadella Zone (Fritz and Mountioy, 1975), and trace fossils attributed to trilobites nearly to its base
(Palonen, 1976).
References Aitken, 1969, Charlesworth et al., 1967, Fritz and Mountioy, 1975, Palonen 1976; Walcott,
1910, 1928.
JDA
Lower Cretaceous (Aptian?)
Cosmos Sand (Disused)
(Lower Mannville Formation, Mannville Group)
Author: Erdmann, C.E. and Schwabrow. J.R., 1941.
Type Locality: Cosmos-lowa No. 1, in Sec. 2, Twp. 37N, Rge. 4W, Montana; not described. An
incomplete cored section was described by Erdmann and Schwabrow (1941) from Ohio Oil Farbo No.
1, NESW Sec. 1, Twp. 37N, Rge. 4W, Montana, between 766.6 and 779.2 m (2515 and 2556.5 ft).
History: Yarwood (1931) recognized the Cosmos sand in the Border-Red Coulee field areas, but did
not describe or map it. Some early workers recognized an “upper Cosmos” (the Vanalta) and a “lower
Cosmos” in Montana. Erdmann and Schwabrow (1941) described the unit and reviewed earlier
confusion in nomenclature. The name is no longer used in Canada, being replaced by the regionally
correlative Cut Bank Sandstone.
Lithology: Sandstone, predominantly medium to coarse grained, composed primarily of quartz and
chert. Increasingly conglomeratic to the base, with lithified mudstone clasts and/or chert pebbles. It is
heterogeneous, cross-bedded, and fines upward overall. Thin lenses of grey-green and grey
mudstone are also noted.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized locally in the Border-Red Coulee area of Alberta and
Montana, the Cosmos is an oil field designation only. As recognized by Erdmann and Schwabrow
(1941), the Cosmos is 10 to l13 m (33 to 43 ft) thick across the field area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Cosmos is a local designation of the lower part of the Cut Bank
Sandstone, which is the basal member of the lower Mannville Formation. The Cosmos lies
unconformably on an erosion surface cutting the Jurassic Swift and Rierdon Formations, and is
conformably overlain by a pyritic siltstone separating it from the Vanalta sand.
References: Erdmann and Schwabrow, 1941; Yarwood, 1931.
BJH
Costigan Member (Palliser Formation)
Author: de Wit. R. and McLaren, D.J., 1950, p. 6-7.
Type Locality: Front ranges of the Rocky Mountains near Bow River, Alberta Nanned for Mount
Costigan, just north of lake Minnewanka, Banff National Park (southeast portion of Twp. 27, Rge.
10W5M).
Lithology: Upper beds of dark grey, bedded, fossiliferous limestone; lower beds of cyclic, brownish
grey, platy, thin to medium bedded dolomite and brecciated to crenulated limestone. Occasionally beds
may be quite silty or laminated or contain fragments and nodules of black chert. In the foothills
subsurface white anhydrite may occur with very fine dolomite beneath the upper limestone beds frorn
Moose Mountain (Twp. 23, Rge. 6W5) to Brazeau River (Twp. 45, Rge. 13W5M). Dissolution of these
beds accounts for the breccias of the Iower Costigan (where they are not obviously of tectonic origin)
in outcrop.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness is quite variable and ranges from 18 to 125 m (59 to 410 ft)
and typically varies inversely as the Morro Member thickness. The mernber occurs in the Rocky
Mountain Front Ranges of Banff and Jasper National Parks and in the foothills to the east.
Relationship to Other Units: The Costigan Member rests conformably on the Morro Member of the
Palliser Formation and is overlain disconformably by the Exshaw Formation.
The upper limestone beds bear fossils identical in the main with those of the Big Valley Formation a
limestone in the uppermost Wabamun Group of the Alberta Plains.
References: Andrichuk, 1960; Beales, 1956; de Wit and McLaren, 1950; Fox, 1951; Macqueen and
Sandberg, 1970; McLaren, 1953, 1954, 1955; Severson, 1953; Stevenson, 1960.
LSE
Upper Cretaceous (Maastrkhtian)
Coulter Member (Pierre Shale)
Author: Bamburak, J.D., 1978.
Type Locality: Near Coulter, Manitoba (Twp. 2, Rge. 27W1M). Type section not designated.
History: First recognized as an unnamed unit of soft shale in the uppermost Odanah Member of the
Riding Mountain Formation (Pierre Shale in part) in southern Manitoba by Bannatyne (1970), then
separated from the upper Odanah as the Coulter Member bv Bamburak (11978). The Coulter
corresponds to the unnamed shale member of the Pierre Shale recognized by McNeil and Caldwell
(1981).
Lithology: A light grey to buff, fine brained, bentonitic, clayey silt, with subordinate fine grained sand in
the upper part of the member. The Coulter was described from the subsurface of Turtle Mountain by
Bamburak (1978), who noted that its lower beds were distinguished by an elevated radioactive
response on gamma-ray logs due to a high bentonite content, whereas higher beds were
distinguished by a gradual coarsening upwards grain size and a corresponding increase in resistivity
on electric logs.
Thickness and Distribution: Confined to the area of the Turtle Mountain outlier of southern Manitoba,
where its thickness ranges between 20 and 55 m (66 and 180 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Conformable between the underlying siliceous shale of the Odanah
Mennber of the Pierre Shale and sandstone of the overlying Boissevain Formation. Correlation of the
Coulter has not been definitely established; its southward equivalents are undifferentiated in the
uppermost Pierre Shale in North Dakota and probably the upper Vigin Creek, Mobridge and Elk Butte
members of the Pierre Shale in South Dakota. Westwards it correlates with the upper part of the
Bearpaw Formation (Snakebite, Cruikshank and Aquadell members), and probably the lower Eastend
Formation of western Saskatchewan.
References: Bamburak, 1978; Bannatyne, 1970, Gill and Cobban, 1965; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981;
North and Caldwell, 1975; Rice, 1977; Searight, 1937; Williams and Burk, 1964.
DHM; LLP
Lower Cambrian
Cranbrook Formation
Author: Schofield, S.J.,1922, Rice, H.M.A., 1937,1941.
Type Locality: Midway between Cranbrook and Fort Steele, southeastern British Columbia (no section
designated).
Lithology: Predominantly siliceous quartzite, medium to coarse grained, in part containing sporadic
quartz pebbles with gritty quartzite and lenticular beds of quartz-pebble conglomerate White, cream
and grey colors prevail, but pale green, rose and pale tan are common. Weathered surfaces are
typically smooth and white or yellowish. The formation is generally distinctly bedded in thicknesses of
0.3 to 1.25 m (1 to 4 ft), but instances of indefinite and/or much thicker beds occur. Beds are mostly
massive or have repetitive slight color variations that in part reflect grain size variations. Cross-
bedding is common. The basal beds vary with locality but are generally quartzite, pebbly quartzite or
quartz-pebble conglomerate, with or without fragments of the underlying formation. These beds are
commonly darker than higher ones and in places are red-brown. Locally the lowest beds are thin
alternations of siltstone and quartzite, but there are instances of a thin basal conglomerate of angular
and partly rounded Precambrian fragments in a sandy matrix. The coarsest and thickest
conglomerates are in western exposures. [Coarse conglomerates north of Boulder Creek in the Rocky
Mountains. originally assigned to the Cranbrook Formation (Rice, 1937) are probably younger.] In the
Purcell Mountains, near 49°35’N, 116°W the highest part of the formation consists of thin interbeds of
quartzite and carbonate and locally contains magnesite.
Thickness and Distribution: Exposed near 49°30’N, between the Moyie and St. Mary faults in the
Purcell Mountains and, directly across the Rocky Mountain Trench between the comparable Dibble
Creek and Boulder Creek faults in the Hughes Range of the Rocky Mountains. This disrupted wedge
of Cranbrook strata thickens westward from less than 150 m (492 ft) in the Hughes Range to about
300 m (984 ft) in the Purcell Mountains near 116°W, and about 500 m (1640 ft) near 116°20’W. North
of a zone in which such rocks are missing identical strata in the western edge of the Rockies near and
north of 50°N have been referred to the Cranbrook Formation (Leech, 1954). Their maximum thickness
is about 300 m (984 ft). They pinch out northward against the Windermere High. Southward they
disappear 6 km (3.75 mi) south of 50°N as a result of depositional thinning (?) and intra-Cambrian
erosion.
Relationship to Other Units: Unconformably overlies Precambrian strata. Evidence of angular

unconformably is difficult to discern locally but obvious regionally. The wedge exposed near 49°30’N
rests on progressively older strata as it thickens westward. The wedge rests on the Gateway or the
Phillips Formation (upper Purcell) in the Rocky Mountains or the Kitchener Formation (lower Purcell)
in the Purcell Mountains, where western exposures contain Casts of the still older Creston Formation.
The Cranbrook Formation is overlain, apparently conformably by the pelitic Lower Cambrian Eager
Formation. Cranbrook strata in the Rocky Mountains near and northward from 50°N rest on the
Roosville Formation Upper Purcell), in the south and the Horsethief Creek Group (Windermere) in the
north. They are overlain conformably by arenaceous and calcareous Lower Cambrian beds and,
where these are lacking, unconformably by conglomerate, dolomitic sandstone and sandy dolomite
beneath typical strata of the Upper (?) Cambrian Jubilee Formation.
References: Rice, 1937, 1941; Schofield, 1922.
GBL
Lower Cretaceous
Crassier Group (Abandoned)
Author: Hughes, J.E., 1964a.
Type Locality: No type section was described.
Lithology: Coal measures containing mudstone, shale, siltstone, sandstone, conglomerates and coals.
The group was divided, in ascending order into the Brenot, Dresser and Gething formations. The
Brenot Formation was described as thin repetitions of shale, siltstone and sandstone; the Dresser
Formation as coarse sandstone and conglornerate; and the Gething Formation as cyclical deposits
containing a greater proportion of shale and numerous coal seams.
Thickness and Distribution: Between 1066.8 and 1143 m (3500 and 3750 ft) thick in the Pine River
Valley, northeastern British Columbia (Hughes, 1964b).
Relationship to Other Units: Hughes suggested that a disconformity separated the geaudette and
Crassier Groups (Hughes 1964a. p. 29). He believed that the group was deposited without any major
break of discontinuity (Hughes, 1964a, p. 2). The contact with overlying Moosebar Shale of the Fort St.
John Group was regarded as disconformable. Stott (1967,1973) demonstrated that an erosional
unconformity occurs within the succession. Interbedded fine grained sandstones shale, siltstone and
minor coal lying below the unconforrnity are much more closely related to thse underlying Monach,
Beattie Peaks and Monteith formations; sandstone (Cadomin) and coal bearing beds (Gething) are
part of another depositional episode. The interval between the Fernie and Cadomin formations was
defined previously as Minnes. For those reasons Stott (1967. 1973), rejected the use of the Crassier.
References: Hughes, 1964a, 1964b; Stott, 1967,1973.
DFS
Middle Protozoic
Creston Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Author: Daly, R.A., 1905, p. 96. Described and redefined by Schofield, S.J., 1912, p. 224.
Type Locality: Moyie Lake, southeastern British Columbia (Schofield, 1915).
History: Daly (1905) suggested that exposures at McKim Cliff near Porthill, southeastern British
Columbia serve as the type section, but Schofield (1912, p. 220) showed that these rocks belong to the
Aldridge Formation. The name Creston was maintained for strata between rusty weathering quartzites
and argillites of the Aldridge Formation and calcareous rocks of Kitchener Formation.
Lithology: The Creston Forrnation consists of interbedded green, grey and purple siltite, argillite and
quartzite. Mud-cracks, ripple marked surfaces and rip-up debris layers are locally abundant throughout
the formation, except in the Lardeau East Half map-area (Reesor, 1973). In most areas the formation
can be subdivided into a lower unit dominated by argillite, a middle unit dominated by coarse grained
siltite, and an upper unit dominated by argillite. Grey and green-grey, irregularly inter-laminated siltite
and argillite generally occur at the base, but are absent near Kootenay Lake (Reesor, 1958), and are
subordinate to very thin bedded, green, argillaceous quartzites in the Lizard Range (McMechan,
1979). Green and purple, irregularly inter-laminated to very thinly interbedded siltite and argillite
comprise the remainder of the lower unit. The middle unit consists of distinctive thin bedded, purple-
grey, grey or green, commonly purple mottled, very coarse grained siltite with minor interbedded green
or purple argillite. Green and purple laminated siltite and argillite, with thin interbeds of green, very fine
grained quartzite comprise the upper unit. Strata become dolomitic near the top of the formation.
Tabular lenses of fine to very coarse grained, white, cross-bedded quartzite occur interbedded with all
but the basal grey siltite in eastern exposures; these quartzites are absent in the west.
Thickness and Distribution: The Creston is exposed in the western Hughes and Lizard Ranges of the
southern Rocky Mountains, and the southern Purcell Mountains. Its thickness varies from 900 m (2952
ft) in the Lizard Range to over 2400 m (7872 ft) in Lardeau East Half map-area.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit conformably overlies the Aldridge Formation and is conformably
overlain by the Kitchener Formation. It is correlative with the combined Burke, Revett and St. Regis
formations of the Ravalli Group in the United States and with the combined Appekunny and Grinnell
formations of the Clark Range.
References: Daly, 1950, Hoy, 1978; Leech, 1958; McMechan, 1978,1979; Reesor, 1958, 1973; Rice,
1937, 1941; Schofield, 1912, 1915.
MEM,RAP
Cripple Tongue (Mount Hawk Formation)
Author: Dooge, J., 1966.
Type Locality: Gertie Creek, a small tributary stream of Onion Creek, in the front range, 7 km (4.2 mi)
southeast of the North Ram River gap and 34 km (21 mi) south of Nordegg, Alberta (52°09’N,
116°04tW).
History: The name was applied by Dooge (1966) to a particular facies of his Southesk Formation at the
northern margin of the Fairholme carbonate complex of the Fairholme Group. Dooge did not use the
formational nomenclature of the basin sediments of the Fairholme Group; instead he described the
basinal sediments as facies Within the Southesk Formation. The Cripple tongue is currently
understood as a tongue of the upper Mount Hawk Formation which covers the Peechee Mennber of
the Southesk Forneation at the northern nnargin of the FairhoJme buildup. The term Cripple Tongue
has been informally applied to other exposures where similar stratigraphic relationships exist, but it
remains a local inforrnal stratigraphic terns.
Lithology: The Cripple Tongue consists of nodular, argillaceous limestone and calcareous shale which
weathers medium grey to buff. In the vicinity of the type section the Cripple Tongue contains two
prominent limestone bands, but the usual occurrence of the limestone is as irregular nodules which
weather out to form a muddy talus. Brachiopods, crinoids and bryozoa are common and characteristic;
solitary corals are present but generally rare.
Thickness and Distribution: The Cripple Tongue is 29 m (96 ft) thick at Gertie Creek. In the front range,
Ram River area it varies between 26 and 44 m (85 and 145 ft) thick and thins as it onlaps the
Fairholme carbonate buildup of the Fairholme Group. At the Hummingbird Creek exposure of the
Fairholme buildup margin, in the next thrust sheet to the west (Ram Range) the Cripple Tongue is
between 29 and 64 m (128 and 210 ft) thick (Harrison and Jackson, 1978) .
The name “Cripple Tongue” is only properly applied to the northern margin of the Fairholme complex
and the distribution of the Cripple Tongue is therefore limited to this area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Cripple Tongue is essentially a tongue of upper Mount Hawk
Formation basinal elastics which projects into the margin of the Fairholme carbonate buildup of the
Fairholme Group. As such, the Cripple Tongue transgresses over the Peechee Member of the
Southesk Formation and is overlain by dark biostromal dolomites of the Grotto Member. The Cripple
Tongue loses its identity in off-reef positions, where it becomes part of the Mount Hawk Formation. The
buildup end of the Cripple Tongue passes through facies change into the Grotto Member of the
Southesk Formation. At places in the buildup interior (e.g., South Ram River) it is not possible to
precisely separate Grotto and Cripple tongue lithologies (Harrison, 1978). More work needs to be
done on this facies change (see Grotto Member).
Lithostratigraphically the Cripple Tongue is analogous to tongues of the upper Ireton Formation Shale
which cover many Leduc reefs in the subsurface.
Paleontology: Dooge (1978) listed the following as characteristic of the Cripple Tongue: Atrypa
hackberryensis Stainbrook, Cyrtospirifer whitneyi, Schuchertella cf. prava Hall, Schizophoria cf.
iowaensis, Gypidula cornuta Hall, Nervostrophia sp. Atrypa cilisipes Crickmay, Actinopyllum
stramineum (Billings), Tabulophyllum sp. Thamnopora sp., Alveolites sp., Hexagonaria sp., Coenites
sp., Syringopora sp., Aulopora sp., Phillipsastrea cf. woodmani (White), Cladopora sp.
Dooge, using the biostratigraphy of Raasch (in Dooge, 1966) placed emphasis on the Cripple Tongue
fauna as providing a time line identifiable across facies changes in the buildup to basin transition.
References Dodge, 1966, 1978; Harrison, 1978; Harrison and Jackson, 1978.
MPC; EWM
Lower Cretaceous
Crooked Hole Sand (Blairmore Group)
Author: Unknown, a driller’s term.
Type Locality: Turner Valley oil field, Alberta.
History: During the drilling of the Turner Valley field the drillers, particularly with cable tools had
difficulty keeping the hole straight in this sand.
Lithology: Buff, very fine grained, calcareous quartz sandstone, with scattered pin points of glauconite
Thickness and Distribution: Approximatelv 3 m (10 ft) thick; present throughout the southern Alberta
Foothills belt.
Relationship to Other Units: Underlies the Home Sand by about 15 m (50 ft) and is at the top of a limy
series in the marine phase of the lower Blairmore. The oslracod Metacypris has been found below the
Crooked Hole sand in the north end of the Turner Valley field.
Reference: Alberta P. & N.G. Conservation Board, 1949.

Crossfield Till (Informal)
Type Locality: Northwest corner of Calgary Airport, in centre of Sec. 2, Twp. 25, Rge. 1W5N4, Alberta.
aA reference section is located about :] miles northwest of Crossfield in a roadcut in the NW/4, Sec.
10, Tp. 29, R. 1 .N (Tharin, p. 72).
History: Introduced in Ph.D. thesis, not described elsewhere. Further used by Rutter and Wynder,
1969, p. 4.
Lithology: A sandy, silty, brown till with calcareous matrix that contains more Shield stones than the
Balzac TiII.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality 2 m (7 ft) thick, elsewhere up to 5 m (16 ft). Recorded
only from eastern margin of Calgary map-area (Tharin, 1960, Plate 1).
Relationsnip to Other Units: Generally overlies bedrock, or else Lochend Till or stratified drift with
gradational contact. Westward grades into Balzac Till, and this contact is placed arbitrarily at the
eastern boundary of the Foothills Erratics Train. Generally exposed at surface. Corresponds to Buffalo
Lake Till, as mapped directly east of the Calgary map-area (Stalker, 1973).
Other Features: Assigned a Wisconsin age by Tharin (1960, p. 61). Deposited by a Laurentide glacier.
Tharin (p. 83) described the “Crossfield Stratified Drift” as a separate unit. Its type locality is an
outwash fan in Sec. 2 and 11, Twp. 23, Rge. 1W5M. Only gravel is mentioned as a constituent, and the
unit is described only from the southeast part of the Calgary map-area. As this drift unit is described
solely in a thesis, and has the same name as another unit, its name should be considered as informal.
References: Harris and Waters, 1977; Rutter and Wyder, 1969; Stalker, 1973; Tharin, 1960.
AMacSS
Upper Devonian (Fammennian)
Crossfield Member (Stettler Formation/Wabamun Group)
Author: Petroleum and Natural Gas Conservation Board, Alberta, Schedule of Wells Drilled for Oil and
Gas in 1956, p. 12.
Type Locality: Crossfield and Crossfield east gas Fields north and northeast of Calgary, Alberta at
about 2650 m (8692 ft) subsea. Reference sections are in Shell Crossfield No. 1 (4-22-27-1W5M)
between 280Z.2 and 2852.9 m (9210 and 9360 ft) and Pan Am et al. R-3 Crossfield East 6-24-29-
1W5M, between 2620.1 m and 2653.6 m (8596 and 8706 ft).
History: The term Crossfield Member was used in 1956 by the Alberta Conservation Board for: a
biostromal member approximately 300 feet below the Exshaw; brown fine to medium crystalline
dolomite with porosity in the southern Alberta Plains. However, the name had been introduced earlier
by operators fo r the potentiaIIy productive porous zone.
Lithology: The Crossfield Member consists typically of a sequence of secondary (very fine to medium
crystalline) dolomite that exhibits varying amounts of intercrystalline, pinpoint and vuggy porosity. Light
colored algal-laminated dolomite that occasionally is gastropod-rich, and dark colored
stromatoporoidal dolomite with the stromatoporoids partly to completely replaced/infilled by secondary
anhydrite are two common lithologies.
Thickness and Distribution: The member ranges from zero to about 35 m (115 ft) in thickness in the
type area, but in the foothills it can be up to 100 m (328 ft) thick. It is well developed in a north-south
trend through the Olds, Lone Pine, Crossfield, Calgary and Okotoks area of the southwestern plains of
Alberta. Westward the member can be recognized in the subsurface Palliser Formation of the foothills
and can be seen in outcrop along Limestone Creek on the north side of Limestone Mountain. It is
identifiable in the Limestone-Burnt Timber-Panther gas fields and extends north to Brazeau River
(Twp. 45, Rge. 13W5M and south to Savanna Creek (Twp. 14, Rge. 4W5M).
Relationship to Other Units: The Crossfield Member is underlain and overlain by relatively non-
permeable microcrystalline dolomites and anhydrites of the Stettler Formation (Wabamun Group).
Eastward the unit changes facies to lithologies similar to those above and below it, creating a major
stratigraphic trap. Westward the unit eventually changes to limestones of the Palliser Formation, with
the lower beds of the unit passing to limestone first. Southwestward of Okotoks-Savanna Creek the
unit loses its distinctive limits because the anhydrites of the overlying beds are not well developed and
porosity may occur much higher in the Palliser Formation of the foothills subsurface or the Wabamun
of the plains.
References: Andrichuk, 1960; Belyea, 1957; Mason and Ridded, 1959; Metherell and Workman, 1969;
Workrnan and Metherell, 1969.
LSE
Lower Silurian (Llandoverian)
Cross Lake Member
(Cedar Lake Formation, Interlake Group)
Type Locality: Named originally for exposures on Cross Lake, Manitoba. This area has been flooded
by the forebay of the Grand Rapids hydro development, and the exposures are now largely
submerged. The only alternative outcrop section, described by Stearn is at Crossing Bay on the west
shore of Moose Lake (in the vicinity of Sec. 4, Twp. 56, Rge. 20WPM). No suitable reference core holes
have been drilled to date.
Lithology: Medium to coarse grained bioclastic dolomite, in many places a crinoidal calcarenite, pale
yellowish orange, medium bedded, soft and porous, containing much pale orange earthy material.
Corals and stromatoporoids locally abundant in nodular interbeds. Weathers to a highly irregular,
pitted surface with interbeds of compact dense dolomite.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickest measured section is only 3.4 m (11 ft) thick Tlhe thickness is
variable due to lateral facies changes. The Cross Lake Member has been mapped only in the Cross
Lake and Unloose Lake fleas of Manitoba; no other outcrop occurrences are known in southern
hfanitoba. and the unit has not been correlated into the subsurface.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is conformable with the underlying East Arrn Dolomite. The
contact with the overlying Cedar Lake Dolomite is also conformable, and in part the bioclastic Cross
Lake strata pass laterally into dense dolomites of the Cedar Lake. Cross Lake strata comprise part of
Baillie’s (1951) outcrop unit D, and are not differentiated within the Cedar Lake Formation (middle
Interlake) of the subsurface (King. 1964; Jamieson, 1979, Porter and Fuller, 1959)
References: Baillie, 1951; Jamieson, 1979; King, 1964; Stearn, 1956; Porter and Fuller, 1959.
HRM
Late Proterozoic
Crowfoot Dyke
Author: Unknown.
Type Locality: Not specified, but by custom road-cut outcrop at 31.7 km (19.8 mi) north of Highway 1
on Highway 97, opposite Crowfoot Glacier, near Bow Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta.
History: The dyke was described in some detail by Smith (1963), and mentioned in remarks by Aitken
(1969).
Lithology: Greenish black, medium grained metadiabase.
Thickness and Distribution: The dyke, 58 m (190 ft) wide strikes N43°E from the highway. It disappears
below the quaraites of the Gog Group to the northeast and reappears beneath the covering quartzites
above Helen Creek (see map of Smith,1963).
Relationship to Other Units: The Crowfoot dyke is intrusive into the upper Proterozoic Hector
Formation. Smith (1963) maintained that the dyke “grades out” into the Hector Formation upward
without contacting the Gog )”Jonas Creek”) quartzites. Aitken (1969) maintained that the dyke is
erosional truncated at the base of the Gog. The dyke probably was ernplaced during the same igneous
episode as was a metadiabase sill in Miette Croup strata at Ferro Pass, north of Mount Assiniboine
No intrusive rocks are known to cut the Gog Group in the Rocky Mountains main ranges. If the dyke is
truncated at the base of the Lower Cambrian Gog Group its age is Late Precambrian, possible
Ediacaran (see “Hector Formation”).
References: Aitken,1969; Smith,1963.
JDA
Crowfoot Formation (Winterburn Group)
Author: Belyea, H.R. and McLaren, D.J., 1957.
Type Locality: Royalite Crowfoot No. 2, in 4-4-21-19W4M Alberta, between 1658.4 and 1662 4 m
(5441 and 5454 ft). Supplementary section in Socony Craigmyle No. 1, in 12-32-32-16W4M, between
1452.4 and 1490.5 m (4765 and 4890 ft).
Lithology: Anhydrite, light grey to brown and red, grey silty dolomite, with thin siltstone lenses; green!
grey and brown shale, in places containing coarse sand grains. In places consists of interbedded
siltstone and green shale.
Thickness and Distribution: Locally absent, 3.9 m (13 ft) thick at the type section, ranging up to 38 m
(125 ft). The Crowfoot is equivalent to the Calmar and part of the Graminia fommations. It locally
includes evaporite facies of the upper part of the Nisku Formation. To the south and east of the type
area (in northern Montana, southern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba) Crowfoot
equivalents are present in the Torquay Formation.
Relationship to Other Units: iIn the type area in southern Alberta the Crowfoot is overlain by the
Stettler Formation and overlies the Arcs Member of the Southesk Formation.
References: Belyea, in: McCrossan and Glaister (Eds.), 1964; Belyea and McLaren, 1957; Douglas, et
al., 1970; Woodhead, 1960.
HRB
Middle Jurassic (Bajocian-Bathonian)
Crow Indian Lake Member (Disused)
(Sawtooth Formation, Ellis Group)
Author: Weir, J.D., citing unpublished information by G.M. Furnival.
Type Locality: Dominion Crow Indian Lake Province No. 1, in 6-27-4-13W4M, southeastern Alberta,
History: This member name has not been subsequently used in the literature and is not used in
subsurface practice, as it has no proven economic significance and is difficult to correlate.
Lithology: Very fine to fine grained, argillaceous, bioclastic quartz-arenite, with calcite cement
increasing from base to top. The sequence coarsens upward subtly, is dominated by bioturbation and
is the product of prograding shoreface sedimentation.
Thickness and Distribution: Poorly defined. It is generally 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) thick in the vicinity of the
type well, although its distribution is patchy, as it pinches out against topographic highs on the
subjacent post-Mississippian unconformity.
Relationship to Other Units: Away from the type area the Crow Indian Lake Member grades into and
becomes indistinguishable from overlying members of the Sawtooth. It is corrparable in stratigraphic
position and ethology to the lower sandstone member of the Sawtooth in Montana as described by
Cobban (1945).
References: Cobban, 1945; Davies, 1983; Weir, 1949.
BJH
Cretaceous (Mid to Upper Albian)
Crowsnest Formation
Author: Dawson, G.M., 1886 (first published).
Type Locality: Exposure along Highway No. 3, 1.6 km (1 mi) west of Coleman, Alberta. Previously
designated principal reference section by Norris (1964)
History: G.M. Dawson (1886) was the first to describe the occurrence of the unusual fragmental rocks
of the Crowsnest Formation which occur as a prominent ridge in the Crowsnest Pass. The term
“Crowsnest Volcanics” was first introduced by Leach in 1914. Hage (1943) coined the term “crowsnest
Formation”. Norris (1964) designated a principal reference section which combined road and railway
cuts on the south end of Iron Ridge, 1.6 km (1 mi) west of Coleman. Adair (1986) proposed that a new
exposure along Highway No. 3 at the principal reference section be designated as the type section for
the Crowsnest Formation. It is the only complete exposure through the formation.
Lithology: An upper and lower member have oeen identified by Adair (1986). The lower member is
recessive and is composed of thinly to thickly bedded air-fall pyroclastic flow, surge and lahar
deposits. The deposits are crystal-rich and range in color from pink, green to purple. Many are welded.
The upper member is a resistant ridge-former dominated by coarse, dark green pyroclastic breccias
containing fragments up to 3 m (10 ft). The rock range in size from fine ash to very coarse pyroclastic
bneccias. Lava flows are relatively rare, though they are well represented by fragments in the
pyroclastics. Epiclastic rocks occur frequently in areas removed from Coleman where they interfinger
with sediments of the upper Blairmore Group. Compositionally the Crowsnest suite is classified as
tristanite of the potassic, alkaline basalt series, with blairmorite representing a sodic differentiate
Sanidine, melanite garnet, aegirine-augite and analcime are the dominant mineral species.
Thickness: In the vicinity of Coleman the deposits achieve a thickness of 404 m (1325 ft) (Adair, 1986).
The lower and upper members are 124 m (407 ft) and 280 m (918 ft) thick at this location. A maximum
of 484 m (1586 ft) for the formation has been reported. The formation thins rapidly away from Coleman.
The maximum area of distribution is between 49°10’N and 50°10’N, 114°25’W and 114°45’W.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformable and interfingering lower contact with the Ma Butte
Formation, unconformably overlain (70+ m, 230+ ft of relief on the unconformity; Adair, 1986) by the
Blackstone Formation. At Coleman it is directly overlain by the Sunkay Member carrying Inoceramus
labiatus and Watinoceras (Giaister, 1958). Correlates with the Red Speck Zone and the Viking
Formation (Adair, 1986).
References: Dawson, 1886; Leach, 1906, 1914; MacKenzie, 1914; Hage, 1943; Douglas, 1950; Norris,
1964; Pearce, 1967, 1970; Adair, 1986.
RNA
CrukShank Member, Bearpaw Formation
Author: Caldwell, W.G .E ., 1968.
Type Locality: The segment of the South Saskatchewan River walley from Outlook in the north to the
Saskatchewan Landing bridge in the south, in southwestern Saskatchewan the type locality
encompasses Cruikshank Coulee, on the southeastern bank of the river, 4.8 km (3 mi) northwest of
Cruikshank and 21 km (12.8 mi) east of the confluence of Swig Current Creek and the South
Saskatchewan River. The type section lies within the coulee in the northeast of Sec. 35, Twp. 19, Rge.
11W3M, where the member is completely exposed in contact with grey shales of the underlying
Snakebite Member and the overlying Aquadell Member.
Lithology: Sand, grey to greyish brown, weathering pale greyish brown to buff, fine to rnedium grained,
noncalcareous, iron stained, compacted but weakly lithified, the lowest 3 m (10 h), transitional to the
underlying Snakebite Member in being clayey and silty, containing a few concretions of grey
calcareous sandstone. Similar concretions, weathering rusty brown, ovoid to tabular, 0.6 to 0.9 m (2 to
3 ft) in diameter and locally pavement forming, give rise to a much more prominent layer 3.7 m (12 ft)
below the top of the member.
Thickness and Distribution: Because it is relatively high in the formational sequence and commonly
above the level of the bedrock erosion surface the Cruikshank Member is difficult to trace with much
continuity through the type and surrounding areas. It is 12 m (39 at) thick in the type section and seems
to remain comparably thick throughout its extent. Probably a blanket sand like the underlying sandy
members of the Bearpaw Formation, it has been recognized patchily from the northern part of the type
area southwestwards to the Cypress Hills. Beyond the type area its distribution in other directions is
unknown; it has probably largely been removed by pre-Pleistocene erosion.
Relationship to Other Units: The Cruikshank Member lies conformably between the Snakebite
Member and the Aquadell Member. Although contacts are sufficiently sharp to be drawn without
ambiguity the lowest Cruikshank sands and the lowest Aquadell clays are distinctly transitional in their
lithological characteristics. Lateral relationships of the Cruikshank Member can only be elucidated
southwestwards. About the northern slopes of the Cypress Hills the member passes by facies change
into clays of the lvlanyberries Member of the Bearpaw Formation, just below the contact with sands of
the Oxarart Member.
Paleontology: Scaphitid ammonites and certain bivalves, recovered from the main concretionary layer
of the Cruikshank Member in Snakebite Creek, indicate the likelihood of the member falling within the
Baculites eliase Zone of the ammonite zonal sequence. The scant foraminiferal fauna of the member
places it low in the Haplophragmoides excavata Zone, the highest zone of the foraminiferal zonal
sequence in the southern interior plains
References: Caldwell, 1968; Caldwell et al., 1978; North and Caldwell. 1970, 1975a, b.
WGEC; RJH
Lower to Upper Cretaceous (Latest Albian to Early Cenomanian)
Cruiser Formation
(Fort St. John Group)
Author: Proposed by Wickenden, R.T.D. and Shaw, G. (1943, p. 8) for marine shales underlying the
Dunvegan Formation in the Pine River valley, northeastern British Columbia.
Type Locality: Wickenden and Shaw indicated that the formation was well exposed on Cruiser
Mountain north of Pine River, northeastern British Columbia, and McLearn and Kindle (1950, p. 83)
stated specifically that the type locality was there. The shales are no longer exposed at that locality,
and Stott, (1968, p. 100) designated a second section east of Young Creek, on the south side of Pine
River, Dawson Creek map-area, northeastern British Columbia, 55°36’N, 121°46’W.
Lithology: The formation comprises a variable succession of dark grey marine shale, interbedded
argillaceous siltstone and fine grained and finely laminated marine sandstone. Some sideritic
concretions are present. In the western foothills thick to massive bedded sandstone units occur within
typical Cruiser Shale.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation extends along the foothills of northeastern British Columbia
frorn Peace River to Mount Belcourt north of Kakwa River. It ranges in thickness from about 230 m
(750 ft) in the eastern foothills to about 105 m (350 ft) in the western foothills, the variation being
attributed to lateral facies changes in equivalent beds and in the overlying and underlying formations.
Relationship to Other Units: At Mount Belcourt both upper and lower contacts are abrupt, distinct, and
may be disconformable. Elsewhere the lower contact with the underlying Goodrich sandstones
appears distinct. The contact with the overlying Dunvegan Formation is gradational, lying at the top of
a thick succession of interbedded sandstone and shale. beds equivalent to the Cruiser Formation are
found in the upper part of the Shaftesbury Formation in the subsurface of the Peace River Plains. The
Cruiser Formation correlates with the Sully Formation of the region between Peace and Liard rivers.
Paleontology: No diagnostic fossils have been recovered from the Cruiser Formation. Its age is
inferred from its position between well dated beds. It lies on the Coodrich Formation, which contains
the Late Albian Neogastroplites fauna and is overlain by the Dunvegan Formation containing the
Cenomanian Inoceramus dunveganesis fauna.
References: McLearn and Kindle, 1950; Stott. 1968, 1982; Wickenden and Shaw, 1943.
DFS
Lower Cretacesus (Upper Albian)
Crystal Clinobed (Viking Formation, Colorado Group)
Author: Evans, W.E., 1970; Simpson, E, 1975, in prep.
Type Locality: The name is taken from the Royalite Crystal No. 1 well in 10-33-30-24W3M, western
Saskatchewan which penetrated the maximum thickness observed by Evans (1970). The type section
is in the Imperial Eureka Col Smi 9-25V-31-23W3M well, between 701.3 and 704.4 m (2301 and 2311
ft).
History: The existence of clinobeds in the Viking Formation of the Dodsland-Hoosier production locale
of west-central Saskatchewan was first demonstrated by Reasoner and Hunt (1954a) A systenn of
members, alphabetically designated “K”, Upper “L”, Lower “L” “M”, “N” and “O” was worked out
independently by Evans (1970) on the basis of detailed electriclog correlation. Simpson (1975. in
prep.) examined the lithologic variation in these units and named them; the Crystal clinobed is
equivalent to the “Lower L” member of Evans (op. cit.).
Lithology: Shaly, fine to coarse grained sandstone and subordinate conglomerate and pebbly
sandstone. The shaly sandstone consists of largely fine grained sandstone beds, a few centimetres
thick, regularly alternating in vertical sequence with noncalcareous mudstones of similar thickness.
There is a progressive upward decrease in the proportion of interbedded mudstone, accompanied by
an increase in the degree of biogenic disruption of primary layering. The sandstones are glauconitic in
places. Conglomerates and pebbly sandstones occur locally at the base of the unit.
Thickness and Distribution: The maximum thickness of the Crystal Clinobed is about 11 m (86 ft). The
unit forms a west-southwesterly trending belt across the central part of the Dodsland-Hoosier
production locale in west-central Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units- The Crystal Clinobed onlaps the Hoosier Clinobed in the north and
oversteps the Joli Fou Forrnation farther south. The unit is locally conglomeratic where it rests upon
the Joli Fou shales. The Crystal Clinobed is overlapped by both the St. Eloi and Merrington Clinobeds.
The contact with the St. Eloi shaly sandstones is gradational, but that with the Merrington Clinobed is
sharply defined by the base of a prominent bentonitic mudstone. In the northern part of the production
area the Crystal Clinobed passes into sandy shale.
References: Evans, 1970; Jones, 1961 a, 1961b; Reasoner and Hunt, 1954a, 1954b; Simpson, 1975,
1979d in prep.
FS
Lower Cretaceous
Cummings Member (Clearwater Formation, Mannville Group)
Type Locality: Northwest Mannville No. 1 well, in Lsd. 1, Sec 18, Twp. 50, Rge. 8W4M, Alberta,
Lithology: Nauss (1945) described the Cummings member as principally dark grey to black shale
containing abundant pyrite and foraminifera. Beds of salt-and-pepper sandstone are common and a
coal seam occurs r ear the base in the type section. To the south and east, and in the Lloydminster
area the Cummings is a clean, bar-type sandstone and the term Cummings is more often used in
relation to this sandstone than the shales described by Nauss.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness varies from zero to 27.5 m (90 ft) in the type area and thins to
the south. The member thickens to the north and is probably equivalent, in part to the Clearwater
Shale, which is about 80 rn (275 it) thick on the Athabasca River. The Cummings Member can be
differentiated from rocks above and below it by the presence of characteristic foraminifera in its shales.
It can be correlated to the Ostracod Zone in centraI Alberta.
References. Badgley, 1952; Loranger, 1951; Mellon and Wall, 1956; Vigrass, 1977: Wickenden, 1948;
Workman,1958.
PEP, AIB
Upper Proterozoic
Cunningham Formation (Cariboo Group)
Author: Holland, S.S.,1954; Sutherland-Brown, A., 1963; Campbell, R. B. et al.,1973.
Type Locality: Reference Section: Haggen Creek, northern Caribou Mountains (53°28’N, 121°13’W),
British Columbia.
History: Originally only one limestone unit was recognized in the Cariboo Group, leading to grouping
of the Cunningham and Mural formations into a single “limestone unit’. These were separated into two
formations by Campbell et al. (1973).
Lithology: The Cunningham Formation consists of plaformal, bedded to massive, recrystallized grey
limestone, with abundant pisolites, oolites, pellets, algal coated grains and intraclasts. Dolostone with
minor quartz is present near the top. Sandstone and madstone are minor constituents. The
Cunningham is typified by non-skeletal particles formed in a shallow marine, platformal environment.
Thickness and Distribution: The Cunningham Formation is thickest near the reference section (550 m,
1804 ft). It thins to about 240 m (787 ft) and becomes more dolomitic eastward near the southern
Rocky Mountain trench north of Goat River, to 135 m (443 ft) at Holy Cross Mountain, east of the
Trench, and reaches its depositional edge southeast of Morkill Riven The section at Holy Cross
Mountain may include shales equivalent to pan of the Yankee Belle Formation in its upper part.
Relationship to Other Unis: The Cunningham Formation abruptly, but apparently conformably overlies
black phyllite and limestone of the Isaac Formation. It is conformably overlain by the Yankee Belle
Formation in the western Cariboo Mountains. In the eastern Cariboos the basal sandstone of the
Yankee Belle Formation locally truncates bedding in dolostone beds of the uppermost Cunningham
Formation.
References: Campbell et al., 1973; Holland, 1954; Pell and Simony, 19S7; Sutherland-Brown, 1963.
MRM
Triassic
Cutbank (Braebum, Valhalla) Sandstone
Author: None.
The term Cutbank Sandstone is an informal name used locally. It is also known as Valhalla and
Braeburn.
Type Locality: Peace River Arch, northwestern Alberta, Twp. 72, Rge. 7W6M to Twp. 79, Rge 13W6M.
Reference sections in: CEGO et al. Saddle Hills 6-23-77-10W6M, between 1816 and 1820 m (5953
and 5968 ft), and Total PCP Knopcik 6-2-74-10W6M, between 2123 and 2127 m (6963 and 6977 ft).
Lithology: Mainly fine grained, well sorted quartzose sandstone with dolomite cement. It is apparently
a shallow marine shelf deposit, preserved basinward of a former shoreline to the east. Hydrocarbons
are produced at several fields that were diiscovered in the 1980’s
Thickness and Distribution: The Cutbank Sandstone is 5 to 6 m (16 to 20 ft) thick. It is present
throughout the type locality except where removed by truncation to the east beneath the Mid-Charlie
Lake (Coplin) unconformity
Relationship to Other Units: This member of the Charlie Lake Formation lies between the Halfway and
Boundary Lake formations. It lies below, and is locally truncated by the Mid-Charlie Lake (Coplin)
unconformity. It lies conformably above the Demmit Member, and below the La Glaze Member.
JAD
Cut Bank Sandstone
(Lower Manville Formation, Mannville Group)
Author: Blixt, J.E., 1941.
Type Locality: None specified or described. The Cut Bank was first penetrated in the Sandpoint Berger
No. 1 well, in SENW, Sec. 1, Twp. 35N, Rge. 5W (Montana), between 846.7 and 859.5 m (2778 and
2820 ft). Mudge and Rice (1982) described an outcrop reference section on Badger Creek in the
Blackfeet Indian Reservation Montana) in NESW Sec. 3, Twp. 29N, Rge 11W. Hayes (1986)
designated a subsurface reference section in the Decalta et al. MiIk River well in 2-4-1-17W4M, in
Alberta, between 839.1 and 855.3 m (2753 and 2806 ft).
History: The basal Cretaceous sandstone in the Cut Bank field area was originally called the Darling
sand, but was renamed the Cut Bank in the early 1930’s. Blixt (1941) mapped it across the Cut Bank
field area, and Gallagher (1957) extended the mapping westward to the foothills outcrop. Glaister
(1959) recognized that the Cut Bank could be correlated northward into Alberta.
Lithology: The Cut Bank is a sandstone composed primarily of quarts and chert, dominantly medium
grained but ranging from conglomeratic to very fine, and becoming generally coarser westward. It
contains coaly material and locally abundant mudstone clasts. Sedimentary structures include
abundant scour surfaces overlain by fining upward sequences, with large scale planar cross-
stratification and massive bedding predominating in various sections Finer grained intervals are
present in restricted areas, usually described as dark, argillaceous siltstones, which split the Cut Bank
into lower and upper intervals.
Thickness and Distribution: The Cut Bank lies west of an erosional scarp, trending northsouth in
Alberta through Rge. 16W4M. It is thickest in a valley mapped along the edge of the sharp, reaching
25 to 30 m (82 to 98 ft) at the maximum. It is mapped westward as a thinner blanket deposit, and is 11
m (36 ft) thick at the surface reference section. The Cut Bank is correlative across an area exceeding
9216 km2 (3600 mi2) in southwestern Alberta and northwestern Montana.
Relationship to Other Units: The Cut Bank overlies an unconformity cutting marine shales and
sandstones of the Jurassic Swift and Rierdon formations. It grades upward into interbedded
mudstones, siltstones and sandstones of the lower Mannville and Kootenai formations. Several local
oil field terms ane used for parts or all of the Cut Bank Sandstone, such as the Cosmos, Vanalta, and
Taher sandstones. The Cadomin Formation is its correlative to the west and north in Alberta.
References: Blixt, l941: Dobbin and Erdmann, 1934; Gallagher, 1957; Glaister, 1959; Hayes, 1986;
Mudge and Rice, 1982.
BJH
Cynthia Member (Nisku Formation)
Type Locality: Chevron-Norcen PL Brazeau 7-4-49-12W5M, between 3072 and 3104 m (10080 and
10185 ft); entirely cored.
Lithology: A lower unit of 7 m (22 ft) of dark grey calcareous. silty shale which is sparsely fossiliferous
(brachiopods, charophytes). it has a mudstone texture with moderate fissility. An upper unit of 25 m (83
ft) of very calcareous, argillaceous siltstone, with many beds grading to very silty, argillaceous
limestone. It is, overall sparsely fossiliferous (brachiopods, charophytes, tentaculitids, gastropods,
crinoids), with some limestone beds containing corals and tabular stromatoporoids. Dominant texture
is that of mudstones with some wackestone beds. Minor accessory minerals are dolomite, anhydrite,
pyrite and organic matter
Thickness and Distribution: In the type section well the Cynthia is 32 m (105 ft) thick. It is present in the
West Pembina area, northwest of the Nisku Formation carbonate shelf. It thickens to the northwest into
undifferentiated sediments of the Winterburn Group. The member is absent in localities of the West
Pembina area where reefs (Zeta Lake Member) of the Nisku Formation are present.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Bigoray Member and underlies the Wolf Lake
Member of the Nisku Formation. Homotaxial with a portion of the reefs (Zeta Lake Member) of the
Nisku Formation of the West Pembina area. The member is believed to be homotaxial with a portion of
Nisku Formation massive carbonate shelf to the south and east, and loses its identity in the
undifferentiated shales of the Winterburn Group to the north and west.
Reverence: Exploration Staff, Chevron Standard Limited, 1979.
DAP; PAM
Oligocene
Cypress Hills Formation
Author: Williams, M.Y. and Dyer, W.S., 1930, p. 69.
Type Locality: None designated. However, Vonhof (1965, p. 153) described in detail a section in Lsd. 1
and 2 of Sec. 28, Twp. 7, Rge. 21W3M, southwestern Saskatchewan (at Anxiety Butte), and Russell
and Landes (1940, p. 96) based their description on an exposure in Lsds. 14 and 15 of Sec. 10, Twp. 8,
Rge. 3W4M, southeastern Alberta.
History: First referred to by McConnell (1885, p. 31C, 32C) as the Cypress Hills conglomerate and
sand. Davis (1918) called this unit the Cypress Hills Beds, Williarns and Dyer (1930, p. 69) used the
term Cypress Hills Formation, Fraser et al. (1935, p. 56) used both the terms beds and formation,
Russell and Landes (1940, p. 96) and most subsequent authors have used formation.
Lithology: Gravel and sand, locally cemented to a conglomerate; minor marl beds; stones mostly
quartzites and hard sandstones, with minor content of cherts and quartz, a few bones; stones typically
well rounded, many of the larger ones display chatter marks. Constituents generally finer grained in
Saskatchewan than in Alberta.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum thickness in Saskatchewan about 80 m (262 ft), average about
40 m (131 ft) (Vonhof, 1965, p. 143); the Anxiety Butte section is about 50 m (164 ft) thick; less is known
about thicknesses in Alberta, but they probably are similar or somewhat greater. The formation is
roughly co-extensive with the upland surface of the Cypress Hills in Alberta and Saskatchewan, but
also caps several small plateau remnants south of Frenchman River.
Relationship to Other Units: Generally overlies the Ravenscrag Formation; comrnanly exposed at
surface in unglaciated areas, elsewhere covered by drift or loess. Russell (1953, p. 110) and
Christiansen (1959, p. 30) correlated the Cypress Hills and Swift Current Creek formations due to
similar Lithology and vertebrate fauna.
References: Christiansen, 1959; Davis, 1918; Fraser et al., 1935; McConnell, 1895; Russell. 1950,
1953; Russell and Landes, 1940;Williams and Dyer, 1930.
AMacSS
Quaternary
Cypress Hills Loess (Informal narne)
Author: Westgate, J.A., 1965, p. 99.
Lithology: Presumably mostly silt but sandy towards north end of Cypress Hills, clayey to south;
typically massive, poorly sorted, stone free; commonly disturbed by frost action.
Thickness and Distribution: From 0.5 to 2 m (2 to 7 ft) thick, co-extensive with unglaciated parts of the
Alberta Cypress Hills Plateau and adjacent slopes to the south.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies Cypress Hills Formation; presumably the surface unit over its
range. Deposited by strong north winds, but time of deposition unknown beyond that it is post
Oligocene Cypress Hills Formation. Due to possible confusion with that formation, use of name
“Cypress Hills Loess” appears undesirable.
References: Westgate, 1965,1968.
AMacSS
Upper Devonian
D-1 (Redundant; superseded by Wabamun Group)
Author: Layer, D.B. et al., 1949, p. 584-587.
History: “D-1 zone” is the uppermost of a three part “temporary terminology” applied to the Upper
Devonian carbonates in the Leduc area and illustrated in Imperial Leduc No. 3, in Lsd. 10, Sec. 26,
Twp. 50, Rge. 26W4M, Alberta (Layer et al., 1949). There the “D-1” unconformably underlies Lower
Cretaceous siliciclastics and overlies the “anhydrite zone”. These two temporary names were replaced
by their authors (Imperial Oil staff, 1950, p. 1808 and 1809; chaired by Layer) with the Wabamun
Formation (D-1 and upper part of anhydrite zone) and Graminia Member (remainder of the anhydrite
zone above the Calmar Member formerly called “Red Bed zone”). Though formally replaced at the type
area, the D-1 is still used synonymously for the Wabamun Group.
References: Imperial Oil Ltd., Geological Staff, Western Division, 1950; Layer, D.B. et al.
LSE
D-2 (Nisku Formation)
Author: Layer, D.B., 1949.
Type Locality: British American Pyrcz No. 1 well, in 12-25-50-26W4M, in the Leduc oil field, Alberta,
between 1497 and 1545 m (4909 and 5065 ft).
History: D-2 was the informal term applied to the upper oil productive zone discovered in the Devonian
in the Leduc Field, the type section being in Imperial Leduc No. 1 well, in 10-26-50-26W4M. Imperial
Oil Limited Geological Staff (1950) named and defined the unit the Nisku Formation in the B.A. Pyrcz
No. 1 well.
Lexicon Committee
D-3 (Leduc Formation)
Author: Layer, D.B. (Staff, Imperial Oil Limited), 1949.
History: D-3 was the informal term applied to the lower oil productive zone discovered in the Devonian
in the Leduc Field. In 1950 the Geological Staff of Imperial Oil named and defined the Leduc
Formation to include the D-3.
JMA
Lower and Upper Cretaceous
Dakota Formation and Group
Author: Meek, F.B., and Hayden, M.D., 1862, p. 419, 420.
Type Locality: Vicinity of the town of Dakota, Dakota Co., Nebraska; Dakota Group type section re-
defined more precisely by Condra and Reed (1943) at the Missouri River Bluffs, 1.6 km (1 mi)
southeast of Homer, Nebraska, NE/4 Sec. 3, Twp. 27N, Rge. 4E. Type section of Dakota Group in
Colorado Front Range, 3.2 km (2 mi) north of Belleview, Larimer Co. Colorado, Sec. 13, Twp. 8N, Rge.
70W (Keroher et al., 1966).
History. Originally proposed as Dakota Sandstone by Sleek and Hayden (1862) for Cretaceous sands
and shales underlying the Benton shales in northeastern Nebraska. The term was subsequently
widely applied to the sandy strata that occur at or near the base of the Cretaceous succession in the
Western Interior Basin and form an essentially continuous time-transgressive lithostratigraphic unit of
Early to Late Cretaceous age. However, the term developed a specific age connotation, so that in
some areas the Dakota sandstone was redefined to include only those pre-Benton sandy strata
considered to be Upper Cretaceous, or dropped altogether. In other, often adjoining areas the Dakota
was raised to group rank and included is the entire basal Cretaceous sandy succession, and in the
type area in Nebraska and Kansas the term Dakota sandstone became used for the uppermost
formation of the Dakota Group (Keroher et al., 1966). The term is still widely, but not consistently used
in the Western United States. The Dakota Group of the Colorado Front Range is Lower Cretaceous
and includes all basal Cretaceous strata (Weimer and Land, 1972). The Dakota Formation of Kansas
probably spans the Lower-Upper Cretaceous boundary, and overlies Lower Cretaceous strata (Franks,
1975)
In Montana the term Dakota is used by some workers in industry for the Lower Cretaceous Fall River
Sandstone and the Flood Member of the Blackleaf Formation (Oakes, 1966, Rice, 1976). These strata
are underlain by the Lower Cretaceous Kootenai and Lakota formations, and are equivalent in
Canada to the Basal Colorado Sand or the lower part of the Bow Island Formation.
In Canada the term Dakota was used by early workers in the southern foothills and Rockies for strata
between the Benton shales (Alberta Group) above and the Kootenay below. Leach (1914) introduced
the term Blairmore for these strata because of the uncertainty of correlation zenith the type Dakota and
the recognition that these strata were Lower Cretaceous and this usage became accepted (Flower, in:
A.S.P.G., 1960, p. 40). However, because Slipper (1921) had used the term “Dakota” in his report on
the Sheep River Area the term was used by industry during the early development of Turner Valley
Field (Rutherford, 1927). The term Dakota was also used fin the central foothills, but only for the upper
part of the Blairmore-equivalent succession and has been replaced by the Mountain Park Formation
(Mellon, 1966). In that area the lower Blairmore equivalents, which have been renamed Luscar (i.e.,
Malcolm Creek and Gladstone of McLean, 1981) contain the principal coal seams and were
incorrectly correlated with the coal-bearing Kootenay of the southern foothills by early workers
(MacKay, 1928, p. 7B; Allan and Rutherford, 1934; Mellon, 1966, p. 68).
Canadian equivalents of the more inclusive Dakota Group include the Swan River-Skull Creek-
Newcastle (i.e., Ashville Sandstone) succession of Manitoba, the Blairmore-Joli Fou-Viking
succession of Saskatchewan and Alberta, and the Blairmore of the southern foothills and Rockies.
References: A.S.P.G. Lexicon, 1960; Allan and Rutherford, 1934; Condra and Reed, 1943; Franks,
1975; Keroher et al., 1966; Leach, 1914; MacKay, 1929c; Mclean, 1981; Meek and Hayden, 1862;
Mellon, 1966; Oakes, 1966; Rice, 1976; Slipper, 1921; Weimer and Land, 1972.
PAM; GZ
Lower Cretaceous
Dalhousie Conglomerate (Blairmore Group)
Author: First reference to this unit appears to have been in Hume, G.S., (1932, p. 48B), although it was
used as an oil field term before that date.
Type Locality: Named from the Dalhousie No. 5 well of the Turner Valley field, Alberta, in 16-30-19-
2W5M. Probably between 1454.5 and 1467.6 m (4800 and 4848 ft), judging by old written records (no
logs available).
History: The name has been used informally for the basal sandstone, pebbly sandstone or
conglomerate at the base of the Blairmore Group in oil and gas fields from Jumping Pound to Pincher
Creek. It is correlative with the Cadomin Formation, and in the interests of uniformity of nomenclature
the name Dalhousie has been dropped in favor of Cadomin (McLean, 1977, 1980).
Lithology: Sandstone, quartzose, very coarse to fine grained and sandy conglomerate predominate
clast sizes average 1 to 6 cm (0.4 to 2.4 in), but occasional 12 to 15 cm (4.7 to 6 in) clasts occur. Clast
composition is predominantly quartzite and chert. Proportions of conglomerate and sandstone are
very variable, but generally the proportion of conglomerate decreases to the east.
Thickness and Distribution: Reported thicknesses range from 6 to 21 m (20 to 69 ft) in the type area.
Elsewhere up to 33 m (108 ft) have been reported.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Kootenay Formation disconformably and is overlain abruptly
but conformably by the Gladstone Formation. Laterally equivalent to the Cadomin Formation and
probably the basal sandstone units in the Mannville Group.
References: Beach, 1943; Erdman, Belot and Slemko, 1953; Hume, 1932, 1938; McLean, 1980.
JRM
Mississippian (Osagean)
Dando Evaporite (Mission Canyon Formation, Madison Group)
Author: McCabe, H.R., 1959.
Type Locality: Named for stratigraphically distinct evaporite bed in the Anglo Exploration Dando 3-32-
1-25WPM well, in southwestern Manitoba. No type section describers, but the reference interval is
914.4 to 920.2 m (3000 to 3019 ft) .
Lithology: Massive, crystalline anhydrite, with minor dolomite interbeds. Dolomite patches and stringer
common towards the base.
Thickness and Distribution: The Dando ranges from zero to 12.2 m (40 ft) in thickness. Occurs as a
local remnant of a westward extending tongue of (basin margin) evaporite within Mission Canyon
(MC3) limestone. The unit forms the seat seal for the Waskada oil field. Its occurrence in Manitoba is
limited to the Waskada area (approximately Twps. 1 to 3, Rges. 25 to 26WPM), but the unit can be
traced along depositional strike into northern North Dakota. The name is applied only in the
subsurface of southwestern Manitoba.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is underlain and overlain conformably by, and grades laterally
into limestones of the MC3 Member of the Mission Canyon Formation, except where it is overlain
unconformably by lower Amaranth red beds in the subcrop belt. It correlates with the middle portion of
the Frobisher-Alida Beds of Saskatchewan and Noah Dakota, and can also be correlated lithologically
with the Charles Formation (facies) of North Dakota.
References: McCabe, 1959,1963.
HRM
Middle Triassic (Ladinian)
Dark Siltstones (Obsolete)
Type Locality: None designated, the beds are exposed in the foothills of the Peace, Halfway, Sikanni
Chief and Prophet River valleys, northeastern British Columbia.
History: A provisional name proposed by McLearn (1947). The name has been replaced in recent
years and the strata included as part of upper Mount Wright Formation by Colquhoun (1960, 1962)
and the upper Toad Formation by Gibson (1971, 1972).
Lithology: Dark grey calcareous shale, calcareous siltstone and lenticular limestone. Contains the
Nathorstites fauna.
Thickness and Distribution: Observed only in the foothills of the Peace, Halfway, Sikanni Chief and
Prophet River valleys of northeastern British Columbia. The ‘Dark Siltstones’ range in measured
thickness from 22.9 m (75 ft) at Mount Hage on the south side of Sikanni Chief River, to a maximum of
approximately 137.2 m (450 ft) between Adams and Aylard Creeks on the north bank of Peace River
(Williston Lake Reservoir).
Relationship to Other Units: The ‘Dark Siltstones’ are conformably underlain and overlain by the
‘Flagstones’ and ‘Grey Beds’, respectively. The term ‘Dark Siltstones’ was replaced by the upper Mount
Wright Formation by Coiquhoun (1960, 1962), and the upper Toad Formation by Gibson (1971, 1975).
The unit is equivalent to the upper Doig Formation of the subsurface Plains.
References: Colquhoun, D.J., 1960, 1962; Gibson, 1971, 1975; McLearn, 1947.
DWG
Darling Sand (Kootenai Formation, Disused)
An American terra formerly applied to basal sandstones of the Kootenai Formation in the Cut Bank
field area of northern Montana, it was renamed the Cut Bank Sandstone in 1934. The Cut Bank is
recognized in the southern Alberta Plains west of Coutts, Alberta, where it is the basal member of the
lower Mannville Formation.
BJH
Davidson Evaporite
(Davidson Member, Souris River Formation)
Author: Baillie, A.D., 1953, p. 30. Re-defined in Lane (1964) p. 23.
Type Locality: Imperial Davidson No. 1, in 16-8-27-1W3M, central Saskatchewan, between 1167.4 and
1249.7 rn (3830 and 4100 ft). Re-defined (Lane, 1964, p. 29) as the interval in Tidewater Eyebrow
Crown No. 2, in 5-30-23-1W3M, from 1275.6 to 1337.2 m (4185 to 4387 ft).
History: Lane (1964, p. 29) considered that the evaporite should be re-defined because of confusion in
the literatures and “the type section proposed by Baillie (1953) does not have a complete mechanical
log”. In fact, Baillie did not formally define the Davidson evaporite. He stated that the “evaporite is
typically developed in the Imperial Davidson No. 1 well ... which may be considered the type section”
(Baillie, 1953, p. 30). Thus the Davidson evaporite is not a member, but a formally defined unit (unit D)
of the carbonate/evaporite sequence comprising the Davidson Member (Lane, 1964). This is in accord
with the correlation shown in Walker (1957), in which he indicated that the Davidson Evaporite
incorporates only the halite.
Lithology: Halite, colorless, coarsely crystalline, with minor inclusions of grey-green dolomitic
mudstone. Locally beds of dolomite and anhydrite up to 15 m (49 ft) thick divide the halite.
Thickness and Distribution: Attains a maximum thickness of 63.7 m (209 ft) to the northwest of Regina
in the Davidson sub-basin. Elsewhere the thickness rarely exceeds 15 m (49 ft). It extends south and
west of a line drawn from the Manitoba border (near Esterhazy) northwestward to Alberta, into
Montana and North Dakota. It is absent over a large area of west-central Saskatchewan.
Relationshrp to Other Units: Where the halite is thick it overlies cryptocrystalline limestones of the B
unit of the Davidson Member. Elsewhere the halite rests upon stromatoporoidal limestones of the C
unit. The evaporite is overlain disconformably by shales (commonly grey and dolomitic) of the Harris
Member. Kendall (1976) noted that the distribution of the Davidson evaporite closely corresponds with
that of the Prairie Evaporite; where the Prairie Evaporite is missing there is no Davidson evaporite.
References: Baillie, 1953; Kendall, 1976; Lane, 1964; Walker, 1957.
CED;KRM
Early Upper Devonian
(Frasnian, Lowermost beds may be
Late Middle Devonian, Givetian)
Davidson Member (Souris River Formation, Manitoba Group)
Author: Lane, D.M., 1964, p. 23.
Type Locality: Tidewater Beaver Hills Crown No. 1, in 16-23-26-9W2M, in Saskatchewan, between
941.8 and 1003.7 m (3090 and 3293 ft).
History: The ‘Davidson Member’ was described in the A.S.P.G. 1960 Lexicon of Geologic Names as an
evaporite sequence within the Souris River Formation, and its definition attributed to Baillie (1953).
However Baillie did not formally define the evaporite as a member. Lane (1964) clarified the
nomenclature by defining the Davidson evaporite as a unit (D4) within the Davidson Member; the
Davidson Member was defined, in the same publication as the equivalent of the lower Souris River
Formation of WaIker (1957).
Lithology: The member is subdivided into four rock-stratigraphic units (Lane, 1964). in ascending order
they are: unit A - a basal unit of dolomitic, red and grey-green mudstone, commonly known as “First
Red Bed”, unit B - cryptocrystalline, grey-green to yellow-grey limestone, locally dolomitized and
microgranular, in which brachiopods and crinoid ossifies are common; unit C - brown, dolomitic,
locally bituminous, nnicrocrystalline to sucrosic limestone with abundant fragmented stromatoporoids
and corals, and Amphipora, extensively impregnated with halite, upper part finely laminated; unit D -
halite of the Davidson Evaporite.
Thickness and Distribution: Approximately 100 m (328 ft) thick in the Davidson sub-basin, thinning to
about 20 m (66 ft) in southwestern Saskatchewan. The carbonate units thicken to the northwest, the
halite (unit D) is thickest in central Saskatchewan (Davidson). Subcrop extends from near the town of
Hudson Bay in eastern Saskatchewan to near Buffalo Narrows in the west. South of this line the
Davidson Member is present throughout much of the Williston Basin.
Relationship to Other Units: Gradational basal contact with the Dawson Bay Formation, except the
contact is sharp where the Hubbard Evaporite is present. In the southwest corner of Saskatchewan the
Davidson Menuber unconformably overlies eroded Silurian and Ordovician carbonates. The upper
contact is with a medium grey, thin dolonnitic mudstone which can be traced throughout
Saskatchewan.
The member is correlative with the Point Wilkins Member in Manitoba, part of the Beaverhill Lake
Formation in central Alberta, the lowermost part of the Fairholme Formation in the Rocky Mountains,
the lower Waterways Formation in northeastern Alberta and the lower Jefferson Formation in Montana.
Paleontology: Conodont assemblages indicate that the Davidson Member straddles the boundary
between the Givetian and Frasnian Stages (Norris and Uyeno, 1971).
References: Baillie, 1953; Braun and Mathison, 1982; Lane, 1964; Norris and Uyeno, 1971; Walker,
1957.
CED; KRM
Dawson Bay Formation (Manitoba Group)
Author: Baillie, A.D., 1953, p. 26.
Type Locality: On the shore of Dawson Bay, at the north end of Lake Winnipegosis, Manitoba.
Subsurface reference section (Lane, 1959): Winsal Beaverdale 3-32-26-7W2M, in Saskatchewan,

The reference core section in Manitoba is hole M-6-70 (9-16-30-17W1M) between zero and 45.4 m
(149 ft), from which the uppermost 6 m (20 ft) is eroded (Norris et al., 1982).
Lithology: Basal dolomitic mudstone, overlain by microcrystalline to cryptocrystalline, fossiliferous

limestone with hardgrounds in the lower half of the carbonate sequence. Overlying this unit is an
agillaceous carbonate which is succeeded by microcrystalline to sucrosic, bituminous limestones,
locally reefoid. Capping the sequence is dolomite, anhydrite and, in central Saskatchewan halite.
Thickness and Distribution: Uniform thickness of about 40 to 50 m (131 to 164 ft) from the outcrop area
to west-central Saskatchewan, from where the beds progressively thin to the west. An exception is in
central Saskatchewan where halite accounts for an additional thickening of nearly 20 m 1(66 ft). The
zero ispach runs from the southwestern corner of Saskatchewan to southern North Dakota before
turning north to the outcrop area in western Manitoba. The subcrop to the north runs northwestward
from Lake Winnipegosis to south of Buffalo Narrows in western Saskatchewan. In eastern Alberta the
formation thins and is no longer recognizable.
Relationship to Other Units: In the outcrop area argillaceous strata at the base of the Dawson Bay
Formation rest disconformably upon carbonates of the Winnipegosis Formation. In the subsurface the
contact with the underlying Prairie Evaporite is disconformable. The contact with the overlying First
Red Beds of the Souris River Formation is transitional.
In Manitoba the Dawson Bay Fornnation is divided into the Mafeking Member and members B. C, and
D (Bannatyne, 1975; Norris et al., 1982). In Saskatchewan the formation was divided by Lane (1959)
into six members (DB1-DB6), and later by Dunn (1982) into four members - Second Red Bed Member
(= Mafeking Member and DB1); Burr Member (= member B and most of DB2 and DB3); Neely Member
(= members C and D and part of DB3, plus DB4 and 5). The Hubbard Evaporite, named by Lane in
1959, was also described by that Author as DB6. The name “Hubbard Evaporite” was retained by
Dunn (1982) as his fourth and uppermost member.
In Alberta strata equivalent to the Dawson Bay may be the Watt Mountain Formation and the Gilwood
Member, or there may be no lateral equivalent. Faunal evidence suggests that the latter may be the
case (Braun and Mathison,1982; Norris et al. 1982).
References: Baillie, 1953; Bannatyne, 1975; Braun and Mathison, 1982; Crickmay, 1954; Dunn, 1982;
Edie, 1959; Lane, 1959; Uyeno and McCabe,1982.
CED;KRM
Dawson Bay Formation (Manitoba Group)
(DB1, DB2, DB3, DB4, DB5 and DB6 mernbers,
supeceded)
Author. Lane, D.M., 1959, p. 17.
Type Locality: Winsal Beaverdale 3-32-26-7W2M, in Saskatchewan, between 867.2 and 930.2 m
(2845 and 3052 ft).
Comments: New names were introduced by Dunn 11982) in view of difficulty in distinguishing some of
these members:
DB6: see Hubbard Evaporite.
DB4 and DB5: see Neely Member (not exactly equivalent).
DB2 and DB3: see Burr Member (not exactly equivalent).
DB1: See Mafeking and Second Red Bed Member.
References: Dunn, 1982; Lane, 1959.
CED; KRM
Upper Cretaceous
Deadhorse Coulee Member
(Milk River Formation, Montana Group)
Author: TovelI, W.M., 1956.
Type Locality: Deadhorse and Black Coulee area, southeastern Alberta, in the northeast corner of
Sec. 30, Twp.1, Rge. 11W4M.
Lithology: The member includes light colored, fine grained lenticular and cross-bedded sandstone,
well bedded argillaceous sandstone, locally with plant fragments, pale grew carbonaceous, sandy
claystone. commonly with brown sideritic concretions, greyish green claystone and grey claystone
locally grading into dark grey carbonaceous shale or impure lignite. On exposure the member
weathers to dark grey, pale grey rusty brown and reddish brown colors. The character of the member
changes laterally over relative short distances. Only the thicker sandstone beds can be traced over
some distance along the outcrops because they weather in ledges. These are clean, well sorted and
trough cross-bedded, and commonly contain light grey mud clasts.
The base of the Deadhorse Coulee Member is placed at the top of the massive weathering Virgelle
Member, below a unit of sandy claystone. The upper contact is drawn at the top of a thin, brown
weathering sideritic sandstone bed below a shale unit which contains at the base abundant dark grey
to black polished chert pebbles. The shale belongs to the Claggett (or Pakowki) Formation. In the
subsurface the top of the Deadhorse Coulee Member is picked at the first increase in resistivity below
the Claggett (or Pakowki) shale.
Thickness and Distribution: In the Milk River area the member varies in thickness between 45.7 and
51.9 m (150 and 170 ft). In the subsurface the member can be mapped as far north as the northeastern
depositional limit of the Virgelle Member.
Relationship to Other Units: North of the facies change of the underlying Virgelle Member the
Deadhorse Coulee Mernber ceases to be an identifiable unit and merges with the lower part of the
Milk River equivalent (Myhr and Meijer Drees, 1976). in northern Montana stratigraphical equivalents
of the Deadhorse Coulee Member are present in the upper and middle parts of the Eagle Formation.
References: Myhr and Meijer Drees, 1976; Novell, 1956.
NCMD
Upper Cambrian to Lower Ordovician
Deadwood Formation
Author: Darton, N.H., 1901 (general); Darton, N.H. and Paige, S., 1925.
Type Locality: Whitewood Creek, below Deadwood, South Dakota.
History: Darton (1901) first used the term without formal definition, as Jaggar (1901) had been
expected to describe the type section.
Lithology: In the type area, according to Butler et al. (1955) the Deadwood consists of a basal
conglomerate and buff sandstone 9 m (30 ft) thick, overlain by grey-green, thin bedded shale with
limestone interbeds 79 m (260 ft) thick and topped by red-brown, very glauconitic quartz sandstone,
usually thin bedded, with random partings of green shale and Scolithos borings 40 m (130 ft) thick, for
a total thickness of approximately 128 m (420 ft). in the centre of the Williston Basin Lefever et al.
(1987) reported a thickness of more than 270 m (886 ft), recognized six members and described the
formation as follows: “... largely of siliciclastic rocks, principally quartz arenites, quartz wackes, and
siltstones, and lesser amounts of carbonate rocks, with textures from mudstones to grainstones.”
Thickness and Distribution: The Deadwood ranges from 1 m (3 ft) in the southern Black Hills of South
Dakota to 150 m (492 ft) in the northern Black Hills to 270 m (886 ft) in the centre of the Williston Basin
in North Dakota. It thins to zero eastwards, being absent in northeastern North Dakota and most of
eastern Saskatchewan. It is present in the extreme southwestern corner of Manitoba, where it may
reach 30 m (98 ft). Westwards it extends with general thickening throughout Saskatchewan and
Montana to the Saskatchewan-Alberta border, where it exceeds 300 m (984 ft). Beyond it thins
towards the mountain front. In the north the formation reaches almost to 55°N.
Relationship to Other Units: At the Type Locality and throughout the Williston Basin the Deadwood
Formation unconformably overlies Precambrian basement. In western Saskatchewan, western
Montana and Alberta it overlies Middle Cambrian rocks of the Earlie Formation or of the Pika
Formation (where that formation can be identified). In the Williston basin area the formation is overlain
centrally by the Winnipeg Formation, and peripherally by the Red River Formation. In the type area the
Ordovician Whitewood Formation (Red River) overlies it; in the central and Southern Black Hills it is
overlain by the Mississippian Englewood Formation. In Alberta it is overlain by Devonian strata of the
Elk Point Group.
References: Butler et al., 1955: Carlson. 1960; Darton, 1901; Darton and Paige. 1925; Jaggar, 1901;
Lefever et al., 1987; Paterson, 1988.
DFP
Mississippian (Meramecian)
Debolt Formation
Author: Macauley, C.B., 1958.
Type Locality: Amerada Crown GF23-11, in 6-11-73-26W5M, between 1893.4 and 2137.8 m (6212
and 7014 ft), in the Peace River area near Debolt, Alberta.
Lithology: The Debolt Formation has been divided by Macauley into a lower and an upper mennber. In
its type area the lower Debolt consists mainly of brown, cherty, massive bioclastic limestone, partly
crinoidal, that is more dolomitic eastward. Northward the shale content increases. The proportion of
argillaceous rocks is greatest in the basal part. Westward, towards the foothills there is an increase in
chert and dolomite as the lower Debolt passes laterally into Member B of the Prophet Fommation. The
upper Debolt is light brown, mainly microcrystalline to finely crystalline dolomite with some anhydrite
and micritic limestone. In northeastern British Columbia it is dominantly limestone with less dolomite
and shale.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section the Debolt is 244.4 m (802 ft) thick, consisting of 102 7
m (337 ft) of lower Debolt and 141.7 m (465 ft) of upper Debolt. It is recognized in the subsurface of the
Peace River and northern plains areas of Alberta and in northeastern British Columbia. The maximum
thickness of approximately 366 m (1201 ft) is found in the southwestern part of the subsurface area.
The formation thins to the northeast, mainly as a result of erosion.
Relationship to Other Units: Shale and argillaceous carbonate of the underlying Shunda Formation
grades upward into the argillaceous carbonate generally present in the lowermost Debolt. The upper
contact with the Golata Formation (Stoddart Group) generally is gradational and conformable, but
there is evidence of erosion in the type area. Eastward of the Stoddart Group erosional edge the
Debolt is overlain successively by Permian, Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous strata. The lower Debolt
passes westwards into cherty carbonates of Member B of the Prophet Formation and northwestward
into carbonates and calcareous shale of the middle part of the Flett Formation. The Turner Valley
Formation of western Alberta is continuous with the lower Debolt. Equivalents of the upper part of the
lower Debolt include the Wileman, Baril and Salter members of the Mount Head Formation in
southwestern Alberta. The upper Debolt is equivalent to, and continuous with Member C and the
upper part of Member B of the Prophet Formation. Correlative rocks occur in the upper Mount Head
Formation (Loomis and lower Marston members) of southwestern Alberta.
References: Bamber and Mamet, 1978; Halbertsma, 1959; Halbertsma and Staplin, 1960; McCrossan
and Glaister, 1964; Macauley,1958; Rutgers, 1958.
HLH; PAM
Middle Ordovician
Deer Island Member (Winnipeg Formation)
Author: Genik, G.J., 1954.
Type Locality: Shore cliff, north extremity, “Deer Island”, Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba (NW 1-26-6EPM).
The “Deer Island” referred to by Genik and Baillie is designated as Punk Island on NTS Map 62P.
Lithology: Consists of “two to twenty feet (0.6 to 6.1 m) of arenaceous fossiliferous dolomite underlain
by zero to 100 feet (30.5 m) of blue-green, fossiliferous, silty to arenaceous phosphatic shale with
interbedded silty to fine to medium, white to grew sometimes limonitic, well rounded, frosted and
pined, quartzose sandstone. Locally, pyritiferous oolites occur at the base”. Genik indicated that the
member is markedly diachronous.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality the unit is 10.7 m (35 ft) thick. Genik indicated thickness
ranging up to approximately 76 m (249 ft). The member extends throughout most of the Williston Basin
area.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies, and is in part stratigraphically equivalent to the
sandstones of the Black Island Member. Contact with the overlying mottled dolomitic limestones and
dolomites of the Red River Formation is generally believed to be conformable, except near the
depositional edge in central Saskatchewan, where the contact is disconformable (Paterson, 1971,
Vigrass 1971, Kendall 1976). The arenaceous, dolomitic beds included by Genik in the upper Deer
Island have been placed by Baillie and others in the overlying Red River Formation and comprise part
of the transitional Hecla Beds of Fuller. Equivalent strata in the subsurface of Saskatchewan and Noah
Dakota comprise the Ice Box Member (and the Roughlock Member, where present).
References: Andrichuk, 1959; Baillie, 1952; Failer, 1961; Genik, 1954; Kendall, 1976; Paterson, 1971;
Porter and Fuller, 1959; Vigrass, 1971.
HRM
Late Miocene to Late Pliocene
Del Bonita Gravels
Author: Vonhof, J.A., 1969.
Type Locality: Upland immediately north of Whiskey Gap, in the vicinity of Del Bonita, southeastern
Alberta, in Twps.1 and 2, Rges. 21, 22 and 23W4M.
Lithology: Mainly unconsolidated deposits of pebble gravel with occasional cobbles and minor
intercalated thin beds and lenses of sand. The pebbles consist prinnarily of rounded, variously colored
quartzites and argillites, minor sandstone, amygdaloidal basalt and fine grained diabase, and trace
chert, agate and quartz. Characteristic minerals in the heavy mineral assemblage in sand beds and
the sand fraction of gravel matrices are basaltic hornblende and titaniferous augite.
Thickness and Distribution: The Del Bonita Gravels form the uppermost unit of the pre-Quaternary
stratigraphic sequence in the Del Bonita area. The total area covered by the sediments is
approximately 88 km2 (34 mi2) The deposits lie at two distinct levels. North and southeast of Whisky
Gap they cap uplands at an altitude of approximately 1370 m (4500 ft). East of there, near Del Bonita
they are at an altitude of approximately 1310 m (4300 ft). The average thickness of the deposits is 3 m
(10 ft); a maximum thickness of 9 m (30 ft) exists in 12-25-1-22W4M. The deposits are of fluvial origin
and were deposited by the ancestral Milk River system.
Relationship to Other Units: Unconformably overlies, from west to east the Willow Creek, St. Mary
River, Blood Reserve and Bearpaw formations of Cretaceous age. Unconformably overlain by
Quaternary and Pleistocene deposits.
No vertebrate or invertebrate fossils have been found. The age of the deposits is based solely on
topographic correlation with several remnants of gravel deposits capping an interfuse area in adjacent
Montana. The deposits of Del Bonita Gravel at an elevation of 1370 m (4500 ft) correspond in altitude
with remnant gravel deposits south of the border in Montana, which belong to the Flaxville Plain
(Alden, 1932). According to Collier and Thom (1918), based on faunal evidence the Flaxville Plain
was formed during late Miocene-early Piocene time. The Del Bonita Gravels in the vicinity or Del
Bonita were deposited an an elevation approximately 60 m (197 ft) lower than the Flaxville Plain, but
about 100 m (328 ft) above the base level of the Pleistocene but preglacial Milk River (Stalker, 1961). It
is therefore likely that their age is middle-late Pliocene and possibly early Pleistocene.
References: Alden, 1932; Colliter and Thom, 1918; Stalker, 1961; Vonhof, 1969.
JAV
Delia Member (Abandoned)
Author: Belyea, H.R., 1955.
Type Locatity: Imperial Golden Hill 12-2-30-16W4M, in Albertan between 1582.2 and 1623.7 m (5203
and 5327 ft).
History: Following recognition that the Delia Formation applied to facies changes in the Nisku and
upper Ireton formations, Belyea and McLaren (1957) stated that “The Delia, however, may be retained
as a member (Belyea, 1955) of the Southesk Formation where the Grotto and Arcs members cannot
be separated”.
Lithology: Greenish grey, shaly dolomite and shale overlain by dolomite, buff to brown, fine crystalline,
argillaceous in places; greenish grey and dark brown shale interbeds and laminae; anhydrite common;
massive, vuggy dolomite in places. Carries a fauna of Amphipora, corals, crinoids, bryozoans and
brachiopods.
Thickness and Distribution: The Delia is 38 m (124 ft) thick at the type section. It is widely present in
southern Alberta, mainly south of the southern Alberta Shelf margin and east of the 5th Meridian.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit underlies the Crowfoot Formation and conformably overlies
dolomites and evaporites of the southern Alberta Shelf complex assigned to the Peechee Member of
the Southesk Formation. The Delia is equivalent to the Arcs and Grotto in the Rocky Mountains.
References: Belyea, 1955; Belyea and McLaren, 1957.
HRB
Dellwood Formation (Disused)
Name suggested by D.M. Lane and D.M. Kent for strata that straddle the Souris River/Duperow contact.
The interval chosen was between 719.9 and 776.0 m (2362 and 2546 ft) in the Alwinsal Dellwood 3-
10-34-23W2M well, in Saskatchewan. The name has not been adopted.
CED, DMK; KRM

Demaine Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Author: Caldwell, W.G.E.,1968.
Saskatchewan Landing bridge in the south, in southwestern Saskatchewan. The type locality lies
where the South Saskatchewan River reaches its most southerly point within Saskatchewan, and the
type section is located at the boundary between Secs. 31 and 32, Twp. 19, Rge.11W3M, 8 km (5 mi)
west of the old Herbert Ferry crossing, in direct continuity with the type section of the Sherrard
Member. Only the lower 7.9 m (26 ft) are exposed in the type section, but the upper 5.8 m (19 fit), in
contact with the type section of the overlying Beechy Member are exposed in an important reference
section in Secs. 4 and 10, Twp. 20, Rge. 12W3M, 14.5 km (8.9 mi) west of the old Herbert Ferry
crossing.
Lithology: Sand, grey weathering greyish brown, patchily iron stained, particularly along bedding
planes, fine to medium grained, silty, non-calcareous, poorly consolidated, with beds and partings of
ironstone and beds of small rusty ironstone concretions, some of them cigar shaped, and rarely of grey
calcareous sandstone concretions. In the type and reference sections the basal 1.5 m (5 ft) of the
Demaine are extremely silty, with lenses and pockets of “pure” silt and clay; a widespread shell bank of
articulated and disarticulated oyster shells, nearly 1.5 m (5 ft) thick, is present directly above these
basal silty beds; and 1.8 m (6 ft) below the top of the member a 0.3 m (1 ft) thick bed of calcareous,
hard, ledge forming sandstone, concretionary in places and deeply stained by concentrated iron
oxides, contains Ophiomorpha-like burrows and numerous bivalves. The upper Demaine of the type
locality is rendered distinct by its partings of ironstone; these become more numerous and thicker
upward in the sequence and are concentrated in the top 6 m (20 ft), where they weather as thin
resistant ribs. Sandy and silty clays, up to 1.8 m (6 ft) thick are interlayered with sands of the Demaine
Member at some more northerly localities within the type area.
Thickness and Distribution: Generally about 14 m (46 ft), but ranging between 7.5 and 27 m (25 and
89 ft) thick the Demaine Member can be traced throughout the type area and its environs. Slightly
thinner than in the type area, it can be identified southwards and, between Rges. 11 and 22W3M
extends to within about 50 km (31 mi) of the border with Montana. To east and west of the type area the
Demaine Member is known to extend for at least 100 km (61 mi), but beyond that its distribution is not
known. At Buffalo Pound Lake in the Qu’Appelle River valley, in its easternmost outcrops it forms a
prominent unit about 40 m (131 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The Demaine Member lies in conformable sequence with underlying silty
clays of the Sherrard Member and overlying silty clays of the Beechy Member. The lower contact is
gradational, the upper contact relatively sharp. South of the type area the Demaine Member loses its
identify by facies change into silty clays of the lower Manyberries Member. To the southwest it may
extend even farther in its typical ethology and manifest itself as a thin but prominent concretion-
bearing sand near the base of the Manyberries Member on the flanks of the Cypress Hills. To the east
it most likely loses its identity by facies change into undifferentiated silty clays of the Bearpaw
Formation, or perhaps even of the Pierre Shale.
Paleontology: The calcareous, ledge-forming sandstone near the top of the cited reference section
contains Arctica ovate (Meek and Hayden), Phelopteria linguaeformis (Evans and Shumard), Oxytoma
nebrascana (Evans and Shumard) inoceramids, mytilaceids and other bivalves; the unconsolidated
sands have yielded branches and logs of coniferous trees, with the wood-boring bivalve Martesia
preserved in life position. The Demaine Member must lie at about the boundary between the ammonite
Zone of Didymoceras cheyennense and that of Baculites Compresses, and it lies within the Gaudrvina
bearpawensis Subzone of the Haplophragmoides frasei Zone in the foraminiferal zonal scheme for
the southern interior plains .
References: Caldwell, 1968; Caldwell et al, 1978; McLean, 1971; North and Caldwell, 1970, 1975a, b.
WGEC; RJH
Triassic
Demmit Member (Charlie Lake Formation)
Author: None. The name Demmit is an informal name used locally.
Type Locatity: Peace River Arch, northwestern Alberta, Twp. 72. Rge. 6W6M to Twp. 79, Rge. 13W6M.
Reference section in CEGO et al. Saddle Hills 6-23-77-10W6M, between 1826 and 1829 m (5986 and
5998 ft).
Lithology: Dolomite, fine grained, finely crystalline, comnnonly porous. It is apparently a shallow
marine shelf deposit preserved basinward of a former shoreline to the east. It produces hydrocarbons
at several fields.
Thickness and Distribution: 2 to 3 m (7 to 10 ft) thick. It is present throughout the type locality except
where truncated, on the east by the Mid-Charlie Lake (Coplin) unconformity.
Relationship to Other Units: This member of the Charlie Lake Formation lies between the Halfway and
Boundary Lake formations. It lies below, and is locally truncated by the Mid-Charlie Lake (Coplin)
unconformity. It lies conformably above the Brae Member, and below the Cutbank Member.
JAD
Deserters Canyon Till (Informal name)
Type Locality: None designated. Lectostratotype locality here designated as the Del Creek Section
(Rutter, 1977, p. 27; also illustrated in his figure 3 and 4, p. 4) on Finlay River near Del Creek at
47°08’45”N, 125°14’15”W, British Columbia, where it forms the top till.
Lithology: A stony, hard till in which stones constitute up to 40% of the volume; matrix is a loam to
sandy loam with 27% carbonate; buff where oxidized elsewhere grey.
Thickness and Distribution: About 3 m (10 ft) thick. Found between Fort Wane and Deserters Canyon
in Williston Lake Area of British Colurnbia.
Relationship to Other Units: Generally at surface. Overlies Portage Mountain Till or stratified deposits.
It is an informal name applied by author for till deposited by Deserters Canyon Glacial Advance.
Included under Deserters Canyon Advance deposits, which are not otherwise described. Represents
latest glacial advance in Williston Lake Area.
References: Rutter, 1977; Harris and Waters, 1977.
AMacSS
Mississippian
Dessa Dawn Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Laudon, L.R. et al., 1949.
Type Locality: The type section is located on the northeast face of Dessa Dawn Peak, on the
southwest wall of South Gap Canyon, about 1.6 km (1 mi) upstream from the confluence of South Gap
Creek with Wapiti River, approximately 2.8 km (1.75 mi) east of Wapiti Lake, in British Columbia, at
54°33’N, 120°45’W.
History: Macauley (1958) correlated the Dessa Dawn with the Pekisko and Shunda formations and
with the lower Debolt Formation of the Peace River subsurface. and to the equivalent of the
Livingstone Formation of the southern Rocky Mountains. Because of its vague initial definition, and
lack of effort to outline areal distribution the name has become obsolete.
Lithology: The unit consists of light grey weathering, massive, scarp forming limestones (echinoderm-
bryozoan) that alternate in cyclic sequence with soft, dark grey to black, argillaceous limestones and
shale beds. The formation was divided by Laudon into six members based on topographic and
lithologic expression.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximunn thickness is approximately 412 m (1350 ft) where described at
Wapiti Lake. No areal extent was ever established for the unit.
Relationship to Other Units: The Dessa Dawn conformably overlies the Banff Formation and underlies
the Rundle (restricted) Formation with a reported, but questionable unconformable contact with
moderate relief on the eroded surface. The Dessa Dawn possibly includes part of the type upper Band
and much of the type Rundle.
References: Laudon, 1949; Laudon and Chronic, 1947; Laudon et al., 1949, 1952; Macauley, 1958.
CM
Lower Cretaceous
Detrital (Deville) Beds (Mannville Group)
Type Locality: East-central and southeastern Alberta.
Lithology: The unit is an extremely heterogeneous assemblage of scattered chert pebbles and lithic
sandstone, together with abundant shale and siltstone. It consists of largely terrestrial deposits of
varied colors, with greenish, grey brown and red waxy shale often embedded with silicified, weathered
limestone (tripolitic chert) fragments, with finely discriminated pyrite and aggregates of siderite
spherules. The upper part of the Detrital Beds is composed of white to light grey, medium to coarse
grained, kaolinitic chertarenite.
Thickness and Distribution: The Detrital Beds are irregularly distributed, being restricted mainly to
depressions on the pre-Cretaceous erosional surface. Thickness and lithology vary considerably over
short distances.
The unit is present through most of southern Alberta except in the extreme southeast between Twp. 1,
Rge. 6W4M. The thickness is controlled by the underlying eroded Mississippian surface and ranges
from zero to 70 m (230 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Detrital Beds form the basal part of the Mannville Group. The contact
with the overlying Sunburst Sandstone or Ostracod Beds is generally disconformable; a major
unconformity exists between the Detrital Beds and the underlying Jurassic, Mississippian or Devonian
sediments. The Detrital Beds are equivalent to the Deville Formation of central Alberta (Badgley, et al,
1952) and the Dina Member of eastern Alberta and western Saskatchewan.
References: Badgley, P.C., 1952; Jardine, 1974.
ZF
Lower Cretaceous
Deville Formation (Detrial)
Author: Badsley, P.C., 1952.
Type Locality: In the well Imperial Deville No. 1, in Lsd 9, Sec. 36. Twp. 51 Rule. 20W4M, Alberta,
between 1084.4 and 1100 m (3555.5 and 3605 ft).
Lithology: In the type locality the unit consists of greenish grew waxy shales, silty shales and shaly
siltstones, greyish green, argillaceous, quartzose sandstones and dark reddish brown shales and silty
shales. Siderite nodules are commonly embedded in the shales To the south, where the Detrital is
underlain by Mississippian Band strata it contains considerable, but variable amounts of white,
weathered fossiliferous tripolitic chert, usually in broken up shards embedded in greenish shales.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness of the Deville is extremely variable due to the underlying
paleotopography on the eroded Paleozoic surface. It may reach 33 m (100 ft) in places. It is generally
present in east-central and southeastern Alberta, and in western Saskatchewan .
Relationship to Other Units: In the type locality the Deville is unconformably underlain by eroded
Devonian (Wabamun) rocks; to the south and east by weathered Mississippian (Banff) beds. It is
overlain, disconformably in places, but usually gradationally by the McMurray formation .
Reference: Badgley, 1952.

Lower Middle Triassic
Diaber (Daiber) Group
Author: Armitage, J.H., 1962.
Type Locality: Peace River area, Texaco N.F.A. Buick Creek No. 7 well, in 6-26-87-21W6, 41.6 km (26
mi) northwest of Fort St. John, British Columbia, between 1634 and 1981 m (5360 and 6500 ft).
History: The name Toad-Graying was used by Hunt and Ratcliffe (1959) for the grey shales and
siltstones below the Halfway Formation of the Schooler Creek Group. It was later proposed by
Armitage (1962) that that name be changed to Daiber Group, as the Toad-Grayling type section was
located 300 miles outside of the Peace River subsurface basin, and the strata contained both the
Beyrichites-Gymnotoceras and Nathorstites faunal zones. The name is open mis-spelled “Daiber”.
Lithology: Predominantly grey siltstones and shales, divided into two lithological units: a louver,
argillaceous siltstone unit which grades into grey shale at the base (Montney Formation) and an
upper, dark grey, bituminous siltstone and sandstone unit (Doig Formation).
Thickness and Distribution: The Diaber Group thins frorn more than 610 m (2000 ft) in the foothills to
zero at its easterly subcrop edge, within a distance of about 320 km (200 mi) across northeastern
British Columbia and western Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The Diaber Group unconformably overlies Permo-Carboniferous

quartzites and cherts, or carbonates of the Mississippian where the Permo-Carboniferous has been
eroded. It is overlain by the Halfway Formation, and the contact appears disconformable. At its
erosional subcrop limit the Diaber Group may be overlain by Jurassic or Cretaceous beds. It is
equivalent to the Toad-Grayling Formation of the foothills of northeastern British Columbia, and to the
Phroso, Vega, Whistler and Llama members in the central Rockies.
References: Ammitage, 1962; A.S.P.G., 1964; Hunt and Radcliffe, 1959; Torrie, 1973.
CD
Dimmock Creek Member (Cantuar Formation)
Author: Christopher, J.E., 1974
Type Locality: Named from the cored section in the Seaboards et al. Dimrnock Creek Welt in Lsd. 9,
Sec. 24, Twp. 11, Rge. 21W3M, in southwestern Saskatchewan, between 1311 and 1337 m (4300 and
4386 ft).
Lithology: Comprises olive green and dark grey argillaceous sandstones sandy mudstones and
shales, locally mottled with red, interbedded and interrupted by massive quartzose sandstones
expanded to nearly the full thickness of the member. West of Swift Current the bedding format at its
maximum comprises six rhythmic units of basal sandstones grading upward through mudstones into
lignites. East of Swift Current this sequence is reversed, beginning with shales and coarsening
upward into sandstones. Sandstones are speckled with biotite, chlorite, pyroxenes and amphiboles,
and in the east with accessory glauconite.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit represents the middle member of the Cantuar Formation, as well
as the medial infix of the pre-Cantuar valley system of southwestern Saskatchewan. Like the
underlying McCloud Member the areal distribution radiates from the paleo-upland of the southwest
and turns eastward on the paleo-slope, but with a more bla nketlike coverage. Thickness is of the
order of 24 to 48 m (79 to 158 ft). it laps in a concentric manner onto the lura-cretaceous Success and
Jurassic Vanguard formations capping the paleo-upland west of Swift Current.
Relationship to Other Units: Traceable eastward into Mannville units ranging from the upper
Lloydminster to the General Petroleum members.
Reference: Christopher, 1974.
JEC
Lower Cretaceous
Dina Member (McMurray Formation, Mannville Group)
Type Locality: The type section is at the Northwest No. 1 well, in Lsd. 1, Sec. 18, Twp. So, Rge. 8W4M,
Alberta, between 674 and 703.5 m (2211 and 2308 ft).
Lithology: The Dina consists chiefly of quartz sandstone, with interbedded siltstone and shale. Sand
grains are rounded, frosted and unconsolidated, with a general lack of dark minerals, except in the
basal zones, where chert pebbles and granules are present.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness is controlled by the underlying eroded Paleozoic surface
and ranges from zero to 60 m (200 ft). it is present in the Lloydminster area and can be traced
southward to about Twp. 30 along the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.
Relationship to Other Units: The Dina is the basal member of the Mannville Group. It underlies the
Cummings Member, except where local channelling is present and no distinguishable separation can
be made between the Cummings and Dina. It overlies the eroded Paleozoic surface or a detrital zone.
The Dina is correlative with the McMurray and Ellerslie.
References: Edmunds, 1948; Vigrass, 1977; Wickenden, 1948.
PEP, AIB
Dinsmore Evaporite (Wymark Member,
Duperow Formation, Saskatchewan Group)
Author: Kent, D.M., 1968a, p. 29 and 165.
Type Locality: Imperial Dinsmore 1-32-27-11W3M, in Saskatchewan, between 1159.2 and 1168.9 m
(3803 and 3835 ft).
Lithology: Anhydrite in the type well. Halite is locally developed farther east.
Thickness and Distribution: Rarely more than 12 nn 13S ft) thick. Extends over an area of 7000 km2
(2734 mi2) to the northwest of Swift Current.
Relationship to Other Units: The Dinsmore Evaporite is the uppermost evaporite bed of the Wymark
Member, which is conformably overlain by a dolomitic mudstone at the base of the Seward Member
References: Kent, 1967, 1968a, b, 1969.
CED; KRM
Dismal Rat Member
(Cardium Zone Member, Cardium Formation)
Author: Plint, A.C., Walker, R.G. and Bergman, K.M., 1986.
Type Locality: Pembina oil field, west-central Alberta. Type section is in the 16-27-4811W5M well,
History: The authors proposed the Dismal Rat Mernber to replace the Cardium Zone Member of
Krause and Nelson (1984).
Lithology: Dark mudstones, laminated in the lower part, followed by massive mudstones that become
siltier upward and grade into gritty and pebbly mudstones. The mudstones pass westward into
bioturbated, silty mudstones.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit ranges between 18 and 33 m (59 and 108 ft) in the type area. It
thins gradually to zero to the northwest.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is underlain by the Carrot Creek or Raven River members of the
Cardium Formation, and is overlain by the Karr Member (?Cardium), which is overlain by the “Cardium
zone” marker of common usage.
References: Heise, 1987; Krause and Nelson, 1984; Plint, Walker and Bergman, 1986.
Lexicon Committee
Upper Devonian
Dixonville Member (Wabamun Formation)
m (4300 and 4417 ft).
Lithology: The Dixonville is a grey-brown to buff, bioclastic to pelletoidal limestone, locally dolomitized.
It represents the initial transgression of the Wabamun Formation over the regressive Graminia
siliciclastics of the upper Winterburn Group. At the base it is a bioclastic limeStone with crinoids,
gastropods and brachiopods. Higher up sea-level rise apparently decreased and shoaling pelletoidal
grainstones were deposited, indicating that sediment feeders were probably the dominant organisms
and responsible for the formation of pellets. Coward the top skeletal wackestones suggest renewed
transgression.
Thickness and Distribution:In north-central Alberta the thickness ranges trom zero to 50 m (164 ft). In
the centre of the Peace River Arch the Dixonville is missing because of non-deposition.
Relationship to Other Units: The Dixonville is overlain confornnably by the Whitelaw Member of the
Wabamun Formation and underlain by the Craminia Formation of the Winterburn Group. The
Dixonville is correlated with the Tetcho Formation of northeastern British Columbia. It also correlates
with the “Basal Unit” of Andrichuk (1960), and the lower Stettler of central Alberta.
References: Andrichuk, 1960; Halbertsma, 1990; Halbensma and Meijer Drees, 1987; Styan, 1984.
HLH
Doe Creek Member
[Kaskapau Formation, Smoky (River) Group]
Author: Warren, P.S. and Stelck, C.R., 1940, p. 144.
Type Locality: Never specified, but apparently on Doe Creek, east of the hamlet of Doe River,
northeastern British Columbia, in Lsd. 13, Sec. 10, Twp. 81, Rge. 13W6M.
History: The Doe Creek Sandstone was named by RS. Warren and C.R. Stelck (1940, p. 144) for a
sand lying 30 m (75 ft) below the base of the Pouce Coupe sand member and about 69 m (225 ft)
above the base of the Kaskapau Formation. Stelsk and Wall (1954, p. 7) referred to it as the “Doe
Creek sandstone member”. Sandstones occurring in the same stratigraphic position in the Valhalla oil
field, but not laterally continuous with the type area are also referred to as the Doe Creek Member of
the Kaskapau Formation (Wallace-Dudley and Leckie, 1988).
Lithology: Described as a yellow, fine grained sandstone, argillaceous towards the base. The Doe
Creek Member in the Valhalla area consists of as many as five stacked sandstone bodies (Wallace-
Dudley and Leckie, 1988). The sandstones are very fine to fine grained, buff and well sorted. They are
parallel and wavy-parallel laminated, wave-rippled and hummocky cross-stratified. Rarely, high angle
cross-beds occur in medium grained sandstone. Bioturbation is generally light, although the upper
part of the sandstone is commonly intensely bioturbated and sideritic. The sandstones may be
separated by intensely bioturbated sandy si Itstone which fines upward into unbioturbated dark grey
shale.
Thickness and Distribution: The sandstone is 1.8 m (6 ft) in thickness at the type locality. In the Valhalla
field individual sandstones are 0.5 to 7 m (1.6 to 23 ft) thick and appear to pinch out or interfinger with
the surrounding shales in all directions. The maximum thickness of the member is between 20 and 25
m (66 and 82 ft). The Doe Creek sandstones are associated with the Dunvegan delta in northwestern
Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies above the Dunvegan Formation within marine shale of the Kaskapau
Formation. The marine shales and sandstone of the lower Kaskapau Formation grade westerly and
northwesterly into destain sandstone which become indistinguishable from those of the underlying
Dunvegan Formation (Stelck and Wall, 1955; Stelck, 1962; Stott, 1967; Singh; 1983).
Paleontology: Forms part of the interval lying within the Late Cenomanian zones of Hillites cf. H.
septarianus to Dunveganoceras cf. D conditium The member, as determined from foraminifera lies
near the base of the Gaudryina irenensis Zone.
References: Singh, 1983; Stelck and Wall, 1954; Stott, 1967; Wallace-Dudley and peskier 1988;
Warren and Stelsk, 1940.
DFS
Dog Head Member (Red River Formation)
Author: Foerste, A.F., 1929a, b.
Type Locality: Dog Head area, west shore of lake Winnipeg at The Narrows (approximately Twp. 32,
Rge. 5 EPM). Suggested reference core hole is Manitoba Core Hole M-3-81 (10-27-34-5WPM),
History: Originally referred to by Dowling (1900) as the Lower Mottled unit of the “Trenton” dolomites.
Lithology: Dolomitic limestone, mottled light yellowish grey to greyish orange, mediunn to thin bedded,
slightly nodular, with numerous fossil fragments. The Dog Head Member maintains a uniform lithology
throughout the southern part of the outcrop belt, but north of approximately Twp. 40 (i.e. shelfward)
passes to a mottled dolomite. In the northern part of the outcrop belt, where the underlying Winnipeg
Forrnation is thin or absent the basal 2 m (7 ft) of the Dog Head become sandy and in places forms a
heavily mottled, partly pyrilic dolornitic sandstone, but still containing typical Dog Head fossils such as
Receptaculites.
Thickness and Distribution: In the type area the Dog Head is 30 m (98 ft) thick, and the unit thickens
southward (basinward) to about 40 m (131 ft) in the Winnipeg area. The term Dog Head is not used in
the subsurface, where correlative beds comprise the lower part of the Yeoman Formation (Kendall,
1976) or lower part of the lower Red River (Porter and Fuller, 1959).
Relationship to Other Units Contact with the overlying Cat Head Mennber is transitional and
conformable. Throughout most of the outcrop belt the Dog Head overlies the Winnipeg formation
sharply but transitionally, with several shaly partings as well as scattered sand grains occurring in the
basal few metres of the Dog Head. The well developed basal sandy zone in the Dog Head to the
north, however, suggests that the Dog Head/Winnipeg contact is probably disconformable. North of
the depositional limit of the Winnipeg the Dog Head unconformably overlies variably weathered
Precambrian strata.
References: Dowling, 1900; Foerste, 1929a, b; Kendall, 1976; Porter and Fuller, 1959. HRM
Middle Triassic (Middle Anisian-Ladinian)
Doig Formation
Author: Armitage, AH., 1962.
Type Locality: Peace River Area, in Texaco N.F.A. Buick Creek No. 7 well, in 6-26-8721W6M, 41.6 km
(26 mi) northwest of Fort St. John, British Columbia, between 1634 and 1715 m (5360 and 5625 ft).
Lithology: Mainly fine grained, grey, argillaceous siltstone and dark calcareous shale. Numerous
bitumen stained areas, and interbedded nodular phosphates increasing near base. Sand content
increases in a north-northwesterly direction. Anomalously thicker, fine grained, porous sands occur
locally as ‘bars’ or ‘channel’ fills in the upper units of the formation.
Thickness and Distribution: Fronn a maximunn thickness of 190 to 364 m (623 to 1194 ft) south of the
Sukunka foothills the Doig Formation thins to 150 m (492 ft) in the sub-surface basin, and ultimately to
an erosional subcrop limit to the eastward, in western Alberta. The formation extends as a fan from
53°N in northwestern Alberta, through northeastern British Columbia to the Yukon, and east-west from
the disturbed belt to the 6th meridian.
Relationship to Other Units: The top of the Doig is taken at the base of the Halfway Formation and is
defined by the higher radioactivity of the Doig lithologies compared to those of the Halfway. This
contact is disconformable. The base of the formation is placed at the base of the phosphate pellet beds
of the lower Black Shale Member, and is conformable with the underlying Montney Formation. At its
erosional sub-crop limit the Doig may be overlain by Jurassic or Cretaceous beds. Laterally the Doig
correlates to the lower part of the Llama Member of the Sulphur Mountain Formation of the southern
Rocky Mountains and foothills, the Whistler Member of the Whitehorse Formation, and the Toad
Formation.
References: Armitage, 1962; A.S.P.G.. 1964; Hunt and Ratcliffe, 1959; Miall, 1976; Mothersill, 1968;
Pelletier, 1960, 1961.
CD
Dokie Ridge Member
(Boulder Creek Formation, Fort St. John Group)
Author: Proposed by D.W. Gibson (in press) to include the basal cliff forming sandstone and
conglomerate facies of the Boulder Creek Formation (Stott, 1968, 1982).
Type Locality: The type section is on Dokie Ridge, NTS Mount Hulcross (93O/9) map-area,
Lithology: The member comprises an upward coarsening sequence of buff to grey sandstone,
conglomeratic sandstone and conglomerate, with a few thin interbeds of carbonaceous mudstone,
siltstone or coal. The lower facies is predominantly fine grained marine sandstone. The upper facies
includes granule to pebble conglomerate, fine to coarse grained sandstone, and locally thin beds of
carbonaceous siltstone and mudstone.
Thickness and Distribution: The strata occur throughout the foothills of northeastern British Columbia
between Moberly River in the north and Kakwa River in the south. The member ranges in thickness
from a maximum of 47.5 m (156 ft) on Commotion Creek to a minimum of 4.7 m (15 ft) south of
Quintene Mountain.
Relationship to Other Units: The Dokie Ridge Memner is transitional into the underlying Huleross
mudstones and siltstones. The contact between the member and the overlying Walton Creek Member
is abrupt and probably conformable. Equivalent strata in the subsurface of Plains and near Peace
River town are included in the Cadotte Member of the Peace River Formation. In the foothills south of
Kakwa River equivalent beds are either missing or may be undifferentiated in the Gates Formation as
described by Langenberg and McMechan (1985) in the Grande Cache area.
Paleontology: A marine microfaunal assemblage obtained from equivalent sandstones near Peace
River is similar to that of the Ammobaculites Subzone. Fauna characteristic of the Gastroplites kingi
and Gastroplites allani of late Middle Albian age have been reported from that interval (Stott, 1982).
References: Gibson, in press (b); Langenberg and McMechan, 1985; Stott, 1968, 1982.
DFS
Lower to Upper Cambrian
Dome Creek Formation (Cariboo Group)
Author: Campbell, R.B. et al., 1973.
Type Locality: Headwaters of Dome Creek, northern Cariboo Mountains (53°35’N, 121°01’W), British
Colurnbia.
Lithology: The Dome Creek Formation consists mainly of dark grey to black shale, grading upward into
yellowish weathering banded siltstone and silty argillite overlain by black Siliceoas argillite with dark
grey shale. It is recessive due to its shale content and forrns an incompetent detachment horizon. The
Dome Creek Formation contains late Early Canibrian trilobite fauna in its lower part and Late
Cambrian trilobite fauna in its upper part.
Thickness and Distribution: The Dome Creek Formation is restricted to an area n the northern Cariboo
Mountains between latitudes 53°28’N and 53°40’N. It is 1738 m 15701 h) thick at its type section in
Dome Creek, although minor thrust repetition may be present.
Relationship to Other Units: The Dome Creek Formation is in gradational contact with the underlying
Mural Formation. It is overlain at its type section by quartzites of the Yanks Peak Formation that are in
fault contact with the Dome Creek Formation.
References: Cannpbell et al., 1973; Young, 1979.
MRM
Lower Cambrian
Donald Formation
Author: Evans, C.S., 1933.
Type Locality: No type locality given but Evans reported the best exposures to be “on the southwest-
dipping limb, and in downfaulted blocks in the centre of the rnajor anticline in the eastern pan of the
Dogtooth Mountains, and on the west wall and floor of the trench between Twelvemile and Lang
Creeks.” (Evans, ibid, p. 122.)
Lithology: An alternating succession of impure linnestones, sandstones and slates. Evans provided a
generalized section (Evans, 1932, p. 122).
Thickness and Distribution: Distributed throughout the Dogtooth Mountains, British Columbia.
Thicknesses cannot be accurately determined because of present-day erosion, faulting and drag-
folding. Estimate of the thickness of the Donald Formation by Evans range from over 610 m (2000 ft) to
less than 458 m (1500 ft) (Canyon Creek); at the north end of Jubilee Mountain, less than 61 m (200 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Reported by Evans to overlie the St. Piran Formation conformably in the
Dogtooth Mountains.
Paleontology: An Early Cambrian fauna is reported by various authors, consisting of olenellid

trilobites, inarticulate brachiopods, Girvanella and an archaeocyathid fauna.
References: Balkwill, Mountjoy and Price, 1980; Evans, 1932, 1933; Mountjoy and Price, 1980;
Okulitch, 1948; Reesor, 1972; Wheeler, 1963.
RGG
Douglas Formation
Author: AMOK (Canada) Ltd., 1974.
Type Locality: Carswell Lake, south of Lake Athabasca, NTS 74 K-11, northwestern Saskatchewan
Lithology: Interbedded siltstones, shales and fine gained sandstones.
Thickness and Distribution: Restricted to the 40 km (25 mi) wide Carswell structure. Thickness not
recorded.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Athabasca Formation (Fahrig, 1960), i.e., the William River
Subgroup (Ramaekers, 1980) and subjacent to the Carswell Formation .
References: AMOK Canada Ltd., 1974; Fahrig, 1960; Harper, 1978; Ramaekers, 1980.
JEC
Upper Cretaceous
Dowling Merrier (Wapiabi Formation, Alberta Group)
Type Locality: On Thistle Creek, Alberta Foothills, Sec. 17, Twp. 44, Rge. 20W5M.
Lithology: Dark grey to black, rusty weathering, rubbly to blocky nnudstone with some thin, platy
siltstone. Large reddish brown weathering concretions commonly occur in rows.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized throughout the foothills, but most easily defined where the
underlying Marshybank siltstone forms a prominent base. The thickness is fairly uniform in a
northwest-southwest direction, but decreases markedly across the foothills. The member is 107 m
(351 ft) thick in the type region, but to the east is only 30.5 m (100 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The contact at the lower boundary with the Marshybank Member of the
Wapiabi is conformable. The upper contact with the Thistle Member is conformable, drawn where the
mudstone becomes calcareous upwards and sideritic concretions disappear in an upward direction.
The member is recognized within the Puskwaskau Formation of northeastern British Columbia and at
the type locality of the Smoky Group on the lower Smoky River in Alberta.
Paleontology: Characteristic fauna include inoceramus cordifomis Sowerby and Scaphites

(Clioscaphites) cf. S. (C) vermiformis of Santonian age. Microfauna were identified by Wall and
Gerrnundson (1963).
References: Stott, 1963, 1967; Wall and Germundson, 1963.
DFS
Upper Cretaceous
Dorothy Bentonite (Bearpaw Formation)
Type Locality: None designated. Authors’ section is in NE/4 Sec. 33, Twp. 26, Rge. 17W4M, on the
west bank of the Red Deer River at Dorothy, Alberta, with sections recorded by Babet (1966) and
Scafe (1975) in close proximity.
Lithology: Green to greenish grey bentonite, weathering blue-grey to light olive-grey, with minor
sandstone and volcanic ash.
Thickness and Distribution: Unit varies from 6 to 10 m (20 to 33 ft) in thickness. It is traceable in
outcrop for 16 km (10 mi) along the Red Deer River, from about 3 km (2 mi) upstream from Dorothy
downstream to the vicinity of Trefoil (Scafe, 1975, p. 3). Scafe (op. cit.) noted that the exposure at
Dorothy constitutes the thickest and most extensive bentonite outcrop in Alberta. This deposit was
informally referred to as the “Dorothy bentonite” by Given and Wall (1971) and has no valid status as a
member.
References: Babet, 1966; Given and Wall, 1971; Scafe, 1975.
JHW; RAR
Upper Cretaceous
Dorothy Sandstone (Bearpaw Formation)
Author: Given, M.M. and Wall, I H., 1971, p. 508.
Type Locality: SW/4 Sec. 26, Twp. 26, Rge. 17W4M, on Red Deer River, about 5 km (3 mi) downstream
from Dorothy, Alberta.
Lithology: Brownish grey medium to coarse brained, glauconitic, bentonitic, massive, ledge forming
sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: About 6 m (20 fit) thick in vicinity of Dorothy. Distribution thought to be
localized, with the sandstone representing a bar type of deposit
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies dark blue-grey, silty to sandy shale and is overlain by similar dark
grey shale, all within the Bearpaw Formation. The top of this sandstone is about 54 m (178 ft) below
the top of the Bearpaw Formation. The equivalent stratigraphic level is within the Manyberries Member
of the Cypress Hills, southeastern Alberta. As informal nomenclature was used by the authors with no
type section being designated, this unit has no valid status as a member.
Reference: Given and GtVall, 1971 .
JHW; RAR
Lower Cretaceous
Dresser Formation (Abandoned)
Author: Hughes, J .E ., 1964a.
Type Locality: West end of Peace River Canyon, British Columbia, extending 32 km (20 mi)
downstream from the entrance of the canyon. The description of the type section is based on three
diamond-drill hole cores.
Lithology: Very coarse to medium grained sandstones and grits form beds of 3 to 12.2 m (10 to 40 ft).
The sandstones and grits have a speckled appearance due to abundant light and dark grey chert
grains. Conglomerates have pebbles of light and dark grey and brownish chert and some quartzite;
the pebbles are commonly less than 25.4 mm (1 in) in diameter. Intervening coal measures, up to 18.3
m (60 ft) thick contain dark grey shales and mudstones; thin interbedded shales, siltstones and fine
grained sandstone; fine grained sandstones; thin beds of argillaceous, silty sandstone and sandy
mudstones; thin layers of soft grey mudstone; coals; black, fissile, carbonaceous shales.
Thickness and Distribution: Ranges from 365.S8 m (1200 ft) at Fisher Creek in Carbon Creek Basin to
213.4 m (700 ft) at Peace River Canyon (Hughes, 1964a, 1964b).
Relationship to Other Units: The contact with beds included by Hughes as Brenot is not described,
although the implication is that the beds are transitional. The contact with the overlying Gething
Formation is described as being drawn above the major development of coarse grained,
conglomeratic sandstone. Stott (1967, 1973) demonstrated that the base of the conglomeratic
succession is marked by a regional unconformity that bevels underlying beds in northerly and easterly
directions. He also traced the succession in the surface and subsurface into beds assigned to the
Cadomin Formation, and retained the name Cadomin.
References: Hughes, 1964a, 1964b; Stott, 1967,1973.
DFS
Drumheller Marine Tongue
(Horseshoe Canyon Formation) Edmonton Group
Author: Allan, J.A. and Sanderson, J.O.G., 1945, p. 63.
Type Locality: The type section is in Horseshoe Canyon, 13 km (8.1 rni) southwest of Drumheller,
Alberta, in the SES4 of 33-28-21W4M (51°26’N, 112°54W).
Lithology: At the type locality the tongue can be divided into three units: a lower 1 m (3 ft) thick
arenaceous linnestone unit with abundant Ostrea glabra colvillensis, a middle 5 m (16 ft) bluish
siltstone unit and an upper 1 m (3 ft) arenaceous limestone or calcareous sandstone unit with
abundant Corbicula occidentalis ventricosa.
Thickness and Distribution: The Drumheller Marine Tongue seems to be restricted to the southern Red
Deer Valley area south of Twp. 32. If the thickness is judged by the separation of the pelecypod-
bearing marker beds, it ranges up to about double that at the type section. However, in other, relatively
nearby sections no pelecypod-rich beds are present at all.
Relationship to Other Units: The stratigraphic position of the Drumheller Marine Tongue is best
determined in relation to the No. 10 coal seam. This seam was called the ‘marker seam’ by Allan and
Sanderson because they believed it to be stratigraphically the most consistent of the Edmonton coal
seams. This belief has since been supported by magnetostratigraphy. In the type section both
pelecypod-bearing beds are above the No. 10 coal seam. In other places both are below the No. 10
seam or one may be above and one below. The range in stratigraphic position of the pelecypod beds
is from about 6 m (20 fit) below to 11 m (36 ft) above the No.10 seam.
The Drumheller Marine Tongue is conformable with other strata of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation
and is believed to be correlative with upper Bearpaw Formation beds to the south east.
References: Allan and Sanderson, 1945; Gibson, 1977; Lerbekmo and Coulter, 1985, Ower, 1960.
JFL
Drystone Creek Till
Author: Roed, M.A., 1975, p. 1508.
Type Locality: East bank of Drystone Creek in NE/4 Sec. 18, Twp. 49, Rge. 26W5M, Alberta
(53°14’N,117°46’40”W)
Lithology: Clay loam till, brownish grey to medium grey, with a carbonate content of about 45%. Very
stony; stones largely subangular and of Rocky Mountain origin, Shield stones lacking. The sparse
heavy minerals suggest a Cordilleran derivation.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality 7.5 m (25 ft) thick. Occurs in small valleys typically
heading in cirrques along front ranges and foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies bedrock or outwash associated with Obed or Drystone Creek
advances; generally at surface but locally covered by colluvium. Recognized as distinct unit from
Obed Till because its associated outwash overlies the eroded surface of that latter till, it also contains
more carbonate than the Obed Till and its pebbles are more angular. Correlated by Roed with
Canmore Advance (Bow Valley Till) of Rutter (1972).
It was deposited by local alpine glaciers in front ranges and foothills of Rocky Mountains. Outwash
associated with this till was not included in the unit by the author Post-dates Obed Till and is of
(Classical?) Wisconsin age.
References: Harris and Waters, 1977; Roed, 1975; Rutter, 1972.
AMacSS
Quaternary (PIeistocene)
Drywood Soil
Author: Horberg, L., 1954, p. 1133.
Type Locality: North side of Drywood Creek, neat junction with Yarrow Creek, north of Waterton
National Park, Alberta, in Lsd. 9. Sec. 15. Twp. 4, Rge. 29W4M (given by Horberg as Rge. 28).
Lithology: Soil developed on mountain gravels.
Distribution: To date only reported from type locality.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies “Early Wisconsin” mountain drift, and overlain by “Outer
Continental Till”, Kimball drift and colluvium.
Marks a major hiatus between glaciations, but considered by Horberg as interstadial rather can
interglacial.
Reference: Horberg, 1954.
AMacSS
Ducette Member (Baldonnel Formation)
Type Locality: Headwaters of Eleven Mile Creek, 30.6 km (19 mi) south of Pardonet Hill, NTS 93O/
15W Carbon Creek, northeastern British Columbia.
Lithology: Dark grey-brown weathering carbonaceous-argillaceous siltstone, very fine firained

sandstone, limestone and minor amounts of dolostone. Lithology resernbles and may be confused
with strata of the Pardonet Formation.
Thickness and Distribution: The Ducette Member attains a maximum thickness of 118.9 m (390 ft) near
Clearwater Lake, south of the Wliliston Lake Reservoir. The member is limited in distribution to the
Rocky Mountain Foothills area between Peace River-Williston Lake and Sukunka River.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is gradationally overlain by resistant and lighter grey weathering
carbonates of ‘main’ Baldonnel Formation. The Ducette is abruptly but confornnably underlain by
yellowish brown to pale grey weathering strata of the Charlie Lake Formation.
References: Gibson, D.W., 1971, 1975.
DWG
Middle Devonian
Dunedin Formation
Author: Taylor, G.C., 1967; Taylor, G.C. and MacKenzie, W.S., 1976.
Type Locality: In and along the stream bed of One Ten Creek adjacent to the Alaska Highway west of
Mount St. Paul, Tuchodi Lakes (94K) map-area, northeastern British Columbia Geographical co-
ordinates of the type section: 58°41’N, 124°48’W.
Lithology: A monotonous sequence of argillaceous and locally siliceous and dolomitic dark grey, well
bedded limestones. Two facies are recognized, . lower dolomitic wackestone facies constituting a
transgressive shoreface environment overlain by a thicker, grainstonewackestone facies of subtidal
origin. Basal sands occur in the southern areas of Dunedin exposure.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized from Redfern Lake in the Trutch (94G) map-area, where the
Dunedin passes laterally into and is over-stepped by the Pine Point Formation, northward to the
British Colurnbia-Yukon border where the carbonates pass laterally into equivalent Besa River shale.
The Dunedin is approximately 250 m (820 ft) thick at the type section, increasing in thickness
westward to approximately 400 m (1312 ft) near Muncho Lake. South of the type section the Dunedin
thins to 120 m (394 ft) near Mount Helen, near the facies front of the Pine Point Formation.
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformably overlies the Stone Formation, except in the northernmost
region of its development, and is conformably overlain by Besa Rifler shales, except at its Southerly
termination, where it is overstepped by the Pine Point Formation. The Dunedin Formation correlates
with parts of the Hume Formation, and the Nahanni Formation of the Northwest Territories.
References: Griffin, 1967; Morrow, 1978; Taylor, 1967; Taylor and MacKenzie, 1970; Taylor and Stott,
1973.
GCT
Lower Cretaceous
Dunlevy Formation (Bullhead Group) Obsolete
Author: Beach, H.H. and Spivak, J.. 1944, p. 4.
Type Locality: Not specifically designated, but a measured outcrop section was described from a large
amphitheatre on the north side of Mount Gething.
Lithology: At the type locality the exposed beds are largely a succession of well bedded, very hard,
fine grained, quartzitic sandstones interbedded with carbonaceous shales. Those beds are overlain by
a thick sequence of conglomeratic sandstones. The conglomerate zone consists of a series of
massive, cross-bedded, coarse grained, grey to reddish weathering conglomeratic sandstone and
conglomerate.
Thickness and Distribution: Beach and Spivak estimated the thickness of the entire Dunlevy
Formation to be 914.4 to 975.4 m (3000 to 3200 ft). The succession occurs in the vicinity of Peace
River Canyon.
Relationship to Other Units: Mathews (1947) recognized three formations in beds which he considered
equivalent to the lower Dunlevy, which are, in ascending order Monteith, Seattle Peaks and Monach.
Stott (1962, 1967, 1973) assigned the massive conglomerate sandstones to the Cadomin Formation.
Investigations by Stott (1962, 1967) and Hughes (1964a) confirmed that Mathews’ three formations are
recognizable throughout much of the region and the term Dunlevy was abandoned.
References: Beach and Spivak, 1944; Hughes, 1964a; Mathews, 1947; Stott, 1962, 1967, 1973.
DFS
Dunvegan Formation
Author: Dawson, G.M.,1881
Type Locality: Near Dunvegan, on the Peace River, northwestern Alberta.
Lithology: Consists of marine, non-marine and deltaic sandstone, light grey to yellowish buff in the
type area. Beds may be massive, with cross-bedding. Thin beds of shale, shelly limestone and coal
are present. The Dunvegan is dominantly marine in the area east of Dunvegan, but completely
continental in northeastern British Columbia, where thick arkosic and conghmeratic beds are common.
South of the Wapiti River in the foothills, and across the Grande Prairie area the sands are brackish
water to marine and usually porous.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness is around 160 to 180 m (525 to 590 ft) in the Peace River area
of Alberta, thinning to the south and east and disappearing; it is over 380 m (1246 ft) in the foothills of
the Pine River. The Dunvegan extends from Fort Nelson and the liard River overihe entire Peace
River area and as far south as Wildhay River in the foothills.
Relationship to Other Units: The Dunvegan Formation is overlain conformably by the Kaskapau
Formation in the Peace River area, except for an apparent hiatus near Watino, Alberta where the
Dunveganoceras Zone seems to be missing. The contact is usually transitional, and where the basal
unit of the Kaskapau becomes overly sandy the ternn Sakunka Member of the Dumvegan was
suggested by Spieker (1921) for such beds in the Pine River area of British Columbia.
The Dunvegan is underlain conformably and transitionally by shales of the Fort St. John Group, which
are referred to as Sully and Cruiser formations in northeastern British Columbia and as the
Shaftesbury Formation in the Peace River plains of Alberta.
The Dunvegan grades laterally to the east into the marine Labiche Formation and to the south into the
middle part of the Sunkay Member of the Blackstone Formation . To the southeast in the plains the
equivalent beds would be found in the lower Coloradc Group between the Second White Specks and
the Fish scale marker bed. It coarsens northward to become the continental Fort Nelson conglomerate
in northeastern British Columbia, which Stott (1968) included in the Dunvegan.
Paleontology: The Dunvegan carries a rich shallow water fauna in the type area and in the Kakwa
River area. It carries an extensive dicotyledon flora in northeastern British Coltimbia. Oysters, mussels,
unionids and Inoceramus are common in Alberta, with I. rutherfordi indicating correlation with the Belle
Fourche Shale of Wyoming. An arenaceous assemblage of Foraminifera dominated by Trochammina
is found in brackish water tongues. The fossils indicate an Upper Cenomanian Age. The flora carries
Platanus, Pseudocycas unjiga and numerous conifers and cycads, and ferns.
References: Dawson, 1881; Gleddie, 1949; McLearn, 1945; Spieker, 1921; Stelsk, 1962; Stow 1960,
1968.
CRS
Duperow Formation
Author: Powley, D., 1951. Re-defined by Williston Basin Nomenclature Committee, 1953.
Type Locality: Tidewater Duperow Crown No. 1, in 4-9-35-16W3M, in Saskatchewan. Powley’s original
definition ascribed the interval between 1008.9 and 1374.6 m (3310 and 4510 ft) to the Duperow
Formation. The 1953 re-definition adjusted the limits to between 875.1 and 1094.8 m (2871 and 3592
ft) in this well.
History: As first proposed by Powley (1951), the limits of the Duperow Formation are not those now in
generally accepted use. In 1953 the Williston Basin Nomenclature Committee used the term Duperow
Formation, but assigned it to a different interval; the upper and lower limits of this new interval are
approximately 137 and 168 m (449 and 551 ft) stratigraphically higher than those originally defined by
Powley. Powley’s ‘”Duperow” is therefore in large part equivalent to the Souris River Formation of
currently accepted use. Despite the prior use and definition of the term Duperow in Powley’s thesis, it
is the Duperow Formation interval as defined by the Williston Basin Nomenclature Committee which is
now firmly entrenched in the literature and usage of operators throughout the Williston Basin, even
though the report of this committee was never published. In conformance with the commitiee’s
recornnnendation the North Dakota Geological Society (in 1954) defined the limits of the Duperow
Formation at the Hunt Olsen No. 1 well in Bottineau Co., North Dakota. Sandberg and Hammond
(1958) chose a standard reference section for Duperow rocks of the Williston Basin as the interval
from 3169.9 to 3274.5 rn (10400 to 10734 ft) in Mobil Oil Producing Co. No. 1 Birdbear well (C SE/4
NW/4-22-149N-91W) in Dunn County, North Dakota. Kent (1963, 1968a) selected a Saskatchewan
Group reference section for western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta: the Mobil Oil Woodley
Sinclair Cantuar X-2-21 well (Lsd. 2-21-16-17W3M). A Duperow reference section for eastern
Saskatchewan and western Manitoba was chosen by Dunn (1975) frorn the International Yarbo No.
17S well (Lsd. 1-24-20-33W1M) as the interval between 591.9 and 760.5 m (1942 and 2495 hi).
Lithology: Pale colored limestones and dolomites, with blue-grey anhydrite, argillaceous dolomites
and local development of four halite units. Fossils are common and several widespread zones rich in
sporomorphs are recognized (Kent, 1963, 1965a; Dunn, 1975). Cyclic sedimentation is evident, with
local development of up to 27 cycles. Faunal descriptions are given in Warren and Stelck (1956),
Wilson (1967), and Kent (1968a).
Thickness and Distribution: The Duperow is present throughout the entire Williston Basin. The
thickness within the Canadian portion of the basin ranges from less than 120 m (394 ft) in
southwestern Manitoba to about 300 m (984 ft) in westernmost Saskatchewan. Southward the unit
thins to zero in southwestern North Dakota. North and east of the area of Birdbear cover (about the
latitude of Saskaloon the unit thins as the result of post-Mississippian erosion.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit conformably overlies argillaceous carbonates at the top of the
Souris River Formation, although disconformity is present in local areas of basal Duperow brecciation.
In Manitoba the base of the Duperow is commonly picked at the top of the lower of two shale breaks,
thus making the contact with the Souris River Formation about 15 m (49 ft) lower than that adopted in
the Saskatchewan subsurface (Norris et al., 1982). The upper contact is conformable or slightly
disconformable with the overlying carbonates of the Birdbear Formation. Equivalent strata are: in
eastern Alberta most of the Fairholme Group and the upper part of the Beaverhill Lake Formation; in
central Alberta most of the Woodbend Group and the upper part of the Beaverhill Lake Formation; in
Montana most of the Jefferson Group.
References: Braun and Mathison, 1982; Dunn, 1975; Kent, 1963, 1968a; Kents, 1959; Norris et al,
1982; North Dakota Geological Society, 1954; Powley, 1951; Sandberg and Hammond, 1958; Stanton,
1953, 1960; Wilson, 1956, 1967.
CED (after Stanton, 1960); KRM

Middle Proterozoic
Dutch Creek Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Author: Walker, J.F., 1926.
Type Locality: Dutch Creek, 8 km (5 mi) southwest of Fairmont Hot Springs, southeastern British
Columbia.
History: The Dutch Creek was defined to describe strata that are equivalent to the Gateway, Phillips
and Roosville formations but occur north and west of the northwestern limit of the Purcell Lava at
Skookumchuck Creek (50°55’N, 115°50’W), and may include strata equivalent to those assigned to
the “Siyeh Formation” south of Skookumchuck Creek. The northern limit of recognition of the Phillips
Formation is also near Skookumchuck Creek, thus precluding discrimination of the Gateway and
Roosville formations.
Lithology. The Dutch Creek consists of green, grey and buff argillites that change color along strike,
interbedded with white to grey quarkites, grey limestone and buff weathering, blue to grey dolomite.
Quartzites and dolomites are most abundant in the basal 300 m (984 ft) . Higher units are
predominantly grey and green argillites, with occasional dolorritic and quartzitic intercalations.
Dolomites are locally stromatolitic or colitic; argillites are thinly to thickly laminated and mud-cracked
or ripple marked. Quartzites are comrnonly cross-bedded.
Thickness and Distribotion: The thickness of the Dutch Creek is uncertain because of the effects of
tight folding and cleavage in its area of occurrence in the Purcell Anticlinoriurn, but is estimated to be
1300 to 1600 m (4264 to 5248 ft) in the type area (Reesor, 1973). Rice (1941) measured 1400 m (4592
ft) at Rose Pass in the Kootenay Arc, 80 km (50 mi) to the south (49°45’N, 116°35’W).
Relationship to Other Units: The contact of the Dutch Creek with the underlying “Siyeh Formation” is
gradational and uncertain; the contact with the overlying Mount Nelson Formation is sharp and
concordant, though it is probably time-transgressive and may be paraconformable or non-conformable.
The Dutch Creek is equivalent to the upper Missoula Group in Montana.
References: Leech, 1959,1960; Reesor, 1957, 1958,1973; Rice, 1941; Walker, 1926.
WKF, RAP
Duvenay Formation
Author: Geological Staff, Imperial Oil, 1950.
Type Locality: Type well Anglo Canadian Beaverhill Lake No. 2 in 11-11-50-17W4M, in Alberta,
between 1178 and 1231 m (3863 and 4038 ft); continuous wireline core.
History: The name was first applied by well-site geologists to describe the brown bituminous shales
found in wells drilled in the Duvernav area of east-central Alberta. Originally proposed in 1950 as a
member of the Woodbend Formation. Recommended to the geologic names and correlations
committee of the Alberta Society of Petroleum Geologists for elevation to formation status by
Andrichuk and Wonfor (1954, p. 2505).
Lithology: Interbedded dark brown bituminous shales, dark brown, black and occasionally grey-green
calcareous shales and dense argillaceous limestones. Sediments are characteristically petroliferous
and exhibit plane parallel millimetre lamination. Rarely is composec of thin calcarenitic beds and coral
rich lime mud accumulations. Disseminated pyrite commcn within sorne thin stringers.
Thickness and Distribution: Distributed over most of central Alberta and absent in areas of Leduc reef
growth, except beneath the Duhamel reef, where it may be represented by a thin development of
calcilutite. At its type section in the East Shale Basin it is 53 m (174 ft) thick; it thickens to 75 m (246 ft)
east and southeastward towards the Southern Alberta Shelf. Northeastward it reaches 120 m (394 ft)
at its truncation in the subsurface at the preCretaceous unconformity. In the West Shale Basin it
averages 60 m (197 ft) thick and thickens northward, attaining over 250 m (820 ft) to the east of Lesser
Slave Lake.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies platform carbonates of the Cooking Lake Formation
and is the basinal equivalent of surrounding Leduc reef growth peripheral to the East Shale Basin.
Thickens, up a depositional slope towards Leduc buildups, passing into lithologies more typical of the
lower Ireton Formation which conformably overlie it elsewhere. The top of the Duvernay may therefore
be considered partially facies controlled. Northward thick developments previously assigned to this
formation may include basinal equivalents of the Cooking Lake, Leduc and Ireton formations and are
confornnably overlain by the Grosmont Formation. Further westward in the West Shale Basin it
overlies shales of a similar lithology which have been assigned to the Majeau Lake Member of the
Cooking Lake Formation. It is the lateral ecguivalent of dark euxinic shales of the Perdrix Formation of
the Rocky Mountains. South of the Peace River Arch it may be equated to a thin development
overlying the Waterways Formation.
Paleontology: Sparse pelagic fauna of tentaculitids, ostracods, conodonts and embroyonie

brachiopods. Also contains specialized forms such as Leiorhyncus walcotti. Bioturbation generalty
absent.
References: Andrichuk, 1961; Andrichuk and Wonfor, 1954; Belyea, 1964; Geological Staff, Imperial
Oil Ltd., 1950; Kirker, 1959; Loranger, 1965; Oliver and Cowper, 1963; Stoakes, 1979.
FAS
Lower Cretaceous (Upper Albian)
Dynneson Sandstone
(Mowry Shale, Colorado Group)
Author: Wulf, G. R., 1962.
Type Locality: The type section is in the Sun Oil Company No. 1 Dynneson well, in Sec. 30, Twp. 24N,
Rge. 58E, Richland County, Montana, between 1618.5 and 1661.2 m (5310 and 5450 ft).
History: Dynneson Sandstone is a term introduced by Wulf (1962) for a sandstone lithofacies within his
Dynneson Unit, which is referable to the lower part of the Mowry Formation. It was intended to replace
the designations Newcastle Formation and Viking Formation in the Williston Basin region.
Lithology: White to light grey, fine grained sandstone with subordinate, intercalated, grey, micaceous
siltstone and black, peptic shale. Thin bentonite beds also occur. Quartz arenites are common, notably
in the lower half of the unit. Wood fragments appear to be of sporadic distribution.
Thickness and Distribution: The Dynneson Sandstone attains a maximum thickness of more than 84 m
(276 ft) in west-central Montana and thins eastward to its feather-edge in central Noah and South
Dakota and eastern Wyoming. Wulf recognized two main areas of Dynneson Sandstone occurrence: in
north-central Montana and adjacent southern Saskatchewan, and in eastern Montana, North Dakota
and South Dakota.
Relationship to Other Units: The Dynneson Sandstone rests disconformably on the Skull Creek Shale
Member. Its upper limit is marked by a prominent bentonite bed in the middle of the Mowry Shale. The
Dynneson Sandstone is replaced to the north and east by lower Mowry shales and mudstones, also
included in the Dynneson Unit. According to Wulf the Dynneson Sandstone is not correlative with
either the Newcastle Formation or the Birdhead Sandstone of southern Montana, Wyoming and South
Dakota, which are Skull Creek lithofacies; the Bow Island Sandstone of north-central Montana and
Alberta was considered to be erquivalenl to the lower Mowry shales and mudstones.
There is no paleontological evidence to support the distinction between Dynneson and Newcastle
Sandstones. Reconnaissance correlation of the Viking Formation across southern Saskatchewan by
Simpson and O’Connell (1979) indicates that Viking sandstones in the east may be stratigraphically
higher than those in the west.
References: Anderson, 1969; Reishus, 1967; Simpson, 1979a; Simpson and O’Connell, 1979; Wulf,
1962.
FS
Mississippian
Dyson Creek Member (Rundle Fomation) (Obsolete)
Author: Beach, H.H., 1947.
Type Locality: Beach considered the type area to be at Sheep Mountains in the Dyson Creek map-
area, 80 km (50 mi) south-southeast of the Bcw River map-area, and the type section to be the lower
part of the Rundle Fommation as described by Hage(1943, p. 4).
History: Beach named the Dyson Creek Member as the lowest of his three divisions of the Rundle
Formation. The first published reference to the term seems to be by Clark (1949, p. 629) relative tco his
“Lower Rundle” in the Bow River Valley. The term has rarely been used since Douglas established the
terms Livingstone Formation for these strata. Dyson Creek was sporadically used for Pekisko beds in
the subsurface of west-central Alberta.
Lithology :“... largely light grey coarse to fine grained crinoidal limestone containing chert inclusions.
The beds of crinoidal limestone are massive and form prominent light grey cliffs” (Hage, 1943, p. 4).
Thickness and Distribution: The Dyson Creek is 290 m (950 ft) thick at the type locality. At Tunnel
Mountain it is 485 rn (1590 ft) thick (Clark, 1949, p. 628). it is approximated 50 to 60 m (165 to 200 ft)
thick where used informally for the subsurface Pekisko.
Relationship to Other Units: The Dyson Creek is conformably underlain by the Banff Formation, and
conformably overlain by the Shunda or Mount Head formation.
References: Beach, 1947; Clark, 1949; Douglas, 1953; Gallup, 1951; Hage, 1943; Moore, 1956.
GM
Lower Cambrian
Eager Formation
Author: Schofield, S.J., 1922; Rice, H.M.A., 1937, 1941.
Type Locality: Midway between Cranbrook and Fort Steele, southeastern British Columbia (no section
designated).
Lithology: A pelitic formation, composed predominantly of argillite with local shale, siltstone and
limestone. It is not distinctly calcareous, but limy lenses and beds occur throughout. The argillites are
mostly dark grey, but may be blue-grey or grey-green and locally reddish. The argillites commonly
weather rusty; calcareous beds and lenses weather to lighter colors, commonly buff.
Thickness and Distribution: Exposed near 49°30’N in the Purcell Mountains, between the Moyie and
St. Mary faults and, directly across the Rocky Mountain Trench between the comparable Dibble Creek
and Boulder Creek faults in the Hughes Range of the Rocky Mountains. The thickness of the Eager
Formation is undetermined, but is greatest in the Purcell Mountains, where it is probably at least 1000
m (3280 ft) in western exposures.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Cranbrook Formation with apparent conformity. In the Purcell
Mountains the strata are bounded upward by faults and the present erosion surface. Early Cambrian
fossils occur at a number of localities, but no fossils have been found in the upper part of the apparent
thickest section. In the Rocky Mountains the formation is succeeded by Middle Cambrian limestones
and shales, with which it is in deformed and poorly exposed contact
References: Rice, 1937, 1941; Schofield, 1922.
GBL
Upper Cretaceous
Eagle Formation (Montana Group)
Author: Weed, W.H., 1899: redefined by Bowen, C.F., 1915 and Cobban et al., 1959.
Type Locality: Along the Missouri River near Eagle Creek, central Montana.
Lithology: The formation originally included at the base a unit of thinly interbedded Sands stone
stained light brown by lignitic material. These transitional beds grade upward to a massive, light
colored sandstone that weathers in castellated forms Capped by sideritic sandstone lenses. Above the
massive, light colored sandstone are softer beds and seams of lignite. At many localities bands of
small, flat black pebbles occur near the top (Stanton and Hatcher, 1905). Bowen (1915) named the
massive, light colored sandstone unit the Virgelle sandstone, a name previously used in the Two
Medicine River area of northwestern Montana by Stebinger (1914). He also selected the base of the
Eagle Formation as the lower contact of the massive Virgelle Member. This re-definition was accepted
by Cobban et al. (1959) and the transitional beds below the Virgelle Member were placed in the
Telegraph Creek Formation.
Thickness and Distribution: According to Rice (1976) the Eagle Formation as re-defined by Bowen
(1915) is between 60.9 and 91.4 m (200 and 300 ft) thick. The formation is present in central Montana
and is in mappable continuity with the two upper members of the Milk River Formation in southern
Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The Eagle conformably and transitionally overlies the Telegraph Creek
Formation and is sharply overlain by the Claggett Formation. It changes laterally to shale in east-
central Montana (Gammon shale). In northwestern Montana equivalents of the Eagle Formation are
present in the basal part of the Two Medicine Formation. The Milk River Formation in Alberta, as
mapped by Dowling (1917) is equivalent to the Eagle Formation as defined by Weed (1899) and
Stanton and Hatcher (1905). The Milk River Formation, as defined by the Alberta Society Of Petroleum
Geologists (1960) is equivalent to the combined Eagle Formation as re-defined by Bowen (1915) and
Telegraph Creek Formation in the sense of Cobban et al. (1959).
References: Alberta Society of Petroleum Geologists, 1960; Bowen, 1915; Cobban et al., 1959; Rice,
1976; Stanton and Hatcher, 1905; Stebinger, 1914; Weed, 1899.
NCMD
Middle Cambrian
Earlie Formation
Author: Pugh, D.C., 1971, p. 6-8.
Type Locality: Husky DH Lloydminster 10-15-49-1W4M, in Alberta, between 1656.9 and 1497.2 m
(5436 and 4912 ft).
History: Replaced informal designation ‘Lower fine clastic unit’ (Aitken, 1968).
Lithology: Interbedded glauconitic siltstones and fine grained sandstones and shales.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum thickness of 172 m (564 ft) in the Lloydminster area of eastern
Alberta. Thins westward to less than 60 m (197 ft) before thickening farther west into an equivalent
carbonate-shale succession. Thins eastward to zero in Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies Basal sandstone unit the lower contact placed at
the topmost bed of coarse grained sandstone, seen as sharp increase in gamma radiation passing
upward. Conformably overlain by Deadwood Formation, upper contact placed at the top of the
stratigraphically highest glauconitic sandstone. Top sandstone is part of the clastic equivalent of the
Pika Formation, called the Pika marker, which marks the Middle Cambrian-Upper Cambrian boundary.
Lateral equivalent to the west is the succession of Mount Whyte, Cathedral, Stephen, Eldon and Pika
formations .
References: Aitken, 1968; Pugh, 1971
DCP
East Arm Dolomite (Interlake Group)
Author: Steam, C.W., 1956.
Type Locality: North side of point, East Arm of Moose Lake, 10.9 km (6.6 mi) south of the Narrows
(approximately Lsd. 4, Sec. 32, Twp. 55, Rge. 16WPM), Manitoba. The lower East Arm sandy beds,
which are not exposed at the type section are well exposed in a newly accessible small cliff on
Highway 6, 48.3 km (30.2 mi) north of Grand Rapids. Suggested reference core hole is Freeport
Clearwater Lake No. 6, in 23-53-16WPM), between approximately 12 and 28.7 m (40 and 94.2 ft)
Lithology: A varied sequence of yellowish grey very fine to medium grained, oolitic, fossiliferous and
predominantly algal dolomite with interbedded algal breccia. A zone containing isolated sand grains
occurs near the base of the formation.
Thickness and Distribution: Stearn originally estimated a total thickness of 15.2 m (50 ft), but recent
core hole and outcrop data show that the lower silty and sandy unit is 7 to 9 m (23 to 29.5 ft) thick.
Since no sandy beds are reported at the 13 m (42.6 ft) thick type section, the total East Arm thickness
is at least 20 to 25 m (66 to 82 ft) (the top of the unit is difficult to define in core). The name is applied
only in the northern part of the Manitoba outcrop belt. Extensive, newly accessible outcrops occur
intermittently along Highway 6 for 64 km (40 mi) north of Grand Rapids, and also as near-shore cliffs
at the south ends of both Little Limestone and William Lakes.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit conformably overlies the brown, vuggy Atikameg Dolomite,
although the contact may be locally disconformable. It is overlain disconformably by crinoidal
dolomites of the Cross Lake Member of the Cedar Lake Formation. In the subsurface of the Williston
Basin the lower sandy beds of the East Arm comprise the basin-wide marker zone defining the top of
the lower Interlake Group (Porter and Fuller, 1959) or the upper Brandon Formation of the Interlake
Group (King, in Cowan, 1971); the upper East Arm dolomites comprise the basal part of the middle
Interlake, or the basal Cedar Lake as re-defined by King (1964, in Cowan, 1971).
HRM
Eastend Formation
Type Locality: Area around Eastend, southwestern Saskatchewan. Type section designated by Kupsch
(1956) southwest of Eastend, north of Highway 13 in large gully east of Murphy’s claypit, in Lsd. 6,
Sec. 25, Twp. 6, Rge. 22W3M.
History: Formerly named: “Division Y of Foothills” by Dawson (1895); “Fox Hills” by McConnell (1885);
“Phase A of the Basal Sandstone” by McLearn (1929); “Sandstone D” by McLearn (1930).
Lithology: Yellow to buff, greenish and brownish, fine grained silty and clayey, volcanic, lithic sands
with siltstone and sandstone ledges and concretionary layers; thin beds (up to 30 cm, 12 in) of grey
and greenish grey shale are present throughout. In Alberta it contains lignite beds. Bedding is thin and
cross-bedding is present. Contains poorly preserved marine bivalves in lower part (Russell, 1932,
1943). There are some abrupt lateral changes from sand to shale.
Thickness and Distribution: All published reports describe the Eastend as being of variable thickness,
and in reports published before 1932 sediments now assigned to the Bearpaw Formation were
included in the Eastend. In the area around the town of Eastend it is about 20 to 30 m (66 to 99 ft) thick.
In the valley of Swift Current Creek north of 49°42’N, and in the valley of the Frenchman River east of
108°31’W the Eastend Formation was removed by erosion before deposition of the Upper Cretaceous
Frenchman Formation.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower Contact of the Eastend with the Bearpaw Formation is
gradational over as much as 16 m (53 ft), where light colored sandy beds of Eastend alternate with
grey shales of the Bearpaw; the number and thickness of shale beds increase downwards. The upper
contact with the Whitemud Formation takes place in only a few decimetres, where the buff silt or sand
of the Eastend is replaced by light grey or white, feldspathic sandstones of the Whitemud Formation.
Both upper and lower contacts of the Eastend Formation are conformable, except to the northeast and
southeast of Eastend, in the valley of Swift Current Creek and the Frenchman River, where the
Eastend Formation is overlain erosional by the Frenchman Formation. East of Twelvemile Lake,
Saskatchewan the Eastend is overlain by the Whitemud Formation. The Eastend Formation is
correlative with the St. Mary River and Horseshoe Canyon Formations of the Alberta Plains, and with
the Fox Hills in Montana and North Dakota.
References: Dawson, 1875, Kupsch, 1956; McConnell, 1885; McLearn, 1929, 1930; Russell, 1932,
1943.
HEH
Eatonia Evaporite (Wymark Member,
Duperow Formation, Saskatchewan Group)
Author: Kent, D.M., 1968a (p. 29), 1968b (p. 16). Not formally defined.
Type Locality: Husky Phillips Eatonia No. 1, in 4-32-26-24W3M, in Saskatchewan. Estimated interval
from electric logs is approximately 1234 to 1256 m (4050 to 4120 ft).
History: The Eatonia evaporite (which includes halite sandwiched between beds of yellowish brown
anhydrite) was recognized by Kent (1968a, 1968b) as a 15000 km2 (5859 mi2), nearly circular
mappable unit located south of Kindersley, western Saskatchewan. Stratigraphically it is the lowest of
three evaporite beds which occur in the Wymark Member. Contacts are conformable.
References: Kent, 1968a, b; 1969.
CED; KRM
Middle Devonian
Ebbutt Member (Willow Lake Formation)
Author: Law, J., 1971.
Type Locality: Between 726.3 and 733.9 m (2383 and 2408 ft) in the Imperial Triad Willow Lake B 20
well (62°17’05”N, 119°04’25”W).
Lithology: Shale, may include siltstones and sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: The Ebbutt Member is 7.6 m (25 ft) thick in the type section. It underlies an
area between the Tathlina High and Lac Tache Shelf (Law, 1971). It extends northwestward from the
type section into the lower Hume Formation and southeastward into the Chinchaga Formation, where
its base marks the division between the upper and lower subdivisions of that unit. The shales,
siltstones and sandstones occurring in the middle of the Chinchaga Formation southwest of the
Tathlina High and northeastern British Columbia are also believed to belong to this member (Law,
1971).
Relationship to Other Units: The Ebbutt is the lower member of the Willow Lake Formation. It overlies,
with possible disconformity the Bear Rock Formation in the type section it extends northwestward into
the base of the lower Hume Formation and southeastward into the Chinchaga Formation, where its
base marks the division between the upper and lower subunits of that formation.
Reference: Law, 1971.
LVH; JL
Echo Lake Gravel
Type Locality: Excavation at Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan in SE/4 Lsd. 7, Sec. 14, Twp. 21, Rge.
14W2M, reference sections found in gravel pits and exposures along south wall of Qu’Appelle Valley
between Echo and Katepwa Lakes.
Lithology: Grey to pale brown gravel and sand with interbeds of silt and till; characterized by vertebrate
fossils.
Thickness and Distribution: Ranges in thickness from less than 1 m (3 ft) up to 150 m (492 ft) found in
the 800 m (2624 ft) wide Muscow Valley from Pasqua Lake to Katepwa Lake.
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformably overlies Sutherland Group and is conformably overlain by
a lower till of Floral Formation.
Paleontology: Unit is rich in vertebrate remains, including Bison, Equus, Mammuthus, and Symbos,
which indicate a Sangamon to mid-Wisconsin age for the unit
References: Christiansen, 1960, 1972; Christiansen et al., 1977; 1970; Khan, 1970; Klassen, 1975.
EAC; AMacSS
Upper Cretaceous
Edmonton Formation (Group)
Author: Tyrell, J . B., 1887.
Type Locality: Edmonton area, in the North Saskatchewan River Valley, Alberta.
Lithology: Predominantly of fresh to brackish water, fine grained sandstone, calcareous sandstones,
sandy shales, bentonitic sandstones and shales, bentonite, ironstone nodules, concretions and
bands, carbonaceous shales and coal. Hard, flaggy sandstones commonly cap mesas, buttes and
plateaus where erosion of the formation results in “badland” topography. The Kneehills Tuft, a reliable
stratigraphic marker occurs within the formation in east-central Alberta and as far south as the Oldman
River (Dozer, 1952). Coarse elastic material is rare in the formation.
Thickness and Distribution: 328 to 366 m (1000 to 1200 ft) thick in the Plains of Alberta; in the foothills
up to 763 m (2500 ft) have been reported (Allan and Sanderson, 1945).
Relationship to Other Units: The Edmonton Formation “... grades into the thinner Fox Hills Formation to
the east and south, and on the west becomes part of the thick, undifferentiated deposits of the upper
Montana subdivision of the Cretaceous. Similar formations that are stratigraphically equivalent in the
Western States are known as the Horsethief sandstone in Montana, and Lennup and Muteetse in
Wyoming.” (Allan and Sanderson, 1945).
The Edmonton is overlain disconformably by the Paskapoo Formation and is underlain by the marine
Bearpaw Formation or the Belly River Formation. It is correlated with the Blood Reserve and St. Mary
River formations of the southern Plains. The lower part of the Willow Creek Formation possibly
correlates with the Edmonton. The Edmonton also correlate with the Eastend, Whitemud, Battle and
Frenchman formations of the Cypress Hills area, and the Fox Hills and Lace formations of Montana.
The upper part of the Pierre Formation may equate with the lower part of the Edmonton. In the foothills
the Edmonton has equivalents in the upper part of the Wapiti and Brazeau groups.
Paleontology The Edmonton Formation contains an extensive vertebrate fauna, especially in the
upper part of which Triceratops is the most widely known. Fresh water and terrestrial invertebrates
occur throughout the formation. Molluscs, particularly Ostrea and Unio are an important faunas
element, and a few bryozoans are known.
References: Allan and Sanderson, 1945; Elliott, R.H.J., 1960; Ower, 1960; Sternberg, 1947; Tozer,
1952; Williams and Dyer, 1980.
A.S.P.G Lexicon, 1960

Edson Till
Author: Roed, M.A., 1975, p. 1501.
Type Locality Northeast of Edson, Alberta, on cutbank of McLeod River in SW/4 of Sec. 21, Twp. 54,
Rge. 15W5M (approximately 53°40’30”N, 116°9’30”W).
Lithology: A clayey or clay-loam till containing about 5% carbonate in matrix and stone-poor to
moderately stony; contains stones from Canadian Shield but these are rare or even absent west of
Edson; the heave mineral suite is typical of a Shield source. Plastic if moist; medium to dark olive
brown where oxidized, otherwise medium grey. The Edson Till is “typical of all the tills of Laurentide
Source, and so is used as the lithologic standard of Laurentide Till in the area” (Roed, 1975, p. 1501).
Thickness and Distribution: From a few centimetres thick where bedrock is shallow to more than 30 m
(98 ft) in buried valleys; average thickness about 6 m (20 ft). Widespread in northeast part of the
Edson-Hinton area.
Relationship to Other Units: At the type locality overlies Paskapoo Formation bedrock, elsewhere may
overlie alluvial gravel or till; either exposed at surface or covered by glacial-lake deposits, wind blown
sand or muskeg. Northward grades into the Mayberne Till, southward and westward into the Marlboro
Till with abrupt to gradational contact. Probably correlates to the Sylvan Lake Till of Boydell, 1978; the
name Edson has priority over Sylvan Lake.
Along with the Mayberne Till records the last Laurentide advance in area, which was synchronous
with Cordilleran advance that deposited the Marlboro and Raven Creek tills. Assumed by author (p.
1510) to be Wisconsin in age.
References: Boydell, 1978; Roed, 1975; Harris and Waters, 1977.
AMacSS
Quaternary (Pleistocene, Pinedale)
Eisenhower Junction Till
Type Locality: None stated. Lectostratotype locality here designated as a section illustrated by Rutter
(1972, p. 32) just north of Pipestone Creek, near Lake Louise (51°25’45”N, 116°10’45”W) where the till
lies at the surface.
Lithology: A calcareous, sandy, clay loam till with about 25% stone content; light olive-grey where
unoxidized, yellowish grey if oxidized. Slightly stonier than Bow Valley Till, which it resembles in many
other respects. Stones subangular to subrounded.
Thickness and Distribution: Generally less than 6 m (20 ft) thick. Present in Bow Valley and many of its
tributaries above Eisenhower Junction, and in some sidewall cirques along the Bow Valley.
Relationship to Other Units: Generally overlies bedrock, and normally exposed at surface. Unit laid
down during Eisenhower Junction Advancer which represented the last major intrusion of ice into the
region. Extensive glaciofluvial deposits, into which the till in places grades were laid down during this
glaciation but not included by the author in the unit. The author (1972, p. 41) assigns a late Pinedale
age to this advance.
References Roed, 1975; Rutter, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1972.
AMacSS
Middle Cambrian
Eldon Formation (Eldon Dolomite)
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1908a, b.
Type Locality: Indicated by Walcott to be some part of Castle Mountain overlooking Eldon Switch,
Alberta, on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Walcott measured the type section on Helena Ridge behind
Castle Mountain, as did Deiss (1939).
History: The Eldon, as defined by Walcott was emended by Deiss (1939, p. 1008), who recognized as
the Pika Formation the upper, shady more prominently bedded and lithologically varied part of the
type Eldon.
Lithology: Limestone and dolomite. The primary depositional facies is mainly burrow-mottled lime
mudstone, with minor beds of pellet grainstone and oolite. Along the Kicking Horse Rim peritidal
facies are prominent (cryptalgal laminites, oolites and stromatolites) (Aitken, 1971). Immediately west
of the Rim, before the westward dip carries the Eldon from view, it has changed to a regularly thin
bedded, dolomitic lime mudstone with many slides and penecontemporaneous folds (slope or ramp
facies). In the main ranges the Eldon is extensively altered to pale colored, fine to coarse crystalline
dolomite. It is a major cliff forming unit.
A single eastward-pinching tongue of outer detrital fossiliferous argillite, the informal Field Member or
unit interrupts the Eldon carbonates at Mount Field, Mount Stephen and Vermilion Pass.
Thickness and Distribution: At the faulted type section the Eldon is about 340 m (1115 ft) thick. It
thickens westward to 500.5 m (1642 ft) at Mount Bosworth, and in the most westerly sections ranges
between 410 and 490 m (1345 and 1607 ft). It thins eastward to 258 to 303 m (846 to 994 ft) along the
mountain front, and to ultimate disappearance in the subsurface of the Plains approximately along a
line joining Red Deer, Strathmore and Claresholm.
Relationship to Other Units: The Eldon is in conformable, gradational contact with the Stephen
Formation below and the Pika Formation above. Westward, with facies changes to argillaceous
basinal limestone and shale it passes into the lower and part of the middle units of the Chancellor
Formation (McIlreath, 1977). With eastward shale-out the Eldon passes into part of the subsurface
Earlie Formation Northward the Eldon becomes the Titkana Formation, traceable in essentially the
same carbonate facies to at least Pine Pass (Slind and Perkins, 1966). The Eldon is readily
identifiable southward to the Mount Assiniboine area, south of which it plunges from view. It probably
reappears as the Windsor Mountain Formation in the Castle River area in southwestern Alberta
(Norris and Price, 1966), but present faunal control does not conclusively prove this.
Along the Kicking Horse Rim the Eldon merges with Pika and Waterfowl equivalents in a thick, rather
local multi-storey carbonate mass.
References. Aitken, 1971; Deiss, 1939, McIlreath, 1977; Norris and Price, 1966; Pugh, 1971; Slind and
Perkins, 1966; Walcott, 1908a, b.
JDA; LVH
Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous
Elk Formation (Kootenay Group)
Author: Newmarch, C.B., 1953.
Type Locality: Fernie area, north side of Coal Creek opposite abandoned Elk River preparation plant.
A more accessible and better exposed section is located south of Coal Creek along strike, on the west
side of Morrissey Ridge below the Morrissey micro-wave relay towers NTS 82G/7, upper Flathead
(Gibson, 1979,1985).
History: First recognized by McEvoy (1902) as a distinctive facies in the Crowsnest Coal Basin and
called “Elk Conglomerates”. Newmarch (1953) designed the conglomerate as a separate new
formation of the Kootenay rock succession. Jansa (1972) disagreed and suggested that the unit be
considered only as a member of the Kootenay Formation. Gibson (1977, 1979, 1985) demonstrated
the regional significance of the lithofacies and adopted formation status as originally suggested by
Newmarch.
Lithology: The type area comprises cliff forming, interbedded sandstone, siltstone, shale, mudstone,
thick conspicuous units of chert pebble conglomerate and sporadic, thin seams of high volatile
bituminous coal. Elsewhere thick conglomerate units are absent or poorly developed and coal seams
rare. The succession grades northward, eastward and southward into an alternating succession of fine
to coarse grained sandstone, siltstone and mudstone, commonly devoid of conglomerate.
Thickness and Distribution The unit occurs in part of the Rocky Mountain Foothills and parts of the
eastern front ranges of southwestern Alberta and southeastern British Columbia between the Flathead
Ridge area of British Columbia and the Barrier Mountain area of Alberta. The Elk Formation ranges in
measured thickness from a maximum of 590 m (1935 ft) at Mount Allan, near Canmore, Alberta to
minimum of 28 m (92 ft) on Cabin Ridge, north of Coleman, Alberta. The formation thins eastward and
is absent in many areas of the Rocky Mountain Foothills.
Relationship to Other Units: The Elk Formation is unconformably overlain in most areas by medium to
light grey weathering, massive-bedded sandstone and conglomerate of the Cadomin Formation of the
Blairmore Group. Near Highwood Pass, Canmore and possibly the Fernie area of British Columbia the
Elk is abruptly and possibly conformably overlain by the Pocaterra Creek Member of the Blairmore
Group (Gibson, 1977, 1979, 1985; Ricketts and Sweet, 1984). The contact is placed where dark grey,
carbonaceous-argillaceous siltstone, mudstone, shale, and medium grey slightly carbonaceous
sandstone and medium to light grey pebble conglomerate of the Elk Formation are overlain by very
light grey well indurated quartz sandstone, olive-grey to reddish brown siltstone and mudstone, and
lesser light to medium grey quart-chert pebble conglomerate of the Pocaterra Creek Member. The Elk
is conformably underlain by economically important coal bearing strata of the Mist Mountain
Formation. Elk strata may correlate lithologically with part of the Nikanassin Formation.
References: Gibson, 1977, 1979, 1985; Jansa, 1972; McEvoy, 1902; Newmarch, 1953; Ricketts and
Sweet, 1984.
DWG
Middle Cambrian
Elko Formation
Author: Schofield, S.J. 1914.
Type Locality: Burton mine, 3 km (1.9 mi) northwest of Elko, southeastern British Columbia; Fernie
West-Half map-area, 82 G/6E.
Lithology: Medium and light grey fine to medium crystalline dolomite, commonly with a relief-
weathered, textural mottling. Towards the base of the formation the dolomite grades downwards into a
dolomite-mottled dark grey fine to very fine crystalline limestone. Thin Interbeds of olive-grey, strongly
calcareous mudstone occur locally toward the base.
Thickness and Distribution: The Elko Formation is confined to the southern Rocky Mountains between
the Crowsnest Pass and the 49th Parallel. It is not recognized in equivalent successions in
northwestern Montana. The formation is 27 m (90 ft) thick at the type section at Elko, 107 m (350 ft) at
North Kootenay Pass along the Continental Divide, and 156 m (512 ft) on Windsor Mountain in
Relationship to Other Units: The Elko Formation is gradational with the Gordon Formation below and
with the Windsor Mountain Formation above. Where the latter is absent because of pre-late Middle
Devonian erosion, the Elko Formation is overlain unconformably by Upper Devonian carbonates and
clastics.
References: Leech, 1958; Fritz and Norris, 1965; Schofield, 1914.
DKN
Middle Devonian
Elk Point Group
Author: McGehee, 1949; raised to group status by Belyea, 1952; divided into lower and upper Elk Point
by Sherwin, 1962 and the members elevated to formation rank.
Type Locality: Wells in Elk Point area, Alberta, between Twps. 56 and 57, Rges. 5 and 6W4M;
Crickmay (1952) designated, as the type section equivalent strata in the Anglo-Canadian Elk Point No.
11 well, in 2-11-57-5W4M, between 867.5 m (2845 ft) and 1351 m (4430 ft) .
Lithology: The Elk Point Formation was divided by Crickmay (1954) into 9 members of distinctly
different lithology, described from top to bottom:
Member 1: (Dawson Bay Formation): shale, green, red, grey partly silty, dolomitic, anhydrite;
dolomite, buff, micritic, in part argillaceous; shale, grey, red green.
Member 2: (Prairie Evaporite Formation): predominantly halite; thin anhydrite layers in middle
and at base; dolomite and shale laminae near base; potash beds commonly interbedded in the top
30.5 m (100 ft) to 61 m (200 ft); grades to anhydrite (Muskeg Formation) near centre of basin in
northern Alberta, thence to dolomite (Presqu’ile Formation in southern District of MacKenzie and
northeastern British Columbia).
Member 3: (Winnipegosis Formation): [modified by Baillie, 1953, from Tyrrell’s Winnipegosan]:

at the top dolomite, light brown to brown, finely crystalline, with intercrystalline porosity in part;
limestone, partly dolomitic, fine grained to chalky; dolomite, brown to buff, argillaceous, becomes
reddish and argillaceous towards base, with sandy streaks. [In the type outcrop the Winnipegosis
consists of structureless, fossiliferous dolomite mounds or reefs with fair to excellent vuggy porosity;
beds between mounds are light yellowish grey medians saccharoidal, poorly fossiliferous, bedded
dolomite.]
Member 4: (Contact Rapids Formation; Chinchaga Formation of northern Alberta subsurface,

Hay Camp of northeastern Alberta outcrop area): Brownish grey very argillaceous dolomite and
dolomite shale, underlain by greenish grey and red argillaceous dolomite, red dolomitic shale at base.
Member 5: (Cold Lake Formation): Halite, with thin red dolomitic shale at base.
Member 6: (Ernestina Lake Formation; Fitzgerald of northeastern Alberta): Anhydrite, light grey
at top, underlain by light grey-brown, crypto- to micrograined limestone, locally anhydritic with salt-
plugged porosity.
Member 7: Red and green dolomitic shale at base of Member 6.
Member 8: (Lotsberg Formation): Type section: Halite, with medium grey argillaceous dolomite
at base in type section; elsewhere a zone about 61 m (200 ft) thick near the base includes thin beds of
red and, minor, green calcareous or dolomitic shale.
Member 9: (Basal red beds): Brick red, dolomitic or calcareous silty shales, grading downwards
into red sandy shale and to greenish grey fine to coarse grained quartzose sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: The lower Elk Point extends northwest from the Meadow Lake
Escarpment (approximately 54°31’N, 105°40W to 52°20’N, 123°W) to southern District of MacKenzie
west of 112°W, thence to northeastern British Columbia and southern District of MacKenzie between
122° and 124°W. The upper Elk Point extends from North Dakota and eastern Montana through
southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan, in a northwesterly direction through Saskatchewan into
Alberta, spreading east and north of the Peace River uplift into southern District of MacKenzie north of
61°N and west into northeastern British Columbia between 124°W and 125°W. The type section of the
Elk Point is 564 m (1850 ft) thick; it thickens to approximately 610 m (2000 ft) in eastern Alberta, where
the lower Elk Point is thickest; in northwestern Alberta and adjacent British Columbia it ranges from
305 m (1000 ft) to 488 m (1600 ft) and thins to less than 152 m (500 ft) over the Tathlina Uplift in
southern District of MacKenzie.
Relationship to Other Units: The Elk Point rests on Precambrian over the Peace River-Athabasca and
Tathlina uplifts; overlies strata of Cambrian age from the Meadow Lake Escarpment (108°54’30”W to
113°52’30”W) to the eroded margin of the Cambrian (approximately 55°30’N); the upper Elk Point,
beyond the limit of the lower Elk Point rests on the Cambrian in northeastern Alberta and adjacent
Saskatchewan; on the Ordovician in western Alberta, Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba; it is
overlain by the Souris River Formation in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the Beaverhill Lake Formation
of Alberta.
Rock units equivalent to part or all of the lower Elk Point include the Burnais and Cedared of the
Stanford and Hughes ranges of southeastern British Columbia; the Stone Formation and equivalent
Arnica, Funeral and overlying Landry-Manetoe formations, the Headless and Nahanni formations of
northeastern British Columbia and southern District of MacKenzie between 128° and 132°W. The
upper Elk Point includes, in the Great Slave Lake area the Pine Point and equivalent Lonely Bay
formations and the overlying Horn River Shales, the Presqu’ile and Horn Plateau formations
(carbonates) in northeastern British Columbia and adjacent District of MacKenzie carbonates of the
Pine Point, Sulphur Point-Presqu’ile, Watt Mountain and Slave Point formations of the upper Elk Point
tongue out into the Evie and overlying Otter Park and Muskwa formations which grade westward to the
Horn River Formation and equivalent lower part of the Besa River Formation
Paleontology: Carbonates of the lower Elk Point have provided a fauna of corals, Amphipora,
brachiopods, gastropods, pelecypods, cephalopods, nautiloids and ostracods; in the upper Elk Point
corals, brachiopods, pelecypods, molluscs, gastropods, crinoids, Tentaculites, a fish bone and spores
are present.
References: Baillie, 1951, 1953, 1955; Bassett and Stout, 1967; Barss et al., 1970; Belyea, 1959;
Belyea and Norris, 1962; Cameron, 1917; Campbell, 1950; Crickmay, 1954, 1957; deWit, 1973;
Douglas, 1968; Edie, 1959; Fuller and Porter, 1959; Geological Staff, Imperial Oil, 1950; Grayston et
al., 1964; Hriskevich, 1966, 1967; Jones, 1967; Kent, 1964, 1967; Kindle, 1914; Law, 1955; McCamis
and Griffith, 1967; McGehee, 1949, 1952; Norris, 1963, 1965; Sandberg, 1961; Sherwin, 1962; Van
Hees. 1958; Walker, 1957; Warren and Stelck, 1962
HRB; PAM, LDG

Mississippian (Visean)
Elkton Member (Turner Valley Formation)
Author: Penner, D.G., 1958.
Type Locality: The type section is defined at Great Plains Canadian Superior et al. Elkton 16-13-31-
4W5M, in Alberta, between 2655 and 2698 m (8705 and 8845 ft).
Lithology: The Elkton Member consists of dolomite and lesser limestone, fine to coarse crystalline,
with some interbedded silty dolomites, cherty near the top, and in southerly occurrences crinoidal.
Much of the Elkton dolomite replaces lime mudstones with limited crinoidal (echinoderm) debris.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit varies from 43 m (140 ft) in the type locality to 60 m (200 ft) in the
Calgary area. The general distribution is from the Edson area in the north (Twp. 53), southward through
the Sundre-Caroline area (Twp. 37), to Shell Parkland No. 1 (6-29-15-26W4M) in the south where
facies changes make the Elkton Member difficult to distinguish from underlying Shunda Formation.
Westerly, in the mountain sections the Elkton is not recognizable as dolomitization decreases and the
Turner Valley Formation consists largely of echinoderm-bryozoan limestone. The Elkton is absent to
the east due to erosion.
Relationship to Other Units: The upper beds of the Elkton are eroded at the type locality, but to the
south and west the upward limit is placed at the change from crystalline dolomite and limestone of the
Elkton to the dense silty, hard, laminated dolomite and chert of the overlying “Middle Dense” informal
member of the Turner Valley. The Elkton is informally called the “Lower Porous” of the Turner Valley
area and is limited downward by the change to fine crystalline, silty, argillaceous dolomite or limestone
of the Shunda Formation. The upper and lower contacts are both conformable. At its erosional subcrop
limit the Elkton is overlain by Mesozoic beds. The Elkton is equivalent to part of the Livingstone
Formation to the south, part of the lower Debolt Formation in northwestern Alberta and to part of the
Prophet Formation in northeastern British Columbia.
References: Macauley, 1964; Penner, 1951, 1958.
GM
Elkwater Drift
History: Informally named “pre-Wild Horse drift” by Westgate (1964) in unpublished Published Ph.D.
thesis; he renamed the unit in 1965.
Lithology: Laurentide Till and outwash gravel, with scattered, commonly dolomite erratics.
Thickness and Distribution: Thin and intermittent found on Alberta Cypress Hills and immediate
vicinity.
Relationship to Other Units: Generally overlies Cypress Hills Formation; would appear to be overlain
by Wild Horse or later drifts, or by loess. Correlates with the most southerly surface drift in Montana.
Westgate (p. 99) considered the unit to be of post-Sangamon, pre-Classical Wisconsin age (late
Altonian). Recognition of this unit is based mainly on the limits of the corresponding ice advance and
on surface features, rather than on its appearance in sections, and so its correlation to stratigraphic
sections elsewhere is difficult. Westgate (1968, p. 65) considered this a “morphostratigraphic” rather
than a “rock-stratigraphic” unit.
References: Westgate, 1964,1965.1968.
AMacSS
Lower Cretaceous
Ellerslie Member (Mannville Group)
Author: Hunt, C., 1950.
Type Locality: Imperial Whitemud No. 3 well, in Sec. 15, Twp. 51, Rge. 25W4M, Alberta
Lithology: Hunt stated: “The Ellerslie sediments in the Whitemud area are divisible into two zones. The
upper Ellerslie is 121 feet thick (in the type well) and consists of sand interlensed with thinly cross-
bedded grey sandy shales and shaley sands. The sands are fine to very fine grained, firm to friable
and fossiliferous ... The lower zone of the Ellerslie is 89 feet thick and consists of angular and medium
grained quartz sand, carbonaceous silty shales, varied quartz silts and silty shales and traces of coal.”
Relationship to Other Units: The Ellerslie is conformably overlain by the Ostracod Zone and rests upon
the Paleozoic erosional surface or upon a detrital zone. The name was intended to replace “Quartz
Sand Series”, or “Basal Quartz”. The Ellerslie is correlative with the McMurray and Dina.
References: Badgley, 1952; Workman, 1954.
PEP, AIB
Middle to Upper Jurassic (Bajocian-Oxfordian)
Ellis Group
Author: Peale, A.C., 1893. Cobban et al. (1945) designated and described the Ellis type section.
Type Locality: Rocky Creek Canyon, near U.S. Highway 10, 6.1 km (3.8 mi) southeast of Fort Ellis,
Montana; Sec. 19, Twp. 2S, Rge. 7E.
History: Peale (1893) mapped an undescribed Ellis Formation of Triassic to Jurassic age. Cobban et
al. (1945) designated and described the type section; Cobban (1945) subsequently elevated the Ellis
to group status and described and designated type sections for its constituent formations.
Lithology: Predominantly marine to transitional shales, calcareous shales and sandstones. The basal
Sawtooth Formation consists of quartzose sandstones with a medial shale unit, the medial Rierdon
Formation includes marine shales and limestones and the upper Swift Formation comprises a marine
shale overlain by marine to transitional shale, siltstone and sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized in the southern Alberta Plains and throughout northern and
central Montana. Relief on the underlying post-Mississippian unconformity affects thicknesses locally,
and the group thickens in general westward and eastward from the Sweetgrass Arch. At the type
section the Ellis is 88 m (289 ft) thick; it ranges from 75 to 85 m (246 to 279 ft) thick over the
Sweetgrass Arch to 150 m (492 ft) in southeastern Alberta and along the mountain front in
northwestern Montana. In southern Alberta the Ellis is cut by the pre-Cretaceous unconformity and is
completely eroded north of Twps. 11-15.
Relationship to Other Units: in the southern Canadian Plains the Ellis grades westward to marine
shales, siltstones and sandstones of the Fernie Group, and eastward to marine shales, sandstones
and limestones of the Vanguard Group and Shaunavon Formation. U.S. equivalents are numerous,
and are summarized by Peterson (1972).
References: Cobban, 1945; Cobban et al., 1945; Peale, 1893; Peterson, 1972; Weir, 1949.
BJH
Middle Devonian (Eifelian?)
Elm Point Formation (Elk Point Group)
Author: Kindle, E.M., 1914.
Type Locality: Exposed in cliffs near Elm Point on the eastern shore of Lake Manitoba. Suggested
reference core hole providing complete section is Manitoba Mineral Resources Division core hole M-
1-72, in Lsd. 16, Sec. 26, Twp. 24, Rge. 10WPM, between 26.8 and 46.8 m (88 and 153.5 ft).
Lithology: Limestone, medium yellowish brown, thin bedded, very fine grained, dense, fossiliferous
micrite with faint to prominent yellowish grey mottles resulting from partial dolomitization. The degree
of dolomitization ranges from slight in areas of high calcium limestone to moderate in areas where
mottles are almost totally dolomitized. Stylolites are common, and vugs and veinlets containing
secondary calcite are abundant. Exceptionally well preserved frilled brachiopod Atrypa arctica Warren
are abundant in several thin interbeds.
Thickness and Distribution: The maximum known thickness in the outcrop belt is 19.8 m (65 ft). The
unit occurs only in the southern portion of the Manitoba outcrop belt, from approximately Oak Point to
Waterhen Lake (Twps. 17 to 37). To the north along the outcrop belt, and to the west in the subsurface
Elm Point limestones pass abruptly by facies change to dolomites of the Winnipegosis Formation.
Isolated occurrences of a basal limestone facies equivalent to the Elm Point are reported throughout
the subsurface or southwestern Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The Elm Point is underlain with possible unconformity by red shales and
argillaceous dolomites of the Ashern Formation. It is overlain conformably by dolomites of the
Winnipegosis Formation. It passes laterally to dolomites of the lower Winnipegosis platform facies
(Uyeno et al., 1980).
References: Baillie, 1951; Jones, 1965; Kindle, 1914; Uyeno et al., 1980.
HRM
Elrose Evaporite (Wymark Member, Duperow
Formation, Saskatchewan Group)
Author: Kent, D.M., 1968b. Not formally defined.
Type Locality: Sohio Standard Elrose No. 1, in 14-12-26-16W3M, in Saskatchewan. Estimated interval
from electric logs is approximately 1090 to 1112 m (3578 to 3650 ft).
History: The Elrose evaporite (which includes halite and anhydrite) was recognized by Kent (1968b),
as a 6000 km2 (2444 mi2) elongate, mappable unit that trends northeastward south of Rosetown in
western Saskatchewan. Stratigraphically it is the middle of three evaporite beds in the Wymark
Member. Contacts are conformable.
References: Kent, 1968b, 1969.
CED; KRM
Elstow Member (Duperow Formation, Saskatchewan Group)
Author: Kent, D.M., 1967, p. 789 (first usage); Kent D.M., 1968a, p. 26 (formally defined).
Type Locality: United States Borax and Chemical Elstow 5-22A. in 5-22-34-1W3M, in Saskatchewan,
Lithology: Pale yellowish to grey limestones and marlstones. The member is characterized by its
argillaceous nature.
Thickness and Distribution: The maximum thickness is 18 m (59 ft) in central-western Saskatchewan.
Loss of its argillaceous component south of U.S. border and east of Regina restricts its recognition to
western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: Contacts with carbonates of the underlying Saskatoon Member and
overlying Wymark Member are conformable and gradational. The member is equivalent to the central
part and unit 1 in southeastern Saskatchewan, i.e. cycles 1(5) and 1(6) (Dunn, 1975, Fig. 12). In
Alberta equivalent strata are within the Cooking Lake Formation, the lower member of the Cairn
Formation, and probably the upper part of the Maligne Formation. In the U.S. portion of the Williston
Basin equivalent strata are in the lower Duperow.
References: Dunn, 1975; Kent, 1967.
CED; KRM
Late Tertiary to Quaternary
Empress Group (Formation)
Author: Whitaker, S.H. and Christiansen, E.A., 1972, p. 357-374.
Type Locality: Along the east bank of the South Saskatchewan River, (Lsd. 13, Sec. 9, Twp. 22, Rge.
29W3M) near Empress, Alberta.
History: Formally named Empress Group in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, but informally
named Empress Formation by Andriashek (1985) for east-central Alberta.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section the basal unit is 2.5 m (8 ft) thick and the upper unit is
about 29 m (95 ft) thick. Throughout the reference area the Empress Group ranges in thickness from 6
to 55 m (20 to 180 ft). The Empress Group lies mainly within the base or along the flanks of most
buried bedrock valleys throughout central and southern Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The Empress Group lies unconformably on the surface of Cretaceous or
Tertiary bedrock. In most areas this contact is very sharp and distinct on electric logs. There may be
ambiguity where silt and clay of the Empress Group overlie bedrock shale and siltstone, and where
sand of the basal unit of the Empress Group overlies sandstone of the Judith River or Ravenscrag
Formations in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan The upper contact is generally a distinct boundary
between stratified sediments of the Empress Group and overlying glacial sediment (till). Three
exceptions to this are 1) where interglacial or interstadial streams have cut into the Empress Group
and inter-till deposits are in contact with the Empress Group; if the inter-till deposits are not
lithologically distinct they are included in the Empress Group; 2) where the Empress Group is not
overlain by another bedrock unit it may not be possible to differentiate sediments of the Empress
regroup from postglacial alluvium unless they can be traced under the till; 3) where a present river
valley has cut into the Empress Group and deposited alluvium directly on the Empress Group; if there
is no lithological distinction between the two the Empress Group sediments are included in the
postglacial alluvium.
These exceptions mean that sediments of markedly different age and origin may be included in the
Empress Group. The lower chert and quartzite gravel unit is topographically lower than the upland
Tertiary gravel formations and this suggests that it post-dates the Pliocene Flaxville gravel. The
presence of stones derived from the Precambrian Shield in the upper unit indicates a Quaternary age
for these sediments.
In central and north Alberta the name Empress “Formation” is applied to the assemblage of three
lithologic units. The lowermost, unit 1 consists of preglacial fluvial sand and gravel, mostly of quartzite
and chert composition, which lie at the base of fluvially eroded bedrock valleys. This unit correlates
with the basal sand and gravel unit in southern Alberta and is locally referred to as “Saskatchewan
Sand and Gravel” or “Saskatchewan Gravel”.
Unit 2 consists predominantly of bedded silt and clay of undetermined origin which sporadically
overlie unit 1 in preglacial bedrock valleys. Unit 3 is composed of glacial and fluvial sand and gravel
containing granitic Casts from the Precambrian Shield. It overlies unit 2 silt and clay, and fills bedrock
valleys.
References: Andriashek, 1985; Andriashek and Fenton, 1986; Christiansen, 1968; Christiansen et al.,
1 977; Dawson and McConnell, 1895; McConnell 1885; Richmond, 1977; Rutherford, 1937; Stalker,
1967; Westgate, 1965; Westgate et al., 1972; Whitaker and Christiansen, 1972.
LDA
Middle Devonian
Entice Dolomite (Waterways Formation,
Beaverhill Lake Group) (Informal)
Type Locality: Entice-Drumheller area, Twps. 28-30, Rges. 19-27W4M, Alberta. Typical section in the
Socony Entice No. 1 well, in Lsd. 12, Sec. 25, Twp. 28, Rge. 24W4M, between 2455 and 2471 m (8050
and 8100 ft); reference section in the Utexcan Brine Drumheller 11-14-28-19W4M well, between 1927
and 1936.5 m (6321 and 6352 ft).
Lithology: Dolomite, brown, fine grained, with good moldic to vuggy porosity.
Thickness and Distribution: Ranges from zero to at least 16 m (50 ft), depending on the presence or
absence of the “reefal” dolomite facies. The unit may be present to the northeast, east and southeast of
the type locality.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlain with sharp contact by argillaceous limestones of the lower
Moberly, and underlain gradationally by limestones of the Calumet members of the Waterways
Formation.
Lexicon Committee
Entrance Conglomerate (Coalspur Beck)
Author: Lang, A.H ., 1945.
Type Locality: A railroad cut about 1200 m (3936 ft) west of Entrance, west-central Alberta, in Twp. 51,
Rge. 26W5M.
History: The Entrance Conglomerate has always been recognized as a very useful marker bed in a
sequence conspicuously poor in such beds. Due to differences of opinion on lithostratigraphic
nomenclature the Entrance has been variously placed at the bases of the Paleocene, the Edmonton
Formation and the Paskapoo Formation. Jerzykiewicz and McLean (1980), following Mackay (1949)
placed it as a formal member of the Coalspur beds, a formation which has been led informal until such
time as a suitable type section can be found.
Lithology: Massive conglomerate with sand matrix, to interbedded conglomerate and sandstone.
Clasts usually 5 cm (2 in) or less but up to 15 cm (6 in) in maximum dimension. They are usually well
rounded and sorted, with spheroidal or discoidal shape and often exhibit good imbrication. The
conglomerate is massive to crudely horizontally bedded. Interbedded sandstone, some with planar
cross-beds occurs in some exposures.
Thickness and Distribution: The type section is about 15 m (49 ft) thick, but the average is about 6 m
(20 ft). The Entrance is recognized only in the region of the type section and has been mapped from
about 53°15’N to 53°45’N in the Alberta Foothills (Lang, 1945, 1947; Irish, 1965). Douglas (1958)
equated a cone of coarse grained sandstones, conglomeratic sandstones and conglomerates in his
Paskapoo Formation in the vicinity of the North Saskatchewan River with the Entrance Conglomerate
on the basis of their position relative to the main coal zone, but he did not use the name Entrance.
Relationship to Other Units: Abruptly, and possibly conformably overlies the Brazeau Formation.
Overlain conformably, either abruptly or gradationally by the upper part of the Coalspur Formation.
References: Douglas, 1958; Eliuk, 1969; Irish, 1965; Lang, 1945, 1947; Jerzykiewicz and McLean,
1980; McLean and Jerzykiewicz, 1977.
JRM
Ernestina Lake Formation
Type Locality: Canadian Seaboard Ernestina Lake 10-13-60-4W4M, in Alberta, between 1037.8 and
1057.7 m (3405 and 3470 ft).
Lithology: Red shale at base, followed by a middle carbonate and an upper anhydrite. The carbonate
is predominantly limestone in Saskatchewan, becomes somewhat dolomitic in northeastern Alberta,
and grades to fine to microcrystalline dolomite in northern Alberta and southern District of Mackenzie;
small vuggy to pinpoint porosity is commonly salt plugged.
Thickness and Distribution: The Ernestina Lake ranges from approximately 12 to 23 m (40 to 75 ft)
thick. It occupies an area extending from the Meadow Lake escarpment across northern Alberta into
northeastern British Colombia between the Peace River and Tathlina uplifts, and to the northeast and
north of the Tathlina Uplift in the southern District of Mackenzie.
Relationship to Other Units: in the subsurface of eastern Alberta and Saskatchewan the Ernestina
Lake overlies the Lotsberg Formation. Beyond the limits of the Lotsberg it overlies the Basal Red Beds
(Lotsberg Formation). It is overlain by the Cold Lake Formation, or the Contact Rapids where the Cold
Lake is absent. It is the subsurface equivalent of the Fitzgerald Formation of the outcrop area of
northeastern Alberta and is correlative with part of the Stone and Arnica formations in northeastern
British Columbia and southern District of Mackenzie. It is equivalent to part of the Mirage Point
Formation in the Great Slave Lake area (Meijer Drees and Davies, 1976).
Paleontology: The Ernestina Lake has produced an ostracode fauna. Cephalopods and Amphipora
have been obtained from the equivalent Fitzgerald Formation.
References: Bassett and Stout, 1967; Belyea, 1971; Braun, 1978; Douglas et al., 1970; Grayston et al.,
1964; Meijer Drees and Davies, 1976; A.W. Norris, 1963, 1965; Rice, 1967; Sherwin, 1962.
HRB; DWM, PAM

Ernst Till
Author: Alley, N.F., 1973, p. 167.
Type Locality: Roadcut beside Ernst Creek, Alberta, in SW/4 Sec. 34, Twp. 10. Rge. 3W5M,
(approximately 49°52’10”N, 114°20’W).
History: Though not so stated in Alley (1973) this name apparently replaces “Gap deposits”, a name
informally given in a thesis by Alley (1972) for the same deposits.
Lithology: Bouldery till; at the type locality the stones are about 80 to 85% sandstones and less than
10% limestones, elsewhere the unit contains many more limestone pebbles, typically lacks stones
from the Canadian Shield.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality the till is 12 m (39 ft) thick; elsewhere a 13 m (43 ft)
thick section of the unit near Bellevue and one 33 m (108 ft) thick near Lees Lake may include ice-
contact lake deposits. Found in mountain valleys in southwestern Alberta, particularly in the Oldman
River drainage, but discontinuous due to general destruction and removal by later valley glaciers.
Relationship to Other Units: Generally overlies bedrock; exposed at surface except where overlain by
later outwash, ice-contact deposits and alluvium. May be overlain by Hidden Creek Till. The unit was
deposited during last advance of valley glaciers into the Rocky Mountain Foothills and is considered
to be of pre-Classical Wisconsin age. Deposited during same episode as the Buffalo lake Till and
considered to be a Cordilleran equivalent of that till. Harris and Waters (1977, p. 54) considered it the
equivalent of the Bow Valley Till, which name would have precedence. Waters (1975) correlated his
Marguerite and Misty tills (informal names) with the Ernst. Delta-kame, lacustrine and ice-contact
deposits associated with Ernst Till were not included in that unit by the author.
References: Alley, N.F., 1973; Harris and Waters, 1977; Waters, 1975.
AMacSS
Erratics Train Till
Author: Jackson, L.E., 1980, p. 467.
Type Locality: North bank of Highwood River, in Lsd. 16, Sec. 36, Twp. 18, Rge. 1W5M, Alberta .
History: Name “Erratics Train till” was earlier used informally by Morgan (1966, p. 44) in M.Sc. thesis.
Lithology: Stony till, with less than 1% of Shield stones; generally massive; weathers to light brownish
grey; carries on its surface the Foothills Erratics (Stalker, 1956)
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality 1.5 m (5 ft) thick; average thickness about 5 m (16 ft).
Found in eastern third of Kananaskis Lake map-area, southwest of Calgary, where it is fairly
continuous.
Relationship to Other Units: At the type locality overlies the Maycroft (?) Till, and is overlain by silt and
sand; elsewhere overlies Chain Lake Clays and Silts, and generally exposed to surface. Grades
westward into the Bow Valley Till. Defined as the till associated with the Foothills Erratics Train.
Deposited during Glacial Episode Three of Jackson; corresponds to Glacial Episode Three of Alley
(1973) and the Bow Valley Advance of Rutter (1972) Marks the last coalescence of Laurentide and
Cordilleran ice within the area Pre-Classical Wisconsin or earlier in age.
References: Alley, 1973; Jackson, 1980; Morgan, 1966; Ruder, 1972; Stalker, 1956.
AMacSS
Escarpment Member (Hay River Formation)
Type Locality: The type section designated by Belyea and McLaren (1962) is in the Hay River gorge
below Alexandra Falls and includes the beds at and below Louise Falls. The name is after the
escarpment immediately north of Escarpment Lake.
History: The top of the Hay River Formation selected by Belyea and McLaren (1962) is the same as
that of Bassett (1952) and Crickmay (1957), which previously had been selected at the base of the
limestone at Louise Falls (Cameron, 1922; Crickmay, 1953). Harding (1955) correlated the reefal
limestone forming the low escarpment north of Escarpment Lake with the limestone forming Louise
Falls; and also concluded that the biostrome forming the escarpment near Heart Lake correlates with
the bedded, non-reefal limestone unit that forms Alexandra Falls. The detailed work of Jamieson
(1967a) supported the same conclusion. Jamieson (1967a) also revised the boundary between the
Hay River and Twin Falls formations to a higher level, and renamed the upper beds of the Hay River
Formation to replace the ‘Escarpment Member’, a name she considered invalid because of mis-
correlation by Belyea and McLaren. House and Pedder (1963) elevated the Escarpment Member to
formational status and abandoned the term Hay River. Williams (1977) retained the name Hay River
Formation, but following Jamieson (1967a, b) is in favor of dropping the name ‘Escarpment Member’.
Lithology: The Escarpment Member consists of olive-grey, calcareous mudstones and thin bedded
argillaceous limestones with bioclastic, biohermal and biostromal limestone bodies irregularly
developed throughout. The most prominent of the bioclastic-biohermal limestone bodies forms Louise
Falls, where the unit is 4.9 m (16 ft) thick.
Thickness and Distribution: On Hay River the recorded thickness is 110.9 m (364 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Escarpment Member of the Hay River Formation is overlain by the
Alexandra Member of the Twin Falls Formation, and underlain by the lower member of the Hay River
Formation. The top of the member selected by Belyea and McLaren (1962) is the top of 1.8 m (6 ft) of
siltstone and sandstone at the base of Alexander Falls. The base of the member is marked by a
prominent unit, 1.2 m (4 ft) thick of argillaceous limestone containing abundant corals and
brachiopods, referred to informally as the ‘Schizophoria bed”. The Escarpment Member of Belyea and
McLaren (1962) is approximately equivalent to the upper 49 7 m (163 ft) of Jamieson’s (1967b)
member B, and members C, D, E and F of the Hay River Formation.
Paleontology: The fauna from the Escarpment Member recorded by Belyea and McLaren (1962)
consists of abundant corals and brachiopods, including Macgeea porteus Smith, species of
Pachyphyllum, Tabulophyllum mcconnelli (Whiteaves), CaIvinaria variabilis (Whiteaves), and
Cyrtospirifer thalattodoxa Crickmay. Three of Crickmay’s (1966) brachiopod zones, the cosmeta,
thalattodoxa and alexandrae in ascending sequence appear to be represented in the Escarpment
Member. Two ostracode assemblage zones, the upper three-quarters of the FR4 and the lower half of
the FR5 are recorded by Braun (1968) from the Escarpment Member. Specimens of Manticoceras from
the Escarpment Member interval are assigned to the lower cordatum Zone (House and Pedder, 1963).
Conodonts studied by Klapper and Lane (1985) from strata equivalent to the Escarpment Member
Range from probably the upper asymmetricus Zone at the base to the lower gigas Zone at the top.
References: Bassett, 1952; Belyea and McLaren, 1962; Braun, 1968: Cameron, 1922 Crickmay, 1953,
1957, 1966; Harding, 1955: House and Pedder, 1963; Jamieson, 1967a, 1967b; Klapper and Lane,
1985; Williams, 1977.
AWN
Esterhazy Member (Prairie Evaporite, Elk Point Group)
Author: Holter, M.E., 1969, p. 20.
Type Locality: California Standard Tidewater Carnoustie Province 4-20-17-32W1M, in Saskatchewan,

History: Previously referred to as zone 1 (Goudie, 1957), K-1 zone (Klingspor, 1966) and zone A
(Harding and Gorrell, 1967).
Lithology: Sylvite (2-20%) and carnallite (up to 10%) with up to about 2% “insolubles” and halite.
Thickness and Distribution: Generally less than 15 m (49 ft) thick, although locally up to 33 m (108 ft)
south of Quill Lakes. The member is confined to the eastern half of Saskatchewan and, except for a
large outlier northeast of Estevan is absent in the southeast corner of the Province (east of Weyburn) it
extends eastward from Esterhazy into Manitoba. Carnallite is best developed where the member is
thickest.
Relationship to Other Units: The member overlies a thick sequence of halite and anhydrite and is
lowermost of the potash-rich members of the Prairie Evaporite. The contact with underlying salt is
arbitrary where the basal section contains small amounts of potash (e.g., near Esterhazy), but well
defined elsewhere. The upper contact with halite is sharp in most wells.
References: Goudie, 1957; Harding and Gorrell, 1967; Holter, 1969; Klingspor, 1966.
CED; KRM
Quaternary
Ethel Lake Formation (Informal)
Type Locality: Between 18.5 and 21 m (61 and 69 ft) in Alberta Research Council borehole T-32, in
Lsd. 12, Sec. 1, Twp. 64, Rge. 3W4M, near Ethel Lake in eastern Alberta.
Council Bulletin.
Lithology: The Ethel Lake Formation consists of stratified sediment primarily grey silt and clay, with
lesser amounts of sand and gravel.
Thickness and Distribution: The Ethel Lake Formation is widespread throughout the central and
southeastern part of the Sand River area. At the type section the formation is about 2.5 m (8 ft) thick: it
is generally less than 10 m (33 ft) thick elsewhere.
Relationship to Other Units: Silt and clay of Ethel Lake Formation have a sharp contact with the
underlying Bonnyville Formation, but commonly are gradational with the till of the overlying Marie
Creek Formation.
LDA
Late Mississippian (Chesteran)
Etherington Formation (Rundle Group)
Daisy Creek Member
Cyclamen Member
Ewin Creek Member
Author: Douglas, R.J.W., 1958, p. 62.
Type Locality: Exposures along banks of Cataract Creek, 0.4 km (0.25 mi) above junction with
Highwood River, Highwood Range, Alberta at 50°23.7’N, 114°35W.
History: Type Locality: Norris (1965) re-defined the Etherington Formation in the front ranges to
include, at the top the Todhunter Member, stating that the top rather than the base of the Todhunter is
more easily recognized on a regional scale. He also dated the Todhunter as Mississippian
(Chesteran), the same as the Etherington, although according to Scott (1964a, b) Todhunter fossils
were identified by Bamber as Pennsylvanian. In the following description the Todhunter is not included
in the Etherington.
Lithology: At the type locality the Etherington includes a variety of rock types of which sandy,
cryptocrystalline to medium crystalline dolomite predominates, but also contains sandy limestone and
green shale. These alternate in a recurring pattern that permit the recognition of cycles. In the lower
part of the formation green shale is abundant with interbedded dolomite; the middle part consists of
sandy and cherty limestone and dolomite; the upper part is sandy dolomite.
In a detailed regional study of the Etherington Formation Scott (1964a, b, brief summary only)
recognized three distinct lithofacies; an eastern, western and upper:
The eastern dolomite-shale facies, represented by the lower and middle parts of Douglas’ type section
includes dolomite, limestone, sandstone, siltstone, shale, locally solution collapse breccia and thin
intraformational breccia-conglomerate. Colors range from grey to greenish grey to maroon; shales are
green to maroon. Shale is abundant in the lower part, where beds 6 to 10 m (20 to 30 ft) thick occur. To
this facies the name Daisy Creek Member was informally given.
The western limestone facies is composed predominantly of skeletal limestone (echinoderm-bryozoan

calcarenite), but oolite and pseudo-oolite are very abundant in some sections. Thin beds of very fine
grained quartz sandstone are common. Fragments of calcareous algae, brachiopods and forams are
subordinate rock-forming components. To this facies Scott informally applied the name Cyclamen
Member.
The upper part of the Etherington almost everywhere consists of grey, microcrystalline, highly sandy
and cherty dolomite with some sandstone interbeds comprising the dolomites and stone lithofacies, to
which the name Ewin Creek Member was informally given. It constitutes the entire formation at Lantern
Creek in the Highwood Range and grades laterally in the upper part of each of the other two facies,
forming an upper member over a broad area.
The eastern dolomite-shale and upper dolomite-sandstone facies are lagoonal; the western limestone
facies open marine shelf. Oolite, calcarenite and quartz sandstone barriers probably separated the
restricted and open marine environments.
Thickness and Distribution: The Etherington Formation consists of a lithologically and environmentally
complex sedimentary wedge that thickens westward from a zero edge in the subsurface of the foothills
to at least 210 m (689 ft) in westernmost exposures. In the type section of combined eastern and upper
facies it is 58 m (190 ft) thick, and elsewhere in the easternmost exposures the two together (Daisy
Creek and Ewin Creek Members) range from 60 to 90.8 m (197 to 298 ft). The Ewin Creek Member
reaches a maximum of 84 m (276 ft) in thickness, and the Cyclamen Member 68 to 147.5 m (223 to
484 ft) below the Ewin Creek. Where the Ewin Creek Member is missing the Cyclamen reaches at
least 201 m (660 ft), and farther west probably considerably more. In the adjacent subsurface the
formation is missing due to a combination of differential sedimentation and post-depositional erosion
during pre-middle Pennsylvanian and later intervals. The eastern dolomite-shale and upper dolomites
and stone facies are exposed in the Livingstone Range, Highwood Range and eastern front ranges
north of Kananaskis River. The western limestone facies is exposed in the mountains west of the
surface trace of the Lewis Thrust, Misty Fault and Rundle Fault and continues to the westernmost
exposures of the Mississippian.
Relationship to Other Units: The Etherington Formation everywhere overlies the Mount Head
Formation with sharp contact that appears to represent a brief hiatus. In easternmost exposures there
is evidence of erosion at the contact. The upper contact in easternmost exposures is an unconformity,
above which lies sandstones of the Tobermory Formation, Rocky Mountain Supergroup. West of the
Livingstone and Highwood Ranges the Etherington is conformably overlain by the Todhunter
Formation (Norris, 1965 re-defined the Todhunter as a member of the Etherington Formation).
Paleontology: Macrofossils and microfossils are numerous in the Etherington and many collections of
silicified brachiopods have been made. Echinodern ossicles, bryozoa and algae are important rock
forming components. Numerous species of calcareous foraminifers having many similarities with the
Eurasiatic realm have been identified (Mamet, 1968), and together with the macrofossils firmly
establish a Chesteran age.
References: Douglas, 1958; Mamet, 1968; Norris, 1965; Scott, 1964a, 1964b.
MML
Etzikom Drift
Lithology: Chiefly Laurentide Till, in places covered by glacial lake deposits; a very high proportion,
commonly 70 to 80% of the stones in the till are of Shield origin, excluding those from local bedrock;
near the Saskatchewan border the till is rich in dolomites.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness not stated; the unit covers most of the northwestern quadrant of
the Foremost-Cypress Hills (Alberta) map-area up to an altitude of 900 m (2952 ft); the southern limit is
near Etzikom Coulee, the western limit at the Lethbridge Moraine.
Relationship to Other Units: Not stated, but presumably overlies Pakowki drift of Manyberries ash, and
exposed at surface near its southern and western limits, elsewhere covered by Oldman drift.
Correlates with upper till of Horberg (1952), and presumably with Buffalo Lake Till of Stalker (1960).
Westgate (1965, p. 69, 99) considered the unit to be of Classical Wisconsin age. Its recognition is
based mainly on surface geomorphic features and so its correlation to units found in other sections, or
to buried units is difficult. Westgate (1968, p. 65) considered this a “morphostratigraphic”, rather than a
“rock-stratigraphic” unit. Deposited by southwestward flowing ice.
References: Horberg, 1952; Stalker, 1960; Stalker and Harrison, 1977; Westgate, 1965, 1968.
AMacSS
Middle Devonian
Evie Member (Horn River Foundation)
Author: Gray, F.F. and Kassube, J. R., 1963.
Type Locality: Western Natural Gas et al. Fort Nelson a-95-J, in centizone 95, block J. NTS 94-J-10
(northeastern British Columbia), between 2185.4 and 2215.9 m (7170 and 7270 ft).
Lithology: Limestone, black, micritic, silty, bituminous, with black impure chert and siliceous black
shale and a lower 15.2 m (50 ft) of fissile, black, bituminous, pyritic shale. It is characteristically
radioactive on gamma ray logs.
Thickness and Distribution: The Evie Member is 30.5 m (100 ft) thick in the type well and is well
developed toward the northeast north and northwest. It thins to zero to the south, where it is replaced
by dolomite of the upper part of the Pine Point Formation on the north flank of the Clarke Lake Field.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is underlain by the lower part of the Pine Point Formation and
overlain by the Otter Park Member (of the Horn River Formation) and, apparently with the bituminous
shale and limestone member of the Pine Point in the Great Slave Lake area.
References: Belyea and Norris, 1962; de Wit et al., 1973; Gray and Kassube, 1963; Griffin, 1967.
LVH; AWN
Quaternary
Expanse Formation (Informal name)
Author: Vernon, R. 1962, p. 13.
Type Locality: On west side of Oldman River near Driftwood Bend, about 16 km (10 mi) north of Taber,
Alberta, in SW/4 Sec. 19, Twp. 11, Rge. 16W4M.
History: Introduced in M.Sc. thesis, not described elsewhere. Name has received little usage since
introduction.
Lithology: Consists of three till members as follows, with the letters designating Vernon’s tills: Lowest
member (till A): dark brown, stony till that forms a steep cliff face but is not columnar. Middle member
(till B): resembles till A but is weakly columnar and well jointed. Top member (till C): very dark grey to
black till that is non-columnar and weak; upper part of this member is strongly contorted and
commonly contains large masses of bedrock.
All the till is of Laurentide origin, containing Shield material. The members locally are separated by
sand, silt and clay, with the silt and clay locally varved.
Thickness and Distribution: Bottom member is 3 to 5 m (10 to 16 ft) thick, the middle member 2 to 7 m
(7 to 23 ft) and the top member 3 to 11 m (10 to 36 ft) thick. Widespread but intermittent in buried
valleys in southern Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies Saskatchewan Gravels, commonly overlain by Whoop up

Formation or alluvial sand. Corresponds to Lower Boulder clay of Dawson (1895) and probably
embraces both the Labuma and Maunsell tills.
Other Features: Deposited by first Laurentide glaciers to reach southern Alberta.
References: Dawson, 1895; Vernon, 1962.
AMacSS
Upper Devonian (Upper Famennian)
to Lower Carboniferous
Exshaw Formation
Middle Tournaisian, Tn2)
Type Locality: Jura Creek, 3.2 km (2 mi) north of Exshaw, Alberta; 51°05’29”N, 115°09’29”W; NTS
82O/3; eastern Rocky Mountain Front Ranges, southwestern Alberta (Macqueen and Sandberg, 1970;
Richards and Higgins, 1988).
History: Warren (1937) named the formation and considered Jura Creek to be the type locality, but he
included only the black shale member and did not describe a type section. Clark (1949) redefined the
upper contact of the type Exshaw to include the lower 9.1 m (30 ft) of what is currently called the
siltstone member (Richards and Higgins, 1988). Harker and McLaren (1958) provided the first
adequate description of the stratotype as defined by Clark (1949). Macqueen and Sandberg (1970) re-
defined the upper contact of the stratotype to include all, rather than only the lower part of the siltstone
member.
Lithology: The Exshaw type section consists of a lower, shale dominated member (9.3 m, 31 ft thick)
gradationally overlain by an upper member (37.4 m, 123 ft thick) comprising siltstone and silty
limestone (Macqueen and Sandberg, 1970; Richards and Higgins, 1988). Elsewhere in the south both
members are generally present, but in most of the central Rocky Mountains only the shale member
occurs (Harker and McLaren, 1958). In the southern Peace River Embayment the two members are
usually present, but farther north the siltstone member is absent.
The lower member comprises anomalously radioactive, brownish black, sparsely fossiliferous shale; a
thin (10 cm, 4 in) phosphatic, pyritic to sphaleritic, basal sandstone to conglomerate bed is locally
present. Bentonite and tuft beds are commonly present in the shale member (Macdonald, 1987).
The brown weathering, medium to very thick bedded upper Exshaw comprises sparsely fossiliferous,
bioturbated, calcareous and dolomitic siltstone with subordinate silty limestone in most of the southern
Rocky Mountains. To the east the upper member comprises grey shale grading up into siltstone,
sandstone, silty limestone and skeletal to ooid lime grainstone and packstone.
Thickness and Distribution: The Exshaw underlies most of the western interior plains from northern
Montana into southwestern District of Mackenzie, but is absent in much of the Peace River
Embayment in the eastern Cordillera it is generally present from southeastern British Columbia to
52°30’N, but from 52°30’N to 54°25’N it occurs only locally. The Exshaw, 46.7 m (153 ft) thick at its type
section is generally between 7 and 50 m (23 and 164 ft) thick and is thickest in the eastern Rocky
Mountain Front Ranges and foothills west of Calgary.
Relationship to Other Units: The Exshaw generally overlies upper Famennian strata with probable
disconformity, but its basal contact may be locally conformable in the central Rocky Mountains (Harker
and McLaren, 1958; Macqueen and Sandberg, 1970; Richards and Higgins, 1988). In the southern
Peace River Embayment and southward the Exshaw is generally disconformably overlain by the Banff
Formation. To the north it is mainly gradationally overlain by the Banff and grades laterally into that
unit. An arbitrary nomenclatural boundary along the axis of the Sweetgrass Arch in southeastern
Alberta separates the Exshaw from the lower and middle members of the Bakken Formation, which
are jointly equivalent to the Exshaw. In northeastern British Columbia the Exshaw passes
southwestward into the Besa River Formation (Pelzer, 1966; Richards et al., in press).
Paleontology: Conodonts, locally common within calcareous concretions of the black shale member
indicate the Devonian/Carboniferous boundary lies within that unit at some localities (Macqueen and
Sandberg, 1970; Richards and Higgins, 1988).
References: Clark, 1949; Harker and McLaren, 1958; Macdonald, 1987; Macqueen and Sandberg,
1970; Pelzer, 1966; Richards and Higgins, 1988; Bamber, Higgins and Utting, in press; Warren, 1937.
BAR
Middle and Upper Devonian
Fairholme Group
Type Locality: No single type section covers the modern status of Fairholme as a group name. Beach
originally specified the type area as the southern end of the Fairholme Range, just north of the Bow
River between the Kananaskis and the Exshaw railway stations, Alberta. Through the years this has
generally been accepted as the “Loder Lime Kiln” section of Beach (1943), Fox (1951), Belyea and
McLaren (1956) and Taylor (1957), although this section includes only the carbonate formations of the
modern Fairholme Group. Approximate coordinates are 51°05’N, 115°07’W.
History: The name was derived from the Fairholme Range, which includes the type locality. Beach
applied the term Fairholme Formation to a thick carbonate succession capped by arenaceous beds.
De Wit and McLaren (1950) removed the silty beds from the Fairholme Formation, naming them the
Alexo Formation. McLaren (1955) raised the Fairholme to group status and designated the upper and
lower members at the type locality the Southesk and Cairn formations respectively. McLaren also
brought the laterally equivalent basin Plastic facies” - (the Perdrix and Mount Hawk formations - as
well as the Flume Formation) under the Fairholme Group umbrella. Finally, the Maligne Formation
erected by Taylor (1957) was included within the Fairholme Group.
Lithology: The Fairholme Group may be divided into three gross lithologic units:
1) basal carbonate platform (Flume Formation), composed of biostromal limestones and

dolomites;
2) carbonate buildup, composed of biostromal and biohermal dolomites (Cairn Formation),

overlain by skeletal and peloid lime sands (Southesk Formation); and
3) ‘clastic’ basin fill (Maligne, Perdrix and Mount Hawk formations) consisting of argillaceous
lime mudstones, wackestones and calcareous shales laterally equivalent to the buildup unit.
Detailed lithologic descriptions are given under the formation names in this Lexicon.
In the Flathead area the Fairholme Group consists of a basal carbonate succession consisting of the
Hollebeke and Borsato formations, which are overlain by laterally equivalent buildup and basin fill
units represented by the Southesk and Mount Hawk formations respectively.
Thickness and Distribution: Various formations of the Fairholme Group are present in the Rocky
Mountains, from Kakwa Lake in northeastern British Columbia to the Flathead region of southern
Alberta, in the subsurface south of Twp. 30 and east of a line between Vermilion and Drumheller. The
Fairholme Group, where fully developed ranges from 300 to 730 m (980 to 2400 ft) in thickness.
Relationship to Other Units: The Fairholme Group overlies the Beaverhill Lake Group Formation (or
Souris River Formation) in the southern Alberta Plains and the ?Middle Devonian Yahatinda
Formation (Aitken, 1966), or pre-Devonian subcrop in the mountain Fairholme equivalent carbonates
and limy shales overlie the Early and ?Middle Devonian Harrogate Formation of the Lussier Syncline
of southeastern British Columbia. It is overlain by the Crowfoot Formation in the plains and the
Sassenach or Alexo Formation in the mountains. Rarely, over buildups the Sassenach-Alexo interval
is absent and the Fairholme is overlain by the Palliser Formation. The Fairholme Group is the
equivalent of the Woodbend and lower Winterburn groups of the central Alberta subsurface.
Paleontologic evidence (e.g., McLaren, 1955, Maurin and Raasch, 1972) suggests that part of the
Flume Formation of the mountains may be in part laterally equivalent to the Beaverhill Lake Group.
The Fairholme Group is equivalent to the Birdbear, Duperow and part of the Souris River formations of
the Williston Basin. The Starbird Formation of the eastern Purcell Mountains is equivalent to the lower
part of the Fairholme Group.
References: Beach, 1943; Belyea and McLaren 1986; De Wit and McLaren, 1950; Fox, 1951; McLaren,
1955; Taylor, 1957.
MK; EWM
Fair Point Formation
Author: Ramaekers, P., 1979.
Type Locality: Outcrop on the northwestern shore of Lake Athabasca at Fair Point (NTS 74 K-5),
northwestern Saskatchewan.
History: See Athabasca Formation.
Lithology: Conglomeratic, quartzose sandstone in a clay matrix. Pebbles up to 10 cm (4 in) in diameter

are dispersed along bedding. Planar, trough and hummocky and low angle crossbedding are common.
Thickness and Distribution: Basal unit of the Athabasca Group exposed along the northwestern flank
of the Athabasca Sandstone basin. Thickness not given.
Reference: Ramaekers, 1979.
JEC
Lower Cambrian
Fairview Formation (Obsolete)
History: Fairview Formation was the name given by Walcott (1908) to the Lower Cambrian quartzite-
dominated unit at the base of the Cambrian succession near Lake Louise. Because “Fairview” was
pre-empted Walcott (1912) later changed the name to Fort Mountain, and apparently also changed the
type section from Fairview Mountain to Fort Mountain.
References: Walcott, 1908, 1912.
JDA
Lower Cretaceous (Lower Albian)
Falher Member (Spirit River Formation)
Author: Alberta Study Group, 1954; first published by Badgley, P.C., 1952.
Type Locality: Imperial Father No. 1 well, in 12-23-77-21W5M, between 523 and 730.5 m (1715 and
2395 ft). In the type section of the Spirit River Formation, in the Imperial Spirit River No. 1 well in 12-
20-78-6W6M it occurs between 845 and 1052 m (2770 and 3450 ft).
History: The Father Member is approximately the same as the lower part of the “Basal Member” of the
Peace River Formation of Wickenden (1951).
Lithology: Badgley (1952) stated, “This member consists of a variable succession of greywacke,
shales and siltstones with some thin coal beds and occasional winnowed greywackes. Traces of
glauconite are Fairly common, but highly glauconitic sandstones are scarce ... small, poorly preserved,
carbonized plant remains are common in the shales ...” Conglomerates are also found in the
Elmworth-Grande Prairie region of Alberta. It is more shady to the north and becomes more
continental to the south.
Thickness and Distribution: In the type well the thickness is 207 m (680 ft) in the Shell Runaway Lake
No. 1 well, in Lsd. 16, Sec. 25, Twp. 66. Rge. 20W5M the Falher is only 113 m (371 ft) thick. On the west
side of Alberta it thickens to almost 215 m (705 ft). It occurs in the subsurface of the Peace River of
Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The Falher is transitionally conformable with both the overlying Notikewin
Sand and the underlying Wilrich Shale. It correlates with the lower part of the Grand Rapids
Sandstone of the lower Athabasca River area of Alberta, and with part of the upper Garbutt Shale of
the Liard River area. It may be equated with that part of the Mannville Formation above the Cummings
Member in east-central Alberta. It grades southwesterly into the upper part of the lower Blairmore
continental sequence, i.e., the Malcolm Creek Member of the Luscar Formation of the foothills of
Alberta (McLean, 1980). To the north and northeast it grades into the Buckinghorse Formation and the
lower part of the Fort St. John Shale. It corresponds to the lower Gates of the Pine River area.
References: Alberta Study Group, 1954; Badgley, 1952; McLean, 1980; Wickenden, 1951; Singh, 1971.
CRS
Upper Lower Permian to Upper Permian (Roadian-Wordian)
Fantasque Formation
(Ishbel Group)
Author: Harker, P., 1961 (p. 8)
Type Locality: North side of Beaver River, southwest of Mount Merrill, La Biche River mapsheet (NTS
95C), southeastern Yukon (60°02’N, 124°42SW).
History: The rocks were first described by Kindle (1944) as an informal Permian (presumably) chert
unit disconformably overlying the Mattson Formation and presumably overlain by Triassic strata.
Harker (1961) chose Kindle’s section as the type section and named the succession.
Lithology: The Fantasque Formation consists mainly of slope to basinal deposits, comprising
rhythmically bedded spicular chert .3 to 3.0 m (1 to 10 ft) thick beds, shale up to .1 m (0.3 ft) thick,
interbedded with cherts, and siltstone with thin basal lag deposit of phosphate and chert nodules and
pebbles. The chert includes skeletal and other granular material, including spicules, pelletoid grains
and intraclasts, indicating that the chert resulted from diagenetic alteration of carbonates.
Thickness and Distribution: The Fantasque Formation occurs as a thin, but laterally persistent unit in
the Pine Pass area and northwards on the Interior Platform and southern Mackenzie Fold Belt. The
formation varies in thickness from 2.5 to 55 m (8 to 180 ft). The latter thickness is for the type section;
however, thicknesses or around 15 to 30 m (33 to 98 ft) are more typical of the formation .
Relationship to Other Units: The upper and lower contacts of the Fantasque Formation are
disconformable. The Fantasque Formation is overlain by the Triassic Spray River Group and underlain
by the Permian Belcourt and Kindle formations or Visean carbonate units of the Rundle Group and the
Mattson Formation. The Fantasque closely resembles, and is correlative with the Ranger Canyon
Formation to the south; however the Fantasque has a more rhythmic appearance owing in part to a
greater proportion of shale. In easternmost outcrops of east-central British Columbia and west-central
Alberta the Fantasque and Ranger Canyon formations grade laterally into siliciclastics of the Mowitch
Formation.
Paleontology: Fossils other than sponge spicules are uncommon in the formation. Bamber et al. (1968)
reported the occurrence of Helicoprion (an Artinskian-Roadian elasmobranch fish) near the base of
the formation. Unpublished reports of conodonts (C.M.H.) indicate a Wordian age.
References: Bamber and Macqueen, 1979; Bamber et al., 1968; Harker, 1961; Henderson, 1989;
Henderson et al., in press; Kindle, 1944.
AM, CMH
Upper Triassic
Farrell Member (Charlie Lake Formation, Schooler Creek Group)
Type Locality: Imperial Calvan Farrell Creek #1 (now Scarboro et al. Kobes a-9-L) in a-9-L/94-A-5,
northeastern British Columbia, between 1614.5 and 1618.6 m (5297 to 5310.5 ft).
History: There is some discrepancy in the spelling of this name: the original well name is “Farrell”, but
Hess (1968) and Torrie (1973) used “Farrel”; the B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum
Resources Correlation Chart uses “Farrell” and this is the recommended spelling.
Lithology: Light grey quartzose sand, dolomitic, fine grained.
Thickness and Distribution: 2 to 5 m (7 to 16 ft) in thickness; of limited occurrence in British Columbia

north of the Peace River Block; it has best porosity developed at the south end of the Kobes structure.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies approximately 6 m (20 ft) below the Blueberry Member and 6 m (20 ft)
above the Inga Member of the Charlie Lake Formation.
JWR
Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian?-Turonian)
Favel Formation
Type Locality: On the east and west branches of the Favel River, in Twp. 35, Rges. 25 and 26W1M,
near Minitonas, Manitoba. Reference sections for the Favel include the type sections of its Keld (Lsd.
8, Sec. 2, Twp. 24, Rge. 20W1M) and Assiniboine (Lsd. 5, Sec. 35, Twp. 23, Rge. 20W1M) members.
Lithology: Olive-black, chalk-speckled calcareous shale, shady limestone, argillaceous limestone and
calcarenite. The Keld Member contains the richly fossiliferous Mytiloides labiatus beds and the Laurier
Limestone Beds (McNeil and Caldwell, 1981) which mark the top of the member. The overlying
Assiniboine Member has a lesser calcareous content than the Keld Member, but contains in its upper
part the 1 m (3 ft) thick Marco Calcarenite (McNeil and Caldwell, 1981), which forms a conspicuous
resistant marker in the upper part of the member. Thin bentonite beds are common in the Favel.
Thickness and Distribution: The name Favel is applied in the Manitoba escarpment, southern
Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan. Its maximum thickness is 46 m (151 ft) in southern Manitoba,
decreasing moderately to 34 m (112 ft) in eastern Saskatchewan, but markedly to 11 m (36 ft) in the
area of the Pasquia Hills in east-central Saskatchewan. This northwestward decrease in thickness is
due primarily to the disappearance of the formation’s uppermost beds. By virtue of its carbonate
lithotypes the Favel is diagnostic of the Western Interior eastern platform facies, which extends
northeastward from western Kansas and Nebraska to the Manitoba escarpment (Kauffman, 1977;
McNeil and Caldwell, 1981).
Relationship to Other Units: The Favel rests conformably on noncalcareous black shale of the Ashville
Formation in southeastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba, but lies unconformably over the
Ashville in east-central Saskatchewan. The upper contact with the noncalcareous Morden Shale is
sharp and unconformable.
The Favel correlates westward with the Second (lower) White-speckled shale of the Colorado Group
of Saskatchewan, and with the Vimy Member of the Blackstone Formation in southern Alberta.
Equivalents of the Favel in the American Western Interior include pan of the Greenhorn Formation and
the Fairport Member of the Carlile Shale.
Paleontology: The Favel is richly fossiliferous, yielding coccoliths, planktonic foraminifers, molluscs
and fish and reptile bones. The white specks or chalk specks which are so abundant and distinctive in
the shale are composed of aggregates of coccoliths which, according to Hattin (1975a) are of faecal
pellet origin, possibly discharged by copepods or pelagic tunicates. Bivalves of the Mytiloides labiatus
beds in the Keld Member are of great abundance and form resistant shelly “inoceramite” limestone
units. The Laurier Limestone Beds carry a variety of bivalves and ammonites, and the Marco
Calcarenite is distinguished by an abundance of fragmented to whole bivalve shells as well as rare
belemnites.
References: Bannatyne, 1970; Hattin, 1975a; Kauffman, 1977, McNeil and Caldwell, 1981;
Wickenden, 1945.
DHM; LLP
Ferdig Member (Marias River Shale)
Author: Cobban, W.A., et al., 1959, p. 2794.
Type Locality: Post office of Ferdig, 29 km (17.7 mi) north of Shelby, in Sec. 30, Twp. 35N, Rge. 1W,
Toole County, Montana. Type section is in Sec. 36, Twp. 34N, Rge. 1W, and in Secs. 1, 12 and 23, Twp.
35N, Rge. 2W.
Lithology: Grey, sandy marine shale. In the Sweetgrass Arch the member consists of a lower dark
bluish grey shale unit that contains dusky red weathering ferruginous concretions, a medial sandy
shale unit and an upper dark bluish grey shale unit. Thin beds of grey sandstone and pebbly layers of
chert, quartz, quartzite and argillite are present locally in the medial unit. Thick beds of fine grained,
shallow water marine sandstone are present in the member in the Disturbed Belt.
Thickness and Distribution: The member is 67 m (220 ft) thick in the type area and thickens westward
to as much as 107 m (351 ft.) in the Disturbed Belt. It is widely distributed over the Sweetgrass Arch
and Disturbed Belt and present far east of Sweetgrass Arch, but the name has not been formally
applied there.
Relationship to Other Units: The noncalcareous shale of the Ferdig Member rests disconformably on
the calcareous shale of the Cone Member. The contact of the Ferdig with the overlying Kevin Member
is conformable and marked by a change from dark, bard, finely pyritic shale of the Ferdig to softer and
slightly lighter grey shale of the Kevin Member. The Ferdig Member correlates with the Carlile Shale of
the northern U.S. Plains, and with the unnamed upper Colorado Shale of the southern Alberta and
Saskatchewan Plains. It is equivalent to part of the Blackstone Formation above the Vimy Member, the
Cardium Formation and the lower part of the Wapiabi Formation.
References: Cobban et al., 1959, 1976.
WAC
Jurassic
Fernie Formation (Group)
Author: McEvoy, J. and Leach, W.W., 1902, Leach, W.W., 1914.
Type Locality: Fernie area, southeastern British Columbia; no specific locality designated. In no single
section are all units within the Fernie Formation exposed. Some of the more complete and
representative sections in southwestern Alberta are at Daisy Creek grid reference 894139, Blairmore
1:50000 topographic sheet, 82G/9); above Burns’ Mine on Sheep River (grid reference 516065, Mount
Rae 1:50000 topographic sheet, 82 J/10W); and in Pigeon Creek on Mount Allan (grid reference
271498, Canmore 1:50000 topographic sheet, 82 O/3E).
History: This unit was designated as the “Fernie Shales” on a map of the Crowsnest coal fields by
McEvoy and Leach (1902) and again in a report on the Blairmore-Frank coalfields by Leach (1903).
Lithological descriptions and recognition of the Jurassic age of the Fernie first appeared in Leach
(1912), and he later introduced the term “Fernie formation” on a map legend (1914, p. 234). The first
use of the term “Fernie Group” was by Henderson (1944, p. 2), and the Fernie has subsequently been
described as “formation” or “group” by various authors, though never formally defined in either sense.
Numerous subdivisions have been established within the Fernie, but very few have been properly
defined as lithostratigraphic units. Indeed, many of these informally named subdivisions (variously
called “members” and “beds”) have come to be defined as much by biostratigraphic as lithologic
characters and now often incorporate a variety of rock types in their lateral extensions. The formational
status of this unit should be retained, as few of the “members” and “beds” within it can be mapped as
“formations”, should the Fernie be raised to group status.
Commonly used subdivisions of the Fernie Formation which are indexed in this volume are (from base
to top, approximately); Nordegg Member (“Black chert member”), Oxytoma Bed, Red Deer Member,
Poker Chip Shale (“Paper Shale”), Lille Member, Rock Creek Member (“Belemnite zone”), Highwood
Member, Pigeon Creek Member, Corbula munda Beds, Gryphaea Bed, Grey Beds, Green Beds,
Ribbon Creek Member and Passage Beds.
Lithology: Predominantly brownish, medium to dark grey and black shales; some massive with
conchoidal fracture, others laminated and highly fractured or papery, recessive. Interbedded units
include dark phosphatic sandstones and limestones, and black, cherty limestones in the lower parts;
resistant, well bedded siltstones, sandstones and black, oolitic limestones; coquinas and
concretionary bands in the middle parts; and, in the upper parts glauconitic sands, concretionary
bands and brown weathering siltstones and sandstones. Five shallowing upwards depositional
cycles are recognized within the formation (Stronach, 1984)
Thickness and Distribution: Due to the recessive weathering character and the unusually deformed
nature of the dominant shales of the Fernie Formation measured thickness vary considerably.
Apparently undisturbed sections in southern Alberta have thicknesses of 138 m (453 ft) at Daisy
Creek, 227 m (745 ft) above Burns’ Mine on Sheep River, 402 m (1319 ft) in Pigeon Creek on Mount
Allan, but only 67 m (220 ft) in Canyon Creek, in the Moose Mountain area (grid reference 577396,
Bragg Creek, 1:50000 topographic sheet, 82 J/15). In none of these sections are all of the recognized
subdivisions of the Fernie present.
Outcrops of the Fernie Formation occur from southeastern British Columbia throughout the foothills
and front ranges of Alberta, and into the foothills north of the Peace River in northeastern British
Columbia.
Thickness generally decreases toward the east and northeast, the zero edge being along a line
trending northwest through Calgary, in southernmost Alberta Jurassic rocks extend farther east and
the Fernie Formation grades into the subsurface Jurassic units of the Williston Basin to the east and
southeast.
Throughout the lower and middle parts of the Fernie many units exhibit coarser facies toward the east,
from which direction they were derived, but, approaching the top of the formation coarser detritus to the
west indicates a shift in source direction to the west and south (Hamblin and Walker, 1979).
Relationship to Other Units: In more westerly sections the Fernie Formation rests disconformably on
Triassic units; farther east it overlies upper Paleozoic units, indicating a significant hiatus with erosion
prior to deposition of the first Jurassic sediments. Rocks belonging to the basal Hettangian Stage of
the Jurassic have only been recognized by fossils at one locality: Black Bear Ridge, north of Williston
Lake in northeastern British Columbia (Tozer, 1982, p. 387). Elsewhere the basal Fernie strata are
Sinemurian and occasionally Toarcian in age.
The Passage Beds, representing the uppermost unit in the Fernie are overlain conformably by the
Weary Ridge Member of the Morrissey Formation (Kootenay Group) in southern areas; Gibson (1979)
placed this contact at the base of the first continuous sandstone devoid of interbedded siltstones and
shales which typify the underlying Passage Beds of the Fernie. A similar relationship exists between
the Passage Beds and the overlying Nikanassin Formation in the foothills of central-northern Alberta
and also in northeastern British Columbia with the overlying Monteith Formation (Minnes Group).
References: Frebold, 1957; Gibson, 1979; Hall, 1984; Hamblin and Walker, 1979; Henderson, 1944;
McEvoy and Leach, 1902; Leach, 1903, 1912, 1914; Poulton, 1984; Stott, 1967; Stronach, 1984; Tozer,
1982.
RLH
Upper Devonian
Fiddle Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Raymond, P.E., 1930, p. 296
Type Locality: Not designated. Name derived from exposures on Fiddle Creek 0.8 km (0.5 mi) above
road, Jasper National Park, Alberta (Twp. 49, Rge. 27W5M). Best exposures are on the road south of
Disaster Point, near the old lime kilns and along the ridge that faces the valley of Rocky River (Twp.
48, Rge. 28W5M).
History: Proposed by Raymond for zone 6 of his seven zone subdivision of the Devonian defined at
Roche Miette in Jasper National Park. However, his subdivision is based on a faulted section and
invalid. The Fiddle is a repeat of Raymond’s zone 3, which he assigned to the Boule Formation, and
is now assigned to the Mount Hawk Formation (Fox, 1951, p. 823; McLaren, 1953; p. 92).
Lithology: “thin bedded, dark grey, compact limestone, with shaly partings.”
Relationship to Other Units: Raymond’s underlying zone 5, which he called the Coronach, is now
assigned to the Mississippian Banff Formation at Roche Miette. His overlying zone 7, which he called
the Kiln, is the Devonian Perdrix Formation repeated by faulting (Fox, 1951; McLaren, 1953).
References: Fox, 1951; Lang, 1947; McLaren, 1953; Raymond, 1930.
HRB; PAM
Middle Cambrian
Field Member (Eldon Formation)
Author: Aitken, J.D., in Press
Type Locality: West upper slope of Mount Field, near Field, British Columbia, just below the summit.
History: Ney (1954) was perhaps the first to mention “... a shaly member near the middle of the (Eldon)
formation”. Fritz (1971) and Aitken et al. (1972) also noted a “black band” distinct from the “basal black
band”. McIlreath (1977a) referred to the same band as the “Field unit”. The unit was formalized by
Aitken (in press; see also Aitken, 1989).
Lithology: Mainly richly fossiliferous, ribbon-bedded, flaggy and platy lime mudstone, in part
carbonaceous and sooty; at some localities includes a unit of dark grey, greenish grey weathering
argillite with limestone nodules, also fossiliferous.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section 19.9 m (65 ft), near Stanley Peak (Vermilion Pass) 80.5
m (264 ft). The Field Member is a tongue of outer-detrital lithofacies and biofacies that projects
eastward little more than a kilometre into the Eldon Formation along the platform margin.
Relationship to Other Units: The Field Member is conformable intercalation within the platform-margin
carbonate strata of the Eldon Formation. It is an eastward extension of outer-detrital facies (“Lower
Chancellor” of older studies; “Park unit/Tokumm sub-unit” of Stewart, 1989)
Paleontology: The fossils of the Field Member are assigned by Fritz (in Aitken et al., 1972) to the upper
Bathyuriscus - Elrathina Zone. The agnostid trilobites provide one of the few direct biostratigraphic
ties with the Middle Cambrian of northern Europe.
References: Aitken, 1989, in press; Aitken et al., 1972; Fritz, 1971; McIlreath, 1977a; Ney, 1954;
Stewart, 1989.
JDA
Fife Lake Formation (Interlake Group)
Author: Jamieson, E.R., 1979; Magathan, E.R., 1987
Type Locality: Imperial Constance 8-36-3-29W2M well, Saskatchewan, between 2516.7 and 2531.4 m
(8257 and 8305 ft).
History: Originally a marker-defined unit within Silurian strata in the subsurface of Saskatchewan
(Jamieson, 1979; Haidl, 1987, 1988). Proposed as a formation by Magathan (1987).
Lithology: Pale yellowish grey to yellowish brown dolomite to dolomitic limestone. Predominantly
interbedded mudstone and skeletal wackestone/packstone. Mudstones are commonly stromatolitic in
the middle portion of the sequence. Thin beds of skeletal and oolitic grainstones occur near the top
and bottom. A stromatoporoid floatstone is present near the top of the unit in east-central
Saskatchewan. As defined by Jamieson (1979) and Magathan (1987) the u marker bed, composed of
microcrystalline dolomite with abundant arenaceous and argillaceous laminae is the lowermost bed of
the Fife Lake. Near the centre of the Williston Basin in North Dakota minor interbeds of anhydrite occur
within the equivalent stratigraphic interval.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum thickness in Saskatchewan is 16 m (59 ft). This unit and its
stratigraphic equivalents extend throughout the Williston Basin to their subcrop (or outcrop) edges.
Relationship to Other Units: The Fife Lake overlies the Strathclair Formation and underlies the
Guernsey Formation. The base is defined by the base of the u marker and the top by the base of the u2
marker. These marker beds are thought to indicate disconformities within the sequence. The Fife Lake
is equivalent to the lower member of the Brandon Formation, with the exception that King (1964)
included the u marker in the underlying Strathclair and the u2 marker in the lower member of the
Brandon Formation. Haidl (1987, 1988) adopted King’s definition of unit boundaries at the top of
marker beds. The Fife Lake is equivalent to the Moose Lake and Atikameg Formation as defined by
Steam (1956) in the Manitoba outcrop belt.
References: Haidl, 1987, 1988; Jamieson, 1979; Johnson and Lescinsky, 1966; King, 1964; Magathan,
1987; Porter and Fuller, 1959; Stearn, 1956.
FMH
Ordovician? and/or Cambrian
Finnegan Formation
Author: Pugh, D.C., 1971, p.10-12.
Type Locality: Mobil Oil C.P.R. Hutton 11-18-24-15W4M, Alberta, between 1975.1 and 1937.9 m (6480
and 6358 ft).
Lithology: Interbedded, varicolored, micaceous, glauconitic siltstones, varicolored shales and

subordinate limestones; grades southward into a red carbonate and elastic facies.
Thickness and Distribution: Extends as a band 100 to 130 km (63 to 81 mi) wide from northwest of
Edmonton to the southeast corner of Alberta. Thickens irregularly from the eroded eastern edge to
between 60 to 75 m (197 and 246 ft), where it grades fairly abruptly into mainly dolomite of the upper
Lynx. Maximum recorded thickness 100 m (328 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Unconformably overlies all markers “a” to “h” of the Deadwood Formation;
lower contact determined with the aid of gamma-ray correlation. Unconformably overlain by Elk Point
Group at most places and also by Red River Formation. Homotaxial with, but probably younger than
the upper division of the Lynx Group.
Reference: Pugh, 1971.
DCP
Firebag Member (Beaverhill Lake (Waterways) Formation)
Type Locality: Clearwater River, upstream from mouth of Cottonwood Creek, on Athabasca River
below Morrison Island, and on Firebag River. In Bear Biltmore No. 1, in Lsd. 7, Sec. 11 Twp. 87, Rge.
17W4M, Alberta, between 460.9 and 512.8 m (1512 and 1682 ft)
Lithology: Mainly olive-green, calcareous shales interbedded with olive-green argillaceous limestones
containing numerous brachiopods.
Thickness and Distribution: The Firebag is about 61 m (200 ft) in thickness. It is widespread from
central to northeastern Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The Firebag Member disconformably overlies the Slave Point equivalent
in the type area and conformably underlies the Calmut (Calumet) Member or the Waterways
Formation.
Paleontology: Fossils are abundant in the Firebag but species are relatively few. The more diagnostic
elements of the Firebag fauna consist of Ladogia kakwaensis, Cyrtina billingsi, Eleutherokomma
impennis, Spinatrypa albertensis, Atrypa independensis and Lingula spatulata.
In the Bear Biltmore No. 1 there are three possible zones in the Firebag. The upper zone, 31.1 m (102
ft) thick is characterized by Eleutherokomma impennis, a middle zone 14.2 m (47 ft) thick contains
Atrypa independensis. All three species are known to occur together in outcrop. Lingula spatulata is
known to range as high as the Calmut Member.
References: Crickmay, 1957; Norris, 1963; Sheasby, 1971.
JHC, GGP
Firemoon Member (Piper Formation)
Author: Nordquist J.W., 1955.
Type Locality: Named after the Murphy Corporation No. 1 Firemoon well, in Valley County of
northeastern Montana, located at the C SE/4 Sec. 12, Twp. 30N, Rge. 41E, between 1409 and 1430 m
(4618 and 4687 ft).
Lithology: Calcilutite, buff to brown, locally sandy and oolitic.
Thickness and Distribution: Present across Montana north of the central Montana uplift and into
southwestern Saskatchewan. Thickness is of the order of 20 m (66 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Directly correlatable with the unnamed lower member of the Shaunavon
Formation. Though nomenclaturally applicable, the term has not come into general usage in Canada.
Reference: Nordquist 1955.
JEC
Upper Cretaceous
First Castor Sandstone (Bearpaw Formation)
Type Locality: Research Council of Alberta Castor well, in 13-34-37-13W4M, Alberta, between 55.48
and 73.47 m (182 to 241 ft).
Lithology: Greyish green, generally medium grained, partly glauconitic, somewhat bentonitic
sandstone, with some lenses of carbonaceous material.
Thickness and Distribution: Localized in south-central Alberta. As far as known not recorded in
literature subsequent to original definition at “type locality”, where it is 18 m (59 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the “middle shale unit” and is conformably overlain
by the “upper shale unit” in the Castor well. The top of this sandstone is 25.6 m (84 ft) below the top of
the Bearpaw Formation and its base is 22.25 m (73 ft) above the top of the second Castor sandstone
This sandstone may represent the marine equivalent of the upper of two sandstones, which was
considered to be “typical nonmarine”, within the Paintearth Member of the Bearpaw Formation in the
composite outcrop section of the Castor area compiled by Lines (1963). The stratigraphic position of
the first Castor sandstone appears to be approximately equivalent to that of the Bassano South
Sandstone of Given and Wall (1971), outcropping on the Bow River 175 km (110 mi) south of Castor.
The equivalent stratigraphic level is within the Manyberries Member of the Cypress Hills, southeastern
Alberta.
References: Given and Wall, 1971; Lines, 1963.
JHW; RAR
Middle Devonian
First Red Beds (Souris River Formation)
Remarks: The unit constitutes unit A of Lane (1964), the basal unit of his Davidson Member of the
Souris River Formation. It consists of red and grey-green, dolomitic mudstone between 4 and 14 m (13
to 46 ft) thick. It is gradationally underlain by the Neely Member of the Dawson Bay Formation (except
where the Hubbard Evaporite is present, when the contact is sharp), and overlain by unit B of the
Davidson Member. It is also equivalent to the basal member of the Point Wilkins Member of Baillie
(1951).
References: Baillie, 1951; Lane, 1964.
Lexicon Committee
Upper Cretaceous (? Coniacian, Santonian, ? Early Campanian)
First White Speckled Shale
(Colorado Group)
Author: Fraser, F.J. et al., 1935.
Lithology: Mainly calcareous shale and mudstone with intercalated shaly chalk and skeletal
calcarenite, as well as subordinate bentonite, accumulations of fish-skeletal debris, concretionary
layers of calcite and siderite, nodular phosphorite and localized occurrences of noncalcareous shale,
sandstone and siltstone. The calcareous shale and mudstone are regularly laminated and incorporate
white, light grey and light bluish grey flakes composed of coccolithic debris up to several millimetres in
diameter, and light grey chalk laminae. The argillaceous deposits are variably bituminous. Skeletal
calcarenites occur as graded layers ranging in thickness from a few millimetres to several centimetres
and composed of disaggregated Inoceramus prisms and foraminiferal tests. Sandstones and siltstones
are variably muddy and bioturbated in layers up to several metres thick and also form monotonously
repeated graded layers several centimetres thick and alternating in vertical sequence with shales and
mudstones.
Thickness and Distribution: The upper of two white speckled, argillaceous units of widespread
distribution across the northern Great Plains region and in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains,
extensively used as stratigraphic markers in subsurface correlation. The unit is about 49 m (161 ft)
thick in north-central Alberta, thinning to some 6 m (20 ft) or less in the Peace River area. Near the
Fourth Meridian in the Cypress Hills area it is about 157 m (515 ft) thick and incorporates 44 m (144 ft)
of largely noncalcareous shale 55 m (180 ft) below the top of the unit. The First White Speckled Shale
is 40 to 50 m (131 to 164 ft) thick across much of southern Saskatchewan, but thins to less than 25 m
(82 ft) in the central part of the province.
Relationship to Other Units: Marks the top of the Colorado Group in western Canada. In central and
eastern Alberta and western Saskatchewan the First White Speckled Shale is overlain disconformably
by shales of the Lea Park Formation and rests with very low angle, angular unconformity on a
northeastward thinning, unnamed upper Colorado sequence of noncalcareous shales and mudstones.
The noncalcareous deposits are not present in central Saskatchewan, so that the First White Speckled
Shale rests unconformably on the Second White Speckled Shale to form a single, speckled
argillaceous sequence. The contact between sandstones and siltstones of the overlying Milk River
Formation and the First White Speckled Shale is gradational in southeastern Alberta and
southwestern Saskatchewan. Furthermore, on and to the east of the Sweetgrass Arch, immediately
north of the international boundary the unit incorporates the Martin Sandy Zone and the dominantly
coarsening upwards Medicine Hat Sandstone. In the Rocky Mountain foothills the unit is represented
by the Thistle Member of the Wapiabi Formation, where its white speckled character is lost from east to
west. In the plains of southern Alberta the unit occurs at the top of the Alberta Shale. In the Smoky
River area it occurs in the middle of the Puskwaskau Formation of the Smoky Group, about 31 m (102
ft) above the Bad Heart Sandstone. In the McMurray-Athabasca area it occupies the upper part of the
Labiche Formation. The First White Speckled Shale is correlated with the Boyne Member of the
Vermilion River Formation in eastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba. It is also correlative with
the upper Kevin Shale Member of the Marias River Formation in northwestern Montana and the
Niobrara Formation of northeastern Montana and North Dakota.
References: Caldwell et al., 1978; Fraser et al., 1935; Goodwin, 1951; Jeletzky, 1971, 1973; Nauss,
1947, Price and Ball, 1971, 1973; Simpson, 1975; Wall and Germundson, 1961; Wickenden, 1945;
Williams and Burk, 1964.
FS
Fisher Branch Dolomite (Interlake Group)
Author: Stearn, C.W., 1956, p. 16.
Type Locality: Small scarp 6 km (3.75 mi) northwest of Fisher Branch, Manitoba (SE/4 Sec. 3, Twp. 25,
Rge. 2WPM).
Lithology: Greyish yellow to light grey dolomite, medium to fine grained and aphanitic, medium to thick
bedded, fossiliferous. Brachiopods and corals are abundant, and in places Virgiana forms the main
constituent of the rock. Somewhat resistant to weathering and occurs as small scarps up to 4 m (13 ft)
high in the Fisher Branch area.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness estimated by Stearn is 4.9 m (16 ft), and appears fairly uniform
through outcrop belt. The name is applied only in the outcrop belt of southwestern Manitoba. Most
outcrops occur in the south Interlake area, in the vicinity of the town of Fisher Branch, as far south as
Narcisse (Twp. 19) and as far north as Lake St. Martin. In the northern area outcrops are reported at
Grand Rapids, Moose Lake and as far west as Lake Atikameg; occurrences are known at 80.8 km
(50.2 mi) north of Grand Rapids on Highway 6, and on the trail west of Baker Lake (Lsd. 15, Sec. 30,
Twp 56, Rge. 12WPM).
Relationship to Other Units: The contact with the underlying Stonewall Formation is disconformable
and is marked by a widespread red, argillaceous-arenaceous marker bed that is traceable throughout
the subsurface of the Williston Basin area of southwestern Manitoba and Saskatchewan The unit is
overlain conformably by the very light grey to whitens fine grained, thin bedded fossiliferous dolomite
of the Inwood Formation in the subsurface Fisher Branch strata comprise the basal part of the lower
Interlake Group (Porter and Fuller. 1959), or the basal part of the Strathclair Formation of the Interlake
Group (King, in: Cowan, 1971).
Paleontology: Comprises the zone of Virgiana decussata, formerly referred to as the Virgiana zone of
Kindle (1914), or unit B of the Interlake Group by Baillie (1951).
References: Baillie, 1951; Kindle, 1914; King, in: Cowan, 1971; Porter and Fuller, 1959; Stearn, 1956.
HRM
Cretaceous (?Late Albian-Cenomanian)
Fish Scale Sandstone
(Big River Formation, Colorado Group)
Author: Not known.
Lithology: Monotonously repeated, light olive grey and olive grey, fine and very fine grained
sandstones and coarse grained siltstones, in beds up to several centimetres thick, alternating in
vertical sequence with medium to dark grey calcareous shales and mudstones of similar thickness.
The sandstones and siltstones are graded and composed of crude horizontal and gently inclined
laminae. Fish scales and fragmented fish-skeletal material are abundant to the degree that they form
the main framework component of many graded beds, particularly those located near the base of the
unit. Pebbles and granules of chert and nodular phosphorite are found in some graded sandstones.
The argillaceous intercalations are finely laminated and incorporate laminae of tightly packed fish
scales and fragmented fish-skeletal debris. There is a progressive upward increase in the proportion
of intercalated shale and mudstone; in western locations several fining upward sequences may be
recognized within the unit. Several bentonite layers, each a few centimetres thick commonly occur.
Calcareous concretionary layers with calcite veining are frequently present. Contortions affecting
several graded beds, and sediment-injection structures are common.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is of widespread distribution in the northern Great Plains region
from northeastern British Columbia to Manitoba, where it is extensively used as a stratigraphic marker
in subsurface correlation. In central and eastern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan and southwestern
Manitoba the unit undergoes a gradual northeasterly decrease in thickness from about 21 m (69 ft) in
southern locations to 1.5 m (5 ft) or less at the erosional northern limit of the Big River Formation. The
Textularia alcesensis Zone, which includes the Fish Scale Sandstone, and most of the overlying
Verneuilinoides perplexes and Flaballammina gleddiei Zones appear to have been removed by
erosion in central Saskatchewan (North and Caldwell, 1975).
Relationship to Other Units: The Fish Scale Sandstone rests unconformably on the Lower Cretaceous
part of the Big River Formation; the contact may be a regional paraconformity (Stelck et al., 1958;
North and Caldwell, 1975), although attempts to correlate individual fining upward sequences suggest
the possibility of a very low angle, angular unconformity (Simpson, 1975). The contact with the
overlying Big River shales is gradational. In the northwestern plains of Alberta and British Columbia
the unit occurs within shales referable to the Shaftesbury Formation. In the Peace River region several
units rich in fish-skeletal debris have been recorded from the Shaftesbury succession. The Barons
Sand is a localized occurrence of increased siliciclastic material and improved reservoir quality in the
Fish Scale Sandstone at the Barons oil field of southern Alberta. The base of the unit is often used as
the boundary between the Upper and Lower Cretaceous.
References: Caldwell et al., Gleddie, 1954; North and Caldwell, 1975; Simpson, 1975; Stelck et al.,
FS
Upper Silurian and/or Middle Devonian
Fitzgerald Formation
Author: Cameron, A.E., 1918.
Type Locality: Slave River near (Fort) Fitzgerald, northeastern Alberta, about 16 km (10 mi) south of
60°N.
Lithology: Grey, dolomitic limestone with gypsum and anhydrite. The anhydrite yields gypsum and
breccias in outcrop.
Thickness and Distribution: The exposed section is incomplete. The unit is 83.8 m (275 ft) thick
between 234.7 and 318.5 m (770 and 1045 ft) in Northwest Co. (Imperial Windy (Nintsi) Point No. I
borehole, on the north shore of Great Slave Lake (Cameron, 1922). It is equated to the Middle
Devonian “upper evaporite” of Elk Point age, or the Font Vermilion evaporite of the Slave Point at
Gypsum Cliffs on Peace River (Cameron, 1922) and the interval 1414.3 to 1524 m (4640 to 5000 ft) at
California Standard Steen River 2-22-117-5W6M (Hunt, 1954). It was carried by Hunt (1954) from
Windy Point No. 1 to his Keg River (‘perhaps’) and Chinchaga formations (1588 to 1668.8 to 1731.3 m,
5210 to 5475 to 5680 ft) in Steen River No. 2-22; he considered it Silurian age. However, Crickmay
(1954) positively assigned a Middle Devonian age to equivalents of these formations. The accepted
distribution in the Alberta, Williston and Mackenzie basins depends on age and correlations. It is
eroded east of the type area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Fitzgerald is overlain with doubtful unconformity by the Pine Point
Formation, and has a conformable base over the Red Beds. It changes facies laterally, regardless of
expressed equivalents. Probably it is equivalent of some part of the Elk Point, Bear Rock and Lone
Mountain.
References: Crickmay, 1954; Hunt, 1954, 1955; Law, 1955a, b.
EPW; LVH
Middle Triassic (Ladinian)
Flagstones (Obsolete)
Type Locality: None designated, but exposed in the foothills of the Halfway and Sikanni Chief River
valleys, northeastern British Columbia.
History: A provisional name proposed by McLearn (1947). It has been replaced in recent years and the
strata included as part of the Mount Wright Formation by Colquhoun (1960, 1962) and the Toad
Formation by Gibson (1971,1972).
Lithology: Flaggy weathering, thin bedded, calcareous grey siltstone, in some localities fine grained,
calcareous, massive sandstone and limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: Occurs in the Halfway and Sikanni Chief River valleys of the Rocky
Mountain Foothills, and possibly over foothills areas of northeastern British Columbia. Recorded
thicknesses for ‘Flagstones’ range from 71.6 to 115.8 m (235 to 389 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The ‘Flagstones’ are conformably underlain and overlain by the Toad
Formation and ‘Dark Siltstones’ respectively. The ‘Flagstones’ have been assigned to the lower Mount
Wright Formation by Colquhoun (1962) and the upper Toad Formation by Gibson (1971). They are
equivalent to part of the upper Doig Formation of the subsurface plains.
References: Colquhoun, D.J., 1960, 1962; Gibson, 1971, 1972, 1975; McLearn, 1947.
DWG
Flat Lake Evaporite
(Duperow Formation, Saskatchewan Group)
Author: Dunn, C.E., 1975, p.19.
Type Locality: Central Del Rio Flat Lake East, in 13-3-1-15W2M, Saskatchewan, between 2468.3 and
2474.7 m (8098 and 8119 ft).
History: Kent (1968b) referred to this unit as the Holdfast evaporite because logs indicate a thick halite
sequence in the California Standard Holdfast Province 14-12-23-26W2M well. However it was not
formally defined, and a cored section from the Flat Lake region, some 250 km (153 mi) to the
southeast was selected as the type section for this halite and named the Flat Lake Evaporite.
Lithology: Translucent to transparent, coarsely crystalline halite, incorporating several whitish

concentrations of anhydrite, dolomite and clay minerals. A thin bed of anhydrite is common beneath
and above the salt.
Thickness and Distribution: Up to 28 m (92 ft) thick near Holdfast, Saskatchewan. Extends from the
northwest corner of North Dakota northward into central Saskatchewan (near Lanigan).
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies brown, microcrystalline limestone at the base of the
Seward Member (i.e., upper unit 3 of Dunn, 1975) and is conformably overlain by dolomite mudstone
(marker bed A of Wilson, 1967; junction between units 3 and 4 of Dunn, 1975).
References: Dunn, 1974, 1975; Kent, 1968b; Wilson, 1967.
CED; KRM
Flathead Formation
Author: Weed, W. H ., 1900.
Type Locality: Named for exposures in the Flathead Pass, in the northeast corner of the Three Forks
quadrangle, Montana.
Lithology: Interbedded quartz sandstone, quartzite and mudstone. The sandstone and quartzite are
commonly yellowish grey, fine grained, thin to medium bedded, medium to coarsely cross-bedded,
weathering yellowish orange, with cross laminations standing out in color relief as various shades of
purple. The formation is conglomeratic locally at various stratigraphic levels, but most commonly at its
base and top, where there are subangular to subrounded pebbles of fine grained quartzite probably
derived from the ancestral Canadian Shield. The mudstone interbeds are pale red in the lower part of
the formation and grey towards the top .
Thickness and Distribution: The Flathead Formation in Canada varies irregularly in thickness locally
and regionally. It ranges from 17 to 29 m (56 to 95 ft) on Mount Broadwood, British Columbia, to 46 m
(151 ft) along the Continental Divide in the Flathead Range. At the Burton mine near Elko, British
Columbia it is 2.4 m (8 ft) thick. In Canada the formation is confined to the Rocky Mountains of
southwestern Alberta and southeastern British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: This basal Paleozoic transgressive unit is overlain conformably at the type
locality by Gros Ventre shales and limestones. In the Lewis and Clark Range in northwestern Montana
and in the southeastern Cordillera of Canada it grades upwards into shales of the Gordon Formation. It
rests unconformably on the Belt Series in Montana and its equivalent, the Purcell Supergroup in
Canada. In places in the United States it rests upon Archaean schists and gneisses.
References: Norris and Price, 1966; Weed, 1900.
DKN
Late Miocene-Pliocene
Flaxville Formation
Author: Collier, A.J. and Thom, W.T. Jr. 1918.
Type Locality: North of the Missouri River, in the northeastern part of Blaine and Valley Counties and
what are now Daniels and Roosevelt Counties, Montana, U.S.A.
Lithology: Fluvial gravels consisting mostly of quartzites and cherts; contains scattered bones.
Thickness and Distribution: The deposits, which locally attain thicknesses of about 15 m (49 ft) cap
isolated plateaus in the northeastern corner of Montana. At the western end of Boundary Plateau they
are about 975 m (3200 ft) above sea level, but they decline eastward so that near Flaxville, Montana
they are at an elevation of about 792 m (2598 ft)
Relationship to Other Units: Unit lies on an unconformity that bevels Upper Cretaceous or early
Tertiary strata (Taylor et al., 1964); it is younger than the late Miocene Wood Mountain Formation,
which covers isolated uplands just to the north in southern Saskatchewan.
Paleontology: Age based on vertebrate fossils, including the three-toed horse, horned gopher, rabbit,
rhinoceras, creodont, camel, sabre-tooth tiger and fish.
References: Alden, 1932; Collier and Thom, 1918; Taylor et al. 1964.
JAW; NWR, AMacSS

Flood Member (Blackleaf Formation)
Author: Cobban, W.A. et al., 1959, p. 2787.
Type Locality: Flood Siding on the Burlington Northern Railway, 6 km (3.7 mi) southwest of Great Falls,
in Sec. 34, Twp. 20N, Rge. 3E, Cascade County, Montana. Type section is in the NE/4 Sec. 7, Twp. 20N,
Rge. 3E.
Lithology: Black-grey marine shale, cliff forming grey sandstone in thick beds, and ledge forming,
flaggy sandstone with abundant trace fossils. Generally a threefold division consisting of a basal
baggy sandstone unit, a medial shale unit and an upper massive sandstone that contains sandstone
concretions.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickens westward from 15 m (49 ft) on the axis of the Sweetgrass Arch to
as much as 167 m (548 ft) in the disturbed Belt. Present over the Sweetgrass Arch and west into the
Disturbed Belt in northwestern Montana. The name Flood has been applied only in these areas, but
Flood lithology can be recognized over much of northern Montana.
Relationship to Other Units. Disconformably overlies variegated mudstone and sandstone . Of the
nonmarine Kootenai Formation. Conformably overlain by grey bentonitic shale of the Taft Hill Member.
Equivalent to the Fall River and at least part of the overlying Skull Creek Shale in central Montana. In
southern Alberta equivalents include the lower part of the Bow Island Formation, the Joli Fou
Formation and the Basal Colorado (Cessford) Sandstone.
References: Cobban, et al., 1959,1976
WAC
Floral Formation
Author. Christiansen, E.A., 1968b, p. 1170.
Type Locality: None designated. Reference section given as SW/4 Lsd. 11, Sec. 34, Twp. 36, Rge.
5W3M, Saskatchewan, on bank of South Saskatchewan River.
Lithology: Laurentide till, commonly interbedded with extensive beds of sand and gravel; the till is grey
where unoxidized, otherwise pale yellow to olive, dense, and joints in the oxidized zone show rust
staining; about 10% total carbonate in matrix, with more dolomite than calcite.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness ranges up to more than 30 m (98 ft). Found throughout southern
Saskatchewan south of the Canadian Shield.
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformably overlies weathered or unweathered Sutherland Group,

disconformably overlain by Battleford Formation. Would appear to correlate with the part of Condie Till
underlying the Wascana Creek Ash, as Condie Till originally defined (Christiansen, 1961, p. 31).
Defined as the till lying between the Sutherland Group and Battleford Formation. Earlier than Classical
Wisconsin in age.
References: Christiansen, 1961, 1968b, 1971, 1972; Richmond, 1977; Westgate et al., 1977.
EAC; AMacSS
Mississippian (Kinderhookian)
Flossie Lake Member
(Lodgepole Formation, Madison Group)
Author: McCabe, H.R., 1963.
Type Locality: Fosca Flossie Lake 10-21-1-23WPM well, in southwestern Manitoba, between 1033.9
and 1099.7 m (3392 and 3608 ft).
History: Applied to unnamed upper Lodgepole beds to complete the stratigraphic subdivision
proposed by Stanton (1956). Corresponds to the operational unit “Upper Lodgepole” used by McCabe
(1959).
Lithology: A sequence of reddish grey to purplish mottled cherty, variably fossiliferous and crinoidal
interbedded limestones and argillaceous limestones. The lithology is rather uniform.
Thickness and Distribution: The maximum thickness of about 97.5 m (320 ft) occurs to the east at the
subcrop edge, and the unit shows a progressive westward thinning to about 67 m (220 ft) near the
Saskatchewan border, where correlation is lost. The unit can be correlated, along facies strike to the
south into northern North Dakota.
Relationship to Other Units: The member conformably overlies lower Lodgepole beds consisting of
oolitic and bioclastic limestones or the Whitewater Lake Member to the east, and reddish grey
calcareous shales of the Cromer Shale Facies to the west. (lithology of the Flossie Lake beds is
laterally uniform in comparison to the pronounced facies variation evident in the underlying strata). It is
overlain conformably by clean calcarenitic limestones of the Mission Canyon Formation, or
unconformably by red beds or evaporites of the Amaranth (Watrous) Formation along the subcrop belt
at the pre-Jurassic Unconformity surface it is correlative with the upper half (approximately) of the
Souris Valley Beds of Saskatchewan and the Lodgepole Formation of North Dakota. The top of the
member is believed to be correlative with the top of the type Lodgepole Formation of Montana .
References: McCabe, 1959, 1963; Stanton, 1956.
HRM
Flotten Lake Sand (Colorado Group)
Author: Simpson, F. 1975, in prep.
Type Locality: The type section is in the D.M.R. Flotten Lake No. 2 well, in 4-10-65-17W3M, Waterhen
Lake, west-central Saskatchewan, between 180.4 and 199.3 m (592 to 654 ft). Since no geophysical
well logs were run in the type well, the electric-log section from 287.1 to 303.2 m (942 to 995 ft) in the
Clark Flotten Lake 4-22-66-17W3M well is used as a reference.
Lithology: Variably consolidated well washed, fine to medium grained sand and sandstone, and shady
fine grained sandstone. The well washed sands and sandstones are quartz-rich and cross-laminated.
The shaly sandstones and siltstones form irregular thin, graded layers, interbedded with mudstones of
similar thickness.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness of the unit in the type section is 18.9 m (62 ft). South of
Meadow Lake a maximum value of about 21.3 m (70 ft) is encountered. The Flotten Lake Sand is
restricted in distribution to the western part of a prominent structural platform in west-central
Saskatchewan and adjacent east-central Alberta, the southern limit of which is approximately
delineated by the valley of the modem North Saskatchewan River. The unit is a relatively coarse
grained wedge which undergoes progressive grain size diminution and thickness decrease in a
southwesterly direction to pinch out along the southern margin of the platform.
Relationship to Other Units: The Flotten Lake Sand rests conformably on shales of the Joli Fou
Formation and is conformably overlain by shales of the Big River Formation. It is the approximate
lithostratigraphic equivalent of the northeastward thinning Viking Formation of southern
Saskatchewan and adjacent areas. To the southeast of Meadow Lake the Big River shale between the
Flotten Lake Sand and the St. Walburg Sandstone pinches out and the two relatively coarse grained
units form a single sandy sequence.
References: McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; Simpson, 1975, 1980.
FS
Floweree Member (Marias River Shale)
Author: Cobban, W.A et al., 1959, p. 2793.
Type Locality: The station of Floweree on the Burlington Northern Railway, 29 km (17.7 mi) northeast
of Great Falls, in Sec. 24, Twp. 23N, Rge. 5E, Chouteau County, Montana. Type section is in Sec. 17,
Twp 23N, Rge. 6E.
Lithology: Chiefly dark bluish grey shale and medium grey shaly siltstone with thin beds of grey fine
grained sandstone. Grey septarian limestone concretions are usual is present.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness is variable, ranging from 3 to 15 m (10 to 49 ft) on the south arch
of the Sweetgrass Arch, and 23 to 30 m (75 to 98 ft) on the Kevin-Sunburst dome. In the Sweetgrass
Hills near the Canadian border the member is as much as 46 m (151 ft) thick. The Floweree Member is
present over the entire Sweetgrass Arch and westward into the Disturbed Belt. The name has been
applied only in these areas, but rocks of Floweree lithology are present over much of northern
Montana.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact is marked by an abrupt change from the dark bluish
grey shale of the Floweree Member to harder and lighter grey fish-scale bearing sandstone or shale of
the Bootlegger Member. The upper boundary is also sharp and marked by a change from
noncalcareous shale to the limy shale of the Cone Member. The Floweree Member is equivalent to the
Belle Fourche Shale of central and eastern Montana, and the shale which lies between the Second
White Specks and the Fish Scale Zone in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan (i.e., the upper part of
the Big River Formation). It is also equivalent to the Sunkay Member of the Blackstone Formation in
the foothills of Alberta.
WAC
Middle and Upper Devonian (Frasnian)
Flume Formation (Fairholme Group)
Author: Raymond, RE., 1930.
Type Locality: Roche Miette, northeast shoulder, 34 km (21 mi) north-northeast of Jasper, Alberta.
53°10’N, 117°55’W.
History: In his description of the original type section Raymond (1930) divided the Flume Formation
into two members. Taylor (1957) elevated the upper member to formation status lithe Maligne
Formations and restricted the Flume Formation to the lower member.
The type section at Roche Miette is located where the Fairholme Group is in the basinal shale facies.
In studying the Fairholme Group carbonate facies McLaren (1955) erected the Cairn Formation to
describe the lower part of the section. The Cairn Formation was divided into two members and the
lower cherty dolomite member was subsequently shown to be equivalent to the Flume Formation in
the basin. Although the Flume Formation has priority and should refer to what is essentially a
widespread carbonate platform upon which the Fairholme buildups later developed (i.e., Flume
present beneath both buildup and basinal sections), the practice has developed of designating these
beds as the Flume Member of the Cairn Formation where they are overlain by a buildup (e.g.,
Mountjoy, 1965; Mountjoy and Mackenzie, 1973). Although most geologists recognize the continuity of
the Flume Formation beneath the buildups the Cairn Formation has not been revised to date.
Lithology: The Flume Formation consists of successive light grey cherty, biostromal carbonate units,
each underlain by thin, dark brown dolomites which may be slightly argillaceous and silty towards the
bottom of the formation. The biostromal units are medium bedded and on the order of 3 to 9 m (10 to 30
ft) thick. The biostromes may be either limestone or dolomite and contain bulbus stromatoporoids and
abundant Amphipora. Fossils are most abundant adjacent to and beneath carbonate buildups. Silica
is present in the Flume either as bands of dark chest nodules or as silicified fossils. Detailed studies
show that the Flume Formation can be subdivided into two (Cook, 1972) or three (Coppold, 1976)
informal members representing shallow subtidal to supratidal depositional cycles.
Thickness and Distribution: The Flame Formation is a widespread carbonate platform presently
recognized beneath basin and carbonate buildup sections of the Fairholme Group in the Rocky
Mountains from the Cecilia and Kakwa lakes area of northeastern British Columbia to south of the
Bow Valley, although beneath the carbonate buildups it is generally considered a member of the Cairn
Formation.
The Flume Formation is thickest is western and northern areas. Paleontologic evidence (Maurin and
Raasch, 1972) indicates the basal Flume at Kakwa Lake to be older than in more southerly areas.
Representative thicknesses are: Wallbridge Mountain 125 m (410 ft), Ancient Wall 80 to 104 m (260 to
340 ft), Roche Miette 31 m (101 ft), Miette 30 to 76 m (100 to 250 ft), Cline and Ram River area 30 to
46 m (100 to 150 ft), Bow Valley 25 m (81 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Flume is recognized as a formation in basinal sections and as the
lower member of the Cairn Formation in carbonate buildup sections of the Fairholme Group. Beneath
carbonate buildups the top of the Flume Member is placed at the upper limit of cherty biostromal
carbonates. Although chert does occur higher in the section, the top of the strongly cherty carbonates
in most cases can be recognized as it is associated with a color change to the darker organic
dolomites of the upper member of the Cairn Formation. In the basin the Flame Formation is overlain
sharply by the dark argillaceous limestones of the Maligne Formation, or the dark shales of the Perdrix
Formation where the Maligne is absent.
The base of the Flume generally rests unconformably upon Cambrian or Ordovician silty and sandy
carbonates; in some sections in west-central Alberta it overlies the Middle Devonian Yahatinda
Formation of Aitken (1966). The Flume may be partly equivalent to the Beaverhill Lake Group (Maurin
and Raasch, 1972). It is lithostratigraphically similar to, but probably older than the subsurface
Cooking Lake Formation.
The Hollebeke Formation of the Crowsnest Pass area is stratigraphically and faunally similar to the
Flume Formations but the Hollebeke lithology is more variable and relationships between the two
formations have not been satisfactorily established (Price, 1964).
References: Cook. 1972; Coppold, 1976; Maurin and Raasch, 1972; McLaren, 1955; Mountjoy, 1965;
Mountjoy and Mackenzie, 1973; Price, 1964; Raymond, 1930.
MPC; EWM
Upper Cretaceous to Tertiary
Foothills Series (Obsolete)
Author: Allan, J.A. and Rutherford, R.L., 1934.
Type Locality: None specified and no complete section is known. Named for the abandoned mining
town of Foothills, west-central Alberta, in Twp. 47, Rge. 20W5M.
History: Used only in this one publication. Introduced because of confusion in use of Saunders Group,
which had been introduced earlier by the same authors. However, they reverted to the use of
Saunders Group.
Lithology: Covers the same interval as the Saunders Group.
Thickness and Distribution: A maximum estimated thickness of over 3600 m (11808 ft). Absent in
many areas due to erosion since the present erosional surface forms the upper boundary.
Relationship to Other Units: Equivalent to the Saunders Group as originally defined
References: Allan and Rutherford, 1934; Jerzykiewicz and McLean, 1980.
JRM
Carboniferous (Serpukhovian-Moscovian)
Foraging Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Scott, D.L., 1964a, b, c.
Lithology: Following field work in 1961-1962 in which the sandstones of the Tunnel Mountain
(restricted, McGugan and Rapson, 1961b) were studied in detail the name Fording Formation,
containing four members was considered an appropriate replacement for the term Tunnel Mountain
because the latter had begun to be used with a variety of meanings. Later it was decided to assign
formation rank to the four members (Todhunter, Trywhitt, Storelk, Tobermory) because the succession
contained two regionally angular unconformities that are unacceptable within a formation. Hence the
term Fording became unnecessary and was abandoned. It was, however recognized that the
Todhunter, Tyrwhitt, Storelk, Tobermory and Kananaskis formations should be related by means of a
group name, but none was proposed by Scott. McGugan and Rapson (1963b) proposed the term
Spray Lakes Group for most of this same interval. Norris (1965) proposed the term Misty Formation for
the equivalent of Scott’s (1964a, 1964b) Tyrwhitt, Storelk and Tobermory formations. The name Fording
Formation was not formally proposed and defined and therefore should not be used.
References: Scott, 1964a, b, c; McGugan and Rapson, 1961b, 1963b; Norris, 1965.
AM, CMH, MML

Foremost Formation
Author: Dowling, D.B., 1915.
Type Locality: Chin Coulee, near Foremost, Alberta.
History: Dawson (1882) included the Milk River beds, Pakowki shales and what is now known as the
Foremost and Oldman formations in his Belly River series, that is, all the beds between the Alberta
and Bearpaw formations. Williams and Dyer (1930) restricted the term Belly River to the Foremost and
what is now known as the Oldman formations. Russell and Landes (1940) raised the Foremost and
Oldman to formation status.
Lithology: “At the top there is generally a zone composed of coal seams and carbonaceous shales.
This zone ranges from 80 to 220 ft (24.4 to 67 m) in thickness, and is given such local names as Taber
coal horizon, Grassy Lake lignite Member and Redcliff coal zone. Below this a zone composed of
sandstone, shales, Ostrea and Corbula beds, with a few beds of carbonaceous shale. This zone is 33
to 76.3 m (100 to 250 ft) thick. On the west flank of the Sweetgrass Arch this is underlain by another
coal zone approximately 9.2 m (30 ft) thick. This lowest zone is called the McKay coal horizon and
loses its identity eastward as it passes into marine equivalents of the Pakowki Formation. The McKay
coal horizon is underlain by the basal Foremost sandstone locally called the Verdigris Sandstone,
from its occurrence in Verdigris coulee, near Milk River town” (Crockford, 1949)
Thickness and Distribution: The Foremost Formation crops out between Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and
Milk River in southeastern Alberta, and along the valleys of the South Saskatchewan, Oldman and
Bow rivers as far north as Eyremore. Its thickness ranges from 168 m (550 ft) near Lethbridge to 107 m
(350 ft) in the vicinity of Medicine Hat and to 73 m (240 ft) in the Milk River Gorge.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is overlain by the Oldman Formation and underlain by Marine
Pakowki shales.
Paleontology: The Foremost contains a rich fauna of fresh water pelecypods of Santonian age,
including Fusconia, Quadrula and Elliptio. Brackish water forms are represented by Corbula, Ostrea,
Anomia, Corbicula and Volsella, and a sparse marine fauna is represented by Nucula, Yoldia and
Pteria. The gastropods Hydrobia, Viviparus, Campeloma, Veratella, Malania and the marine form
Polinices are also present.
References: Crockford, 1949; Dawson, 1882; Russell and Landes, 1940; Thompson and Oxford, 1953;
Williams and Dyer, 1930

Mississippian
Forget-Nottingham Limestone
Type Locality: None designated, the unit is described in the Forget Nottingham and Alida areas of
southeastern Saskatchewan.
Lithology: Marine limestones.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is present on the northeastern flank of the Williston Basin. It varies
in thickness from 46 to 53 m (150 to 175 ft) in uneroded sections .
Relationship to Other Units: “It is a limestone facies of the middle part of the Middle Madison”.
References: Fuller, 1956; Saskatchewan Geological Society, 1958.

Lower Cretaceous
Fort Augustus Formation (Mannville Group, disused)
Type Locality: Anglo-Canadian Home C and E Fort Augustus No. 1 well (7-29-55-21W4M), 40 km (25
mi) northeast of Edmonton, Alberta, between 739.6 and 883.8 m (2427 and 2900 ft).
Lithology: “The basal beds consist of dark grey, glauconitic shale, or poorly stratified, sandy shale,
overlain generally gradationally by pale grey fine-grained, glauconitic sandstone interbedded with
argillaceous sandstone containing dark grey clay pockets and partings.” (This is the Wabiskaw
Member of Badgley (1952). “The remainder of the formation consists of laminated pale to dark grey
shale and siltstone and pale grey fine to medium grained, feldspathic sandstone in beds ranging from
a few inches to several tens of feet in thickness. The sandstones are mainly son and kaolinitic, with
hard, thin, calcareous intervals, and most contain abundant brown siderite pellets ...” “Thin coal beds
are present in the upper part of the formation ...” (Mellon, 1967, p. 64-65).
Thickness and Distribution: In the type area the formation shows considerable variation in thickness
from 102 to 220 m (335 to 722 ft). It thickens to the west and northwest.
Relationship to Other Units: The formation overlies the “calcareous” member of the McMurray
Formation, or Paleozoic carbonates where the McMurray Formation is absent. The upper contact with
the Joli Fou Formation is sharp and disconformable. It is equivalent to the combined Clearwater and
Grand Rapids formations of northeastern Alberta and is correlated with the Beaver Mines Formation of
the southern Alberta foothills. The term Fort Augustus Formation was intended to replace the upper
Mannville Formation of Glaister (1959) and Mellon and Wall (1963). It is designated “disused” because
the majority of workers continue to refer to this interval as “Upper Mannville”.
Paleontology: Pollen, spores and plant fragments are the predominant fossils, although agglutinated
and sometimes calcareous foraminifera have been recovered.
References: Badgley, 1952; Cartier, 1976; Glaister, 1959; Mellon, 1967: Mellon and Wall, 1963.
JWK
Fort Garry Member (Red River Formation)
Author: McCabe, H.R. and Bannatyne, B.B., 1970.
Type Locality: Mowatt Farm Quarry (Mulder Brothers) (10-27-13-3EPM) Manitoba, approximately 16
km (10 mi) north of Winnipeg. Suggested reference outcrop core hole is Manitoba Core Hole M-3-74.
Headingly North (1-21-11-1EPM), between 54.9 and 90.5 m (180 and 297 ft).
History: Early mapping of the Manitoba outcrop belt (e.g., Baillie, 1952) indicated that the Red River
Formation consisted of only three members: Dog Head, Cat Head and Selkirk. A thick dolomite unit
comprising the upper pan of the Red River Formation in the subsurface was thought not to extend to
outcrop, but subsequent mapping and core hole drilling along the outcrop belt shows that the unit is
present, but highly recessive and almost never exposed in outcrop. The name Fort Garry was
proposed for this unit to complete the outcrop succession.
Lithology: The lower half of the unit consists of a light buff to partly reddish, cryptocrystalline, dense
(sublithographic) dolomite. The upper half of the unit consists of a pale yellowish brown, thick bedded,
finely crystalline, granular to saccharoidal, sparsely fossiliferous, cherty dolomite. Approximately at the
middle of the unit are two thin beds of argillaceous dolomite breccia that are believed to be evaporite
solution breccias. Thin, high-calcium limestone beds occur sporadically at the top of the unit in the
type area. To the north the unit becomes somewhat more argillaceous.
Thickness and Distribution: The Fort Garry Member is about 40 m (131 ft) thick in the type area and
decreases gradually in thickness to the north, to only about 8 m (26 ft) near the erosional edge.
Distribution is the same as that of the Red River Formation, extending throughout the Williston Basin
area. Equivalent strata in the Hudson Bay Basin comprise the Surprise Creek Formation of the Bad
Cache Rapids Group (Sanford et al., 1968).
Relationship to Other Units: The Fort Garry conformably and transitionally overlies carbonates of the
Selkirk Member. It is overlain sharply, and possibly disconformably by the Stony Mountain Formation.
In the subsurface equivalent strata are referred to as the Herald Formation (Kendall, 1976).
References: Baillie, 1952; Kendall, 1976; McCabe and Bannatyne, 1970; Sanford et al., 1968.
HRM
Lower Cambrian
Fort Mountain Formation
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1912, p. 131, footnote (a) (amended from Fairview Formation), Walcott (1908).
Type Locality: Redoubt Mountains northeast of Lake Louise, Sand National Park, Alberta.
History: The revised name Fort Mountain was applied by Walcott (1912) to the unit originally
established as Fairview Formation (Walcott, 1908) because the latter had been pre-empted. The type
section was also changed from Fairview Mountain to Redoubt (Fort) Mountain. In the latter section
Walcott (and Deiss, 1939) included within the lower Fort Mountain Formation 110 m (361 ft) of
“arenaceous, quartzitic basal Conglomerate since recognized as part of the upper Proterozoic Hector
Formation (Aitken, 1969; Arnott and Hein, 1986) and removed from the Fort Mountain/Gog. Deiss
(1940) found that, in the Mount Assiniboine area division of the lower Cambrian quartzite-dominated
succession was impracticable and/or improper (see “Lake Louise Shale”), and accordingly erected the
Gog Formation, the term which, as Gog Group has been widely applied since.
Lithology: “Massive-bedded, cliff-forming, purplish, hard, fine grained quartzitic sandstones, with
bands of siliceous and finely arenaceous shale in lower portion. An arenaceous, quartzitic basal
conglomerate occurs in some localities” (Walcott, 1928).
Thickness and Distribution: 818 m (2663 ft) at the type section (Walcott 1912, p. 131). This must have
been an estimate, because Palonen (1976) measured only about 510 m (1673 ft). Walcott’s views
(1928) on the distribution seem confused because he gave no criterion for separating the Fort
Mountain from the overlying St. Piran in the absence of the Lake Louise Shale, and acknowledged
that the shale was missing (or unrecognizable) at Fort Mountain. Walcott recognized the Fort Mountain
in the Mount Assiniboine area (160.3 m, 526 ft), at Castle Mountain and at Mount Sedgwick above
Siffleur River.
Relationship to Other Units: The Fort Mountain Formation, as amended by Aitken (1969) rests
unconformably on the type Hector Formation and is overlain by the Lake Louise Shale where that unit
can be recognized. Walcott’s criterion for separating Fort Mountain and St. Piran in the absence of
Lake Louise Shale was never stated. Walcott (1928) suggested that the McNaughton Formation of the
Jasper-Robson region “may represent the Fort Mountain in that area” Subsequent workers have found
that division of the later-named Gog Group into Walcott’s three formations is unworkable.
The Fort Mountain Formation is a lower part of the Gog Group, which contains Lower Cambrian body
fossils in its upper parts. Trace fossils attributed to trilobites occur almost to the base of the Gog
(Palonen, 1976), which is widely accepted as being entirely Lower Cambrian .
References: Aitken, 1969; Arnott and Hein, 1986: Deiss, 1939, 1940; Palonen, 1976; Walcott, 1908,
1912, 1928.
JDA
Upper Cretaceous
Fort Nelson Formation (Abandoned)
Author: Kindle, E.D., 1944.
Type Locality: East side of Liard River valley, southeast of Lepine Creek, northeastern British
Columbia.
History: Stott (1968) abandoned the name Fort Nelson and extended the application of Dunvegan
northward to include the conglomeratic succession throughout northeastern British Columbia and the
southern part of the District of Mackenzie.
Lithology: Mainly massive, thick bedded conglomerate and coarse grained sandstone, with intervals of
carbonaceous mudstone. The conglomerates contain rounded to well rounded Casts, predominantly
of quartz, quartzite and chert, ranging from 3 to 150 mm (0.1 to 6 in)
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness is between 152 and 182 m (500 and 600 ft) in the area west
and northwest of Fort Nelson. Its outcrop is commonly cliff forming. West of Fort Nelson it caps the
Tsoo Tablelands, and Steamboat and Teepee Mountains near the Alaska Highway. It occurs along the
Dunedin and Liard escarpments and forms high clips along the lower reaches of the Fort Nelson
River.
Relationship to Other Units: According to the original definition the Fort Nelson Formation conformably
overlies the Lepine Formation. In the Liard and Fort Nelson region the formation is overlain by the
Upper Cretaceous Kotaneelee Formation of the Smoky River Group, presumably by a regional
unconformity.
References: Hage, 1945; Kindle, 1944; McLearn and Kindle, 1950; Stott, 1968a.
DFS; DWM
Upper Devonian
Fort Simpson Formation
Author: Cameron, A.E., 1918 (Simpson Shale); renamed by Douglas R.J.W. and Norris, D.K., 1961;
assigned a type section by Belyea, H.R. and McLaren, D.J., 1962.
Type Locality: Briggs Turkey Lake No. 1, 67°07’30”N, 120°22’30”W, Northwest Territories, between
237.7 and 830 m (780 and 2720 ft)
Lithology: Greenish grey to grey shale and mudstone, variably calcareous, silty or sandy.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness ranges from 480 m (1430 ft) over the Tathlina High to over 1000
m (3050 ft) in the Mackenzie Plain . The unit is widely distributed in northwestern Alberta, in the
southwestern Northwest Territories to 64°N, and in northeastern British Columbia north of the Peace
River Arch.
Relationship to Other Units: in the type well the Fort Simpson is overlain by the Jean Marie Member
and underlain by the Horn River Formation. Southwest from the type well it has become common
practice to place the top of the formation at the base of the lowest mappable Upper Devonian
limestone unit, thus the top of the formation shifts up section from east to west, from the base of the
Jean Marie Member to the base of the Kakisa, Trout River or Tetcho formations (e g., Torrie, 1973).
Farther west equivalent strata are part of the Besa River Formation. Northwest from the type well the
formation has been mapped as far as 64°N (Douglas and Norris, 1961, 1973); equivalent strata farther
north are part of the Imperial Formation. Southeast from the type well the base of the formation was
redefined as the top of the Muskwa Formation (Williams, 1977). Equivalent strata to the southeast
include the Tathlina, Twin Falls and Hay River formations or, in Alberta most of the Woodbend Group.
Paleontology: Conodonts, Polygnathus asymmetricus ovalis (Fuller and Pollock, 1972).
References: Bassett and Stout, 1967; Belyea and McLaren, 1962; Cameron, 1918; Douglas and
Norris, 1961, 1974; Fuller and Pollock, 1972; Torrie, 1973; Williams, 1977a.
GKW; DWM
Middle Proterozoic
Fort Steele Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Author: Rice, H.M.A., 1937, p. 4.
Type Locality: Western slope of the Hughes Range, north of Fort Steele, southeastern British
Columbia.
Lithology: The lowest exposed unit comprises at least three fining upward sequences that are several
hundred metres thick and grade from thin bedded, white, medium to coarse grained, cross bedded
quartzites at the base, to finer grained, less pure, thinner bedded argillaceous quartzites overlain by
interlayered, laminated or cross laminated siltite and argillite. With abundant mud-cracks at the top
(Hoy, 1978). Massive black calcareous or dolomitic argillite, with a thin interlaminated grey-green
dolomitic siltstone and argillaceous dolomite near the base comprise a middle unit. The upper unit
consists of massive, grey-green, dolomitic argillite with pods of calcite. Bluish limestone occurs locally
at the top (Rice, 1937). Rusty weathering, dark grey argillite locally separates the two upper members.
Thickness and Distribution: The Fort Steele is only exposed on the western slopes of the Hughes
Range. It is at least 2000 m (6560 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The base is not exposed; the upper contact is gradational with the
overlying Aldridge Formation. Hoy (1978) informally suggested restricting the Fort Steele Formation to
include only the quartzite cycles.
References: Hoy, 1978; Leech, 1958; Rice 1937
MEM, RAP
Lower Cretaceous (?pre-Albian to Albian)
Fort St. John Group
Author: Dawson, G.M., 1881.
Type Locality: Northeastern British Columbia. For specific localities refer to included formations.
History: Dawson (1881) originally referred the “lower dark shales” of the Peace and Pine River valleys
to the Fort St. John shales. McLearn (1918) defined the St. John Formation to include all strata
between the Bull Head Mountain sandstone below and Dunvegan sandstones above. McLearn (1932)
revised this and included only strata found between the Gates Formation and the Dunvegan
Formation. Wickenden and Shaw (1943) reverted to McLearn’s (1918) interpretation and raised the
Fort St. John to group status.
Lithology: The group consists mainly of dark marine shales which may be concretionary. These shales
may be gypsiferous and at places contain bentonite beds. They are interbedded with fine to coarse
grained sandstones (some of which are glauconitic), siltstones and chert-pebble conglomerates.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness of the Fort St. John has been reported as being 700 to 2000
m (2300 to 6500 ft). It is present over large areas of the Peace and Pine river foothills of northeastern
British Columbia and Alberta, north to the Liard River valley and into the Kotaneelee River area of the
Yukon and Northwest Territories.
Relationship to Other Units: The group overlies the Bullhead Group or may be in unconformable
contact with older Paleozoic sediments. The upper contact is with the Dunvegan Formation (Upper
Cretaceous).
The Fort St. John Group consists of the following formations: Foothills, northeastern British Columbia,
Cruiser, Goodrich, Hasler, Commotion, Gates, Moosebar, Peace River Plains, Shaftesbury, Peace
River, Spirit River, Bluesky; Liard River Area, Sully, Sikanni, Lepine, Scatter, Garbutt; Fort Liard,
N.W.T:, Sully, Sikanni, Lepine, Scatter, Garbutt.
References: Anan-Yorke and Stelck, 1978; Douglas and Norris, 1959; Hage, 1944; McLearn, 1918,
1932; McLearn and Kindle, 1950, Stott, 1960, 1968a, 1968b; Wickenden and Shaw, 1943
DRB; DFS
Middle Devonian
Fort Vermilion Formation (Member)
Author: Law, J., 1955, p. 1927-1978.
Type Locality: California Standard Steen River well in, Lsd. 2, Sec. 22, Twp. 117 Rge. 5W6M. between
1350 and 1357 m (4429 and 4452 ft).
History: Law (1955) introduced the term Fort Vermilion Member of the Slave Point Formation for 7 m
(23 ft) of anhydrite and dolomite at the base of the Slave point formation. Norris (1963) erected the Fort
Vermilion Formation for a sequence of evaporites underlying the Slave Point Formation in Gypsum
Cliffs area. Murray (1965) extended the use of the term Fort Vermilion Formation to the Swan Hills
area, and Leavitt and Fischbuch (1968) included the Fort Vermilion Formation in the Beaverhill Lake
Group.
Lithology: In the type well the Fort Vermilion consists of brown to white anhydrite with interbeds of
dolomite or limestone; a thin bed of dolomite is some places separates the Fort Vermilion evaporites
from the more open marine limestones of the Stave Point Formation.
Thickness and Distribution: The Fort Vermilion Formation reaches a maximum thickness of 37 m (120
ft) at the Hudson’s Bay Fort Vermilion No. 1 well in Sec. 32, Twp. 104, Rge. 8W5M. It thins westward to
a zero edge just west of the 6th Meridian, and also thins southward toward the Swan Hills area, where
it is 8 m (25 ft) thick in the type Swan Hills well (Home Regent “A” Swan Hills, in Lsd. 10, Sec. 10, Twp.
67, Rge. 10W5M).
Relationship to Other Units: The Fort Vermilion Formation is underlain by Watt Mountain shales of the
Elk Point Group and is overlain conformably by basal calcarenites of the Slave Point (or lower Swan
Hills) Formation. To the west the Fort Vermilion consists of open marine carbonates that are
indistinguishable from the overlying Cave Point Formation.
References: Law, 1955, p. 1927-1974; Leavitt and Fischbuch, 1968. p. 292; Murray, 1965; Norris, 1963,
p. 59.
NRF
Upper Carboniferous (Lower Moscovian)
Fortress Mountain Beds (Kananaskis Formation)
Author: McGugan, A. and Rapson, J.E., 1979.
Type Locality: Kananaskis Forestry Trunk Road, roadcut on east side of highway, 1 km (0.63 mi) north
of Fortress Mountain ski access road junction, and on mountain 4 km (2.5 mi) to the northwest. Section
48a and 48b of McGugan and Rapson (1979).
History: Informal term referring to an unusually silty facies of the Kananaskis Formation.
Lithology: Grey and pale grey weathering, thick and thin bedded silty and sandy limestones and
dolomites, with chert nodules and beds and chert “pull-apart” breccias and breccio-conglomerates.
Thickness and Distribution: 19.7 m (65 ft) at the type section (48A). Merges into more typical
Kananaskis Formation carbonates to the west on Mount Chester.
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformably overlies the Tunnel Mountain Formation at locality 48b,
where basal chert follows irregular surface with 1.5 m (5 ft) of relief on the top of the Tunnel Mountain
Formation. Unconformably overlain by the Permian Ishbel Group. The upper surface is bioturbated and
bored by Zoophycos and other infauna, with black phosphatic Permian siltstone infill.
Paleontology: 1.5 m (5 ft) pull-apart chert breccia 18.2 m (60 ft) below Permian contact contains
abundant Profusulinella cf. fittsi (Thompson), Pseudostaffella sp. Plagioglypta and Bellerophon of
early Middle Pennsylvanian (?Bashkirian to Early Moscovian) age.
References: McGugan and Rapson, 1979; McGugan and Spratt, 1981
AM, CMH
Upper Cretaceous
Fox Hills Formation (Abandoned in Canada)
Author. Meek, F.B. and Hayden, M.D., 1861, p . 427.
Type Locality: The Fox Hills of north-central South Dakota, U.S.A.
History: The name Fox Hills was apparently introduced in Canada by Dawson (1883, p. 4B, 7B) for
yellowish sandstones with some shale overlying the Pierre subdivision (Bearpaw Formation) and
underlying the Laramie subdivision (St. Mary River, Willow Creek and Porcupine Hills formations) in
southwestern Alberta. The definition of the term is southcentral Alberta was expanded by Williams and
Dyer (1930, p. 40) to include the sandy shales and sand bands underlying the Edmonton (Horseshoe
Canyon) Formation, which Russell (1932b, p. 125-126) assigned to their proper position in the upper
part of the Bearpaw Formation, designating the interval as the Bassano Member. Sanderson (1931)
gave a comprehensive account of the Fox Hills Formation in southern Alberta, in which he held that
the name was properly applied to the arenaceous strata Iying between the Bearpaw and St. Mary
River formations. Russell (1932a, p. 32B) proposed the name Blood Reserve Formation for the thick
sandstone zone which various authors had called Fox Hills in Alberta. He presented additional data
(in: Russell and Landes, 1940, p. 82-84) in support of the recognition of the Blood Reserve as a
distinctive formation and, subsequently stratigraphers have accepted this usage. In the northern plains
of U.S. the term is used for a diachronous sequence (becoming younger eastward) of Late Cretaceous
(Maastrichtian), dominantly sandy marine and brackish water strata that are gradational into the
marine Bearpaw or Pierre Shale below and the dominantly continental clastics of the Hell Creek
Formation above (Waage, 1968).
References: Dawson, 1883; Meek and Hayden, 1861; Russell, 1932a, b; Russell and Landes, 1940;
Sanderson, 1931; Waage, 1968; Williams and Dyer, 1930.
JHW; LSR
Frenchman Formation
Author: Furnival, GM., 1942, 1946.
Type Locality: Along the valley of the Frenchman River in southwestern Saskatchewan, from west of
Ravenscrag (Twp. 6, Rge. 24W3M), on the north side of the Frenchman River, to the east of
Saskatchewan Highway 37 (Twp. 4, Rge.18W3M).
History: Beds of the Frenchman Formation have been assigned to the lower portion of the B-division of
the “Lignite Tertiary” (Dawson, 1875), the Laramie Formation (McConnell, 1885), the Lance Formation
(Rose, 1916), the Ravenscrag Beds of the Fort Union (Davis, 1918), the Ravenscrag Formation
(Williams and Dyer, 1930), and the lower Ravenscrag Formation (McLearn, 1929, 1930; Fraser et al.,
1935). The Frenchman Formation of Furnival (1946) is equivalent to the lower Ravenscrag of McLearn
(1929, 1930) and Fraser et al. (1935). As used by Kupsch (1956, 1957) in the area around Eastend,
Saskatchewan the Frenchman includes the Battle Formation of other authors. Carrigy (1970, 1971),
echoing a suggestion of Russell (1950), has proposed that, because of difficulty of correlation the
usage of Frenchman be restricted to Saskatchewan, and that in Alberta the Ravenscrag Formation
should include all strata down to the contact with the Battle Formation.
Lithology: Coarse to fine grained, cross-bedded sands, in places cemented by calcium carbonate into
ledges and concretions, interbedded with clays. The sand ranges in color from olive-green to greenish
brown to yellow and buff, commonly stained bellow and brown at the surface; up to 30% of the sand
size grains are volcanic fragments and the rocks are volcanic litharenites (Misko and Hendry, 1979).
Lenses of clay-pebble conglomerate are common in the sands, and in places at the base of the
formation the sands contain well rounded quartzite pebbles or a bed of pebble conglomerate
(Sutherland, 1977). The clays are olive-green, grey brown, and purplish brown, and form areas of
badlands along the valley of Frenchman River. The sands and clays in the Frenchman Formation are
arranged in a series of well defined upward fining sequences with erosive bases (Sutherland. 1977).
Both the sands and the clays are present over all of the area where the Frenchman occurs, but the
thickest clays are found in the Frenchman River valley immediately to the east and west of
Saskatchewan Highway 37, where the formation attains its greatest thickness. Both the sands and
clays have yielded remains of ceratopsian dinosaurs.
Thickness and Distribution: The Frenchman is recognizable only in the southwestern part of
Saskatchewan and in the Cypress Hills of Alberta. The greatest thicknesses recorded are 113 m (371
ft) south of Elkwater, Alberta (Chi, 1966), and 70 m (230 ft) in the Frenchman River valley in
Saskatchewan. Near Eastend the thickness is reduced to a few metres. The formation is thickest
where pre-Frenchman erosion was deepest. The Frenchman is presumed to be present in eastern
Saskatchewan beneath the beds of the Tertiary coal basin, but in core it is indistinguishable from
deposits of the Whitemud and Eastend formations (Whitaker et al., 1978), and the combined
formations attain a thickness of about 50 m (164 ft) in this area.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact of the Frenchman is erosional, and with increasing
depth of erosion it is with purple clays of the Battle Formation, kaolinitic clays and sands of the
Whitemud Formation, yellow sands of the Eastend Formation and grey clays of the Bearpaw
Formation. Greatest depths of erosion occur near the town of Elkwater, Alberta, northeast of Eastend
along the valley of Swift Current Creek, and southeast of Eastend along the Frenchman River valley.
The upper contain with the Paleocene Ravenscrag Formation is conformable, and is drawn arbitrarily
at the base of the “Ferris” or “No. 1” coal seam.
Lateral relationships of other units with the Frenchman Formation are difficult to establish except in a
general way according to geologic age. The Frenchman is correlative with the upper part of the
Brazeau Formation in the central foothills of Alberta, the lower part of the Willow Creek Formation in
the Oldman River region, and the Willow Creek facies of the Paskapoo Formation in the Bow River
and Red Deer River regions (Irish, 1970). Carrigy (1970) suggested that use of the term Frenchman be
restricted to Saskatchewan, so that beds formerly assigned to the Frenchman in the Alberta part of the
Cypress Hills, and correlative with the Frenchman Formation of Saskatchewan, would belong to the
lower part of the Ravenscrag Formation. The Frenchman Formation is equivalent to the Hell Creek
Formation of Montana and North Dakota.
Paleontology: The Frenchman is well known for its dinosaur fauna and has yielded abundant remains
of Triceratops as well as amphibians and fish (Russell 1964, Russell 1967).
Obsolete Names: Previously named the lower Ravenscrag, but renamed Frenchman Formation by
Furnival (1946).
References: Carrigy, 1970, 1971; Chi, 1966; Davis, 1918; Dawson, 1985, Fraser et al., 1935; Furnival,
1942, 1946; Irish, 1970; Kupsch, 1956, 1957; McConnell, 1885; McLearn, 1929, 1930; Misko and
Hendry, 1979; Rose, 1916; Russell, 1950, 1964; Russell, 1967; Sutherland, 1977; Whitaker et al., 1978;
Williams and Dyer, 1930.
HEH
Mississippian
Frobisher Beds (Frobisher-Alida Beds)
Type Locality: Named from the Frobisher oil field (incorporated in the Steelman Field). Fuzesy (1960)
recommended that the standard reference section for the Frobisher-Alida Beds should be the interval
between 1268.6 and 1382.9 m (4162 and 4537 ft) in the Imperial Workman 3-8-3-8-1-32W1M well.
Lithology: The Frobisher consists of mainly oolitic and pisolitic carbonates, as well as argillaceous,
fossiliferous, silty limestone and interbedded silty, sandy dolomite and dolomitic limestone. However,
in extreme southeastern Saskatchewan evaporites belonging to the Hastings and Winlaw occupy
most of the Frobisher interval.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness of the Frobisher Beds varies from about 43 to 70 m (141 to
230 ft). This maximum thickness is attained in an area some 34 km (21.3 mi) north of Estevan. The
Frobisher Beds depend on the presence of the Kisbey Sandstone for their recognition, thus they are
limited to the area east of Rge. 14W2M.
Relationship to Other Units: The Frobisher Beds lie beneath the Frobisher Evaporite of the Midale
Beds. The contact with that interval is placed at the top of an argillaceous dolomite or dolomitic
limestone in the upper part of the Frobisher. The lower contact of the Frobisher is placed at the top of a
quartzose carbonate interval that is known as the Kisbey Sandstone. Thus the Frobisher Beds are the
upper part of the Frobisher-Alida Beds where the latter (Alida Beds) unit is separated by the
intervening Kisbey Sandstone.
DMK
Lower Mississippian (Osagean)
Frobisher-Alida Beds
Type Locality: These beds were named from the Frobisher (incorporated in Steelman field) and Alida
oil fields, Saskatchewan, where the first discovery of oil in the upper (April, 1954) and lower
(November, 1954) parts, respectively of this sequence were made. Fuzesy (1960) recommended that
the standard reference section for this unit be the interval between 1268.6 and 1382.9 m (4162 and
4537 ft) in the Imperial Workman 3-8-3-8-1-32W1M well.
Lithology: The beds consist of fossiliferous-fragmental to algal, oolitic and pisolitic limestones. Patchily
distributed lenticular sandstones occur in the middle of the unit and there are at least three evaporitic
intervals, Gainsborough, Winlaw and Hastings. The former is in the upper portion of the Alida Beds
and the latter two respectively near the base and top of the Frobisher Beds.
Thickness and Distribution: A complete section occurs in the Imperial Workman No. 3-8 well, in Lsd. 3,
Sec. 8, Twp. 1, Rge. 32W1M between 1269 and 1383 m (4162 and 4537 ft) The unit varies from 65.5 to
123 m (215 to 403 ft) in thickness, and is recognized in southeastern Saskatchewan, extreme
southwestern Manitoba and north-central and central North Dakota.
Relationship to Other Units: The top of the Frobisher-Alida beds was established at the top of the
argillaceous dolomitic limestone immediately subjacent to the Midale beds, and the base is at the top
of the MC-2 marker bed in the Tilston. Brindle (1960) interpreted the base of the Charles to occur
within the Frobisher-Alida at approximately the level of the Gainsborough Evaporite. He correlated the
Frobisher -Alida with the Pekisko Formation of Alberta. These beds correlate as well with a series of
beds that lie beneath the State “A” marker in North Dakota; included in this sequence are the Landa,
Wayne, Glenburn, Mohall Sherwood and Bluell Beds (Harris et al., 1966).
Paleontology: Brindle (1960) found the Frobisher-Alida Beds to contain an extremely rich coral-
brachiopod-mollusca fauna containing some 59 species and 37 genera. He identified the assemblage
as being lower to middle Osagean.
References: Brindle, 1960; Harris, et al., 1966.
DMK
Mississippian
Frobisher Evaporite (Midale Beds)
Type Locality: Fuller (1956) did not specifically define a type locality, but in his discussion he referred
to his description of the Frobisher Evaporite in the internal 1466 to 1474 m (4810 to 4836 ft) in the
Imperial Steelman 1-8-4-5W2M well.
Lithology: Fuzesy (1960) identified the Frobisher Evaporite as consisting of anhydrite, dolomitic
anhydrite and evaporitic, anhydritic dolomite. Haidl (1978) showed that the Frobisher Evaporite in the
Benson Field consisted of a variety of anhydrite macrostructural features, ranging from coalescing
nodular through mosaic to structureless bedded and vertical crystal growth forms. Thus the interval
includes both supratidal and subaqueous deposits. These are commonly in cyclic sequences in what
can be described as shallowing upward evaporitic repetitions.
Thickness and Distribution: Fuzesy (1960) reported that the Frobisher Evaporite averages about 8 m
(26 ft) in thickness, but attains a maximum thickness of 14 m (46 ft) in the vicinity of the Socony
Woodley Southern North Carievale 9-29-3-31W1M well. The evaporite is limited to the north and
northeast by the erosional edge of the Midale Beds. It extends as far west as the Weyburn area, where
it occupies a strip south of its subcrop about 22 km (14 mi) wide. This limited distribution extends to
about the Steelman Field area, where the areas extent of the Frobisher Evaporite greatly expands,
extending southward into north-central North Dakota. To the west and south the Frobisher Evaporite
changes facies to a dolomite or dolomitic limestone.
Relationship to Other Units: Fuller (1956) identified the Frobisher Evaporite as that interval that formed
the caprock in the Frobisher, Lampman and Midale Fields in Saskatchewan and in the Bluell Field of
Renville County, North Dakota. He considered it to lie immediately above the Hastings-Frobisher
Limestone. The Saskatchewan Geological Society (1956) placed the Frobisher Evaporite in the base
of the Midale Beds, immediately suprajacent to the argillaceous dolomite marker bed (State A) that
represents the topmost strata of the Frobisher Beds.
References: Fuller, 1956; Fuzesy, 1960; Haidl, 1978; Saskatchewan Geological Society, 1956.
DMK
Quaternary
Furman Till (Informal name)
Author: Day, D.L., 1971, pp. 46, 61.
General Comment: Informal name assigned by Day in M.Sc. thesis to till of the second and weaker
Laurentide glacier advance into the Trout Creek area of the Porcupine Hills, south of Calgary, Alberta.
No type locality given. Day (p. 116) correlated this till with the “lower till” of Horberg (see Maunsell Till).
Name not in general use, and probably should be abandoned.
References: Day, 1971, Harris and Waters, 1977; Horberg, 1952.
AMacSS
Mississippian
Gainsborough Evaporite (Alida Beds)
Type Locality: Fuller (1956) made no mention of a type section but recognized the Gainsborough
Evaporite in the Socony Woodley Southern Gainsborough No. 1 well (Lsd. 16-29-1-30W1M), in the
interval 1122.5 to 1137 m (3683 to 3730 ft).
Lithology: Fuzesy (1960) described the Gainsborough as consisting of brown, grey and pink anhydrite
and dolomitic anhydrite.
Thickness and Distribution: The anhydrite and associated rocks are up to 14 m (46 ft) thick. The
anhydrite is commonly separated into two intervals by about 2 m (7 ft) of argillaceous dolomite. The
lower anhydrite ranges between 4 and 6 m (13 and 20 ft) and the upper one between 6 and 8 m (20
and 26 It). The Gainsborough Evaporite is limited to the area underlying Twps. 1 and 2, Rge. 30WPM,
but Fuller (1956) showed that it becomes part of a thick evaporite interval in north-central North
Dakota.
Relationship to Other Units: the Gainsborough Evaporite lies between 1.8 and 2.4 m (6 and 8 ft)
beneath the top of the Alida Beds. It overlies a pisolitic-oolitic grainstone to packstone interval that is
typical of the carbonates of the Alida Beds in extreme southeastern Saskatchewan.
DMK
Middle Proterozoic
Galton Series (Abandoned)
Author: Daly, R.A., 1912, p. 47-49.
Type Locality: South end of the Galton Range, southeastern British Columbia.
History: One of four lithostratigraphic units of group or supergroup rank introduced by Daly for strata in
four adjacent groups of mountain ranges. On the basis of incorrect correlations within and among the
four areas (Schofield, 1914b; Price, 1962, 1964) the four “series” were thought to represent laterally
equivalent but different lithofacies of the same stratigraphic interval. The term “Galton Series” has
never been widely used, and is synonymous with the more widely used terms “Purcell Series” or
“Purcell Supergroup”.
References: Daly, 1912; Price, 1962,1964; Schofield, 1914b, 1915.
RAP
Gammon Ferruginous Shale (Pierre Shale)
Author: Rubey, W.W., 1930.
Type Locality: Exposures along Gammon Creek, in Twp. 57N, Rges. 67 and 68W, Crook County,
Wyoming.
Lithology: A uniform dark grey mudstone or silty shale containing numerous red weathering
ferruginous or sideritic concretions. In the northwestern Black Hills the upper Gammon contains the
Groat sandstone bed, named by Rubey (1930) for exposures along Groat Creek, Carter County,
Montana. Thin bentonite beds also occur in the member. The Gammon is distinctive for its red
weathering concretions, which occur in scree as thin plates and angular fragments which, if
particularly abundant impart a reddish tinge tat the member in outcrop.
Thickness and Distribution: 240 to 305 on (787 to 1000 ft) thick in its type locality, but varying markedly
in thickness from there. Gill and Cobban (1966) noted that it thins southwestward from the type locality
by interfingering with the Niobrara Formation, as well as by erosional truncation at the contact with the
overlying Sharon Springs or Mitten Black Shale Members of the Pierre Shale. Thus, at the south end
of the Black Hills the Gammon ranges from only 9 to 34 m (30 to 112 ft). It extends northward from the
Black Hills, is about 240 m (787 ft) thick in the subsurface of western North Dakota and eastern
Montana, and has been recognized as far north as the Riding Mountain area of Manitoba, where it is
mere 3.5 m (12 ft) thick (McNeil and Caldwell, 1981). The Gammon becomes markedly thinner to the
east, and is entirely absent in the Pembina Mountain area of Manitoba and North Dakota.
Relationship to Other Units: The Gammon gradationally overlies shady chalk of the Niobrara
Formation in northeastern Wyoming and eastern Montana. To the north, in Manitoba McNeil and
Caldwell (1981) considered the contact to be unconformable. The upper contact with greyish black
shale of the Sharon Springs Member of the Pierre Shale is conformable or unconformable. In
Manitoba the upper contact with the Pembina Member of the Pierre Shale is sharp and
disconformable. Overlain by the Claggett in Montana (Rice, 1976) .
The Gammon correlates westwards with the upper Cody Shale and lower Mesaverde of western
Wyoming, and the Eagle Sandstone of central Montana or equivalent Milk River Formation of
southwestern Saskatchewan and southern Alberta Eastwards it may be represented in the Missouri
River valley of South Dakota by lower beds of the Sharon Springs Member of the Pierre or by chalky
beds of the Niobrara (Gill and Cobban, 1966). In western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta the
Gammon equates to the lower Lea Park Formation, and in central and southwestern Alberta Foothills
the upper Wapiabi Formation.
References: Gill and Cobban, 1966, 1973; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; Rice, 1976; Robinson et al.,
1964: Rubey, 1930; Williams and Bark, 1964.
DHM; LLP
Lower Cretaceous (Early Albian)
Garbutt Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Type Locality: Exposures along Garbutt Creek, tributary of Liard River in the Toad River map-area
(94N) northeastern British Columbia, but no continuous section occurs there. The most complete
sequence is found on Toreva Creek, a small tributary of Scatter River (Stott, 1982).
Lithology: The formation consists of two main subdivisions. The lower comprises silty mudstone,
argillaceous siltstone, sideritic concretions and a few thin seams of bentonite. The basal mudstone is
glauconitic. The upper subdivision is mainly rubbly mudstone, with rows of reddish brown weathering,
sideritic concretions. The upper beds include argillaceous siltstone and thin beds of finely laminated
sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: Extends northward from the junction of the Toad and Liard rivers in
northeastern British Columbia in a narrow, recessive belt across the Crow and Beaver rivers, along
the flanks of the Kotaneelee Syncline west of the Liard Range of the Northwest Territories. The
thickness is in the order of 290 m (951 ft) at Scatter River.
Relationship to Other Units: The Garbutt Formation unconformably Orderlies the Triassic Toad
Formation in the region of Scatter and Liard rivers, but in the vicinity of Kotaneelee River it lies on
Permian mudstone and sandstone. It has a transitional upper Contact with the overlying Scatter
Formation. Where the Scatter is no longer recognizable Garbutt equivalents are included in the
Buckinghorse Formation.
Paleontology: The ammonites Puzosia, Arcthoplites and Pachygrycia have been collected in the Liard-
La Biche region and are of Early Albian age. Basal Cretaceous sandstone at Jackfish Gap was found
by Braman and Hills (1977) to contain Cretaceous palynomorphs. A meagre microfauna assemblage
was recovered from lower beds at Scatter River
References: Braman and Hills, 1977; Kindle, 1944; Stott, 1982.
DFS
Upper Cretaceous
Garden Plain Tuff
Author: Campbell, J.D., 1974, p. 7.
Type Locality: Southwest of Garden Plain, Alberta, in SW/4 Sec. 18, Twp. 33, Rge. 13W4M, J.D.
Campbell (pers. comm., 1988).
Lithology: Dark grey to black, very bentonitic, thinly laminated shale which weathers to a mottled or
banded dark mauve or ashy grey color and contains one or two dense, indurated, flaggy, dark grey or
buff beds up to 5 cm (2 in) thick. Both the indurated beds and the unindurated “mauve shale” are
composed almost entirely of volcanic ash.
Thickness and Distribution: Reported by Campbell from seven localities in the eastern part of the
Hussar-Hanna area in Twp. 29, Rges. 13 and 14W4M, Twp. 30, Rge. 13W4M, Twp. 33, Rges. 13 and
14W4M; and at two localities beyond the north boundary of the area in Twp. 36, Rge. 15W4M and Twp.
38, Rge. 14W4M. The thickness at the type locality varies from 1.8 to 3 m (6 to 10 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Lies stratigraphically lower than the Kneehills Tuft, with which it was
previously thought to be correlative (Campbell, 1962; Irish, 1965). The Garden Plain Tuff gradationally
overlies a bright white weathering, very bentonitic, massive sandstone about 3.5 m (11.5 ft) thick
which overlies a coaly zone about 1 m (3 ft) thick.
References: Campbell, 1962, 1974; Irish, 1965.
PFM
?Helikian
Gataga Formation
Author: Bell, R.T, first use 1966, first published 1968.
Type Locality: Headwaters of Gataga River, Tuchodi Lakes (94K) map-area, northeastern British
Columbia. Geographic co-ordinates of the type section: base of section: 58°10’45”N, 125°17’15”W, top
of section: 58°10’45”N, 125°19’15”W.
Lithology: Dark grey to dark olive grew slaty-cleaved mudstones and siltstones with thin, graded,
brown sandstones. The mudstones commonly exhibit parallel or contorted laminations accompanied
by flame structures.
Thickness and Distribution: No complete section of the Gataga Formation is known, as everywhere
observed the unit has been reduced by sub-Cambrian erosion. At the type section approximately 1500
m (4920 ft) of beds are assigned to the formation. Exposure of the formation is limited to the area
forming the headwaters of the Gataga and Muskwa rivers in northeastern British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Aida Formation and unconformably overlain by
either the Lower Cambrian Atan Group or diamictites of uncertain age (Fritz 1972; Taylor et al., 1979).
References: Bell, 1966, 1968; Fritz. 1972; Taylor and Stott, 1973; Taylor et al. 1979.
GCT
Gates Formation
(Fort St. John Group and Luscar Group)
Author: McLean, F.H., 1923. p. 6B.
Type Locality: The prominent cliffs forming The Gates on Peace River east of Hudson Hope provided
the original name. Two additional reference sections were designated by Stott (1968); one at Dokie
Ridge (52°42’N, 122°18’W) and one at Bullmoose Mountain (55°14’N, 121°29’W).
History: Originally designated as the Gates Sandstone by McLearn (1923, p. 6B). Inasmuch as the
lower member of the Commotion Formation is equivalent to the Gates of the Peace River region Stott
(1968) applied the name to that member. Subsequently Stott (1982) elevated the Commotion members
to formational rank, giving formational status to the Gates throughout the region.
Lithology: At the type locality the formation consists of massive to thin bedded, fine grained, well
sorted sandstone. South of Peace River the ethology is more varied. The basal part is characterized
by fine grained, fairly well sorted sandstone, but the upper part consists of a cyclic succession of
carbonaceous sandstone, mudstone, siltstone, coal and some conglomerate (Stott, 1968, 1982; Leckie
and Walker, 1992, Carmichael, 1988) .
Thickness and Distribution. The Gates Formation extends westward from The Gates into the Foothills.
It can be traced southward from there to Pine River, and southwest to Smoky River, where it is
included in the Luscar Group (McMechan and Langenberg, 1985). It ranges from about 20 m (66 ft)
east of Hudson Hope to a maximum of 263 m (863 ft) at Mount Belcourt.
Relationship to Other Units: The Gates sandstone is gradational into the underlying Moosebar marine
shales. It is overlain abruptly by marine shale of the Hulcross Formation. The Gates Formation is in
lateral continuity with the Father and Notikewin members of the Spirit River Formation, and correlates
with upper Clearwater and lower Grand Rapids formations of east-central Alberta. It is equivalent to
shales in the lower (but not basal) part of the Buckinghorse Formation of the Sikanni Chief region, to
the lower unnamed sandstone of the Buckinghorse Formation in the Muskwa area, and the Bulwell
Member of the Scatter Formation at Liard River. It also is equivalent to a large part of the Beaver Mines
Formation of the southern Alberta Foothills.
Paleontology: Fauna of the Early Albian Arcthoplites Zone occur in the Gates Formation at Peace
River (McLearn and Kindle, 1950, Stott, 1968,1982). The formation lies within the Marginulinopsis
collinsi Subzone (Caldwell et al., 1978). It also contains the lower Blairmore-Luscar-Gething flora.
References: Caldwell et al., 1978; Carmichael, 1988; McMechan and Langenberg, 1985; Leckie and
Walker, 1982; McLearn, 1923; McLearn and Kindle, 1950; Stott, 1968, 1982.
DFS
Middle Proterozoic
Gateway Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Author: Daly, R.A. 1912; p. 107-108.
Type Locality: Heights east of gateway Montana in the Galton (Whitefish) Range.
History: Price (1962) showed that the Sheppard Formation, as defined by Willis (1902, p. 124) on the
basis of exposures in the Glacier National Park area is synonymous with, and has priority over Daly’s
(1912, p. 107) lower member of the Gateway Formation Range. Price (1964, p. 411) restricted the
Gateway Formation to exclude those beds at the base which comprise the Sheppard Formation, but
strata corresponding to the Sheppard in the Fernie west half map-area were included in the lower part
of the Gateway Formation (Leech, 1958, 1960). Price (1962) showed that the upper part of the
Gateway Formation of Daly is synonymous with the sequence of strata comprising members A and B
of the Kintla Formation (Hume, 1933; Hage, 1943)
Lithology: In the Purcell Mountains, and the Hughes and Lizard Ranges of the Rocky Mountains the
lower part of the Gateway Formation consists of siltite, quartzite, dolomitic siltite, dolomitic quartzite,
pisolitic, oolitic and stromatolitic dolomite and, locally conglomerate. Ripple marks, cross-beds and
mud-cracks are abundant locally. The remainder of the formation consists of green, grey and, locally
red or purple siltite and argillite, dolomitic siltite and argillite, dolomite and quartzite; and in it salt
casts, rip-up debris beds, mud-cracks and ripple marks are abundant locally. The Gateway Formation
(restricted) can be subdivided into two members in the Galton, MacDonald and Clark Ranges (Price,
1964). The lower member consists of dark red and purplish red argillite and micaceous siltstone and
argillite. With abundant salt casts and is synonymous with member A of the Kintla Formation of Hume
(1933) and Hage (1943). Mud-cracks, oscillation ripple marks and Intraformational conglomerate are
abundant locally. The upper member consists of green and grey micaceous argillite, dolomitic argillite,
coarse grained dolomitic sandstone and light grey dolomitic argillite, coarse grained dolomitic
sandstone and light grey dolomite and sandy dolomite and is synonymous with member B of the
Kintla Formation of Hume (1933) and Hage (1943). Oscillation ripple marks are common, and mud-
cracks and stromatolites occur locally.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit extends from the eastern Purcell Mountains southeastward to
near Helena, Montana along the eastern limit of Purcell-Belt exposures. In Canada the thickness of
the restricted Gateway varies from 375 m (1230 ft) at North Kootenay Pass to 715 m (2345 ft) at Sage
Creek. In the Purcell Mountains the unrestricted Gateway is about 1350 m (4428 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The restricted Gateway is conformably overlain by the Phillips Formation,
and overlies the Sheppard Formation in the east, in the Rocky Mountains. Rocks mapped as Gateway
include correlatives of the Sheppard Formation in the Purcell Mountains and the Lizard and Hughes
ranges, where it overlies volcanic rocks of the Nicol Creek Formation, previously assigned to the
“Siyeh Formation” by Rice (map-unit 5 of Leech; Mount Baker unit) and equivalent to the Purcell Lava.
The Gateway grades northwestward to the lower part of the Dutch Creek Formation (Kintla A and B of
previous usage).
References: Daly, 1912; Hage, 1943; Hume, 1933; Leech, 1958, 1960; McMechan, 1978; Price, 1962,
1964, 1965; Rice, 1937; Schofield, 1914a, 1915; Smith and Barnes, 1966.
MEM, RAP
Lower Cretaceous
General Petroleum (G.P.) Sand
Lower Grand Rapids Formation (Mannville Group)
Type Locality: General Petroleum No. 1 well, in Lsd. 16, Sec. 14, Twp. 49, Rge. 1W4M has good
development of the General Petroleum Sand.
Lithology: The General Petroleum Sand is a very fine to fine grained quartzose sand. It generally
considered to be a widespread shoreface deposit which is locally cut by channelized bodies of
sandstone and shale.
Thickness and Distribution: The sand varies in thickness from about 2 m (6 ft) to a maximum of 15 m
(50 ft). It has been described only in the Lloydminster area of Alberta and Saskatchewan, but can be
correlated southward to about Twp. 85 and westward to about Rge. 10W4M.
Relationship to Other Units: The General Petroleum conformably overlays the Rex Sand and is
conformably overlain by the Sparky sand, with minor shale breaks between the sand It is part of the
lower Grand Rapids package of sands (Sparky, G.P., Rex and Lloydminster) which are transitional
between the marine Clearwater Formation and nonmarine Grand Rapids Formation in the Cold Lake
region.
References: Haidl, 1984; Orr, Johnston and Manko, 1977; Vigrass, 1977; Putnam, 1982; Wilson, 1984.
PEP, AIB
?Helikian
George Formation
Type Locality: Near Mount St. George in the Tuchodi Lakes (94K) map-area of northeastern British
Columbia. Geographic co-ordinates of type section: base of section: 58°34’40”N 124°35’15”W, top of
section: 58°35’00”N, 124°35’45”W.
Lithology: Medium and thick bedded, light grey-brown weathering, very fine crystalline grey
limestones, dolomitic limestones and argillaceous silty limestones and dolomites. Stromatolitic beds,
desiccation breccias and parallel and irregularly laminated carbonate rocks with molar-tooth structures
typify the formation. Locally contains massive beds of lime stone and dolomite with diamict fabrics,
often associated with slump folds suggesting deposition on or at the base of slopes. Many of the algal
stromatolites are branching columnar type with prostrate and dependent branches, suggesting a
subtidal rather than intertidal origin.
Thickness and Distribution: The George Formation crops out only in the core of the Muskwa
anticlinorium in the Tuchodi Lakes (94K) map-area of northeastern British Columbia. At the type
section the formation is 560 m (1837 ft) thick, thinning by facies change to approximately 400 m (1312
ft) southward near Henry Creek.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformable and gradational with the underlying Tetsa Formation and
conformable and transitional with the overlying Henry Creek Formation.
References: Aitken, 1975; Bell, 1966, 1968; Taylor and Stott, 1973.
GCT
Lower Cretaceous (?Barremian to Early Albian)
Gething Formation (Bullhead Group)
Author: McLearn, F.H., 1923, p. 4B.
Type Locality: The well exposed sections along the lower part of Peace River Canyon were measured
and described by McLearn (1923; McLearn and Kindle, 1950). The most easily accessible and most
complete exposures are found along the north shore and on Aylard Creek (Stott, 1975).
History: Coal bearing strata of the upper “Bull Head Mountain Formation” were assigned to the
Gething Member by McLearn (1923, p. 4B). The Gething remained as a member until Beach and
Spivak (1944) gave formational status to the beds.
Lithology: The Gething Formation is a heterogeneous stratigraphic unit including chert pebble
conglomerate and conglomeratic to coarse grained sandstone, fine grained sandstone, a Cyclical coal
bearing succession and dark grew marine siltstone and mudstone (Stott, 1973; Gibson, in press).
Thickness and Distribution: The Gething Formation is widely distributed in the foothills, extending
northward from Peace River almost to Tuchodi River, and southward to Smoky River. The Gething
strata extend eastward beneath the surface of Peace River Plains. The formation increases from about
75 m (246 ft) near Smoky River to more than 550 m (1804 ft) at Peace River Canyon and is about 350
m (1148 ft) thick in the foothills to the north. In the most westerly sections near Carbon Creek the
formation is in the order of 1000 m (3280 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The contact with the underlying Cadomin Formation is drawn at the top of
different conglomeratic sandstone from one locality to another. In the Halfway River region, where the
Cadomin conglomerates have graded laterally into sandstone included in the Gething Formation the
contact with the underlying Jurassic Fernie shales and Triassic sediments is unconformable. The
Gething is overlain disconformably by marine shales of the Fort St. John Group.
The Gething Formation is correlative with the Gladstone Formation of the central and southern
foothills. It is approximately equivalent to the McMurray Formation of the lower Athabasca River.
Paleontology: The Gething or “lower Blairmore” flora was assigned an Aptian age by Bell (1956). A
microfloral assemblage was dated by McGregor (in: Stott, 1973) as Valanginian to Aptian. The
microfauna was dated by J.H. Wall (in: Gibson, in press) as Early Albian. The Gething Formation is
also noted for its dinosaur tracks (Sternberg, 1932; Currie, 1989).
References: Beach and Spivak, 1944; Bell, 1956; Currie, 1989; Gibson, in press (a); McLearn, 1923;
McLearn and Kindle, 1950; Sternberg, 1932; Stott, 1973.
DFS
?Cambrian, ?Devonian
Ghost River Formation (Abandoned)
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1923; p. 463.
Type Locality: “(the type locality is) ... in the first small canyon south of Ghost River Canyon and
opening on Ghost River as the river bends to the south” (ibid.). Aitken (1963) showed that the type
section is illustrated in the middle of Walcott’s (1928) Plate 27, not in his Plate 28. The location is at
51°44’N, 115°43’30”N, on the shoulder 300 m (984 ft) north of the reference section for the Yahatinda
Formation, which lies at the head of a gully.
History: Aitken (1963) reviewed the history of the Ghost River Formation and pointed out that Walcott
was uncertain as to its age, and that “Ghost River” had come to mean a Cambrian unit to some and a
Devonian unit to others. Furthermore, Aitken showed that Walcott’s type section contained Cambrian
strata only (Pika, Arctomys, Waterfowl and Sullivan formations and upper division of Lynx Group), and
that fossiliferous Devonian strata nearby occupied a channel eroded into the Cambrian rocks. Aitken
recommended abandonment of the term “Ghost River”, and later erected the Yahatinda Formation for
these Devonian strata.
Thickness and Distribution: 86.9 m (285 ft) at the type section .
References: Aitken, 1963, 1966; de Wit, 1956a, Fitzgerald, 1962a; Greggs, McGregor and Rouse,
1962; McGregor, 1963; Walcott, 1923, 1928.
JDA; DKN
Middle Devonian
Gilwood Member (Watt Mountain Formation)
Author: Guthrie, D.C., 1956.
Type Locality: Stanolind Giroux Lake No. 1 well, in 6-20-65-20W5M, between 3069 and 3079 m
(10068 and 10102 ft). The section was cored from 3071 to 3086 m (10075 to 10125 ft).
Lithology: The Gilwood Member consists mainly of quartz and feldspathic sandstones. The
sandstones are very coarse grained to Conglomerate near the Peace River Arch and decrease in both
grain size and feldspar content away from the arch, while increasing in both textural and mineralogical
maturity.
Thickness and Distribution: The Gilwood Member is up to 67 m (220 ft) thick north of the Peace River
Arch. It is up to 13.7 m (45 ft) thick at Mitsue and 15.2 m (50 ft) thick at Nipisi, southeast of the arch. The
sandstones thin and pinch out into the basin to the north, south and east away from the Peace River
Arch and West Alberta Ridge. Where the Gilwood laps onto the Peace River Arch it coalesces with
and loses its identity in the Granite Wash.
Relationship to Other Units: The Gilwood Member contains the arkosic sandstones of the Watt
Mountain Formation, which is the uppermost elastic unit of the Elk Point Group. In north-central Alberta
the Gilwood and Watt Mountain unconformably overlie the Muskeg Formation and are overlain by the
Slave Point Formation. The contact is probably conformable in most places, and some interfingering
may occur near the Peace River Arch. The Gilwood Member can extend to the base of the Wan
Mountain Formation, but is overlain by shales of the Wan Mountain. Differentiation of the Gilwood from
the Granite Wash is difficult where there is no Muskeg Formation between. Therefore use of the term
Gilwood is usually restricted to areas where it overlies the Muskeg Formation. The Gilwood Member
replaces the name Manning Sand, which was used by early workers for sandstones of the Watt
Mountain Formation north of the Peace River Arch.
References: Alcock and Benteau, 1976; Guthrie, 1956; Jansa and Fischbuch, 1974; Kramers and
Lerbekmo, 1967; Rottenfusser and Oliver, 1977; Shawa, 1969.
BR; JWK, GDM

Glacier Peak Tephra
Author: Carithers, W., 1946: Ford, D., 1959.
Type Locality: Glacier Peak, Washington, U.S.A.
Lithology: Dacitic tephra with hornblende, hypersthene, plagioclase feldspar and iron-titanium oxides:
glass shards have a calc-alkaline rhyolitic composition (Tabor and Crowder, 1969; Westgate and
Evans, 1978).
Thickness and Distribution: Originally thought to be a single stratigraphic unit widely distributed
eastward from the volcano (Powers and Wilcox, 1964; Fryxell, 1965), this tephra is now known to
consist of several discrete beds (Smith et al., 1977; Porter, 1978; Westgate and Evans, 1978).
Thicknesses are highly variable in the source area due to reworking; some valleys contain more than
15 m (49 ft) of tephra. Found in a few isolated locations in Alberta. The Manyberries Ash Bed, named
after a site in southern Alberta (see Manyberries Volcanic Ash) is about 2 m (7 ft) thick some 20 km
(12.5 mi) east of the went and persists as a discrete bed into southeastern Alberta, a distance of about
800 km (500 mi).
The various eruptive events are not precisely dated but occurred approximately 13000 to 11000 years
ago. The occurrences in southeast Alberta relate to the earlier eruptive phase. The Manyberries
Volcanic Ash bed (Westgate and Evans, 1978) equates with Layer G of Porter (l 978); the Irvine Bed
(Westgate and Evans, 1978) is considered somewhat older but no correlative has yet been found in
the source area.
References: Carithers, 1946; Ford, 1959; Fryxell, 1965; Porter, 1978; Powers and Wilcox, 1964;
Russell, 1900; Smith et al., 1977; Tabor and Crowder, 1969; Westgate, 1968; Westgate and Evans,
1978.
JAW; NWR; AMacSS

Lower Cretaceous (Fabian)
Gladstone Formation (Blairmore Group)
Type Locality: Gladstone Creek in southeast of Sec. 26, Twp. 5, Rge. 2W5M, NTS 82G/8E,
History: Introduced by Mellon (1967) to include the Cadomin Formation. The Cadomin was removed
and the name retained for overlying beds (McLean, 1980). Use extended from the southern foothills to
about the Smoky River (54°N) by McLean (op. cit.).
Lithology: Divided into two informal members. The lower, comprising half or less of the formation is
characterized by fine to very fine grained sandstone, beds usually with a distinct upward decrease in
grain size, interbedded with siltstone, mudstone and claystone. Colors are light grey to greenish grey
and maroon. The upper member is characterized by limestone beds, with occasional coquinas of
freshwater origin usually subordinate to calcareous mudstone, siltstone and sandstone. Limestone
beds are less prominent to the north and are absent north of 53°N, being replaced by fossiliferous,
calcareous mudstones. A few sections contain an anomalously high proportion of sandstone
throughout the formation, characterized by both fining upward and coarsening upward sequences.
Thin coal beds are present in sections north of about 52°N.
Thickness and Distribution: Occurs in the Alberta Foothills between the type section and about 54°N.
Ranges from about 82 m (269 ft) at the type section to 180 m (590 ft) north of the North Saskatchewan
River. Generally thicker to the west.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies abruptly but apparently conformably on the Cadomin Formation.
Overlain abruptly by the Beaver Mines Formation south of 52°N, and by the Moosebar Member of the
Malcolm Creek Formation to the north. To the northwest, along the foothills it is homotaxial with the
Gething Formation, but with distinct lithological changes. Equivalent to the Ellerslie Formation of the
central Alberta Plains, the Dina Member of the Lloydminster area and the McMurray Formation of the
northeastern Alberta Plains. The fossiliferous limestone and calcareous mudstone member is
equivalent to the Ostracode Beds of the central plains.
Paleontology: Contains a fresh water fauna including pelecypods, gastropods, ostracodes and
charophytes. Some brackish to marine fauna in more northerly sections.
References: McLean, 1980; Mellon, 1967.
JRM
Lower Cretaceous
Glauconitic Sandstone (Mannville Group)
Author: Layer, D. B. et al., 1949.
Type Locality: First described in the Edmonton and Stettler area.
Lithology: The Glauconitic Sandstone consists of very fine to medium grained quark sandstone in the
eastern part of the province, and quartz sandstone mixed with somewhat coarser salt-and-pepper
sandstone in the western part. Glauconite is only common from central Alberta northwards, and
siderite spherules are present in places. Interstitial clay and calcareous cement vary.
Thickness and Distribution: The Glauconitic Sandstone varies from zero to over 35 m (115 ft) in
thickness and, with its equivalents is present over much of Alberta and northeastern British Columbia.
In southern Alberta it is overlain conformably by continental deposits of the upper Mannville Group
and underlain by the Ostracod Beds of brackish water shales, limestones and thin quartz sandstones
and siltstones. Although it is generally considered to be of marine origin in southern Alberta it is often
cut by deep, narrow channels which are usually considered to be filled with nonmarine sediments.
Relationship to Other Units: In the Peace River region the Glauconite Sandstone is overlain by the
marine Wilrich shale and underlain by non-marine Gething (Bullhead) sandstones and shales which
grade eastward to marine strata. North of the Peace River region it unconformably overlies
Mississippian and Devonian sediments. In the Fort McMurray area it is indistinguishable from other
sands and becomes part of the Clearwater Formation. In northern Alberta and British Columbia it is
commonly referred to as the Bluesky Formation. The Lloydminster Sand in the Lloydminster area is
generally thought to correlate to the Glauconitic Sandstone. The Glauconitic Sandstone is very
widespread, but usage of the name “Glauconitic” is usually restricted to central and southern Alberta.
References: Alberta Study Group, 1954, Badgley, 1952.
PEP, AIB
Lower and Middle Ordovician
Glenogle Formation
Author: Burling, L.D., 1922.
Type Locality: Kicking Horse Canyon, near Glenogle Creek, British Columbia, near 51°17’N.
116°49’W.
Lithology: Black, fissile, commonly graptolitic shales with sandstone and siltstone laminations and
very thin beds in upper part.
Thickness and Distribution: The Glenogle Formation is about 360 m (1180 ft) thick at the type section,
but the type section is faulted and incomplete (Larson and Jackson, 1966). The formation is thickest
(between 600 m and 750 m, 1968 and 2880 ft) in the Stanford Range between the headwaters of
Shuswap and Windermere creeks (North and Henderson, 1954, p. 66). The formation is best
developed in the eastern and central fault blocks of the Brisco, Stanford and Hughes ranges; it thins
abruptly east of those ranges and is not known to be present west of the Columbia River.
Relationship to Other Units: Glenogle shales lie gradationally on the McKay Group in many outcrops;
the lower Glenogle of the southeast Brisco Range is probably coeval with the upper McKay Group to
the west. Locally the upper contact, with the Mount Wilson Formation is sharp and concordant, but
there is probably a regional unconformity beneath the Mount Wilson Formation (Larson and Jackson,
1966, p. 492). The Glenogle black shales are likely deposits of an oxygen-deficient environment; the
shales are equivalent to the Owen Creek and Skoki formations, and the upper part of the Outram
Formation of the eastern main ranges (Aitken and Norford, l967) and to the upper part of the McKay
Group of some parts of the western main ranges.
Paleontology: The Glenogle Formation is richly fossiliferous. Graptolites in the formation attracted the
attention of palaeontologists beginning with identification by Lapworth of material collected by R.G.
McConnell (1886, p. 320). Larson and Jackson (1966) determined that the formation is Arenigian to
early Caradocian, ranging from the zone of Didymograptus protobifidus to the zone of Nemograptus
gracilis.
References: Aitken and Norford, 1967; Burling, 1922; Larson and Jackson, 1966; McConnell, 1987;
Norford, 1969; North and Henderson, 1954.
HRB
Glenwoodville Drift (Informal name)
General Comment: Informal name used for deposits in Waterton Lakes area of southwestern Alberta;
term Glenwoodville Till is also used (p. 1115). Consists of continental (Laurentide) drift associated with
the Glenwoodville Moraine. The term Glenwoodville Drift is used only in Figure 6 of Horberg (1954, p.
1130).
AMacSS
Helikian
Goathaunt Member (Obsolete; Siyeh Formation)
Author: Fenton, C.L. and Fenton, M.A., 1931.
Type Locality: South wall of cirque between Mount Goathaunt and Mount Cleveland, Glacier National
Park, Montana (48°56’N 113°51’W) (Fenton and Fenton, 1937).
History: Proposed by Fenton and Fenton for the second lowest sub-division of the Siyeh Formation in
the Waterton Lakes and Glacier National Park area. These strata are now assigned to all but the
uppermost portion of the middle member of the Siyeh in the Waterton area, and all but the uppermost
portion of the Helena Formation of the Glacier area. The Goathaunt Member is underlain by strata
designated the Collenia symmetrica zone of the Siyeh by Fenton and Fenton (1931, 1987), which
Ross (1959, p. 30) included in the underlying Grinned Formation and which are now assigned to the
lower member of the Siyeh in Waterton (Price, 1964a, p. 414, 416; Smith and Barnes, 1966, p. 1414).
The Goathaunt Member is overlain by a distinctive stromatolitic unit referred to as the Collenia
frequens zone by Fenton and Fenton (1931, 1937) and the Conophyton zone I by Rezak (1957).
References: Fenton and Fenton, 1931, 1937; Harrison, 1972; Keroher et al., 1966; Mudge, 1977; Price,
1964a; Rezak, 1957; Ross, 1959; Smith and Barnes, 1966; Wilmarth, 1938.
PAM
Lower Cambrian
Gog Formation (Group)
Author: Deiss, C.F., 1940; raised to group status by Mountjoy, 1962.
Type Locality: Seconder Pass, near Mount Assiniboine, on northeast spur of the Towers, southern
Banff National Park (Sec. 21, Twp. 22, Rge. 12W5M).
History: The name Gog Formation was applied originally to 375 m (1235 ft) of quartzose sandstone
near Mount Assiniboine by Deiss (1940). Mountjoy (1962) raised the unit to group status in the Jasper
Park area, where it includes, in ascending order the McNaughton, Mural and Mahto formations.
Hughes (1955) proposed new formational names for Lower Cambrian strata in the northern Banff Park
area, but these names were found unnecessary during subsequent geological mapping (Price and
Mountjoy, 1966). The Gog Formation is now used to include the Fort Mountain Lake Louise and St.
Piran members in the Lake Louise area, established originally by Walcott as formations.
Lithology: Dominated by quartzose sandstone, in places sub-arkosic near the base, tending to
become quartzite in relatively deformed areas; the Fort Mountain Member (south) and McNaughton
Formation (north), at the base and the St. Piran Member (south) and Mahto Formation (north) at the top
are predominantly quartzite. The Lake Louise Shale and Holmes River Member of the McNaughton
are predominantly mudstone with thin interbeds of siltstone and sandstone; the Mural Formation is
mainly limestone or dolomite with lesser amounts of shale and sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: The Gog Group thickens northwestward from 375 m (1235 ft) at Mount
Assiniboine to 490 m (1620 ft) near Mount Temple Ski Lodge, and to between 1200 and 1500 m (4000
and 5000 ft) in the Sunwapta Pass and Jasper areas (Mountjoy, 1962; Mountjoy and Aitken, 1963).
Northwestward from Jasper the Gog thickens to between 1500 and 1820 m (5000 and 6000 ft), then
thins towards Pine Pass (Slind and Perkins, 1966; Campbell, Mountjoy and Young, 1972). Generally
the Cog is thickest in the western main ranges, ranging from 1350 m (4430 ft) in the Solitude Range
(Meilliez, 1973) to 2180 m (7200 ft) near McBride, British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: The Gog Group is generally absent in thrust sheets of the front ranges and
foothills, hence its relationship to the Basal Sandstone unit of the Alberta subsurface is unknown.
Westward it is correlative with the upper part of the Hamill Group and the Badshot Formation of the
Purcell Mountains, and the upper part of the Caribou Group of the Caribou Mountains. It is
conformable above the Miette Group in most western localities, becoming unconformable eastward.
Overlain conformably by carbonate rocks elf the Mount Whyte (south) and Hota-Adolphus (north)
formations, or banded, grey limy shales equivalent to the Chancellor Formation in some western
localities.
References: Campbell, Mountjoy and Young, 1972; Charlesworth et al, 1967; Deiss, 1940; Hughes,
1955; Mountjoy, 1962; Mountjoy and Aitken, 1963; Palonen, 1976; Slind and Perkins, 1966; Young,
1979.
FGY
Mississippian (Late Meremecian - Chesteran)
Golata Formation
Author: Halbertsma, H.L., 1959.
Type Locality: Type well: Imperial Belloy 12-14-78-1W6M, in Alberta, between 1322 and 1375 m (4338
and 4512 ft).
Lithology: The Golata Formation is a variable unit consisting mainly of argillaceous limestone, dark
shale and sandstone. Coal and anhydrite are present locally in Alberta. At its base the Golata
Formation consists of fossiliferous limestone and limy shale. Higher in the section these sediments
grade into dark grey to black to greenish waxy shales, with occasional siltstones. Eastward, toward the
paleo-shoreline the shales change to red beds and varicolored shales. Lateral facies changes are
common. In the Fort St. John area the base of the formation is sandy. The Golata is generally rewarded
as a tidal flat deposit with local lagoonal developments (coal) in Alberta and northeastern British
Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: in the eastern foothills of northeastern British Columbia the contact of the
Golata Formation with the underlying Debolt Formation is generally conformable, except in areas
where Golata sandstones are directly in contact with Debolt carbonates in erosional channels. The
Golata overlies the Prophet Formation in the eastern foothills of northeastern British Columbia. It is
conformably overlain by Kiskatinaw sandstones, except in some areas in Alberta east of the
Kiskatinaw erosional edge, where the Golata is unconformably overlain by the Belloy Formation. The
Golata Formation correlates northward to the lower part or the Mattson Formation, and southward to
the Carnarvon Member of the upper Mount Head Formation and the lower part of the Etherington
Formation of southwestern Alberta. It also correlates with the lower shale and carbonate section of the
Kibbey Formation of Saskatchewan and Montana.
Paleontology: The Golata Formation contains an abundance of Late Mississippian plant spores.
Staplin, (1960) described 133 species, varieties and types, 93 of which are new. Most of the plant
spores were found in coal seams and adjacent clays.
References: Bamber and Mamet, 1978; Halbertsma, 1959; Halbertsma and Staplin, 1960; Macauley,
1958; McCrossman and Glaister, 1964; Rutgers, 1958; Hovdebo, 1962; Staplin, 1960.
HLH; DF; RFSD, PAM

Tertiary to Paleocene
Goodlands Member (Turtle Mountain Formation)
Type Locality: Turtle Mountain area; NE/4 Sec. 2-25-1-24WPM; outcrop, south side of streamcut, 400 m
(1312 ft) west of Highway 1, 5 km (3 mi) southeast of Goodlands, Manitoba. Subsurface reference
section is Manitoba Mines and Natural Resources Borehole No. 1 in 15-32-1-22WPM, between 34.4
and 80.5 m (113 and 264 ft).
Lithology: An assemblage of grey, bentonitic, carbonaceous (nonmarine) sands, silts and clay with up
to three lensoid lignite seams ranging from 0 15 to 1 .83 m (0 5 to 6 ft) in thickness. Some sands are
cross-bedded, and light grey clay is commonly present beneath the lignite.
Thickness and Distribution. The member averages 40 m (131 ft) in thickness. Its occurrence is limited
to the area of Turtle Mountain.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit unconformably overlies sandstone of the Boissevain Formation
and is overlain disconformably by non-bentonitic, non-carbonaceous, yellowish weathering silty beds
of the Peace Garden Member. It correlates with the Hell Creek Formation of central North Dakota and
the Frenchman Formation of Saskatchewan.
Reference: Bamburak, 1978.
HRM
Goodrich Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Author: The Goodrich Formation of northeastern British Columbia was defined by Wickenden, R.T.D.
and Shaw, G. (1943) as a thick sandstone interval separated from the Dunvegan Formation by Cruiser
shale
Type Locality: The type section was designated on Boulder Creek (55°37’N, 121°59’W), Dawson
Creek map-area, on cliffs north of the bridge on John Hart Highway, northeastern British Columbia. A
more complete section on Dokie Ridge (55°42’N, 122°18’W) was designated as an additional
reference by Stott (1968, 1982).
Lithology: Goodrich sandstones, characterized by uniform lithology are fine grained, platy to thick
bedded, laminated and fairly well sowed. Sandstone units are separated by recessive dark grey to
black, concretionary mudstone.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation is best developed and reaches a maximum thickness of
over 400 m (1312 ft) in the western foothills between Peace and Pine rivers. It extends southward in
the foothills to Murray River, having a thickness of 263 m (863 ft) at Mount Belcourt. The formation
grades eastward and southeastward into shale and loses its identity in the plains.
Relationship to Other Units: The Goodrich sandstone is gradational into the underlying Hasler shale.
The upper contact, drawn at the top of the highest sandstone is generally distinct, but probably lies at
the top of different sandstone units from one locality to another. The Goodrich Formation is equivalent
to the Sikanni Formation, which occurs between Peace and Liard rivers. The top of the formation lies
stratigraphical at or near the Fish Scale Marker Zone of the plains.
Paleontology: The Neogastroplites fauna, including Posidonia? nahwisi (McLearn) var. goodrichensis
(McLearn) is representative of the generalized Late Albian Neogastroplites Zone. An arenaceous
foraminiferal assemblage of the Haplophragmoides postis goodrichi Subzone (Caldwell et al., 1978)
was obtained by Sutherland and Stelck (1972).
References: Caldwell et al., 1978; Stott, 1968, 1962; Sutherland and Stelck, 1972; Wickenden and
Shaw, 1943.
DFS
Goodsir Formation (Abandoned)
Author: Allan, J.A. (1912).
Type Locality: Mount Goodsir, western main ranges, Rocky Mountains, about 25 km (16 mi) south of
Field, British Columbia (51°14’N, 116°25W).
History: Allan (1912) applied the name Goodsir Formation to slates and limestones at Mount Goodsir.
Walcott (1927, 1928) restricted application of the name to the main ranges between the Stephen-
Dennis Fault and the Beaverfoot and Kootenay rivers in the belief that the Goodsir Formation was
distinct from rocks of similar lithology and stratigraphic position in the western ranges. The succession
was named the McKay Group by Evans (1933). With completion of Regional mapping and elucidation
of stratigraphy the name McKay Group has been used for the succession throughout the western
Rocky Mountains and the name Goodsir Formation has been abandoned (Aitken and Norford, 1967;
Price and Mountjoy, 1979).
Lithology: Mainly thinly bedded green-grey slates, with thin interlayers of microcrystalline limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: Allan (1912) estimated the slaty rocks to be about 1800 m (5900 ft.) thick
at Mount Goodsir.
References: Aitken and Norford, 1967; Allan, 1912: Evans, 1933 Price and Mountjoy, 1979; Walcott
1927, 1928.
HRB
Middle Cambrian
Gordon Formation
Type Locality: On Gordon Creek, 10 km (6.25 mi) from the south fork of Flathead River. Ovando
quadrangle, Powell County, central western Montana. The shale extends across the ridge between
Gordon and Youngs creeks, about halfway between Gordon Mountain and Cardinal Peak.
Lithology: In the southeastern Cordillera of Canada the Gordon Formation consists of fissile, greyish
green micaceous shale with interbeds of brown weathering, biogenic and glauconitic quartz
sandstone in the lower two-thirds of the formation, and mottled broken and grey biogenic limestone
above.
Thickness and Distribution: The Gordon Formation ranges in thickness from 45 m (148 ft) above the
Burton mine near Elko, southeastern British Columbia to 89 m (292 ft) on the north ridge frown
Windsor Mountain, southwestern Alberta. It is 84 m (276 ft) thick in the Lewis and Clark Range,
northwestern Montana. In Canada the Gordon Formation is confined to the Rocky Mountains south of
the Crowsnest Pass.
Paleontology: The Gordon Formation contains the Plagiura-Poliella, Albertella and Glossopleura
faunules and is, therefore, early Middle Cambrian.
References: Fritz and Norris, 1965: Walcott, 1917.
DKN
Gorman Creek Formation (Minnes Group)
Type Locality: Occurs within the original section of the Minnes Group (Ziegler and Pocock, 1960)
located on Mount Minnes (54°10’N, 120°04’W); NTS map 93I/1 East, Jarvis Lakes, British Columbia.
Extends off the main peak of Mount Minnes, southeastward across the headwaters of Gorman Creek
to the slopes of Mount Gorman.
Lithology: Characterized by a cyclical, coal bearing succession of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.
Cycles of several different magnitudes appear to be present, with the smallest being in the order of
only 1 to 2 m (3 to 7 ft), some being several tens of metres and major cycles of hundreds of metres
composed of the smaller subcycles. Smaller cycles may or may not end in a thin layer of coal or coaly
mudstone. Channel sandstones and conglomerates occur sporadically, becoming more common the
in the upper part.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized within the foothills from Berland River in the south, northward
across Smoky River as far as Sukunka River. Owing to intense deformation accurate thickness
measurements are difficult to obtain. The maximum thickness, in the order of 1200 m (7872 ft) in the
Kakwa River region decreases eastward to an erosional edge beneath the pre-Cadomin unconformity.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies on Monteith sandstone with apparent conformity. Contact is drawn at
the change from thick bedded sandstone units of the Monteith to the cyclical succession of the
Gorman Creek. The upper contact with the Cadomin conglomerate is commonly abrupt, with evidence
of channelling and a widespread regional unconformity.
References: Stott, 1981, Ziegler and Pocock, 1960.
DFS
Graminia Formation (Winterburn Group)
Author: Geological Staff, Imperial Oil Ltd., 1950.
Type Locality: In the British American Pyrcz No. 1 well, in Lsd. 12, Sec. 25, Twp. 50, Rge. 26W4M,
Alberta, between 1469 and 1484 m (4815 and 4865 ft)
Lithology: In the type section the Graminia consists predominantly of anhydrite, with subordinate
siltstone and silty dolomite, but buff, crystalline, silty dolomite is more typical of the unit elsewhere. It
becomes more anhydritic south of the type locality; to the north and west it commonly consists of an
upper and lower silty zone separated by a carbonate (Blue Ridge).
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is 15.3 m (50 ft) thick at the type section, but may vary from zero to
more than 18.3 m (60 ft). It is widely distributed in Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: At the type section the Graminia rests on siltstones of the Calmar
Formation. In southern Alberta it may overlie anhydrite that may equate with the Calmar or the Nisku
Formation. In central to more northern Alberta, where the Blue Ridge carbonate is developed the
lower siltstone of the Graminia may be part of the upper Calmar and is approximately equivalent to the
Alexo Formation of the Rocky Mountains; the upper siltstone may be an equivalent of the Sassenach
Formation. The Graminia is overlain by carbonates of the Wabamun Group.
Reference: Belyea, 1952.

Grande Cache Member (Malcolm Creek Formation)
Author: McLean, T.R., 1980.
Type Locality: A prominent bulldozer cut along the base of Mount Hamell, on the northwest side of the
Smoky River, near Grande Cache, west-central Alberta (UTM zone 11, 3572/59786).
Lithology: Characterized primarily by thick coal seams interbedded with predominantly fine elastic
sediments (mudstone, siltstone and very fine grained sandstones) and subordinate coarser grained
clastic sediments. Coal seams range in thickness from a few centimetres to 6 m (20 ft) and
occasionally thicker. Macerated carbonaceous material and root zones are common throughout.
Sombre colors, grey and olive-grey are predominant, but orange weathering ferruginous beds are also
common.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized in the Alberta Foothills from the Alberta-British Columbia
border in the northwest to Waiparous Creek in the southeast. The member is 110 m (361 ft) thick at the
type section, 130 m (426 ft) thick at its northern extent and 15 m (49 ft) thick at its southernmost
exposure. South of the Ram River (52°15’N) the Malcolm Creek Formation may not be mappable and
becomes a member of the Beaver Mines Formation. The member then loses its formal status and
becomes part of the undifferentiated member.
Relationship to Other Units: The Grande Cache overlies the Torrens Member conformably and usually
abruptly. It is overlain abruptly and conformably by the Mountain Park Formation. Laterally in
northeastern British Columbia equivalent beds occupy a major portion of the Gates Formation. The
coal bearing sequence in me lower Grand Rapids Formation is a lateral equivalent in the central
Alberta Plains.
Reference: McLean, 1980.
JRM
Quaternary
Grand Centre Formation (Informal)
Includes: Hilda Lake Member (Informal)
Reita Lake Member (Informal)
Kehiwin Lake Member (Informal)
Vilna Member (Informal)
Type Locality: Hilda Lake Member: East-west road outcrop along west bank of Marie Creek, located in
Lsd. 1. Sec. 30, Twp. 63, Rge. 2W4M, in eastern Alberta.
Reita Lake Member: - Same as for Hilda Lake Member.
Kehiwin Lake Member: From surface to 11 m (36 ft) in Alberta Research Council
borehole 77Sr-17, in Lsd. 15, Sec. 9, Twp. 61, Rge. 8W4M, near Glendon, eastern
Alberta.
Vilna Member: From surface to 5 m (16.4 ft) in Alberta Research Council auger borehole
77Sr-7, in Lsd. 1, Sec. 29, Twp. 59, Rge. 11W4M, near Vilna, eastern Alberta.
Council Bulletin.
Lithology: The Grand Centre Formation is composed of diamicton (till), locally containing masses of
older tills or bedrock; the formation is characterized by a generally sandy-clay matrix, abundant Shield
rocks in the very coarse sand fraction, dark grey-brown color, and a soft, unconsolidated nature.
Reita Lake Member: Clayey (38% sand, 36% clay) diamicton, locally containing masses
of displaced Marie Creek Till; 69% Shield rocks, 23% quartz and 5% carbonate rocks in
fiery coarse sand fraction; 11% matrix carbonate content; dark grey-brown outcrop color.
Kehiwin Lake Member: Sandy (43% sand, 36% clay) diamicton, 62% Shield rocks, 29%
quartz and 6% carbonate rocks in very coarse sand fraction; 8% matrix carbonate; olive
brown, jointed and iron stained outcrop appearance.
Vilna Member: Sandy clay (32% sand, 36% clay) diamicton, locally containing masses of
displaced bedrock; 64% Shield rocks, 28% quartz and 6% carbonate rocks in very
coarse sand fraction; 11% matrix carbonate content; dark grey-brown outcrop color.
Thickness and Distribution:
Hilda Lake Member: 1 m (3 ft) thick at type section, elsewhere the member is less than
10 m (33 ft) thick, though locally as much as 40 m (131 ft) thick where it is composed of
glacially displaced bedrock; member generally buried, but outcrops in a few areas in the
east-central part of the Sand River area.
Reita Lake Member: 2.5 m (8 ft) thick at the type section; carted thickness, ranging from
less than 10 to as much as 60 m (33 to 197 ft) where the member contains thick,
glacially displaced beds of the Marie Creek Formation; lies at the surface in the east half
of the Sand River area
Kehiwin Lake Member: (36 ft) thick at the type section; averages about 30 m (98 ft) in
thickness elsewhere, though locally is as little as 3 m (10 ft) or as much as 60 m (197 ft)
thick; lies at the surface in the central part of the Sand River area, but is buried in the
southwest.
Vilna Member: 5 m (16 ft) thick at the type section; forms a thin floss than 4 m, (3 ft) drape
in the southwest corner of the Sand River area, but thickens to as much as 40 m (131 ft)
in the west-central part, where glacially displaced bedrock makes up much of the
member; lies at the surface throughout the western third of the Sand River area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Hilda Lake Member is the oldest member of the Grand Centre
Formation. It is buried by, and has a gradational contact with the Reita Lake Member. The Reita Lake
Member is laterally equivalent to the Kehiwin Lake Member; the two lie at the surface and form an
interfingering contact along the central part of the Sand River area. The Vilna Member lies at the
Surface and is the youngest member of the formation; it overlies and has a sharp contact with the
Kehiwin Lake Member in the southwest.
The Grand Centre Formation generally has a sharp contact with both the underlying stratified
sediment of the Sand River Formation and till of the Marie Creek Formation. Erosional contacts are
evident where the top of the Marie Creek Formation has been glacially thrust and incorporated more or
less intact within the Grand Centre Formation.
Glacially streamlined landforms on the surfaces of the Hilda Lake and Reita Lake Members are
characteristically oriented northeast-southwest. Streamlined landforms on the surface of the Kehiwin
Lake Member are oriented north-south, and those on the surface of the Vilna Member are oriented
northwest-southeast. The Grand Centre Formation is tentatively correlated with the soft, fissile, dark
colored till of the Battleford Formation in Saskatchewan, and is likely of Late Wisconsin age.
LDA
Grand Rapids Formation (Mannville Group)
Type Locality: None designated. The formation is well exposed along the lower Athabasca River
between the House River (Twp. 83, Rge. 1 6W4M) and a point midway between Brule and Boiler
Rapids (Twp. 87, Rge. 14W4M).
History: McConnell (1893, p. 29D) proposed the name Grand Rapids sandstone for a sandstone
formation that crops out along the lower Athabasca River and is well exposed at Grand Rapids.
McLearn (1917) raised it to formation status.
Thickness and Distribution: In the lower Athabasca River area the Grand Rapids Formation is
approximately 90 m (295 ft) thick. It thins by shading out into the Clearwater shale to the north and
northwest, the “A” sand extending the farthest. It is traceable to the northern edge of the Birch
Mountains, where Green et al. (1970) named the Alice Creek Tongue. The Grand| Rapids Formation is
not recognized in the Peace River area. The formation thickens to the south and southeast and is
recognized in central Alberta (Badgley, 1952 and Mellon and Wall 1963). In the Cold Lake area the
Grand Rapids Formation is approximately 125 m (410 ft) thick.
Lithology: The Grand Rapids Formation in the lower Athabasca River area consists of three major
sand units (Kramers, 1974) separated by silt and shale intervals. These sand units are bitumen-
impregnated west of the Athabasca River, where they form the Wabasca Oil Sands Deposit [resources
estimated at 10.5 x 109 cu m (66 x 109 bbl) by Outtrim and Evans, 1978]. The lower “C” sand is
characterized by numerous large calcareous concretions. It is a fine to medium grained salt-and-
pepper sand, cross-bedded, with abundant carbonaceous debris and wood fragments. The lower part
of the “C” sand contains marine pelecypods and fragments of ammonites. The interval between the “B”
and “C” sands is composed of shale or shale with minor silt interbeds, and carries a marine
microfauna and flora. To the west of the Athabasca River this interval may be absent and the “B” and
“C” sands merge into one sand interval. The middle “B” sand is a fine to medium grained cross-bedded
sand, capped by a coaly zone at several outcrop localities. The interval between the “A” and “B” sands
can be lithologically diverse, but is predominantly shale with thin, interbedded silts or very fine grained
sands and, locally chert pebble beds. This interval carries a brackish to continental microflora at the
base, with a marine microfauna and flora in the upper part The upper “A” sand is a fine to medium
grained, predominantly cross-bedded unit, locally containing abundant carbonaceous debris.
Commonly capped by a coal seam up to 1 m (3 ft) thick in the outcrop area. Chert pebbles are
common and locally form beds up to several centimetres thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The Grand Rapids Formation conformably overlies and laterally
interfingers with the Clearwater Formation. It is sharply and disconformably overlain by the Joli Fou
Formation. In central Alberta the Grand Rapids Formation is equivalent to the upper part of the Upper
Mannville of Glaister (1959) and Mellon and Wall (1963). Mellon (1967) considered the Grand Rapids
to be the upper sandy facies of the Fort Augustus Formation. The Grand Rapids Formation is
equivalent in part to the upper part of the Spirit River Formation and the lower part of the Peace River
Formation in the northwestern plains. In the Lloydminster area the central and northern Alberta rock
units are not recognized as a result of facies changes, and the equivalents of the Grand Rapids
Formation have not been firmly established.
References: Badgley, 1952; Glaister, 1959; Green et al., 1970; Kramers, 1974; McConnell, 1893;
McLearn, 1917; Mellon, 1967; Mellon and Wall, 1963; Outtrim and Evans, 1978; Williams, 1963.
JWK
Helikian
Granite Park Member (Siyeh Formation, Obsolete)
Author: Fenton, C.L. and Fenton, M.A., 1931
Type Locality: Cliffs of Continental Divide, southeastward from Granite Park and above Grinner
Glacier, Glacier National Park, Montana (48°46’N, 113°45’W) (Fenton and Fenton, 1937).
History: Proposed by Fenton and Fenton (1931, 1937) for the upper member of the Siyeh, as used by
them in the Waterton Lakes and Glacier National Park Area. Rezak (1957, p. 138) named this interval
the Collenia multiflabella Zone. These strata are now assigned to the uppermost portion of the middle
member of the Siyeh Formation in the Waterton Area and the upper part of the Helena Formation in
the Glacier Park Area. The Granite Park Member is underlain by a distinctive stromatolitic unit referred
to as the Collenia frequens zone by Fenton and Fenton (1931, 1937) and the Conophyton zone 1
(Rezak, 1957). The Granite Park Member is overlain by strata that were designated the Hole-in-the-
wall Member (of the obsolete boulder Pass Formation) by Fenton and Fenton (1931) and that are now
assigned to the upper member of the Siyeh Formation in the Waterton Area and the Snowslip
Formation in the Glacier Area (Keroher et al., 1966, p. 1781; Mudge, 1977, Price, 1964a; Rezak, 1957;
Ross, 1959; Ross, 1959; Smith and Barnes, 1966; Wilmarth, 1938)
References: Fenton and Fenton, 1931, 1937: Keroher et al., 1966; Mudge 1977; Price, 1964a; Rezak,
1957; Ross, 1959; Smith and Barnes, 1966; Wilmarth, 1938
PAM
Middle to Upper Devonian
Granite Wash
Author: Newland, J.B., 1950.
Type Locality: Type well Union Red Earth, in Lsd. 3, Sec. 13, Twp. 87, Rge. 8W5M, between cored
interval 1472.3 and 1486.8 (4829 and 4877 ft).
Lithology: The Granite Wash in the type well is subdivided into three members, in ascending order as
follows: Granite Wash A, Granite Wash B and Granite Wash Shale Members.
Granite Wash A Member, 1480.3 to 1486.8 m (4855 to 4877 ft): Arkosic sandstones and conglomerates
of coalescing alluvial fans. Sands are poorly sorted, grain size grading from fine to very
coarse, with granules common and occasional small cobbles. Sediments are oxidized,
lack organic matter and contain only rare fossils. Among common sedimentary
structures are medium to large scale cross-bedding and planar stratification. Thickness
of the unit may exceed 30 m (98 ft). Sands are massive, and their geometry varies from
lenticular to wedge-shaped. The sands are mainly composed of quartz and feldspar with
mafic minerals, e.g., biotite and muscovite.
Granite Wash B Member, 1476.3 to 1480.3 m (4842 to 4855 ft): Very similar to Granite Wash A, with the
exception that sands are cleaner, well sorted and are composed of orthoquartzites.
Granite Wash Shale Member, 1472.3 to 1476.3 m (4829 to 4842 ft): A shale unit of playa-lake origin.
The lower unit is composed of mottled red-brown shales that are slightly anhydritic. The
upper unit is a clean grey-green shale, non-fissile, sometimes containing fresh water
limestone stringers.
Thickness and Distribution: It is zero to 182 m (597 ft) in thickness and is distributed for a great
distance to the north and east of the Peace River Arch and a lesser distance south of the arch. In the
Red Earth area the Granite Wash reaches over 76 m (289 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Granite Wash is the basal sand of a Middle to Upper Devonian Sea
transgressive on the Peace River Arch, and flanks the arch at various stratigraphic levels. It is overlain
disconformably by Middle to Upper Devonian beds in an onlap relationship progressively toward the
arch. The Precambrian is overlain non-conformably by Granite Wash B.
References: Baillie, 1956; de Mille, 1958; Goodman, 1956; Greenwalt, 1956; Guthrie, 1956; Sabry,
1989; Sproule, 1956.
HS
Middle Jurassic (Bajocian)
Gravelbourg Formation
Author: Milner, R.L. and Thomas, G.E., 1954.
Type Locality: Type section is in the Tidewater Eastend Crown No. 1 well in Lsd 15. Sec. 11, Twp. 6,
Rge. 20W3M, southeastern Saskatchewan, between 1469 and 1497 m (4820 and 4910 ft).
Lithology: Divided into lower and upper members. The lower member comprises buff to tan dolomitic
limestone, both dense and laminated with partings of green shale. Its upper part features algal forms,
oolite, pelecypod shell fragments and glauconite. Veins and bands of bluish white chalcedonic chert
replacing limestone and vugs of anhydrite occur over its lower half. Limestone overlies a basal 2 m (7
ft) of dark green and brown shale with abundant fish scales and inclusions of anhydrite. The upper
member consists mostly of dark greenish grey fossiliferous shale which, in southeastern
Saskatchewan is interbedded with minor amounts of quartzose sand and argillaceous limestone. The
upper contact is marked by thin interbeds of solution pitted, tan calcilutite transitional to the
Shaunavon Formation.
Thickness and Distribution: Some 27 m (89 ft) thick in the type area, it thins westward into Alberta onto
the flank of the Sweetgrass Arch. Towards the Williston basin centre it thickens to over 60 m (197 ft). It
thins to 18 m (59 ft) toward the basin margin in southwestern Manitoba, where it changes character by
the presence of an erosional unit of fine to medium grained sandstone that truncates the lower
member.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Watrous Formation, but overlaps it onto the Mississippian
Madison Limestone in southeastern Alberta. The lower member is equivalent to the Reston Formation
of Manitoba and the Kline Member of the Nesson Formation in North Dakota and Montana. The upper
member is equivalent to the lower part of the Melita Formation of Manitoba and the Tampico Shale of
the Piper Formation in North Dakota and Montana.
References: Milner and Thomas, 1954; Nordquist, 1955; Peterson, 1972; Stott, 1955.
JEC
Lower Triassic
Grayling Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Kindle, E.D., 1944
Type Locality: Lower part of Grayling River, northeastern British Columbia; NTS Map 94N/6 Grayling
River. Alternate localities displaying facies typical of Grayling Formation were provided by Colquhoun
(1962), Pelletier (1960, 1961, 1963, 1964) and Gibson (1971).
History: The facies was first recognized by Kindle (1944) in the Liard River valley. The lithology was
recognized and the name extended to the Rocky Mountain Foothills between Liard and Pine rivers by
Pelletier (1960, 1961, 1963, 1964), Colquhoun (1962) and Gibson (1971, 1975). The facies was
combined with the Toad Formation and extended into the subsurface plains by Hunt and Ratcliffe
(1959) as the Toad-Grayling Formation. The term was replaced by the Doig and Montney Formation of
the Diaber Group by Armitage (1962), although the old usage persists.
Lithology: Dark grey to brownish grey, recessive, shaly to flaggy weathering dolomitic siltstone, silty
shale and minor calcareous siltstone, silty limestone, dolostone and very fine grained sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation is recognized in the western foothills between Liard and
Pine rivers. The recessive weathering character results in poor exposure. Recognition and extension
of the formation into the eastern foothills and adjacent subsurface plains is uncertain. The Grayling
ranges in measured thickness from a minimum of 36 m (118 ft.) near Calnan Creek and the
headwaters of Halfway River to a maximum of 457 m (1500 ft) in the Toad River area, northeastern
British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: The Grayling Formation unconformably overlies chert and siliceous
mudstone of the Permian Fantasque Formation. In the western foothills the Grayling is gradationally
overlain by thicker bedded, more resistant weathering calcareous siltstone, silty limestone and shale
of the Toad Formation. The Grayling is equivalent to the subsurface lower Montney Formation
(Armitage, 1962), and the Phroso Siltstone Member of the Sulphur Mountain Formation of west-central
and southwestern Alberta (Gibson, 1975) .
References: Armitage, 1962, Colquhoun, 1962; Gibson, 1971, 1975; Hunt and Ratcliffe, 1959; Kindle,
1944, 1946; Pelletier, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964.
DWG
Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian)
Green Beds (Fernie Formation)
Type Locality: McLearn introduced this term in a general description of the Fernie sequence of the
Blairmore area, southwestern Alberta; no specific locality was mentioned. In that area the Green Beds
are best seen in continuous stratigraphic sequence and are most accessible on the north bank of
Carbondale River near its junction with Webb Creek (grid reference 894814, Beaver Mines 1:50,000
topographic sheet, 82 G/8) and again approximately 0.5 km 10.3 mi) downstream; both localities 15
km (9.4 mi) south of Bellevue, Alberta.
Lithology: Dark to bright green glauconitic sandstone or siltstone, with irregular beds of purplish grey
siltstone and grey, calcareous concretions weathering yellow-brown. Contains abundant large
belemnites, some gastropods, bivalves, vertebrae, fossil wood and ammonites.
Thickness and Distribution: Known throughout the foothills and front ranges from the international
border to the Peace River area in the subsurface, where it forms an excellent marker horizon ranging
from 1.5 m to 9.1 m (5 to 30 ft) in thickness. On Carbondale River it is 15.8 m (52 ft) thick in outcrop,
thinning northward (12.1 m, 7 ft at Daisy Creek) and westward (3.6 m, 12 ft at Alexander Creek).
Unknown in outcrop from the central foothills region, the unit occurs sporadically to the south of
Panther River (at Willson Creek) at South Ram River, Cadomin and Rocky River in Jasper Park and is
represented by a 0.3 m (1 ft) thick glauconitic bed north of Peace River.
Relationship to Other Units: In the more easterly of the two outcrops on Carbondale River the Green
Beds conformably overlie grey shales with large calcareous concretions, which probably represent the
Ribbon Creek Member, with abrupt lithological change, elsewhere it lies apparently conformably on
the Highwood Member. The upper boundary is also sharp and conformable, gassing upward into grey
shales with thin, brown, laminated silty interbeds of the Passage Beds. Equivalent to parts of the Swift
Formation of the Sweetgrass Arch area.
References: Frebold, Mountjoy and Reed, 1959; McLearn, 1927; Stott, 1967.
RLH
Greenhorn Lime
(Second White Specified Shale, Colorado Group)
Author: Nydegger, G.L., et al., 1979.
Martin well in Sec. 18, Twp. 31N, Rge. 35E.
Lithology: Dark grey calcareous shales and mudstones, with intercalated shaly chalk and skeletal
calcarenite, as well as subordinate bentonite, accumulations of fish-skeletal debris, nodular
phosphorite and concretionary layers of calcite. The calcareous shale and mudstone are variably
fissile, but regularly laminated and incorporate white, light grey and light bluish grey flakes composed
of coccolithic debris up to several millimetres in diameter, and light grey chalk laminae. The skeletal
calcarenites form graded layers, ranging in thickness from a few millimetres to several centimetres,
and consist of disaggregated Inoceramus prisms and foraminiferal tests. Impure bentonitic mudstone
in layers several centimetres thick are abundant in the basal 2 m (7 ft). A horizontally laminated, pale
blue to light bluish grey bentonite layer, 0.7 m (2.3 ft) thick occurs at the base of the sequence.
Thickness and Distribution: The Greenhorn Lime is 6.5 m (21 ft) thick in southwestern Saskatchewan.
The average thickness in the Bowdoin dome area is 3 m (10 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Greenhorn Lime is overlain disconformably by noncalcareous,

unnamed upper Colorado shales and rests conformably upon the Phillips Sandstone; both contacts
are lithologically distinct. The Greenhorn is equivalent to the Second White Speckled Shale, and the
Cone Member of the Marias River Shale.
References: Nydegger et al., 1979, Simpson, 1979a, 1979c .
FS
Carboniferous to Permian
Greenoch Formation (Redundant)
Author: Brown, R.A.C., 1952.
Type Locality: Southwest flank of Mount Greenoch, immediately north of Snaring Point (Secs. 1A, 1B)
Jasper National Park, Alberta.
History: Brown (1952) divided the Greenoch into three informal members (lower, middle and upper).
McGugan and Rapson (1961a) examined the type section and considered the lower member of the
Greenoch Formation to be Carboniferous in age. The middle member was termed Rock unit 1, of
possible Permian age. The upper member was termed Rock unit 2, of possible Permian or Triassic
age. McGugan and Rapson (1963b) proposed new Permian formational nomenclature and elevated
the Ishbel Formation to Group status. The middle member of the Greenoch Formation (Rock unit 1,
McGugan and Rapson, 1961a) was seen to correspond with the Ranger Canyon Formation (Upper
Permian). The upper member of the Greenoch Formation (Rock unit 2, McGugan and Rapson, 1961a)
was named the Mowitch Formation (Upper Permian), which was overlain by Triassic strata. For
lithology, thickness and distribution, relationship to other units and paleontology see Ranger Canyon
and Mowitch formations of the Ishbel Group.
References: Brown, 1952; McGugan and Rapson, 1961a, 1963b.
AM, CMH
Grey Beds (Fernie Formation)
Author: Frebold, H., 1957.
Type Locality: Alexander Creek, southeastern British Columbia, approximately 8 km (5 mi) north of
Highway 3 from a point about 6 km (11 mi) west of Crowsnest Pass. This locality is now of difficult
access, another accessible exposure is on the north bank of Fording River about 20 km (12.5 mi)
north or Sparwood, southeastern British Columbia; grid reference 541296, NTS 82 G/15 Tornado
Mountain.
Lithology: Medium grew blocky to conchoidal fracturing, unbedded shales sometimes with greenish
tint, calcareous, silty. In other areas darker and laminated, with concretions near top.
Thickness and Distribution: At Alexander Creek, 68.6 m (225 ft); Fording River, 48 m (157 ft); Rock
Lake area of Jasper, 32 m (105 ft). Equivalent to the uppermost Sawtooth Formation and the Rierdon
Formation of the Sweetgrass Arch area; and to the Shaunavon Formation and parts of the Vanguard
Group in the subsurface of the plains region.
Relationship to Other Units: Lower boundary gradational to darker, more laminated and often rusty
weathering shales of the Highwood Member. Overlain conformably and with sharp lithological change
by glauconitic sands of the Green Beds, where this unit occurs, or lower parts of Passage Beds.
Equivalent to the Rierdon Formation and lower Vanguard Formation in the subsurface of the plains
region. In the Blairmore area of southern Alberta the Grey Beds are laterally replaced, in part by the
Corbula munda Beds and the Gryphaea Bed. Farther north in sections on Evans-Thomas, Ribbon and
Pigeon creeks in the Kananaskis area, and in the Cascade River valley the well bedded siltstones of
the Pigeon Creek Member are thought to be lateral equivalents of the Grey Beds.
References: Frebold, 1957, 1963.
RLH
Middle to Upper Triassic
Grey Beds (Obsolete)
Author: McLearn, F.H., 1940; emended by McLearn, F.H., 1946.
Type Locality: None designated
History: Originally named Grey Member by McLearn (1940) for the lower part of the Schooler Creek
Formation; revised to Grey Beds in 1946. Name provisionally used by Pelletier (1964) in the foothills
between Peace and Muskwa Rivers. The name has been replaced by the Halfway-Liard, Charlie
Lake-Ludington and Baldonnel formations.
Lithology: Massive, thick bedded sequence of grew calcareous, fine grained sandstones siltstone and
grey limestone, with lesser amounts of calcareous siltstone and shale.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is recognized in the foothills between Pine and Prophet rivers,
northeastern British Columbia. It also occurs in the Tetsa and Liard River valleys, although here the
upper part of the ‘Grey Beds’ and all of overlying ‘Pardonet beds’ are erosional truncated, and the
remainder, or lower ‘Grey Beds’ are included with the Liard Formation (McLearn, 1946). The ‘Grey
Beds’ attain a thickness of about 762 m (2500 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The ‘Grey Beds’ are conformably and gradationally overlain by dark, shaly,
calcareous siltstone and limestone of the ‘Pardonet Beds’ (now Formation), and conformably and
gradationally underlain by dark, shady calcareous siltstone and dark limestone of the ‘Dark Siltstones’
which are now assigned to part of the Liard Formation. They are replaced in the foothills by the Liard
(Halfway), Charlie Lake, Baldonnel and Ludington formations, and in the Peace River subsurface by
the Halfway, Charlie Lake and Baldonnel formations. The ‘Grey Beds’ are equivalent to the Whitehorse
and upper part of the Sulphur Mountain formations in west-central and southwestern Alberta.
References: McLearn, 1940, 1946; Pelletier, 1964.
DWG
Middle Proterozoic
Grinnell Formation (Purcell Belt Supergroup)
Author: Willis, B., 1902; p. 322-323.
Type Locality: Swiftcurrent River valley, Lewis Range, Glacier National Park, Montana (48°47’N,
113°41’N).
History: Daly (1912) extended the Grinnell Formation into Canada. Hage (1943) recognized it in the
Beaver Mines area of Alberta, and Price (1959) and Norris (1959) recognized it in the northern Clark
Range; Price, (1962, 1964) traced it around the periphery of the Clark Range and concluded that it is a
correlative of the upper part of the Creston Formation of the Purcell Mountains.
Lithology: Argillite, mainly bright red, but partly mottled and banded with light green; interbedded with
white, coarse grained quartz sandstone and red, fine grained sandstone. Mud-cracks, ripple marks
and shallow channels filled with sandstone are common.
Thickness and Distribution: The Grinnell Formation extends northward from Glacier National Park,
Montana, along both sides of the Clark Range in Alberta and British Columbia to near North Kootenay
Pass. It thins from about 500 m (1640 ft) in the southwestern Clark Range, near Sage and Kishinena
Creeks (Pricer 1962) to 335 m (1100 ft) in the southeastern Clark Range, near Waterton Lakes
(Douglas, 1952); 230 m (754 ft) in the northeastern Clark Range on Pincher Ridge (Hage, 1943); and
100 m (328 ft) in the northwestern Clark Range near North Kootenay Pass (Price, 1959).
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact of the Grinnell is conformable and is marked by a
gradual transition into green argillite and interbedded quartz sandstones of the Appekunny Formation;
it may be markedly diachronic. The upper contact, with green, grey and black argillites, and green and
grey dolomites and dolomitic quartz sandstones of the lower member of the Siyeh Formation is also
conformable and gradational, but is rather more abrupt. The Grinnell is equivalent to the upper Creston
Formation of the Purcell Mountains and the Hughes and Lizard ranges, and to the Spokane Formation
of Glacier Park, Montana.
References: Daly, 1912; Douglas, 1952; Hage, 1943; Hume, 1933; Norris, 1959; Price, 1959, 1962,
1964, 1965; Willis, 1902.
RAP
Upper Cretaceous
Grit Bed (Blackstone Formation)
Author: Unknown.
Type Locality: Turner Valley oil field, Alberta.
Lithology: Coarse grained, sub-angular quartzitic sandstone with a distinct “grit-like” appearance.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is easily recognized in drill samples from the basal few feet of the
Blackstone Formation. In some areas it immediately overlies the Blairmore Formation; in others there
may be 12 m (40 ft.) of dark marine shale separating it from the Blairmore.
References: Goodman, 1935; Hume, 1938.

Grizzly Bear Member (Lea Park Formation)
Type Locality: Grizzly Bear Coulee, in Twp. 47, Rge. 5W4M, Alberta.
Lithology: Predominantly dark grey shale or mudstone with siltstone and few sandstone beds,
particularly in upper 10 m (33 ft) Round ironstone concretions are common, sometimes containing
fossils.
Thickness and Distribution: Only recognized where the underlying Ribstone Creek Member is
recognized. Extends from Twps. 1 to 46 along the Saskatchewan-Alberta border and from Rge. 8W4M
in eastern Alberta to Rge. 7W3M in west-central Saskatchewan (McLean, 1971, Fig. 16).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Ribstone Creek Member abruptly but conformably; grades
upward into an unnamed member of the Judith River Formation in east-central Alberta which was
formerly the lower Birch Lake Member (Nauss, 1945). Overlain gradationally by the Birch Lake
Member in west-central Saskatchewan (McLean, 1971, Fig. 23). To the east, beyond limit of Ribstone
Creek Member becomes part of undifferentiated Lea Park Formation.
Paleontology: Marine cephalopods and pelecypods common
References: McLean, 1971: Nauss, 1945; Shaw and Harding, 1949; Slipper, 1919.
JRM
Grosmont Formation (Woodbend Group)
Type Locality: Imperial Grosmont No. 1 well, in 13-17-67-23W4M, central Alberta, between 876 and
1045 m (2875 and 3430 ft).
Lithology: Fossiliferous limestones and dolomites of medium to light grey and brown color are
dominant in the lower portions and along the western and southern margins of the upper portions. To
the east, toward the erosional subcrop non-fossiliferous, well laminated, coarse to cryptocrystalline
dolomites predominate, with minor amounts of argillaceous dolomite, limestone, siltstone and shale.
Anhydrite and anhydritic dolomite occur in the upper Grosmont as the Hondo Member behind the
western and southern margins. Near the eastern subcrop edge these evaporitic sediments are absent
and the dolomite is often brecciated. Northward, toward the Peace River, the formation becomes
increasingly calcareous, and is dominantly a limestone even farther north.
Thickness and Distribution: Covers some 100000 km2 (39062 mi2) of central and northern Alberta from
Twp. 61 to the Alberta-Northwest Territories border. Principally occurs in subsurface, although a single
outcropping is known along the Peace River at Vermilion Chutes, at 58°22’N, 114°55’W. The western
and southern limits are defined by a facies change from carbonate to shale of the Ireton Formation. To
the north and east the Grosmont Formation is absent due to pre-Cretaceous erosion. Thickness varies
from about 100 to 230 m (328 to 655 ft) generally thickening near the southern and western
depositional limits.
Relationship to Other Units: The Grosmont overlies the Duvernay and Ireton formations; it is laterally
equivalent to the Ireton Formation to the south and west, is overlain either by a thin Ireton Formation or
directly by the Nisku Formation, and encases and/or overlies Leduc reefs that extend north-
northeastward from the Rimbey-Meadowbrook trend. The Mikkwa Formation in northern Alberta is
equivalent to lower portions of the Grosmont Formation in Central Alberta. At least the lower portions
of the Train Falls Formation (Alexandra Member), and part of the Hay River Formation of the Hay River
area, District of MacKenzie are equivalent to the Grosmont Formation of Alberta. The Hondo occurs
within the upper portions of the Grosmont, and because of the diachronous nature of its lower contact
the authors propose to reduce it in rank to a member of the Grosmont. The Grosmont Formation is
overlain by Lower Cretaceous clastics at the subcrop edge at its northeastern limit.
References: Belyea, 1952, 1956; Cutler, 1983; Norris, 1963; Stoakes, 1980; Williams, 1977.
WGC, LSE ; PAM

Grotto Member (Southesk Formation)
Author: Belyea, H.R. and McLaren, D.J., 1957a. Section first described in Belyea and McLaren, 1956.
Type Locality: White Man Gap, at the southeast end of Mount Rundle 6.5 km (4.0 mi) west of Canmore,
Alberta on the Spray Lakes reservoir road. Section measured on the north side of the pass. (51°04’N,
115°25’W, between 1708 and 1720 m (5606 and 5643 ft).
History: Named after Grotto Mountain, east of Canmore in the Fairholme Range. Belyea and McLaren
(1975a) formally named three members of the Southesk Formation described in a surface section in
1956. The Grotto Member replaces the informal “Coral bed member” previously used by these authors.
Belyea and McLaren (1957a) also extended the Grotto Member into the southern Alberta subsurface,
where it is equivalent to the Camrose “Tongue”.
Lithology: The member generally consists of recessive weathering, thin to thick bedded, dark brown to
grey dolomites, variably argillaceous, and often having a fetid odor. The Grotto Member may be
sparsely to abundantly fossiliferous and contains a distinctive suite of fossils including disphyllid,
thamnoporid and alveolitid corals, and Amphipora. At the Ancient Wall buildup the Grotto Member
contains fewer fossils and a larger elastic component (thin silty zones). There the Grotto consists of red
and green dolomites and light grey limestones.
Thickness and Distribution: The Grotto Member varies from 6 to 67 m (20 to 220 ft) in thickness, with
49 m (160 ft) recorded at the type section. At the Ancient Wall and Miette buildups the Grotto is less
than 22 m (72 ft) thick. It is 25 to 43 m (82 to 141 ft) thick in the Band area, the thickest development
being at Cripple Creek in the Fairholme buildup, where 67 m (220 ft) were measured. In the subsurface
the Grotto is between 11 and 43 m (36 and 141 ft) thick. The member is recognized in the carbonate
buildups of the Fairholme Group in the Rocky Mountains from the Ancient Wall to the Flathead area of
southeastern British Columbia, in the subsurface southern Alberta carbonate shelf south of Twp. 30
and also east of a line between Drumheller and Vermilion.
Relationship to Other Units: The Grotto Member paraconformably (and possibly unconformably)
overlies the Peechee Member of the Southesk Formation and is overlain by the Arcs Member of the
Southesk Formation of the carbonate buildups of the Fairholme Group. Rarely it is overlain instead by
the Ronde Member (Southesk-Cairn buildup; Mackenzie, 1969). In some buildups (e.g., Fairholme-
Southesk-Cairn) the Grotto is best developed at the margin and tends to thicken toward the basin and
thin into the buildup, being compensated for by lateral change to the Arcs Member into the buildups. In
other buildups (e.g.. Ancient Wall /Miette), the Grotto Member is more uniform and occurs as a thin
horizon right across the buildups. These two different apparent relationships may in part reflect the
approaches used by different authors in mapping at buildup margins. Further basinward, in almost all
cases the Grotto Member undergoes a rapid facies change into shale of the upper Mount Hawk
Formation, and mapping of this facies change is critical in determining the lateral relationships of the
Grotto Member. More stratigraphic study of the Grotto Member is required before its relationships to the
basin formations can be well established.
The Grotto-Peechee boundary marks the end of buildup growth and the start of a new sedimentary
cycle. This is a very important break, which is obscured by grouping the various depositional units
(members) into a single formation, the Southesk (Mountjoy and Mackenzie, 1973; Coppold, 1976;
Harrison and Jackson, 1978, Mountjoy, 1980). In the subsurface of southern Alberta the Grotto
Member is often referred to as the Nisku Formation and/or the Camrose Tongue of the Ireton Formation
and is probably the approximate equivalent of these units in central Alberta, although the exact
relationship is not well established. The Grotto is probably equivalent to part of the Birdbear Formation
of Saskatchewan and part of the Jefferson Formation of Montana.
References: Belyea, 1958; Belyea and McLaren, 1956, 1957a; Coppold, 1976; Dooge, 1966;
Hargreaves, 1959; Harrison and Jackson, 1978; Mackenzie, 1969; Mountjoy, 1965, 1980; Mountjoy
and Jull, 1979; Mountjoy and Mackenzie 1973; Price, 1964.
MPC; EWM
Upper Triassic
Groundbirch Member (Charlie Lake Formation, Schooler Creek Group)
Author: McAdam, K.A .,1990.
Type Locality: CHEL Groundbirch 7-2-78-19W6M, in northeastern British Columbia, between 2431.5
and 2435 m (7975 and 7987 ft).
History: This entry is the first published record of the Groundbirch Member.
Lithology: The Groundbirch Member comprises dark grey-brown, micro to very fine crystalline
dolostone with thin, silty, dolomitic and anhydritic mudstone in its uppermost and thinly bedded
anhydrite in its lowermost intervals.
Thickness and Distribution: The Groundbirch Member is 3.5 m (12 ft) in thickness and probably has
restricted local distribution.
Relationship to Other Units: At the type locality the Groundbirch is encountered 8.5 m (28 ft) below the
Blueberry Member and 4.5 m (15 ft) above the Inga Member. The uppermost part of the Groundbirch
Member appears to be equivalent to the lowermost part of the Farrell Member; the latter displays local
definition in the Kobes/Inga area.
KAM
Grumbler Group (Formation)
Author: Crickmay, C.H., 1953, 1957; raised to group status by Belyea, H.R. and McLaren, D.J., 1962.
Type Locality: Described by Crickmay (1953) as a series of outcrops on the upper course of Hay River,
District of Mackenzie, from 56.3 km (35 mi) to 98.2 km (61 mi); in 1957 amended at the type locality to
include the section from 103.8 km by road (64.5 mi) to 57.1 km (35.5 mi) by road, ending at a point 1.6
km (1 mi) above Alexandra Falls. As the type section is incomplete Crickmay described a
supplementary section on Trout River, from 4.8 km (3 mi) above the Third Falls to 12.5 km (8 mi) below
them.
History: Later mapping by the Geological Survey of Canada showed that “the lowest outcrop on Trout
River lies some 106.7 m (350 ft) stratigraphically higher than the highest outcrop on Hay River” Hence
the Grumbler Formation was given group status by Belyea and McLaren (1962) to include “all strata of
early Upper Devonian (Frasnian) age lying above the Hay River Formation”. The group includes, in
ascending order, the Twin Falls, Tathlina, Redknife and Kakisa formations. (Crickmay’s Alexandra
Formation is a local facies at the base of the Twin Falls Formation).
Lithology: Trout River section: grey shales and siltstones, with a few limestone beds in lower 75 m (264
ft); overlain by grew silty limestones, argillaceous limestones and calcareous siltstones which are
overlain by grew reefal limestone that forms the Third Falls; the reefal limestone is overlain by a
sequence of interbedded silty limestones, siltstones, siltstones and sandstones with corals, silty
limestones and calcareous silt stones pale grew argillaceous, silty limestones, in part fragmental;
breccia at the top. The Grumbler contains a well developed coral-brachiopod fauna.
Thickness and Distribution: Southern District of Mackenzie, northeastern British Columbia and
northwestern Alberta, west of 117°W and north of 57°N. It is truncated to the northeast by pre-
Cretaceous erosion and passes westward at approximately 122°W into shales of the Besa River and
Fort Simpson formations in northeastern British Columbia and the adjacent District of Mackenzie
respectively. It ranges in thickness from approximately 91 m (300 ft) to 122 m (400 ft) in northern
Alberta and southern District of Mackenzie, but increases in thickness westward to approximately 91
m (500 ft) west of 120°W and to 183 m (600 ft), before passing completely into the shale section.
Relationship to Other Units: The Grumbler Group conformably overlies the Hay River Formation is
overlain by the Trout River Formation. The upper part, including the Redknife and Kakisa formations
equates to the Winterburn Group of central Alberta, the Grotto, Arcs and Ronde members of the
Southesk formation of the Alberta Rocky Mountains, and the upper part of the Duperow and Birdbear
formations of Saskatchewan, southwestern Manitoba and northern Montana. The Tathlina, Twin Falls,
Alexandra and Escarpment members correlate with the Grosmont Formation, the upper part of the
Woodbend Group of central Alberta, the Peechee Member of the Southesk Formation of the Alberta
Rocky Mountains and the upper part of the Duperow Formation of Saskatchewan.
References: Belyea, 1964, 1968; Belyea and McLaren, 1962; Crickmay, 1953, 1957.
HRB; DWM
Quaternary
Grunthal Formation (Informal name)
Author: Fenton, M.M., 1974, p. 84.
Lithology: Interbedded sand, silt and clay, ranging from 1 to 63% sand, 31-33% silt, 6 to 66% clay;
generally dark grey.
Thickness and Distribution: Generally to 5 to 7 m (16 to 23 ft) thick; recognized in a few boreholes in
southeastern Manitoba.
Relationship to Other Units: Unit consists of the stratified sediment lying above the Roseau Formation
and below the Marchand Formation; contacts range from interbedded to sharp. Considered to be
Classical Wisconsin in age.
Reference: Fenton, 1 9 74 .
AMacSS
Gryphaea Bed (Fernie Formation)
Type Locality: None designated. Best exposed in several roadcuts on the south slope of Grassy
Mountain, approximately 7 km (4.4 mi) north of Blairmore, southwestern Alberta; grid reference
861051, NTS 82 G/9, Blairmore.
Lithology: Coquina, consisting largely of valves of Gryphaea impressimarginata, but containing many
other bivalves, some ammonites and belemnites; matrix is a fine calcareous siltstone, pale grey to tan
in color.
Thickness and Distribution: A 1.2 m (4 ft) thick bed with sharp upper and lower surfaces. Known only
from the Blairmore area (Grassy Mountain, Carbondale River, Hastings Ridge, Daisy Creek and Rock
Creek).
Relationship to Other Units: Represents the uppermost fossiliferous horizon of the Corbula munda
Beds and is conformably overlain by grey shales of the Ribbon Creek Member. Laterally equivalent to
parts of the Grey Beds and, on the Sweetgrass Arch and in the subsurface of the plains region part of
the Rierdon formation and lower Vanguard Group, respectively.
References: Frebold, 1957, 1963; Hall, 1988.
RLH
Guernsey Formation (Interlake Group)
Author: Jamieson, E.R., 1979; Magathan, E.R., 1987.
Type Locality: Imperial Guernsey 13-34-33-23W2M well, Saskatchewan, between 1268 and 1275.3 m
(4160 and 4184 ft).
History: An informal marker-defined unit within Silurian strata in the subsurface of Saskatchewan.
Proposed as a formation by Magathan (1987).
Lithology: Yellowish grey, microcrystalline to cryptocrystalline dolomite, commonly laminated. Upper

and lower beds are composed of argillaceous dolomite with interlaminations of sandstone or
arenaceous dolomite and dolomitic shale (u2 and v marker beds of Porter and Fuller, 1959). In the
central portion of the Williston Basin in North Dakota equivalent strata are composed of interbedded
dolomite, argillaceous dolomite and anhydrite.
Thickness and Distribution: In Saskatchewan maximum thickness is 11 m (36 ft). The unit and its
stratigraphic equivalents extend throughout the Williston basin to their subcrop (or outcrop) edges.
Relationship to Other Units: The Guernsey overlies the Fife Lake Formation and is overlain by the
Cedar Lake Formation. The marker beds at the top and base of the unit are thought to indicate
disconformities. This unit is equivalent to the upper member of the Brandon Formation plus the u2
marker bed in the subsurface of Manitoba and to the lower portion of the East Arm Formation (Stearn,
1956) in the Manitoba outcrop belt.
References: Haidl, 1937, 1988; Jamieson, I 979; Johnson and Lescinsky 1986; King, LoBue, 1982;
Magathan, 1967; Porter and Fuller, 1959; Stearn, 1956.
FMH
Gunn Member
(Stony Mountain Formation, Bighorn Group)
Author: Sinclair, G.W. and Leith, E.I., 1958.
Type Locality: Quarry at Stony Mountain, Manitoba (14-13-2EPM). Suggested reference core hole is
Manitoba Core Hole M-3-74, Headingly/North (1-21-11-lEPM), between 33.0 and 54.9 m (108 and 180
ft).
History: Okulitch (1943) named this member the Stony Mountain Shale Member, but Sinclair and Leith
re-named it the Gunn Member to conform to the Stratigraphic Code.
Lithology: Consists of reddish to greenish and purplish grey, burrow mottled, fossiliferous, calcareous
shale with thin, highly fossiliferous limestone interbeds.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality only about the upper 5 m (16 ft) of the unit are exposed,
but the total thickness is 22 m (72 ft) at the nearby reference core hole. The Gunn pinches out a short
distance north of the type area due to a facies change to the argillaceous dolomites of the Penitentiary
Member.
Relationship to Other Units: The Gunn and Penitentiary members, which together form the lower Stony
Mountain Formation, are facies equivalents. The Gunn represents a deeper water facies. The two
members cannot be differentiated in the subsurface. Kendall (1976) retained the name Gunn Member
in the subsurface of Saskatchewan, but included Penitentiary-type lithologies within it. He also
proposed the term Hartaven Member for a more calcareous unit underlying typical Gunn lithology. In
the Manitoba outcrop belt the Gunn overlies the limestones and dolomites of the upper Red River
Formation (Fort Carry Member) sharply, and possibly with slight disconformity.
References: Kendall, 1976; Kent, 1960; McCabe, 1971; Okulitch, 1943; Sinclair and Leith, 1958.
HRM, FMH
Gunton Member (Stony Mountain Formation)
Type Locality: City of Winnipeg Quarry, at Stony Mountain, Manitoba (14-13-2EPM). Suggested
reference outcrop core hole is Manitoba Core Hole M-1-69, Stonewall, (13-30-13-2EPM), between 9.1
and 20.2 m (30 and 66 ft). Subsurface reference hole is B.A. Morriseau (8-20-9-6WPM); the revised
interval (see discussion below) is 286.5 to 298.7 m (940 to 980 ft) (Porter and Fuller, 1959).
History: Okulitch (1943) originally defined the Birse Member as overlying the Gunton Member, but
Baillie (1952) indicated that the Birse beds were part of the Gunton Member and abandoned usage of
the term Birse. Baillie (1951) initially placed a thin sequence of argillaceous sandy dolomitic marker
beds overlying the typical Gunton dolomites in the overlying Stonewall Formation, but subsequently
he included the marker beds in the Gunton on the basis that the top of the marker beds marked the
most significant lithologic change (Baillie, 1952). Smith (1963,1964) proposed the name Williams
Member for these marker beds
Lithology: Consists of very pale orange to yellowish brawn, faintly mottled, finely crystalline, dense,
medium to thin bedded, slightly nodular dolomite, sparsely fossiliferous showing slight vuggy porosity
and containing scattered chert nodules. Several (Penitentiary-type lithology) occur near the base of
the unit. In the subsurface of Saskatchewan Kendall (1976) defined a thin anhydrite bed, the Gunton
Anhydrite, marking the top of the member. This anhydrite bed appears to lie stratigraphically within the
marker bed sequence of the type outcrop area.
Thickness and Distribution: Gunton strata maintain a relatively uniform thickness throughout the
outcrop belt, ranging from 11 m (36 ft) in the type area in the south, to about 13 m (43 ft) at the northern
limit of occurrence. This slight apparent northward thickening may be at the expense of the underlying
Penitentiary (lower Stony Mountain) beds, because the overall Stony Mountain Formation shows a
moderate degree of thinning to the north. In the sub-surface Gunton strata occur uniformly throughout
the Williston Basin area, although towards the north and west the unit is not distinguishable from the
underlying lower Stony Mountain strata because of the decrease in argillaceous content of the latter
(Kendall, 1976).
Relationship to Other Units: The Gunton Member conformably and transitionally overlies argillaceous
strata of the Penitentiary or Gunn Member (the two are lateral facies equivalents) . It is overlain sharply,
and possibly with slight disconformity by the thin sandy, argillaceous marker bed comprising the basal
unit of the Stonewall Formation (Kendall, 1976). Some controversy exists as to the precise placement
of the Gunton/Stonewall contact. It has been placed by various workers either at the base of the sandy
argillaceous marker beds (Baillie, 1951), at the top of the marker beds (Baillie, 1952, Porter and Fuller,
1959), or within the marker bed sequence (Kendall, 1976). Kendall’s placement at the top of the
Gunton Anhydrite, apparently within the marker bed sequence of the type outcrop area probably is the
most appropriate choice.
References: Baillie, 1951, 1952: Kendall, 1976; Okulitch, 1943, Porter and Fuller, 1959; Smith, 1963,
1964.
HRM
Middle Jurassic
Gypsum Spring Formation
Author: Love, J.D., 1939.
Type Locality: Freemont County, Wyoming, near Gypsum Spring and Red Creek.
Lithology: Lower part comprises 15.2 to 38 m (50 to 125 ft) of massive white gypsum overlying a bed of
red sandy shale. The upper part is composed of beds of gypsum alternating with red shale, dolomite
and fossiliferous limestone. The formation is about 76 m (250 ft) thick in central Wyoming.
Relationship to Other Units: Traced into Saskatchewan from the Black Hills, it is correlatable with the
upper member of the Watrous Formation and the lower member of the Gravelbourg Formation
(Francis, 1956). The name is not in general usage in Canada.
References: Francis, 1956; Imlay, Gardiner, Rodgers, and Hadley, 1948; Love, 1939.
JEC
Proterozoic
Haig Brook Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Author: Fermor, P.R. and Price, R.A., 1983.
Type Locality: Approximately 1.5 km (0.9 mi) southwest of Tombstone Mountain, on the cliffs that form
the northwest boundary of Haig Brook Valley, about 50 km (31 mi) southeast of Fernie, British
Columbia N.T.S. Fernie 82-G-1.
Lithology: Consists of a series of distinct lithological units, listed here in ascending stratigraphic order:
dark grew resistant, fine crystalline dolomite; intermixed light grey dolomite and limestone (ribbon
rock) with bulbous (stromatolitic?) structures; dark grey argillite; medium grey dolomite and
argillaceous dolomite; and dark grey intermixed limestone and dolomite (ribbon rock).
Thickness and Distribution: Estimated to be 145 m (476 ft) thick at the (faulted) type section, but is 118
m (387 ft) thick in the subsurface in an apparently unfaulted section at Shell Flathead No. 2 well,
located approximately 8 km (5 mi) southeast of the type section at Commerce Creek in both locations
the base of the formation is the Lewis thrust, and the change in thickness may be due to a change in
the stratigraphic position of the Lewis thrust. Exposures are restricted to the northern Clark Range,
British Columbia and Alberta, and the formation extends from St. Eloi Brook southeastward as far as
the Shell Flathead No. 2, b-35-L well at Commerce Creek and may be present at Sage Creek in the
Pacific-Atlantic-Flathead No. 1, d-34-E well.
Relationship to Other Units: The Haig Brook Formation is overlain with gradational contact by
argillaceous limestone of the Tombstone Mountain Formation. In the northern Clark Range the base of
the Haig Brook Formation is the tectonic contact formed by the Lewis Thrust. In the southwestern Clark
Range, in the Pacific Atlantic Flathead No. 1 d-34-E well the Haig Brook Formation may be underlain
by dark grey argillite, but the identification of the formation in the well is not certain. The Haig Brook
Formation may be equivalent to a portion of the upper part of the Aldridge Formation and equivalent
Pritchard Formation of southeastern British Columbia and northern Montana, respectively.
Reference: Fermor and Price, 1983.
PRF; RAP
Mid-Upper Triassic (Early Ladinian-Carnian)
Halfway Formation
Author: Hunt, A.D. and Radcliffe, J.D., 1959.
Type Locality: Peace River area, northwestern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia, (Halfway)
Southern Production B-14-1 well, in l-12-84-23W6M. British Columbia, between 1524 and 1569 m
(5000 and 5148 ft).
Lithology: Grey to light grey fine to medium grained, massive quartz sandstones, in part dolomitic and
calcareous, with minor amounts of chert, grey to buff, finely crystalline dolomite and dolomitic
siltstones. Locally thin shelled pelecypod coquinas occur. Traces of collophane are found throughout.
Sedimentary structures include cross-bedded, coarsening upward sandstones, leached vugs in the
more carbonate lithologies and bioturbation in the shalier sections.
Thickness and Distribution: The Halfway Formation occurs as a wedge-shaped deposit, thinning
eastwardly from 416 m (1356 ft) in the Peace and Pine River areas, southern Deep Basin to zero at
the erosional subcrop edge in the subsurface of the Peace River area. Laterally it extends east-west
for about 240 km (150 mi).
Relationship to Other Units: The Halfway disconformably overlies the Doig formation, where the
contact is marked by a thin bed of dolomite, quartz and chert ‘granule’ conglomerate. The formation is
conformably overlain by Charlie Lake silts, dolomites and anhydrites. In the west that contact is
gradational into anhydritic dolomitic silts and sandstones, while in the east the contact is more abrupt,
passing into silty anhydrites and dolomites. Lateral equivalents include the Liard Formation of the
northern foothills, the Llama Member of the Sulphur Mountain Formation of the southern Rocky
Mountains and foothills and the lowermost beds of McLearn and Kindle’s “Grey Beds”. At it’s erosional
subcrop limit to the east the Halfway may be overlain by Jurassic or Cretaceous beds.
Paleontology: Fish, pelecypod fragments and crinoids comprise the faunal assemblage.
References: Armitage, 1962; A.S.P.G., 1964; Hunt and Ratcliffe, 1959; McLearn and Kindle, 1950;
Miall, 1976; Mothersill, 1968; Pelletier, 1961, 1963; Torrie, 1973.
CD
?Precambrian to Cambrian
Hamill Series
Author: Walker, J.F. and Bancroft, M.F., 1929
Type Locality: No type locality was designated by the authors. The sequence derives its name from
Hamill Creek, “south of which it is found with the underlying Horsethief formation of the Windermere
series.” (Walker and Bancroft, ibid, p. 9). Also reported to border the northeast side of the Lardeau
map-area from Hamill Creek to Incomappleux River.
Lithology: Variety of lithologies, from quartzites, mica shists, micas, phyllites and limestones. The
quartzites range in color from white to grey and pink and generally form the basal portion of the series.
Thickness and Distribution: No thickness were reported by the above authors, but several hundreds of
meters may be inferred from the distribution reported. Rocks of the Hamill Series are widely
distributed throughout the Lardeau map-area.
Relationship to Other Units: In the Lardeau area overlies the Horsethief Formation, also of Windermere
age. The top of the Hamill Series is defined as the contact with the base of a prominent and persistent
limestone unite (the “Lime dyke”). This limestone unit was designated as the Badshot formation by the
authors. On Mount Abbot ridge strata of the Hamill Series appear to be overlain by beds of the Milford
Group (Carboniferous/Triassic) (Walker and Bancroft, ibid, p. 13).
Paleontology: No fauna reported.
References: Brown and Lane, 1988; Fox, 1969; Fyles, 1964; Fyles and Eastwood, 1962; Price and
Fermor, 1985; Wheeler, 1963.
RGG
Cretaceous (Albian)
Hamilton Lake Sand
Author: Lee, C.L. and Morris, R., 1960
Type Locality: Provost field, typical well 12-17-36-12W4M between 955.5 and 957.4 m (3135 and 3141
ft).
Lithology: Mainly fine grained sands composed of quartz, chert and lithic fragments. The sand
coarsens upwards from fine to coarse grained and is low angle cross-stratified.
Thickness and Distribution: Ranges to 3.5 m (12 ft) in thickness. The Hamilton sand is the lowermost
sand within the Viking Formation in the Provost Area (Twps. 33 to 36, Rges. 7 to 12W4M). The sand is
the producing reservoir within the Provost Viking C oil pool. The Hamilton sand, a local oil field term,
is part of a sand body which is 18 km (11.3 mi) wide and some 30 km (19 mi) long, trending northwest-
southeast.
Relationship to Other Units: See Viking Formation.
References: Lee and Morris, 1960; Lerand and Thompson, 1976.
GB
Miocene to Pliocene
Hand Hills Formation
Author: Stalker, A.MacS., 1973, p. 11
Type Locality: None given in any of the references. Lectostratotype locality: Here suggested as a
gravel pit in NE/4 Sec 16, Twp. 30, Rge. 17W4M, which was the thickest exposure seen and described
by Craig (Stalker, 1973, p. 16) and which has been the chief source of vertebrate fossils (Storer,
undated).
History: Tyrell (1887, p. 76E) first described this unit but did not name it. Allan and Sanderson (1945, p.
100) merely referred to it as “Oligocene (?) Formation”; later Craig (1956, p. 31), in a detailed
description used the term “late Tertiary formation”; Russell (1957, p. 18; 1958) used the informal term
Hand Hills conglomerate, whereas Harington (1978, p. 43) capitalized “Conglomerate” ( see also
Storer, 1972). Stalker (1973, p. 11) used the formal name Hand Hills Formation, as did Storer (undated,
p. 2). Due to the mixture of materials contained in this unit, this latter name is probably the most
satisfactory term.
Lithology: Gravel, generally coarse and locally cemented into conglomerate, and sand. The gravel is
chiefly quartzites and hard sandstones, with minor cherts, arkoses and pieces of local sandstone and
coal. Igneous and metamorphic stones form the Precambrian Shield are lacking. A few scattered
bones are present. Generally massive, and in many places the unit has been deformed, probably by
permafrost, possibly by glacial drag, with many stones standing on end.
Thickness and Distribution: The lectostratotype locality showed 6 m (20 ft) of the upper part of the
deposit, and Craig (1956, pp. 31, 32) estimated that the unit there might be 20 m (66 ft) thick.
Elsewhere the unit is probably about 2 to 10 m (7 to 33 ft) thick. Large thicknesses of sand, silt, shale,
and marl, formerly assigned to this unit, evidently belong in the underlying Paskapoo Formation
(Craig, 1956, pp. 31, 32). Found on top of Hand Hills, northeast of Drumheller, in Sec. 32, Twp. 29,
Rge. 17W4M, and in Secs, 12, 15, 16, Twp. 30, Rge, 17W4M, Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Paskapoo Formation; exposed to surface or else overlain by
till and Pleistocene gravel and sand. Storer (undated, p. 4) included the overlying till and glacial
gravel containing Shield stones within the formation.
The vertebrate fauna indicates a late Barstovian (latest Miocene) age, although an earliest Pliocene
age cannot be ruled out (Storer, undated, p. 20), which agrees with the estimate of Warren (1939, p.
348) based on the altitude of the hills.
References: Allan and Sanderson, 1945; Craig, 1956; Harington, 1978; Russell, 1957, 1958; Storer,
1972; Tyrell, 1887; Warren, 1939.
AMacSS
Lower Permian (Asselian and Sakmarian)
Hanington Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Bamber, E.W. and Macqueen, R.W., 1979.
Type Locality: At elevation of 2316 m (7600 ft) on east end of high ridge west of Mount Hanington, 2.15
km (1.3 mi) north of Jarvis Lakes: 54°06’50”N, 120°12’22”W’; NTS 93I/1; eastern Rocky Mountains,
east-central British Columbia (Bamber and Macqueen, 1979)
History: The Hanington Formation is coeval with, and lithologically and stratigraphically equivalent to
the Lower Permian Belcourt Formation of McGugan and Rapson (1963). It was differentiated from the
Belcourt because the unit contained foraminifers erroneously interpreted to be of Late Carboniferous
(Moscovian) age (Ross and Bamber, 1978), and was thought to be separated from overlying Permian
carbonates of the Belcourt by a regional unconformity (Bamber and Macqueen, 1979). Foraminifers
from the Hanington were re-examined during 1989 and determined to be of Early Permian (Asselian
and Sakmarian) age rather than Moscovian as previously thought. An Early Permian age was
confirmed from several conodont collections. Because Permian carbonates of the Hanington cannot
be distinguished from those of the Belcourt Richards (1989) and Richards et al. (in press) assigned
the unit to the Belcourt Formation. Henderson (1989) also included the unit in the Belcourt, but
retained “Hanington” as an informal name. The name Hanington Formation should be abandoned.
Lithology: The type section comprises massive, medium grey dolomitic, skeletal lime wackestone and
packstone containing the ?hydrozoan Palaeoaplysina with abundant foraminifers and pelletoids. Thin,
irregular chert masses and nodules are locally present in the medium to thick bedded section. Skeletal
lime wackestone and packstone containing chert pebbles and granules occur in the basal bed of the
stratotype and within a karst fissure higher in the section (Macqueen and Bamber, 1977; Bamber and
Macqueen, 1979). Other deposits assigned to the Hanington lie west of Sukunka River. There the unit
is dominantly rhythmically bedded, medium to dark grey medium bedded skeletal lime wackestone
and fine to very fine crystalline dolostone. Skeletal lime packstone and grainstone are preserved low
in the unit at this second locality and several beds of chert and carbonate granule to boulder
conglomerate are present.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation, considered to be preserved as erosional remnants is

known from two areas, the type section, where it is 5 m (16 ft) thick, and the Rocky Mountains west of
the Sukunka River (NTS 93P/4) in east-central British Columbia. At the latter locality 67 m (220 ft) of
strata were included (Bamber and Macqueen, 1979).
Relationship to Other Units: At its type section the Hanington unconformably overlies middle Visean
carbonates of the Rundle Group and is unconformably overlain by the Permian Belcourt Formation.
West of Sukunka River the unit unconformably overlies the Besa River Formation and underlies strata
assigned to the Belcourt (Bamber and Macqueen, 1979).
References: Bamber and Macqueen, 1979; Henderson, 1989; Macqueen and Bamber, 1977;
McGugan and Rapson, 1963; Richards, 1989; Richards et al., in press; Ross and Bamber, 1976.
BCR, EWB, CMH

Lower Silurian (Wenlockian?)
Hanson Beds (Interlake Group)
Author: Saskatchewan Geological Society, Lower Paleozoic Names and Correlations Committee,
1958.
Type Locality: Amerada No. 3C Hanson, in SWNW Sec. 18, Twp. 158N, Rge. 94W, North Dakota,
between 3605.3 and 3707.9 m (11825 and 12165 ft)
History: A marker-defined unit proposed to replace “Middle Interlake” of Porter and Fuller (1958). Also
equivalent to Cedar Lake Formation as defined by King (1964a, b).
Lithology: See Cedar Lake.
References: King, 1964a, b; Porter and Fuller, 1958, 1959; Saskatchewan Geological Society, 1958.
FMH
Upper Cretaceous
Hanson Member (Wapiabi Formation, Alberta Group)
Type Locality: Within the type section of the Wapiabi Formation on Thistle Creek, Alberta Foothills, in
Sec. 17, Twp. 44, Rge. 20W5M.
Lithology: Dark grey blocky to rubble mudstone with some argillaceous siltstone and thin beds of fine
grained sandstone. Sideritic concretions occur throughout.
Thickness and Distribution: Traced southward along the foothills from Smoky River to Highwood River.
The member ranges in thickness from 70.7 m (232 ft) in the type area to 41.1 m (135 ft) in the eastern
foothills.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact with the Thistle Member is conformable. The upper
beds are gradational into the overlying sandstone of the Chungo Member. The member is recognized
within the Puskwaskau Formation in northeastern British Columbia and extends eastward to the type
locality of the Smoky Group on lower Smoky River in Alberta (Stott, 1967). The unit passes into the
Lea Park Formation to the east and into the Labiche shales to the northeast.
Paleontology: The ammonite Desmoscaphites and Baculites and species of the pelecypod
Inoceramus indicate a Late Santonian age. An agglutinated foraminiferal fauna, with Trochammina
ribstonensis being the most distinctive component also occurs (Wall and Germundson, 1963).
References: Stott, 1963,1967; Wall and Germundson, 1963.
DFS
Hare Indian Formation
Author: Kindle, E.D. and Bosworth, T.D., 1921 (Hare Indian River Shale); Bassett, H.G., 1961.
Type Locality: Ramparts Gorge, Mackenzie River, near Fort Good Hope, District of Franklin.
Lithology: Greenish grey shale, variably calcareous, silty or sandy; thin beds of limestone, silty
limestone or siltstone. Basal member is dark grey or brown, often bituminous, spore-rich shale.
Thickness and Distribution: An axis of maximum thickness (about 250 m; 765 ft) extends between
64°N and the Arctic coast along 129° to 130°W. The unit thins to the west, the zero-line lying
approximately along 132°W (Gilbert, 1973). Another thick lobe (to 335 m; 1020 ft) occurs along 124°W
between 63° and 64°N.
Relationship to Other Units: In the type area the Hare Indian overlies the Hume Formation and is
overlain by the Ramparts Formation. Over most of its area of distribution it is overlain by the Canol
Formation. The Hare Indian Formation is analogous lithologically and stratigraphically with the Evie
and Otter Park Members of the Horn River Formation (Gray and Kassube, 1963) and some authors
(e.g. Bassett and Stout, 1973) employ the term Hare Indian for these strata.
Paleontology. Brachiopods and tentaculitids (Ambocoelia meristoides Meek, Nudirostra castanea

(Meek), Schizophoria cf. alani Warren, Styliolina fissurella Hall, Tentaculites sp. (Bassett, 1961)).
References: Bassett, 1961; Bassett and Stout 1967; Gilbert, 1973; Kindle and Bosworth, 1921; Kunst,
1974; Law, 1971; Parsons, 1973; Tassonyi, 1969.
GKW, DWM
Harmon Member
(Peace River Formation, Fort St. John Group)
Type Locality: East bank of Peace River, 6 km (3.75 mi) below the bridge at Peace River, Alberta, in
Sec. 21, Twp. 84, Rge. 21W5M.
History: This shale was originally called the middle shale member of the Peace River Formation
(McLearn, 1918; Wickenden, 1951) . The Alberta Study Group (1954) equated it to the Joli Fou
Formation, but Joli Fou equivalents lie above the Cadotte horizon, not below (Oliver, 1960).
Lithology: The Harmon consists of dark grey, noncalcareous firm, thin bedded to fissile marine shale.
Commonly it contains grey bentonitic shale interbeds and occasional thin beds of sandstone and
siltstone.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness varies from 10 to 34 m (33 to 122 ft). Identification of the facies
or time equivalent of the member is dependent on the recognition of the Cadotte, but equivalent beds
in the Pine Pass area of British Columbia reach 135 m (443 ft) thickness. The Harmon can be
recognized over most of the Peace River area of British Columbia and Alberta south of Twp. 88.
Relationship to Other Units: The Harmon is transitionally and conformably overlain by the Cadotte
Member of the Peace River Formation and conformably underlain by the Notikewin Member of the
Spirit River Formation. It correlates with the Hulcross Member of the Commotion Formation of the Pine
Pass area of British Columbia and with the middle shale member (Wildhorn Member, Stott, 1981) of
the Scatter Formation of the Liard River area. The Harmon may be in part equivalent to part of the
Mountain Park Formation in the central Alberta Foothills. A correlative relationship to the Joli Fou
Formation of the Athabasca drainage has been suggested in the past, but microfaunal evidence
clearly indicates the Harmon to be much older than the Joli Fou (Caldwell et al. 1978).
Paleontology: The upper Harmon shale carries Gastroplites. The arenaceous microfauna of the
Harmon has been described by Wickenden (1951). The palynology (Singh, 1971) records the
introduction of the earliest reticulate monosulcate angiosperm pollen grains.
References: Alberta Study Group, 1954; Badgley, 1952; Caldwell et al., 1978; McLearn, 1918; Oliver.
1960: Singh, 1971; Stelck et al., 1956; Stott, 1981; Wickenden, 1951.
CRS
Harris Member (Souris River Formation, Manitoba Group)
Author: Lane, D.M., 1964, pi. 30.
Type Locality: Alwinsal Harris 13-11 well (13-11-32-23W2M), in Saskatchewan between 804.1 and
854.0 m (2688 and 2802 ft).
Lithology: Eight cycles of sedimentation, each of which contains an argillaceous carbonate, a

carbonate and an evaporite (anhydrite and/or halite). In most areas the carbonates are
cryptocrystalline, fossiliferous limestones which in each cycle grade upward into sucrosic dolomites.
The Harris Member contains two fines of halite, informally termed the lower Harris Halite and upper
Harris Halite (Lane, 1964).
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness varies from 24 m (79 ft) in Manitoba to 55 m (180 ft) in the Venn
area of Saskatchewan Variations in thickness are accounted for mainly by the development of
evaporites. The Harris Member is present throughout most of the Williston Basin .
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact is at the base of a widespread argillaceous bed which
disconformably overlies the Davidson Member. The upper contact is disconformable with an
argillaceous bed at the base the Hatfield member. Ostracodes indicate that the Harris Member is
correlative with the upper Christina and lower Moberly members of the Waterways Formation in
northeastern Alberta (Braun and Mathison, 1982). Equivalent strata elsewhere are: 1) in central
Alberta, part of the Beaverhill Lake Formation; 2) in Montana, the lower part of the Jefferson
Formation; 3) in Manitoba, the Sagemace Member.
References: Braun and Mathison, 1982; Lane, 1964; Uyeno, et al., 1980.
CED; KRM
Harrogate Formation
Author: Shephard, F.P., 1926.
Type Locality: Unnamed gully near Hatch Creek, Brisco Range, western ranges of the Rocky
Mountains, southeastern British Columbia (51°00’N, 116°23’W), designated by Belyea and Norford
(1967).
Lithology: Limestones, shaly limestones, nodular limestones and shales in the lower part of the
formation at the type section, dolomites in the upper part.
Thickness and Distribution: 89 m (292 ft) at the type section, without a stratigraphic top; 118 m (387 ft)
at Fairmont Ridge, Stanford Range, similarly without a top; minimum of 90 m (295 ft) at Sugar Loaf
Ridge, Hughes Range, base not exposed. Distribution throughout western ranges in cores of tightly
folded and faulted synclines that include Devonian rocks.
Relationship to Other Units: The Harrogate is part of an intricate facies-complex of Middle Devonian
formations. Its base is concordant with the Cedared Formation, but covered in all known outcrops. Its
upper contact is known only from Sugar Loaf Ridge and apparently is conformable with the lower part
of the Fairholme Group (Frasnian), but no Givetian rocks have been documented from the succession,
indicating that a stratigraphic gap could exist. To the west, in the Purcell Range part of the Mount
Forster Formation may be coeval with the Harrogate, or the Harrogate may have been cut out below
the sub-Starbird unconformity Regionally the Harrogate is equivalent to part of the upper Elk Point
Group of Alberta an Saskatchewan, and with parts of the Dunedin Formation of the northern Rocky
Mountains.
Paleontology: Corals, stromatoporoids, brachiopods, cephalopods, echinoderm fragments, trilobites

conodonts, gastropods, clams, and sponge spicules. Corals and brachiopods indicate an Eifelian age;
the conodonts could constrain this to late Eifelian (Tortodus kockelianus Zone) for the lower part of the
formation and the possibility exists for the Harrogate to include Givetian beds.
References: Belyea and Labrecque, 1972; Belyea and Norford, 1967; Chatterton, 1974; Douglas et al.,
in Douglas (Ed.). 1970; Evans, 1933; Henderson, 1954; Leech, 1958; Norford, 1981; North and
Henderson, 1954; Walker, 1926; Shephard, 1922, 1926.
BSN
Upper Ordovician
Hartaven Member (Stony Mountain Formation)
Type Locality: The Imperial Hartaven 2-11-10-9W2M well, in Saskatchewan, between 2277.2 and
2283.3 m (7471 and 7491 ft).
Lithology: Dark brown to bluish grey, bioclastic, fossiliferous, generally argillaceous to slightly
argillaceous wackestones and lime mudstones, commonly partially dolomitized
Thickness and Distribution: In Saskatchewan the maximum thickness of the Gunn occurs in the
southeastern corner of the province, and there the Hartaven is very reduced in thickness. The latter
thickens to the north and west at the expense of the Gunn Member. Maximum thickness of the
Hartaven is 11 to 12 m (36 to 39 ft) along the feather edge of the Gunn. The Hartaven is recognizable
in North Dakota but does not extend into Manitoba.
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformably overlies the Herald Formation and conformably overlain
by the Gunn Member. The Hartaven is equivalent to the carbonate facies of the Stoughton Member.
References: Kendall, 1976; Kent 1960.
FMH
Lower to Middle Triassic
Hart Pass Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Colquhoun, D.J., 1960.
Type Locality: Unit 93, zone E, NTS 93-O-10, along ridge 6.4 km (4 mi) northeast of Clearwater Lake,
History: Proposed by Colquhoun (1960) for strata underlying the Mount Wright Formation; replaced by
Colquhoun (1962) by the Toad and Grayling formations. Gibson (1975) included these strata in lower
Toad and Grayling.
Lithology: Dark to medium grey, argillaceous siltstone, with lesser amounts of intercalated shale.
Thickness and Distribution: Used by Colquhoun (1960) in surface and subsurface foothills and plains
Peace River area, northeastern British Columbia. The formation ranges in thickness from zero to 457
m (1500 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is conformably overlain by the Mount Wright Formation, and
unconformably overlies the Belloy and Prophet formations and the Mississippian Rundle Group in the
subsurface. The term was replaced by the Grayling and Toad formations of the surface and subsurface
Peace River Foothills. The Hart Pass is equivalent to the Montney and lower Doig formations of the
subsurface Peace River Plains (Armitage, 1962), and the Phroso, Vega and Whistler members of the
Sulphur Mountain Formation of west-central and southwestern Alberta (Gibson, 1975).
References: Armitage, J.H., 1962; Colquhoun, 1960.
DWG
Lower Cretaceous (Late Middle Albian to Late Albian)
Hasler Formation
(Fort St. John Group)
Author: Marine shales lying between beds now assigned to the Boulder Creek and Goodrich
formations were defined as the Hasler Formation by Wickenden, R.T.D. and Shaw, G . (1943, p. 6).
Type Locality: No complete section is exposed in the type region of Hasler Creek and Pine River; a
section on the west slope of Dokie Ridge (55°42’N, 122°18’W, Pine Pass map-area, northeastern
British Columbia) was designated as type (Stott, 1968).
Lithology: The formation consists mainly of marine shale and siltstone, with minor sandstone and a
few thin beds of pebble conglomerate. Two main facies occur, a basal predominantly argillaceous
siltstone and upper rubbly shale.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation occurs in the foothills of northeastern British Columbia
between Peace River in the north and Murray River in the south. Only two complete outcrop sections
are known, the type section is 265 m (869 ft) thick, and a second one at Mount Belcourt is 249 m (817
ft) (Stott, 1982).
Relationship to Other Units: The formation lies on the Boulder Creek, possibly disconformably, and the
well defined boundary is commonly marked by a layer of small chert pebbles. Older beds may lie at
the base in the Peace River region than farther southeastward in the foothills. The upper boundary is
gradational with the overlying Goodrich sandstones. Southeast of Murray River in the foothills, and
eastward into the plains sandstones of the overlying Goodrich Formation grade laterally into shale,
and the continuous shale succession between the Boulder Creek and Dunvegan formations is
included in the Shaftesbury Formation. The Hasler Formation is laterally continuous with the lower
shales of the Shaftesbury Formation of the plains, and with the upper shales of the Buckinghorse
Formation between Peace and Tetsa rivers. The Hasler Formation is largely equivalent to the Lepine
Formation of the Liard River region.
Paleontology: The formation is dated as late Middle to Late Albian by its stratigraphic position between
the Boulder Creek Formation, which contains Middle Albian Gastroplites and the Goodrich Formation
containing the Late Albian Neogastroplites fauna. A foraminiferal assemblage assigned to the
Trochammina depressa subzone of the Haplophragmoides gigas Zone has been recovered from the
formation on Hasler Creek (Leckie and Stelck, 1989), and front near Moberly Lake (Stelck and Koke,
1987).
References: Leckie and Stelck, in press; Stelck and Koke, 1987; Stott, 1968, 1982; Wickenden and
Shaw, 1943.
DFS
Mississippian
Hastings Evaporite (Frobisher-Alida Beds)
Author: Fuzesy, L.M., 1960.
Type Locality: The type section is located in White Rose et al. Carnduff No. 8-6-3-32WPM, in the
interval 1176.8 to 1206.7 m (3861 to 3959 ft).
Lithology: Varicolored anhydrite, dolomitic anhydrite and evaporitic dolomite, both layered and nodular.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness of the Hastings Evaporate is extremely variable ranging
from 12 to 31 m (39 to 102 ft). It underlies the same region as the Winlaw Evaporite, but extends
beyond the western limit of that unit reaching a depositional margin at approximately the western
boundary of Rge. 33WPM. It is found also in limited patches along the Frobisher subcrop as far west
and north as Two. 8, Rge 8W2M.
Relationship to Other Units: According to Fuzesy (1960) the top of the Hastings Evaporite is from 2 to
4 an (7 to 13 ft) beneath the top of the Frobisher-Alida Beds and is separated from the Winlaw
Evaporite by an 8 m (26 ft) interval of argillaceous, arenaceous and silty carbonates. Beyond the
depositional limit of the Winlaw the Hastings commonly immediately overlies the Kisbey Sandstone. It
is equivalent to the Auburnton-Huntoon Evaporite and the upper part of the Carievale Evaporite.
DMK
Hastings-Frobisher Beds (Obsolete)
Type Locality: Hastings oil field area of southeastern Saskatchewan.
History: The term “Hastings-Frobisher” beds was introduced by Fuller in his subdivision of the
Mississippian upper Madison (Mission Canyon) stratigraphy of southeastern Saskatchewan in the
region of oil field developments extending from the vicinity of Weyburn east to the Manitoba border. It
coincides with the MC-5 unit of the classification given in 1954 by Thomas. In 1956 the Saskatchewan
Geological Society Mississippian Names and Correlation Committee included the Hastings-Frobisher
interval within the upper part of a broader unit which they termed the Frobisher-Alida beds, which has
received general acceptance. The use of the term Hastings has generally been abandoned.
Lithology: As defined by Fuller the Hastings-Frobisher beds comprise about 61 m (200 ft) of oolitic,
pisolitic and algal limestone and dolomitic limestone, “calcareous gravels”, anhydrite, silty and shaly
dolomite and mudstone. Anhydrite beds become more prominent eastwards, where four major bodies
have been described, two of which occur within the Hastings-Frobisher beds, the other two marking
the upper and lower limits of the subject interval. These have been named by Fuller, from top to
bottom: Frobisher Evaporite, Auburnton-Huntoon Evaporite, Carievale Evaporite and Gainsborough
Evaporite. Westward the evaporites are commonly replaced laterally by reddened dolomite and
siltstone. Oil from the Hastings-Frobisher beds has contributed to the Mississippian production of
several oil fields of southeastern Saskatchewan and northwestern North Dakota.
Thickness and Distribution: The Hastings-Frobisher beds were defined for the area of Mississippian oil
field development in southeastern Saskatchewan, mainly south and east of Weyburn, although
correlation can be extended, though less satisfactorily for some distance westward in Saskatchewan
and southeastward into North Dakota. The beds make up a thickness of about 61 m (200 ft) throughout
most of the area of application.
Relationship to Other Units: The Hastings-Frobisher beds conformably overlie the Kisbey sandstone
(MC-4 of Thomas) and conformably underlie the anhydrite at the base of the Midale beds. In the
extreme southeast the base of the Hastings-Frobisher beds is marked by the Gainsborough evaporite
as defined by Fuller. The Hastings-Frobisher beds are included in the upper part of the later
designated Frobisher-Alida beds.
References: Fuller, 1956: Saskatchewan Geological Society, 1956; Thomas, 1954.
DMK
Hatfield Member (Souris River Formation, Manitoba Group)
Type Locality: Socony Sohio Hatfield No. 11-14, in 14-11-28-22W2M, Saskatchewan, between 893.1
and 939.4 m (2930 and 3082 ft).
Lithology: Alternations of argillaceous beds and carbonates, with local development of anhydrite and
halite. The carbonates are commonly cryptocrystalline, fossiliferous limestones, plus some sucrosic
dolomites. The most notable evaporite is informally named the Beechy Halite (Lane, 1964, p. 33), and
occurs in the lower part of the Hatfield Member.
Thickness and Distribution: The regional thickness increases from 30 m (98 ft) in the southeast corner
of Saskatchewan to over 60 m (196 ft) at the Alberta border, with local thickening to 66 m (217 ft) in the
Beechy sub-basin of western Saskatchewan. The Hatfield Member is present throughout most of the
Williston Basin.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower, disconformable contact is with the Harris Member, at the base
of an argillaceous carbonate. The upper contact is placed at the top of a prominent argillaceous bed
which is overlain (generally conformably) by carbonates of the Duperow Formation. Correlative strata
in northeastern Alberta are the upper Moberly and most of the Mildred members of the Waterways
Formation (Braun and Mathison, 1982). In central Alberta equivalent strata are pan of the upper
Beaverhill Lake Formation; in Montana the Hatfield Member is equated with part of the lower Jefferson
Formation.
References: Braun and Mathison, 1982; Lane, 1964; Walker, 1947.
CED; KRM
Late Upper Cretaceous
Haven Member (Blackstone Formation)
Author: Stow, D.E, 1963.
Type Locality: Bighorn River, below the junction of the Littlehorn River and above Sunkay Creek (type
section of Blackstone), Alberta.
Lithology: Consists of platy to rubbly shale and thin siltstone which weather to a dark rust color owing
to the presence of pyrite.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized from the International Boundary along the foothills into
northeastern British Columbia. A minimum of 10.7 m (35 ft) occurs south of Crowsnest Pass, and a
maximum of 97.2 m (319 ft) at the type section. The unit increases in thickness to about 200 m (646 ft)
near Mount Puggins in northeastern British Columbia. Shale typical of the Haven Member occurs in
the type section of the Smoky Group on lower Smoky River in Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: Both upper and lower contacts with the Opabin and Vimy members
respectively are conformable and may appear to be gradational over intervals of several metres. The
Haven is recognized as a member of the Kaskapau Formation north of the Athabasca River.
Paleontology: The member lies within the Prionocyclus woollgari Zone and contains ammonites and
several species of Inoceramus.
DFS
Middle Devonian
Hay Camp Member
(Chinchaga Formation; formerly Hay Camp Formation)
Author: Norris, A.W., 1963,1965.
Type Locality: Upper of two Paleozoic outcrops on west bank of Slave River, 1.9 km (1.2 mi) north of
Hay Camp, 14.9 km (9.3 mi) north of La Butte, and 37.6 km (23.4 mi) south of Fitzgerald, District of
Mackenzie.
Lithology: Massive, brecciated limestone containing a variety of coarsely angular fragment of pale
brown aphanitic limestone, dark brown laminated limestone, and dark grey laminates limestone
containing brecciated fragments of light buff brown, fine grained dolomite. May be overlain by a thin
veneer of unbrecciated limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: 10.7 m (35 ft) thick south of Great Slave Lake to Alberta border.
Relationship to Other Units: Formerly the Hay Camp Formation of Norris (1963). It is enclosed within
gypsum of the Chinchaga Formation. At the type section it is unconformably overlain by beds of the La
Butte Formation.
References: Norris, 1963,1965.
LVH, AWN
Middle Devonian
Hay River Formation
Author: Cameron, A.E., 1918; Belyea and McLaren, 1962.
Type Locality: Outcrops on Hay River, downstream from Alexandra Falls for the upper part; the section
in Frobisher Hay River No. 4, southwestern Northwest Territories, to 164 m (539 ft) for the lower part of
the formation.
Lithology: Green shale with minor sandstone, argillaceous to biostromal limestone in the upper part;
bituminous shale and thin limestone layers in the lower part (Waterway Member).
Thickness and Distribution: 305 to 396 m (1000 to 1300 ft) thick, mappable over an area of about
25600 km2 (10000 mi2) in southern Northwest Territories and northern Alberta, south of the town of
Hay River.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Slave Point Formation, the contact being an unconformity
according to most authors (e.g., A.W. Norris, 1965), or gradational according to others (e.g., G.K.
Williams, 1977b). Conformably overlain by the Twin Falls Formation. Equivalent to parts of the Fort
Simpson and Horn River formations; embraces strata equivalent to Muskwa, Waterways, Ireton and
the lower part of the Grosmont formations. Over small areas members can be mapped; the Louise
Falls Member (limestone) near the top; than Muskwa Member (bituminous shale) or the Waterways
Member (shale and limestone) at the base.
Paleontology: (From Belyea and McLaren, 1962) Macgeea proetus Smith, Monelasmina besti Pedder,
Cyrtospirifer kennicotti (Meek), Eleutherokomma reidfordi Crickmay, Cyrtospirifer thalattodoxa
Crickmay.
References: Belyea and McLaren, 1962; Cameron, 1918; Norris, 1965; Williams, 1977b.
GKW
Upper Devonian
Hay River Limestone (Obsolete)
Author: Cameron, A.E., 1918.
Type Locality: On Hay River, from near Grumbler Rapids to the gorge at Louise Falls, District of
Mackenzie.
Lithology: Limestone, minor shale and sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: See below.
Relationship to Other Units: Considered by Cameron (1922, p. 25B) to be the upper member of the
Hay River Series (Upper Devonian). In present-day nomenclature this section is known as the Tathlina
and Twin Falls formations and the Louise Falls Member of the Hay River Formation.
References: Belyea and McLaren, 1962, Cameron, 1918, 1922; Law, 1955a, 1955b.
GKW; LVH
Hazel Formation (Informal name)
Lithology: Unit contains three members. Upper Member, consisting of olive grey to very dark olive grey,
silty clay (85% clay); generally massive; overlies Steinbach Member with interbedded to sharp contact.
Steinbach Member, consisting of stony till with 31% sand, 52% silt and 17% clay in matrix, and 58%
total carbonates; stones are 18% crystalline and 82% carbonates; generally a sharp contact with lower
member, but locally deformed. Lower Member, consisting of coarse, kame-delta deposits and finer
sands and silts.
Thickness and Distribution: Lower Member up to 20 m (66 ft) thick, Steinbach Member generally 7 m
(23 ft) but up to 10 m (33 ft) thick, and Upper Member to 20 m (66 ft) thick. Undivided Hazel Formation
reaches thickness of about 20 m (66 ft); widespread in southeastern Manitoba, where it is recognized
particularly in Twps. 3 to 12, Rges. 4 to 11 EPM.
Relationship to Other Units: Includes all the drift above Marchand Formation in southeastern Manitoba.
Steinbach member called Steinbach Formation in Moran et al., 1976; this member deposited by ice
flowing south to southeast.
References: Fenton, 1974; Keatinge, 1975; Moran et al., 1976.
AMacSS; RWK
Middle Ordovician
Hecla Beds
(Dog Head Member Red River Formation, Bighorn Group)
Type Locality: Shore Cliff, northern tip of Hecla Island, Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba (5-31-25-7EPM).
Lithology: An essentially transitional sequence between the underlying sandy shale of the Winnipeg
Formation and the overlying nearly pure dolomitic limestone of the Red River Formation. Consists of
dolomitic limestone, variably sandy and argillaceous, and sporadically glauconitic Beds are not
gradational, but rather are marked by at least three persistent shaly seams that, according to Fuller
can be traced from southwestern Manitoba to the Black Hill of South Dakota.
Thickness and Distribution: Ranges between 3 and 12 m (10 and 39 ft) in thickness throughout most of
the Williston Basin area. Towards the depositional edge of the Winnipeg Formation, in central
Saskatchewan and northern Manitoba the Hecla Beds thin and are locally absent.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit conformably overlies shales of the Winnipeg Formation
throughout most of the Williston Basin area, except towards the western depositional edge of the
Winnipeg Formation in central Saskatchewan, where the contact become unconformable. Patterson
(1971) suggested that, throughout southeastern Saskatchewan significant uplift and erosion of
Winnipeg strata occurred prior to deposition of Red River (Hecla) beds. Beyond the depositional limit
of the Winnipeg Formation Hecla beds overstep and pinch out on clastic strata of the Cambrian
Deadwood Formation. The Hecla beds are overlain conformably by, and form the basal unit of the
mottled dolomitic limestones of the Red River Formation. They comprise the basal portion of the
Yeoman Formation (Lower Red River of Saskatchewan (unit A of Kendall, 1976), and the basal
portion of the Bighorn Group of Montana.
References: Fuller, 1961; Kendall, 1976; Patterson, 1971; Porter and Fuller, 1964.
HRM
Upper Proterozoic (Ediacaran in part)
Hector Formation (Miette Group)
Type Locality: Redoubt Mountain, northeast of Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta.
History: The Hector Formation was named and loosely defined by Walcott (1910, 1928), Aitken (1969)
provided further data and extended the formation upward to the base of the Gog Group, including
within the Hector beds that Walcott had assigned to the Lower Cambrian. He also recognized the
identity of the colorful basal marker unit with the Old Fort Point Formation of the Jasper area. Gussow’s
(1957) “Mount Temple limestone member” and “Taylor Lake purple shale member” have not been
adopted by subsequent workers. Arnoa and Hein (1986) provided a detailed sedimentological
analysis of the coarse, submarine canyon fills. Hughes (1955) mapped Miette strata in the Sunwapta
Pass area as Hector Formation; this is probably, but not definitely correct, because he did not report
the colorful basal unit (Old Fort Point equivalent) that identifies the Hector.
Lithology: Grey, brown, greenish grey and green slates, with a highly variable content of usually thick
beds of coarse, gritty feldspathic sandstone and feldspathic, quartz pebble conglomerate [in part,
submarine canyon fills, (Arnott and Hein, 1986)). The Hector is demarcated from the underlying,
lithologically similar Corral Creek Formation by its basal unit, consisting of “... bright green and purple
slates ... (with) ... one or two thick beds of conglomerate (breccia) with tabular clasts of pink limestone.
At Mount Temple it consists in part of interbedded purple slate and pink limestone” (Aiken, 1969).
Thickness and Distribution: The maximum described thickness of 550 m (1804 ft) was measured near
the type section. Eastward and southward from the type area erosional truncation beneath the Gog
Croup has removed the Hector (Aitken, 1969) The Hector probably thickens northward toward the
Jasper area where the Proterozoic section is more complete.
Relationship to Other Units: The Hector Formation conformably overlies the Corral Creek and is
unconformably overlain by the Lower Cambrian Gog Group. The colorful unit of slates and limestone at
the base of the Hector (“Mount Temple limestone member” and “Taylor Lake purple shale member” of
Gussow, 1957) is the Old Fort Point Formation of the Jasper area (Charlesworth et al., 1967). Thus the
Hector Formation is equivalent to the Old Fort Point and Wand formations jointly (upper Miette Group)
of the Jasper area.
The Hector Formation corresponds to part of the upper Miette Group of the Jasper area, which has
yielded Ediacaran fossils (Hofmann et al., 1985). The type Hector probably doss not reach a
stratigraphic level as high as the fossiliferous beds near Jasper, however. The Hector and the Miette
Group are erosionally bevelled at an unconformity beneath the Gog Group (Aitken, 1969). The Gog
has yielded Lower Cambrian body fossils as old as Nevadella Zone (Fritz and Mountjoy, 1975), and
trace fossils attributed to trilobites nearly to its base (Palonen, 1976).
References: Aitken, 1969; Arnott and Hein, 1986; Charlesworth et al., 1976; Fritz and Mountjoy, 1975;
Gussow, 1957; Hofmann et al., 1986; Palonen, 1976; Walcott, 1910, 1928.
JDA
Middle Proterozoic
Hefty Formation (Galton Series) (Abandoned)
Author: Daly, R.A., 1912, p. 99-100.
Type Locality: Mount Hefty, southern MacDonald Range, British Columbia; 49°00’N, 114°35’W.
History: Daly established the Hefty Formation to accommodate a sequence of strata that he
erroneously concluded are conformably underlain by the Altyn Formation and therefore represent a
lateral facies equivalent of the lower Appekunny Formation. Price (1962, 1964) showed that Daly’s
Hefty Formation is synonymous with his Phillips Formation and that it is underlain by the Gateway
Formation, not the Altyn Formation.
References: Daly, 1912; Johns et al., 1963, Price, 1962, 1964.
RAP
Hell Creek Formation (Montana Group)
Author: Brown, B., 1907; amended by W.T. Thom Jr. and C.E. Dobbin, 1924.
Type Locality: On Hell Creek and nearby tributaries of the Missouri River, in Garfield County, east-
central Montana.
Lithology: Fossil-bearing fresh water deposits of lime-cemented fluviatile sands and dark badland
clays. Lignite beds in upper 30 m (98 ft).
Thickness and Distribution: Eastward thinning regressive wedge recognized in Montana,

southwestern North Dakota, and northern and southwestern South Dakota. About 160 m (525 ft) thick
at type locality.
Relationship to Other Units: The Hell Creek Formation is the latest Cretaceous nonmarine regressive
wedge that prograded eastward from the Rocky Mountains into the Bearpaw Sea. Equivalents are the
Lance Formation (Triceratops Beds) of eastern Wyoming, the St. Mary River Formation plus the lower
part of the Willow Creek Formation of southwestern Alberta, and the Edmonton Group of central
Alberta. Conformably underlain by Fox Hills (equivalent Blood Reserve) shoreface sands, and with
local unconformity overlain by early Tertiary Fort Union Formation (equivalent of the Paskapoo
Formation in Alberta).
References: Brown, 1907; Thom and Dobbin, 1924; U.S.G.S., 1955.
LTB
Middle Proterozoic
Hell Roaring Member
(Altyn Formation) (Abandoned)
Author: Fenton, CL. and Fenton, M.A., 1937, p. 1873-1970.
Type Locality: Hell Roaring Falls, Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, 49°03’N, 113°57’W.
History: The Hell Roaring was proposed as the middle member of the Altyn Formation, underlying the
upper, Carthew Member, and overlying the lower, Waterton Member. Douglas (1952) showed that the
type section consists of several fault slices, each or which contains essentially the same stratigraphic
interval from the Altyn and Waterton formations.
Lithology: Sandy dolomites, dolomite, and banded and streaked and nodular limestone and dolomite
comprising strata of the Waterton and Altyn formations.
References: Douglas, 1952; Fenton and Fenton, 1937.
PRF, RAP
?Helikian
Henry Creek Formation
Type Locality: At the head of Henry Creek, on north side of valley in Tuchodi Lakes (94K) map-area,
northeastern British Columbia. Geographical co-ordinates of type section: base of section: 58°22’40”N,
124°33’30”W: top of section: 58°23’20”N, 124°33’30”W.
Lithology: Slaty-cleaved, light brown-grey weathering mudstones with very minor fine grained
sandstones and carbonate rocks, grading upwards into calcareous siltstones and quartzitic
sandstones in the upper third of the formation. Some of the carbonate units are distinct debris flows.
Thickness and Distribution: The Henry Creek Formation crops out only in the Tuchodi Lakes map-area
in the core of the Muskwa Anticlinorium. A maximum thickness of 510 m (1673 ft) is reported from the
type section, thinning northwards to 230 m (754 ft) near Mount St. George largely as a result of
gradational facies change into lithologies of the George Formation.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably and gradationally overlies and interfingers with the George
Formation and is conformably and gradationally overlain by the Tuchodi Formation.
GCT
Upper Ordovician
Herald Formation (Bighorn Group)
Author: Saskatchewan Geological Society, Lower Paleozoic Names and Correlations Committee
Type Locality: Imperial Herald 1-31-1-20W2M well, in Saskatchewan, between 2901.7 m and 2934.9
m (9520 and 9629 ft).
History: Originally defined by the Saskatchewan Geological Society as a marker-defined unit, the
Herald Beds, equivalent to the upper Red River of Porter and Fuller (1958). The interval 2901.7 to
2925 8 m (9520 to 9599 ft) in the Imperial Herald 1-31 well was designated as the type section. Kent
(1960) recognized the Herald as a member of the Red River Formation and lowered its base to
include a sequence of argillaceous carbonates, in the Herald well the base of the type section was
lowered to 2934.9 m (9629 ft). The unit was raised to formation status by Kendall (1976).
Lithology: Interbedded microcrystalline, commonly argillaceous and laminated dolomite limestones

and dolomites; dolomitic biomicrites; and, in central portion of the basin anhydrite. In southeastern
Saskatchewan this formation is divided into three units which correspond to cycles of sedimentation,
from bottom to top the Lake Alma Member, the Coronach Member and the Redvers Unit.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum thickness of the Herald Formation in Saskatchewan is 38 m

(125 ft) in the Lake Alma area. It thins to less than 15 m (49 ft) away from the centre of the basin, where
no anhydrites are present.
Relationship to Other Units: The Herald Formation conformably overlies the Yeoman Formation and is
disconformably overlain by the Stony Mountain Formation. It correlates with the upper portion of the
Red River Formation (Fort Garry Member).
References: Kendall, 1976, 1985; Kent, 1960; McCabe, 1971; Porter and Fuller, 1958, 1959;
Saskatchewan Geological Society, 1958.
FMH
Hidden Creek Hill
Author: Alley, N.F., 1973, p.170.
Type Locality: North bank of Oldman River at its junction with Cache Creek, at approximately 50°03’N.
114°35’W, southern Alberta.
History: First informally named Cache Creek till by Alley (1972, p. 90) in an unpublished Ph.D. thesis.
Lithology: At its type locality a clayey mountain till possessing a well developed stone fabric,
elsewhere clayey or silty; stone ethology highly variable, but lacks Shield stones.
Thickness and Distribution: More than 13 m (43 ft) thick at the type locality, and reaches thicknesses of
more than 20 m (66 ft) along Cache and Hidden valleys. Confined to upper reaches of mountain
valleys in southwest Alberta; extends 8 km (5 mi) down from cirques in Cache and Hidden valleys, in
neighbouring valleys generally extends 3 to 6 km (1.9 to 3.75 mi) from the cirques.
Relationship to Other Units: Not stated, but probably exposed at surface, and probably overlies
bedrock or possibly Ernst Till. Distinguished from the latter by a generally finer composition and by its
position up-valley from young moraines in the upper reaches of the valleys. Deposited during the fast
advance of Cordilleran valley glaciers in Classical Wisconsin time; considered by Harris and Waters
(1977, p. 55) to be equivalent in age to Bow Valley glaciation of Rutter (1972).
References: Alley, 1972, 1973; Harris and Waters, 1977; Rutter, 1972.
AMacSS
Highwood Member (Fernie Formation)
Author: Stronach, N.J., 1981.
Type Locality: Headwaters of Wilkinson Creek, just west of Plateau Mountain in the Highwood Range,
Alberta; grid references 740667 and 742636. NTS Fording River 82 J/2 Parts of both sections are
inverted.
History: The strata comprising this member have, in the past beer included in the broader definition of
the Rock Creek Member (q.v.) used by some authors, but is here restricted to the lithostratigraphically
distinct sandstones originally designated by Warren.
Lithology: Dark grey rusty weathering shales with chippy or conchoidal cleavage; black papery and
organic rich in part. Near the base are dark grew bioturbated sands. Characteristic interbeds include
bands of calcareous concretions (up to 0.5 m, 1.6 ft diameter), thin yellow grey bentonites and
bentonitic shales, and bands (up to 20 cm, 8 in thick) of belemnites concentrated in a distinctive rusty
colored gypsiferous and goethitic matrix. In the Kananaskis area the distinctive ammonite-bivalve-
belemnite coquina referred to as the “Teloceras fauna” by earlier authors occurs in a resistant dark
grey, oolitic limestone bed about 0.5 m (1.6 ft) thick, which serves as an important marker bed
throughout the region.
Thickness and Distribution: Occurs throughout the outcrop belt of the Fernie Formation, ranging from
17 m (56 ft) in Canyon Creek, southwest of Calgary to 157 m (515 ft) in Wilkinson Creek.
Relationship to Other Units: Sharp basal contact with sands of the Rock Creek Member where that unit
is present; elsewhere rests conformably and with gradational boundary on the Poker Chip Shale.
Upper boundary apparently conformable and gradational either to Pigeon Creek Member in
Kananaskis area or to Corbula munda Beds farther south. In Willson Creek west of Sundre this
member is conformably overlain by the Green Beds. Equivalent to parts of the Sawtooth Formation of
Sweetgrass Arch.
References: Hall, 1984; Stronach, 1981,1984.
RLH
Lower Cretaceous (Santonian to Campanian)
Highwood Sandstone (Chungo Member)
Author: Webb, J.B. and Hertlein, L.G., 1934, p. 1402.
Type Locality: No type section or specific locality was described by Webb and Hertlein. Presumably
the main outcrop is that on Highwood River near Longview, Alberta in Sec. 30, Twp. 18, Rge. 2W5M
(Stott, 1963, p. 109).
Lithology: According to Webb and Hertlein the unit consists of hard sandstones and sandy shales with
ironstone concretions. Stott (1963) described the sandstone as fine grained, laminated and brown
weathering. The upper surface of the unit has scattered pebbles above it and embedded in it.
Thickness and Distribution: 45.7 m (150 ft) thick on Highwood River near Longview, of which the
upper 18.3 m (60 ft) is sandstone and the lower part is siltstone with some sandstone and shale.
Farther west 25.9 m (85 ft) of interbedded sandstone and shale are succeeded by 45.7 m (150 ft) of
medium grained greenish grey sandstone (Stott, 1963, pi. 109).
Relationship to Other Units: The Highwood sandstone is overlain by another cycle of sandstone, 30.5
m (100 ft) thick, which is correlated with the top of the Chungo Member (Stott, 1963). The Highwood
sandstone lies within the Chungo Member, and in more westerly sections forms the lower part of a
continuous sandstone succession. As the Chungo is traced eastward a tongue of shale appears in the
middle, separating the member into the Highwood Sandstone and an upper sandstone. The Chungo
Member is correlated with the Milk River Formation of southern Alberta.
Paleontology: No fossils have been collected from the Highwood Sandstone. Because of its
stratigraphic position a Santonian to Campanian age is suggested.
References. Stott, 1963; Webb and Hertlein.
DFS
Upper Jurassic
Hillcrest Member (Mist Mountain Formation)
haulage road between Grassy No. 2 and Grassy No 4 coal pits (Norris, 1959; Hughes, 1978). NTS
map 82G/9 Blairmore.
History: Unit recognized and named by Norris (1959) as a member of the Kootenay Formation; now
included as part of the Mist Mountain Formation (Gibson, 1979, 1985).
Lithology: Resistant weathering, medium light grew fine to medium grained sandstone, with interbeds
of black to dark grey siltstone and silty mudstone.
Thickness and Distribution: The Hillcrest is a locally recognized member of the Mist Mountain
Formation in the Crowsnest Pass area of the southwestern Alberta Foothills east of the Lewis Thrust,
and in the area adjacent to and south of Blairmore and Coleman as far as the Adanac Strip Mine
(Gibson, 1977,1985). The Hillcrest Member ranges in measured thickness from 26 m (85 ft) at the
Adanac Strip Mine to 60 m (197 ft) on York Creek, south of Coleman .
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is conformably overlain by siltstone, shale, sandstone and No. 2
seam of the Mutz Member. It is conformably underlain by shale, fine grained sandstone and coat of the
Adanac Member.
References: Gibson, 1977, 1979,1985; Hughes, 1978; Norris, 1959.
DWG
Middle Cambrian
Hitka Formation (Abandoned)
Type Locality: Ridge about 2 km (1.25 mi) north of Mumm Peak.
History: Shown by Burling (1923) to be Titkana Formation. See Fritz and Mountjoy (1975) for a
geological map of the area.
References: Burling, 1923; Fritz and Mountjoy, 1975; Walcott, 1931, 1928.
EWM
Holdfast (Flat Lake) Evaporate
(Duperow Formation, Superceded)
Author: Kent, D.M., 1968b, p. 16. Not formally defined.
Type Locality: California Standard Holdfast Province 14-12-23-26W2M, in Saskatchewan (Kent, pers.
comm.). The interval is estimated from sonic logs to be between 950.7 and 977.2 m 13119 and 3206
ft).
History: The name Holdfast has been replaced and formally defined as the Flat Lake Evaporite (Dunn,
1975).
Reference: Kent, 1968b.
CED; KRM
Hollebeke Formation (Fairholme Group)
Author: Price, R.A., 1965.
Type Locality: In the southern Flathead Ranger on the Continental Divide near North Kootenay Pass,
2200 m (7216 ft) northeast of Mount Hollebeke; Sec. 14 of Price (1965).
Lithology: The Hollebeke Formation comprises light and medium grey weathering, massive to nodular,
dark grey and black, very fine crystalline limestone; yellowish brown weathering, argillaceous and silty
dolomite and limestone; and limestone and dolomite breccias that form the lower part of the Fairholme
Group in the Flathead Range and adjacent areas. It is informally subdivided into two members. The
lower member consists mainly of grew yellowish grey and brownish grey, fine and medium crystalline
dolomite and limestone that is locally silty or argillaceous, and contains interbeds of medium
crystalline, brownish grey limestone and dolomite, and of limestone and dolomite breccias that appear
to be solution breccias. The upper member consists almost exclusively of dark grey and brownish
black, fine and very fine crystalline (micritic) limestone that weathers massive to nodular, commonly
with faint, fine laminations etched into relief on weathered surfaces; locally it contains thin beds and
lenses of breccia that appear to be due to solution (of evaporites?).
Thickness and Distribution: The unit occurs throughout the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains west
of (above) the Lewis thrust fault and south of about 50°N. It is 100 to 120 m (328 to 394 ft) thick in the
Flathead Range; 150 m (492 ft) thick in the erosional outlier in the Lewis thrust sheet at Windsor
Mountain in southwestern Alberta; and about 240 m (787 ft) thick in the western Rocky Mountains,
near Elko, British Columbia (Price, 1962 and 1964). It generally is thicker where overlying beds of the
Fairholme Group are in the shale facies rather than the carbonate facies.
Relationship to Other Units: Unconformably overlies the Middle Cambrian Windsor Mountain and Elko
formations in the region southeast of Elko, British Columbia; north and west of Elko it truncates older
Cambrian strata and unconformably overlies the middle part of the middle Proterozoic Purcell
Supergroup (Leech, 1958; Norris and Price, 1966); but northwest of the Moyie-Dibble Creek fault it
unconformably overlies Ordovician strata. The upper contact is a relatively abrupt gradation into the
Borsato Formation.
References: Price, 1962, 1964b, 1965.
RAP
Lower Cretaceous
Home Sand (Blairmore Group)
Author: Unknown. Drillers term originated in 1927.
Type Locality: Home No. 1 well, in Lsd. 10, Sec. 20, Twp. 19, Rge. 5W5M, Turner Valley oil field.
Alberta, at 1391 m (4560 ft).
Lithology: Light grey to white quartz sandstone, often calcareous and/or siliceous, and may have
interbedded dark grew micaceous, pyritic shale. Commonly fine grained. Where the sandstone facies
is not present the interval may consist of brown, lithographic limestone. Brackish water to marine in
origin.
Thickness and Distribution: Approximately 15 m (50 ft) in the Turner Valley field .
Relationship to Other Units: The Home sand appears to overlie the Ostracod shale and limestone
member and thus equate to the Glauconite sand of the Alberta Plains. It may also correlate with the
Bluesky Formation of the Peace River area.
References: Douglas, 1950; Gallup, 1951; Hume, 1938; Lamon, 1954; Link and Moore, 1934;
Thompson and Oxford, 1953; Workman, 1938.

Hondo Member (Grosmont Formation)
Type Locality: Barnsdall West Wabiskaw No. 1 well, in 11-17-78-2W5M, in Alberta, between 884 and
981 m (2900 and 3216 ft).
History: Originally proposed as a member of the Woodbend Formation. Used as a formation when the
Woodbend was raised to group rank. The authors (Cutter and Eliuk, in prep.) propose that the unit be
reduced to a member of the Grosmont because it is markedly diachronous at its lower boundary, it is
surrounded as well as underlain by Grosmont Formation lithologies, and it is difficult to define and
map in the absence of anhydrite toward the eastern subcrop edge.
Lithology: Interlayered cream to brown, finely laminated dolomite, anhydritic dolomite, white to reddish
brown anhydrite, and minor green siltstone and shale. Commonly a carbonate Cast breccia with green
shale matrix occurs. To the east nearer the subcrop edge Belyea’s (1952) evaporite limestones (in part
dedolomile; pers. comm. W.G. Cutler and L.S. Eliuk) occurs interbedded with dolomite at the same
stratigraphic level as the anhydrites.
Thickness and Distribution: Ranges from zero to 140 m (459 ft) in thickness; localized in Twps. 68-90,
Rges. 23W4M-10W5M in Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: Occurs within the upper portion of the Grosmont Formation, grading
laterally into fossiliferous carbonates of that unit to the north, west and south. The lower boundary is
markedly diachronous. To the east the anhydrite is absent 30 to 60 km (18 to 36 mi) downdip from the
sub-Cretaceous erosional subcrop edge, making the Hondo difficult to distinguish from non-anhydritic
Grosmont. The Hondo Member is overlain by the Nisku Formation of the Winterburn Group, which also
may be anhydritic at its base.
References: Belyea, 1952; Cutler, 1983.
WGC, LSE, PAM

Hoosier Clinobed
(Viking Formation, Colorado Group)
Author: Evans, W.E., 1970; Simpson, F. 1975, 1980.
Type Locality: The name is taken from the Hoosier Unit 5-8-3-21-26W3M well, which penetrated the
maximum thickness observed by Evans (1970). The type section is in the Canpet Highwood Eureka
10-36-31-23W3M well, between 686.3 and 690.2 m (2251.5 and 2264.5 ft) .
of west-central Saskatchewan was first demonstrated by Reasoner and Hunt (1954a). A system of
members, alphabetically designated “K”, “Upper L”, “Lower L”, “M”, “N” and “O” was worked out
independently by Evans (1970) on the basis of detailed electriclog correlation. Simpson (1975, in
prep.) examined the lithologic variation in these units and named them; the Hoosier Clinobed is
equivalent to the “M” member of Evans (op. cit.).
sandstone. The shaly sandstone is largely fine grained, characteristically forming a coarsening
upward sequence in which bioturbated sandstone with numerous shale partings is replaced
downwards by regularly alternating thin beds of sandstone and shale. The shaly sand stones make
gradational contact with 0.5 m (1.6 ft) of bentonitic mudstone at the base of the unit. Locally
conglomerates and pebbly sandstones form a basal deposit.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit attains a maximum thickness of 8.2 m (27 ft). It forms a west-
southwest trending belt in the centra part of the Dodsland-Hoosier production locale in west-central
Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The Hoosier Clinobed onlaps the Smiley Clinobed in the north and
oversteps the Joli Fou Formation farther south The Hoosier shaly sandstones are succeeded by the
generally shale rich basal part of the Crystal Clinobed; locally the contact is marked by the base of a
layer of bentonitic mudstone.
References: Evans, 1970; Jones, 1961a, 1961b; Reasoner and Hunt, 1954a, 1954b; Simpson, 1975,
1979d, in prep.
FS
Hornbeck Member (Cardium Formation)
Type Locality: West-central Alberta. Type section is in the Amoco Hudson’s Bay Fina Fir 6-17-57-
21W5M well, between 1796 and 1811 m (5891 and 5940 ft).
Lithology: A coarsening upward sequence commencing with laminated mudstones and sandstones
that pass upward into coarser grained, cleaner sandstones and pebbly sandstones, often exhibiting 2
or more cycles.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit varies from zero to 15 m (49 ft) in the type area.
Relationship to Other Units: Underlain by the Waskahigan or Bickerdike members of the Cardium
Formation. Overlain by the Burnstick or Raven River members of the Cardium.
Reference: Plint, Walker and Bergman, 1986.
Lexicon Committee
Horn River Formation
Author: Whittaker, E.J., 1922 (Horn River shales); redefined by Douglas, R.J.W. and Norris, D.K., 1960;
subsurface definition by Gray, F.F. and Kassube, J.R., 1963
Type Locality: Outcrop on Horn River, District of Mackenzie (Whittaker, 1922). Western Natural Gas et
al. Fort Nelson a-95-J, 94-j-10, between 1986 and 2217 m (6510 and 7270 ft) (Gray and Kassube,
1963).
Lithology: Dark colored argillaceous limestone, often bituminous; grew green, brown and black shale,
variably calcareous, open siliceous.
Thickness and Distribution: As defined by Gray and Kassube (1963) the formation lies within a belt
only a few kilometres wide immediately northwest of the Middle Devonian barrier-complex, from
northeastern British Columbia to Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories. Along its southeastern
margin the formation thickness is approximately equal to the height of the barrier-complex - up to 320
m (1050 ft) in the Fort Nelson area; the formation thins to only a few tens of metres northwestward from
the barrier complex.
Relationship to Other Units: As definer by Gray and Kassube the formation is overlain by the Fort
Simpson Formation and underlain by carbonate rocks equivalent to the Keg River platform (Lonely
Bay, Nahanni, Pine Point formations) This package is equivalent to all of the Middle Devonian barrier
complex, including the Slave Point Formation, and also includes the Muskwa Formation or Member.
Other definitions describe the top of the Horn River Formation as unconformable below the Fort
Simpson Formation (Belyea and Norris, 1962) or below the Muskwa Formation (Griffin, 1965) The
term “Horn River” has also been applied to dark siliceous shales below the Fort Simpson Formation
and above the Nahanni or Hume formations in the Northwest Territories as far north as the Norman
Wells area (Douglas and Norris, 1963; Douglas, 1970); this unit is also known as the Canol Formation,
or Canol-Hare Indian formations undivided.
Paleontology: Brachiopods, conodonts, tentaculitids (Emanuella sp. Leiorhynchus cf. castanea (Meek),
Styliolina sp., Tentaculites sp. (Norris in: Brideaux, 1975), Polygnathus dengleri, P. asymmetricus ovalis
(Fuller and Pollock, 1972)).
References: Belyea and Norris, 1962; Brideaux and Myhr, 1976; Douglas, 1970; Douglas and Norris,
1960, 1963; Fuller and Pollock, 1972; Gray and Kassube, 1963, Griffin, 1965; Law, 1971; Whittaker,
1922: Williams, 1977a, 1977b
GKW; DWM
Horseshoe Canyon Formation (Edmonton Group)
Author: Irish, E.J.W., 1970.
Type Locality: Composite section, continuously exposed along the valley of the Red Deer River
between Sec. 7, Twp. 28, Rge. 18W4M (near the mouth of Willow Creek) and Sec. 7, Twp. 34, Rge.
31W4M (near the mouth of Big Valley Creek), Alberta.
History: The Horseshoe Canyon Formation was proposed by Irish (1970) for the lower part of the
Edmonton Group, equivalent to the lower and middle Edmonton of Allan and Sanderson (1945), and
members A, B and C of the Edmonton Formation of Ower (1960).
Lithology: The formation consists of deltaic and fluvial deposits of interbedded and interlensed fresh
and brackish water sandstone, siltstone and shale. Typical sediments consist of soft grey and greenish
grey, grey and white weathering, fine grained, bentonitic, feldspathic sandstones; silty, grey green and
brown bentonitic shales, coal seams and beds of carbonaceous shale. Included with the above are
less common types, including concretions and beds of hard, brown weathering calcareous sandstone;
thin nodular beds of red-brown weathering ironstone; and thin beds of bentonite. Most beds contain
some bentonite and some beds contain a large amount of it. Near the base of the formation are beds
containing oyster shot forming coquinas in some places. About 183 m (600 ft) above the base of the
formation is Drumheller Member (Drumheller marine tongue) of Allan and Sanderson (1945). This
zone consists of a thin bed or beds of fossiliferous limestone or sandy limestone.
The outstanding features of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation are: (1) the lensing and interfingering of
the strata so that no two sections are identical; (2) the great amount of bentonite in the beds; and (3)
the numerous coal seams or zones (Allan and Sanderson list seams) which are the main markers for
correlating different measured sections.
Thickness and Distribution: Approximately 227 m (45 ft) thick at the proposed type section. Surface
exposures of strata of the Edmonton Croup extend in an arcuate band along the eastern margin of the
Alberta Syncline approximately between 50°N and 60°N. The beds are bounded on the east by the
underlying Bearpaw Formation and on the west by the overlying Paskapoo Formation. The southern
limit of the group occurs in Twps. 13 and 14, where Edmonton strata below the Whitemud Formation
interfinger with beds of the St. Mary River Formation.
Strata of Edmonton age are known to be present in the foothills of Alberta, where they form part of the
Brazeau Formation. In those regions the lithology of the Edmonton equivalents is such that they
cannot be separated satisfactorily from overlying and underlying nonmarine strata. Furthermore,
shales of the underlying Bearpaw Formation are not known to be present in the central and northern
foothills, and neither the overlying Whitemud nor the Battle Formation has been recognized so far
within the faulted and folded strata.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation is gradational with
the underlying Bearpaw shales (Shepheard and Hills, 1970) Where the transition is exposed near the
mouth of the Willow Creek the contact is placed arbitrarily at the base of the first thick, light grey
weathering sandstone unit above the chocolate-brown, sandy shales of the Bearpaw Formation. At
some localities the upper contact is gradational, as on Bow River, where the uppermost bed is a light
grey weathering, argillaceous sandstone or, as on Red Deer River (Sec. 9, Twp. 30, Rge. 21W4),
where light grey weathering grey shale grades upward into white weathering, light green-grey shale
which underlies typical white weathering clayey sandstone of the Whitemud Formation.
The Horseshoe Formation equates with part of the Wapiti Formation of northern Alberta, part of the
Brazeau Formation of the south-central foothills, and part of the St. Mary River Formation and Blood
Reserve Formation of southern Alberta.
References: Allan and Sanderson, 1945; Irish, 1970; Ower, 1960; Selwyn, 1874; Shepheard and Hills,
1970; Tyrell, 1887.
WWS; LVH
Upper Cretaceous
Horsethief Sandstone
American term, used in Glacier County, northwestern Montana for a sandstone overlying the Bearpaw
Formation and underlying the St. Mary River Formation. It represents the west ward extension of the
Fox Hills Formation and is the equivalent of the Blood Reserve Formation in Canada.
JHW; LSR
Upper Proterozoic
Horsethief Creek Group (Windermere Supergroup)
Author: Walker, J.F., (1926).
Type Locality: Horsethief Creek, northwest of Invermere, British Columbia.
Lithology: The Horsethief Creek is a heterogenous assemblage of coarse grained, angular, feldspathic
wackes (“grits”) and immature quartzo-feldspathic conglomerates, plus intercalated argillite and
carbonate. Young et al. (1973) proposed a four-fold subdivision of the Horsethief Creek Group in the
Dogtooth Range near Golden, British Columbia The lowest unit comprises feldspathic grits and
pebble conglomerates, with interbedded grey and black argillite and rare carbonate. In contrast to
underlying polymictic conglomerates of the Toby Formation these conglomerates are texturally mature,
consisting of moderately well to well sorted, subangular to well rounded pebbles of white quartzite,
white to blue (rutilated) quartz and locally abundant creamy white feldspar. Dolomite and argillite
cobbles are common at a few localities. The grit division is succeeded in most areas by a pelitic
division comprising thin beds of siltstone and brown to grey argillite, often graded, together with rare
beds of dolomitic sandstone. The carbonate division overlies the lower pelitic division and is highly
variable in thickness and character. It usually includes colitic and stromatolitic dolomites that
commonly display evidence of early subaerial exposure and erosion, and rarely are included as
blocks in carbonate debris flows. The upper clastic division caps the unit; it contains conglomerates,
grits and argillites similar to those in the lower grit division. North of 51°N they grade up section into
quartzites transitional into the Cambrian Hamill Group. This subdivision appears to be valid throughout
the area of exposure.
Thickness and Distribution: The assemblage occurs mainly in the Purcell Mountains, with partial
sections exposed in the western ranges of the Rocky Mountains. Its thickness is extremely variable,
increasing to the west and north from a combined depositional onlap/erosional limit southeast of
Canal Flats, British Columbia, to 200+ m (656+ ft) in sections in the Stanford Range between Canal
Flats and Invermere (Henderson, 1954). The base is not exposed in these Rocky Mountain exposures.
Within the Purcell Mountains the thickness varies from approximately 1000 m (3280 ft) in the type area
to 1700 to 2000 m (5576 to 6560 ft) in the northern Purcell Mountains (Reesor, 1973). More than 1000
m (3280 ft) are present in the Dogtooth Range, where the base is not exposed. Lis and Price (1976)
estimated 8500 m (27880 ft) in the Kootenay Arc north of the St. Mary Fault and attributed the gross
thickening to syndepositional tectonism associated with the ancestral St. Mary Fault.
Relationship to Other Units: The Horsethief Creek Group conformably overlies the Toby Formation. It is
overlain conformably by Lower Cambrian Hamill Group quartzites north of 51°N, and unconformably
by correlative Lower Cambrian quartzites of the Cranbrook Formation to the south. The upper contact
becomes progressively sharper southward as the Cranbrook Formation progressively oversteps the
Horsethief Creek Group and Toby and Mount Nelson formations. Northwest of Invermere, British
Columbia the Cranbrook Formation is overstepped and a thinned succession of dolomites of the
Cambrian Jubilee Formation unconformably overlies Horsethief Creek strata across the “Windermere
High” (Reesor, 1973). The Horsethief Creek Group is laterally equivalent to parts or all of the Miette
Group of Jasper; the Corral Creek and Hector formations of Bow Valley; the Irene Volcanics, Monk
Formation and Three Sisters Formation in the southern Kootenay Arc; and the Kaza Group, Issac,
Cunningham and Yankee Belle formations of Cariboo Mountains (Young et al., 1973).
References: Evans, 1933; Henderson, 1954; Leech, 1954, 1959; Lis and Price, 1976; Poulton, 1973;
Reesor, 1973; Rice, 1941; Walker, 1926; Young et al., 1973.
WKF, RAP
Late Lower Cambrian
Hota Formation
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1913, p. 338.
Type Locality: Immediately north of Coleman glacier, on a small ridge north of the head of Coleman
Brook, central-western Alberta, 6 km (3.8 mi) northeast of Robson Pass
History: Burring (1923) renamed the Rota Formation in the Mumm Peak section and made it the type
section of the Adolphus. Mountjoy (1962) used the term Hota-Adolphus. Fritz and Mountjoy (1975),
after re-study of all sections abandoned Adolphus for Walcott’s Hota Formation on the basis of
historical priority.
Thickness and Distribution 244 m (800 ft) of “massive-bedded arenaceous limestone in great bands of
light and dark grey color with a band of grew pinkish weathering limestone at the top”.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Mahto Formation and is overlain by the Chetang
Formation along a distinct, sharp contact.
Paleontology. Scattered late Lower Cambrian trilobites throughout belonging to the upper part of the
Bonnia-Olenellus Zone (Fritz and Mountjoy, 1975).
References: Burling, 1923; Fritz and Mountjoy, 1975, Mountjoy, 1962; Walcott, 1913, 1928.
EWM
Upper Cretaceous (Lake Cenomanian)
Howard Creek Member
(Kaskapau Formation, Smoky Group)
Authors: Described by Stelck, C.R. and Wall, J.H. (1954, p. 6) as occurring slightly higher than the
Pouce Coupe Member in the Kaskapau Formation.
Type Locality: Stelck and Wall (1954) indicated that the sand occurs between the depths of 233 and
237 m (763 and 777 ft) in the Imperial Spirit River No. 1 well (in Twp. 78, Rge. 7W6M, Alberta). The
sand also outcrops on Howard Creek (Twp. 79, Rge. 6W6M) to the northwest of Spirit River, Alberta.
Lithology: Originally described as “a bed of buff grey fine to medium-grained, partly glauconitic, shaly
sandstone”.
Thickness and Distribution: Originally stated to be 4.3 m (14 ft). Stelck and Wall (1954) believed that
the sandstone occurs on the east side of the Alberta Syncline in the Peace River area and apparently
has only local extent.
Relationship to Other Units: The Howard Creek sandstones apparently grade laterally into siltstone
and shale southward (Stone 1968). The unit lies within marine shale of the Kaskapau and was
included as part of the Sunkay Member by Stott (1967, 1968). Basal beds of the Kaskapau Formation
apparently grade westerly and northwesterly into deltaic sandstone included in the Dunvegan
Formation (Stelck and Wall, 1955; Stelck, 1962; Stott, 1968; Singh, 1983).
Paleontology: Lies within the interval spanning the zones of Hillites cf. H. seprarianus to
Dunveganoceras cf. D. conditum. Shown by Stelck and Wall (1954) as lying within the foraminiferal
zone of Ammobaculites pacalis.
References: Singh, 1983; Stelck, 1962; Stelck and Wall, 1954; Stott, 1967.
DFS
Lower Cretaceous
Howell Creek Intrusives
Author: Price, R. A., 1962.
Type Locality: Trachyte Ridge, 65 km (40 mi) south of Coleman, Alberta, near the junction of Flathead
River and Howell Creek, in British Columbia.
Lithology: The intrusives consist of plugs or thick sills of trachyte, composed dominantly of sanidine in
the form of phenocrysts and as laths in the matrix. Rhythmic zoning, with repeated overgrowth and
corrosion, commonly with potash enrichment toward the margin is characteristic. Aegirine, melanite
and trace amounts of analcite comprise most of the rest of the rock. Indistinct layering is common and
some of the rocks are intensely altered, with development of reddish secondary albite.
Thickness and Distribution: The individual intrusions range from dykes 1 m (3 ft) thick, to stocks 3 km
(2 mi) in length. The stocks cluster on Trachyte Ridge, a feature about 3 by 15 km (2 by 9 mi) in
dimension, and also occur irregularly further to the west.
Relationship to Other Units: The youngest strata known to be intruded are the lower Blairmore Group.
Middle Blairmore Group strata contain debris from the alkaline rocks, whose age is therefore
stratigraphically fixed. The intrusives form intrusive breccias with a variety of Paleozoic formations.
The Howell Creek intrusives are intrusive equivalents of the Crowsnest Formation. The name has no
formal standing.
Reference: Price, 1962.
KLC
Hubbard Evaporite
(Dawson Bay Formation, Manitoba Group)
Type Locality: California Standard Tidewater Hubbard 1-28-24-10W2M well, in Saskatchewan,

History: Walker (1957) noted “at the top of the Dawson Bay Formation there is ... in a few wells at least,
salt ... present within the anhydrite”. The extent of this salt was mapped and a name designated by
Lane (1959).
Lithology: Halite, colorless to amber, coarsely crystalline, interbedded with green and red dolomite
shales, with thin partings of dolomite and anhydrite.
Thickness and Distribution: Up to 20 m (66 ft) thick, and confined to an area extending from Saskatoon
to near the Manitoba border. Divided into two sub-basins - Hatfield and Hubbard .
Relationship to Other Units: Also known as the DB6 Member (Lane, 1959). The member conformably
overlies carbonates and anhydrite of the Neely Member (Dunn, 1982), and is overlain by dolomitic
mudstones comprising the First Red Beds of the Davidson Member (Souris River Formation).
References: Dunn, 1982, Lane, 1959; Walker, 1957.
CED; KRM
Hulcross Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Author: Stott, D.F., 1958, p. 68.
Type Locality: Because it was poorly exposed in the type region of the Commotion Formation a type
section was designated by Stott (1968, p. 68) on a ridge north of Wolverine River, 55°05’N, 121°23’W,
in the foothills of northeastern British Columbia.
History: Marine shale occurring above the Gates sandstones in northeastern British Columbia was
defined as the Hulcross Member of the Commotion Formation by Stott (1968. p. 68) it was raised to
formational rank by Stott (1982, p. 15) .
Lithology: Consists of rubbly, silty, dark grey to black shale or mudstone (Stott, 1968, 1982: Gibson, in
press, b). The silt content increases upward and thin beds of argillaceous siltstone and platy
sandstone occur in the uppermost part. Reddish brown weathering sideritic concretions are common
to abundant.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation occurs in the foothills of northeastern British Columbia
between Peace and Kakwa rivers. It occurs eastward along Peace River almost to Halfway River,
being well exposed on Maurice Creek opposite Hudson Hope. It increases from a depositional edge
near Kakwa River to 135 m (445 ft) at Dokie Ridge north of Pine River.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies abruptly and probably disconformably on the Gates sandstones. The
upper beds are transitional into the overlying fine grained basal sandstone of the Boulder Creek
Formation. The Hulcross Formation is equivalent to the Harmon Member of the Peace River Formation
of the Peace River Plains, and to the Wildhorn Member of the Scatter Formation of the Liard River
region.
Paleontology: Fauna of the Arcthoplites and Beudanticeras affine Zone were collected from the lower
part of the Hulcross Formation. The upper part of the formation has yielded fauna of the
Pseudopulchellia pattoni and Gastroplites zones of Middle Albian age (Stott, 1968, 1982). The
Haphophragmoides multiplum Zone characterizes a large part of the shale now assigned to the
Hulcross Formation (Caldwell et al., 1978; Stelck et al., 1956, p. 15).
References: Caldwell et al., 1978; Gibson, in press (b); Stelck et al., 1956; Stott, 1968, 1982.
DFS
Hummingbird Till
Type Locality: Immediately below the upper falls on the South Ram River, in Sec. 8, Twp. 36, Rge.
16W5M, Alberta. The principal deposit of the till is located in Sec. 25, Twp. 36, Rge. 16W5M.
History: Name introduced in Ph. D. thesis by Boydell (1972, p. 38) and given formal status by him in
1978.
Lithology: Except where oxidized, a buff to light brown till that is stony but lacks Shield stones;
contains about 36 to 42% carbonate stones; compact and strongly cemented with calcite cement;
locally forms hoodoos.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness not stated, but figure 11 of Boydell (1978) indicates thicknesses
of up to 20 m (66 ft) A till of fragmentary distributional in the Rocky Mountain map-area (Boydell, 1972);
eastern limit not known.
Relationship to Other Units: Shown as overlying bedrock or indurated gravels and sands. Overlain
with erosional unconformity by Lamoral and Jackfish Creek deposits; may be equivalent of the
Baseline Till, or else these two units represent discrete units.
Other Features: Stratigraphy indicates that the unit is of Early Wisconsin or older age. Probably
represents first Rocky Mountain (Cordilleran) advance into region.
References: Boydell 1972, 1978; Harris and Waters, 1977; Roed, 1975.
AMacSS
Middle Ordovician
Ice Box Member (Winnipeg Formation)
Author: McCoy, M R., 1952.
Type Locality: Sections 14 and 23, Twp. 5N, Rge. 3E, about 0.8 km (0.5 mi) west of the junction of U .S.
Highways 14 and 85, in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota .
History: McCoy introduced the Ice Box shale as a formation but Carlson (1960) showed it to be
equivalent to the middle part of the Winnipeg Formation in the subsurface and reduced it to member
status.
Lithology: In the type areas the Ice Box Member is a greenish grey to olive silty shale. It is usually
fissile, occasionally platy or splintery, sod and non-effervescent in HCI. It is characterized in its upper
part by black phosphatic nodules several millimetres in diameter. In North Dakota and Saskatchewan
the member shows occasional sand content as floating grains, stringers or lenses.
Thickness and Distribution: In the type area the member is approximately 11 m (36 ft) thick and
thickens northwards to a maximum of 43 m (141 ft) in the central Williston Basin area. It thins outwards
from there, with a maximum in southeast Saskatchewan of 29 m (95 ft), and thins to zero in the central
and north-central part of the province.
Relationship to Other Units: The member everywhere rests on the Black Island Member or its
equivalents, probably with some disconformity, especially in the periphery of the Williston Roughlock
siltstone, and in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, probably unconformably by the Red River dolomite.
The member correlates in part with the Deer Island Member of Genik (1951).
References: Carlson, 1960; McCoy, 1952; Paterson, 1971.
DFP
Devonian(?)
Ice River Complex
Type Locality: Valley of Ice River, 25 km (15 mi) south of Field, British Columbia.
Lithology: The Ice River complex consists of older, feldspar-free rocks, forming a sill or laccolith
attached to a vertical pipe on Mount Sharp, which are cut by an almost vertical pipe of syenitic rocks.
The older rocks comprise an alkaline pyroxenite pipe which is assumed to be the source of repetitively
layered sequences of ijolite, urtite and carbonatite. Cryptic and rhythmic layering occur throughout the
layered sequence. Sedimentary features (of igneous origin), such as graded bedding and channel
scours are locally present. An elongate plug of strongly foliated ankeritic carbonatite occurring in the
northwestern part of the complex is interpreted to be the result of mechanical concentration of
carbonate during deformation. The syenite complex consists mainly of large, complex perthite crystals
with interstitial nepheline. The more mafic (older) varieties contain titanaugite and kaersutite, but the
younger rocks contain acmitic pyroxene. All varieties contain sodalite. The dyke-suite is varied and
complex, representing all major compositions, with a continued tread to strongly peralkaline residuals
rich in sodalite and/or cancrinite
Thickness and Distribution: The main mass outcrops over a length of 18 km (11 mi). The pipes are
about 3 to 4 km (2 to 2.5 mi) in diameter and the thickness of the layered complex approaches 1000 m
(3280 ft). Alkaline flows related to the Ice River complex occur on Mount Hunter 30 km (18 mi) to the
northwest. Soldalite and cancrinite bearing veins and dykes, presumably related to the Ice River
Complex occur up to 100 km (61 mi) to the northwest, particularly around Mount Laussedat. Alkaline
lamprophyre dykes, possibly correlative occur throughout the same, roughly linear belt.
Relationship to Other Units: The Ice River complex intrudes the Cambrian Chancellor and Ottertail
formations with formation of hornfels. Hornfels and dykes also occur in the Cambro-Ordovician McKay
Group.
The age of the Ice River complex is uncertain. Stratigraphically it is known to be younger than the
McKay Group. Radiometric ages range from 220 to 392 m.y. The most probable age appears to be Late
Devonian or Carboniferous. Parts of the intrusion were probably remobilized during the Laramide
orogeny.
References: Allan, 1914; Currie, 1975; Gussow, 1977; Gussow and Hunt, 1959.
KLC
Upper Triassic
Inga Member (Charlie Lake Formation)
Author: Fitzgerald, E.L., and Peterson, D.J., 1567.
Type Locality: In the Tenneco Canadian Superior et al. Inga d-8-J, 94-A-12 well, in northeastern British
Columbia the Inga Member occupies the cored interval 1595.9 to 1598.8 m (5236 to 5243.3 ft).
Lithology: At the type section the Inga “consists of marine quartzose sandstone which is light grey to
white, fine to medium grained, rounded to well rounded, well sorted, poorly cemented with dolomite,
characteristically friable and slightly anhydritic”.
Thickness and Distribution: The Inga Member is best developed at the Inga field, where its thickness
ranges from 2.4 to 5.2 m (8 to 17 ft). The unit is truncated by the Coplin Unconformity approximately 13
km (8 mi) east of the Inga field and is recognized on subsurface logs, immediately west of its subcrop
edge, from near Dawson Creek northwest to the Jedney field.
Relationship to Other Units: West of its subcrop edge both upper and lower contacts appear generally
conformable. At the Inga field it is overlain by siltstone and underlain by silty dolomite.
References: Fitzgerald and Peterson, 1967, Hess, 1968; Torrie, 1973.
KAM
Lower and Upper (?) Silurian (Llandoverian, Ludlovian?, Wenlockian)
Interlake Group (Formation)
Author: Baillie, A.D., 1951.
Type Locality: Interlake area of Manitoba. Suggested reference outcrop core hole, Manitoba Core Hole
M-4-80, Steeprock North, in 10-3-29-1OWPM, between 16.6 and 121.2 m (55 and 398 ft).
History: Baillie (1951) defined the Interlake as all Silurian strata overlying the Ordovician Stony
Mountain Formation and underlying the Devonian Ashern Formation. He subdivided the Interlake into
a lower unit, the Stonewall Formation and a series of informal units, designated in ascending
sequence as B. C, D and E. Stearn (1956) determined that the Stonewall type section was Ordovician
in age and therefore removed the Stonewall from the Interlake Group. Stearn also proposed formal
subdivision of the Interlake into, in ascending sequence the Fisher Branch, Inwood, Moose Lake,
Atikameg, East Arm and Cedar Lake formations. Brindle (1960) suggested that the upper part of the
Stonewall, above a medial argillaceous marker bed is possibly Silurian in age. McCabe (1980), on the
basis of detailed correlations of marker beds in a series of stratigraphic core holes suggested that
Stearn’s correlation of the Inwood Formation was incorrect and that the Inwood should be abandoned
because the type Inwood appears to be stratigraphically equivalent to the Atikameg and Moose Lake
formations.
Lithology: Primarily pale yellowish grey to yellowish brown, very finely crystalline to sublithographic
dolomites, with coarse fossil fragmental, oolitic, stromatolitic and biohermal interbeds. Within lower
Interlake strata (Fisher Branch, Inwood, Moose Lake, Atikameg and East Arm) the relatively
monotonous dolomite sequence is interrupted by a series of argillaceous and/or silty to sandy beds
(non-sequences, Porter and Fuller, 1959) that are remarkably extensive and can be correlated
throughout much of the Williston Basin.
Thickness and Distribution: Extends throughout the Williston Basin area. Thickness ranges from about
50 to 110 m (164 to 361 ft) in the Manitoba outcrop belt to 335 m (1100 ft) in the central portion of the
basin in North Dakota
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies sharply, and possibly with slight disconformity the dolomites of
the Stonewall Formation, and is overlain with gentle angular unconformity by the red shales and
argillaceous dolomites of the Devonian Ashern Formation. In the subsurface subdivision of the
Interlake is difficult, and alternative Subdivisions have been proposed: Strathclair, Brandon, Cedar
Lake (King, 1964); Lower, Middle and Upper Interlake (Porter and Fuller, 1958, 1959); Rupert, Hansen,
Risser (Saskatchewan Geological Society, 1958); and Strathclair, Fife Lake, Guernsey, Cedar Lake
and Taylorton (Jamieson, 1979). In some areas the term Interlake is used as a formation rather than
group (Haidl, 1987).
References. Baillie, 1951; Haidl, 1987, 1988; Jamieson, 1979; Johnson and Lescinsky, 1986; King,
1964; LoBue, 1982; Magathan, 1987; McCabe, 1980; Osadetz and Haidl, 1989; Porter and Fuller,
1958, 1959; Roehl, 1967; Saskatchewan Geological Society, 1958; Stearn, 1956.
HRM, FMH
Inwood Formation (Interlake Group)
Type Locality: Building Products and Lime Company Quarry, 1 km (0.6 mi) north of Inwood, Manitoba
(Lsd. 4, Sec. 4, Twp. 11, Rge. 1WPM). Stearn indicated that only a part of the lower member is exposed
as this locality.
Lithology: Stearn subdivided the Inwood into two units. In the south Interlake area the lower unit
consists of pale yellowish grey to white, very fine grained to aphanitic, thin bedded, in part
stromatolitic dolomite and associated intra-formation breccias. In places faintly laminated domes
several feet across are flanked by fragmental fossiliferous dolomites. A single small coral bioherm was
noted. The upper unit consists of massive to thick bedded, fossiliferous calcarenite. To the north, at
Grand Rapids a silty marker beds occurs at the top of the Inwood, and the lower 9 m (30 ft) consists of
soft, earthy, highly argillaceous, fossiliferous dolomite. Some question exists as to the precise
correlation of the two outcrop areas, and considerable difference in lithology of the lower Inwood is
evidence between the northern and southern areas of occurrence.
Thickness and Distribution: Stearn reported a total thickness of 12.8 m (42 ft) at Grand Rapids, and
indicated a comparable thickness for the southern Interlake area Outcrops are limited because of the
generally recessive nature of the unit, but occur from the Inwood Quarry area as far north as Lake St.
Martin. The only other occurrence reported by Stearn is at Grand Rapids, but core hole data and
subsequent mapping indicate that the Inwood occurs throughout the Manitoba outcrop belt, although
differentiation between the Inwood and overlying Moose Lake is not always possible. The name is
applied only in the outcrop belt of southwestern Manitoba.
Relationship to Other Units: The contact of the Inwood Formation with the underlying fossiliferous
dolomite of the Fisher Branch Formation is sharp but conformable; the contact with the overlying
aphanitic Moose Lake Dolomite is conformable and transitional. In the subsurface of southwestern
Manitoba and Saskatchewan equivalent strata comprise a portion of the lower Interlake Group of
Porter and Fuller (1959), or the upper part of the Strathclair and the lower part of the Brandon
Formation of the Interlake Group (King in: Cowan, 1971). The sandy, argillaceous marker at the top of
the Inwood Formation probably correlates with the U-marker of Porter and Fuller, 1959.
References: Baillie, 1951; King, in: Cowan, 1971; Porter and Fuller, 1959; Stearn, 1956.
HRM
Lower Cretaceous
Inyan Kara Group
Author: Rubey, W.W., 1531.
Type Locality: Inyan Kara Creek, Crook County, Wyoming (Twps. 49-52N, Rges. 64-66W).
Lithology: Group comprises (oldest to youngest) the Lakota-Fuson and Fall River formations of the
Black Hills region of South Dakota.
The Lakota-Fuson Formation consists of lenticular beds of sandstone, claystone and siltstone and,
locally a few thin beds of limestone and coal. In the northern Black Hills cliff forming strata ranging in
thickness from 0.1 to 30 m (0.3 to 98 ft) and consisting of light to light yellowish grey locally cross-
bedded, fine grained, well sorted and friable sandstone, with stringers and lenses of chert and
claystone conglomerate characterizing the basal unit. Green, red, grey and purplish grey claystones
and sandy mudstones form the upper beds (Robinson et al., 1964).
The Fall River Formation comprises interbedded light grey to tan sandstones, grey siltstone and dark
grey shale and carbonaceous shale. Includes also woody fragments concentrated along bedding
planes and disseminated in the sandstone. Marine fossils are reported from the upper 6 m (20 ft) as
well as bioturbation forms. Thickness of formation is of the order of 36 to 45 m (188 to 148 ft).
Thickness and Distribution: A Williston Basin Formation, the Inyan Kara is traceable across North
Dakota into the Mannville of southern Saskatchewan and west in the Kootenai of Montana. Thickness
is of the order of 45 to 105 m (148 to 345 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies unconformably the Jurassic Sundance and Morrison formations
and is overlain by the Albian Joli Fou-Skull Creek Shale. The term is not now in general use in
Canada.
References: Robinson, Mapel and Bergendahl, 1964; Rubey, 1931.
JEC
Ireton Formation (Woodbend Group)
Author: Geological Staff, Imperial Oil Ltd., 1950.
Type Locality: Type well B.A. Pyrcz No. 1, in 12-25-50-26W4M, in central Alberta, between 1544 and
1624 m (5065 and 5327 ft) partially cored. This ‘on-reef’’ section includes only the upper Ireton, and a
more representative “off-reef” section is present in Imperial Labyrinth Lake 15-14-48-23W4M, between
1558 and 1684 m (5110 and 5525 ft), continuously cored.
History: Named after the railway siding of Ireton at the south end of the Leduc-Woodbend field.
Originally proposed as a member of the then Woodbend Formation. Elevation of this formation to
group status, proposed by Andrichuk and Wonfor (1954, p. 2505), resulted in the Ireton attaining
formational status.
Lithology: Divided into three informal divisions on the basis of lithology. The upper Ireton consists of
interbedded, fossiliferous, calcareous grey-green shales and argillaceous limestones. Fossil material
is generally present in thin coquinas, and rare silt horizons may exhibit small scale cross-bedding. A
number of discontinuity surfaces are present within the sequence, evidence of early lithification. This
unit is extensively dolomitized and in places includes a 20 m (66 ft) thick dolomitic carbonate unit
referred to as the Camrose Member. The middle Ireton is composed of slightly calcareous, fissile, grey-
green shale, with occasional thin (25 cm, 10 in) beds of calcirudite which contain abundant skeletal
material and lithoclasts. The lower Ireton is made up of massive, dense, nodular and banded
limestones with minor calcareous shale partings, interbedded with grey-green, calcareous, fissile
shale.
Broadly sigmoidal log marker surfaces present within the sequence reflect preserved depositional
topography and cross the lithologic divisions outlined above. These three lithologic divisions represent
deposition in platform, slope and basinal settings respectively.
Thickness and Distribution: Present throughout most of central Alberta, the Ireton ranges in thickness
from less than 3 m (10 ft) “on-reef” to 250 m (820 ft) in basinal areas. The upper Ireton averages 15 to
20 m (49 to 66 ft), the middle Ireton 120 m (394 ft), and the lower Ireton 30 m (98 ft).
In the East Shale Basin the unit averages 150 m (492 ft), thickening westwards as the underlying
Duvernay thins. In the West Shale Basin it thickens to over 250 m (820 ft). On the southern Alberta
Woodbend shelf it is present as a thin development which may extend into Saskatchewan. To the
northeast it is truncated in the subsurface by the pre-Cretaceous unconformity.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Duvernay Formation, the contact often being
facies controlled, with Duvernay sediments being the deep water equivalent of slope and platform
deposits of the Ireton. This thick shale development represents regressive infilling of basinal areas
between Leduc carbonate buildups that proceeded from southeast to northwest. It is conformably
overlain in the East Shale Basin by platform carbonates of the Nisku Formation, and Nisku or
Winterburn shale equivalents in the West Shale Basin. Further northwards Ireton shales thin into
lower portions of the lithologically similar Fort Simpson Shales.
Paleontology: Upper Ireton: diverse benthonic fauna of ostracods, crinoids, gastropods, bryozoa,
corals and brachiopods (csp. spiriferids), along with a pelagic fauna of conodonts, tentaculitids and
foraminifera. Bioturbation is common. Middle Ireton: sparse benthonic fauna present in debris lenses
and thought to be shelf-derived. Bioturbation is abundant. Some scattered pelagic forms. Lower Ireton:
scattered pelagic forms, with bioturbation generally absent.
References: Andrichuk and Wonfor, 1954; Belyea, 1964; McCrossan, 1961; Newland, 1954; Oliver and
Cowper, 1963; Stoakes, 1979.
FAS
Late Wisconsinan
Irvine Bed (Glacier Peak Tephra)
Author: Westgate, J.A. and Evans, M.E., 1978.
Type Locality: Near Irvine, southeastern Alberta, in Lsd. 8, Sec. 29, Twp. 12, Rge. 2W4M.
Lithology: Volcanic tephra in sand, silt and clay.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is 2 cm (0.8 in) in southeastern Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: Present between underlying ablation till and overlying lacustrine silts
exposed in a road cut within the Walsh (Oldman) Drift.
Reference: Westgate and Evans, 1978.
RWK
Permian
Ishbel Group
Author: McGugan, A. and Rapson, J.E., 1961b, 1963b, p. 56.
Type Locality: Type section of Ishbel Group not specified: Composite. See Belcourt, Johnston Canyon,
Telford, Ross Creek, Ranger Canyon and Mowitch Formations. Type section of Ishbel Formation, as
originally defined, on the west flank of Mount Ishbel (51°16’N, 115°47’W).
History: McGugan and Rapson (1961b) proposed the name Ishbel Formation for the upper part of the
Norquay Formation in the Banff area and divided the formation into upper (now Ranger Canyon
Formation) and lower (now Johnston Canyon Formation) Ishbel. Subsequent work by these
investigators in the Crowsnest area revealed the presence of Permian rocks younger than the lower
Ishbel Formation. These were named the middle Ishbel Formation, (now Telford Formation) (McGugan
and Rapson, 1962, p. 357), and the upper and lower Ishbel Formation in the Banff area were found to
be separated by an unconformity. Later work in the Crowsnest area on Telford Creek Ridge (McGugan,
1963, p. 623) revealed a thick sequence of Permian rocks (subsequently named the Ross Creek
Formation} overlying the middle Ishbel Formation and overlain by the upper Ishbel Formation.
McGugan and Rapson (1963b) raised the Ishbel Formation to Croup status and divided it into the
Belcourt, Johnston Canyon, Telford, Ross Creek, Ranger Canyon and Mowitch formations.
Lithology: Various lithologies representing Phosphoria Formation (northwestern U.S.A.) depositional

conditions in western Canada. Comprises several formations, in ascending order:
Belcourt Formation: Grey and brown silty dolomite with chert nodules; Wapiti Lake area of northeast
British Columbia, north-central foothills; probably homotaxial with phosphatic shaly
siltstone and silty fossiliferous limestone of informal Mount Greene beds to north in Pine
Pass and Peace River area.
Johnston Canyon Formation: Dark grey, rhythmic sequence of shaly phosphate siltstones, calcareous
siltstones and silty carbonates in the southern Rockies.
Telford Formation: Light grey cliff forming, fine and coarse grained sandy limestones and dolomites in
Ross Creek Formation: Dark grey, recessive phosphatic, shaly siltstones, calcareous siltstones, silty
carbonates, phosphatic coquinas in southeastern British Columbia.
Ranger Canyon Formation: Dark chert complex with thin, phosphate basal conglomerate. Remnants
of silicified sandstone, phosphatic siltstone and evaporites throughout the front ranges of
the Rocky Mountains of Alberta and east-central British Columbia.
Mowitch Formation: Coarse grey and brown sandstone with wind blown gypsum in north-central
Rockies.
Fantasque Formation: Rhythmically bedded, spicular chert, shale and siltstone, with a thin basal lag
deposit of phosphate and chert nodules and pebbles in northeastern British Columbia.
Belloy Formation: Carbonates and sandstones in the subsurface of west-central Alberta and
Kindle Formation: Siltstone, shale and subordinate silty carbonates north of Pine Pass, in the northern
Rocky Mountains and southern Mackenzie Fold Belt.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum thickness of 427 m (1401 ft) at Telford Creek Ridge,
southeastern British Columbia. Minimum thickness 0.3 m (1 ft) or less in easternmost front range
conglomeratic condensed feather-edge deposits. Widely distributed in all front range sections from the
Flathead area in the south to the Peace River area in the north. Absent in the foothills subsurface
except for the homotaxial Belloy Formation of the Peace River area.
Relationship to Other Units: Unconformably overlies Lower Pennsylvanian Tunnel Mountain clastics in
southern and western sections of the front ranges of the Rocky Mountains, and Middle Pennsylvanian
Kananaskis silty dolomites in the Kananaskis, Spray and Sand areas (central front ranges).
Disconformably overlies Upper Mississippian (and locally, perhaps Lower Pennsylvanian) rocks in the
Jasper and Peace River areas. Overlain unconformably by the Triassic Spray River Group. Partly
equivalent to the Phosphoria Formation of Montana and Idaho.
Paleontology: Scattered occurrences of brachiopods, fusulinaceans, corals, bryozoa, crinoids and

Helicoprion (see Logan and McGugan, 1968) and conodonts (see Henderson and McGugan, 1986).
References: Henderson, 1989; Henderson et al., in press; Henderson and McGugan, 1983, 1985,
1986; Logan and McGugan, 1968; McGugan, 1961, 1963, 1983, 1984; McGugan and Rapson, 1961b,
1963a, 1963b, 1979; McGugan and Rapson-McGugan, 1971, 1972: McGugan et al., 1964; MacRae
and McGugan, 1977; McGugan and Spratt, 1981.
AM, CMH
Island River Member (Invalid)
Type Locality: Derived from Imperial Island River No. 1 well, in 60°09’29”N, 121°08’16”W, Northwest
Territories, between 1560.6 and 1575.8 m (5120 and 5170 ft). (Belyea and MacLaren, 1962; Law,
1971).
Lithology: Fossiliferous limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: Over wide areas maintains a thickness of 10 to 20 m (33 to 67 ft), but at its
westerly margin expands to 100 m (328 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: In the type well the Island River is identical to the Jean Marie Member of
the Redknife Formation, which has priority because of formal publication (Belyea and McLaren, 1962).
References: Belyea and McLaren, 1962; Law, 1971.
PFM
Islay Member (Mannville Formation) (Disused)
Author: Nauas, A W., 1945 .
Type Locality: Type section is in the Northwest Mannville No. 1 well, in 1-18-50-8W4M, Alberta,
between 614 and 643 0 m (2015 and 2115 ft).
Cretaceous Formations (McMurray, Clearwater and Grand Rapids) exposed in the valleys of the
Clearwater and Athabasca Rivers of central eastern Alberta The type section of the Mannville is in the
northwest Mannville No. 1 well, between 560 and 704 m (1833 and 2308 ft) Six members were
designated (oldest to youngest): Dina, Dummings, Islay, Tovell, Borradaile and O’Sullivan. Only the
first two of these divisions and names have come into general usage.
Lithology: Unconsolidated quartzose sand, well sorted, rounded and somewhat frosted with accessory
dark minerals; coal seams in upper part. Thickness ranges from 0 to 18 m (0 to 59 ft).
JEC
Jackfish Creek Till
Type Locality: Not stated, but probably intended to be along Jackfish Creek, near where it is crossed
by David Thompson Highway in Sec. 32, Twp. 40, Rge. 11W5M, Alberta.
History: Name informally introduced in Ph.D thesis (Boydell, 1972, p. 51) and changed to Jackfish Till
in Boydell et al. (1974), where it was used solely in map legend. The name Jackfish Till was applied
by Ford (1975, p. 76) to an entirely different unit, and his formal usage would appear to pre-empt the
informal usage of Boydell. In giving the unit a formal description Boydell (1978) reverted to the original
name of Jackfish Creek
Lithology: A till with strong regional variations, ranging from silty to sandy, with matrix carbonate
content ranging from 20 to 50%. Stone lithology also variable, but stones mostly carbonates and
quartzites with a lesser, but changeable content of Mesozoic sandstones from near Brazeau and Ram
ranges; lacks Shield stones; heavy minerals reflect regional characteristics; varies in color from light to
dark buff and greyish brown, depending partly on degree of weathering.
Thickness and Distribution: Stated thicknesses range from thin and patchy to 33 m (108 ft) widespread
in western two-thirds of Rocky Mountain House map-area, where it forms the principal glacial deposit,
but restricted to altitudes below 1660 m (5445 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Rests on bedrock, or locally on glacial-lake materials laid down during
Lamoral ice advance, or else on Hummingbird and Lamoral Tills (Boydell, 1978, figure 11). Overlain
by glacial-lake deposits, outwash or exposed to surface; westward can grade laterally and vertically
into gravels; the eastern contact with the Athabasca Till poorly defined. Correlates with the Marlboro
and Raven Creek tills (Reed, 1975, p 1513), or with the Obed Till (Boydell, 1978, Table 3); these latter
names would have priority over Jackfish Creek; can be traced directly to Elkton Creek Till.
The unit was deposited by the last Cordilleran (Rocky Mountain) ice-advance in the Rocky Mountain
House map-area, near the time the Athabasca and Sylvan Lake tills were being deposited by
Laurentide ice farther east; assigned a Classical Wisconsin age by Boydell (p. 31).
References: Boydell, 1970, 1972, 1978; Ford, 1975; Harris and Waters, 1977; Roed, 1975.
AMacSS
Precambrian (Hadrynian) or Lower Cambrian
Jasper Formation (Series)
Author: Allan, J.A. et al. (1912, p. 231).
Type Locality: South slope of Kinross Mountains 52°56’N, 118°9’W, 9 km (5.5 mi) northeast of Jasper,
Alberta (lower member); south slope of Pyramid Mountain, 52°56.5’N, 118°8’W, 9 km (5.5 mi) north-
northwest of Jasper (upper member).
History: In 1932 Allan et al. described a succession of quartzites, argillites, breccias and slates from
near Jasper which they named the Jasper Series; the name Jasper Formation was subsequently used
by Charlesworth et al., (1967) to refer to a sandy unit at the base of the Gog Group near Jasper.
Lithology: Brown to light grey well sorted, feldspathic (K-feldspar) pebbly sandstone and conglomerate
with thin siltstones and argillites.
Thickness and Distribution: 500 m (1640 ft) at the type locality; observed only there.
Relationship to Other Units: Although readily distinguishable from the argillites and slates of the
underlying upper Miette Group and from the quartites of the main part of the Gog Group, whether or not
the Jasper Formation is conformable or disconformable with these units is uncertain; it has been
assigned to the Gog Group (Lower Cambrian) by Charlesworth et al, 1967 on account of its sandy
nature.
References: Allen et al., 1932; Charlesworth et al., 1967.
GM
Jasper Lake Member (Shunda Formation) (Obsolete)
Author: Hawryszko, J.W. and Hamilton, R S., 1964.
Type Locality: Mount Greenock, in the Jasper Lake area, west-central Alberta.
Lithology: The Jasper Lake Member is composed of coarsely crystalline dolomite which apparently
replaced original grain supported echinoderm (crinoidal) limestones.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is approximately 61 m (200 ft) at the type section, which
constitutes a local development only; no significant areal distribution has been presented.
Relationship to Other Units: The Jasper Lake Member is a local development of typical Turner Valley
Formation lithology within the uppermost Shunda Formation. The crinoidal, coarse crystalline dolomite
of the Jasper Lake Member is differentiated below and laterally by the lump-pellet and dismicrite
dolomites of the Shunda, and is limited upward by the finer crystallinity of the overlying Turner Valley
(Debolt) beds. Jasper Lake beds have sometimes been mapped as part of the Turner Valley sequence.
Reference: Hawryszko and Hamilton, 1964.
GM
Jean Marie (Utahn) Member
Author: Belyea, H.R. and McLaren, D.J., 1962
Type Locality: Table Rock on Trout River, District of Mackenzie; supplementary section in Briggs Turkey
Lake No. 1 well, 61°07’30”N, 120°22’30”W. between 228.6 and 237.7 m (750 and 780 ft).
Lithology: Limestone, variably argillaceous, silty and dolomitic, biostromal in part.
Thickness and Distribution: Usually about 15 m (46 ft) thick, but buildups along its Western limit reach
90 m (275 ft) in thickness. Outcrops south of the Mackenzie River between Kakisa Lake and the
Blackstone River. Widespread in the subsurface of northwestern Alberta, northeastern British
Columbia and southern Northwest Territories. Tentatively correlated with a similar limestone in the
Camsell Bend map-area (Douglas and Norris, 1960, 1974).
Relationship to Other Units: The basal member of the Redknife Formation. In the type area the Jean
Marie overlies the Fort Simpson Formation; farther southeast it overlies the Tathlina Formation. The
member shales out to the west, approximately along 122°W.
Paleontology: Brachiopods and corals (Crytospirifer sp., Grunewaldtia sp., “Hexagonaria cf. magna
(Fenton and Fenton)” of Smith (1945), Phacellophyllum tructense McLaren, Theodossia sp.
References: Belyea and McLaren, 1962; Douglas, 1959, 1973; Douglas and Norris, 1960, 1974; Law,
1971.
GKW; DWM
Jefferson Formation (Obsolete)
Jefferson Group (Revised)
Author: Peale, A.C., 1893. Revised by Sandberg, C.A and Hammond, C.R., 1958.
Type Locality: Exposed in the hills on both sides of the Missouri River, just below the junction of the
Three Forks of the Missouri, and on both sides of the Jefferson River a few kilometres above its mouth,
in the Three Forks quadrangle, southwestern Montana. Standard Subsurface Section: Mobile
Producing Co. No. 1 Birdbear well, in C SENW Sec. 22, Twp. 149N, Rge. 91W, Dunn County, North
Dakota, between 3142.5 and 3274.5 m (10310 and 10400 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Jefferson Group in the subsurface of the Williston Basin east of
111°W includes all beds overlying the Souris River Formation and underlying the Three Forks
Formation. The group is divided into the Duperow Formation and the overlying Birdbear Formation.
The Jefferson Group is correlative with the Saskatchewan Group in Saskatchewan, and with the
Fairholme Group in southern Alberta. The old term “Jefferson Formation” is no longer recognized in the
western Canada Sedimentary Basin
References: Belyea and McLaren, 1957; Kent, 1968; Sandberg and Hammond, 1958.
IW
Lower Permian (?Upper Sakmarian-Artinskian)
Johnston Canyon Formation
(Ishbel Group)
Author: McGugan, A. and Rapson. J E., 1963b, p. 56.
Type Locality: West Flank of Mount Ishbel, Sawback Range, Banff National Park. Sec. 4, McGugan
and Rapson, 1961b (51°16’N, 115°47’W)
History: McGugan and Rapson (1961b) proposed the name Ishbel Formation for the upper part of the
Norquay formation in the Band area and divided the formation into upper Ishbel and lower Ishbel. The
lower Ishbel was subsequently named Johnston Canyon Formation when the Ishbel was raised to
group status.
Lithology: Dark grey rhythmic sequence of shaly phosphate siltstones, calcareous siltstones and silty
carbonates, with quartz vugs on bedding planes. Abundant black, spicular chert nodules and burrow
fillings. Silicified limestone lens with fusulinaceans and other biota at Crossing Creek (Section 26,
McGugan et al., 1964).
Thickness and Distribution: 57 m (187 ft) at the type section; maintains this thickness over most of the
area from Crowsnest Pass to the Banff area. Apparently merges into thin, easternmost front range
conglomeratic condensates in the southern Rockies. Absent in the foothills subsurface, except for the
homotaxial Belloy Formation of the Peace River subsurface. Not recognized north of Mount Malloch,
Clearwater River Section 86 (McGugan et al., 1964), although may be age equivalent to the lower part
of the Mount Greene beds near Peace River (McGugan, 1967), and part of unit C, Chowade Group
(Hovdebo, 1962).
Relationship to Other Units: Paraconformably overlies Middle Pennsylvanian Kananaskis Formation

where that formation is present. Overlies Lower Pennsylvanian Tunnel Mountain Formation in the
westerly front ranges. Unconformably overlain by Ranger Canyon Formation with basal conglomerate
everywhere except on Telford Creek Ridge, southeastern British Columbia (McGugan, 1963;
McGugan and Rapson, 1963b), where it is overlain in conformable transition by the Telford Formation
Homotaxial in part with the Belcourt Formation, Mount Greene beds and Kindle Formation of the
northern Rocky Mountains and foothills, as well as part of the Belloy Formation of the Peace River
embayment. A unit lithologically similar, but older (Asselian) than the type Johnston Canyon, it
underlies the Telford Formation at the Telford thrust plate section where it is referred to as the Johnston
Canyon Formation (“Johnston Canyon Formation” in Henderson, 1989).
Paleontology: Typified by occurrence of Zoophycos and spicular chert nodules. Fusulinaceans in

silicified limestone lens at Crossing Creek (Sec. 26, McGugan et al., 1964). Conodonts from various
sections from southeastern British Columbia to the type section in the Band area have been
recovered, indicating a late Sakmarian? to Artinskian age.
References: Henderson, 1939; Henderson et al, in press; Henderson and McGugan, 1986: Hovdebo,
1962; MacRae and McGugan, 1977; McGugan, 1974; McGugan et al., 1964; McGugan and Rapson,
1961b, 1963a, b.
AM, CMH
Joli Fou Formation (Colorado Group)
Type Locality: Along the Athabasca River, between Pelican Rapids and 8 km (5 mi) downstream from
Joli Fou Rapids. Joli Fou Section No. 1 is located about 5.5 km (3.4 mi) below Joli Fou Rapids, in NW/
4 Sec. 22, or SW/4 Sec. 27, Twp. 81, Rge. 17W4M. Joli Fou Section No. 2 is in the north-central part of
a series of exposures some 61 m (200 ft) east of the river in the west-central part of Sec. 33, Twp. 82,
Rge. 17W4M. Joli Fou Section No. 3 is in an exposure about 8 km (5 mi) downstream from Joli Fou
Rapids, on the east side of the valley in NW/4 Sec. 35, Twp 82, Rge 17W4M, some 42.7 m (140 ft)
above the river
History: Originally designated Pelican shale by McConnell (1892), which usage was continued by
McLearn (1917). The name was changed by Wickenden (1949) to avoid confusion with the overlying
Pelican sandstone succession
Lithology: Dark grey, noncalcareous shale, with minor interbedded fine and medium grained
sandstone. The sandstone occurs as lenses, commonly a few millimetres thick and as graded layers
up to several centimetres in thickness, composed of horizontal or very gently inclined laminae.
Bioturbated, shaly sandstones form scarce layers several centimetres thick in the upper part of the unit
the interbedded sandstone is quartzose and micaceous, while near the base glauconitic sandstone
and quartz arenite are common. Subordinate lithologies include bentonite, pelecypod coquinas,
nodular phosphorite and concretionary layers of calcite, siderite and pyrite. In central Saskatchewan
the unit consists of interbedded glauconitic sandstone and noncalcareous mudstone of the Spinney
Hill Sandstone, overlain by northward thinning Joli Fou shales of much reduced thickness. The Joli
Fou Formation includes, at its base the interbedded shady sandstone, siltstone and mudstone of the
Cessford (Basal Colorado) Sand in southeastern Alberta.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is about 33 5 m (110 ft) thick in the Athabasca River exposures,
thinning to about 10.7 m (35 ft) to the south of the Lesser Slave Lake area and to about 16.8 m (55 ft) in
the Redwater area. The Joli Fou Formation attains a thickness of about 61 m (200 ft) in south-central
Saskatchewan. The sequence pinches out in the Rocky Mountain Foothills of southern Alberta, where
it is replaced by the lowermost sandstones of the Bow Island Formation. The unit is of widespread
distribution in the subsurface of the Western Canada sedimentary basin.
Relationship to Other Units: The Joli Fou Formation is the basal unit of the Colorado Group. In
northeastern Alberta it rests on the Grand Rapids Formation of the Mannville Group and is overlain by
the Pelican Formation in southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan. Joli Fou shales rest
disconformably on the Pense Formation and equivalent sandstones, marking the top of the Blairmore-
Mannville-Swan River sequence, and are overlain by sandstones of the Bow Island-Viking
succession. The Viking-Joli Fou contact is a disconformity in west-central Saskatchewan. Where the
Viking Formation is absent in parts of southern Saskatchewan the Joli Fou and Big River formations
form a sequence of undifferentiated lower Colorado shale. In central Saskatchewan the top of the Joli
Fou Formation is defined by a sharp contact with the overlying Flotten Lake Sand. The Joli Fou
Formation corresponds to the lower part of the lower Ashville succession (Skull Creek Member) in
southern Manitoba and is equivalent to the Skull Creek Shale of north-central Montana and North
Dakota. It is equivalent to the Taft Hill and Flood members of the Blackleaf Formation of northern
Montana.
References: Badgley, 1952; Caldwell et al, 1978; Christopher, 1974; Jones, 1961a, 1961b, Maycock,
1967; McConnell, 1893; McLearn, 1917; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; Price, 1963; Simpson, 1975,
1980; Simpson and O’Connell, 1979; Stelck et al., 1956; Wickenden, l949
FS
Proterozoic and (?)Lower Cambrian
Jonas Creek Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Hughes, R.D., 1955.
Type Locality: Not specified. The formation is described as forming Endless Chain Ridge and
occurring in Le Grand Brazeau, Jasper National Park, Alberta.
History: Hughes (1955) was aware of the quartzite-dominated Fort Mountain-Lake Louise-St. Piran
succession (now Gog Group) of the Lake Louise area, but did not give his reasons for erecting a new,
equivalent formation in the Sunwapta Pass area. It is clear that the Jonas Creek corresponds to the
Gog Group of recent usage. This is confirmed by Hughes’s identification of Endless Chain Ridge as
supported by the Jonas Creek; northward the quartzites of Endless Chain Ridge pass into the lower
part of the section of Mount Kerkeslin, where they form the lower part (McNaughton Formation of the
succession McNaughton-Mural-Mahto-Hota (Peyto) exposed in that mountain (Palonen, 1976). The
name Jonas Creek has not been used outside the Sunwapta Pass area
Lithology: Quartzites, with minor lenses of shale and bands of conglomerate.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness in the type area is about 1500 m (4920 ft) (Hughes, 1955).
The formation has not been recognized nor mapped as such outside the Sunwapta Pass area mapped
by Hughes.
Relationship to Other Units: The base was reported as conformable with the Hector Formation
(Hughes, 1955). The top was reported as conformable with the Mount Whyte Formation, but it is clear
that the “Mount Whyte’’ of Hughes included the Peyto Formation of the Gog Croup.
Hughes collected an “Olenellus-Paedeumias” trilobite assemblage from the Peyto Formation (Peyto
limestone member) immediately above the Jonas Creek and recognized that the dominant rock types
of the Jonas Creek were unfavourable for the occurrence of fossils. Because of the “conformable”
contact with the Hector Formation (Precambrian) beneath Hughes considered the lower part of the
Jonas Creek to be Precambrian, and the upper part possibly to include Lower Cambrian strata. The
Jonas Creek is now recognized as the Gog Group and to be entirely Lower Cambrian.
References: Hughes, 1955; Palonen, 1976
JDA
Cambrian
Jubilee Formation
Author: Evans, C. S., 1933; p. 124-125.
Type Locality: By implication Jubilee Mountain, in the Rocky Mountain Trench between Radium
Junction and Golden, at 50°57’N, 116°30’W.
Lithology: Dolomite. In some areas a lower division is well bedded and aphanitic to very finely
crystalline, and an upper division is less well bedded and fine to coarse crystalline.
Thickness and Distribution: 610 m (2000 ft) thick at the type section, and up to 1181 m (3874 ft) in the
Hughes Range. Present in outcrops along the Rocky Mountain Trench and in the ranges immediately
east of the Trench, from near Fort Steele northward to Jubilee Mountain.
To the extent that the Jubilee corresponds to the Ottertail Formation the unit extends eastward to the
Cambrian facies change and northward to beyond the Blueberry River.
Relationship to Other Units: Not all carbonate strata presently mapped as Jubilee Formation are fully
understood as to their age and relationships. In the northern part of its extend the unfossiliferous
Jubilee is overlain (apparently conformably) by the Cambro-Ordovician McKay Group, and overlies
unconformably strata ranging in age from upper Purcell (Precambrian) to late Early Cambrian.
Correlation of the Jubilee with the Ottertail Formation is reasonable, but not proven.
References: Evans, 1933; Leech, 1960, Norris and Price, 1966; Reesor, 1973.
JDA; LVH
Judith River Formation
Author: Hayden, F.V, 1871; Meek, F.B., 1876.
Type Locality: Badlands area bordering Judith River near its confluence with the Missouri River in
Montana (47°40’N, 109°39’W).
Lithology: Predominantly interbedded mudstone, siltstone and sandstone in varying proportions. Coal,
bentonite and mollusc coquinas are minor but prominent constituents in part. Lower beds often darker
colors (yellows and browns), upper part lighter, grey to white. Generally recessive, but coarser
sandstone beds often well indurated and form resistant ribs. Lateral variability in proportion and
character of lithologies is characteristic. Coal is confined to the lower 100 to 150 m (328 to 492 ft) and
to the upper 25 m (82 ft) of the formation.
Thickness and Distribution: Extends from the United States border to about 54°N in the Edmonton
area and from the eastern margin of the foothills in southwestern Alberta to central Saskatchewan.
Thickness is about 120 m (394 ft) at the type area, maximum thickness is 360 m (1180 ft), thinning to
depositional edge eastward in central Saskatchewan
Relationship to Other Units: Conformable and transitional with the Claggett and Pakowki formations
below. The Bearpaw Formation overlies the Judith River abruptly but conformably. Intertongueing of
sandstones of the Judith River Formation occurs with dark shales of both the Claggett-Pakowki and
Bearpaw formations. It is equivalent to the upper part of the Belly River Formation in the southern
Alberta Foothills, a lower part of the Brazeau Formation in the central Alberta Foothills and the lower
part of the Wapiti Formation in the northwestern Alberta Plains. It is equivalent to the combined
Oldman and Foremost formations (McLean, 1971). In east-central Alberta the names Pale and
Variegated beds were used for the same interval, but these are now obsolete. Several formal members
are recognized in east-central Alberta. Only two are named - Birch Lake and Ribstone Creek members
Other members names (lower Birch Lake, Brosseau, Victoria) have been used inconsistently or are
not proper lithostratigraphic names and have been discontinued (McLean, 1971). The Mulga Tongue,
Grizzly Bear Tongue, Vanesti Member and Shandro Member, formerly included in the Judith River
formation are now considered members of the Lea Park Formation.
The informal names Verdigris sandstone, McKay coal zone, Taber coal zone and Lethbridge coal zone
are used locally in the southern Alberta Plains (Crockford, 1949; McLean, 1971).
Paleontology: Dinosaur remains are important in the upper part of the formation in some areas.
References: Hayden, 1971; McLean, 1971; Russell and Landes, 1940: Shaw and Harding, 1949;
Stanton and Hatcher, 1905; Williams and Dyer, 1930.
JRM
Upper Cretaceous
Jumping Pound Member (Jumping Pound, Jungle Ridge)
Author: Link, T.A., 1929, Imperial Oil Review, April.
Type Locality: On Jumping Pound Creek, in Lsd. 11, Sec. 31, Twp. 34, Rge. 4W5M, Alberta.
Lithology: Brownish grey, fine grained, evenly bedded, ribboned, limy, ripple marked sandstone,
interbedded with dark-grey, micromicaceous shale
Thickness and Distribution: Not recorded at the type locality, but in the Shell Crossfield No 1 well (4-
22-27-1W5M) and the Shell Anglo Canadian Pine Creek No. 1 well (12-12-20-2W5M) the unit is
approximately 61 m (200 ft) thick. It is a prominent marker in the foothills of southwestern Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units. The Jumping Pound sandstone is equivalent to part of the Second White
Speckled Shale Zone of the Alberta Plains. It occurs about 122 m (400 ft) below the Cardium
Formation and 122 m (400 ft) above the “Grit Bed” .
References: Hume, 1938, 1938 (2 papers).

Kakisa Formation
Type Locality: Trout River, District of Mackenzie, from just above the highest falls (Coral Falls) to the
lowest exposure of massive limestones in the canyon below the main falls (Whittaker Falls). A
supplementary section is designated in the Briggs Turkey Lake No. 1 well, at 61°07’30”N,
120°22’30”W between 94.5 and 149.4 m (310 and 490 ft).
Lithology: The formation consists of yellowish grey and olive grey quartzose, silty dolomitic limestone
with argillaceous partings. Prominent bioclastic or reefoid biostromes and bioherms, composed
largely of corals and stromatoporoids may occur at any horizon within the formation. At the type
section the upper 21 m (70 ft) of the formation is reefoid and forms a unit of very variable thickness.
The formation corresponds to map unit 21 of Douglas (1959). It carries a coral-brachiopod fauna.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section the Kakisa Formation is 57 m (187 ft) thick; in the
supplementary section it is 55 m (180 ft) thick. It outcrops on the middle Kakisa River and continues
westward as a scarp forming unit parallel to the Mackenzie River, then swings west and
southwestward to the Blackstone River in the western part of the area. Westwards it thins to a thin
laminated tongue in northeastern British Columbia, to as far west as 123°W. It maintains a thickness of
about 30 m (100 ft) until it approaches the Peace River Arch, where it loses its identity as a separate
unit.
Relationship to Other Units: The Kakisa conformably overlies the Redknife Formation and is overlain
by the Trout River Formation. It is equivalent to part of the Winterburn Group of central Alberta and may
be equivalent to the Arcs Member of the Southesk Formation.
References: Belyea, 1965; Belyea and McLaren, 1962; Crickmay, 1957; Douglas, 1968; Jamieson,
1969.
HRB; DWM
Kakwa Member (Cardium Formation)
Type Locality: West-central Alberta. Type section in the Mobil Smoky River 6-29-59-1W6M well,
Lithology: The unit consists of clean sandstone that tends to coarsen upward from fine to medium
grain. Changes facies laterally to include considerable mud content.
Thickness and Distribution: The Kakwa is 16.5 m (54 ft) thick at the type section and varies regionally
from 6 to 18 m (20 to 59 ft). It is present in northwestern areas of Cardium occurrence; to the southeast
it is represented by other members of the lower Cardium Formation, e.g., Bickerdike, Hornbeck,
Waskahigan.
Relationship to Other Units: Underlain gradationally by interbedded sandstones and mudstones of the
Bickerdike or Nosehill members of the Cardium Formation. Overlain by carbonaceous mudstones of
the Musreau Member of the Cardium.
References: Plint, Walker and Bergman, 1986.
Lexicon Committee
Upper Carboniferous (Lower Moscovian)
Kananaskis Formation (Spray Lakes Group)
Author: McGugan, A. and Rapson, J.E., 1961 b, p. 76.
Type Locality: West flank of Mount Chester, Kananaskis Range, Alberta. Air Photo Ref. 5108X-66. Twp.
21, Rge. 10W5M (Sec .23. McGugan and Rapson, 1961 b. Sec. 50, McGugan et al., 1964).
History: McGugan and Rapson (1960) divided the then existing Norquay Formation into 5 members
and discovered Middle Pennsylvanian fusulinaceans in member 2 on Mount Chester Members 1, 2
and 3 now comprise the Kananaskis Formation, While members 4 and 5 are now assigned to Permian
Ishbel Group (McGugan and Rapson, 1963b).
Lithology: Pale grey weathering, thick and thin bedded silty limestones and dolomites, with chert
nodules and beds and chert breccio-conglomerates (Rapson, 1962).
Thickness and Distribution: 55 m (180 ft) at type section. Approximately 37 m (121 ft) at supplementary
type section on Tunnel Mountain (Sec. 14, 14A, McGugan and Rapson, 1961b. Sec. 59, McGugan et
al., 1964). Often not recognized in the westerly front ranges, where the highest Pennsylvanian beds
beneath Permian Ishbel Group are in Tunnel Mountain facies. Thins eastwards to a 0.6 to 1 m (2 to 3 ft)
erosional condensate in the easternmost front ranges. Absent in foothills subsurface. The formation is
recognized from the Flathead Valley in the south, and Alexander Creek and Crowsnest Station
(localities 67 and 68, McGugan and Rapson, 1962) through the west flank of the Elk Mountains (Sec.
29, McGugan et al., 1964) in the south, to the Banff area. It is apparently absent in typical development
north of the Bow Valley, although thin novaculitic cherts beneath the Permian at sections are
correlated with the Kananaskis (McGugan, 1984).
Relationship to Other Units: Paraconformably overlies the Tunnel Mountain Formation in most
sections, but in others it appears to be unconformable (McGugan and Spratt 1981). Unconformably
overlain by Permian Ishbel Group.
References: Bamber and Macqueen, 1979; Fritz, 1963; Halbertsma, 1959; Henderson, 1989;
McGugan, 1984, 1987; McGugan et al., 1964; McGugan and Rapson, 1960, 1961b, 1962, 1963b;
McGugan and Spratt, 1981, Rapson, 1962; Richards et al., in press.
AM, CMH
Karr Member (Cardium Formation)
Author: Plint A.G., Walker, R.G. and Bergman, K.M., 1986.
Type Locality: West-central Alberta. Type section is in the Mobil Smoky River 6-29-59-1W6M well,
Lithology: Generally dark mudstones, with scattered layers of pebbly mudstone. The unit is sandier to
the west of the type section, finer to the east.
Thickness and Distribution: The Karr Member is 10 m (33 ft) thick at the type section; it thins gradually
to the northwest.
Relationship to Other Units: The Karr Member overlies the “Cardium Zone” marker of common usage
and may be a basal unit of the Wapiabi Formation.
References: Heise, 1987; Plint, Walker and Bergman, 1986; Plint, Walker and Dukes 1988
Lexicon Committee
Upper Cretaceous (Turonian-Coniacian)
Kaskapau Formation (Smoky Group)
Type Locality: Base exposed on the Peace River (55°55’N, 118°38’W) in the vicinity of Dunvegan at
the top of the cliffs; on the Smoky River below the Puskwaskau River (55°28’N, 118°12’W) to 20 km
(12.5 mi) below Racing Creek (55°50’N; 117°30’W); the formation is exposed on the valley sides.
History: The Smoky River Group was subdivided in 1919 by McLearn into the following members:
upper shale, Bad Head Sandstone and lower shale. In 1926 McLearn assigned the name Kaskapau to
the lower shale. In the British Columbia-Alberta border area, where Cardium Sandstone equivalents
are dominant and the Bad Heart Sandstone developed Stelck (1955) restricted the term Kaskapau to
shales underlying the Bay Tree and Cardium Sandstone.
Lithology: The Kaskapau is predominantly dark grey, fissile, carbonaceous shale. It is friable near the
base on the Smoky River and near Dunvegan, but is quite sandy on the Pouce Coupe River. Clean
sandstone tongues and lenticles are present near the base: the Doe Creek Sand, followed by the
Pouce Coupe Sand occur on the Pouce Coupe and Kiskatinaw rivers, and the somewhat later Howard
Creek Sand is known in the Spirit River area. Thin volcanic ash beds occur sporadically throughout
the formation
In the foothills of the Pine River in British Columbia additional sandstone tongues, such as the
Wartenbe and Tuskoola Sandstone, and additional Cardium Sandstones appear in the middle and
upper Kaskapau.
Thickness and Distribution: The Kaskapau Formation is about 160 m (525 ft) thick on the Smoky River
and about 170 m (558 ft) in the Sturgeon Lake area. It is 477 m (1565 ft) in the Pouce Coupe River
area, and thickens to around 900 m (2952 ft) in the foothills of British Columbia. The Kaskapau is
found throughout the Peace River area of Alberta and throughout northeastern British Columbia south
of the Peace River.
Relationship to Other Units: The Kaskapau is conformable with the underlying continental Dunvegan
Formation in northeastern British Columbia and most of the Alberta Peace River area, with a
transitional lithology except in the vicinity of Watino, Alberta, where the contact is abrupt and the
Dunveganoceras Zone seems to be missing. The Kaskapau Formation is conformably overlain by the
Bad Heart Formation in the Smoky River area. It carries an unconformity in the Pouce Coupe Area,
where the Baytree Member lies on the lower Cardium Sandstone. In the foothills the full Cardium
sequence is present in the upper part of the Kaskapau, but there it is preferable to limit the term
Kaskapau to pre-Cardium beds. The Kaskapau Formation (type) is equivalent to the post-Sunkay
portion of the Blackstone Formation, the Cardium Formation, and the Muskiki Member of the Wapiabi
Formation in the Alberta Foothills. The Muskiki is given formational status where the Kaskapau is
limited to pre-Cardium beds.
The Kaskapau is approximately equivalent to that portion of the Colorado shale from the base of the
Second White Specks to the base of the First White Specks in the western plains, and to part of the
Labiche Formation of northeastern Alberta.
Paleontology: Oysters are common in the transition zone with the underlying Dunvegan Inoceramus is
found throughout the Kaskapau with the cosmopolitan Inoceramus (Mytiloides) labiatus within the mid-
portion. Dunveganoceras is common near the base, especially in the Pouce Coupe Sand.
Watinoceras is found in the mid-portion and Scaphites s.l. is common in the uppermost portion.
Benthonic arenaceous Foraminiferal suites are common throughout with a minor calcareous
component with planktonic elements.
References: Gleddie, 1949; McLearn, 1919, 1926; Stelck, 1955, 1962; Stelck and Wall, 1954, 1955;
Stone, 1960; Wall, 1960; Warren and Stelck, 1955.
CRS
Cambrian to Ordovician
Kechika Group
Author: Gabrielse, H.C., 1963.
Type Locality: Kechika Ranges, southeastern McDame Map area, British Columbia
History: First described as Walker Group (Gabrielse, 1954) but later changed to Kechika Group
(Gabrielse, 1963).
Lithology: At the type locality, shale, slate, calcareous phyllite, phyllite, limestone and limestone
conglomerate. In the Ware Map area (NTS 94F) the lower Kechika Group is argillaceous, often nodular
limestone, limestone, very calcareous mudstone and limestone conglomerate.
Thickness and Distribution: In the type area the Kechika Group varies in the thickness from 300 to
more than 600 m (984 to more than 1968 ft). In the Ware Map area it ranges from 300 to 1400 m (984 to
4592 ft) due to depositional factors. Kechika Group strata are reported in the McDame, Tuchodi Lakes,
Toodoggone River, Ware, Crutch and Halfway River map areas. Similar homotaxial beds are
described in the Mesalinka, Kechika, Cry Lake, Rabbit River, Watson Lake and Coal River map areas.
Relationship to Other Units: In the type area the nature of the contact with the underlying Atan Group is
unknown, and the contact with the overlying Sandpile Group is a disconformity. The lower Kechika
Group unconformably overlies Cambrian strata in the eastern and western part of the Ware Map area,
but is conformable with Upper Cambrian beds in the east-central part of the same map area. Upper
Kechika Group rocks have been included in the Road River Formation in the Ware and Toodoggone
River map-areas. In the Ware map-area the Road River Formation (upper Kechika Group) is
conformable and partly diachronous with the lower Kechika Group. The lower Kechika Group is partly
correlative with the Rabbitkettle Formation in the Selwyn Basin, and the Broken Skull and Franklin
Mountain formations on the Mackenzie Platform. The upper Kechika Group is correlative with parts of
the Road River Formation in the Selwyn Basin and its platform equivalents. In the southern Cordillera
the lower Kechika Group is correlative with, and lithologically similar to the Survey Peak and Outram
formations. The entire Kechika Group is correlative with the McKay Formation, and the upper Kechika
Group with the Glenogle Formation and its platform equivalents.
Paleontology: Graptolites are the most common fossil in the type area, and minor trilobites,
brachiopods, crinoid debris, bryozoans and cephalopods have been reported These fauna range in
age from latest Cambrian (Trempealeauan) to early Late Ordovician (Gabrielse, pers comm. 1982).
Tipnis (1981, and pers. comm. 1982) has identified continuous conodont zone fauna from
Trempealeauan to latest Early Ordovician in both condensed eastern (mountain front) and very thick
western sections of the lower Kechika Group. Mid-Continent, North American, and mixed Early
Ordovician conodont elements are present.
References: Burns, Norford and Skevington, 1981; Cecile and Norford, 1979; Davies, 1966; Gabrielse,
1954, 1962a, b, c, 1963, 1966. 1975, 1977; Gabrielse and Blusson, 1968; Jackson, Steen and Sykes,
1965; Taylor, 1979; Taylor et al., 1979; Thompson, 1976; Tipnis, 1981.
MPC
Keg River Formation (Upper Elk Point Group)
Author: Law, J., 1955.
Type Locality: California Standard Steen River 2-22-117-5W6M, in northwestern Alberta, between
1588 and 1669 m (5210 and 5475 ft).
History: Hriskevich (1966) divided the Keg River Formation in the Rainbow sub-basin into three
members:
1) The Lower Keg River Member, type section Banff Aquitaine Rainbow West 7-32-109-8W6M,
between 2018 and 2064 m (6622 and 6772 ft);
2) Upper Keg River Member, type section Imperial et al. Black Creek 10-27-109-9W6M, between 2018
and 2064 m (6622 and 6672 ft); and
3) Rainbow Member, type section in 2-32-109-8W6M, between 1788 and 2018 m (5866 and 6622 ft).
McCamis and Griffith (1967) divided the Keg River Formation in the Zama subbasin into
two members, the lower Keg River Member, and the upper Keg River Reef Member. The
type section of the upper Keg River Reef Member is in the B.A. H.B. Zama North 16-19-
116-4W6M well, between 1500 and 1560 m (4922 and 5117 ft). McCamis and Griffith did
not recognize the upper Keg River Member in the Zama sub-basin.
Lithology: The Keg River Formations as defined by Law consists of grey and brown dolomite with poor
intercrystalline or vuggy porosity, and brown, cryptocrystalline, slightly argillaceous and fossiliferous,
dense wackestone limestone and minor dolomite in the lower 15 m (49 ft) of the type section.
The lower Keg River Member consists of brown to dark grey-brown, slightly bituminous, argillaceous,
cryptocrystalline, fossiliferous, dense limestones that were deposited on a moderately shallow marine
shelf or platform. Locally part or all of the lower Keg River Member consists of dolomite with
occasional poor vuggy porosity. Bituminous partings can be common. Crinoids, brachiopods,
ostracodes, gastropods and tentaculitids make up from 10 to 20% of the framework. Thamnopora,
Cystiphyllum, platy Alveolites, Syringopora and lamellar to irregular stromatoporoids can make up to
30% of the framework. Packstones and grainstones are rare.
The upper Keg River Member consists of three units (Hriskevich, 1966): a lower carbonate usually
consisting of dolomite, a middle bituminous limestone to bituminous shale unit, and an upper
limestone unit. The lower carbonate unit is a carbonate bank deposit made up of microcrystalline to
coarse bioclastic debris, with crinoid fragments making up to 30% of the framework. Packstones and
grainstones with intermittent poor vuggy and intercrystalline porosity are common in this unit.
Tentaculitids are frequently found in the middle unit. The upper unit is generally devoid of fossils. Thin
beds with microcrystalline to very fine bioclastic debris occur in both the middle and upper unit. The
Rainbow Member (Hriskevich, 1966) consists of reefal limestones or dolomites made up of
boundstones, packstones and grainstones which have been subjected to diagenetic changes such as
cementation, leaching, late stage dolomitization, fracturing, infixing with internal sediments,
replacement by anhydrite and deposition of carbon in pores. Three stages of reef growth can be
recognized in the Rainbow Member. A lower stage where corals, stromatoporoids, calcareous algae
and minor crinoids, bryozoa and brachiopods formed patch reefs on a 14 m (46 ft) thick crinoid bank.
Atoll, semi-atoll and pinnacle reef growth took place during the second stage. Broken up
stromatoporoids, corals and calcareous algae formed a rim of well cemented rubble around the atoll
reefs and a semi-rim in the pinnacle reefs. During the last stage stromatoporoids and corals became
increasingly rare. Laminated beds of grainstones to packstones ale common in this stage. Porosity in
the Rainbow Member ranges from poor to excellent. The amount of cementation, leaching and
dolomitization that has taken place varies from one reef to another Filling of the pores with carbon is
common in many of the reefs in the middle 61 m (200 ft) of the Rainbow Member.
The name “Upper Keg Reef Member” was proposed by McCamis and Griffith in the Zama sub-basin
for reefal limestones and dolomites that appear to be time equivalent to the lower two stages of the
Rainbow Member. Fauna and lithofacies in the Rainbow Member and upper Ice River Reef facies
show many similarities.
Thickness and Distribution: The Keg River Formation extends from the Precambrian Shield east of the
4th Meridian to the Shekilie Barrier near the British Columbia and Northwest Territories borders, where
it can no longer be distinguished from overlying Muskeg Formation equivalent dolomites To the south
the Keg River Formation onlaps the Peace River Arch and becomes the equivalent of the
Winnipegosis Formation near the Saskatchewan border The thickness of the Keg River Formation
varies from 10 to 300 m (33 to 984 ft). The lower Keg River is between 20 and 30 m (66 and 98 ft) thick
it cannot always be recognized as a separate member.
The upper Keg River Formation has been recognized only in the Black Creek basin and other sub-
basins east of the 6th Meridian. It is generally between 10 and 30 m (33 and 98 ft) thick. The name
“Rainbow Member”, used only in the Rainbow sub-basin is 60 to 260 m (197 to 853 ft) thick. The upper
Keg River Reef Member can be recognized in the Zama and Bitscho sub-basins and varies in
thickness from 50 to 105 m (164 to 344 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Keg River Formation disconformably overlies the Chinchaga
Formation. The Rainbow Member conformably overlies the lower Keg River Member and is
conformably overlain by the Muskeg Formation in the Rainbow sub-basin. The upper Keg River Reef
Member conformably overlies the lower Keg River Member and is unconformably overlain by the
Zama Member of the Muskeg Formation.
Lateral equivalents of the Keg River Formation are the Pine Point, Hume and Nahanni formations
north and west of the Shekilie Barrier in the Northwest Territories and British Columbia. In eastern
Alberta and Saskatchewan the Winnipegosis Formation is the lateral equivalent of the Keg River
Formation. The upper part of the Keg River Formation and Rainbow Member may in part be time
equivalent to the lower part of the Muskeg Formation.
The upper Keg River Member is the time equivalent of at least the lowest stage of the Rainbow
Member. The correlations between the upper two stages of the Rainbow Member and the upper Keg
River Member and the lower Muskeg Formation are controversial. (Hriskevich, 1966; Langton and
Chin, 1968; Barss et al., 1970; Bebout and Maiklem, 1973; Schmidt et al., 1977). The upper Keg Reef
Member is the time equivalent of the upper Keg River Member.
References: Barss, Copland and Ritchie, 1979; Bebout and Maiklem, 1973; Hriskevich, 1966, Langton
and Chin, 1968; Law, 1955; McCamis and Griffith; Schmidt, McDonald and McIlreath, 1977.
SM
Upper Cretaceous (Late Cenomanian? Middle Turonian)
Keld Member (Favel Formation)
Type Locality: Exposures along the Vermilion River, southwest of Dauphin, Manitoba The type section
is in Lsd. 8, Sec. 2, Twp 24, Rge. 20W1M.
Lithology: Calcareous shale, shaly limestone and limestone. The Keld Member is a highly calcareous,
olive-black, chalk-speckled shale with fossiliferous shady limestone beds, argillaceous limestones
and numerous thin bentonite beds. Bivalves, ammonites, planktonic foraminifers and coccoliths are
common to abundant. The Keld is distinguished from the overlying Assiniboine by a higher content or
Calcite, by harder, more resistant weathering beds, and by beds of shelly, impure limestone informally
termed “inoceramite’’. The “inoceramite” forms part of the Mytiloides labiatus beds, which extend
approximately through the upper half of the Keld. The top of the Keld is marked by the Laurier
Limestone Beds, consisting of thin, chalk-speckled, argillaceous limestone interbedded with chalk-
speckled shale (McNeil and Caldwell, 1981).
Thickness and Distribution: The Keld is recognized along the Manitoba escarpment outcrop belt and in
the subsurface of southern Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan it is 20 to 25 m (66 to 82 ft) thick in
southern Manitoba and decreases northwestward to about 10 m (33 ft) in the subsurface of east-
central Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact with greyish black shale of the Ashville Formation is
conformable in southernmost Manitoba and Saskatchewan, but markedly disconformable northwest of
there. The upper Contact with the Assiniboine Member is conformable. The Keld correlates with the
middle to upper Greenhorn Limestone of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, eastern Wyoming and South
Dakota. It correlates with the lower part of the Second (lower) White Speckled Shale of the Colorado
Group in western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta, and with the lower part of the Vimy Member of
the Blackstone Formation in the central and southwestern Alberta Foothills
References: Bannatyne, 1970; Hattin, 1975b; Kirk, 1930; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; Wickenden,
1945; Wall, 1967.
DHM; LLP
Quaternary
Kennedy Drift
Author: Willis, B., 1902, p. 328.
Lithology: Till and outwash.
General Comment: In Canada recorded only on Mokowan Butte, along the eastern boundary of
Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta (Horberg, 1954, p. 1102) and perhaps on Cloudy Ridge, just
north of that park. A pre-Wisconsin Cordilleran drift that may correspond to part of the Albertan
Formation, which name would have priority (see also Albertan Formation).
References: Alden, 1932; Horberg, 1954; Willis, 1902.
AMacSS
Upper Cretaceous (Coniacian-Santonian)
Kevin Member (Marias River Shale)
Author: Cobban, W.A. et al., 1959; p. 2795
Type Locality: North of town of Kevin, 16 km (10 mi) north of Shelby, in Sec. 35, Twp. 35N, Rge. 3W,
Toole County, Montana.
Lithology: Dark grey marine shale that contains many thin beds of bentonite and numerous calcareous
and ferruginous concretions. Divisible into three units on the basis of type of concretions and
abundance of bentonite. The lowest unit, 53 to 55 m (174 to 180 ft) thick has many beds of bentonite
and grey limestone concretions. The middle unit, 61 m (200 ft) thick has numerous red weathering
ferruginous concretions and, near the middle a thin but widespread bed of dolostone and limestone
that contains polished siltstone (MacGowan Concretionary Bed) The upper unit, 61 m (200 ft) thick has
yellowish grey calcareous concretions and concretionary limestone beds and a few thin beds of
bentonite and very fine grained sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: Generally between 180 to 230 m (590 and 754 ft) thick on the Sweetgrass
Arch. Thickens westward to as much as 320 m (1450 ft) in the Disturbed Belt. Widely present over
northern Montana
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies harder, finely pyritic shake of the Ferdig Member
and conformably underlies sandy shale of the Telegraph Creek Formation. The Kevin Member is
correlative with the Niobrara Formation of the northern U.S. Plains, and with the First White Speckled
Shale of the southern Alberta and Saskachewan plains. It is equivalent to the medial part of the
Wapiabi Formation, including the Thistle Member.
WAC
Kibbey Formation (Big Snowy Group)
Author: Weed, W.H., 1899
Type Locality: Named after the post office of Kibbey, Montana. The type section is on Otter Creek
immediately south of the site of the post office and about 1.3 km (0.8 mi) east of Raynesford.
Lithology: At the type section the Kibbey is a calcareous-cemented red sandstone with gypsum lenses.
Elsewhere in outcrop it becomes a shaly sandstone and in place fairly dolomitic In the subsurface of
the Williston Basin it is a mixture of reddish to light grey, fine to medium grained sandstone, white to
brown dolomitic limestone and reddish to variegated silty shale with interbedded gypsum (Bluemle et
al., 1980). These lithologic characteristics appear to be consistent over much of the basin, as Fuzesy
(1960) reports similar lithologies for the Kibbey in southern Saskatchewan.
Thickness and Distribution: In the type locality the Kibbey varies from 21 to 70 m (69 to 230 ft) in
thickness. According to Bluemle et al. (1980) it is a maximum of 75 m (246 ft) thick in North Dakota and
attains an eroded thickness of 49 m (161 ft) in southern Saskatchewan. The Kibbey underlies central
Montana from the Little Belt Mountains and eastward beneath the younger sedimentary cover into the
Williston Basin. It occupies much of the central part of the basin and extends a short distance into
southern Saskatchewan. It is the only part of the Big Snowy Group present in Saskatchewan; it
occupies an arc-like area centered on Rge. 17W2M and extending for 185 km (116 mi) along the
international boundary. Its maximum northerly limit is about 19 km (12 mi) north of that boundary.
Relationship to Other Units: In the type locality the Kibbey disconformably overlies the Madison Group
and underlies the Otter Formation. However, in the Williston Basin it appears to be conformable and
gradational with the underlying Poplar Beds. The lower contact in Saskatchewan is usually placed at
the base of an argillaceous, calcareous sandstone that overlies a dense dolomite or evaporitic
dolomite that constitutes the uppermost rocks of the Poplar Beds. It is difficult to distinguish the Kibbey
from the overlying Watrous Formation in southern Saskatchewan Since both have very similar
lithologies. However, the Kibbey limestone interval is a good marker bed and can be used to verify the
presence of the formation. Fuzesy (1960) implied that there is a color distinction between the Watrous,
which has brick red rocks and the vermilion sands and silts of the Kibbey.
References: Bluemle, Anderson and Carlson, 1980; Fuzesy, 1960.
DMK
Killdeer Beds (Madison Formation)
Author: Kent, D M., 1974
Type Locality: Named after the settlement of Killdeer, 11 km (7 mi) south of the standard reference well
for southwestern Saskatchewan, Sohio et al Wood Mountain 9-18-3-3W3M. These strata occupy the
interval between 1719 and 1777.3 m (5640 and 5831 ft) in the well.
Lithology: The Killdeer Beds are separated into two intervals by a marker bed that consists of lime
mudstone with thin partings of calcareous shale or calcareous shale smith thin lime mudstone
intervals This interval gives a prominent gamma ray peak that can be mapped throughout the area of
occurrence of the Killdeer Beds. The lower part of the Killdeer beds ranges from crinoidal grainstones
and packstones at the base through intensely burrowed lime mudstone and skeletal wackestones to
mixed skeletal packstone and grainstones at the top. The upper part includes intervals of oolitic
grainstone, skeletal packstones and grainstone and calcareous quartzose sandstones.
Thickness and Distribution: Because of its position immediately beneath the sub-Mesozoic
unconformity there is no place in southwestern Saskatchewan where a depositions thickness of the
Killdeer can be determined. It attains a maximum thickness of approximately 61 m (200 ft) in the
vicinity of Twp. 1, Rges. 6-7W3M and thins to zero erosional edge 15 km (9.4 mi) west of that area and
some 80 km (50 mi) north Kent (1974) intended the name to be restricted to that area enclosed by the
106°W and the subcrop trace of the unit that forms an arcuate trend from Twp. 10, Rge. 1W3M to Twp. 1,
Rge. 19W3M.
Relationship to Other Units: Kent (1974) considered the marker bed separating the Killdeer into upper
and lower intervals as being equivalent to the middle marker of the Ratcliffe Beds of south-central
Saskatchewan (Fuzesy, 1973). Thus the Killdeer is correlative to most of the Ratcliffe Beds. It is
separated from the Strathallen Beds by an interval of carbonate rocks that contain partings of reddish
calcareous shale. Kent (1974) considered the Killdeer to be correlative with the Livingstone Formation
of the Alberta Rocky Mountains and with the upper Mission Canyon of Montana, more specifically with
the C2 coral zone of Sando and Dutro (1960).
Paleontology: Kent (1974) identified a limited Osagean coral-brachiopod fauna from the Killdeer Beds.
References: Fuzesy, 1973; Sando and Dutro, 1960
DMK
Upper Devonian
Kiln Formation (Obsolete)
Type Locality: None designated; Raymond states best exposures at old lime Kilns by the road 4.8 km
(3 mi) south of Pocahontas, Athabasca River Valley, Jasper National Park (Twp. 48, Rge. 28W5M).
History: Proposed by Raymond for zone 7 of his seven zone subdivision of the Devonian in Jasper
National Park defined at Roche Miette. However, this subdivision is based on a faulted section and is
invalid. This zone is part of the Devonian Perdrix Formation repeated by faulting (Fox, 1951, p. 823;
McLaren, 1953, p. 92).
Lithology: Fissile black shale containing concretions that have yielded Buchiola restrostriata and a
Tornoceras.
Relationship to Other Units: Raymond’s underlying zone 6, which he called the Fiddle Formation, is
now recognized as a fault slice of the Devonian Mount Hawk Formation .
References: Fox, 1951; Lang, 1947; McLaren, 1953; Raymond, 1930.
HRB; PAM
Kimball Drift (Informal name)
General Comment: Informal name used for deposits of last Laurentide glaciation in Waterton Lakes
Region of Alberta. Consists of continental (Laurentide) drift associated with the Kimball Moraine. The
name Kimball drift is used only in Figure 6 of Horberg (1954, p. 1130), the term Kimball Till is used on
p. 1114.
AMacSS
Middle Cambrian
Kinbasket Limestone
Author: Fyles, J.T., 1959, p. 94.
Type Locality: No type locality was designated, but the author reported that “It forms the southwestern
slopes of Kinbasket Mountain, the first summits northeast of the Columbia River in the Solitude
Range, and all of the southern part of the Blackwater Range.”, British Columbia.
Lithology: A thick sequence of limestone, argillaceous limestone and argillite. Fine grained, with
generally indistinct bedding, often sheared. Occasionally “irregular lenses of buff- to red-weathering
dolomite a few feet to a few hundred feet long occur within the limestones (Fyles, ibid, p. 94)
Thickness and Distribution: The Kinbasket limestone succession is more than 610 m (2000 ft) in
thickness, and the top is not exposed.
Relationship to Other Units: The Kinbasket Formation overlies the Tsar Creek argillite in the area of
Fyles’ report. The top of the Kinbasket Formation is not exposed according to Fyles.
Reference: Fyles, 1959.
RGG
Lower Permian (Asselian to ?lower Artinskian)
Kindle Formation
Author: Laudon, L.R. and Chronic, B.J.Jr., 1949.
Type Locality: Ridge on east side of small, unnamed tributary of Toad River, about 1.4 km (0.9 mi)
southwest of mouth of Nonda Creek and 0.8 km (0.5 mi) south of mile post 428 (689 km) on Alaska
Highway; 58°50’21”N, 125°21’25”W; NTS 94K/14; Muskwa Ranges, eastern Rocky Mountains,
northeastern British Columbia (Laudon and Chronic, 1949, p. 193).
History: Originally defined (Laudon and Chronic, 1949, p. 210) to include the entire interval between
the Besa River Formation and the Triassic in the Racing River synclinorium; restricted by Sutherland
(1958, p. 31) to exclude bedded chert and black shale of the Permian Fantasque Formation in the
Tetsa River Valley to the east. McGugan (1967) included the Kindle in the Mount Greene beds of the
Pine Pass/Peace River region, eastern Rocky Mountains, northeastern British Columbia.
Lithology: The thin to medium bedded Kindle is dominated by rhythmically interbedded, calcareous silt
shale and medium to dark grey calcareous to dolomitic, sandy siltstone and silty limestone. Containing
locally abundant brachiopods and pelmatozoan ossicles. Conglomerate is commonly present at the
base of the anomalously radioactive basal facies. Coarsening upward sequences of shale, siltstone
and cross-bedded sandstone are widely present in the northeast. The deposits are slightly glauconitic
and commonly contain phosphate nodules and pellets. Shale becomes less abundant upward and
northeastward as the proportion of sandstone and siltstone increases. Beds in the lower and western
Kindle are commonly sharp based and show planar laminae and small to medium scale cross-
bedding (McMechan 1987; Henderson et al., in press).
Three units constitute the Kindle Formation in the Racing River synclinorium and the Cariboo Range
(Laudon and Chronic, 1949: Bamber et al., 1968). The lower unit consists of dark grey siltstone with
thin shale interbeds and some lenticular beds of calcareous siltstone. Between the Liard River and the
Caribou Range this lower unit also contains beds of calcareous sandstone and sandy limestone. The
banded middle unit comprises alternating dark grey argillaceous siltstone and orange weathering,
calcareous and dolomitic, pyritic siltstone. Lenses of silty limestone lie within the middle unit in some
sections. The upper unit comprises dark grey, siliceous mudstone, shale and chert. A sequence of
siltstone, sandstone, shale and brachiopod-bearing limestones correlative with the lower and middle
units is widespread in the foothills from the Toad River south to the Pine Pass.
Thickness and Distribution: The Kindle Formation, preserved in the eastern Cordillera and subsurface
of the northwestern Interior Platform is locally exposed in the mountains and foothills from
southwestern District of Mackenzie to Mountain Creek south of Pine Pass, east-central British
Columbia (Bamber, et al., 1968; McMechan, 1987; Henderson et al., in press). It ranges from 90 to (295
ft) to more than 200 m (610 ft) in the Racing River synclinorium and Cariboo Range of the eastern
Rocky Mountains. In the Western foothills north of Tuchodi River the formation is commonly more than
100 m (328 ft) thick. South of Tuchodi River it is generally between 15 to 75 m (49 and 246 ft) thick. The
eastward thinning Kindle is truncated by the sub-Fantasque and sub-Triassic unconformities at several
localities in the eastern foothills and western plains (Bamber, et al., 1968; Henderson et al., in press).
Relationship to Other Units: The Kindle unconformably overlies the Lower Carboniferous Mattson
Formation in the northwest and the Lower Carboniferous Stoddart Group or underlying Prophet
Formation to the southeast. The Kindle closely resembles the upper Stoddart, and much of what has
been mapped as Kindle is probably assignable to the Stoddart. Triassic siltstone locally overlies the
Kindle in the foothills and eastern Rocky Mountains, but the Permian Fantasque Formation
unconformably overlies the Kindle in most areas. The upper Kindle of the type area may pass
eastward into the Fantasque Formation. The Kindle, homotaxial with the subsurface Belloy Formation
of Peace River Embayment, is partly coeval with the Belcourt Formation of east-central British
Columbia (Bamber and Macqueen, 1979), but the nature of the contact with the latter is uncertain.
References: Bamber and Macqueen, 1979; Henderson et al., in press; Laudon and Chronic, 1949;
McMechan, 1987; McGugan, 1967; Sutherland, 1958; Taylor and Stott, 1973.
EWB, BCR, CMH

Middle Proterozoic
Kintla Formation (Lewis Series, abandoned)
Type Locality: On the 49th parallel, northeast of upper Kintla Lake, Waterton Lakes area, southwestern
Alberta.
History: Willis established the Kintla Formation on the basis of an incomplete section in an erosional
outlier that comprises about 240 m (787 ft) of strata. Hume (1933) reported that the formation is as
much as 300 m (2624 ft) thick further north in the Clark Range, that it is overlain unconformably by
Cambrian strata, and that it can be subdivided into four distinctive members. Hage (1943) provided
more detailed information on the four members and showed them in his map of the Beaver Mines area
as distinct map units labelled Members A to D (from oldest to youngest). Price (1962, 1964) showed
that Member A and B combined are synonymous with the upper member of Daly’s (1912) Gateway
Formation, Member C with Daly’s (1912) Phillips Formation, and Member D with Daly’s (1912)
Roosville Formation. He proposed that the nomenclature introduced by Hume and Hage be
abandoned because it duplicated that introduced by Daly. Because the lower member of Daly’s
Gateway Formation is equivalent to the Sheppard Formation (Willis, 1902), which underlies the Kintla
Formation in the Clark and Lewis Ranges the Gateway Formation should be restricted to exclude the
Sheppard Formation.
References: Daly, 1912; Hage, 1943; Hume, 1933; Norris, 1959; Norris and Price, 1966; Price, 1959;
Willis, 1902.
RAP
Upper Cretaceous
Kipp Sandstone (Bearpaw Formation)
Author: Link, T.A. and Childerhose, A.J., 1931, p. 1236.
Type Locality: North bank of Oldman River, 2.4 km (1.5 mi) southwest of Kipp Station, in SE/4 Sec. 24,
Twp. 9, Rge. 23W4M, Alberta.
Lithology: Light greenish blue, generally fine, but locally coarse grained argillaceous sandstone with
some shale breaks and concretions.
Thickness and Distribution: 12 m (40 ft) at type locality. Although recognized as a distinct sandstone in
the type area northwest of Lethbridge, this member becomes more shaly to the south along the St.
Mary River, according to Russell (1932a, p. 28B-32B; in: Russell and Landes, 1940, p. 75). The
member may be present as far south as Del Bonita, Alberta, where Russell (1937, p. 8; in: Russell and
Landes, 1940, p. 74) reported a 13 m (43 ft) thick unit of sandy shale from test holes as the probable
equivalent.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies and is overlain by dark blue and steel grey bentonitic shales of
the Bearpaw Formation. It is the middle of three local sandstones in the Bearpaw of the Lethbridge
area with its base 113 m (370 ft) above the base of the Bearpaw and 30 m (100 ft) above the top of the
Magrath Sandstone, and its top about 43 m (142 ft) below the base of the Ryegrass Sandstone. The
equivalent stratigraphic level of this unit is within the Manyberries Member of the Cypress Hills,
southeastern Alberta.
Paleontology: Placenticeras meeki (Boehm) and Baculites ovatus Say are associated with the
member and were reported by the authors as particularly abundant in the shales above and below it.
References: Link and Childerhose, 1931; Russell, 1932a, 1937; Russell and Landes, 1940.
JHW; LSR
Kisbey Sandstone
Type Locality: Named after the Kisbey area of southeastern Saskatchewan. Fuller did not suggest a
type section, but mentioned the strata between 1300 and 1305.5 m (4265 and 4283 ft) in the Tidewater
imperial South Kisbey Cr. No. I well (Lsd 14-34-7-6W2M) as being characteristic of the unit.
Lithology: The Kisbey consists of silty dolomite and calcareous sandstone, medium grained, porous,
well sorted, and partly current-bedded. About 70% of the sand grains are quartz, many of them
secondarily enlarged, 25% orthoclase, and the remainder microcline and other minerals (Fuller, 1956,
p. 30).
Thickness and Distribution: The Kisbey underlies a triangular area of southeastern Saskatchewan
bounded by Rge. 16W2M on the west and the Mississippian subcrop. In addition the Kisbey or its
equivalents can be traced into Burke and Renville Counties in north-central North Dakota. There are a
number of sandy and silty intervals in the sequence and it is difficult to place a true thickness on the
sandy interval. The most persistent of these sands ranges between 2 and 10 m (7 and 33 ft) according
to Fuzesy (1960).
Relationship to Other Units: Fuzesy (1960) chose the 1st Kisbey Sandstone of Edie (1958) as the unit
representative of the Kisbey Sandstone because it could be traced over a substantial area. Where
present the Kisbey is used to divide the Frobisher-Alida Beds into Frobisher and Alida intervals. In
north central North Dakota its equivalent is the K-2 marker at the top of the Glenburn Beds (Harris et
al., 1966).
References: Edie, 1958; Fuzesy, 1960.
DMK
Oligocene (Duchesnian?; Chadronian-lower Brule)
Kishenehn Formation
Author: Daly, R.A., 1912; Mackenzie, J.D., 1916.
Type Locality: Low bluffs on the Flathead River extending about 5 km (3 mi) northward from the
International Boundary (49°02’N, 114°30’W), southeastern British Columbia.
History: First noted by Dawson (1886; p. 52B) and later described by Willis (1902, p. 328). Daly (1912,
p. 87) named the formation after Kishenehn (Kishenena) Creek, but Mackenzie (1916) was the first to
give a detailed description with measured sections. Mackenzie used the name Kishinena Formation
[name now abandoned] but subsequent usage has favoured retention of the original name (Russell,
1952, 1964; Price, 1962, 1965).
Lithology: The lowermost strata, exposed on Couldrey Creek consist of poorly indurated pebble and
cobble conglomerates and lithic arenites of Purcell provenance, with minor siltstones and mudstones.
The remainder of Jones’ (1969) informally designated lower member consists of very thinly to thinly
interbedded, relatively uncompacted varicolored clays, shales, waxy montmorillonitic mudstones,
marls, calcareous, ethic arenites and scattered lignites, with minor pebble conglomerates. The clays
and mudstones are calcareous and commonly exhibit a distinctive nodular structure. Gypsum, as
radiating crystal aggregates in a calcareous mud matrix is locally abundant. The upper member, which
is subtly more resistant is composed of thick granule to boulder conglomerates and breccias of varied
provenance, with interbedded thin, gritty, reddish, montmorillonitic mudstones, lithic arenites and
lignites. The mudstones retain their hard waxy character; the finer sediments are calcareous only in the
lower part of the upper member. Upright (in situ) coalified tree stumps are locally well preserved.
Conglomerates in both members exhibit slight, but noticeable scouring at their bases. Monolithologic
breccias with individual elastic blocks more than 100 m (328 ft) across are a distinctive constituent
(Jones, 1969); poorly stratified, lime-cemented conglomerates, composed mainly of Paleozoic
limestone and dolomite clasts, occur in the uppermost part of the section in the vicinity of Cate and
Middlepass Creeks (Price, 1962, 1965).
Thickness and Distribution The thickness and distribution are poorly known due to the characteristic
poor surface exposure. The thickness in Canada is in the order of 3000 m (9840 ft) (Gordy, 1979, oral
comm.) although it may be as great as 5000 m (15600 ft; Jones, 1969, p. 245). The Kishenehn
Formation is known to underlie much of the valley of the North Fork of the Flathead River in British
Columbia and adjacent Montana (Erdmann, 1947; Johns, 1970); and scattered outliers of breccias and
conglomerate assigned to it occur in the MacDonald Range immediately to the northwest.
Relationship to Other Units: The Kishenehn unconformably overlies strata of the Lower Cretaceous
Blairmore Group and various older formations with a slight angular discordance; unconformably
overlain by muddy gravels of presumed Quaternary age. The writers were not able to find any
evidence for a “marked local unconformable relation” within the Kishenehn Formation as noted by
Mackenzie (1916, p. 35; McMechan and Price, in review, 1979).
Paleontology: Marls and calcareous mudstones of the lower member contain abundant, well
preserved fresh water gastropods, and lesser pelecypods (Russell, 1952, 1955).
References: Daly, 1912; Dawson, 1886; Erdmann, 1947; Johns, 1970; Jones, 1969; Mackenzie, 1916;
McMechan and Price, in review, 1979; Price, 1962, 1965; Russell, 1952, 1955, 1964; Willis, 1902.
RDM, RAP
Upper Cretaceous
Kiska Member (Cardium Formation, Alberta Group)
Type Locality: The type section is located on Wapiabi Creek, Twp. 41, Rge. 18W5M, and a standard
section was designated on South Ram River.
Lithology: Contains a fairly uniform succession of dark grey marine shale with sideritic concretions.
Argillaceous siltstone is more common in the westernmost exposures of the central and southern
foothills.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized in the southern and central foothills, from Castle River in the
south, northward to McLeod River. It is 0.9 m (3 ft) at the headwaters of Wapiabi Creek, but maintains a
thickness in the order of 10 to 12 m (33 to 39 ft) between the South Ram and Highwood Rivers.
Relationship to Other Units: The Kiska Member lies between the Ram and overlying Cardinal
members south of the North Saskatchewan River in the foothills. It is replaced northwestward and
westward in the central foothills by, and overlies nonmarine sediments of the Moosehound Member to
which it is, in part equivalent. The upper contact with the overlying Cardinal Member is gradational, but
the lower contact with the Ram is possibly disconformable.
DFS
Kishtinaw Formation
Type Locality: Type Well: Pacific Fort St. John No. 23, in 3-29-83-18W6M, northeastern British
Columbia, between 2302 and 2598 m (7555 and 8526 ft).
Lithology: The Kiskatinaw Formation, at its base is generally a quartz sandstone, particularly in
Alberta, where it is partly a deltaic channel fill deposit. Above these sandstones (there can be several
because of the deltaic environment) the lithology is more varied, with interbedded dark grey shales,
greenish grey waxy shales, rare carbonate beds and thin, less porous sandstones.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness is up to 183 m (600 ft) in the Peace River area of Alberta,
where the environment of deposition was generally deltaic in the lower sandstone units. Because of a
rapidly changing environment of deposition from east to west (from delta to open marine), correlation
over a large distance is difficult. Channelled bases often cut deeply into underlying Golata shales or
even into older Debolt carbonates. In northeastern British Columbia, where the lower sandstones
were deposited in a more open marine environment erosion of the Golata is less common, with beach
and near shore deposits more dominant. In the Fort St. John area the thickness of the Kiskatinaw may
be more than 300 m (984 ft). In both Alberta and northeastern British Columbia it appears that the
Kiskatinaw sea became more transgressive towards the end of Chesteran time.
Relationship to Other Units: Because of pre-Kiskatinaw erosion the contact with underlying Golata
shales is generally unconformable in Alberta. In northeastern British Columbia, where channelling in
the lower Kiskatinaw was less common, the contact is often conformable. Contact with the overlying
Taylor Flat Formation is generally conformable, but locally unconformable in the Fort St. John and
Peace River areas. East of the Taylor Flat erosional edge the Kiskatinaw is unconformably overlain by
the Permian Belloy Formation. Eastward, toward the edge of the basin the Kiskatinaw lies directly on
the Debolt. The Kiskatinaw Formation can be correlated with the upper Mattson Formation of the Liard
area, and with the upper Etherington Formation of southwestern Alberta. It also correlates with the
Kibbey sandstone and the Otter Formation of Montana
References. Bamber and Mamet, 1978; Halbertsma, 1959; Halbertsma and Staplin, 1960; McGugan
and Rapson, 1961; McCrossan and Glaister, 1964; Staplin, 1960.
HLH; PAM
Middle Proterozoic
Kitchener Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Author: Daly, R.A., 1905; p. 96. Re-defined by Schofield, S.J., 1914a; p. 225. Re-described by
Schofield, S.J., 1915; p. 32-33.
Type Locality: Upper Moyie Lake, near Jerome, southeastern British Columbia (Schofield, 1915).
History: Daly (1905) defined the Kitchener Formation as overlying the Creston and underlying the
Moyie (discontinued; “Siyeh” equivalent) formations. Schofield recognized that Daly’s Kitchener
Formation near Kingsgate, British Columbia underlay the Creston and proposed the name Aldridge
Formation for these rocks. In other areas Daly’s Kitchener strata conformably overlay the Creston and
the name Kitchener was retained for these strata (Schofield, 1914a). Rice (1937, p. 9-11 ) was unable
to recognize Schofield’s Kitchener - “Siyeh” boundary. He included the lower argillaceous and middle
carbonate units of Schofield’s “Siyeh” in the Kitchener Formation.
Lithology: The Kitchener Formation consists of calcareous and dolomitic siltite and argillite, silly
dolomite and limestone, argillite, siltite, sandy dolomite and minor quartzite. In eastern and central
exposures a lower unit comprising interlaminated green argillite and siltite, and green or grey
dolomitic or calcareous argillite, with minor quartzite and sandy dolomite is recognized. Ripple cross-
lamination, ripple marked surfaces, pyrite and mud-cracks are locally abundant. The bulk of the
formation consists of thin to thick bedded, dark grey dolomitic and non-dolomitic siltite, black argillite,
and minor sandy dolomite, intraformational conglomerate, oolitic limestone and quartzite. Molar tooth
structures in carbonate beds and mud-cracks, ripple marks and load casts in clastic beds are locally
abundant. Stromatolites occur in southeastern and central exposures. Siltite and argillite content
increases to the west and north. In the Hughes Range rocks similar to the lower unit also occur at the
top of the formation. A thick 17 to 25 m (56 to 82 ft) stromatolite zone occurs near the top of the
formation in the Steeples and Movie Lake Mount Baker areas.
Thickness and Distribution: Exposed in the western Hughes and Lizard Ranges and southern Purcell
Mountains. Thickness varies from 500 to 900 m (1640 to 2952 ft) in the Hughes Range to 1500 m
(4920 ft) near Moyie Lake.
Relationship to Other Units: The Kitchener conformably overlies the Creston Formation and is
conformably overlain by the Van Creek Formation (“Siyeh Formation” of Rice, 1937 and Schofield,
1914a, 1915). In the Nelson east half and Lardeau east half map-areas the Kitchener and Van Creek
cannot be mapped separately. The Kitchener is correlative with the Werner Peak (Empire) and “Siyeh”
formations of Montana, and the lower and middle members of the Helena Formation of the Galton to
Clark Ranges.
References: Daly, 1905; Glover, 1978; Hoy, 1978; Leech, 1958; McMechan, 1978, 1979; McMechan,
Hoy and Price, 1980; Reesor, 1958; Rice, 1937, 1941; Schofield, 1914a, 1915.
MEM, RAP
Middle Devonian
Klua Formation
Author: Gray, F.F. and Kassube, J. R., 1963.
Type Locality: Western Natural Gas Imperial Clarke Lake c-94-L, in centizone 94, block L, NTS Map
sheet 94-I-9, northeastern British Columbia, between 2133.6 and 2194.6 m (7000 and 7200 ft).
Lithology: Shale, dark grey calcareous, silty, fissile, locally containing finely disseminated pyrite, dark
brownish grey, micritic to fine fragmental, silty or argillaceous limestone, some black, bituminous
shale.
Thickness and Distribution: The Klua Formation is 61.0 m (200 ft) thick in the type well; 24.1 km (15 mi)
to the southeast in B.A. Shell Klua No. 2 it is 90.8 m (298 ft), not fully penetrated. It is absent to the
south and west of the type section, but probably fairly widely distributed to the east and southeast. To
the north it merges with the Horn River Formation.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit occurs in the middle part of the Middle Devonian carbonates of
northeastern British Columbia and divides the section into an upper and lower carbonate unit. The
upper unit appears to represent the combined Slave Point and Presqu’ile formations. The lower
carbonate is the Pine Point Formation. It is possible that the Klua is correlative with the Watt Mountain
Formation, but the most satisfactory interpretation seems to be that it is Correlative with the Buffalo
River Shale Member of the Pine Point Formation (Great Slave Lake area). It is also correlative with
part of the Otter Park Member of the Horn River Formation.
References: Gray and Kassube, 1963; Giffin, 1967.
LVH; AWN
Upper Cretaceous
Kneehills Tuft (Edmonton Formation)
Author: Sanderson, J.O.G., 1931.
Type Locality: Red Deer River Valley, just east of Ardley, Alberta.
Lithology: Pale grey massive, fine grained, hard tuff composed mainly of quartz and feldspar mineral
fragments with varying proportions of vesicular, partly altered stringy, crescentic and angular shaped
glass in an isotropic groundmass. The groundmass is composed mainly of opaline silica and
montmorillonite, indicating devitrification of the glass shards. The fragments grade from 0.03-0.05 mm
in diameter down to submicroscopic sizes. The compact tuff is resistant to weathering and breaks into
a talus of angular fragments. In places the unit is porous, with the pores being filled by bentonitic clay
or chalcedony
Thickness and Distribution. Widespread across southern and central Alberta, with bed thickness
ranging from less than 2.5 cm (1 in) to about 30 cm (12 in) The unit is not continuous throughout the
entire area. It sometimes occurs as 2 to 4 thin beds within the upper part of the Edmonton Formation,
over an interval of less than 3.5 m (12 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Kneehills Tuft is enclosed conformably within the upper portion of a
black to dark brown, highly bentonitic shale which is an upper member of the Edmonton Formation.
The shale unit varies between 6 and 12 m (20 and 39 ft) in thickness. The Kneehills Tuff is equivalent
to the tuff in the Battle Formation of the Cypress Hills area, and is also equivalent to part of the
Colgate Member of the Fox Hills Formation in Montana and Wyoming.
Ritchie (1960) and Folinsbee et al. (1961) have determined absolute ages for the Kneehills Tuff
through K-Ar dating. These dates are 70+/-5 Ma and 65+/-3 Ma, respectively. Lerbekmo and Coulter
(1985) have conducted magnetostratigraphic work on this tuff, determining a normal polarity. They
show the age of the tuff to be in the range of 66.5 to 67.0 Ma .
References: Sanderson, 1931; Rutherford, 1947; Ower, 1958; Ritchie, 1960; Lerbekmo and Coulter,
1985.
LVH
Upper Triassic
Kobes Member (Charlie Lake Formation, Schooner, Creek Group)
Type Locality: Pacific Kobes No. d-57-A, in d-57-A/94-B-9, in northeastern British Columbia, between
1542 and 1546.6 m (5059 and 5074 ft).
Lithology: Quartzose sandstone, clear, fine to medium grained, well sorted; interbedded with silty
dolomite and silty anhydrite.
Thickness and Distribution: 2 to 5 m (7 to 16 ft) thick. It generally is eroded by the Coplin Unconformity
and is only found west of the Peace River Block, British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: Underlies the Coplin Unconformity in the Kobes-Townsend Field,
northeastern British Columbia; lies approximately 30 m (98 ft) above the Inga Member of the Charlie
Lake Formation.
JWR
Kootenai Formation
An American term used throughout most of Montana, the Kootenai Formation is equivalent to the
Mannville and Blairmore Groups of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Originally defined in the Great Falls
area, the Kootenai was mis-correlated with the older Kootenay Formation (now Kootenay Group) of the
Alberta Foothills in much of the literature of the early 1900’s The Kootenay is sometimes regarded as
an equivalent of the Morrison Formation of Montana, which underlies the Kootenai.
BJH
Kootenay Group
Author: Dawson, G.M., 1886; emended by Cairnes, D.D., 1908, Norris, D.K., and Gibson D.W, 1979
Type Locality: None designated; these are excellent exposures in the Highwood Pass-Mist Mountain
and Mount Allan areas of Alberta (Gibson, 1979).
History: Originally named ‘Kootanie Series’ by Dawson (1886), later modified and renamed Kootenay
Formation by Cairnes (1908, 1914) to include the stratigraphic interval between the Blairmore Group
(Dakota Formation) and the Fernie Formation. Newmarch (1953) later recognized a three fold
subdivision of the Kootenay in the Fernie area and defined an upper unit at the top of the Kootenay
succession as the Elk Formation, while retaining the name Kootenay for the lower two units. In the
Coleman-Blairmore area of Alberta Norris (1959) subdivided the Kootenay Formation into four
members and assigned the type section to Grassy Mountain. Recently Gibson (1979, 1985)
subdivided strata between the Jurassic Fernie Formation and the Lower Cretaceous Blairmore Group
into 3 formations, a lower, Morrissey, a middle, Mist Mountain and an upper, Elk. Accordingly the
Kootenay Formation was elevated to group status. The name Kootenay Formation was incorrectly
applied by some early workers for coal-bearing strata now included within the Blairmore Group. The
name Kootenai Formation of Montana is used for strata equivalent to the Blairmore Group.
Lithology: Comprises three formations which, in ascending order are: Morrissey - massive, cliff
forming, predominantly sandstone; Mist Mountain - interbedded sandstone, siltstone, mudstone, shale
and thin to thick seams of bituminous to semi-anthracite coal; Elk - interbedded sandstone, siltstone,
mudstone, shale and locally thick beds of chert pebble conglomerate and thin seams of high volatile
bituminous coal. The Morrissey Formation comprises two members: a lower, Weary Ridge - orange-
brown to brownish grey weathering, very fine to coarse grained sandstone; and Moose Mountain - well
indurated, cliff-forming, medium grey weathering, fine to coarse grained sandstone, with rare
mudstone and coal.
Thickness and Distribution: Occurs throughout the Rocky Mountain Foothills and parts of the eastern
front ranges of southwestern Alberta and southeastern British Columbia, between the United States
border and North Saskatchewan River. The group attains a composite maximum measured thickness
of 1335 m (4379 ft), thinning to zero toward the east.
Relationship to Other Units: The Kootenay Group conformably overlies the Upper Jurassic Fernie
Formation, and in most areas is disconformably overlain by Lower Cretaceous strata of the Blairmore
Group. In some western areas it may possibly be overlain conformably by the Pocaterra Creek
Member of the Blairmore Group (Gibson, 1979, 1985; Ricketts and Sweet, 1984). The Kootenay Group
grades laterally into the Nikanassin Formation in the vicinity of the North Saskatchewan River. It may
correlate with part of the upper Morrison Formation of the United States.
References: Cairnes, 1908; Dawson, 1886; Gibson, 1979, 1985; Newmarch, 1953; Norris, 1959;
Ricketts and Sweet, 1984.
DWG
Upper Cretaceous
Kotaneelee Formation
Author: Hage, C.D., 1945.
Type Locality: Valleys or the Kotaneelee and Petitot rivers, northeastern British Columbia.
Lithology: Marine shale, with concretions, sandstone and occasional conglomerate.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is 153 to 328 m (500 to 1000 ft) thick in its large area of outcrop,
which extends over the lower part of the Dunedin River valley, the valley of the Liard from the mouth of
Beaver River to the mouth of Kotaneelee River, and the lower part of the Petitot River valley.
Relationship to Other Units. The unit conformably overlies the Fort Nelson Formation and is overlain
by nonmarine sands and shales equivalent to the Wapiti Group. It correlates to the Smoky River Group.
References: McLearn and Kindle, 1950.

Upper Devonian (Mid Famennian)
Kotcho Formation
Author: Belyea H.R. and McLaren, D.J., 1962.
Type Locality: Imperial Island River No. 1 well, at 60°09’29”N, 121°08’16”W, District of Mackenzie,
between 1058.6 m (3473 ft) and 1269.5 m (4165 ft).
Lithology: Shale, light greenish grey to brownish grey noncalcareous to slightly calcareous, locally
black bituminous shale occurs. Interbeds, near top and base of buff and light grey, largely argillaceous
limestones, mostly in thin beds; lenses and nodules separated by greenish grey and brown shale;
some bioclastic limestones interbedded.
Thickness and Distribution. The Kotcho Formation is mappable from approximately the 6th Meridian
(120°W) to 122°W, and from the southern part of the District of Mackenzie to the Peace River Arch. In
the type well it is 210.9 m (692 ft) thick, but thins southwestwards to the Fort Nelson area, where it is
less than 30 m (100 ft) thick and toward the Peace River Arch, where it dies out. It carries a brachiopod
fauna similar to that of the Wabamun Group and Palliser Formation.
Relationship to Other Units: The Kotcho Formation grades eastwards, along a line close to the British
Columbia-Alberta border, to limestone which cannot be discriminated from the upper part of the
Wabamun Group of the Alberta subsurface and the Palliser Formation of the Alberta Rocky Mountains.
It is overlain by black shales and dark brown, argillaceous limestones of Mississippian or Late
Devonian age which may be equivalent to the Exshaw Formation .
References: Bassett and Stout, 1967; Belyea, 1964; Belyea and McLaren, 1962; Douglas, 1968; Gray
and Kassube, 1963; McCrossan and Glaister, 1964.
HRB; DWM
Cretaceous (Upper Albian-Santonian)
Labiche Formation
Author: McConnell. R.G., 1892.
Type Locality: In the valley of the Athabasca River, from some distance north of the Little Slave River
to the Pelican River (Twp. 71, Rge. 1W5M to Twp. 79, Rge. 17W4M), in northern Alberta.
Lithology: Dark grey and brown shales associated with calcareous, white speckled shale,
incorporating flakes of coccolithic debris near the top of the unit. The shales are darker, more siliceous
and noncalcareous in the lower part of the succession, which also contains thin layers of fish-skeletal
debris. Subordinate lithologies are accumulations of calcarenite, composed mainly of Inoceramus
prisms, and concretionary pyrite bodies.
Thickness and Distribution: In exposures along the Athabasca River and Tributaries south of Twp. 69,
only the upper 122 m (400 ft) of the Labiche Formation are seen. The total thickness, penetrated in
wells in Twp. 66, Rge. 24W4M, is about 420 m (1378 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Labiche Formation makes gradational, conformable contact with the
underlying sandstones of the Pelican Formation. It is overlain by sandstones of the Belly River
Formation. The unit is correlated with the interval from the top of the Viking Formation to the base of
the Foremost Formation in southern Alberta, which includes the First and Second White Speckled
Shale units and the Fish Scale Sandstone as important marker sequences, and the Lea Park
Formation. It contains equivalents of the Smoky Group, and the Dunvegan and Shaftesbury formations
in northwestern Alberta.
References: Badgley, 1952; Feniak, 1944, McConnell, 1893; Wickenden, 1949.
FS
Labuma Till
Author: Stalker, A. MacS., 1960, p. 22-23.
Type Locality: Near Labuma Siding, on north (left) bank of Red Deer River in SW/4 Sec. 19, Twp. 38,
Rge. 27W4M (52°17’N, 113°52’W), Alberta.
Lithology: Clayey, silty till with stones of Shield, Rocky Mountain and prairie origin; dark blue to black,
darkest Laurentide Till of region; massive, dense, and extremely sticky if wet, when dry breaks into
cubes 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) on a side.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section 5.5 m (18 ft) thick, normal 2 to 5 m (7 to 16 ft) thick, but
at Medicine Hat up to 30 m (98 ft) thick. Widespread in preglacial valleys in southern and central
Alberta, rare in inter-fluve area.
Relationship to Other Units: At the type section overlies Saskatchewan Gravels and underlies alluvial
gravel; elsewhere overlies bedrock or Saskatchewan Gravels, underlies Maunsell or younger tills:
contacts generally sharp. Probably the Laurentide equivalent to the Cordilleran Albertan Till. Alley
(1973) used Labuma to replace the name Pincher Till, given informally by him in 1972 (incorrectly
recorded as Pincher Creek Till in Harris and Waters, 1977, p. 57). The Labuma is equivalent to part or
all of the basal till of Horberg (1952, pp. 310, 311) and includes most of the lower boulder clay of
Dawson and McConnell (1885, p. 140c). Near Edmonton it corresponds to the Grey Till of Warren
(1954).
Other Features: Oldest Laurentide till yet found in southern Alberta, and assumed to be of Illinoian age
(Stalker and Harrison, p. 885).
References: Alley, 1972, 1973; Dawson and McConnell 1885; Harris and Waters, 1977; Horberg, 1952;
Stalker, 1960, 1963, 1972, 1973; Stalker and Harrison, 1977; Waxen, 1954; Waters, 1975.
AMacSS
Lax du Bonnet Formation (Informal)
Author: Keatinge, P.R.G., 1975, p. 33.
Type Locality: Borehole about 5 km (3 mi) southwest of town of Lac du Bonnet, in Lsd. 14, Sec. 23,
Twp. 10, Rge. 14EPM, Manitoba.
History: Name introduced in M.Sc. thesis, not defined elsewhere.
Lithology: Greyish brown, silty till containing abundant carbonate stones.
Thickness and Distribution: Up to 8 m (26 ft) thick; found in southeastern Manitoba.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies Whiteshell Formation or sandy sediment; generally exposed at
surface, locally overlain by sand or silt; correlates with Libau drift; northern equivalent of Roseau,
Sprague, Marchand and Steinbach formations.
References: Keatinge, 1975; Moran et al., 1976.
AMacSS; RWK
Upper Triassic
La Glace Member (Charlie Lake Formation, Schooler Creek Group)
(Superseded)
Author: Imperial Oil Limited, in the Mica Fields northeastern British Columbia.
Reference Section: Imperial et al. Mica 6-34-81-14W6M, in northeastern British Columbia, between
1525.2 and 1527.4 m (5004 and 5011 ft).
History: Equivalent to the Coplin Member of the Charlie Lake.
Lithology: Sandstone and anhydrite.
Thickness and Distribution: 4 m (13 ft) thick.
JWR
Late Wisconsinan
Lake Agassiz Clays
Author: Teller, J.T., 1976.
History: The term Lake Agassiz Clays was used in a general sense only to refer to clayey sediments
within the main Lake Agassiz Basin east of the Assiniboine Delta in southern Manitoba. The
sediments were informally designated units 1, 2 and 3.
Reference: Teller, J.T., 1976.
RWK
Upper Ordovician
Lake Alma Member (Herald Formation)
Type Locality: The CDR Scurry S Lake Alma 1-14-1-17W2M well, in Saskatchewan, between 3073.8
and 3089.8 m (10084.5 and 10137 ft).
Lithology: A lower unit of slightly argillaceous, microcrystalline to cryptocrystalline, laminated to

bedded dolomites, and an upper unit of bedded to laminated anhydrite with subordinate anhydritic
dolomite (informally called the Lake Alma anhydrite).
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum thickness of the Lake Alma Member in Saskatchewan is 19.2 m
(68 ft) The anhydrite unit is restricted to southeastern Saskatchewan (south of Twp. 33 and east of the
Third Meridian) and extends into Manitoba, Montana and North Dakota. Maximum thickness of the
anhydrite unit in Saskatchewan is 6.2 m (20 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Yeoman Formation with probable conformity. Disconformably
overlain by the Coronach Member of the Herald Formation. Equivalent to the lower portion of the
upper Red River, which includes the P and Q anhydrites (Porter and Fuller, 1959). Correlates with a
portion of the Fort Garry Member of the Red River Formation in Manitoba.
References: Andrichuk, 1959; Kendall, 1976; Kent, 1960; McCabe and Bannatyne, 1970; Porter and
Fuller, 1958, 1959.
FMH
Probably Middle Devonian
La Loche Formation
Author: Norris, A.W., 1963.
Type Locality: Contact Rapids on the Clearwater River, 56°45’N, 109°30’W, northeastern Alberta.
Lithology: Regolithic, poorly sorted breccia: fine to coarse grained, white to medium brownish grey
arkosic sandstones and conglomeratic sandstones, with thin interbeds of sandy mudstone toward the
top; arkosic grit and edgewise conglomerates and silty grits with festoon bedding toward the top.
Thickness and Distribution: The La Loche Formation is 1.5 m (5 ft) thick at Contact Rapids; 2.8 m (9 ft)
at Stony Island (Twp. 122, Rge. 9W4M) on Slave River and 5.7 m (18.8 ft) on the east bank of Slave
River south of Caribou Island. The unit is present in the subsurface of northeastern Alberta,
northwestern Saskatchewan, infilling lows on the Precambrian surface. It reaches a thickness of 30 m
(98 ft) in the Clearwater river area.
Relationship to Other Units: The La Loche Formation seems to be a reworked regolith lying on the
Precambrian surface. It is overlain gradationally by the Chinchaga or Keg River formations in the
Stony islands area; in the Clearwater area it is the equivalent of the Contact Rapids Formation, i.e., the
basal transgressive red beds of the Elk Point Group.
References: Craig, et al., 1967 Norris, 1963.
JHC,GGP
Lower Cambrian
Lake Louise Shale
History: Of the three widely recognizable, shady recessive weathering units of the Gog Group Walcott
(1908, 1928) recognized only the Lake Louise Shale which, according to Palonen (1976) may be, in
the type area Palonen’s ‘second recessive unit’. No one except Walcott has recognized the unit
anywhere but in the type area. Deiss (1940) observed that “... the Lake Louise Shale occurs at a
different stratigraphic horizon above the base of the Cambrian or beneath the Mount Whyte-St. Piran
boundary in every section ... and may not even be a persistent member.”
References: Deiss, 1940; Palonen, 1976; Walcott, 1908, 1928.
JDA
Lamoral Till
Type Locality: In Sec. 20, Twp. 40, Rge. 11W5M, Alberta, near ghost town of Lamoral.
History: Name introduced informally in Ph.D. thesis by Boydell (1972, p. 45), given formal status by him
in 1978.
Lithology: A very dark grey to black till that is compact, clayey and stony, with about 22% carbonate
content in matrix; stones mostly carbonates and quartzites; Shield stones apparently lacking and the
heavy minerals have a very high garnet content and indicate a Rocky Mountain origin.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality 20 m (66 ft) thick, elsewhere generally thinner. Till only
observed in 4 sections, and its boundaries are not known. Found mainly in the North Saskatchewan
River Valley and its tributaries draining from the “Brazeau Piedmont” in the Rocky Mountain House
map-area.
Relationship to Other Units: At the type section and elsewhere overlies Paskapoo Formation bedrock
and overlain by glacial lake material and Jackfish Creek Till.
A Cordilleran Till to which Boydell (p. 29) assigned a Classical Wisconsin age and correlated time-
wise with his Athabasca and Sylvan Lake tills. He also correlated it with the Marlboro Till of Roed
(1975), which name has priority, and to Roed’s Laurentide Edson Till. Reference by Roed (1975, p.
1513) to Lamour Till of Boydell et al. (1974) is probably a mis-spelling for Lamoral.
Boydell (1978, p. 17) used the informal term “Lamoral deposits” to include both the till and associated
glacial-lake deposits. The term is not formally defined.
References: Boydell, 1972, 1978; Boydell et al., 1974; Harris and Waters, 1977; Roed, 1975.
AMacSS
Lower Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian?)
Lander Sand (Kootenai Formation)
An American term used in the Cut Bank area of northern Montana, southwest of Coutts, Alberta The
Lander is a local term referring to a sandstone body in the “Sunburst Zone” about 15 m (49 ft) above
the Cut Bank Sandstone. Equivalent strata in southern Alberta lie within the interbedded continental
mudstones, siltstones and sandstones between the basal Cut Bank Sandstone and upper
“Calcareous” Member of the lower Mannville Formation.
BJH
Largs Formation
Type Locality: Roadcut on north side of Minnedosa Valley (Klassen, 1980, Appendix, section 1), in
SW/4 of Sec. 9, Twp. 15, Rge. 18WPM, at approximately 50°15’N, 99°54W. The site is about 1.5 km
(0.9 mi) southeast of Largs railway siding, Manitoba.
History: Previously designated by Klassen (1971, p. 256) as “Unit B” on Duck Mountain Upland, and
as Shell Till on Riding Mountain Upland.
Lithology: Consists of very dark, grey to greyish brown till that is clayey and silty and contains more
shale stones than other tills of the region; the silt fraction contains 9 to 21% carbonate, significantly
less than most neighbouring tills. On Priding Mountain Upland it can be distinguished from Shell Till,
For which it was formerly confused (Klassen, 1971, p. 256) by its low carbonate content and large
number of shale stones.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality and most outcrops about 5 m (16 ft) thick, in boreholes
reaches thicknesses of 45 m (148 ft) The unit is found in Manitoba along Minnedosa Valley, on the
Assiniboine River Plain, Riding Mountain Upland and Duck Mountain Upland.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies bedrock on stratified surficial deposits, generally overlain by drift.
The stratigraphic position of the Lags Formation indicates it is of pre-Wisconsin, probably early
Pleistocene age.
References: Klassen, 1971, 1979.
AMacSS; RWK
Upper Devonian
Last Lake Member (Wabamun Formation)
m (3640 and 3750 ft).
History: Halbertsma and Meijer Drees (1987) originally subdivided the Cardinal Lake (1987) into
Upper and Lower Cardinal Lake. Later Halbertsma changed the Lower Cardinal Lake to Cardinal
Lake and the Upper Cardinal Lake to Last Lake because the two units have no facies relationship.
Lithology: At the base the Last Lake is general grey brown to buff, argillaceous, often laminated,
transgressive limestone which higher up becomes skeletal wackestone and occasionally packstone
or pelletoidal grainstone. The Last Lake transgression represents the initial return to open marine
conditions in the Upper Wabamun.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness ranges from zero to 30 m (98 ft) in north-central Alberta. The
Last Lake is partly eroded in the area of the Peace River Arch due to post-Wabamun uplift.
Relationship to Other Units: The Last Lake rests conformably on the underlying Cardinal Lake Member
and is overlain conformably by the Big Valley Member of the Wabamun Formation. It is generally not
well represented in the eastern part of the province, where the Big Valley unconformably rests on the
evaporitic upper Stettler. In the western part it may be present where the contact of the Big Valley with
the underlying limestones is conformable. In the Palliser Formation, wherever the Costigan-Morro
contact is conformable the Last Lake may correlate with the lower part of the Costigan.
References: Halbertsma, 1990; Halbertsma and Meijer Drees, 1987.
HLH
Upper Cretaceous (Early to Middle Turonian)
Laurier Limestone Beds (Keld Member)
Author: McNeil, D.H. and Caldwell, W.G.E., 1981.
Type Locality: Exposures on the Vermilion River, southwest of Dauphin, Manitoba. The type section is
located in Lsd. 8, Sec. 2, Twp. 24, Rge. 20W1M.
Lithology: The Laurier Limestone Beds consist of grey, chalk-speckled, argillaceous limestone beds,
each discontinuous and less than 15 cm (6 in) thick, with interbeds of olive-black, chalk-speckled
calcareous shale and rare bentonite seams. The beds form a conspicuous marker at the top of the
Keld Member of the Favel Formation and carry a significant assemblage of bivalves and ammonites
associated with planktonic foraminifers and coccoliths. As a relatively pure limestone lithotype the
beds are characteristic of the eastern platform facies of the western interior Cretaceous Basin and
represent peak marine transgression for the Greenhorn cycle of sedimentation (McNeil and Caldwell,
1981 ft)
Thickness and Distribution: The Laurier Limestone Beds are recognized only along the outcrop belt of
the Manitoba escarpment, from Riding Mountain, Manitoba to the Pasquia Hills of the east-central
Saskatchewan. The beds are 5 m (16 ft) thick at Riding Mountain, but consist of only a single, 10 cm (4
m) thick bed of argillaceous limestone in the Pasquia Hills.
Relationship to Other Units: The beds are conformable with contiguous chalk-speckled shale of the
Favel Formation and occur at the top of the Keld Member. The contacts are either sharp or gradational.
The Laurier Limestone Beds disappear westwards into facies equivalents in the middle part of the
Second flower) White Speckled shale of the Colorado Group in western Saskatchewan and eastern
Alberta and the middle part of the Vimy Member of the Blackstone Formation of the central and
southwestern Alberta Foothills. They correlate southwards with beds of the upper Greenhorn
Formation or Limestone of North Dakota, South Dakota and eastern Wyoming. Farther south they
correlate with similar thin limestone beds in the Bridge Creek Limestone Member of the Greenhorn in
Colorado and equivalent beds in the Jetmore and Pfeifer members of the Greenhorn in Kansas.
Paleontology: An Early to Middle Turonian molluscan assemblage lends importance to the Laurier
Limestone Beds. The fauna included Mytiloides labiatus (Schlotheim) and Collignoniceras woollgari
(Mantell) among a variety of other bivalves and ammonites (McNeil and Caldwell, 1981).
References: Cobban and Scott, 1972; Hattin, 1975b; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981.
DHM; LLP
Lazenby Formation
Type Locality: West bank of MacFarlane River in central northern Saskatchewan; NTS 74/G-13.
Lithology: Pebbly, quartzose sandstone overlying the clean, intraclast-rich sandstones of the Manitou
Falls Formation. Pebbles 4 to 30 cm (1.6 to 12 in) in diameter are scattered along bedding and form
scattered conglomeratic layers. Sandstone is coarse grained and displays convolute and hummocky
cross-bedding.
Thickness and Distribution: Forms a narrow exposure belt trending east-west from north of Cree Lake
to Patterson Lake along the southern flank of the Athabasca Sandstone Basin. The unit is about 100 m
(328 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: A formation of the Athabasca Group, lying between the Manitou Falls and
the Wolverine Point formations.
JEC
Upper Cretaceous (Early Campanian)
Lea Park Formation
Author: Allan, J.A., 1981; P. 91 -3.
Type Locality: The area around Lea Park, Alberta. The type section is a 25 m (82 ft) outcrop (McKellar,
1977) in the northeast corner of 15-11-54-3W4M.
Lithology: The Lea Park Formation is typically composed of medium to dark grey shale with minor
amounts of silt. Stringers of very fine grained, tan colored sand and numerous layers of calcite veined
clay-ironstone concretions are found throughout the formation. Thin bentonite seams are interspersed
throughout; some have a wide geographic distribution. Abundant foraminiferal and molluscan faunas
indicate an Early Campanian age.
Thickness and Distribution: The Lea Park is a westward thinning wedge with a reported thickness of
152 m (500 ft) (Williams and Burk, 1964) in the west-central Alberta Foothills in the type area Nauss
(1947) indicated a thickness of 213 to 244 m (700 to 800 ft), further east the formation can exceed 270
m (886 ft) in thickness. The Lea Park is distributed over most of west-central Saskatchewan and
central and southern Alberta as far west as the Disturbed Belt in the foothills. The northward limit is
defined by the present day erosional edge which trends west-northwest through northwestern
Saskatchewan and northeastern Alberta. The name Lea Park is applied eastwards only as far as the
overlying Judith River Formation can be recognized, which is approximately a line running north-
south through central Saskatchewan. To the south, in Montana the shale continues as the Judith River,
Clagett and Eagle formations, and in southern Alberta the formation terminates where the Milk River
sandstone is present. Meijer Drees and Myhr (1981) identified the Alderson Member of the Lea Park in
the area transitional to the Milk River Sandstone.
Relationship to Other Units: The top of the unit is defined by an interfingering contact with the Judith
River Formation. The bottom is the contact with the upper or First White Speckled Shale.
In eastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba the Lea Park correlates with the Gammon
Ferruginous, Pembina and lower Millwood members of the Pierre Shale. To the north the Labiche
Formation of the Athabasca River region is partly equivalent. In the Peace River area the Puskwaskau
Formation is of similar age to the lower Lea Park. In the north and central Alberta Foothills the Nomad,
Chungo and Hanson members of the Wapiabi Formation are considered equivalent. In southern
Alberta the Belly River, Pakowki and Milk River formations and in northern Montana their stratigraphic
equivalents the Judith River, Claggett and Eagle formations are of similar age to the Lea Park.
References: Allan, 1918; McKellar, 1977; Meijer Drees and Myhr, 1981; Nauss, 1947; Williams and
Burk, 1964.
RLM; DHM
Leduc Formation (Woodbend Group)
Type Locality: B.A. Pyrz No. 1 well, in 12-25-50-26W4M, in central Alberta, between 1623.7 and
1807.5 m (5327 and 5930 ft). Supplementary section: Imp. Leduc No. 530, in 8-17-50-26W4M, between
1633 and 1863 m (5357 and 6112 ft), continuously cored.
History: Originally proposed as a member of the then Woodbend Formation to replace the informal
term “D-3 zone” reef. It is unclear when this member was formally elevated to formation status but its
informal elevation coincided with the elevation of the Woodbend to group status as recommended by
Andrichuk and Wonfor (1954, p. 2050).
Lithology: The Leduc Formation comprises a wide variety of facies attributable to deposition in a
shallow water reef complex. Stromatoporoids exhibiting a wide variety of growth forms are the most
predominant reef builders and characterize a wide variety of sediments from skeletal mudstones,
boundstones and floatstones to more muddy skeletal packstones and wackestones. The formation is
commonly dolomitized, although undolomitized occurrences are known (Golden Spike, Redwater,
Willingdon and Pinedale reef complexes and the uppermost part of the Duhamel reef). For a more
complete description of facies the reader is referred to the individual studies of Leduc reefs cited.
Thickness and Distribution: The name is applied to isolated reefal buildups and platform complexes
that occur in the subsurface from the southern Alberta Woodbend shelf margin near Drumheller to the
Peace River Arch area of northwestern Alberta. A number of authors have applied the name to similar
Frasnian carbonate complexes in the mountains (see Southesk Formation) but the term remains
primarily a subsurface one. Thicknesses vary from 180 to 300 m (590 to 984 ft) and locally more than
300 m where complete buildups are developed, to zero in inter-reef areas.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the dolomite or limestone platform of the Cooking
Lake Formation in south-central Alberta, with only a minor hiatus separating them in the Leduc-
Windfall area of west-central Alberta it conformably overlies a thick Beaverhill Lake platform
carbonate sequence whose upper developments may contain Cooking Lake equivalents. Around the
Peace River Arch the fringing reef complex may rest directly on Precambrian or red beds of the
Granite Wash.
The Leduc Formation of the type area is enclosed by basinal sediments, first of the Duvernay, and
later of the Ireton formations which eventually covered it. Prograding “shale” banks infixing the basin
progressively restricted and finally terminated reef growth and, depending on basin position, Leduc
reefs contain growth equivalents of all of the Duvernay and the greater parts of the Ireton and
Grosmont formations. In other parts of the basin the Leduc is covered by the Woodbend shale and a
similar process to that indicated above may characterize this relationship.
References: Andrichuk, 1958, 1961: Andrichuk and Wonfor, 1954; Belyea, 1964; Downing and Cooke,
1955; Geological Staff, Imperial Oil Limited, 1950; Kirker, 1959; Klovan, 1964; Layer et al., 1949; Link,
1950; Lockwood and Erdman, 1951; McGillivray and Mountjoy, 1975; Stoakes, 1980; Waring and
Layer, 1950.
FAS, JAW
Quaternary
Leinan Till
Author: Christiansen, E.A., 1959, p 37.
Type Locality: East bluff of Swift Current Creek, near Leinan, Saskatchewan, in Lsd. 16, Sec. 1, Twp.
18, Rge. 13W3M.
Lithology: A clay-loam till that is calcareous, pale yellow to pale brown, montmorillonitic and plastic.
Except for a greater degree of oxidization, this till resembles the Wymark and Aikins tills.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality 12 m (39 ft) thick, but generally thinner. Found within
Swift Current map-area in and north of Clearwater Lake Moraine; also described from the Kindersley
area (Christiansen, 1965).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies “middle stratified drift” and Aikins Till, exposed or underlies
“upper stratified drift”; second till above Prelate Ferry Soil; therefore would appear to correlate with
Battleford Formation and Condie Till.
It is the youngest till in the Swift Current Area, and second youngest in Kindersley Area and so would
appear to be of Classical Wisconsin age. Although apparently not used much in recent years, if their
units can be traced and correlated with each other the name Leinan would appear to have priority over
the names Battleford Formation and Condie Till (see also Aikins Till).
References: Christiansen. 1959, 1965.
AMacSS
Lennard Formation
Author: Klassen, R.W, 1980, p. 9.
Type Locality: East bank of Shell River Valley, about 4 km (2.5 mi) west-northwest of Lennard,
Manitoba, in the SE/4 Lsd. 1, Sec. 27, Two. 23, Rge. 28WPM (approximately 51°01’N, 101°19’W).
History: Originally named Lennard Till by Klassen (1969, p. 9), the unit was re-described by him in
1980, with the exclusion of those parts now called Arran Formation and the Zelena Formation, and
renamed the Lennard Formation.
Lithology: A dark, greyish brown till that is both darker in color and less indurated, but siltier than the
underlying till of the Minnedosa Formation; carbonate range of silt fraction typically is between 14 and
19%.
Thickness and Distribution: Thin and patchy west of Assiniboine River, but thickens to between 15 and
30 m (49 and 98 ft) east of that river. Occurs over most of the Assiniboine River Plain, but is less
extensive than originally described (Klassen, 1969, p. 15).
Relationship to Other Units: Where recognized is at the surface. Overlies the Minnedosa Formation or,
rarely bedrock shale. Contact with the underlying Minnedosa Formation generally marked by a
prominent pavement of striated and faceted boulders. Correlates in part with the Zelena Formation of
Duck Mountain and Siding Mountain Uplands, and with the Arran Formation of the plains to the east.
Westward it probably correlates with the Battleford Formation of west-central Saskatchewan.
Correlated by Fenton (1974, p. 124) with the Libau Drift.
It was deposited by the last Laurentide glacier to cover southwestern Manitoba. Deposited by
southeast-flowing ice in Classical Wisconsin time.
References: Klassen, 1969, 1971, 1980; Klassen and Elson, 1972; Moran et al., 1976; Fenton, 1974;
Richmond, 1977; Teller and Fenton, 1980.
RWK; AMacSS
Lenzie Silt
Type Locality: “The west bank of the Oldman River Valley, 112 miles [2.4 km] southeast of Lenzie and
1 mile [1.6 km] north of the [old] highway bridge.” Lsd. 2, Sec. 11, Twp. 9, Rge. 22W4M; 49°42’50”N,
112°52’30”N, near Lethbridge, Alberta.
Lithology: “... dominantly of buff, stratified, calcareous silt and silty sand which from a distance has a
loess-like appearance. Also, minor black or grey clay, partly varied, and poorly sorted, till-like
colluvium containing coarse, fragmented material. Generally sharp, horizontal contacts with underlying
and overlying tills.
Thickness and Distribution At the type section 20 m (66 ft) thick, elsewhere 2 to 34 m (7 to 112 ft).
Essentially continuous in preglacial Oldman Valley near Lethbridge, in basin of Glacial lake “Macleod”
(Carmangay); may be present in glacial lake basins farther west
Relationship to Other Units: Lies between “upper and lower” (Buffalo Lake and Maunsell?) tills east of
Lethbridge Moraine, and at surface crest of the moraine
Horberg (1952, p. 322) indicated that the Lenzie silt was of Tazewell-Cary (Classical Wisconsin) age.
Stalker (1977, p. 2618) suggested a slightly earlier, or mid-Wisconsin age. Would appear to correlate
with, or be equivalent to the Strathcona Sand and Silt (Warren, 1954), if so, Lenzie Silt has priority
References: Horberg, 1952,; Stalker, 1977; Vernon, 1962; Wagner, 1966; Warren, 1954.
AMacSS
Leofnard Salt (Elk Point Group) (Disused)
Author: Jordan, S.P., 1967. Not formally defined.
Type Locality: California Standard Gulf Leofnard 13-3-42-26W2M, in Saskatchewan, between 833.0
and 915 3 m (2733 and 3003 ft). N.B. The interval for this formation was not specified by the author, it
was determined from original logs by the compiler.
Remarks: The Leofnard Salt comprises all salts (including all known potash beds) subsequently
included in the Prairie Evaporite (Hotter, 1969) that overlie the Shell Lake Gypsum (Jordan, 1967) and
underlie the Dawson Bay Formation. Wardlaw and Reinson (1971) assigned the Loefnard Salt to the
upper Prairie Evaporite.
References: Hotter, 1969; Wardlaw and Reinson, 1971; Jordan, 1967, 1968.
CED; KRM
Lower Cretaceous (Middle to Upper Albian)
Lepine Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Author: Kindle, E.D., 1944, p. 12.
Type Locality: Kindle described an incomplete section on the Liard Escarpment opposite Scatter River,
but McLearn and Kindle (1950, p. 90) implied that the type section was opposite Lepine Creek (about
24 km (15 mi) to the south). Stott (1982) described a composite section that occurs on the escarpment
opposite Chimney Creek.
Lithology: Consists of a monotonous sequence of silty mudstone in the type area the lower unit of
about 100 m (330 ft) consists of concretionary mudstone that is abundantly fossiliferous. A succeeding
unit contains about 125 m (410 ft) of black, flaky to fissile shale. The upper part is characterized by silty
shale containing sideritic concretions and by an increased abundance of thin beds of silty sandstone
toward the top.
Thickness and Distribution: A composite thickness on Liard Escarpment opposite Chimney Creek is in
the order of 900 m (2952 ft). Equivalent beds in IOE Pan Am Viscount a-77-D well (a-77-D/94-0-11) are
about 640 m (2100 ft) thick. The formation is in the order of 500 m (1640 ft) thick on the west side of the
Liard Range.
Relationship to Other Units: The Lepine Formation conformably overlies the Tussock Member of the
Scatter Formation in the type area and is gradationally overlain by the Sikanni Formation. The Lepine
Member is included in the Buckinghorse Formation where the underlying Scatter Formation is no
longer recognizable. The Lepine is equivalent to the Hasler Formation of the Pine River region.
Paleontology: The basal part of the formation in the type region contains abundant ammonites,
including Gastroplites sp. and Stelckiceras liardense.
References: Kindle, 1944; McLearn and Kindle, 1950; Stott, 1982
DFS
Lethbridge Drift
Author: Horberg, L., 1954, p 1130.
General Comment: Informal name used by Horberg for deposits in Waterton-Lethbridge Region of
Alberta. Probably refers to Laurentide drift associated with the Lethbridge Moraine (Horberg. 1952, p.
308). Overlies “Glenwoodville Drift” and “Lensie lake silt”, and overlain by postglacial alluvium and
colluvium. Assigned a Cary age by Horberg.
References: Horberg, 1952, 1954.
AMacSS
Upper Cretaceous
Lethbridge Member (Oldman Formation)
Author: Russell, L S. and Landes, R.W., 1940.
Type Locality: Vicinity of Lethbridge, Alberta; exposed along the Oldman River upstream from there.
Lithology: Dark, carbonaceous, coaly shales, with a few thin bentonite beds.
Thickness and Distribution: The Lethbridge Member varies in thickness across southern Alberta,
being from zero to 1.2 m (4 ft) on the eastern limb of the Sweetgrass Arch to slightly more than 24.5 m
(80 ft) on the western limb near Lethbridge.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is the upper member of the Oldman Formation. It underlies the
marine Bearpaw Formation and overlies un-named sands and shales of the lower part of the Oldman
Formation.
Reference: Crockford, 1949

Middle Proterozoic
Lewis Series (Abandoned)
Author: Daly, R.A., 1912, p. 47-49.
Type Locality: Lewis Range of northwestern Montana, and the Clark Range of southwestern Alberta
and southeastern British Columbia.
History: One of four lithostratigraphic units of group or supergroup rank introduced by Daly for strata in
four adjacent groups of mountain ranges. On the basis of incorrect correlations within and among the
four areas (Schofield, 1914b; Price, 1962, 1964) the four “series” were thought to represent laterally
equivalent but different lithofacies of the same stratigraphic interval. The “Lewis series” has never been
widely used and is synonymous with the more widely used terms “Purcell Series” or “Purcell
Supergroup”.
References: Daly, 1912; Price, 1962, 1964; Schofield, 1914b, 1951.
RAP
Upper Cretaceous
Leyland Member (Cardium Formation, Alberta Group)
Author: Stow, D.E, 1963.
Type Locality: Within the type Cardium Formation on Wapiabi Creek, in the Alberta Foothills, Twp. 41,
Rge. 18W5M.
Lithology: Silty, dark grey concretionary mudstone and shale. Several cycles are characterized by a
gradual change from rubble mudstone to plate shale or siltstone. Thin beds of pebbles or scattered
pebbles may lie above the top siltstone of some cycles. Grades laterally (in some areas) and vertically
into marine siltstone and sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: The Leyland Member extends from the Castle River, south of Crowsnest
Pass along the southern and central foothills as far as the Wildhay River, north of the Athabasca River.
In general it increases in thickness from north to south and also from west to east across the foothills. It
ranges from 53.3 m (175 ft) in the Bighorn region to only a few metres north of McLeod River.
Relationship to Other Units: In most areas the Leyland lies between the Cardinal Member and the
overlying Sturrock Member. North of McLeod River it lies on and is replaced laterally by nonmarine
beds of the Moosehound Member The lower boundary, marked commonly by pebbles is abrupt but
probably conformable. The boundary lies within a gradational sequence.
Paleontology: Ammonites comparable with Scaphites mariasensis Cobban and S. impendicostatus

Cobban and marine pelecypods are dated as Late Turonian
DFS
Middle-Upper Triassic
Liard Formation (Schooler Creek Group)
Type Locality: On an island in, and on the south bank of Liard River near Hades (Hell) Gate,
northeastern British Columbia. NTS Map 94N/6 Grayling River. Alternate and more accessible
localities displaying all facies of Liard Formation were provided by Pelletier (1963, 1964) and Gibson
(1971).
History: Originally included by Kindle (1944) as part of the Toad Formation in the Liard River area. In
1946 the unit was separated as a distinct formation and the name Toad retained for lower, more thinly
bedded and finer grained beds. The facies was recognized and the name extended southward by
Pelletier (1960, 1961, 1963, 1964) and Gibson (1971, 1975) to include all strata between the
underlying Toad and overlying Charlie Lake formations in the foothills as far south as Pine River.
Lithology: Resistant weathering dolomitic to calcareous sandstone, calcareous and dolomitic siltstone,
and lesser amounts of dolostone, and thin to medium beds of buff to grey weathering sandy to silty,
bioclastic limestone. Between Peace and Pine rivers the limestone is very finely crystalline, less
sandy and silty, and commonly cherty, weathering a distinct medium to dark grey. Elsewhere the Liard
weathers pale to medium grey to yellowish grey. The Liard Formation contains the Middle Triassic
index Nathorstites fauna. The Liard Formation varies in thickness from zero at Mount Ludington and
Calnan Creek, where strata of the formation appear to have been removed by pre-Ludington erosion,
to a maximum of 417.6 m (1370 ft) at Clearwater Lake, south of the Williston Lake Reservoir. Near
Liard River the formation attains a thickness slightly in excess of 182.9 m (600 ft) (McLearn and
Kindle, 1980). It is recognized throughout the Rocky Mountain Foothills between the Liard and Pine
rivers, northeastern British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: The Liard is unconformably overlain boor the Cretaceous Garbutt and
Buckinghorse formations in the Liard River area of the eastern foothills. Southward the Liard is
gradationally overlain by yellowish brown to yellow, pale grey to orange-brown weathering dolomitic
to calcareous sandstone, siltstone, sandy limestone, dolostone and minor amounts of intraformational
and/or solution breccia of the Charlie Lake Formation. The Liard is gradationally overlain by darker
grey weathering, finer grained siltstone and silty shale of the Toad Formation. Between Pine River and
the Williston Lake Reservoir, the lower contact is placed where dark weathering siltstones, limestones
and silty shales of the Toad grade vertically into paler grey weathering, coarser grained siltstone and
very finely crystalline limestone of the Liard. The Liard is laterally equivalent to the subsurface Halfway
Formation of the Peace River Plains, and the upper two thirds of the Llama Member of the Sulphur
Mountain Formation of the Jasper-Banff area (Gibson, 1975). The Liard Formation includes strata
mapped and/or interpreted as Halfway by Pelletier (1964) and Colquhoun (1962) in the foothills of the
Peace and Muskwa River areas, and as part or all of the Mount Wright Formation as recognized by
Colquhoun (1962) in the Halfway and Peace River (Williston Lake) areas.
References: Colquhoun, 1962; Gibson, 1971, 1975: Kindle, 1944, 1946; McLearn and Kindle, 1950;
Pelletier, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964.
DWG
Libau Drift (Informal)
Author: McPherson, H.J., 1970, p. 111.
Type Locality: Libau, Manitoba, in Secs. 9, 10, 15 and 16, Twp. 15, Rge. 6EPM.
History: Name introduced in Ph.D. thesis as a “morphostratigraphic unit” unit, not elsewhere described.
Lithology: Till, outwash and other associated drift; the till typically is light olive grey, but yellowish grey
above carbonate bedrock. It consists mainly of dolomite, quartz, feldspar, calcite and clay minerals, the
high content of carbonates is its chief distinguishing character; locally includes glacial-fluvial and
glacial-lacustrine deposits.
Thickness and Distribution: Reaches thicknesses of 30 m (98 ft), but generally 6 to 9 m (20 to 30 ft);
thickest in low areas; found most extensively in south and west parts of Beausejour area of Manitoba,
but also present elsewhere in that region.
Relationship to Other Units: Commonly exposed at surface, elsewhere covered by Lake Agassiz
sediments. Correlated by Keatinge (1975, p. 40) with “Steinbach member” and Roseau, Sprague and
Marchand formations, and by Fenton (1974, p. 124) with the Battleford and Lennard formations.
It is “... defined as the morphostratigraphic unit consisting of all the drift deposited by a significant
glacial advance from a northwest direction, which includes ground moraine, associated outwash, and
the Birds Hill esker-delta complex” (McPherson, 1970, p. 111). Considered as of Two Creeks age (Late
Classical Wisconsin).
References: Fenton, 1974; Keatinge, 1975; McPherson, 1970; McPherson et al., 1971.
AMacSS; RWK
Middle Jurassic (? Bajocian)
Lille Member (Fernie Formation)
Type Locality: Foot of southern slope of Grassy Mountains 7 km (4.4 mi) north of Blairmore, Alberta;
grid reference 861051, NTS Blairmore, 82 G/9.
Lithology: Bed of calcareous grit and coquina, composed largely of bivalve shells (referred to as
Chalamys mcconnelli fauna); especially abundant are immature specimens of Gryphaea and Ostrea.
Thickness and Distribution: 2.25 m (7.4 ft) thick at Grassy Mountain, the only locality at which this unit
has been recognized.
Relationship to Other Units: At Grassy Mountain rests conformably on unfossiliferous, plate, grey-black
siltstone (? Rock Creek Member); upper contact unknown. Possibly equivalent to part of the Highwood
Member.
References: Frebold, 1957; McLearn, 1927.
RLH
Upper Cretaceous
Lineham Member (Obsolete)
Author: Slipper, S.W., 1921, p. S.
Type Locality: Outcrops along the Sheep River in the vicinity of Lineham, near Turner Valley, Alberta
(Slipper, 1921, p. 17, 18). He refers to outcrops near the crest of Turner Valley Anticline in Sec. 6, Twp.
20, Rge. 2W5M and about 8 km (5 mi) upstream.
History: Slipper designated a sandstone unit occurring about 210 m (690 ft) above the base of the
Benton (i.e., Alberta) shale as the Lineham Member. These rocks have since been referred to the
Cardium Formation Rutherford, 1927, p. 27; Stott, 1963, p. 41.
References: Rutherford, 1927; Slipper, 1921; Stott, 1963.
PAM
Little Buffalo Formation
Type Locality: Little Buffalo River, where it is exposed in the immediate vicinity of the falls where the
river cuts through an eastward facing escarpment some 45 km (28 mi) west of Fort Smith, Northwest
Territories, at about 60°08’N, 112°41’08”W.
Lithology: Consists of a lower 17 m (56 ft) thick unit of pale to dark brown, aphanitic to medium
grained, thick bedded to massive dolomite with some massive, coarsely vuggy dolomite with some
carbonaceous bands near the base, and an upper 12 m (40 ft) thick medium brown, aphanitic, rubbly,
thin bedded, fossiliferous limestone, separated by shale partings 6 m (20 ft) thick, followed by a 0.6 m
(2 ft) covered interval overlain by medium to dark brown; fine to coarse grained, irregularly bedded
gypsiferous dolomite Ma. 6 m, 20 ft thick).
Thickness and Distribution: About 29 m (96 ft) thick south of Great Slave Lake.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is conformably underlain by the Nyarling Formation and overlain
by the Chinchaga Formation. It is roughly equivalent to the lower part of the Pine Point Formation to
the north.
Paleontology: Fossils present in the upper unit include sponge spicules, undetermined cup corals,
crinoid ossicles and brachiopods; the lower part appears to be unfossiliferous.
References: Norris, 1965
LVH; AWN
Mississippian (Tournaisian-Visean)
Livingstone Formation (Rundle Group)
Type Locality: Douglas first used the term Livingstone for strata in the Mount Head map area, “on
ridges north of Flat Creek and Highwood River”, giving only a generalized description of the beds. He
indicated that his Livingstone of the Mount Head area equates to his Rundle Member A, originally
established in the Gap Area (Douglas, 1950). In 1950 Beales published an excellent section of
Member A from the “north bank of the headwaters of Flat Creek (NE/4, Sec. 6, Twp. 18, Rge. 5W5M).
As this is the earliest published detailed section of the unit, it can be considered a type section even
though the name is derived from the Livingstone Range of the Rockies.
Lithology: The Livingstone Formation is dominantly echinoderm-bryozoan (crinoidal) limestone, light

grey pale weathering, coarse to medium crystalline, topographically resistant, in thick massive units,
interbedded with thinner zones of finer and darker limestone, dolomitic limestone and dolomite. Chert
is scarce above the lower 150 m (500 ft), and sandstone is confined to the basal part. Beales (1950)
indicated (p. 39) that the Rundle (i.e., Livingstone) Banff contact lies beneath the lowest “Rundle-type
crinoidal limestone” but considered the Banff-Rundle relationship to be gradational. The Livingstone-
Mount Head contact is emphasized by the marked topographic contrast between the resistant,
massive crinoidal sands of the Livingstone and the overlying weak, dark, argillaceous, bituminous
limestones of the Mount Head.
Thickness and Distribution: In the general type area in the southern Rocky Mountains the following
thicknesses are reported: Douglas: 306 m (1005 ft); Beales, 358 m (1173 ft); Gap Area, 240 m (787 ft);
Banff Area, 452 m (1482 ft). The Livingstone comprises the lower and major part of the Rundle Group
in the southern Alberta Rocky Mountains, creating many of the mountain scarps along the Bow River
valley in the Fairholme (Grotto and Pigeon Mountains) and Rundle ranges (Three Sisters and Mount
Rundle), Cascade Mountain and the Sawback Range. Fortress Mountain of the Kananaskis Range is
also formed of the Livingstone Formation. The Livingstone is absent by post-Mississippian erosion in
east-central Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The Livingstone rests everywhere conformably on the Banff Formation
and is overlain conformably by the Mount Head Formation, except where the latter has been removed
by post-Mississippian erosion. West of the first range of the Rocky Mountains (type Livingstone area)
the Livingstone expands to include progressively younger strata at the top, as the four lower units of
the Mount Head Formation (Wileman, Baril, Salter and Loomis) are lost by facies change to
Livingstone Formation lithology. North of Lake Minnewanka, and easterly into the subsurface of the
foothills and plains the Livingstone is differentiated by facies change to a lowermost Pekisko, medial
Shunda and uppermost Turner Valley sequence, of which only the Pekisko retains the coarse
crystalline crinoidal limestone character of the Livingstone. The Livingstone equates to parts of the
Debolt and Prophet formations to the northwest, and to the Mission Canyon Formation in Montana.
References: Beales, 1950; Douglas, 1950, 1953; Douglas and Harker, 1958; Macauley, 1964;
McQueen and Bamber, 1967; Moore, 1958.
GM
Middle Devonian
Livock River Formation
Type Locality: Bear Biltmore 7-11-87-17W4M, in Alberta, between 512.83 and 514.5 m (1682.5 and
1688 ft).
History: The unit was recognized by Belyea (1952) as the basal member of the Beaverhill Lake
Formation. Crickmay (1957) subsequently assigned the unit to the Slave Point Formation. This
practice has been followed by various authors, notably McGill (1963) and Leavitt and Fischbuch
(1968). Norris (1963) formally proposed the name Livock River, citing lithologic evidence to
differentiate the unit from the Slave Point and Waterways formations. Norris (ibid.) suggested that the
Livock River may be related to the basal Waterways strata because botch sequences have
carbonaceous specks.
Lithology: Limestone and dolomite. Limestone, brown, cryptocrystalline, fossiliferous, fragmented, with
scattered carbonaceous black specks. Dolomite, buff, argillaceous, finely laminated. Some oil staining;
may be brecciated.
Thickness and Distribution: 1.7 m (5.5 ft) in the type well and ranges up to 5.5 m (18 ft). It is present in
northeastern Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The Livock River Formation unconformably overlies the First Salt of the
Elk Point Group and is unconformably overlain by the Firebag Member, the basal shale of the
Waterways Formation. It is correlative with the lower Slave Point Formation.
Paleontology: Brachiopods, crinoids, Aparchites dentis.
References: Belyea, 1952; Crickmay, 1957; Leavitt and Fischbuch, 1968; McGill, 1963; Norris, 1963.
RPF
Middle Triassic (Anisian to Ladinian)
Lama Member (Sulphur Mountain Formation)
Type Locality: On Llama Mountain, the northeast limb of the Llama Mountain Anticline beginning on
the southwest side of the mountain. E/2 Sec. 1, Twp. 56, Rge. 11W6M, Alberta. NTS 83E/14W Grande
Cache.
History: The facies was first recognized and described by Manko (1960) in the Rock Lake area and
named the “Upper Siltstone Member”. Gibson (1956), using Manko’s contact criteria termed the
lithofacies the “Silty Dolomite Member”. The name Llama was formally proposed as a member of
Sulphur Mountain Formation by Gibson (1968).
Lithology: Medium to dark grey-brown and yellow-brown, thin to thick bedded carbonaceous,
pyritiferous, slightly micaceous, silty to sandy quartzose dolostone and dolomitic siltstone, with locally
interbedded fissile, carbonaceous, silty shale and very fine grained quartz sandstone. In the Sukunka
River area the member contains interbeds of silty and bioclastic limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit occurs in most areas of the Rocky Mountain Foothills and front
ranges between the Pine and Bow rivers. The member ranges in measured thickness from a minimum
of 3 m (10 ft) at Fiddle River, Jasper National Park, to a maximum of 357 m (1171 ft) on West Burnt
River, near Pine Pass, northeastern British Columbia. In eastern exposures, south of Bow River the
member is sporadic in occurrence because of Pre-Jurassic and Pleistocene-Recent erosion and
accordingly thins to zero.
Relationship to Other Units: The Llama Member is gradationally overlain by yellow weathering
sandstone, dolostone and intra-formational and/or solution breccia of the Charlie Lake Formation in
the Pine-Sukunka River area of northeastern British Colombia (Gibson, 1975), and the Starlight
Evaporite Member of the Whitehorse Formation between the Sukunka and Bow rivers. Between the
Bow River and Crowsnest Pass the unit is disconformably overlain in some areas by black shales of
the Jurassic Fernie Formation (Gibson, 1969). In the subsurface plains of northeastern British
Columbia and west-central Alberta the Llama grades laterally into pale grey sandstone of the Halfway
Formation. The Llama Member is underlain gradationally or abruptly by dark grey thin to medium
bedded siltstone and silty limestone of the Whistler Member in most areas, or rusty brown weathering
siltstones of the Vega Siltstone Member in the Cadomin area and some areas south of Bow River
where the Whistler is absent due to possible facies change into strata typical of the Llama Member.
The Llama Member is equivalent to the Halfway, upper Doig and Liard and upper Toad formations of
the foothills and plains of northeastern British Columbia.
References: Gibson, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1975; Manko, 1960.
DWG
Cretaceous (Middle Albian-Santonian)
Lloydminster Formation (Superseded)
Type Locality: The type section is in me Lloydminster No. 2 well (SW/4 Sec. 12, Twp. 50, Rge. 28W3M),
Saskatchewan, between 292.6 and 515.1 m (960 to 1690 ft).
Lithology: Chiefly composed of dark grey shale, with calcareous white speckled shale present in the
upper 30.5 to 45.7 m (100 to 150 ft) The lowermost part of the sequence contains abundant bentonite.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness varies between 210.3 and 243.8 m 1690 and 800 ft) in the
Vermilion area, increasing to the south and west. In southern Alberta the unit is overlain by the Milk
River Formation and is about 457.2 m (1500 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlain by the Lea Park shale and rests on sandstones of the Mannville
Group. The unit is equivalent to the Colorado Group.
Reference: Nauss, 1945.
FS
Lower Cretaceous
Lloydminster (Lloyd) Sand
(Lower Grand Rapids Formation, Mannville Group)
Author: Unknown, local usage.
Type Locality: Lloydminster oil field area.
Lithology: The Lloyd sand is an unconsolidated quartz sand, interbedded with silt in the type locality.
Further south it is generally much cleaner and forms deposits which are generally considered to be of
shoreface origin, with locally developed channelized bodies of sandstone. Thin coal and
carbonaceous shale beds usually mark the top of the sections.
Thickness and Distribution: The sand varies from 10 to 30 m (30 to 100 ft) in thickness. It is present
from about Twps. 35 to about 55 along the Alberta-Saskatchewan border.
Relationship to Other Units: The Lloyd Sand conformably overlies the Cummings Member and is
conformably overlain by carbonaceous shales which separate it from the overlying Rex Sand.
References: Putnam, 1980, 1982; Vigrass, 1977.
PEP; AIB
Lobstick Member (Nisku Formation)
Type Locality: Chevron-Norcen PL Brazeau 7-4-49-12W5M, between 3121 and 3155 m (10240 and
10352 ft). The upper 16 m (60 ft) are cored.
Lithology: Grey-brown, slightly argillaceous and silty limestones with thin interbeds grading to very
calcareous, argillaceous siltstone. The member is composed of beds which are variably fossiliferous
and contain numerous oncolites. Fossils include corals, brachiopods, crinoids, tabular
stromatoporoids, gastropods, tentaculitids and bryozoa. The non-skeletal carbonate is primarily lime
mud, slightly dolomitic in part, with minor quartz silt, clay, anhydrite, pyrite and organic matter. The
dominant texture is wackestone with a superimposed nodular fabric.
Thickness and Distribution: in the type section well the member is 34 m (112 ft) thick. It occurs in the
West Pembina area northwest of the Nisku Formation carbonate shelf and generally varies little in
thickness. The member thins beneath developments of the Zeta Lake Member and may be absent
beneath portions of the reefs. It thins and eventually disappears northwest of the west Pembina area.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Ireton Formation of the Woodbend Group and is
conformably overlain by the Bigoray Member of the Nisku Formation. The Lobstick Member is
diachronously overlain by Zeta Lake Member reefs of the Nisku Formation, which may locally extend
entirely through the Lobstick Member. The member is homotaxial with the basal portion of the massive
carbonates of the Nisku Shelf to the southeast. The Lobstick Member is equivalent to some portion of
the undifferentiated Winterburn shales to the northwest.
References: Exploration Staff, Chevron Standard Limited, 1979
DAP; PAM
Quaternary
Lochend Till (Informal)
Type Locality: An exposure in a gully tributary to Nose Creek, at the northwest corner of Calgary
Airport, in the centre of Sec. 2, Twp. 25, Rge. 1W5M, Alberta.
History: Nichols (1931, p. 54) named the Lochend Moraine and described its associated deposits. This
moraine covers approximately the area included in the Lochend Till. Tharin (p. 28) used the name
Lochend Hummocky Moraine for the area covered by the Lochend Moraine of Nichols and some
adjacent areas.
Lithology: A clayey-silty, grey to brown till with about 18% carbonate content; of Laurentide origin but
contains abundant stones from the Rocky Mountains and relatively few from the Precambrian Shield.
Thickness and Distribution: About 1.5 m (5 ft) exposed thickness at the type locality, elsewhere up to 5
m (16 ft) have been found . Trends northwest from Calgary past Bottrell in a belt 3 to 7 km (2 to 4.4 mi)
wide
Relationship to Other Units: Commonly rests on Spy Hill Till; exposed at surface or else covered by
Balzac Till, Crossfield Till or recent alluvium. It was assigned a Wisconsin age by Tharin (1960, p. 61).
Deposited by a Laurentide ice advance. In Tharin (p. 67) the “Lochend Stratified Drift” is described as a
separate unit. It has the same type locality as the “Lochend Till”, where it overlies the till to a depth of
about 2 5 m (8 ft) with sharp contact; elsewhere it reaches but 25 m (82 ft) (Tharin, p. 68). It consists of
sand, silt and clay. As this unit is described only in a thesis, and has the same name as another unit,
the name is informal.
References: Harris, and Waters, 1977; Nichols, 1931; Rutter and Wyder, 1969; Tharin, 1960.
AMacSS
Locker Lake Formation
Type Locality: Exposure 8 km (5 mi) west of Locker Lake (NTS 74 J-9), central northern
Saskatchewan.
Lithology: Pebbly, quartzose sandstones, with pebbles up to 5 cm (2 in) in diameter and some cross-
bedding. The sandstone is massive and ridge forming.
Thickness and Distribution: Present in the western two-thirds of the Athabasca sandstone basin, with
outcrops as ridges forming the upper levels of escarpments. Thickness ranges up to 120 m (394 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Wolverine Point Formation and underlies the Otherside
Formation of the Athabasca Group.
References: Ramaekers, 1979
JEC
Lodgepole Formation (Madison Group)
Author: Collier, A.J. and Cathcart, S.H., 1922.
Type Locality: Named after Lodgepole Creek, in Little Chief Canyon, 4 km (2.5 mi) south of the
Lodgepole Subagency, Ft. Belknap Indian Reservation, Little Rocky Mountains, Montana.
Lithology: Thinly bedded throughout, the lower portion consisting of light to dark grey lime mudstones
with thin black shale partings, as well as numerous chert beds. In the subsurface east of the type
section this interval commonly consists of alternating laminae of bitumen-rich and bitumen-deficient
lime mudstone. The upper portion generally is fossiliferous and in outcrop is red or purplish red.
Thickness and Distribution: Occurs in central and the east half of Montana, southern Saskatchewan
and Manitoba, and North and South Dakota. The type section is 174 m (571 ft) thick. Thicknesses vary
from 90 to 245 m (295 to 804 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Lodgepole Formation is equivalent to all of the Sand of the plains,
and is equivalent to and proposed as the name for the lower member or the Banff in the foothills. In
most areas in Canada it is underlain by either the Bakken or the Exshaw formation.
References: Hadley et al., 1953; Knechtel, 1959; Moore, 1958; Nordquist, 1953; Penner, 1958; Smith,
1977; Wilson, 1969.
DMK
Middle Devonian (Eifelian-Lower Givetian)
Lonely Bay Formation
Type Locality: An escarpment running northwest frown Lonely Bay, north shore of Great Slave Lake,
Northwest Territories.
Lithology: Limestone, dolomite.
Thickness and Distribution: 30 to 60 m (98 to 197 ft) thick in the type area. The carbonate rocks, for
which ‘Lonely Bay’ is a local name, are widespread throughout the Western Canada Sedimentary
Basin, from the Arctic coast to North Dakota; the area in which “Lonely Bay” is used is arbitrary, usually
confined to the vicinity of Great Slave Lake.
Relationship to Other Units: The Lonely Bay Formation gradational overlies the Chinchaga Formation,
or farther west the Willow Lake Formation. The formation underlies the Horn River Formation. In the
immediate vicinity of Great Slave Lake Norris (1965) used the term as both formation and member, the
latter the basal member of the Pine Point Formation, overlain gradationally by the Bituminous
Limestone and Shale Member. The Lonely Bay Formation or member correlates with the Keg River
Formation (platform facies) to the south and with parts of the Hume or Nahanni formations to the
northwest.
Paleontology: Atrypa sp. cf. A arctica warren, Emanuella meristoides (Meek), Michelinoceras sp.,
Productella sp., Spinatrypa sp. cf. S. lata (Warren).
References: Law, 1971; Norris, 1965.
GKW; DWM
Lower Cretaceous
Looma Member (Grand Rapids Formation) (Obsolete)
Author: Badgley, P.C., 1952.
Type Locality: Imperial Looma No. 1 well, in 4-10-50-23W4M, about 20 km (12.5 mi) southeast of
Edmonton, Alberta, between 1132.6 and 1140 m (3716 and 3740 ft).
Lithology: The Looma Member “consists of a thin, laterally persistent unit of interbedded, sod, dirty
coal, carbonaceous shale, and occasional greywacke beds”. (Badgley, 1952, p. 6).
Thickness and Distribution: In central Alberta Badgley (1952, fig. 1) showed it to be 3 to 8 m (10 to 26
ft) thick, occurring in an east-west line from Twp. 56, Rge. 5W4M to Twp. 51, Rge. 4W5M.
Relationship to Other Units: The Looma Member occurs in the lower Grand Rapids Formation. It is
deemed obsolete because (1) no author has subsequently used it; and (2) Badgley (1952) did not
correlate it with any other units.
Reference: Badgley, 1952.
JWK
Lower Carboniferous (Upper Middle Visean, V2)
Loomis Member
(Mount Head Formation)
Type Locality: East side of ridge immediately north of Highwood River and Highway 541; 2 km (1.25
mi) northwest of the mouth of Cataract Creek; 50°23’45”N, 114°36’27”N; NTS 82J/7; southern
Highwood Range, eastern Rocky Mountains, southwestern Alberta (Douglas, 1958).
History: Loomis Member supersedes the name Cummings Member, informally proposed by Douglas
(1953).
Lithology: The cliff forming Loomis Member of the lower Mount Head Formation is mainly light to
medium grey thick to very thick bedded lime grainstone. Southwestern occurrences generally
comprise ooid-bryozoan-pelmatozoan lime grainstone, but an ooid-grainstone facies predominates
locally. To the northeast the Loomis comprises a pelletoid-ooid-skeletal lithofacies and an ooid facies.
Impost beds in the Loomis are massive, but some show large scale cross-bedding and subplanar
stratification (Macqueen and Bamber, 1968; Macqueen et al., 1972).
Thickness and Distribution: The Loomis, preserved in the eastern Rocky Mountains and foothills is
widely distributed from southeastern British Columbia to about 51°45’N in southwestern Alberta
(Oswald, 1964; Price, 1965; Macqueen and Bamber, 1968) and may be locally developed to the
northwest. This northeastward thinning unit, 45 m (148 ft) thick at its type section is mainly between 30
and 101 m (98 and 331 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: In most areas the Loomis unconformably overlies the Salter Member of
the Mount Head. Near its southwestern depositional limit the Loomis Conformably overlies and
passes southwestward into the Livingstone Formation. Like the resistant thick bedded Livingstone the
Loomis contains beds of bryozoan-pelmatozoan grainstone, but differs from the Livingstone by
containing abundant beds and lenses of ooid grainstone. The Loomis, abruptly and locally
unconformably overlain by the recessive Marston Member of the Mount Head in the northeast is
conformably overlain by the Opal Member of the Mount Head in the southwest. Grainstone in the basal
Opal Member resembles that of the Loomis, but is darker colored and intercalated with micritic and
argillaceous beds.
1972; Oswald, 1964; Price, 1965.
BCR
Lower Cretaceous
Loon River Shale (Fort St. John Group) (Obsolete)
Type Locality: On Peace River, from Vermilion Chutes to Brown’s Trading Post, north and east of the
great Horseshoe Bend, in Twp. 108, Rge. 6W5M to Twp. 116, Rge 13W4M.
History: An Alberta Society of Petroleum Geologists’ study group deleted the name Loon River in the
Peace River area, dividing it into the Father and Wilrich members of the Spirit River Formation. At the
type locality the outcropping section is incomplete with both the top and bottom concealed, so that
usage probably tended to give the term Loon River more scope than the author intended.
Lithology: Dark blue to grey friable weathering shale, with a few rounded or flattened ironstone
concretions. More arenaceous south of the type locality.
Thickness and Distribution: At the Horseshoe Bend the unit is more than 122 m (400 ft) thick; to the
south, in wells it is 336 m (1100 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The Loon River rests on McMurray sands in the Peace River area or the
Bullhead sandstone in the Fort St. John area, and is overlain by the Peace River Formation .
References: A.S.P.G. Study Group, 1954; Badgley, 1952.

Middle Devonian
Lotsberg Formation (Elk Point Group)
Type Locality: Canadian Seaboard Ernestina Lake 10-13-60-4W4M, in Alberta, between 1057.7 m
(3470 ft) and 1225.8 m (4020 ft).
Lithology: The type section is almost pure halite. More commonly thin beds of red and green
calcareous shale occur and, in the centre of the basin a red shale unit ranging from 30 to 60 m (100 to
200 ft) separates the salt sequence into two units.
Thickness and Distribution: The Lotsberg Formation ranges up to 229 m (750 ft) thick. It extends from
the Meadow Lake Escarpment from approximately 53° to 53°45’N and 109°30’ to 112°W northwards
through western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta to approximately 56°15’N.
Relationship to Other Units: In western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta the Lotsberg Formation
rests on red sandstones and dolomites at the base of the Devonian. Where salt is not present the
Lotsberg Formation becomes part of the basal Devonian red bed unit in northern Alberta and southern
District of Mackenzie, the Meadow Lake Formation of Saskatchewan and the La Loche Formation of
the outcrop area in northeastern Alberta. The unit is overlain by the Ernestina Lake Formation and is
equivalent to the lower part of the Stone and Arnica formations in northeastern British Columbia and
southern District of Mackenzie, and part of the Mirage Point Formation of District of Mackenzie. It is
Member B of Crickmay (1954), the Third Salt of van Hees (1956).
References: Belyea, 1970; Crickmay, 1954; Grayston et al., 1964; Sherwin, 1962; van Hees, 1956.
HRB; DWM
Louise Falls Member (Hay River Formation)
Author: Jamieson, E.R., 1967a.
Type Locality: Named after Louise Falls, 16.5 m (54 ft) high, located 1.6 km (1 mi) downstream from
Alexandra Falls on Hay River, District of Mackenzie, where the Louise Falls Member forms the lip of
the falls.
History: The informal name ‘Louise Falls Reef Member’ of the Hay River Formation used by Harding
(1955) was restricted to reefal limestone exposed along Hay River from Louise Falls to a point 8 km (5
mi) downstream and then northwest for about 9.6 km (6 mi) along the escarpment north of Escarpment
Lake. The formal name Louise Falls Member introduced by Jamieson (1967a) applies to some
underlying clastic beds as well as the reefal limestone. The Louise Falls Member of Williams (1977)
appears to be used in the restricted sense of Harding (1955).
Lithology: Jamieson (1967a) included four rock units in the Louise Falls Member, in ascending
sequence: green shale, orthoquartzite sandstone; burrowed argillaceous limestone and dolomitic
limestone forming a stromatoporoid-coral biostrome.
Thickness and Distribution: The composite thickness of the Louise Falls Member given by Jamieson
(1967a) is 23.5 m (77 ft). The thickness of the ‘Louise Falls limestone’ recorded by Harding (1955) is
18.3 m (60 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Louise Falls Member of the Way River Formation, according to
Jamieson (1967a) is conformably overlain by the ‘Lookout Member’ (25.9 m, 85 ft thick) consisting of
green shale; dolomitic orthoquartzite sandstone; and argillaceous, ortho-quartzose sandstone; and is
conformably underlain by the ‘Enterprise Member’ (11.3 m, 37 ft thick) consisting of green shale and
fossiliferous limestone. These three upper units of the Hay River Formation were later referred to by
Jamieson (1967b) as members ‘D’, ‘E’ and ‘F’, in ascending sequence.
Paleontology: Two of Crickmay’s (1966) brachiopod zones, the upper part of the thalattodoxa and the
lower part of the alexandrae occur in the Louise Falls Member interval .
References: Crickmay, 1966; Harding, 1955: Jamieson, 1967a, 1967b; Williams, 1977.
AWN
Lower Porous
Informal term used in the Turner Valley area for porous carbonates now designated the Elkton Member
of the Turner Valley Formation.
GM
Tertiary or Quaternary
Lowland Gravel
Author: Roed, M.A., 1975, p. 1497.
Type Locality: SE/4 Sec. 26, Twp. 54, Rge. 16W5M, Alberta.
General Comment: Descriptive term used by author for scattered deposits of Cordilleran gravel, up to
1.5 m (5 ft) thick, found on broad terraces in Edson-Hinton area. Younger and generally lower than
Tableland gravel (between 870 and 930 m, 2854 and 3050 ft a.s.l.), older and higher than “Buried
valley gravel”.
Reference: Roed, 1975.
AMacSS
Ludington Formation (Schooler Creek Group)
Author: Gibson, D.W., 1971
Type Locality: Mount Ludington, NTS Map 94B/6E Nabesche River (56°27.75’N. 123°14.75’W),
Lithology: Medium to pale grey weathering, dolomitic to calcareous siltstone, sandstone and silty to
sandy bioclastic limestone. Near Mount Laurier at the headwaters of Cypress Creek the formation is
characterized by a thick shell accumulation or “bank” of recrystallized and fragmented pelecypod
shells, ranging in thickness from zero to an estimated 45.7 m (150 ft).
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is present in the extreme western foothills north of Peace River
(Gibson, 1971) and recognized as far north as Liard River near the Alaska Highway. Complete and
well exposed sections are scarce. At the type locality, the Ludington is 499.9 m (1640 ft) thick; it
thickens in the vicinity of Mount Laurier, where Pelletier (1964) recorded 960.1 m (3149 ft) of Triassic
strata above the Liard Formation.
Relationship to Other Units: The Ludington Formation is abruptly and possibly unconformably
underlain in most areas of the extreme western foothills north of Peace River by dark grey weathering
siltstone, silty limestone, silty shale and lesser amounts of silty dolostone and calcareous sandstone
of the Toad Formation. At Calnan Creek, near the headwaters of Halfway River the base of the
Ludington Formation is characterized by a 1.5 m (5 ft) thick unit of siltstone containing subangular to
well rounded pebbles, cobbles and boulders of siltstone up to 0.3 m (1 ft) in diameter. Contact
relationships with overlying formations are uncertain. At Mount Laurier the Ludington appears to
interfinger with dense, well indurated, light grey weathering limestone of the Baldonnel Formation. At
Mount Ludington it is abruptly overlain by the Pardonet Formation. The Ludington Formation is
equivalent to the Liard-Halfway, Charlie Lake and Baldonnel formation of the foothills and subsurface
plains, the ‘Grey Beds’ of the Schooler Creek Formation of McLearn and Kindle (1950), and the
Whitehorse and upper Sulphur Mountain formations of the Jasper-Banff region of Alberta.
References: Gibson, 1971, 1975; McLearn and Kindle, 1950; Pelletier, 1964.
DWG
Lower Cretaceous
Luscar Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Mackay, B.R., 1929a, b, c.
Type Locality: No type section was specified. Named for outcrops in the vicinity of the coal mining town
of Luscar, in west-central Alberta (Twp. 47, Rge. 24W5M), including the Cadomin and Mountain Park
map-areas.
History: Defined by Mackay (1929a, b, c) to include all strata between the Cadomin and Mountain Park
formations. Difficulty in recognition of the Mountain Park Formation (e.g., Irish, 1965) north of the
Athabasca River led to use of the name Luscar for the entire interval between the Cadomin and
Blackstone (or Shaftesbury) formations. Recognition of a distinct marine shale unit, the Moosebar
Member in the middle of the Luscar Formation throughout the foothills north of the Ram River
(McLean, 1980) necessitated a major revision in nomenclature McLean (op. cit.) replaced the term
Luscar by the Gladstone and Malcolm Creek formations lying between the Cadomin and Mountain
Park formations.
Lithology: Characterized by thick to thin coal seams in its upper half. Fine grained elastic sediments
predominate mudstone, siltstone and very fine grained sandstone. Coarser grained sandstones are an
uncommon but prominent component. Calcareous mudstones and minor argillaceous limestone beds
occur below the dark shale of the Moosebar Tongue.
Thickness and Distribution: Thicknesses of 275 to 365 m (902 to 1197 ft) reported in the type area.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Cadomin Formation abruptly in the type area; a gradational
and intertonguing relationship in some areas. Overlain abruptly but conformably by the Mountain Park
Formation in the type area.
References: Irish, 1965; Mackay, 1929a, b, c; McLean, 1980.
JRM
Upper Cambrian
Lyell Formation
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1920, 1923.
Type Locality: At the head of Glacier Lake valley about 3.2 km (2 mi) above the top end of Glacier
Lake, in Alberta. Aitken and Greggs (1967) proposed a better exposed, but steeper reference section
on the eastern wall and shoulder of a steep gully draining a northern spur of Mount Forbes.
History: As a rock unit the Lyell Formation has been consistently used since Walcott’s time. Age
assignments for the Lyell, however, have varied widely due to erratic collection of faunal material by
Walcott himself.
Lithology: The Lyell is a massive, cliff forming unit, dominated by thick beds of carbonate, often
dolomite, but typically limestone in the front ranges. The carbonates comprise silty, argillaceous
micrites, with occasional intervals of pelleted, colitic, lithoclastic carbonate.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section the Lyell is 343 m (1130 ft) thick [Walcott reported 519
m (1700 ft)]. The unit thickens from 222 m (800 ft) in the Bourgeau Range to over 397 m (1300 ft) at
Paget Peak to the west. To the south and west of White Man Mountain the Lyell loses its cliff forming
characteristic due to the introduction of more argillaceous facies, it gradually merges into the Lynx
Group to the north.
Relationship to Other Units: The Lyell gradationally and conformably overlies grey-green shales of the
Sullivan Formation The upper contact with the Bison Creek Formation is very sharp, though
apparently not disconformable.
Paleontology: Sparse trilobite fauna from the Lyell, combined with more extensive data from the
bounding formations, allow a Dresbachian age assignment to the Lyell Formation (possibly the
Crepicephalus Zone).
References: Aitken and Greggs, 1967; Greggs, 1962; North and Henderson, 1954; Walcott, 1920,
1923, 1928.
RGG
Lyleton Formation [Qu’Appelle, (Three Forks) Group]
Author: Allan, J.D. and Kerr, L.B., 1950.
Type Locality: Robert Moore No. I well, in 5-20-1-27WPM, in southwestern Manitoba, between 1244
and 1268 m (4080 and 4160 ft) (Baillie, 1953). The name is applied only in the Manitoba portion of the
Williston Basin.
Lithology: Consists of red to brownish red, dolomitic and slightly silty shale and argillaceous dolomite,
locally reduced to shades of medium greenish grey; minor anhydrite and local interbeds of
intraformational breccia are common.
Thickness and Distribution: The Lyleton comprises an eastward thinning sedimentary wedge with its
thickness controlled primarily by pre-Mississippian erosion. The unit ranges from about 38 m (125 ft) at
the Saskatchewan border to 8 m (26 ft) at the eastern erosional limit, where Lyleton red beds subcrop
beneath red beds of the Middle Jurassic (?) Amaranth Formation. Several occurrences of thickened
Lyleton beds (up to 55 m, 180 ft) occur near the solution edge of the Devonian Prairie Evaporite,
where salt solution during Bakken-Lyleton time has caused depositional thickening.
Relationship to Other Units: The Lyleton red beds conformably and sharply overlie the clean
carbonates of the Birdbear (Nisku) Formation. The top of the Lyleton is marked by a gentle angular
unconformity, resulting in an eastward truncation of the unit beneath the siltstones of the middle
Bakken Formation. Locally, in areas of Late Devonian to Early Mississippian salt solution, thickened
Lyleton sections are overlain by black shales of the lower Bakken. To the West, in Saskatchewan
strata equivalent to the Lyleton are referred to the Torquay Formation of the Three Forks Group
(Christopher, 1961), and the Lyleton is not recognizable in the thicker and more diverse lithologic
assemblages.
References: Allan and Kerr, 1950; Baillie, 1953; Christopher, 1961; McCabe, 1959.
HRM
Upper Cambrian
Lynx Formation and Group (Revised)
Author: Lynx Formation; Walcott, C.D., 1963; Lynx Group; Aitken, J.D. and Greggs, R.G., 1967.
Type Locality: On Chushina Ridge, between Snowbird Pass and Billings Butte, directly east of Mount
Robson, in British Columbia. A supplemental reference section on Rearguard Mountain was proposed
by Burling (in: Walcott, 1928) and recommended by Mountjoy (1962) as the type section for the Lynx
Group.
History: The Lynx Formation, established by Walcott in 1913, was later accurately described by Burling
(in: Walcott, 1928). Mountjoy (1962) excluded Arctomys-like lithologies from the base of the Lynx
Formation, and Aitken and Greggs (1967) raised the Lynx to group status, to encompass the interval
from the base of the Waterfowl to the top of the Mistaya formations.
Lithology: Alternating thin and thick beds of argillaceous, often dolomitic carbonates.
Thickness and Distribution: At the Rearguard Mountain type section the Lynx Formation is about 1159
m (3800 ft) thick. The Lynx Group is characteristically between 1068 and 1220 m (3500 and 4000 ft)
thick in the front and main ranges; it thins eastward to 732 m (2400 ft) in the western front ranges at
Jasper, in the Chetamon Thrust Sheet. The group is subdivided to the southward into an upper and
lower division, the upper Lynx comprising the Lyell, Bison Creek and Mistaya formations or their
carbonate equivalent, the lower Lynx embracing the Waterfowl and Sullivan formations. The Lynx
Formation was extended northward to the McBride and Monkman Pass areas by Slind and Perkins
11966), Campbell et al. (1973) and McMechan (1985).
Relationship to Other Units: The Lynx Group is overlain by the Lower Ordovician Survey Peak
(formerly Chushina) Formation, and is gradationally underlain by the red and green shales of the
Arctomys Formation
Paleontology: Sparse faunal data indicate a Dresbachian age for the Lynx Group.
References: Aitken, 1967; Aitken and Greggs, 1967; Burling, 1955; Campbell, Mountjoy and Young,
1973; McMechan, 1985; Mountjoy, 1962; Slind and Perkins, 1966; Walcott, 1913, 1928.
RGG, EWM
Ma Butte Formation (Blairmore Group)
Author: McLean, J.R., 1980.
Type Locality: East face of Ma Butte, north of Coleman, in the Crowsnest Pass, southwestern Alberta.
(Sec. 17 and 18, Twp. 9, Rge. 4W5M).
History: Introduced for the lower part of the now obsolete Mill Creek Formation when the Crowsnest
Formation was removed from it (McLean, 1980).
Lithology: Predominantly interbedded mudstone, siltstone and very fine grained sandstone, with
subordinate tuft and bentonite beds which increase in abundance upward. Coarser grained
sandstones with some conglomerate beds are conspicuous features in outcrop. They are quartzose, in
contrast to the feldspathic sandstones of the underlying Beaver Mines Formation. Colors are shades of
greenish grey olive-grey and purple to red.
Thickness and Distribution: The type section is 120 m (394 ft) Reported thicknesses to the north,
toward the Bow River range from 70 to 132 m (230 to 433 ft). To the north the formation thins and is
absent north of the Red Deer River. Usage of the term is confined to the foothills and the westernmost
edge of the adjacent plains .
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Beaver Mines Formation abruptly and disconformably.
Overlain gradationally by the Crowsnest Formation in the southernmost foothills, and abruptly and
disconformably by the Blackstone Formation (Sunkay Member) to the north. To the east it correlates
with the Bow Island Formation. There are no equivalent beds in the central and northern foothills of
Alberta.
Paleontology: Contains a prominent dicotyledonous (angiosperm) flora distinct from that in the
underlying Beaver Mines Formation.
References: Douglas, 1950; McLean, 1980; Mellon, 1967; Norris, 1964.
JRM
Middle Proterozoic
MacDonald Formation (Galton Series) (Abandoned)
Author: Daly, R.A., 1912, p. 101-103.
Type Locality: Southern MacDonald Range, southeastern British Columbia. No type section was
given.
History: Daly established the Hefty Formation to accommodate a sequence of strata that he
erroneously concluded are laterally equivalent to the Appekunny Formation, and are overlain with
stratigraphic contact by red argillites and quartz sandstones equivalent to the Grinned Formation, that
he called the MacDonald Formation. Price (1962, 1964) showed that Daly’s MacDonald Formation is
synonymous with his Roosville Formation, and is overlain unconformably by Cambrian strata and that
the Hefty is synonymous with the Phillips Formation.
References: Daly, 1912; Johns et al., 1963; Norris and Price, 1966; Price, 1962, 1964.
RAP
MacGowan Concretionary Bed
(Kevin Member, Marias River Shale, Colorado Group)
Author: Clark, F.R., 1923; Erdmann, C.E. et al., 1947; Cobban, W.A. et al., 1959.
Type Locality: The type section is exposed on the MacGowan lease in the SE SE NE Sec. 4, Twp. 35N,
Rge. 3W, in Toole County, Montana, about 8.5 km (5.3 mi) north-northwest of the Kevin-Sunburst oil
field.
History: The bed was first described by Clark (1923) as a “yellow lime chert conglomerate” occurring
near the middle of about 61 m (200 ft) of shale with intercalated layers of red weathering ferruginous
concretions and concretionary limestone and dolostone near the Kevin-sunburst production area. The
bed became “bed F” in an alphabetically designated series of units described by Erdmann et al.
(1947). The name MacGowan Concretionary Bed was applied at the type section by Cobban et al.
(1959), who also gave the name Kevin Member of the Marias River Shale to the enclosing strata.
Lithology: The MacGowan Concretionary Bed is a calcareous and dolomitic concretionary layer which
incorporates a conglomerate composed of pebbles of both phosphatic siltstone and subordinate chert.
Some of the phosphate pebbles reflect the phosphoritization of pelecypod and ammonite remains.
Thickness and Distribution: The bed ranges in thickness from 0.3 to 0.8 m (1 to 2.6 ft) and is 0.7 m (2.3
ft) thick in the type section. It is present from the East Glacier area across the Sweetgrass Arch to the
Bearpaw Mountains and has been traced into southcentral Montana. The MacGowan Concretionary
Bed has not yet been recognized in western Canada, but is almost certainly present in southeastern
Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan near the Forty-Ninth Parallel and shows promise as a
subsurface marker in these areas.
Relationship to Other Units: The MacGowan Concretionary Bed rests conformably upon dark olive
grey and olive grey shales, incorporating calcareous, septarian concretions, and is overlain by olive
grey and medium grey noncalcareous shales with phosphatic pebbles. All of these lithologies are
referable to the Kevin Member of the Marias River Shale, which is correlated with the First White
Speckled Shale of the Colorado Group in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
References: Clark, 1923; Cobban et al., 1959, 1976; Erdmann et al., 1947.
FS
Lower Triassic
Mackenzie Dolomite Lentil (Vega Siltstone Member)
Type Locality: Nikanassin Range, 3 km (1.9 mi) southeast of Mackenzie Creek Gap, Alberta. NTS 83C/
14 Mountain Park.
History: The facies was first recorded and described by Best (1958) and called the “Middle Dolomite
unit”; it was later recognized and described by Gibson (1968) and incorrectly included in the Phroso
Siltstone Member of Sulphur Mountain Formation. It was defined and reassigned to the Vega Siltstone
Member by Gibson in 1974.
Lithology: Medium bedded, light grey to yellowish grey, slightly calcareous, silty to sandy dolostone
with, locally, interbeds of very dolomitic siltstone and very fine grained sandstone. Carbonate
commonly recrystallized, providing a vuggy and porous texture to the strata.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit occurs in the surface and subsurface of the Alberta Foothills
between Athabasca and Bow rivers, ranging in thickness in surface exposures from a minimum of 4 m
(13 ft) near Fiddle Pass, Jasper National Park to a maximum of 24 m (79 ft) at the type locality near
Mackenzie Creek Gap. In the subsurface near Ram River the lentil attains a thickness of 49 m (161 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The contacts above and below are sharp and distinct, and are placed
where dark grey weathering carbonaceous siltstone of the main Vega Siltstone lithofacies contrasts
with light grey to yellow grey weathering dolostone of the Mackenzie Dolomite.
References: Best, E.W., 1958; Gibson, 1968, 1974.
DWG
Mississippian
Madison Group
Author: Peale, A.C, 1898.
Type Locality: North bank of Gallatin River, directly across from Logan, Gallatin Counter Montana, S/2
Sec 25, Twp. 2N, Rge. 2E. (Holland, 1952; Sloss and Hamblin, 1942).
History: Although Peale (1893) named the Madison Formation for “Lower Carboniferous” beds in the
Three Forks area of Montana, he did not specify a type section. Weed (1899) considered the type
section to be in the Madison Range, south of the Three Forks area. After evaluating Peale’s published
works Sloss and Hamblin (1942) and Holland (1952) concluded that the type section is at Logan.
Following Peale’s three-fold subdivision of the Madison into “Laminated limestones, Massive
limestones, and Jaspery limestones” (bottom to top) Weed (1899) first referred to the Madison as a
group divisible into “Paine shale, Woodhurst lime stone, and Castle limestone”. Collier and Cathcart
(1922) formally divided the Madison Group into two formations: a lower, Lodgepole limestone (152 m,
499 ft), and an upper Mission Canyon limestone (244 m, 800 ft) from type exposures in the Little Rocky
Mountain of northern Montana, and recommended application of these terms in Montana and
Wyoming.
Lithology: At the type section the Madison Group consists of a limestone sequence that contains
argillaceous limestones and calcareous shales in the lower part and massive brecciated limestone
zones in the upper part. The limestones exhibit increasing dolomite content southward to Wyoming,
whereas anhydrite and salt occur in the upper part in eastern Montana and the Williston Basin. Three
evaporite cycles are recognized.
Thickness and Distribution: The Madison Group ranges from 457 to 640 m (1500 to 2100 ft) in
thickness near the type area of southwestern Montana and exhibits similar thick development
southward into Idaho and eastward in central Montana and the Williston basin. The Madison thins
progressively by truncation towards zero edges at the north (Saskatchewan), east (North Dakota) and
south (Wyoming, Nebraska and South Dakota).
Relationship to Other Units: The Madison lies directly on the Bakken Formation in the Williston Basin
and on Devonian beds south of the limit of the Bakken. It is overlain by the Chesteran Big Snowy
group in central Montana and parts of the Williston Basin, unconformably by Triassic or Jurassic to the
north (northern Montana, Saskatchewan) and by Pennsylvanian strata in Wyoming. On a faunal basis
the Madison of central Montana has been assigned to the Kinderhookian and Osagean stages.
Several authors have arbitrarily considered the Charles Formation in the upper part of the Madison to
be of Meramecian age.
References: Andrichuk, 1955; Collier and Cathcart, 1922; Holland, 1952; Kent, 1974; Nordquist, 1953;
Peale, 1893; Sloss and Hamblin, 1942; Sloss and Laird, 1945; Weed, 1899.
DMK
Mafeking Member (Damson Bay Formation)
Type Locality: Steeprock Bay, northern Lake Winnipegosis, Manitoba, 1.3 km (0.8 mi) north of the
Steeprock River outlet (SW 7-24-44-25WPM). Shore cliff on flank of partially truncated structural/
topographic dome, where lower Dawson Bay strata are draped over an underlying Winnipegosis reef.
Three completely cored reference sections, in three different structural settings, are available within 2
km (1.3 mi) of the type section:
M-7-22 (7-14-44-25WPM): interval 30.4 to 39.6 m (100 to 130 ft) (top of structural dome);
5-5-75 (3-1-44-25WPM): interval 9.2 to 18.9 m (30 to 62 ft) (flank of structural dome);
M-17-81 (8-14-44-25WPM): interval 92.8 to 101.1 m (304 to 332 ft) (flat-lying structural low).
Dunn (1982) proposed the interval 1005.8 to 1010.1 m (3300 to 3314 ft) in the Noranda Neely 16-21-
34-27W2M well as the type subsurface section for the Second Red Bed Member - directly equivalent
to the Mafeking Member
History: Formerly proposed by Crickmay on the basis of an unpublished Imperial Oil company report
by J.W. McNinch, for the basal shales of the “Manitoban formation” in the Manitoba outcrop belt. Little
used after being named by Crickmay, but commonly referred to informally as the ‘”Second Red Bed”.
Dunn (1982) formally proposed the Second Red Bed as a Member of the Dawson Bay Formation far
the Saskatchewan subsurface. Norris et al. (1982) revived the term Mafeking for the Manitoba outcrop
area.
Lithology: Predominantly medium dusky brownish red dolomitic shale to mudstone, in places reduced
to mottled shales of medium greenish grey massive to moderately fissile, in part brecciated, largely
due to collapse associated with solution of the underlying Prairie Evaporite
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness of the Mafeking Member (Second Red Bed) is variable, due
in part to inclusion of “foreign” brecciated material associated with salt collapse. In the Manitoba
outcrop belt cored thicknesses range from 6.4 to 27.5 m (21 to 90 ft), the thicker sequences all
including “foreign” breccias. The 18 m (57 ft) thickness reported for the type locality (Crickmay, 1954)
(Norris et al., 1982) probably is excessive as a result of dip and slumping on the flank of the structural
dome. Core hole data indicate a true thickness of approximately 9.3 m (30.5 ft). To the west, in the
subsurface of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where the underlying salt beds are preserved thicknesses
are more uniform, in the range of 6 to 10 m (20 to 33 ft). In southern Manitoba several areas of local
Dawson Bay thickening occur in areas of early salt solution, and thickened sequences of Mafeking red
beds range up to 174 m (57 ft) .
Relationship to Other Units. The Mafeking red beds unconformably overlie salts or anhydrites of the
Prairie Evaporite (Prairie Formation) except for areas fringing the Elk Point basin, where the Prairie
Evaporite has been removed by salt solution, and the red beds rest directly on dolomites of the
Winnipegosis Formation, as in the type area. The red bed/evaporite contact is in fact a gentle angular
unconformity, as shown by partial truncation of the Prairie Evaporite strata. As a result potash beds
within the Prairie Evaporite are seen to be truncated and subcrop directly beneath the Mafeking red
beds in the western subsurface of Manitoba. The red beds must therefore, in part represent insoluble
residue from evaporite solution
In the Manitoba outcrop belt the contact of the Mafeking with the overlying argillaceous limestones and
dolomites of the Dawson Bay Formation (referred to informally as Member B by Norris et al.) appears
to be conformable and gradational. However, Dunn (1982) indicated that in the subsurface of
Saskatchewan the contact between the Second Red Bed Member (i.e., Mafeking) and the Burr
Member is unconformable.
References: Baillie, 1951, 1953; Crickmay, 1954; Dunn, 1982; Lane, 1959; Norris et al., 1982.
HRM
Upper Cretaceous
Magrath Sandstone (Bearpaw Formation)
Type Locality: South bank of St. Mary River, 0.8 km (0.5 mi) downstream from the mouth of Magrath
Coulee, in NE/4 Sec. 32, Twp. 6, Rge. 22W4M, Alberta.
Lithology: Light green, generally fine, but locally coarse grained, argillaceous sandstone, with some
bentonite beds and fossiliferous concretions.
Thickness and Distribution: 19 m (62 ft) at the type locality. Distribution seems local, but a similar
sandy zone in the Manyberries area 160 km (100 mi) southeast of Lethbridge, containing Arctica in
profusion and occupying almost the same stratigraphic position was recognized by Link (op. cit.) and
by Russell, in Russell and Landes (1940, p. 77). The member becomes more shady to the south along
the St. Mary River according to Russell (1932a, p. 29B-32B; in Russell and Landes, 1940, p. 75). It may
be present as far south as Del Bonita, Alberta, where Russell (1937, p. 9, in Russell and Andes, 1940,
p. 74) reported a 4.5 m (15 ft) thick unit of sandy shale from test holes as the probable equivalent.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies and is overlain by dark blue and steel grey bentonitic shales of
the Bearpaw Formation. It is the lowest of three local sandstones in the Bearpaw Formation of the
Lethbridge area, with its base 64 m (210 ft) above the base of the Bearpaw and its top 30 m (100 ft)
below the base of the Kipp Sandstone The equivalent stratigraphic level of this unit is within the
Manyberries Member of the Cypress Hills, southeastern Alberta .
Paleontology: Arctica ovata (Whiteaves) is very abundant in the member.
References: Link and Childerhose, 1931; Russell, 1932a, 1937; Russell and Landes, 1940.
JHW; LSR
Lower Cambrian
Mahto Formation (Gog Group)
Type Locality: Mount Mahto, 12 km (7.5 mi) northeast of Mount Robson, British Columbia, (53°12’N,
119°03’W).
Lithology: Predominantly quartzose sandstone in medium to thick beds, with rare dolomite and sandy
dolomite locally, and one or more shale members in western outcrops. Two large scale shale-
sandstone cycles comprise the Mahto Formation in western ranges of the Rocky Mountains of the
McBride area. The sandstone is nearly pure quartz, consisting of rounded grains of quartz sand
welded together by quartz overgrowth. Glauconite and weathered feldspar are rare; hematite and
dolomite are rare cementing materials. Bioturbation, indistinct lamination, cross-bedding, and
abundant vertical burrows (Skolithos) are commonly observed in the sandstone beds.
Thickness and Distribution: The Mahto is distinguishable from the McNaughton Formation by the
intervening Mural carbonates, which are first recognizable in the vicinity of Jasper townsite and
continue northwestward to Pine Pass, a distance of 400 km (250 mi). The Mahto Formation outcrops
only in the central and western ranges of the Rocky Mountains, although it has probably been
penetrated in several wells in the eastern ranges and foothills.
The Mahto Formation thickens in easterly outcrops from about 150 m (500 ft) in northern Jasper Park
to 240 m (800 ft) near Mount Sir Alexander, then becomes thinner farther north-west, to about 120 m
(400 ft) near Pine Pass. It also thickens from east to west, so that it is 459 m (1505 ft) thick at its type
section just north of Mount Robson, and only slightly thinner to the northwest along the Robson
Synclinorium.
Relationship to Other Units: Gradational contact above the Mural Formation and abrupt or gradational
upper contact with the Hota or Snake Indian formations. Probably grades laterally westward into the
black shale facies of the Dome Creek formation. Eastward the Mahto probably onlaps the
Precambrian basement complex of the Peace River and west Alberta arches.
Paleontology: Skeletal fossils are extremely rare, but trace fossils including Skolithos and horizontal,
branching burrows are common. A few trilobites belonging to the Bonnia-Olenellus Zone, and small
archaeocyathid bioherms near the base of the formation have been documented (Fritz and Mountjoy,
1975).
References: Campbell, Mountjoy and Young, 1973; Fritz and Mountjoy, 1975: Slind and Perkins, 1966;
Walcott, 1913
FGY
Upper Devonian
Majeau Lake Member (Cooking Lake Formation, Woodbend Group)
Author: G. Fong (1950) used the term in a Hudson’s Bay Oil and Gas Company report.
Type Locality: In the subsurface of the Majeau Lake area, west of Edmonton, Alberta. A typical section
is present in the Texaco McColl Majeau Lake No. 1 well, in 12-1-57-3W5M, between 1858 and 1915 m
(6092 and 6279 ft).
Lithology: Mainly greenish grey shale; darker and brownish grey in the lower part, and with interbeds
of dense limestone and dark brown shale in the upper part.
Thickness and Distribution: The Majeau Lake Member progressively replaces the upper part of the
Cooking Lake Formation west (basinward) of the Rimbey-Meadowbrook Leduc reef trend in central
Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is overlain by Duvernay or Ireton shales and is underlain by
limestones of the Cooking Lake Formation. In the deeper part of the Ireton Basin the Majeau Lake may
represent essentially the whole of the Cooking Lake interval.
Reference: Fuglem, 1957.

Malcolm Creek Formation
Author: McLean, J.R. ,1980.
Type Locality: on Malcolm Creek, near Grande Cache, west-central Alberta (UTM Zone 11 3563/
59743).
Lithology: Mudstone, sandstone and coal are the diagnostic lithologies of the three formal members,
the Moosebar, Torrens and Grande Cache, in ascending order. The Moosebar Member is typically a
dark grey mudstone with an increasing number and thickness of silt-stone and very fine grained
sandstone beds upward. A thin glauconite and pebble bed is present at the base. The contact with the
Torrend Member is gradational. The Torrens is characterized by sandstone, very fine to very coarse
grained, conglomeratic in part, usually with an overall increase in grain size upward. Burrowing is
common in the lower beds, horizontal bedding and cross-bedding are common in upper beds.
Overlain, usually abruptly by the Grande Cache Member, characterized by one or more thick coal
seams interbedded with predominantly fine elastic sediments (mudstone, siltstone, very fine grained
sandstone) and subordinate coarser grained clastic sediments.
Thickness and Distribution. The type section is 190 m (623 ft) thick. It can be readily recognized as far
south as the Ram River, (about 52°15’N) maintaining a thickness of 160 to 180 m (525 to 590 ft). South
of there it thins markedly to only 18.5 m (61 ft) at Waiparous Creek (about 51°20’N) and has not been
recognized farther south. It can be mapped as far north as the Alberta-British Columbia border at
about 54°N. It is confined to the Alberta Foothills at present.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Gladstone or Gething formations abruptly and
disconformably. Overlain abruptly but Conformably by the Mountain Park Formation. South of the Ram
River, where the formation thins markedly it appears to be unmappable at present and is reduced to a
member within the Beaver Mines Formation. In the foothills of northeastern British Columbia it is
equivalent to the Moosebar Formation and a lower part of the Gates Formation; in the central Alberta
plains to the Clearwater and a lower part of the Grand Rapids formation; and in the southern Alberta
Plains to a lower part of the Upper Mannville Group.

Maligne Formation (Fairholme Group)
Author: Taylor, P.W., 1957.
Type Locality: Cold Sulphur Spring, roadside exposure along Highway 16, 21 km (13 mi) north of
Jasper townsite. (53°03’N, 118°05’W)
History: Formerly the upper member of the Flume Formation of Raymond (1930), it was raised to
formation status and named the Maligne by Taylor (1957) because its lithology differs distinctly from
that of the underlying beds. Taylor designated Cold Sulphur Spring as the type section and used the
earlier description of this section by Fox (1954) to define the formation.
Lithology: The Maligne Formation consists of thin bedded, dark grey to black argillaceous lime
mudstones which weather rubbly and recessive. In some sections the Maligne Formation contains thin
shaly stringers every few decimetres in addition to the overall argillaceous character of the limestones.
Brachiopods and crinoids are common in the Maligne, particularly toward the top of the formation. In
proximity to carbonate buildups of the Fairholme Group the lithology and fossil content become more
varied. Skeletal wackestones and even rare packstones containing crinoids, brachiopods, gastropods
and cephalopods, together with buildup-derived calcareous algae, thamnoporid coral and
stromatoporoid fragments are common. Peloid and intraclast wackestones also occur near the buildup
margins. The upper Maligne Formation also exhibits some burrowed or bored horizons, and pyrite
nodules are frequently seen on these bedding planes.
Thickness and Distribution: The Maligne Formation is 15.8 m (52 ft) thick at the type section and
generally varies between 12 and 30 m (39 and 98 ft) thick, with the maximum development adjacent to
Fairholme carbonate buildup margins. The Maligne is recognized in basinal sections of Fairholme
Group in the Rocky Mountains, from the Cecilia and Kakwa Lakes area of northeastern British
Columbia to the Cline River area in the south, a distance of 300 km (186 mi).
The Maligne Formation thins away from buildup margins and appears to be absent in some basin
sections (e.g., Mountjoy, 1965; Belyea, 1978, fig. 2). Stratigraphic and facies relationships suggest that
the Maligne Formation occurs as broad halos surrounding carbonate buildups (Coppold, 1976;
Mountjoy and Mackenzie, 1972).
Relationship to Other Units: The Maligne Formation overlies the Flume Formation with a sharp
(possibly paraconformable) contact, and is conformably overlain by the Perdrix Formation. In the
Jasper area the Maligne Formation grades laterally to the base of the upper member of the Cairn
Formation of the carbonate buildups. Due to the recessive weathering of the Maligne this transition is
often hidden in outcrop sections. Where seen the Maligne may interfinger with Cairn dolomite tongues
or grade smoothly into dark Cairn dolomites. The Maligne Formation thins into the basin and may be
absent in some basin sections located far from carbonate buildups. This lateral relationship apparently
does not hold in the extreme northwest. Maurin and Raasch (1972), on the basis of paleontologic
evidence favor the original assignment of Maligne-type facies as a “lateral shaly equivalent of upper
Flume carbonates” (p. 14) and reject formation status for the unit. However, the Flume Formation in
north-eastern British Columbia is probably older than more southerly exposures and it seems
reasonable for Maligne-type sediments to be lateral equivalents of either uppermost Flume or basal
Cairn carbonates, depending upon their position in the basin.
The subsurface equivalent of the Maligne Formation in the plains to the east is the Duvernay
Formation.
References: Belyea, 1978, Coppold, 1976; Fox, 1954; Maurin and Raasch, 1972; Mountjoy, 1965;
Mountjoy and Mackenzie, 1973; Raymond, 1930; Taylor, 1957.
MPC; EWM
Middle/Upper Devonian
Manitoba Group
Type Locality: No specific type sect on designated. The name is applied to the general Williston Basin
area. Grayston (1960) proposed, as the representative subsurface section Imperial Davidson No. 1, in
16-8-27-1W3M, Saskatchewan, between approximately 1172 and 1327.4 m (3845 and 4355 ft).
History: The name “Manitoban” was originally used for all Devonian strata overlying the Winnipegosis
Formation and unconformably underlying the Mesozoic in the Manitoba outcrop area. On the basis of
subsurface studies Baillie (1955) proposed the name Manitoba Group to include the complete, non-
eroded section from the top of the Elk Point Group to the top of a persistent subsurface argillaceous
marker bed: his correlations were demonstrated on a series of cross-sections. The lower part of this
sequence was named the Dawson Bay Formation; the upper part was led unnamed but was
subsequently designated the Souris River Formation by Sandberg and Hammond (1958). Lane (1964)
subdivided the Souris River, in ascending sequence into the Davidson, Harris and Hatfield members.
Uyeno et al. (1980) proposed subdivision of the Souris River outcrop sequence into the Point Wilkins
and Sagemace members, corresponding approximately to the Davidson and Harris members of
Saskatchewan.
Lithology: The Manitoba Group consists of a series of cyclical shale-carbonate-evaporite units. The
lowest cycle comprises the Dawson Bay Formation and consists of a basal red shale, called the
Second Red Bed and an overlying sequence of variably fossiliferous limestones and dolomitic
limestones (4 members defined by Lane, 1959) and, in the central part of the Elk Point Basin an upper
evaporite unit (Hubbard Evaporite). The upper part of the Manitoba Group comprises the Souris River
Formation, which consists of a further series of cyclical shale-carbonate-evaporite beds generally
similar to the Dawson Bay beds, but with cycles becoming thinner and less well developed towards
the top of the unit.
Thickness and Distribution: The Manitoba Group extends from the southwestern Manitoba outcrop belt
through the Elk Point Basin of southern Saskatchewan and into adjoining areas of North Dakota and
Montana. Its thickness ranges from 115 to 150 m (377 to 492 ft) in the vicinity of the Manitoba outcrop
belt to a maximum of about 244 m (800 ft) in central Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The group disconformably overlies evaporites of the Prairie (Evaporite)
Formation of the Elk Point Group. Where the Prairie Formation is absent because of either evaporite
solution or nondeposition the Manitoba Group disconformably overlies reef or inter-reef dolomites of
the Winnipegosis Formation. It is conformably overlain by dolomites of the Duperow Formation
(Saskatchewan Group). The lower part of the Manitoba Group, including the Dawson Bay Formation
and the basal First Red Beds of the Souris River Formation are correlative with the upper part of the
upper Elk Point Subgroup (Muskeg Formation) of Alberta (Grayston et al., 1964). The upper part of the
Manitoba Group (the remainder of the Souris River Formation) is essentially correlative with the
Beaverhill Lake Formation of Alberta.
References: Baillie, 1953, 1955; Grayston et al., 1964; Lane, 1959, 1964; Uyeno et al., 1980.
HRM
Manitou Falls Formation
Author: Ramaekers, p. 1979.
Type Locality: Exposure 1 5 km (0.9 mi) west of Manitou Falls on the north shore of Fond du Lac River
(NTS 74-I-16), north central Saskatchewan.
Lithology: Fairly to poorly sorted quartzose sandstone with variable (2 to 20%) clay content. Trough
and planar cross-beds and lesser amount of cross-laminated beds and ripple drift beds are common.
Conglomeratic in the east; grades upward and westward into pebble free sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: Forms the basal unit of the basal unit of the Athabasca Group in the
eastern half of the Athabasca Basin. Represents the entire thickness (1400 m, 4592 ft) of the
Athabasca in the easternmost quarter of the basin.
Relationship to Other Units: Believed to interfinger with the Fair Point Formation of the Athabasca
Group in the western half of the Athabasca Basin.
JEC
Middle Devonian
Manning Sand (Watt Mountain Formation) (Obsolete)
Author: Greenwalt, W.A., 1956; Guthrie, D.C., 1956.
Type Locality: None formally designated.
History: The name was used by subsurface geologists to designate the sand facies of the Watt
Mountain Formation north of the Peace River Arch. It has been replaced by the name Gilwood
Member which, under current usage includes the sandstones of the Watt Mountain north, east and
south of the Peace River Arch.
Lithology: Arkosic and very coarse grained sandstone near the Peace River Arch, becoming more
quark rich and finer grained toward the pinchout in the basin.
Thickness and Distribution: Attains a maximum thickness of 67 m (220 ft). It thins to a feather edge in a
distance of about 130 km (80 mi) to the north and northeast into the basin.
Relationship to Other Units: The Manning Sand included all sandstones within the Watt Mountain
Formation north of the Peace River Arch. The Watt Mountain in this area unconformably overlies the
Muskeg Formation and is conformably overlain by the Slave Point
Formation: Differentiation of the Manning Sand from the Granite Wash is difficult near the Peace River
Arch where there is no Muskeg Formation between.
References: Greenwalt, 1956; Guthrie, 1956; Rottenfusser and Oliver, 197/ .
BR; JWK, GDN

Lower Cretaceous
Mannville Group
Author: Nauss, A.W., 1945, p. 1605-1629.
Type Locality: Northwest Mannville 1 well, in Lsd. 1, Sec. 18, Twp. 50, Rge. 8W4M, east-central
Alberta, between 558.7 and 703 5 m (1833 and 2308 ft).
Lithology: The Mannville Group consists of interbedded nonmarine sands and shales overlain by a
thin, nonmarine calcareous member which is overlain by marine shales, glauconitic sands and
nonmarine salt-and-pepper sands in southern and central Alberta. In east-central and northeastern
Alberta the marine sequence is overlain by a paralic and nonmarine sequence having a diachronous
contact with the marine sequence.
Thickness and Distribution: 144.8 m (475 ft) thick in the type well and found throughout the Vermilion
area, in Twp. 43 to 57, Rges 1 to 14W4M. It has been used in the area between Edmonton, Athabasca
and Lloydminster, Alberta and extended southward to the International Boundary, westward to the
disturbed Mesozoic belts of the foothills and eastward into central and southwestern Saskatchewan.
The northern limit of the Mannville Group is approximately at the southern edge of the Deep Basin
area. Price (1963) defined the probable geographic limits of the Mannville Group, but did not limit its
northern extent.
Relationship to Other Units: The Mannville Group underlies the Colorado Group (Joli Fou Formation),
with a widespread disconformity separating the two units. The Mannville resides above the post-
Paleozoic unconformity. It is equivalent to the lower part of the Blairmore Group below the Mill Creek
Formation at its southwestern limits and to the Bullhead Group and the lower part (Spirit River
Formation) of the Fort St. John Group at its northern limits. It may be considered a subgroup of the
Blairmore Group. The Cantuar Formation of southeastern Saskatchewan and the Swan River
Formation of Manitoba form the eastern equivalents of Mannville sediments.
References: Badgley, 1952; Christopher, 1984; Glaister, 1959; Mellon, 1967; Nauss, 1945; Price, 1963.
PEP, AIB
Upper Cretaceous (Campanian/Maastrichtian)
Manyberries Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Author: Lines, F.G., 1963, p. 213-215.
Type Locality: Numerous outcrops east and northeast of Manyberries, Alberta, Twps. 4, 5 and 6, Rges.
2 and 3W4M.
Lithology: Dark grey silty clays containing bentonite seams and concretionary layers. These beds are
divided into seven lithozones, which are, in ascending order (1) “lower dune weathering flaky shale
zone” -18 m (59 ft) of dark grey clays, locally with Ostrea patina (Meek and Hayden), or a sandstone
layer containing these bivalves; (b) “bentonite zone” - 12 m (39 ft) of light grey weathering clay with up
to six bentonite seams and several concretionary layers; (c) “upper dune weathering shale zone” - 24
m (79 ft) thick, similar to lowermost beds; (d) “light grey weathering silty zone” - 27 to 30 m (89 to 98 ft)
of silty bentonitic clays with concretions containing Artica ovata (Meek and Hayden) at the top; (e)
“bentonite-aragonite zone” - 106 to 131 m (348 to 430 ft.) of dark-grey blocky clays interbedded with
discontinuous bentonite seams and containing masses of cone-in-cone aragonite at outcrop surface
and concretions with Baculites compressus Say; and (f) ‘’bentonitic weathering shale zone) - silty
bentonitic clays, becoming sandy near top (ibid; Furnival 1946, p 46-48 ).
Thickness and Distribution: About 260 m (853 ft) thick, the member is well exposed only in creeks and
coulees in the western and northern slopes of the Cypress Hills.
Relationship to Other Units: Sharply overlies the Judith River Formation (Oldman Formation) and
gradationally underlies the Oxarart Member of the Bearpaw Formation. East of Rge. 26W3M it merges
with the combined Sherrard through basal Aquadell members of the Bearpaw Formation in south-
central Saskatchewan. To the west the uppermost beds of the Manyberries Member grade into the
continental sediments of the Horseshoe Canyon and St. Mary River formations and the entire
Bearpaw Formation in this area is equivalent to the remainder of the Manyberries Member.
The lowermost 79 m (259 ft) of the Manyberries Member of the Bearpaw Formation in the Cypress
Hills are spanned by the foraminiferal fauna of the Gaudryina bearpawensis Subzone (North and
Caldwell, 1970. p. 70; Caldwell et al., 1978, p. 555-556). This subzone embraces the Sherrard,
Demaine and Beechy members of the Bearpaw Formation in the South Saskatchewan River valley;
possibly the upper Odanah Member of the Riding Mountain Formation (Pierre Shale) in the eastern
Qu’Appelle River valley; and possibly the lower Bearpaw Formation shales between the Lethbridge
Coal Measures (Member) at the top of the Judith River Formation and Magrath Member of the
Bearpaw Formation in the St. Mary River valley. The succeeding Praeblulimina kickapooensis
Subzone spans the middle 46 m (151 ft) of the Manyberries Member; probably the Ardkenneth
Member of the Bearpaw Formation in south-central Saskatchewan; and the highest beds of the
Odanah Member of the Riding Mountain Formation (Pierre Shale) in southeastern Saskatchewan
(North and Caldwell, 1970, p. 71; Caldwell et al., 1978, p. 557). The Anomalinoides Sp Zone
encompasses all but the uppermost beds of the Manyberries Member; all but the uppermost beds of
the Snakebite Member of the Bearpaw Formation in southern Saskatchewan; the Uppermost beds of
the Bearpaw Formation in the Bow. Red Deer, Oldman and St. Mary River valleys of central and
southern Alberta; the upper Bearpaw beds in the Crowsnest River valley of the southern Rocky
Mountain foothills; and possibly an unnamed shale in the Buffalo Head Hills of the Peace River
District (Caldwell et al., 1978, p. 561-562). This zone cannot be traced east of the Qu’Appelle River
valley due to pre-Pleistocene erosion. The uppermost beds of the Manyberries Member belong to the
basal part of the Haphlophragmoides excavata Zone and thus are correlative with the uppermost
Snakebite beds of the Bearpaw Formation in south-central Saskatchewan Lomenda (1973, text. -figs.
23 and 24), however correlated the upper 30 m (98 ft) of the Manyberries Member with the combined
Cruikshank-lower Aquadell members of the Bearpaw Formation in the South Saskatchewan River
valley. Westward of the Cypress Hills beds belonging to the Haplophragmoides excavata Zone
change facies and pass on to the marine and nonmarine beds of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation
and St. Mary River Formation .
ML
Manyberries Volcanic Ash
Type Locality: South of Manyberries, Alberta, in Lsd. 14, Sec. 13, Twp. 5, Rge. 6W4M.
Lithology: Glacier Peak type ash, with about 71% glass and 19% feldspar; has glass refractive index of
1.500 to 1.501. At type locality grades from fine sand at base to clay at top. One of several discrete
beds forming the Glacier Peak Tephra.
Thickness and Distribution: About 7.5 cm (3 in) thick at type locality, which to date is only known
occurrence in Canada.
Relationship to Other Units: At type locality overlies 1 m (3 ft) of lake silt; overlain by 6 to 8 m (20 to 26
ft) of lacustrine sand, silt and clay. Equates with Layer G of Porter (1978).
Other Features: Apparently originated at Glacier Peak in the northern Cascade Range in Washington,
U.S.A., about 800 km (500 mi) from the type locality; estimated age about 12000 years. Evidently
intended by Westgate as an informal name.
References: Porter, 1978: Westgate, 1965, 1968, 1972; Westgate and Evans, 1978.
AMacSS
Marchand Formation
Author: Teller, J.T. and Fenton, M.M., 1980, p. 22.
Type Locality: Borehole in Lsd. 7, Sec. 1, Twp. 3, Rge. 6EPM, Manitoba; reference sections include
boreholes in Lsd. 14, Sec. 6, Twp. 2, Rge. 10EPM and Lsd. 14, Sec. 17, Twp 5, Rge. 8EPM; type locality
originally (Fenton, 1974) given as a borehole in NE/4 of Lsd. 16, Sec. 28, Twp. 6, Rge. 8EPM,
northwest of Marchand, Manitoba.
History: Originally named in Ph.D. thesis (Fenton, 1974, p. 85) with different type locality; name made
formal by Teller and Fenton in 1980.
Lithology: Stony till with about 44% sand and 40% silt; contains more than 50% carbonate material,
calcite to dolomite ratio under 0.5. Sandier than the Whitemouth Lake and Roseau formations,
contains more carbonate than the Senkiw and Whiteshell formations
Thickness and Distribution: Thin and discontinuous, ranging between 2 and 6 m (7 and 23 ft) in
thickness. Found in southeastern Manitoba, south of Lake Winnipeg.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies Whitemouth Lake and Roseau formations; commonly present at
surface, elsewhere overlain by water deposited and organic sediments; Fenton (1974) correlated this
unit with part of the Lac du Bonnet Formation.
It is the youngest till identified in southeastern Manitoba, with estimated radiocarbon age between
12000 and 11000 B.P. Fenton (1974) originally included interbedded fine lake sediment in this unit.
References: Fenton, 1974; Keatinge, 1975, Moran et al., 1976; Teller and Fenton, 1980.
AMacSS; RWK
Upper Cretaceous (Middle Turonian)
Marco Calcarenite (Assiniboine Member)
Type Locality: Exposures on the Vermilion River, southwest of Dauphin, Manitoba. The type section is
located in Lsd. 5, Sec. 35, Twp 23, Rge. 20WPM.
Lithology. A yellowish brown, thin bedded, fossiliferous limestone or calcarenite composed of fine
grained fragments of prismatic calcite. The prismatic calcite that forms the Marco Calcarenite is
derived from bivalves, chiefly Inoceramus and Pseudoperna.
Thickness and Distribution: The Marco Calcarenite is recognized as an important and widespread
marker within the upper beds of the Assiniboine Member of the Favel Formation in the Manitoba
escarpment outcrop belt, from the Assiniboine River of southern Manitoba to the Pasquia Hills of east-
central Saskatchewan, and in subsurface sections extending from the escarpment into eastern
Saskatchewan. The beds are approximately 2 m (7 ft) thick in southern Manitoba, but are reduced to a
mere 15 cm (6 in) in the Pasquia Hills and probably disappear in central Saskatchewan
Relationship to Other Units. Lies conformably within calcareous, chalk-speckled shale of the
Assiniboine Member, Favel Formation. The contacts may be either sharp or gradational. The Marco
Calcarenite correlates with facies equivalents in the upper part of the Second (lower) White Speckled
shale of the Colorado Group of western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta and probably in the upper
part of the Vimy Member of the Blackstone Formation of the central and southwestern Alberta
Foothills. Its correlatives in the United States probably lie within the lower Carlile Shale of the North
and South Dakota or, farther south within the Fairport Chalk Member of the Carlile Shale in Colorado
and Kansas.
Paleontology: Inoceramus cuvieri Sowerby occurs commonly and Pseudoperna bentonensis (Logan)
occurs abundantly in the Marco Calcarenite. Calcareous worm tubes commonly encrust the large
bivalves. Fish fragments, including scales, bones and teeth and are also common constituents of the
calcarenite.
References: Hattin, 1962; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981.
DHM; LLP
Quaternary
Marguerite Till (Informal)
General Comment: Name introduced by Waters (1975, p. 94) for till laid down by a major Valley glacier
that advanced southeast into the Pekisko Creek-Happy Valley area, southwest of Calgary, Alberta. The
type locality is given as “grid reference 973857". The till is silty and clayey, dense, stony, normally buff-
yellow if dry, and its matrix averages about 21% carbonate. It contains a few Shield stones. It overlies
Labuma, Maunsell and Cartwright tills in different areas.
Marguerite is one of two names Waters introduced for tills deposited by valley glaciers in or near the
Happy Valley area during his Event 3, the other being Misty Till. Waters (pp. 7, 48, 107) correlated
these tills with the Ernst Bow Valley and Morley tills. The formal name Bow Valley would appear to
have precedence. The Marguerite Till is probably of Classical Wisconsin age. As this name was
introduced solely for a local area and is informal, its use should be restricted.
References: Alley, 1973; Harris and Waters, 1977; Waters, 1975.
AMacSS
Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Santonian)
Marias River Shale (Colorado Group)
Type Locality: No type section defined; crops out along Marias River, which flows eastward across the
Sweetgrass Arch, mostly in southern Toole County. Montana. Type sections designated for Floweree,
Cone, Ferdig and Kevin members (q.v.).
History: Originally the upper pan of the Colorado Shale of Stebinger 11918, p. 161). The lower part, or
Blackleaf Sandy Member was elevated to formation rank by Cobban and others (1959); the upper part
was given formal formational rank and the Colorado was given group rank in the same paper.
Lithology: Dark grey marine shale containing numerous calcareous and ferruginous concretions; minor
amounts of siltstone and thin layers of sandstone and bentonite. Divided into four members, listed, in
ascending order: Floweree Member, dark grey noncalcareous shale with sandy partings; Cone
Member, calcareous grey shale with limestone beds; Ferdig Member, grey, noncalcareous sandy
shale; and Kevin Member, dark grey shale with abundant concretions
Thickness and Distribution: Thickens westward from 275 m (902 ft) on the east flank of the Sweetgrass
Arch to 396 m (1299 ft( in the Disturbed Belt. Name applied on the Sweetgrass Arch of Montana and
westward into the Disturbed Belt, but the unit can be recognized over much of northern Montana,
southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: Rests with slight disconformity on sandy beds of the Blackleaf Formation.
Grades upward conformably into overlying beds of the Telegraph Creek Formation. To the east, in
Montana equivalent argillaceous units comprise, in ascending order the Belle Fourche Shale,
Greenhorn Limestone, Carlile Shale and Niobrara Formation. In the plains of southern Alberta and
Saskatchewan equivalent strata include that part of the Colorado Group overlying the Fish Scale
sandstone, i.e., in ascending order the upper part of the Big River Formation, Second White Speckled
shale, the un-named upper Colorado Shale and the First White Speckled Shale. In the foothills of
Alberta the Marias River is equivalent to part of the Alberta Group, which includes, in ascending order
the Blackstone and Cardium formations and that portion of the Wapiabi Formation below the top of the
Thistle Member.
References: Cobban et al., 1959,1976.
WAC
Quaternary
Marie Creek Formation (Informal)
Type Locality: Between 15.5 and 31 m (51 and 102 ft) in Alberta Research Council bore-hole T-9, in
Lsd. 13, Sec. 10, Twp. 62, Rge. 2W4M, near Beaver River, in eastern Alberta.
Council Bulletin.
Lithology: The Marie Creek Formation consists of two units: a lower, dark grey sand clay (32% sand,
38% clay) diamicton (till), and an upper sandy (41% sand, 29% clay) diamicton (till); both units contain
an abundance (2-3%) of very coarse sand in matrix; formation is characterized by 61% Shield rocks,
21% quark and 17% carbonate rocks, mainly dolomite (13%) in the very coarse sand fraction; 20%
matrix carbonate content; the top of the formation is commonly jointed, iron stained, oxidized olive
brown.
Thickness and Distribution: The lower unit is about 7 m (23 ft) thick at the type section and is generally
less than 10 m (33 ft) thick elsewhere. It is found mainly in the southeastern part of the Sand River
area, essentially overlying silt and clay of the Ethel Lake Formation. The upper unit is 8.5 m (28 ft)
thick at the type section and locally is as much as 30 m (98 ft) thick. It covers the central and east half
of the Sand River area, but is absent to the southwest and northwest.
Relationship to Other Units: Where the Marie Creek Formation directly overlies the Ethel Lake
Formation the contact is generally gradational due to glacial incorporation of the underlying silt and
clay. The contact between the Marie Creek and Bonnyville Formations is varied, reflecting differences
in the amount of subglacial erosion and incorporation of the Bonnyville Formation. The top of the Marie
Creek Formation has a sharp contact with stratified sediments of the overlying Sand River Formation
and till of the Grand Centre Formation. Characteristically the top of the formation has a higher
resistivity in the electric logs compared to that of the overlying Grand Centre Formation.
Only the top of the Marie Creek Formation outcrops in the Sand River area, the entire formation is
mapped from borehole. A boulder concentration is commonly found along the upper contact with till of
the Grand Centre Formation. The Marie Creek Formation is tentatively correlated with the indurated,
higher carbonate, oxidized and iron stained tills of the Floral Formation in Saskatchewan. The well
developed, extensive oxidized profile on the surface of the Marie Creek Formation suggests that a
prolonged weathering period followed deglaciation. Its age is unknown.
LDA
Marlboro Till
Author: Roed, M.A., 1975, p. 1504.
Type Locality: North bank of McLeod Valley. 2.4 km (1.5 mi) southwest of Marlboro, Alberta, in SW/4
Sec. 36, Twp. 52, Rge. 20W5M.
Lithology: A till of greatly varying composition which, at the type locality is clayey, moderately stony,
dusky yellow to pale olive, but elsewhere clayey to sandy; carbonate content of matrix about 13%;
stones and heavy minerals dominantly of Cordilleran origin, but in the northwest of the Edson-Hinton
area the lower part of the till contains a few Shield stones.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section 6 m (20 ft) thick, elsewhere to more than 30 m (98 ft),
but generally about 3 m (10 ft) thick. Most widespread glacial deposit in the Edson-Hinton area.
Relationship to Other Units: At the type section overlies the Paskapoo Formation, elsewhere other
bedrock or ‘Tableland gravel’, and in places Laurentide or Cordilleran outwash. Underlies Cordilleran
outwash or, with obscure to well marked contact the Obed Till; forms the cover over much of the
southern part of the Edson-Hinton area. Laterally the Marlboro Till grades into Edson, Mayberne or
Raven Creek tills.
It is a Cordilleran till deposited in this area by ice first flowing northeastward from the Rocky Mountains
down the Athabasca Valley, and then southeastward from that valley. Considered by the author to be of
Wisconsin age and (p. 1510) time-equivalent with the Cordilleran Raven Creek Till and the Laurentide
Edson and Mayberne tills, and the Lamoral, Jackfish, and Athabasca tills of Boydell et al., 1978.
References: Boydell, et al., 1978; Roed, 1975.
AMacSS
Marsh Creek Till
Author: Roed, M.A., 1975, p. 1501.
Type Locality: South bank of Oldman Creek, below juncture of Marsh Creek, in NW/4 Sec. 13, Twp. 55,
Rge. 23WSM, Alberta.
Lithology: A medium grey moderately stony till with a clayey loam matrix that contains 5% carbonate,
dense and plastic; stones mainly meta-quartzites, but include up to 12% Shield stones; heavy
minerals mostly derived from Shield.
Thickness and Distribution: Known only from the type sections where it is more than 10.5 m (34 ft)
thick. The western limit in west-central Alberta is roughly indicated by the western limit of Shield
stones.
Relationship To Other Units: Lower contact not observed; overlain with sharp contact by outwash
gravel that is overlain by Marlboro Till. The unit records the first known advance of Laurentide ice into
the Edson-Hinton area of Alberta, and is believed by the author to be of Wisconsin age. No equivalent
Cordilleran unit present.
References: Harris and Waters, 1977; Roed, 1975.
AMacSS
Upper Cretaceous
Marshybank Member (Wapiabi Formation, Alberta Group)
Marshybank Formation (Smoky Group)
Author: Stone D.F., 1963.
Type Locality: The type section of the member was defined as being within the type section of the
Wapiabi Formation on Thistle Creeks Alberta Foothills, in Sec. 17, Twp. 44, Rge. 20W5M. Plint et al. (in
press) designated a principal reference sections typical of the more northerly and sandy facies, on
Mistanusk Creek, near its junction with Wapiti River, in the Belcourt Creek (93I/9) map-area, British
Columbia (see also Stott, 1967, sec. 58-12).
History: Stott (1963) applied the name to a massive siltstone unit in the lower part of the Wapiabi
Formation. A thick bedded sandstone lying at the same stratigraphic position at Smoky River and in
the foothills of northeastern British Columbia was identified as the Bad Heart Formation (Stott, 1967).
Plint et al. (in press) show that a disconformity separates the sandstone in the foothills of northeastern
British Columbia from the type Bad Heart Formation. They therefore elevated the Marshybank to
formational status and applied the name to the equivalent sandstone facies in the foothills, restricting
the term Bad Heart to the colitic sandstone and sandy siltstone of the type area.
Lithology: In the central and southern foothills of Alberta the member comprises massive, argillaceous
siltstone with larger reddish brown weathering sideritic concretions (Stott, 1963). Bedding is not
apparent in many sections. The uppermost surface is commonly concretionary, with some embedded
pebbles. In the northern foothills of Alberta and northeastern British Columbia the formation consists
of two members: a basal marine sandstone comprising a series of upward-coarsening sequences, and
an overlying succession of nonmarine beds (Stott, 1967; Plint et al., in press)
Thickness and Distribution: The siltstone facies is best developed in the central foothills near the
Bighorn and Nikanassin Ranges, but extends northward to Little Berland River and southward to the
Highwood River. The member varies little in thickness, but does thin toward the eastern and southern
foothills. It is 27.4 m (90 ft) thick at the type locality and only 12.5 m (41 ft) at the Highwood River. The
sandstone facies occurs in the foothills from Little Berland River to the northern erosional limit of
Upper Cretaceous strata lying between Murray River and Dawson Creek. Plint et al. (in press) show a
thickness of about 50 m (164 ft) for the Marshybank Formation on Mistanusk Creek.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit gradationally overlies the Muskiki Member/Formation. The upper
contact with the Dowling Member is commonly distinct, marked by an upward change from massive
siltstone to rubbly mudstone in the south and from sandy or carbonaceous sediments to marine
mudstone in the north. The Marshybank is equivalent to part of the Colorado Shale below the First
White Speckled Shale of the central plains and to part of the Labiche Formation of northern Alberta.
Paleontology: Characterized by ammonites comparable with or referable to Scaphites depresses

Reeside. Cardium cf. C pauperculum Meek, occurring commonly in the Cardium Formation, also
occurs in this member.
References: Stott, 1963,1967; Plint et al., in press.
DFS
Marston Member (Mount Head Formation)
Author: Douglas, R.J.W., 1953!1958.
Type Locality: Exposure is 1.6 km (1 mi) north of junction of Highwood River and Cataract Creek, on
east side of north trending ridge; 50°24’13”N, 114°35’10”W; NTS 82J/7; southern Highwood Range,
eastern Rocky Mountains, southwestern Alberta (Douglas, 1958).
Lithology: The recessive Marston Member of the upper Mount Head Formation is chiefly medium to
thick bedded, sparsely fossiliferous, silty, brownish grey microcrystalline dolostone with subordinate
brownish grey to greenish grey dolomitic shale and marlstone as partings and thin beds. Less
abundant solution-collapse breccia, fenestral cryptalgal boundstone and ooid to skeletal limestone are
commonly present. Most carbonates beds are internally massive to thinly planar laminated. The rock
types generally form sharp based cycles showing carbonates grading upward into shale and
marlstone. Intraformational erosional unconformities are common (Douglas, 1958; Macqueen and
Bamber, 1968; Macqueen et al., 1972).
Thickness and Distribution: In southwestern Alberta the Marston is present in the eastern Rocky
Mountain front ranges and western foothills from Blairmore to Exshaw (Macqueen and Bamber, 1968).
It is also preserved in the Rocky Mountains in the Flathead map-area of south-eastern British
Columbia (Price, 1965). The southwestward thickening Marston, 37 m (121 ft) thick at its type section,
ranges from 18 to 68 m (59 to 223 ft) in thickness in Alberta. Price (1965) recorded a thickness of 32 m
(105 ft) at a locality in the Flathead.
Relationship to Other Units: The Marston abruptly, and in part unconformably overlies lime grainstone
of the Loomis Member of the Mount Head and passes southwestward into skeletal limestone and
shale of the lower Opal Member of the Mount Head. The Marston closely resembles the upper Opal,
but lies at a lower stratigraphic position. At most locations cliff forming carbonates of the Carnarvon
Member of the Mount Head gradationally overlie the Marston, but this contact is erosional at the type
section (Macqueen and Bamber, 1968).
References: Douglas, 1953, 1958; Macqueen and Bamber, 1968; Macqueen, Bamber and Mamet
1972; Price, 1965.
BCR
Martin Sandy Zone
(First White Speckled Shale, Colorado Group)
Author: Schroth, H.A., 1953; Simpson, F., 1979a, 1979c.
Martin well (Sec.18, Twp. 31 N; Rge. 35E).
Lithology: Siltstones and fine grained sandstone, interbedded with subordinate muddy silt-stones and
mudstones forming discrete bodies several metres thick and separated by calcareous shales and
mudstones and shaly chalks referable to the First White Speckled Shale. The siltstones and
sandstones are medium grey and light olive grey variably micaceous, and in lenses and continuous
layers up to several centimetres thick, exhibiting horizontal and gently inclined lamination and graded
bedding. The associated shales and mudstones are dark grey and incorporate flakes of coccolithic
debris, as well as shale chalk layers several millimetres thick. Pelecypod coquinoidal layers and
accumulations of fish-skeletal debris are common. Calcite, siderite and phosphorite form concretionary
layers, as well as reworked-relict conglomeratic deposits derived from them.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum thickness about 60 m (197 ft) in the Bowdoin gas field. The unit
is best developed in the Bowdoin Dome region of Phillips and Valley Counties, Montana, and
adjacent southwestern Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The uppermost sandstone body of the unit is located some 17 m (56 ft)
below the top of the First White Speckled Shale in southwestern Saskatchewan. The unit exhibits
gradational relations with the shales, mudstones and shaly chalks of the enclosing First White
Speckled Shale, seen as a progressive increase in the proportion of intercalated argillaceous
material. The Medicine Hat Sandstone is a prominent sandstone body located near the top of the unit.
References: Balster, 1979; Rice, 1976; Rice and Shurr, 1978; Schroth, 1953; Simpson, 1979a, 1979c.
FS
Recent
Marysville Sands
Type Locality: East banks of the St. Mary River, about 4.8 km (3 mi) east of Wycliffe, south-eastern
British Columbia.
Lithology: Stratified sands.
Thickness and Distribution: 4.6 km (15 ft) in depressions in drift.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Pleistocene Wycliffe drift. Schofield’s description of the
measured section indicates that the unit is a Recent deposit, but under his general heading of
“Superficial Deposits” he included the Marysville Sands in the Pleistocene succession .
Reference: Schofield, 1915.
RWK
Masefield Shale (Formation)
Author: Milner, R.L. and Thomas, G. E., 1954; Christopher, J.E., 1974.
Type Locality: Type section is that of Milner and Thomas (op. cit.). The upper member of the Vanguard
Formation, in the Sohio MCCOL Hillandale well, in Lsd. 4, Sec. 11, Twp. 5, Rge. 14W3M lies between
1095 and 1149 m (3592 and 3768 ft) as revised by Milner and Blakslee (1958). The Masefield Shale is
that portion of the section between 1107 and 1149 m (3632 and 3768 ft) as defined by Christopher
(1974, p. 7), who assigned the beds in the geophysical log interval 1095 to 1107 m (3592 to 3632 ft) to
the Success Formation.
Lithology: Towards its base the Masefield is a medium grey green, calcareous shale with scattered
pelecypod shells, interbedded with mudstone, irregularly bedded with light grey green, argillaceous,
calcareous siltstone that locally includes belemnite guards (e.g., Socony Mobil S. Swift Current 3-30-
13-13W3M well). Upward in the section, and westward the calcareous content decreases and the
formation is a medium grey green, noncalcareous shale (e.g., Tidewater Frontier Crown No.1, 13-21-3-
20W3M well).
Thickness and Distribution: The formation is distributed across Saskatchewan south of Latitude 50°N it
thickens from a zero erosional edge beneath the Success Formation southward to over 100 m (328 ft)
in the Williston Basin centre of western North Dakota and eastern Montana.
Relationship to Other Units: Correlates with the Swift Shale of the central Williston Basin region. In
southeastern Saskatchewan the formation overlies the Rierdon Shale, with a contact well defined by
the Canopus Marker bed. Westward it rests on the Roseray Formation. West of the oil field belt, i.e.,
beyond the Roseray Formation the Masefield transects the Rierdon Shale. It is overlain
disconformably by the Success Formation, beneath which it is truncated to the north.
References: Christopher, 1974, 1984; Milner and Thomas, 1954.
JEC
Matador Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Author: Caldwell, W.C.E., 1968.
type section is located at the boundary between Sec. 31 and 32, Twp 19, Rge.11W3M, 8 km (5 mi)
west of the old Herbert Ferry crossing
Lithology: Sand, grey brownish grey and greenish grey weathering pale greyish brown, iron stained in
patches and particularly along bedding planes, fine to medium grained, silty, non-calcareous, largely
unconsolidated, with some beds traversed by veins of selenite is the dominant sediment of the
Matador Member. In the type section concretions of bluish grey calcareous sandstone, ovoid, 0.6 to 0.9
m (2 to 3 ft) in diameter, deeply weathered to rusty brown, and containing abundant specimens of the
bivalve Arctica ovata (Meek and Hayden) weather from the un-indurated host sediment as an
impersistent ledge forming bed just over 3 m (10 ft) above the base of the member; and the 0.45 m (1.5
ft) of sand, about the same thickness below the top of the member is locally ledge forming and
contains concretions of calcareous sandstone, again with abundant A. ovata.
Thickness and Distribution: The Matador member is one of the most persistent, albeit one of the
thinnest of the arenaceous units in the Bearpaw Formation of southwestern Saskatchewan. It is 6.7 m
(22 ft) thick in the type section and varies between 4.5 and 7.6 m (15 and 25 ft) throughout the type
area. To the west and south of the type area, with the exception of the Swift Current district it is
considerably thicker, with some sections between 18 and 20 m (59 and 66 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The Matador Member is completely exposed in the type section in
conformable relationship with dark grey silty clays of the underlying Broderick Member and the
overlying Sherrard Member. Both contacts are sharp, but a transitional character to the lower contact is
recorded by thin beds or stringers of sand in the highest Broderick clays and by the lowest Matador
sands containing the greatest proportion of silt and clay. At its distributional limits the Matador Member
loses its identity in different ways. To the south it passes by facies change into silty clays of the
composite Broderick-Sherrard Member as, for example, due south of Swift Current in Rge. 14W3M,
and these, in turn become part of the Manyberries Member; or it passes directly into the Judith River
Formation, as for example close to the border with Montana in Rges. 21 and 22W3M. To the east the
Matador Member can be traced from the type area for about 75 km (46 mi) into the Qu’Appelle River
valley where it passes by facies change into the composite Broderick-Sherrard Member; and west of
the type area, towards the border with Alberta it passes directly into the Judith River Formation.
Paleontology: In addition to A. ovata, the main concretionary bed has yielded a fauna that includes the
ammonite Placenticeras meeki Boehm, the bivalves Oxytoma nebrascana (Evans and Schumard),
Yoldia evansi (Meek and Hayden), and the unusual rudistid Ichthyosarcolites cf. coraloidea (Hall and
Meek), the only rudistid reported from the Cretaceous rocks of the southern interior plains of Canada.
Gervillia borealis Whiteaves occurs in the sands above the main concretionary bed. Directly overlying
clays with Baculites rugosus Cobban, it is probable that part or alI of the Matador Member lies within
the ammonite zone of Exiteloceras jenneyi. The member is believed to lie within the subzone of
Dorothia cf. smokyensis of the Haplophragmoides fraseri Zone in the foraminiferal zonal scheme for
the southern interior plains.
References. Caldwell, 1968; Caldwell et al., 1978; McLean, 1971; North and Caldwell, 1970, 1975a, b.
WGEC; RJH
Lower Carboniferous (Upper Visean (V3) and Serpukhovian)
Mattson Formation
Author: Patton, W.J.H., 1958
Type Locality: Cliffs along north side of Jackfish Gap, Yohin Ridge, 31 km (19.4 mi) west of Nahanni
Butte; 61°05’20”N, 123°58’54”W; NTS 95G/4; Liard Plateau, southwestern District of Mackenzie
(Patton, 1958; Harker, 1963).
History: The Lower Permian Kindle Formation, separated from the Mattson by a regional unconformity
was included in the Mattson over an extensive region south and southwest of the Mattson type section
by Harker (1961, 1963), Douglas et al. (1963) and Douglas and Norris (1976b, 1976c). The Kindle was
differentiated from the Mattson by Bamber et al. (1968, fig. 3), Richards (1983, 1989, fig. 7), and by
Richards et al. (1989).
Lithology: The Mattson Formation is chiefly yellowish grey to pale red sandstone (fine to medium
grained, submature to mature, siliceous to calcareous and dolomitic), with thin intervals of shale,
limestone, dolostone, coal and chert (Harker, 1963; Braman and Hills, 1977; Richards, 1989). Harker
(1963) divided much of the Mattson into three informal members. Members resembling those of Harker
were used by Douglas and Norris (1976a, b, c), Braman (1976) and Richards (1983). Quartzarenite
predominates in most of the Mattson, but sandstone in the upper half of its upper member is largely
chert-arenite and sub-chert-arenite. In the northeast the lower member (sensu Richards, 1983)
consists mainly of coarsening upward sequences of bioturbated to cross-bedded sandstone with
subordinate shale. Sandstone and siltstone turbidites become predominant southwestward. Sharp
based sequences of sandstone grading upward into bioturbated to ripple cross-laminated siltstone;
shale and thin coal seams predominate in the middle member, which conformably overlies and
passes southwestward into the lower member (sensu Richards, 1983). Medium to large scale tabular
cross-bedding predominates in sandstones of the sharp based sequences. The upper member (sensu
Richards, 1983), partly separated from the middle member by a basal carbonate unit contains both
fining upward and coarsening upward sequences. These sequences resemble those of the underlying
members, but commonly include intervals of ooid to skeletal limestone and dolostone. Toward the
southwest sharp based beds resembling turbidites and tempestites become common in the upper
member (Richards et al., in press)
Thickness and Distribution: The Mattson Formation, preserved in the northern Rocky Mountain Thrust
Belt, southern Mackenzie Fold Belt and western Cratonic Platform is widely distributed in northeastern
British Columbia, southwestern District of Mackenzie, and southeastern Yukon Territory. It extends from
58°30’N to 61°30’N (Macauley et al, 1964, Douglas and Norris. 1976a, b, c) The formation is mainly
preserved as a down-faulted succession west of the Bovie normal fault system (Braman and Hills,
1977). East of the Fault the Mattson is generally less than 40 m (131 ft) thick. A maximum known
thickness of 1410 m (4625 ft) is reached at Tika Creek (NTS 95C/10) near the Yukon/District of
Mackenzie border (Richards, 1989, table 1). The Mattson thins gradually southwestward from Tika
Creek and southward from 60°00’N.
Relationship to Other Units. The Mattson conformably overlies and grades basinward into the Golata
Formation in the northeast, and the Besa River Formation to the southwest, where the Golata is not
recognizable. West of the Bovie fault the Permian Kindle Formation unconformably overlies most of
the Mattson. At the type section and northeastward the Mattson is unconformably overlain by the
Cretaceous Fort St. John Group (Braman and Hills, 1977; Richards, 1989; Richards et al., in press).
The Kiskatinaw and overlying Taylor Flat Formation (Stoddart Group), preserved south of 58°30’N, are
coeval with and jointly equivalent to the Mattson.
References: Bamber, Taylor and Procter, 1968; Braman, 1976; Braman and Hills, 1977; Douglas,
Harker and Norris, 1963; Douglas and Norris, 1976a, 1976b, 1976c; Harker, 1961, 1963; Patton, 1958;
Richards, 1983, 1989; Richards et al., in press; Taylor and Stott, 1968.
BCR
Maunsell Till
Authors: Stalker, A.MacS., 1960; pp. 22, 23.
Type Locality: Left (north) bank of Oldman River, 6 km (3.75 mi) east-northeast of Maunsell, Alberta, in
NW/4 Sec. 18, Twp. 7, Rge. 28W4M (49°34’N, 113’47’30MW). Lectrostratotype locality designated by
Richmond et al. (1977, p. 6) as the Brocket Section (Stalker, 1963, p. 27-31) on left (northwest) bank of
Oldman River in 512 Sec. 34, Twp. 7, Rge. 28W4M (approximately 49°36’N, 113°43’W), where it is the
third till (and second Laurentide till) up from base.
Lithology: Silty and clayey till that is plastic and very sticky if wet extremely hard and indurated if dry;
light to dark blue when damp, medium bluish grey where dry, most bluish of all the tills; contains
stones from the Shield, Rocky Mountains and Prairies. Upper and lower contacts are typically sharp
and horizontal. Characteristically forms steep cliffs displaying rectangular or hexagonal columns some
10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 in) in diameter and 1 to 7 m (3 to 23 ft) high; such columnar structure is better
developed in this unit than in any other till. Commonly contains large masses of bedrock, the
megablocks of Stalker (1976).
Thickness and Distribution: Widely distributed in preglacial and interglacial valleys in areas overrun by
Laurentide ice in southern and central Alberta, rare in interfluve areas. At type section 10 m (33 ft)
thick; at lectostratotype section 5 m (16 ft) thick, 6 m (20 ft) thick at Labuma Section in Sec. 19, Twp. 38,
Rge. 27W4M, which is the type locality for Labuma Till.
Relationship to Other Units: In preglacial valleys overlies the Labuma Till (as at Brocket and Labuma
sections), or else Saskatchewan Gravels; in interglacial valleys overlies bedrock or alluvium.
Generally overlain by the darker Bracket Till or the more buff Buffalo Lake Till, otherwise by stream or
lake deposits.
It is the second oldest Laurentide Till in south and central Alberta and is estimated to be of middle or
Late Illinoian age (Stalker, 1973; Stalker and Harrison, 1977, p. 885). It probably forms part of the lower
till of Horberg (1952, p. 311) and the lower boulder clay of Dawson (1885. p 140c) and is possibly
equivalent to the Brown Till of Warren (1954).
References: Alleys 1973; Dawson and McConnell, 1885; Harris and Waters, 1977; Horberg, 1952;
Stalker, 1960, 1963, 1972, 1973; Stalker and Harrison, 1977; Warren, 1954.
AMacSS
Middle Devonian (Probably Eifelian)
Maxim Member
(Winnipegosis Formation, Elk Point Group)
Author: Fuzesy, L.M., 1975a, p.193; 1975b, p.67; 1980, p. 165. Not formally defined.
Type Locality: Dome Saskoil McKinnon 12-2W-21W2M, in Saskatchewan, between 2512.2 and
Lilhology: Nodular dolomite, marlstone and finely laminated, calcareous shale.
Thickness and Distribution. Generally about 12 m (39 ft) in southeastern Saskatchewan. In

northwestern Saskatchewan similar lithologies occur in a zone of about the same thickness at the
base of the Winnipegosis Formation (Fuzesy, 1980b) in the light of these observations the Maxim
Member may be discernible throughout much of the Williston basin.
Relationship to Other Units: Rests conformably upon argillaceous sediments of the Ashern Formation
and is overlain conformably by carbonates of the Regway Member. The upper boundary of the Maxim
Member lies approximately 6 m (20 ft) above the division between the lower and upper Winnipegosis
as defined by Jones (1965).
References: Fuzesy, 1975a, b, 1980a, b; Jones, 1965; Reinson and Wardlaw, 1972.
CED; KRM
Mayberne Till
Author: Roed, M.A., 1975, p. 1502.
Type Locality: Borrow pit beside road in SE/4 Sec. 27, Twp. 57, Rge. 17W5M (approximately 53°57’N,
116°26’W), about 20 km (12.5 mi) northeast of Mayberne firetower, Alberta.
Lithology: A light grey brown to dark brown, clayey loam till, slightly plastic if moist and moderately to
very stony. Locally contains Shield stones and has the typical heavy mineral suite of Laurentide tills.
Carbonate content about 2%.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section 2.4 m (8 ft) thick, in some valleys to 6 m (20 ft), average
thickness about 1.5 m (5 ft). Found on high land in northeast of the Edson-Hinton region.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies Paskapoo Formation bedrock or “Tableland gravel” with sharp
contact. Mostly exposed to surface. A lithofacies equivalent of Edson Till, into which it grades
northward and southward, but generally found at higher altitudes than that till. Westward meets the
Marlboro Till of the Cordilleran origin, with gradational to abrupt contact.
The Mayberne and Edson tills were deposited by the same Laurentide glacier and at about the time
the Cordilleran Marlboro and Raven Creek tills were being deposited. Correlated by Roed with the
Sylvan Lake Till of Boydell (1978) Assumed by Roed (p. 1510) to be of Wisconsin age (Woodfordian
Substage).
References: Boydell, 1978; Harris and Waters, 1977; Roed, 1975.
AMacSS
Maycroft Till
Author: Alley, N.E, 1973, p. 165.
Type Locality: East bank of Oldman River, in the south-centre of Sec. 5, Twp. 10, Rge. 1W5M, Alberta
(approximately 49°47’30”N, 114°6’20”W).
History: Originally given informal name Cowley Till by Alley (1972, p. 67)
Lithology: Till of extremely variable composition that much resembles the Albertan Till. A mountain till
deposited by valley glaciers, it contains Shield stones only where it has overridden earlier Laurentide
drift.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality 10 m (33 ft) thick. Found in the Oldman River valley
down to its junction with the Crowsnest River valley and in the upper reaches of other valleys in the
Rocky Mountains and foothills of southwest Alberta. Widespread near Maycroft.
Relationship to Other Units: Generally separated from underlying Albertan or Labuma tills by varved
silt and clay bias at type locality or else by sand or gravel. At the type locality overlain by lake and
wind deposits, elsewhere covered by Maunsell Till or varved silt and clay, or else exposed to surface.
Unit is the Cordilleran equivalent of the Laurentide Maunsell Till, and was deposited during the same
glaciation as the latter, though probably a little earlier. Deposited during the author’s Glacial Episode 2.
The unit probably correlates with the Cartwright Till of Waters (1975); the name Maycroft would appear
preferable over the latter informal name. Alley (p. 175) suggested that the unit is of pre-Wisconsin age.
References: Alley, 1972, 1973; Harris and Waters, 1977; Jackson, 1980; Waters, 1975.
AMacSS
Mazama Tephra (Galata Ash, Bighill Spring Ash)
Author: Moore, B.N., 1934; Williams, H., 1942.
Type Locality: Crater Lake, Oregon.
Lithology: Air-fall tephra with rhyodacitic composition and phenocrysts of orthopyroxene,

clinopyroxene, hornblende, plagioclase feldspar, iron-titanium oxides and apatite (Powers and Wilcox,
1964; McBirney, 1968; Westgate et al., 1970). Refractive index of the glass about 1.50 to 1.51,
generally higher than for the Glacier Peak Tephra.
Thickness and Distribution: Mazama Tephra is distributed mostly north and northeastward of the
source vent at Crater Lake. The most distant locality where it occurs as a discrete bed is at Lac La
Biche, Alberta, about 1550 km (970 mi) northeast of Crater Lake. Thickness is very variable in the
immediate vicinity of the source due to erosion and redeposition; in local depressions there it attains
thicknesses of up to 15 m (49 ft). It is found at scattered localities in southern British Columbia,
southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan, where it is generally between 1 and 25 cm (0.6 to
10 in) thick.
Local names applied to this unit include “Bighill Spring ash” (Osborn, 1977) and “Galata ash” (Horberg
and Robie, 1955). The climactic outburst of about 6600 years ago that spread the Mazama Tephra
blasted approximately 40 km3 of liquid magma, entrained crystals and lithic fragments from the top of
Mount Mazama (Williams and Goles, 1968). The subsequent collapse of the mountain formed Crater
lake.
References: David, 1970; Diller and Patton, 1902; Horberg and Robie, 1955; Moore, 1934; Osborn,
1977; Powers and Wilcox, 1964; Westgate et al., 1970; Williams and Goles, 1968.
JAW: NWR; AMacSS

McDougall-Segur Conglomerate
Type Locality: New McDougall-Segur No. 1 well, in 14-12-20-3W5M, in the Turner Valley oil field,
History: This horizon in the Lower Cretaceous Blairmore Group was tapped in February, 1929 at a
depth of 760 m (2500 ft). After shooting with 60 quarts of nitroglycerine, the well produced some 22000
barrels of crude oil before being abandoned in August, 1929. Where sandstones predominate the
horizon is referred to as the McDougall-Segur sandstone zone, and where conglomerate
predominates it is called the McDougall-Segur conglomerate
Lithology: The McDougall-Segur horizon of the Blairmore, according to Hume (1938) consists of
sandstones separated by some shales. At the base a carbonaceous zone of thin coaly beds may be
present. In places part of the horizon may be a conglomerate with pebbles of considerable size, some
of which are of igneous origin. Although chert and quartzite pebbles commonly make up 85 to 90% of
the Casts, it is the presence of igneous pebbles and cobbles that is diagnostic and allows the horizon
to be distinguished from the Cadomin Formation at the base of the Blairmore Group.
Thickness and Distribution: Hume (1938) reported that the McDougall-Segur sandstone horizon may
be up to 60 m (200 ft) thick in the Turner Valley field. The same horizon can easily be distinguished in
outcrop through the presence of the igneous pebbles. Occurrences of the McDougall-Segur
conglomerate in the foothills of southwestern Alberta have been reported within the Blairmore Group
from about the latitude of Clearwater River to the Crowsnest Pass. The conglomerate horizon has
been observed to vary in thickness from 2 to 43 m (7 to 141 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The McDougall-Segur horizon grades laterally and vertically into its
associated clastic rocks within a few tens of metres so that its persistence as a mappable horizon is
unpredictable. It is an important drilling marker only in the northern part of the Turner Valley field.
Moreover, its stratigraphic position can vary from the top of the Blairmore Group to an estimated 275 m
(902 ft) below the top in the Alberta Foothills. It occurs 67 m (220 ft) below the top of the group in the
subsurface at Turner Valley.
Paleontology: The McDougall-Segur horizon is assigned to the Lower Cretaceous (Albian) because of
its association with strata containing the “upper flora” of the Blairmore Group, the earliest, rich
dicotyledonous flora of the nonmarine Lower Cretaceous series in the southeastern Canadian
Cordillera.
References: Hume, 1938; Norris, Stevens and Wanless, 1965.
DKN
Upper Cambrian to Lower Middle Ordovician
McKay Group
Author: Evans, C.S., 1933 (p. 126-134).
Type Locality: John McKay Creek, Brisco Range, about 7 km (4.4 mi) east of Radium, British Columbia
(50°40’N, 116°01’W).
History: Evans (1933) applied the name McKay Group to slates in the western ranges and Rocky
Mountain Trench that he suspected (but could not prove) were correlative with the Goodsir Formation
of the western main ranges. Subsequently the name McKay Group was used widely in mapping
(Leech, 1954; Wheeler, 1963). North and Henderson (1954) suggested that the names McKay Group
and Goodsir Formation applied to the same succession of rocks. With completion of regional mapping
and elucidation of Upper Cambrian and Lower Ordovician stratigraphy Aitken and Norford (1967)
suggested the name Goodsir Formation be abandoned and the name McKay Group be applied for the
Upper Cambrian-Lower Ordovician (and locally lower Middle Cambrian) slate-dominated succession
in the western main ranges, western ranges and Rocky Mountain Trench.
Lithology: Mostly medium green-grey slate (as a microscopically penetrative structural fabric, in most
places parallel to the axial surfaces of folds), with thin to thick beds of microcrystalline limestone,
oolitic limestone, bioclastic limestone, and some limestone intraclast (“flat-pebble conglomerate”)
beds.
Thickness and Distribution: Evans (1933, p. 126) estimated the unit to be 1200 m (3940 ft) thick at the
type section. Complexly folded and faulted McKay Group slates outcrop widely in the western main
ranges, western ranges and Rocky Mountain Trench, from the mouth of Bush River (Wheeler, 1963) to
Tanglefoot Creek in the Hughes Ranges (about Latitude 49°40’N) .
Relationship to Other Units: The McKay Group conformably rests on Ottertail Formation limestones
(Upper Cambrian). At the type section the McKay Group is overlain by Middle Ordovician (?) Mount
Wilson Formation quartz sandstones. In the Beaverfoot Range McKay Group shaly limestones are
overlain by Middle Ordovician Glenogle Formation black shales. In the southern Brisco Range the
upper pan of the McKay Group is Middle Ordovician and coeval with the lower part of the Glenogle
Formation. The McKay Group is equivalent to the Bison Creek-Mistaya-Survey Peak-Outram
succession of formations in the eastern main ranges; it replaces the now abandoned name Goodsir
Formation (Allan, 1912), used at one time in parts of the main ranges (Aitken and Norford, 1967. p.
160).
References: Aitken and Norford, 1967; Evans, 1933; Leech, 1954; North and Henderson, 1954;
Wheeler, 1963.
HRB
Lower Cretaceous
McLaren Member (Mannville Group)
Author: Unknown, originated as driller terminology in the Lloydminster area. M.O. Fuglem (1970) made
the first published reference to the “McLaren Sandstone”.
Type Locality: Aberfeldy Unit A11-31-49-26W3M well, between 479.8 and 490.7 m (1574 and 1610 ft)
Vigrass (1977).
History: Before being subdivided into the Colony, McLaren, Waseca and Sparky sequences, Nauss
(1945) called this portion of the Mannville the O’Sullivan Member. Vigrass (1977) informally grouped
the Waseca, McLaren and Colony members into the “upper” Mannville. Orr et al. (1977) gave the
McLaren formation status in their subdivision of the Mannville. Putnam (1980) included the McLaren
and Colony members in the Waseca Formation .
Lithology: Fine to very fine grained sandstones, predominantly quartz, with some chert interbedded
with shale and carbonaceous material. Rapid changes in lithology occur within short distances.
Thickness and Distribution: The McLaren Member is 11 to 18 m (32 to 59 ft) thick in the vicinity of the
type section. It is restricted in usage to the Saskatchewan part of the Lloydminster heavy oil area and
south, to about Twp. 33.
Relationship to Other Units: Unconformably overlies the sand shale sequence of the Waseca and is
conformably overlain by the Colony sands. Laterally equivalent to the Pense Formation in
southwestern Saskatchewan (Christopher, 1984).
References: Christopher, 1984, Fuglem 1970; Nauss, 1945, Orr, Johnston and Manko, 1977; Putnam,
1980; Richardson and Vigrass, 1984; Vigrass, 1977.
Lexicon Committee
Middle Devonian
McLean River Formation (Elk Point Group) (Superseded)
Author: Norris, A.W., 1963, p. 11.
Type Locality: Contact Rapids, Clearwater River, Saskatchewan, Twp. 89, Rges. 22 and 23W3M .
History: Superseded by the Contact Rapids Formation of Sherwin (1962)
Lithology: Olive green calcareous shale, minor reddish shale, sandy dolomite.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized in outcrop and adjoining subsurface of Clearwater River area
of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Thickens westward from 18 m (59 ft) at outcrop to 48 m (157 ft) at the
Bear Biltmore No. 1 well in 7-11-87-17W4M (between 810.7 and 858.9 m, 2660 and 2818 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the La Loche Formation; gradationally overlain by
the Methy Formation (Keg River formation equivalent). Equivalent to Chinchaga Formation to the
north. The McLean River Formation is now included in contact Rapids Formation of Sherwin (1962).
References: Grayston et al., 1964; Norris, 1963; Sherwin, 1962.
PAM
McLeod Member (Kootenay Formation) (Obsolete)
Type Locality: Named from McLeod River in the Cadomin area, east-central Alberta, in Twp. 47, Rge.
23W5M, but no type section was designated.
History: Introduced when all Lower Cretaceous-Jurassic coal-bearing beds were included in the
Kootenay Formation. In current terminology the McLeod Member would be approximately equivalent to
the Mountain Park Formation. The name was used only by the authors and was discontinued after
introduction of the names Luscar and Mountain Park by Mackay (1929a, b, c).
Lithology: Characterized by thick, but laterally discontinuous beds of sandstone or conglomerate,

usually with abrupt bases and finer grain size upward. These are usually separated by very thick
sequences of greenish grey mudstone, siltstone, very fine grained sandstone and minor coal beds
which, in some sections constitute a very large proportion of the member, occasionally to the complete
exclusion of the thick sandstone or conglomerate beds.
Thickness and Distribution: A thickness of 545 m (1788 ft) was measured in the Bighorn Basin (in
vicinity of Twp. 41, Rge. 19W5M).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlain abruptly and disconformably by the Blackstone Formation.
Underlain conformably by the coal bearing “Kootenay”, later called the Luscar Formation, and now
referred to the Grande Cache Formation (McLean, 1980).
References: Allan and Rutherford, 1924; Rutherford 1926.
JRM
McCloud Member (Cantuar Formation)
Type Locality: Named from the cored section in the Amurex-Albercan McCloud 1-15 well, in 15-12-10-
27W3M, near Maple Creek, southwestern Saskatchewan, between 1119 and 1136 m (3670 and 3726
ft).
Lithology: Comprises 7 m (23 ft) of capping claystone, lignitic to carbonaceous, black to grey black,
which grades downward into 2 m (7 ft) of quartzose, silty and very fine, sandy, calcareous mudstone
with patches or glauconite, weakly bedded, bioturbated, and floored by a basal conglomerate of
angular mudstone; 3.6 m (12 ft) of mudstone, medium grey silty, slightly calcareous and foraminiferal,
resting with a sharp irregular contact on 3.9 m (13 ft) of sandstone, quartzose, fine grained, faintly flat-
bedded to trough cross-bedded. Upper 0.6 m (2 ft) is impregnated with pyrite projecting fingerlike from
the contact. Remainder of sand-stone is infilled with white kaolinite and is conglomeratic toward base.
Thickness and Distribution: Unit occupies the thalweg of the pre-Cantuar valley system, which may
range in width from 0.8 to 10 km (0.5 to 6.3 mi) and is generally radial from off the Swift Current paleo-
upland toward eastern Saskatchewan (Christopher, 1984b, fig. 5). Thickness is of the order of 0.15 to
45 m (0.5 to 148 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The McCloud is the basal member of the Cantuar Formation. Eastward it
is traceable into the Dina sandstone and the Cummings-Lloydminster members (shales and
mudstones) of the Mannville Formation. It is equated with the Third Cat Creek sandstone of central
Montana and the Cut Bank sandstone of northwestern Montana.
References: Christopher, 1974, 1984b.
JEC
Lower Cretaceous (Late Barremian Aptian)
McMurray Formation (Mannville Group)
Author: McLearn, F.H., 1917, p. 147.
Type Locality: Athabasca River, east bank, 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Fort McMurray, in 1-5-90-9W4M,
northeastern Alberta (Carrigy, 1959). Supplementary section in Socony-Vacuum Exploration Hole 27,
in 7-27-91-10W4M, between 30.8 and 87.2 m (101 and 286 ft) (Carrigy, 1959).
Lithology: Mainly fine grained, moderately sorted quartz sand, saturated throughout with bitumen of
the Athabasca Oil Sands deposit. Carrigy (1959) divided the McMurray Formation into three members.
The lower, which is present only in selected depressions on the underlying Devonian surface consists
of conglomerate, poorly sorted, and argillaceous sand, silt and clay. The middle member comprises
two distinct facies: a lower, massive to thick bedded unit of moderately well sowed, fine grained oil
sand, dominated by large scale trough cross-beds; and an upper unit consisting of solitary sets of
inclined strata, up to 25 m (82 ft) thick, with depositional slopes averaging 8° to 12°, consisting of
decimetre to metre thick beds of fine grained, rippled oil sand separated by thin partings of
argillaceous silt, with various degrees of burrowing throughout. Strata of the upper member consists of
horizontally bedded, argillaceous, very fine grained oil sand, commonly burrowed, locally bearing a
restricted brackish water fauna (Mellon and Wall, 1956). This three-fold breakdown of the formation is
applicable throughout the Fort McMurray outcrop area, but is not everywhere evident in the subsurface
(Mossop, 1980).
Thickness and Distribution: Averages 60 m (197 ft) thick in the heart ft the Athabasca Oil Sands (Twp.
80-100, Rges. 7-11W4M), thinning westward against a Paleozoic high. East of the Athabasca deposit,
where the McMurray Formation is devoid of oil its thickness is in the order of 30 m (98 ft). The
formation is recognized in northeastern Alberta as far south as Twp. 50, where it exhibits patchy
bitumen saturation in the Cold Lake Oil Sands deposit. The most notable characteristic of the
McMurray Formation is that it is the reservoir for the Athabasca Oil Sands, which constitute one of the
world’s largest oil accumulations, with bitumen resources estimated at 138 x 10 9 m3 (868 x 109 bbls.)
(Outtrim and Evans, 1978).
Relationship to Other Units: Rests unconformably on erosionally truncated Paleozoic formations

(mainly Devonian), and is conformably overlain by the Lower Cretaceous Clearwater Formation (basal
Wabiskaw Member). The McMurray Formation is late Barremian to Aptian in age and broadly
correlative with the lower Mannville Group of Alberta, the Dina Formation of the Lloydminster region,
the Gething Formation of northwestern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia, and the Ellerslie
Formation-Ostracod Zone of central Alberta.
References: Carrigy, 1959, 1966, 1971; Ells, 1926; Flach, 1984; Flach and Mossop, 1985; James and
Oliver, 1978; McConnell, 1891; McLearn, 1917; Mellon and Wall, 1956; Mossop, 1980: Mossop and
Flach, 1983; Nelson and Glaister, 1978; Outtrim and Evans, 1978; Stewart and McCallum, 1978.
GDM
Lower Cambrian (Tommotian)
McNaughton Formation (Gog Group)
Author: Walcott ,C.D., 1913.
Type Locality: Mount McNaughton, about 32 km (20 mi) southeast of Mount Robson, and several
kilometres north of Yellowhead Pass, Alberta-British Columbia.
Lithology: Characteristically a monotonous, thick sequence of bedded quartzose sandstone or

quartzite. In the western ranges of the Rocky Mountains a brown weathering unit of interbedded
sandstone and shale is designated the Holmes River Member. The base of the McNaughton is locally
conglomeratic and feldspathic. Moving upward in the section grain sizes and feldspar content both
gradually diminish. Paleo-current analysis indicate derivation of clastic material from the northeast.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness quite variable along strike of mountains, outlining a series of
arches and basins during deposition. About 600 m (2000 ft) in the Pine Pass area, where a complete
section is difficult to find, or becomes indefinable within the Misinchinka Group.
The McNaughton Formation is a useful field term between Jasper and Pine Pass in the Rocky
Mountains. West of the Rocky Mountain Trench it is equivalent to the Yanks Peak and Midas
formations.
Relationship to Other Units: Contact with underlying Miette Group generally abrupt, locally
unconformable, and locally gradational and conformable, particularly in westerly sections. Upper
contact with Mural Formation is sharp and apparently conformable, although local preservation of
hematite bed at contact may represent a soil-forming hiatus.
Paleontology: No skeletal fossils have yet been found in the McNaughton Formation. Trace fossils
such as Cruziana and Rusophycus from its uppermost beds in most areas, and from lower parts of it
near Pine River suggest an earliest Cambrian age (Tommotian).
References: Campbell, Mountjoy and Young, 1979; Slind and Perkins, 1966; Walcott, 1913; Young,
1979.
FGY
Precambrian (Hadrynian)
Meadow Creek Formation (Miette Group)
Author: Charlesworth, H.A.K., et. al., 1967; p. 6.
Type Locality: Meadow Creek, 2.0 km (1.2 mi) upstream from Highway 16 bridge, 52°52’N, 118°16’W,
Miette River valley, 15 km (9.2 mi) west of Jasper, Alberta.
Lithology: A coarse turbidite sequence made up of feldspathic (albite) conglomerate and sandstone,
siltstone and slate.
Thickness and Distribution: 40 m (131 ft); observed only along Meadow Creek, where base is not
seen.
Relationship to Other Units: Part of the Miette Group; overlain, apparently conformably by the Old Fort
Point Formation (Precambrian). Probably correlative with the Corral Creek Formation.
Reference: Charlesworth, et al., 1967.
HAKC
Middle Devonian (Eifelian}
Meadow Lake Formation (Elk Point Group)
Author: Van Hees, H., 1956, p. 29-39 Formally defined as a formation by Fuzesy, L.M., 1980b, p. 7.
Type Locality: D.M.R. Smoothstone No. 12-77 well (Lsd. W7-34-73-6W3M), in Saskatchewan, between
53.9 and 109.1 m (177 and 358 ft).
History: Van Hees (1956) described strata from a borehole near the town of Meadow Lake as the
Meadow Lake beds. The type locality was the Seaboard Meadow Lake Crown No. 1 well, in 13-31-61-
15W3M, Saskatchewan, between 610.8 and 698 m (2004 and 2290 ft). These beds comprise the
sediments which lie between the post-Cambrian unconformity and the Ashern Formation. Fuzesy’s
(1980b) definition included the Ashern with the upper Meadow Lake because he did not recognize the
Ashern as a separate formation west of the Meadow Lake escarpment (Fuzesy, 1980b, fig. 1). He
divided the Meadow Lake into upper and lower members.
Lithology: Grey to buff colored carbonates (predominately dolomite) with mudstone interbeds.
Limestone is present in the lower part of the upper member, and some sandstones occur near the
base of the formation. Brecciated carbonate zones occur locally in the upper member.
Relationship to Other Units: Rests unconformably upon Cambrian sandstones of the Deadwood
Formation or Siluro-Ordovician carbonates, and is conformably overlain by carbonates of the
Winnipegosis Formation.
East of the Meadow Lake escarpment the only equivalent strata are the dolomitic mudstones of the
Ashern Formation, which correspond to the mudstones at the top of the Meadow Lake Formation. In
Alberta strata equivalent to the lower Meadow Lake are carbonates and evaporites of the Lotsberg
Formation; the upper Meadow Lake is correlative with the Ernestina Lake and Contact Rapids
formations.
References: Butler, 1958; Crickmay, 1954; Fuzesy, 1980b; Van Hees, 1956, 1958.
CED; KRM
Upper Cretaceous (Santonian}
Medicine Hat Sandstone
(First White Speckled Shale, Colorado Group)
Author: Martin, I., 1965; Kendall, A.C. and Simpson, F., 1974.
Type Locality: Medicine Hat gas field, southeastern Alberta. The discovery well was the No. 1 (Main
Street) well, in 5-31-12-5W4M.
Lithology: Medium grey and light olive grey, bioturbated, muddy sandstones and siltstones; also
monotonously repeated, light olive grey fine and very fine grained sandstones and siltstones,
alternating in vertical sequence with dark grey calcareous shales and mudstones. The bioturbated
lithologies exhibit a progressive vertical decrease in the proportion of mud and incorporate pebbles
and granules of siderite and phosphorite; they frequently make up the top several metres of the
coarsening upwards sequence which accounts for most of the unit. Tide sandstones and siltstones
occur in graded layers up to several centimetres thick and exhibit horizontal and gently inclined
lamination, as well as sharply defined soles with tool markings. They are interbedded with subordinate
shales and mudstone, incorporating abundant flakes of coccolithic debris and shaly chalk layers
several millimetres thick. The sandstone-shale alternations make up the basal part of the coarsening
upward sequence, where there is an upward decrease in thickness and frequency of shale
intercalations; they also occur in the uppermost metre of the unit. Pelecypod coquinoidal layers and
accumulations of fish-skeletal debris are common. Thin bentonite layers occur in the top few metres of
the unit.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum thickness of about 14 m (46 ft) in the Medicine Hat field. The unit
is restricted to the eastern flank of the Sweetgrass Arch, occurring at the Medicine Hat, Hatton and
Horsham gas-production locales and extending southwards to the international boundary. To the north
and east the unit undergoes progressive thickness decrease and concomitant grain-size diminution.
Relationship to Other Units: Occurs some 30 m (98 ft) below the top of the First White Speckled Shale
near the Fourth Meridian. The top of the Medicine Hat Sandstone is sharply defined in many locations
by the upper surface of a calcareous, concretionary layer up to a few decimetres thick and located
immediately below a thin bentonite bed. The basal contact of the unit is lithologically gradational with
the calcareous shales and shaly chalks of the First White Speckled Shale. The Medicine Hat
Sandstone is the most prominent sandstone body of the Martin Sandy Zone.
References: Hancock and Glass, 1968; Kendall and Simpson, 1974; Martin, 1965; Russell and
Landes, 1940; Simpson, 1979a, 1979c; Slipper, 1935.
FS
Medicine Lodge Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Author: Lines, F.G., 1963, p. 213, 216.
Type Locality: East side of Medicine Lodge Coulee in the Cypress Hills, Alberta, Lsd. 1, Sec. 31, Twp.
7, Rge. 3W4M and Lsd. 1, Sec. 2, Twp. 8, Rge. 3W4M.
History: in the Cypress Hills intercalated sands and clays in the upper 100 m (328 ft) of the Bearpaw
Formation were correlated with the ‘Fox Hills’’ by McConnell, (1885, p. 25) and Dyer (1926, p. 16B,
19B), and with the lower part of the Eastend Formation by Russell (1933. p. 132). Furnival (1941, p. 58-
67;1946, p. 36-39) placed these beds in the Bearpaw Formation and recognized three sandstone
members named, in ascending order the Oxarat, Belanger and Thelma members. Lines (1963) coined
the name Medicine Lodge Member for the dark grey clays between the Thelma Member and the
overlying Eastend Formation. Lomenda (1973, p. 10-11, 113) recognized complex intertongueing in
the upper Bearpaw Formation and suggested that member status should not be given to every sand or
clay unit. He provisionally grouped the beds between the Manyberries Member and the Eastend
Formation into the Oxarart Medicine Lodge Composite “Member”.
Lithology: Dark grey purplish weathering, friable, silty clays with minor intercalations of silt and sand,
becoming arenaceous near the top.
Thickness and Distribution: About 25 m (82 ft) thick at Medicine Lodge Coulee and Thelma Creek,
Alberta, present in the Cypress Hills area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Medicine Lodge Member sharply overlies the Thelma Member of the
Bearpaw Formation and transitionally underlies the Eastend Formation. East of the Saskatchewan-
Alberta boundary the Medicine Lodge Member merges with other Bearpaw clays as the underlying
sands disappear. The Medicine Lodge Member occurs in the upper part of the Ammodiscus gyroidina
foraminiferal zone of Loranger and Gleddie (1953) and the upper part of the Haplophragmoides
excavata fauna (North & Caldwell, 1970, p. 73). The member passes into Aquadell Member clays of
the Bearpaw Formation in south-central Saskatchewan. Lines (1963, p. 221) correlated the Medicine
Lodge Member with the Drumheller Marine Tongue Member of the Horseshoe Canyon (Edmonton)
Formation at Castor, Alberta. In southwestern Alberta the Medicine Lodge Member changes facies
into marine and nonmarine beds of the St. Mary River Formation.
ML
Meekwap Member (Nisku Formation, Winterburn Group)
Author: No designation of a Meekwap Member has been published.
History: Cheshire and Keith (1977) provisionally subdivided the Nisku Formation in the Meekwap
Field (Twp. 66, Rge. 15 and 16W5M) into a lower platform unit, a middle reef and off-reef unit, and an
upper platform unit. The description focused on the reef and off-reef distribution of the middle unit
along the southward drop-off of the lower platform unit.
The Exploration Staff of Chevron Standard (1979) presented a detailed analysis of the Nisku reefs and
their off-reef equivalents in the Pembina area (Twps. 47-52, Rges. 8-15W5M), located in a more
basinward position than the Meekwap reefs. From the base upward the off-reef sequence was
subdivided into the Lobstick, Bigoray, Cynthia and Wolf Lake members. The multi-stage reefs of the
Zeta Lake Member started at different times during the Lobstick period.
Chevron traced the calcaro-argillaceous Cynthia siltstone from the outer shelf eastwards on the shelf
to a silty break in the type well of the Nisku Formation (BA Pyrcz No. 1, in 12-25-50-26W4M), thereby
identifying the equivalent of the Wolf Lake Member. A similar break appears to be present within the
upper Nisku unit at Meekwap, so that at least part of the upper unit may be correlative with the Wolf
Lake Member. Chevron, in a series of diagrams illustrating the sequence of deposition and diagenesis
indicated that maximal reef growth of the Zeta Lake Member occurred during Cynthia time. The
“Upper” Zeta Lake reefs contain abundant Renalcis (a blue-green alga) like the middle unit reefs at
Meekwap, but unlike the “Lower” Zeta Lake Member. This suggests that the middle Nisku unit at
Meekwap may well be coeval with the Cynthia stage of the Pembina area. The lower unit at Meekwap
would then correspond to the Lobstick and Bigoray stages.
References: Cheshire and Keith, 1977; Chevron Standard Exploration Staff, 1979.
LTB
Middle/Upper Jurassic (Bajocian-Callovian?)
Melita Formation
Author: Stott, D.E, 1955.
Type Locality: No type section defined. Thickest section described by Stott is in California Standard
West Daly Prov. 8-29-10-28WPM, in Manitoba, between 533.4 and 677.3 m (1750 and 2222 ft).
Suggested reference section is in Tudale Neepawa 5-29-14-14WPM, between 454.7 and 649.5 m
(1492 and 2131 ft), completely cored.
Lithology: The Melita is subdivided into two units. The lower Melita consists of varicolored shales and
thin interbeds of sandstone. Sandstone is more common towards the base of the unit, and the sand
content increases to the north. Marked lithologic changes occur both laterally and vertically. The upper
Melita consists of darker greenish to brownish grey slightly calcareous and silty shales with interbeds
of light grey variably fossiliferous, dense, in part sandy limestone in the upper part of the sequence.
Minor thin interbeds of fine grained, calcareous or kaolinitic quartzose sand are noted.
Thickness and Distribution: The Melita is primarily a subsurface unit in southwestern Manitoba. Sparse
outcrop is now known to occur southeast of the town of St. Rose du Lac (22-23-15WPM) (Bannatyne,
1970). The name is not widely used. The maximum thickness of the unit is 143.3 m (470 ft). It thins to
the north and east due to both depositional thinning and pre-Cretaceous erosional thinning north of
the area of Upper Jurassic cover. North of Virden thinning also occurs at the base of the unit because
of overstep onto a Paleozoic paleotopographic high. Northward thinning is accompanied by a marked
increase in sand/silt content, especially in the lower part of the formation. North of approximately Twp.
20 differentiation of Melita sands from the overlying Cretaceous Swan River sands is difficult.
Relationship to Other Units: The Melita is underlain with slight disconformity by oolitic and
argillaceous limestones of the Reston Formation. North of approximately Twp. 20 Melita beds overstep
the Reston to rest unconformably on Paleozoic (Mississippian and Upper Devonian) strata. South of
approximately Twp. 12 the Melita is overlain conformably by sandy calcareous beds of the Waskada
Formation, but north of this it is overlain unconformably by either the sands of the Swan River
Formation or the grey shales of the Ashville Formation. It is equivalent to the upper Gravelbourg plus
the Shaunavon, plus the lower and part of the middle Vanguard of Saskatchewan, and with the Piper
plus the Rierdon of North Dakota.
References: Bannatyne, 1970; Stott, 1968.
HRM
Merrington Clinobed
Author: Evans, W.E., 1970; Simpson, F., 1975, in prep.
Type Locality: The name is taken from the Phillips Husky Merrington No. 1 well in Lsd. 14-30-29-
23W3M, Saskatchewan, which penetrated the maximum thickness observed by Evans (1970). The
type section is in the GEOG et al. AH Dods 12-20-30-22W3M well, between 723.6 and 729.8 m (2374
and 2394.5 ft).
members, alphabetically designated “K”, “Upper L”, “M”, “N” and “O”’ was worked out independently by
Evans (1970) on the basis of detailed electric log correlation. Simpson (1975,1980) examined the
lithologic variation in these units and named them; the Merrington Clinobed is equivalent to the “K”
member of Evans.
Lithology: Shaly, fine grained, slightly glauconitic sandstone, with subordinate conglomerate and
pebbly sandstone. The unit is largely made up of alternating thin layers of sandstone and
noncalcareous mudstone, with the proportion of interbedded mudstone decreasing upwards. Pebbly,
coarse grained sandstone occurs as an irregular layer up to 1 m (3 ft) thick above a basal bentonitic
mudstone The uppermost member consists of mudstone with interbedded siltstone and fine grained
sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: The maximum thickness of the unit is 10.7 m (35 ft). The Merrington
Clinobed forms a broad belt extending east-west across the central and southern parts of the
Dodsland-Hoosier production area. The northern unit of the clinobed follows a west-southwesterly
trend.
Relationship to Other Units: The Merrington Clinobed overlaps the St. Eloi and Crystal clinobeds and
the equivalent sandy shales. Contacts with the underlying clinobeds are sharp. The unit thins markedly
to the north and passes into sandy shale. It makes a gradational contact with shales of the overlying
Big River Formation.
References: Evans, 1970; Jones, 1961a, 1961b; Reasoner and Hunt, 1954a, 1954b; Simpson, 1975,
1979d, 1980.
FS
Messines Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1924; p. 50-51.
Type Locality: “Head of glacier Lake Canyon Valley above the Mons Glacier and on the slopes of
Mount Messines ...”. (51°51’N, 116°59’W), southwestern Alberta.
Lithology: Dark, rough weathering, cliff forming dolomite.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type area the thickness is estimated to be 300 m (984 ft). Walcott
does not appear to have examined the formation, but relied on binoculars and fragments carried down
on Mons Glacier. In Clearwater Canyon (51°44’N, 116°12’W) the measured section was 202 m (663
ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The base of the Messines is in the Fairholme Group according to Aitken
and Norford (1967, p. 161). However, it seems that Walcott (1928, pi. 338-340) included all the
Devonian present on the north spurs of Mount Forbes in the Messines Formation and this may have
included the Sassenach and Palliser formations which are present in the general area (Mountjoy,
1978). At Pipestone Pass the Messines is overlain by the Pipestone Formation, which includes not
only Palliser but also some Frasnian strata, judging from Walcott’s reported fauna (1924, p. 51).
Paleontology: Stromatopora sp., Cyathophyllum sp., Atrypa reticolaris (Linn), crinoid columns,
Gomphoceras sp., Stropheodonta sp., Paleoneilo sp. (Walcott, 1924). Walcott assigned the whole
formation to the Middle Devonian, but Frasnian fossils have been identified from the basal 45 m (148
ft) of a correlative unit (map unit 23 of Wheeler, 1963).
References: Aitken and Norford, 1967, Mountjoy, 1978; Walcott, 1924, 1928; Wheeler, 1963.
PFM
Middle Devonian (Eifelian and Givetian)
Methy Formation (Upper Elk Point Subgroup)
Type Locality: Greiner (1956) designated the interval between 171.9 and 236.2 m (564 and 775 ft) in
the Bear Westmount No. 2 well, in 9-36-88-8W4M, northeastern Alberta as the type section.
Lithology: The most complete outcrop section is at Contact Rapids on the Clearwater River, where the
Methy may be subdivided into two distinct units referred to informally as the “Lower thin bedded
member” and the “Upper massive member” (Norris, 1963, p. 13, 85; 1973). The lower member consists
of light brown, granular, in part vuggy, highly calcareous dolomite, occurring as recessively
weathering, even thin beds, containing sparse chert nodules and scattered silty laminae in the lower
beds. Fossils are moderately abundant and generally better preserved than in the overlying member
The upper member consists of light brown, in places mottled light and medium brown, vuggy in part,
resistant, cliff forming, irregularly thick bedded to massive reefoid dolomite.
Thickness and Distribution: In the nearest wells the thickness varies from a minimum of 36.6 m (120 ft)
to a maximum of 82.3 m (270 ft). In the type area the Methy Formation outcrops discontinuously along
the Clearwater River valley, from about 4.8 km (3 mi) above the mouth of Descharme River to 2.7 km
(1.7 mi) below Cascade Rapids, a total distance of about 78.9 km (49 mi). To the north, along the edge
of the Canadian Shield outcrops and loose fragments have been mapped by Tremblay (1961) on
Johnson Lake. Reid Creek, Dick Lake and Clay Lake, and by Green, Mellon and Carrigy (1970) along
the lower parts of Firebag River and Reid Creek.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies fine chaste beds of the Contact Rapids Formation
(=McLean River Formation of Norris, 1963) and is transitionally overlain by evaporites of the Prairie
Evaporite Formation. Along the edge of the Canadian Shield is has overstepped older formations to
rest directly on Precambrian crystalline rocks. Lateral equivalents include the Keg River Formation of
Law (1955) in northwestern Alberta, and the combined Elm Point and Winnipegosis formations of
southwestern Manitoba (Norris, Uyeno and McCabe) .
Paleontology: Numerous fossils have been listed or mentioned by Bassett (1952MS), Crickmay
(1954), Greiner (1956), Carrigy (1959); important forms include Sphaerospongia tessellata (Phillips),
Dendrostella disjuncta (Whiteaves), Schizophoria sp. cf. S. manitobensis Whiteaves, “Atrypa” arctica
Warren, “Atrypa’’ perfimbriata Crickmay, “Spinatrypa” sp. cf. “S.” andersonensis (Warren), Emanuella
sublineata (Meek), Warrenella sp., Stringocephalus spp., and Mastigospira alata (Whiteaves).
References: Bassett, 1952MS; Carrigy, 1959; Crickmay, 1954; Green, Mellon and Carrigy, 1970;
Greiner, 1956; Law, 1955; Nauss, 1950; Norris, 1963, 1973; Norris, Uyeno and McCabe, in press;
Tremblay, 1961; Warren and Stelck, 1962.
AWN
Upper Triassic
Mica Member
(Charlie Lake Formation, Schooler Creek Group) (Superseded)
Author: Ramsay, T.B., British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.
Type Locality: Imperial et al. Mica 11-34-81-14W6M, in northeastern British Columbia, between 1524.9
and 1527 m (5003 and 5010 ft).
History: Subsequently proven to be equivalent to the North Pine Member of the Charlie Lake
Formation.
Lithology: Light brown microcrystalline dolomite.
Thickness and Distribution: 2 m (7 ft) thick.
JWR
Midale Beds
Type Locality: This unit took its name from the Midale oil field, Saskatchewan, where, in April, 1953 the
discovery well Shell Midale A-7-18, in Lsd. 7, Sec. 18, Twp. 6, Rge. 10W2M was completed in this part
of the succession, between 1393.5 and 1416.7 m (4572 and 4648 ft).
Lithology: The Midale Beds consists of two lithologic intervals, the lower part is defined as the
Frobisher Evaporite and the upper is commonly described as the Midale carbonate. Haidl (1978)
showed that the Frobisher Evaporite includes a variety of sub-aqueously deposited and supratidal
anhydrites that may reach 9 m (30 ft) in thickness. The nature of the Midale carbonate varies markedly
along the Midale trend of production in southeastern Saskatchewan. It includes oolitic-pisolitic and
skeletal grainstones and packstones that in places have well developed vuggy porosity, as well as
dolomites and dolomitized burrow-mottled limestones and wackestones that have intercrystalline
porosity. The vuggy grainstones and packstones are commonly known as the “Midale Vuggy” and the
lime mudstones and wackestones are described as the “Midale Marly”.
Thickness and Distribution: The northern and western limit of the Midale is marked by its zero
erosional edge that forms an arcuate trace at the sub-Mesozoic subcrop extending from Twp. 1, Rge.
30WPM to Twp. 1, Rge. 16W3M, reaching a maximum northern limit in Twp. 12, Rge. 20W2M. Its
southern limit is controlled by the recognizability of its lower boundary, which for the most part is at the
base of the Frobisher Evaporite. The evaporite is underlain by an argillaceous interval at the top of the
Frobisher Beds that has been recognized as far west as Rge. 16W3M; its recognition farther west
being limited by erosion of the marker bed.
The thickness of the Midale Beds varies markedly. It is thinnest in extreme southeastern
Saskatchewan, where it is about 15 m (49 ft) and thickest beyond the solution edge of the Middle
Devonian Prairie Evaporite, where it reaches 45 m (148 ft).
Relationship to Other Units. The top of the Midale Beds is placed at the top of an argillaceous
carbonate interval that underlies the Midale Evaporite in the Ratcliffe Beds, and the lower limit is
placed at the top of second argillaceous interval with the Frobisher Beds and immediately beneath the
Frobisher Evaporite. Recognition of both of these argillaceous marker beds is not contingent on the
presence of the evaporites, as they have been identified well beyond the depositional limits of both
evaporite intervals (Hutt, 1963 and Kent, 1974). The Midale has been correlated with the upper
Strathallen Beds of western Saskatchewan (Kent, 1974) and with the Shunda Formation of the Alberta
Plains (Brindle, 1960).
Paleontology: Brindle (1960) identifiers a fairly extensive coral-brachiopod fauna from the Midale
Beds. However it does not appear to be very diagnostic and mar be closely related to that found in the
underlying Frobisher-Alida Beds.
References: Brindle, 1960, Fuzesy, 1960; Haidl, 1978; Hutt 1963; Kent, 1974; Smith, 1980; Waltera,
1983.
DMK
Mississippian
Midale Evaporite (Ratcliffe Beds)
Author: Fuller, l.G.C.M., 1956.
Type Locality: Forms the caprock in the Weyburn, Midale, Lampman, Steelman and Frobisher Fields of
southeastern Saskatchewan, however no type section was recommended. Fuller described the unit
from three borehole cores. The best preservation and recovery of the evaporite appears to be in the
Imperial Steelman No. 1-8-4-5W2M, where the unit occupies the interval between 1447.8 and 1454.5
m (4750 and 4772 ft).
Lithology: The Midale Evaporite includes layered and nodular anhydrite; the former is commonly brittle
or flinty and may contain partings of shale or argillaceous dolomite. In addition there are dolomitic
anhydrites and evaporitic dolomites.
Thickness and Distribution: Fuzesy (1960) found that the average thickness of the Midale Evaporite is
in the order of 8 m (26 ft). The unit is fairly widespread, extending from its depositional margin near
Rge. 16W2M into extreme southeastern Saskatchewan. In addition it can be traced some 35 to 50 km
(22 to 31 mi) downdip from its subcrop, which forms an arcuate trace from Twp. 17, Rge. 16W2M to
Twp.1, Rge. 31 WPM.
Relationship to Other Units: The Midale Evaporite is in the basal portion of the Ratcliffe Beds,
immediately overlying the argillaceous dolomite or dolomitic limestone that marks the top of the Midale
Beds. It is correlated with the Rival interval of north-central Montana.
DMK
Lower Cambrian
Midas Formation (Cariboo Group)
Author: Holland, S.S., 1954; Sutherland-Brown, A., 1963; Campbell, R.B., et al., 1973.
Type Locality: Reference Section: Headwaters of Dome Creek, northern Cariboo Mountains (53°36’N,
121°01’W), British Columbia.
History: The type locality of the Midas Formation at Yanks Peak is in a zone of intense structural
deformation. As with the two underlying formations there is doubt that the type section represents the
Midas Formation of current usage (Campbell et al., 1973)
Lithology: The Midas Formation is a recessive weathering dark argillaceous unit comprising shale and
siltstone with minor sandstone. Shales are silty, dark grey to black and weather orange-brown.
Sandstones are texturally immature and commonly horizontally burrowed. Ichnofossils include
Planolites, Scolicia and an unnamed radiating burrow structure.
Thickness and Distribution: The Midas Formation crops out in numerous discontinuous localities in the
Cariboo Mountains, and is poorly exposed due to its recessive character. It is 148 m (485 ft) thick at its
reference section at Dome Creek, thinning to about 100 m (328 ft) at Zig Zag Ridge near the Southern
Rocky Mountain trench, and becoming thinner and sandier eastward.
Relationship to Other Units: The Midas Formation is in sharp, although in detail gradational contact
with the underlying Yanks Peak Formation. It grades upward into the silty to sandy limestone of the
overlying Mural Formation. The Midas Formation is correlative with the uppermost McNaughton
Formation of the Rockies, as each directly underlies the Mural Formation.
References: Campbell et al., 1973; Holland, 1954; Sutherland-Brown, 1963; Young, 1972a, 1979.
MRM
Middle Dense
Informal term used in the Turner Valley area for the dense, finely crystalline carbonate separating the
Lower Porous (Elkton Member) from the Upper Porous.
GM
Quaternary
Midnapore Silts
Type Locality: On top of bluff on east bank of Bow Valley, 1 km (0.63 mi) south of Provincial Highway
No. 22, in Lsd 11, Sec. 20, Twp. 22, Rge. 29W4M, near Midnapore, Alberta.
Lithology: Interbedded silt and clayey silt, with beds 1 to 30 cm (0.6 to 12 ft) thick; very pale brown; of
glaciolacustrine origin.
Thickness and Distribution: At type locality 2.5 m (8 ft) thick; so far recognized only along Bow River
near the type locality.
Relationship to Other Units: At the type section overlies, with abrupt and undulating contact a soil
developed on thinly bedded silt; typically overlies Erratics Train Till and overlain by loess. It was
deposited in a pro-glacial lake held up by Laurentide ice during Jackson’s “Glacial Episode Four”.
Reference: Jackson, 1980.
AMacSS
Upper Proterozoic
Miette (Formation) Group
Author: Walcott, C.O., 1913; Mountjoy, E.W., 1962.
Type Locality: The Cushing Creek area of the McBride (93H) map-sheet, British Columbia has the
most complete known section of the Miette Group; it was described in detail by Carey and Simony
(1985).
History: Mountjoy (1962) raised Walcott’s (1913) Miette Formation to group status within the
Windermere Supergroup. Charlesworth et al. (1967) proposed three formation names, only one of
which has gained Widespread acceptance, the Old Fort Point Formation. Campbell et al., (1973)
recognized a three-fold subdivision of the Miette Group in the McBride map-area. The informal units,
lower, middle and upper have subsequently gained widespread usage in the literature. McDonough
and Simony (1986, 1988a) defined the middle Miette by its distinctive turbiditic grits and intervening
green pelites.
Lithology: The lower, middle and upper Miette comprise a conformable sequence. The lower Miette
consists of dark grey to black silty phyllite, phyllitic schist and schist, with interspersed units of light
brown to tan quartzite and Feldspathic quartzite, and tongues of black carbonaceous micritic
limestone. The middle Miette is typified by massive to graded, thick bedded, feldspathic, turbiditic
sandstones and conglomeratic sandstones, with intervening units of grey-green to emerald green
phyllite, and lesser black petite map units. A conspicuous triad marker unit of pelite and carbonate.
The Old Fort Point Formation divides the middle Miette into three parts. The upper Miette consists of
brownish phyllite and slate, with black micritic limestone, calcareous phyllite, sandstone and quartz
sandstone. Didymaulichnus miettensis has been reported in the upper 350 m (1148 ft) of the upper
Miette in the northeastern part of the McBride map-area.
Thickness and Distribution: The Miette Group is restricted to the Rocky Mountain belt, where it crops
out from Lake Louise, Alberta northwestward to near Prince George, British Columbia. Thicknesses
vary considerably, both regionally and locally; the lower Miette is a minimum of about 1000 m (3280 ft)
(380 m, 1246 ft of structural thickness is exposed at the reference section), the middle Miette varies
from 2300 to 3000 m (7544 to 9840 ft) (2785 m, 9135 ft at the reference section), and the upper Miette
varies from 700 to about 1800 m (2296 to 5904 ft) (1800 m, 5904 ft of structural thickness at the
reference section).
Relationship to Other Units: The lower Miette strata overlay early Proterozoic basement gneisses
along a sheared unconformity on the western edge of the Rocky Mountain belt. The upper part of the
middle Miette thins and fines to the east, where it interfingers with slates of the upper Miette. The upper
Miette is unconformably (locally with angularity) overlain by the McNaughton Formation. The middle
Miette is correlative with the middle and upper Kaza Groups of the Cariboo Mountains to the west of
the southern Rocky Mountain trench. The upper Miette is correlative with the black slates and phyllites
of the Isaac Formation of the Cariboo Group.
References: Aitken, 1969; Arnott and Hein, 1986; Campbell, 1968; Campbell et al., 1973; Carey and
Simony, 1985; Charlesworth et al., 1967; Javor and Mountjoy, 1976; Klein and Mountjoy, 19088;
McDonough, in prep; McDonough and Mountjoy, 1990; McDonough and Murphy, 1990; McDonough
and Simony, 1986, 1988a, b, 1989; Mountjoy, 1962, 1980; Mountjoy and Forest, 1986; Mountjoy and
Price, 1985; Price and Mountjoy, 1970; Ross, 1988; Ross and Murphy, 1988; Young, 1972a, b, 1979;
Young et al., 1973; Walcott, 1913.
MRM
Middle Devonian
Mikkwa Member (Muskeg Formation)
Type Locality: Petcal Canadian Superior Mikkwa 4-12-101-5W5M, northern Alberta, between 954 and
973.2 m (3130 and 3193 ft).
History: On the basis of widespread shaly or residual clastic markers Klingspor (1969), divided the
Telegraph, Mikkwa, Wabasca, Wolverine, Chipewyan, Stink and Bear members. The five middle
carbonate or less concentrated evaporite to a higher order concentrate” (p. 935). In addition, the
proportion of anhydrite increases northwestward and the proportion of halite increases
southeastward.
Lithology: Primarily halite, varved with minor bands of dolomite and anhydrite; prominent basal
anhydrite.
Thickness and Distribution: Up to 30 m (98 ft) thick. Shown by Klingspor (1969, p. 938) to extend from
La Crete Basin in northeastern Alberta southeastwards to the Saskatchewan border. In the La Crete
Basin thins over Keg River buildups (p. 933. 93B).
Relationship to Other Units: The Mikkwa Member overlies the Telegraph Member in the La Crete Basin
and overlies the Keg River Formation to the southeast. It is overlain by the Wabasca member. In
eastern Alberta, where most workers recognize the Prairie Evaporite rather than the Muskeg
(Grayston et al., 1964) the Mikkwa Member may be considered a member of the Prairie Evaporite. The
Mikkwa loses its identity to the southeast into the Prairie Evaporite.
References: Bebout and Maiklem, 1973, Grayston et al., 1964; Klingspor, 1969.
PAM
Upper Devonian
Mikkwa Formation
Author: Norris, A.W., 1963, p. 70.
Type Locality: Vermilion Chutes Area, Peace River, near confluence of Mikkwa River, Twp. 108, Rges.
5-6W5M, northern Alberta (approximately 58°31’20”N; 114°15’W to 58°22’10”N; 114°27’W)
Subsurface reference section: Hudson’s Bay Oil and Cas Fort Vermilion No. 1, in Lsd. 15, Sec. 32, Twp.
104, Rge. 8W5M, between 211.8 and 344.4 m (695 and 1130 ft).
Lithology: Mottled limestone, argillaceous limestone and dolomitic limestone, with interbedded shale.
Lower limestone member consists of light to dark brown stromatoporoidal and dolomitic limestones,
fine grained limestones, and interbedded argillaceous limestones and green calcareous shale. The
overlying Mottled Limestone Member consists of fine grained limestone, brownish grey to olive green
with red mottling, thin bedded to massive, alternating with argillaceous limestones that commonly
contain a rich brachiopod and coral fauna (Norris, 1963).
Thickness and Distribution: 26.5 m (87 ft) exposed in outcrops at Vermilion Chutes on Peace River,
northeastern Alberta. Only other reported outcrops are to the south on Harper Creek (T106, R2W5)
(Green e tal., 1970). Recognized in adjoining subsurface, and is 132.5 m (435 ft) thick at the Hudson’s
Bay Fort Vermilion No. 1 well.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies and grades laterally westward into shales of the
Ireton Formation. Conformably overlain by dolomites of Grosmont Formation. Equivalent strata to the
south are included in the lower portions of the Grosmont. Replaced to north by shales assigned to Hay
River Formation (Green et al., 1970; Norris, 1963). At the northeastern limit of distribution overlain
unconformably by Lower Cretaceous strata.
References: Green et al., 1970; Green, 1972; Law, 1955; Norris, 1963.
PAM
Upper Devonian
Mildred Member [Beaverhill Lake (Waterways) Formation]
Author: Crickmay, C .H ., 1957.
Type Locality: Bear Biltmore No. 1, in Lsd 7, Sec. 11, Twp. 87, Rge. 17W4M, northern Albertan between
298.7 and 341.4 m (980 and 1120 ft)
Lithology: Green, greenish grey buff, grey and brown argillaceous limestones and shales containing
brachiopods.
Thickness and Distribution: The Mildred Member averages 42.7 m (140 ft) in thickness and occurs in
central to northeastern Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: It is overlain conformably by pale grey to cream colored limestones of
Upper Devonian age and underlain conformably by the Moberly Member of the Waterways Formation.
It is equivalent to the interval 1316.74 to 1357.27 m (4320 to 4453 ft) in the Anglo-Canadian Beaverhill
lake No. 2 well in 11-11-50-17W4M and, therefore to the top member of the Beaverhill Lake
Formations.
Paleontology: The Mildred Member is characterized by the brachiopods Eleutherokomma killeri,

Leiorhynchus sp., Productella sp. and Atrypa randalia.
JHC, GGP
Montana Group, Upper Cretaceous
Milk River Formation
Author: Dowling, D.B., 1916; A.S.P.G. Lexicon, 1960, p. 229-230.
Type Locality: Only the upper part of the Milk River Formation is exposed along the Milk River in
southern Alberta. The lower boundary of the formation was originally placed in the subsurface at the
lowest occurrence of sandstone (Dowling, 1917). This contact was difficult to map and the Alberta
Society of Petroleum Geologists (1960) proposed to use instead the upper contact of the upper white
speckled shale unit (Colorado Group) as the lower boundary. The upper boundary of the formation was
defined by Williams and Dyer (1930) and Evans (1931) in the outcrop area along the Milk River in
Lithology: The Milk River Formation is a map-unit dominated by sandstone. Geologists working in the
outcrop area (Williams and Dyer, 1930; Evans, 1931; Russell and Landes 1940) recognized a lower
and an upper member. Tovell (1956), working in the subsurface divided the formation into three
members. The lower member, an interbedded succession of sandstone and shale is transitional with
the underlying shale of the Colorado Group and is equivalent to the informal Telegraph Creek
Formation in Montana. The middle member is in mappable continuity with the Virgelle Member of the
Eagle Formation; it is a light colored, fine to medium grained, poorly consolidated sandstone. The
upper member (the Deadhorse Coulee Member of Tovell, 1956) is an interbedded unit of shale, sandy
shale, sandstone and minor lignite. It correlates with the middle and upper members of the Eagle
Formation. The upper contact of the Milk River Formation is selected at the top of a thin sandstone bed
below a shady interval containing abundant dark colored, polished chert pebbles. The lower contact is
placed at the highest occurrence of white, calcareous specks.
Thickness and Distribution: The Milk River Formation, as defined by the Alberta Society of Petroleum
Geologists (1960) varies in thickness between 112.7 and 94.4 m (370 and 310 ft). It is present in
southern Alberta and is a mappable unit wherever the Virgelle sandstone member is developed. In
southwestern Saskatchewan and central Alberta the Virgelle sandstone is absent due to a facies
change. Here equivalents of the Milk River Formation are recognizable as a lower member of the Lea
Park Formation because the pebble bed above the Milk River Formation extends beyond the facies
change of the Virgelle Member.
Relationship to Other Units: The Milk River Formation of the Alberta Society of Petroleum Geologists
is equivalent to the combined Telegraph Creek and Eagle formations of Montana. The Milk River
Formation as originally mapped by Dowling (1916) is equivalent to the Eagle Formation in Montana
as mapped by Stanton and Hatcher (1905).
References: Alberta Society of Petroleum Geologists, 1960; Dowling, 1916, 1917; Evans, 1931;
Russell and Landes, 1940; Stanton and Hatcher, 1905; Tovell, 1956; Williams and Dyer, 1930.
NCMD
Mill Creek Formation (Obsolete)
Type Locality: Mill Creek, southwestern Alberta (Sec. 13, Twp. 5, Rge. 2W5M).
History: The name Mill Creek was first employed by G.M. Dawson (1886) in a biostratigraphic sense to
denote the dicotyledon bearing succession from underlying non-dicotyledonous beds in the Lower
Cretaceous of southwestern Alberta. The names had been used at least twice for formations in the
United States prior to Mellon’s (1967) usage. McLean (1980) proposed the name be discontinued and
the succession be divided into the Ma Butte and overlying Crowsnest formations.
Lithology: Includes all lithologies now included in the descriptions of the Ma Butte and Crowsnest
formations.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section is 175 m (574 ft) thick. Over 600 m (1968 ft) thick in
more westerly sections, where the 500 m (1640 ft) thick Crowsnest Formation was included.
Relationship to Other Units: Abrupt and disconformable with the underlying Beaver Mines Formation.
Overlain abruptly and disconformably by the Blackstone Formation.
References: McLean, 1980; Mellon, 1967.
JRM
Middle Proterozoic (Helikian)
Miller Peak Formation
(Belt-Purcell Supergroup) (Abandoned)
Author: Clapp, C.H. and Deiss, C.F., 1931; p. 678-679.
Type Locality: Miller Peak, southeast of Missoula, Montana.
History: Fenton and Fenton (1937) introduced the term Miller Peak into Canada, applying it to strata
that Willis (1902) and Daly (1912) had named the Kintla Formation. Hume (1933) and Hage (1943)
used the term Kintla, and Price (1962, 1964) showed that their members of the Kintla Formation were
synonymous with Daly’s upper member of the Gateway Formation and his Phillips and Roosville
formations. The term Miller Peak is still used in Montana for strata between the Piegan Group and the
Bonner Quartzite. It is equivalent to the Snowslip, Shepard and Mount Shields formations of Glacier
National Park, and the upper member of the Siyeh Formation and the Sheppard and Gateway
(restricted) formations of the Waterton Lakes National Park area.
References: Clapp and Deiss, 1931; Daly, 1912; Fenton and Fenton, 1987; Hage, 1943; Hume, 1933;
Price, 1962,1964; Willis, 1902.
RAP
Millwood Member (Pierre Shale)
Author: Tyrrell, J.B., 1890.
Type Locality: Exposed in railroad cuts in the Assiniboine River valley, near Millwood, Manitoba.
Those exposures are now largely overgrown; McNeil and Caldwell (1981) designated a nearby road
cut along Highway 478 in Lsd. 15. Sec. 11, Twp. 19, Rge. 29W1M as the neostratotype.
History: Originally proposed for the shale between the calcareous Niobrara shale and the siliceous
Odanah shale. The name was abandoned for a period after Kirk (1930) assigned its lower black shale
to the “Pembina beds”, and its upper olive-grey shale to the “Riding Mountain beds”. It was resurrected
in 1948 by Tovell, and has been used since as the name for the dark olive-grey, soft shales between
the black Pembina shale and the siliceous Odanah shale.
Lithology: The type Millwood in west-central Manitoba is an olive-grey, silty clay. The member changes
facies southeastwards to non-silty clay and shale, then to interbedded calcareous shale and
noncalcareous shale in Pembina Mountain in southern Manitoba and northernmost North Dakota,
and, finally, to equivalent beds in South Dakota of noncalcareous shale, calcareous shale and
prominent chalk (McNeil and Caldwell, 1981). The facies correspond to a progression from the fine
clastic median facies belt to the eastern or mid-basin carbonate facies belt sensu Tourtelot (1962).
Clay-ironstone concretions yielding bivalves and ammonites are common through the Millwood. Thin
bentonite beds are common, and in the Pembina Mountain area the Millwood is a strongly bentonitic
shale composed largely of partly swelling montmorillonite (Bannatyne, 1970), which causes the
member to weather to a distinctive rough surface in rounded, sparsely vegetated buttes.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized in eastern Saskatchewan, western Manitoba and

northernmost North Dakota up to its erosional edge at the Manitoba escarpment. The Millwood
decreases southeastward from about 150 m (492 ft) in its type locality to about 15 m (49 ft) or less in
Pembina Mountain. The decrease in thickness corresponds to facies change from silty clay to
calcareous and noncalcareous shale.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact with the black Pembina Member shale is sharp and
disconformable to paraconformable. Its upper contact with the olive-grey, siliceous Odanah Member
shale is gradational. The Millwood correlates westwards in Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta with
the upper Lea Park and Judith River (Belly Rivers formations and the lower unnamed, Outlook and
lower Broderick members of the Bearpaw Formation. The silty clays of the Millwood are the weak
eastern expression of coarser grained deltaic sediments of the Judith River Formation (McNeil and
Caldwell, 1981). To the south it correlates with the Gregory and DeGrey members of the Pierre Shale
in North and South Dakota.
References: Bannatyne, 1970; Gill and Cobban, 1965; Kirk, 1930; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; North
and Caldwell, 1975; Tovell, 1948; Tyrrell, 1890, 1892.
DHM; LLP
Middle Devonian
Mink Member (Muskeg Formation)
Type Locality: Amerada Mink Lake 14-36-89-23W4M, in northern Alberta, between 840.9 and 869.6 m
(2759 and 2853 ft).
History: On the basis of widespread shady or residual elastic markers Klingspor (1969) divided the
Telegraph, Mikkwa, Wabasca, Wolverine, Chipewyan, Mink and Bear members. The five middle
proportion of anhydrite increases northwestward and the proportion of halite increases
southeastward.
Lithology: At the type section predominantly halite, carved; bands of anhydrite with thin argillaceous
laminae; thin dolomite stringers in anhydrite. Proportion of anhydrite increases to northwest.
Thickness and Distribution. Up to 30 m (96 ft) thick. Shown by Klingspor (1969, p. 938) to be present in
northeastern Alberta, pinching out to the southeast in vicinity of Marten Hills.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Chipewyan Member of the Muskeg Formation, and overlain
by the Bear Member. In a small area between the pinchout of the Bear Member and the pinchout of the
Mink Member the unit is overlain by the Watt Mountain Formation. Loses its identity into dolomites and
anhydrites of the Muskeg Formation to the northwest (Klingspor, 1969, p. 238).
Reference: Klingspor, 1969.
PAM
Minnedosa Formation
Type Locality: Bank of Minnedosa River valley in NW/4 Lsd. 16, Sec. 20, Twp. 16, Rge. 18WPM
(approximately 50°25’N, 99°57’W), southern Manitoba.
History: Minnedosa Till originally described by Klassen in 1966 (p. 53), and formally named by him in
1969 (p. 13). With the inclusion of previously unnamed “middle deposits” in 1979 (Klassen, 1979, p. 9)
the unit received its present name.
Lithology: The till component is composed of roughly equal parts of sand, silt and clay, with the silt
containing about 20% carbonate; the till is moderately stony and in outcrops displays well developed
joints marked by iron and manganese oxide stains that have a characteristic olive color; these joints
and staining are its chief distinguishing features; where unoxidized the till is typically dark yellowish or
greyish brown, or similar in color to other tills of the region. The middle deposits consist of both till and
stratified glacial and non-glacial sediments.
Thickness and Distribution: Typically 3 to 15 m (109 to 49 ft) thick, with the middle deposits up to 10 m
(33 ft) thick. Widespread in the Assiniboine River Plain; also outcrops on Duck Mountain and Riding
Mountain Uplands, where it subsurface distribution is uncertain.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies bedrock, Largs Formation, Shell Formation or undivided drift;
generally overlain by the Lennard or Zelena formations, but forms the surface in Assiniboine River
Plain and at some other points. Westward probably correlates with Floral Formation.
Radiocarbon dates (GSC-653, 711) indicate an age of about 38000 years for the middle deposits.
Apparently deposited by southwest-flowing Laurentide ice in pre-Classical Wisconsin time.
References: Klassen, 1966, 1969, 1971, 1979; Moran et al., 1976; Richmond, 1977.
RWK; AMacSS
Minnes Group
Author: Defined as a formation by Ziegler and Pocock (1960). Raised to group status by Stott (1967).
Type Locality: Originally defined by Ziegler and Pocock (1960, p 45), at Mount Minnes (54°09’45"N,
120°04’W) on the west side of the British Columbia-Alberta boundary northeast of Kakwa lake.
Lithology: Contains both marine and continental Classic sediments and is divided into distinct
mappable formations on the basis of gross lithological differences. In the Carbon Creek Basin four
well defined formations are recognized; in ascending order the Monteith, Beattie Peaks, Monach and
Bickford. At some distance south of Pine River the succession overlying the Monteith Formation is not
readily divisible and those beds are included in the Gorman Creek Formation (Stott, 1981).
Thickness and Distribution: Ziegler and Pocock reported a thickness of 1945 m (6380 ft) at Mount
Minnes. Elsewhere along the foothills of northeastern British Columbia the group ranges from 2100 m
(6888 ft) to an erosional zero edge. The group is recognized between Berland River in the northern
Alberta Foothills and Prophet River in northeastern British Columbia (Stott, 1967, 1975).
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably and transitionally overlies shales and thin sandstone of the
Jurassic Fernie Formation. The succession is bevelled in a northeasterly direction by the pre-Cadomin
unconformity Throughout the region the sequence is overlain unconformably by the Lower Cretaceous
Bullhead Group or the equivalent lower part of the Luscar Group. It extends into the subsurface of the
Peace River Plains, where it is commonly designated as the Nikanassin Formation, but in the foothills
includes more strata than the type Nikanassin.
Paleontology: Contains fauna ranging from the latest Jurassic (Tithonian) Zone of Buchia fischeriana
to the Early Cretaceous Zone of Buchia n. sp. aff. inflata (Stott, 1975).
References: Stott, 1967, 1975, 1981; Ziegler and Pocock, 1960.
DFS
Upper Devonian
Minnewanka Group (Obsolete)
Author: Shimer, H.W., 1926; p. 1-24.
Type Locality: East of Cascade River at approximately 115°27’W, in Twp. 26, Rge. 11W5M; (2) at
Devil’s Gap, at approximately 51°15’N, 115°02’W in Twp. 26, Rge. 10W5, Alberta.
History: Shimer gave the name Minnewanka Formation to the lower Banff limestone and the
Intermediate limestone of Kindle (1924), those terms having been originally used by Dowling (1907).
Fox (1951) elevated the Minnewanka to group status and included in it the Palliser and Fairholme
formations. Stratigraphic nomenclatural evolution has since raised the Fairholme to group status.
Lithology: Limestone, fine grained, light to dark grey to brown and black, thin bedded to massive,
variably, dolomitized and medium crystalline, silty in places. The light, shining grey “flat-irons” of
Palliser on dip-slopes are a conspicuous feature of exposures in the Band area.
Thickness and Distribution: Shimer recorded 612.6 m (2010 ft) at the type area; Warren measured 600
m (1968 ft) at Sulphur Mountain, near Band.
Relationship to Other Units: The Minnewanka Group included the current Palliser and Alexo
formations and the Fairholme Group (i e., Wabamun, Winterburn and Woodbend Groups and the
Flume Formation). It overlies the Yahatinda Formation, and is overlain by the Exshaw Formation.
References: Allan, Warren and Rutherford, 1932; Beach, 1943; Belyea and McLaren, 1955; Crickmay,
1955; Erdman, 1950; Fox, 1951; Reed, in: A.S.P.G Lexicon of Geologic Names, 1960.
HRB; PAM
Middle Ordovician? to Middle Devonian
Mirage Point Formation
Author: Norris, A.W., 1965; Belyea, H.R., and Norris, A.W., 1962.
Type Locality: Composite section of upper part of formation outcropping along crest shore of North
Arm of Great Slave Lake, between Redrock Point in the north and Gypsum Point in the south.
Lithology: Red beds of dolomite, dolomitic silty mudstone breccia, gypsiferous and sandy dolomite,
shale, siltstone, gypsum, anhydrite and salt.
Thickness and Distribution: Present in the southern and southwestern part of the Great Slave Lake
area. About 55 m (180 ft) of beds of the upper part of the Formation are discontinuously represented in
type area. Recorded thicknesses range from 18 m (58 ft) in the Briggs Rabbit Lake No. 2 well
(60°54’03”N, 118°46’47”W) to 181 m (595 ft) in the Northwest Windy Point No. 1 well (61°19’N,
115°52W).
Relationship to Other Units: Transitionally overlies basal Paleozoic sandstone of the Old Fort Island
Formation or, in places nonconformably overlies Precambrian rocks it is unconformably overlain by
Devonian evaporites of the Chinchaga Formation. Tracing of this unit into the subsurface of the Great
Slave Lake area indicates that it contains equivalents of the Lotsberg, Ernestina Lake and Cold Lake
formations of the Lower Elk Point Subgroup (Meijer Drees and Davies, 1976).
Paleontology: Barren of fossils. Dating inferred from stratigraphic position, particularly its relationship
to the Chedabucto Lake, La Martre Falls and Chinchaga formations.
References: Belyea and Norris, 1962; Meijer-Drees and Davies, 1976; Norris, 1965.
AWN; DWM
Proterozoic and ?Cambrian
Misinchinka Group
Author: Dawson, G.M., 1881, p. 108B.
Type Locality: Valley of Misinchinka River, Pine Pass (93O) map-area, northeastern British Columbia.
History: The micaceous Misinchinka schists were first observed by Selwyn (1875, p. 79) and
subsequently named by Dawson (1881, p. 1098). Muller (1961) subdivided the group into three
lithologic units, but did not formally name them. Recent work by Mansy and Gabrielse (1978) on
equivalent rocks west of the Northern Rocky Mountain Trench established the terminology of the
Ingenika Group, which should supercede the usage of the name Misinchinka Group. Okulitch and
Greggs (1958) reported archaeocyathids from rocks they considered part of the Misinchinka, but later
workers would exclude those beds from the Misinchinka.
Lithology: In the poorly exposed type area exposures are mainly micaceous and chloritic schists, with
minor sheared limestones and pebbly grits. Immediately adjacent to the type area in both Pine Pass
(93O) and Monkman Pass (93I) map-area, Where the degree of metamorphism is lesser the following
stratigraphic sequence is recognized: a lower, thick (2500 +/- m, 820 ft) sequence of pebble
Conglomerates poorly sorted, graded sandstones, local diamictites and silty mega-shales; overlain by
approximately 100 m (328 ft) of banded green and grey and silty argillites; these overlain by up to 300
m (984 ft) of massive dolomites with minor algal limestone, locally oolitic and/or arenaceous; these
overlain by up to 800 m (2624 ft) of clastics with increasing grain size higher in the section and
including carbonate debris flows in the lower portion.
Thickness and Distribution: As currently applied the Misinchinka refers to the more highly
metamorphosed late Proterozoic strata centred about the Misinchinka River, where internal
stratigraphy can no longer be recognized. Elsewhere the rocks are assigned to the Miette Group south
of Pine Pass or to the revised (Mansy and Gabrielse, 1978) Ingenika Group north of Pine Pass.
Relationship to Other Units: Nowhere in northern British Columbia have rocks of the Misinchinka or
equivalent strata been observed overlying older rocks in the type area they are apparently
conformably overlain by Lower Cambrian rocks. West of the northern Rocky Mountain Trench
equivalent metamorphic rocks are referred to the Wolverine Complex where internal stratigraphy is not
resolvable, otherwise to the Ingenika Group. South of the type area, where internal stratigraphy has
been recognized the rocks are referred to the equivalent Miette Group.
References. Dawson, 1881: Mansy and Gabrielse, 1978; Muller, 1961; Okulitch and Greggs, 1958;
Selwyn, 1875.
GCT
Mission Canyon Formation (Madison Group)
Author: Collier, A.J. and Cathcart, S.H., 1922.
Type Locality: Mission Canyon, Little Rocky Mountains, 3 km (1.9 mi) southeast of Hays Agency, Ft.
Belknap Indian Reservation, Montana.
Lithology: The Mission Canyon Formation consists of white to cream limestone, mainly bioclastic,
pseudo-oolitic and oolitic calcarenites, in part dolomitized. Thin anhydrite beds occur in the Williston
basin area.
Thickness and Distribution: The Mission Canyon is approximately 100 m (328 ft) thick at the type
section. As the upper boundary in the type section is erosional, the subsurface Mission Canyon in
northeastern Montana is up to 183 m (600 ft) thick (Nordquist, 1953, p. 76). The Mission Canyon
extends into the Williston Basin subsurface (eastern Montana, Dakotas southern Saskatchewan) and
into northwestern Montana and southern Alberta as well as southward into Wyoming.
Relationship to Other Units: The Mission Canyon is conformably underlain and overlain by the
Lodgepole and Charles formations respectively. It is represented by the Pekisko, Shunda and Turner
Valley formations in southern Alberta and by the Frobisher-Alida and Tilston beds in southern
Saskatchewan (Saskatchewan Geological Society, 1956).
References: Edie, 1958; Fuller, 1956; Moore, 1958; Nordquist, 1953; Penner, 1958; Saskatchewan
Geological Society, 1956; Sloss and Hamblin, 1942; Thomas, 1954.
DMK
Upper Cambrian
Mistaya Formation
Author: Greggs, R.G., 1962; Aitken, J.D. and Greggs, R.G., 1967.
Type Locality: On the southwest slopes of Mount Murchison, overlying the type section of the Bison
Creek Formation, in Alberta.
History: Beds of the Mistaya Formation were occasionally included by Walcott in his Mons Formation
(unit 16), but he appears not to have recognized it as a distinct rock unit.
Lithology: Generally resistant, cliff forming, thin bedded, dense, silty Carbonates rather dolomitic in the
lower beds. The upper beds are mainly of medium to very thick, massive, fine to coarse grained
biocalcarenite. Large algal stromatolites (Collenia) are common; minor lithologies include oolitic beds,
limestone pebble conglomerates and occasional cherty layers.
Thickness and Distribution: The Mistaya is 102 m (335 ft) thick at the type section; slightly thicker at
Tangle Ridge and over 158 m (500 ft) at Mount Forbes. Since the Mistaya can only be mapped where
the underlying Bison Creek Formation can be recognized it has the same distribution as the Bison
Creek. Both formations merge to the north into the upper Lynx Group. The Mistaya is recognizable,
about 61 m (200 ft) thick in the Sawback and Bourgeau ranges.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact of the Mistaya is gradational with the upper shales of
the Bison Creek Formation; the upper contact is marked by an abrupt change from carbonates to
greenish grey weathering shales (the lowest unit of Walcott’s type Mons).
Paleontology: The contained trilobite fauna is from the Saukia Zone, of latest Trempealeauan age.
References: Aitken and Greggs, 1967; Greggs, 1962; Walcott, 1920.
RGG
Mist Mountain Formation (Kootenay Group)
Type Locality: Western spur of Mist Mountain, on the east side of and above Storm Creek, 6.4 km (3.9
mi) south of Highwood Pass on the Coleman-Kananaskis Forestry Trunk Road, southwestern Alberta.
NTS 82J/10W Mount Rae (Gibson, 1979,1985).
History: Strata formerly referred to as coal-bearing member of Kootenay Formation (Jansa, 1972;
Gibson, 1977).
Lithology: Light to dark grey to greyish brown weathering siltstone, silty shale, mudstone, sandstone
and thin to thick seams of low to high volatile bituminous to semi-anthracite coal. Chert and quartzite
pebble conglomerate and conglomeratic sandstone focally form conspicuous thin to thick interbeds,
particularly in exposures near Sparwood and Fernie, British Columbia. The formation contains
economically important coal seams, most notably the “Balmer Seam” of the Fernie-Sparwood area of
Thickness and Distribution: The Mist Mountain Formation is recognizable throughout the Rocky
Mountain Foothills and eastern front Ranges between the Cabin Creek area near the United States
border, and the North Saskatchewan River area of west-central Alberta. The formation ranges in
measured thickness from a minimum of 25 m (82 ft) at Limestone Mountain in the eastern foothills of
Alberta to a maximum of 665 m (2181 ft) in the Greenhills Range of the front ranges near Elkford,
British Columbia. The Mist Mountain Formation thins rapidly from west to east because of sedimentary
thinning and/or erosional truncation by the overlying Cadomin Formation of the Blairmore Group.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is conformably overlain by strata of the Elk Formation in the
eastern front ranges and westernmost foothills. The contact is placed at the base of the first major
sandstone or conglomerate above the last or uppermost major coal seam in the Mist Mountain
Formation. In the eastern foothills the Mist Mountain is unconformably overlain by the Cadomin
Formation of the Blairmore Group. The Mist Mountain is conformably but abruptly underlain by cliff
forming sandstone of the Moose Mountain Member of the Morrissey Formation The Mist Mountain is
equivalent to the Adanac. Hillcrest and Mutz members of the Kootenay Formation as recognized by
Norris (1959) in Grassy Mountain, in the Coleman-Blairmore area of Alberta. Northward, beyond the
North Saskatchewan River area the Mist Mountain grades laterally into strata of the Nikanassin
Formation Correlation with strata south of the United States border is uncertain (Gibson, 1985).
References: Gibson, 1977, 1979, 1985; Jansa, 1972; Norris, 1959.
DWG
Lower Pennsylvanian (Morrowan)
Misty Formation
Type Locality: South flank of Tunnel Mountain, Sand National Park, Alberta; Banff map-area, 82 O/4 E.
Principal Reference Section for the Highwood and Livingstone ranges is at the headwaters of
Picklejar Creek, on the west flank of the Highwood Range, Alberta; 82J/10W.
History: The Misty Formation is equivalent to all but the lowest part of Warren’s (1956) Tunnel Mountain
Member of the Rocky Mountain Supergroup. The dolomites at the base of Warren’s section are
excluded. With reference to Beales’ (1950) described section, the Misty Formation extends from the
base of the 9 m (29 ft) sandstone bed (p. 44) to the top of the 2 m (7 ft) quartzite bed (p. 43). The Misty
Formation is the equivalent of the Tunnel Mountain (restricted) Formation of McGugan and Rapson
(1961 b).
Lithology. The Misty Formation consists largely of fine grained, grey dolomitic sandstone with minor
limestone and chert.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation is 91 m (299 ft) thick at its type section. It ranges from 675 m
(2214 ft) on Forsyth Creek, west of Elk River, British Columbia, to zero on Moose Mountain, Alberta. It
is absent in the subsurface in a number of wells in the eastern foothills of Alberta. The Misty Formation
is recognizable for 330 km (206 mi) along strike from the Flathead Valley in the south to Windy Point,
on the David Thompson Highway west of British Columbia in the south to Windy Point, on the David
Thompson Highway west of Nordegg, Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The Misty Formation is in gradational contact with dolomites and shales of
the underlying Mississippian Etherington Formation. It is conformably overlain by the Middle
Pennsylvanian Kananaskis Formation and, in westerly sections unconformably by the Permian Ishbel
Group.
Paleontology: The occurrence of spiriferids of the group Spirifer matheri, S. cavecreekensis, S.

rockymontanus (part), S. opimus, and S. occiduus dates the Misty Formation as Early Pennsylvanian
(Morrowan). The productid Dictyoclostus cf. D. portlockianus has been reported (Norris, 1957) at
Beehive Pass, and the involute Bellerophon sp. on Mount Broadwood, British Columbia.
References: Beales, 1950; McGugan and Rapson, 1961; Norris, 1957, 1965; Warrens 1956.
DKN, AM, CMH

Quaternary
Misty Till (Informal)
General Comment: Name introduced by Waters (1975, p. 107) for till laid down by Highwood Valley
ice, which was called the “Late Wisconsin glacier” by Douglas (1958). This till is found west of the
Pekisko Creek-Happy Valley area, southwest of Calgary, Alberta and representative sections are
exposed near the Highwood River Gap at “grid references 850700 and 840680”. The lithology of the
till was not discussed by Waters.
Misty is one of two names introduced by Waters for Cordilleran till deposited during his Event 3, the
other being the Marguerite. Waters (p. 7, 48, 107) correlated these tills with the Ernst, Bow Valley and
Morley tills, and with the Late Wisconsin Till of Douglas. Misty Till is probably of Classical Wisconsin
age. As this name was introduced solely for a local area and is informal, its use should be restricted.
References: Douglas, 1958; Harris and Waters, 1977; Waters, 1975.
AMacSS
Quaternary (Sangamon)
Mitchell Bluff Formation
Author: Stalker, A.Mac.S. 1976A, p. 397.
Type Locality: Mitchell Bluff, on south (right) bank of South Saskatchewan River, in Lsd. 12, Sec. 33,
Twp. 13, Rge. 5W4M (50°7’50”N, 110°38’25”W), Alberta. The base of the unit here varies between 16
and 24 m (53 and 79 ft) above normal river level.
Lithology: Gravel, sand and silt. At the type section the formation consists of three members separated
by sharp, horizontal contacts. The bottom or MacEwan Member consists of angular gravel and sand,
commonly oxidized to a rusty yellow, with the First Shield stones in the section appearing at its base,
and it consists largely of material eroded from Twin Cliffs Formation. Its surface is truncated by the
middle member. The middle member, commonly known informally as the artifact band is more
variable, but consists mainly of rounded, fine gravel with dense silt matrix and scattered large blocks
of silt. It is typically cross-bedded. The top member consists of sand, silt and clay with rare stones, and
displays strong channel and cross-bedding; it is generally oxidized to a yellowish buff color. Only the
middle member gives a steep cliff face.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section the MacEwan Member is 13 m (59 ft) thick, the middle
member 1.5 m (5 ft) and the top member 9 m (30 ft) for a total thickness of 28.5 m (94 ft). Thicknesses,
and especially that of the middle member vary greatly, but elsewhere are generally less than at the
type section. Found discontinuously in preglacial and interglacial valleys of southern Alberta and
probably in central Alberta and western Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies either Labuma Till, Twin Cliffs Formation or bedrock; generally
overlain by Wisconsin tills and alluvium.
Paleontology: Contains an extensive mammalian fauna, with bones scattered throughout, it but
especially prevalent at base of the MacEwan Member and in the middle member. The latter also
contains numerous flaked or broken pieces of chert that Stalker (1969, pp. 6, 7) suggested were
worked by man. The vertebrate fauna and stratigraphic position indicate a Sangamon age for this
formation.
Reference: Stalker, 1969, 1976A
AMacSS
Moberly Member (Beaverhill Lake Waterways) Formations
Type Locality: Athabasca River, 2.4 km (1.5 mi) upstream from Confluence with Clearwater River. Lies
between the underlying Christina Member and the overlying Mildred Member.
The outcrops extend from La Saline, 32.2 to 38.6 km (19.6 to 23.6 mi) downstream frond McMurray to
Crooked Rapids to Mackay, and on the Clearwater 8.1 to 16.1 m (5 to 10 mi) above McMurray. In Bear
Biltmore No. 1, in 7-11-87-17W4M, northwestern Alberta, between 341.4 and 402.3 m (1120 and 1320
ft).
Lithology: Limestone, medium grey, fine grained, thin bedded, elastic, argillaceous, fossiliferous,
weathers light orange-brown. Some thick bedded, resistant cryptograined, fossiliferous limestones,
and some thin bedded, medium brown, fine grained, finger coral limestone with calcareous shale
partings.
Thickness and Distribution: It is 61 m (200 ft) thick in the Bear Biltmore No. 1 well and, in outcrop the
thickest continuous section of 95.7 (314 ft) occurs on the west bank of the Athabasca River between
45.2 and 45.7 km (28.3 and 28.6 mi) downstream from the Waterways Wharf. The Moberly is present in
central and northeastern Alberta; it is erosionally truncated at its northeastern limit.
Relationship to Other Units: The Moberly is conformably overlain by the killers shale zone of the
Mildred Member and underlain conformably by the Christina Member containing the first small form of
Eleutherokomma sp., and Allanaria sp. In earlier usage the Moberly was referred to as the “Second
fragmental zone” of the Beaverhill Lake Formation.
Paleontology: Many species of brachiopods are abundant in the lower Waterways Formation and rare
in the Moberly, e.g. Cyrtina billingsi Meek, Schizophoria Spa Stropheodonta sp. Spinatrypa albertensis
(Warren) etc. Conversely, species of brachiopods rare in the lower members but abundant in the
Moberly include Devonoproductus sp. B. Eostrophalosia sp. H and Athyris vittata var. randalia
Stainbrook (of Warren and Stelck) Brachiopods confined to the Moberly include Chonetes sp. C,
Atrypa gregeri Rowley, Allanaria allani (Warren) ?Delthyris sp., Eleutherokomma hamiltoni Crickmay,
and Maclarenella maculosa Stehli. Moberly and Mildred Member faunas are recognized in the Flume
Formation of the western Alberta Foothills.
JHC, GGP
Upper Triassic
Moberly Member/Dolomite
(Charlie Lake Formation, Schooler Creek Group) (Abandoned)
Type Locality: Czar et al. Callisto 10-3-83-21W6M, in northeastern British Columbia, between 1319.5
and 1320.7 m (4329 and 4333 ft).
Lithology: Brown, microcrystalline dolomite.
Thickness and Distribution: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Relationship to Other Units: Lies 4 m (13 ft.) below the Pingel Member of the Charlie Lake Formation.
Remarks: This name is also used for a member of the Middle Devonian Waterways Formation in
Alberta. It is recommended that its use be discontinued in the Charlie Lake Formation.
JWR
Monach Formation (Minnes Group)
Type Locality: The formation was named from its exposure on The Monach, in the Pine Pass map-area
(93O) of northeastern British Columbia, but was studied in most detail by Mathews on Beattie Peaks.
No type section was designated.
Lithology: Consists of several thick sandstone units, each separated by a few metres of shady beds.
Much of the sandstone occurs in cross-bedded layers which weather into stacks of plates. Commonly
the sandstone is argillaceous, but between Goodrich Peak and Halfway River quartzose sandstone
similar to that of the Monteith Formation is present along the eastern foothills.
Thickness and Distribution: Ranges in thickness from less than 100 m (328 ft) to more than 300 m (984
ft). Extends from Sukunka River in the southeast corner of the Pine Pass map-area northward to
Halfway River. It disappears southward from Sukunka River owing to a lateral facies change into
continental sediments included in the Gorman Creek Formation. It disappears eastward beneath the
pre-Cadomin unconformity.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably and transitionally overlies the Beattie Peaks Formation.
Underlies, with apparent conformity but with marked contrast the recessive shady beds of the Bickford
Formation. It truncated in parts of the eastern foothills and plains by the pre-Cadomin unconformity.
Paleontology: Lies within the Late Valanginian Zone of Buchia n. sp. aff. B. inflata (Stott, 1975).
References: Mathews, 1947; Stott, 1975.
DFS
Upper Cambrian and Lower Ordovician
Mons Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1920, p. 15; amplified in Walcott, C.D., 1923, p. 459-460.
Type Locality: Southeast side of Mons Glacier (51°53’N. 116°59’W), southwestern Alberta.
History: Abandoned (Aitken and Norford, 1967, p. 155) in favor of Bison Creek, Mistaya and Survey
Peak formations (q.v.).
References: Aitken and Greggs, 1968; Aitken and Norford, 1967; Walcott, 1920, 1923.
BSN
Upper Cretaceous (? Santonian - Maastrichtian)
Montana Group
Author: Eldridge, G.H., 1889.
Type Locality: Exposures along the upper Missouri River in north-central Montana.
History. Term originally proposed by Eldridge (1889) to replace the redundant Fox Hills Group of White
(1878), which corresponded with the Fort Pierre Group and overlying Fox Hills beds described by
Meek and Hayden (1961) as major subdivisions of their upper series. An early account of equivalent
strata in the Canadian interior was provided by Hector (1861) in his geological summary report for the
Palliser expedition, in which he attempted to apply the stratigraphic scheme of Meek and Hayden (op.
cit.). An important feature of the Montana succession is that it includes a prominent, eastward thinning
wedge of relatively coarse grained siliciclastic rocks of continental and transitional origins,
interdigitating with and replaced to the east by a sequence of marine shales. Early studies
encountered problems stemming from failure to recognize the time equivalence of contrasting
lithological associations which reflect different depositional settings. Separate, though in many
respects parallel systems of stratigraphic nomenclature for the Montana Group have evolved in
western Canada and in the Great Plains of the United States. Russell (1970) highlighted some of the
differences between approximately equivalent units on both sides of the international boundary and
presented arguments in favor of retaining the separate systems.
Lithology. Dominantly argillaceous in eastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba, but incorporating
interbedded sandstone as eastward thinning tongues enveloped in shale in western Saskatchewan
and eastern Alberta, and undergoing progressive increase in the proportion of sandstone farther west
and north across the Rocky Mountain Foothills and north-western plains. Associated subordinate
lithologies include bentonite, pelecypod coquinas, nodular phosphorite and concretionary layers of
calcite, siderite and pyrite.
The Montana Group is represented by shales of the Pembina Member of the Vermilion River
Formation and overlying Riding Mountain Formation in eastern Saskatchewan and southern
Manitoba, as well as the lower part of the Boissevain Formation, which rests on the Riding Mountain
sequence in Manitoba. In south-central Saskatchewan and southern Alberta shales of the Montana
Group are divided into upper and lower parts, termed the Bearpaw and Lea Park formations
respectively, by intervening sandstones of the Oldman Formation; farther west two distinct sandstone
units separate the Bearpaw and Lea Park shales, where the Oldman Formation rests on the Foremost
Formation. In the Missouri Coteau region of southern Saskatchewan and in the Cypress Hills of
Alberta and Saskatchewan Bearpaw shales are succeeded by sandstones of the Eastend Formation,
kaolinitic mudstones of the Whitemud Formation and clays of the Battle Formation, in order of
decreasing age. In southwestern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta the Lea Park Formation is
replaced by sandstones of the Milk River Formation and overlain by shale belonging to the Pakowki
Formation.
In central Alberta the Foremost-Oldman (Judith River) succession passes into sandstones of the Belly
River Formation which thicken markedly westwards, where they are overlain by Bearpaw shales of
greatly reduced thickness that are succeeded by sandstones of the Edmonton Formation. The last-
mentioned unit is equivalent in age to the sandstones of the Blood Reserve and St. Mary River
formations of the southern Rocky Mountain Foothills and southwestern plains. These units pass into
the thick sandstone succession of the Brazeau Formation which, together with the underlying upper
part of the Wapiabi Formation represent the Montana Group in the central foothills. In the northwestern
plains the equivalent units are the upper part of the Puskwaskau Shale and overlying sandstones of
the Wapiti Formation.
Thickness and Distribution: Deposits of the Montana Group form the bedrock over much of the
southern Canadian Plains region. The total thickness of the succession is about 762 m (2500 ft) in the
Missouri Coteau region of southern Saskatchewan, as compared with more than 1830 m (6000 ft) in
the central foothills and 335 m (1100 ft) in southern Manitoba.
Relationship to Other Units: The Montana Group conformably to unconformably overlies the First
White Speckled Shale of the Colorado Group and its equivalents [Boyne Member of the Vermilion
River (Niobrara) Formation in southern Manitoba; Thistle Member of the Wapiabi Formation of the
southern foothills of the Rockies; Thistle Member of the Puskwaskau Formation of the northwestern
plains [and foothills]]. It conformably to disconformably underlies the Willow Creek Formation in the
southern foothills the Scollard Formation in central Alberta and the Frenchman Formation of the
Cypress Hills area. Equivalents of the Montana Croup are present in the Brazeau Formation of the
central foothills, and in the Boissevain Formation of southern Manitoba.
References: Caldwell, 1968; Dowling, 1915; Eldridge, 1889; Fraser et al, 1935; Furnival, 1950; Gill and
Cobban, 1973; Hector, 1861; Irish and Havard, 1968, Irvine et al., 1978; Kupsch, 1956, McNeil and
Caldwell, 1981; McLean. 1971; Meek and Hayden, 1861; Nichols and Wyman, 1969; Russell, 1940;
Shaw and I larding, 1954; Simpson, 1979c; Stanton and Hatcher, 1903; Stebinger, 1914; Williams and
Burk, 1964
FS
Monteith Formation (Minnes Group)
Type Locality: Mathews indicated that excellent exposures are present on the north face of Mount
Monteith and also at Beattie Peaks. However he neither defined nor described a type section. Hughes
(1964a, section 10) briefly described the general succession at Beattie Peaks
Lithology: Most of the Monteith consists of fine grained argillaceous sandstone. Alternating units of fine
grained sandstone and dark grey shale commonly occur in the lower part of the formation. In addition,
fine to coarse grained quartzose sandstone occurs at the top of the formation in the eastern foothills
between Goodrich Peak and Sikanni Chief River.
Thickness and Distribution: The Monteith is recognized between Berland River in the Alberta Foothills
and Prophet River in northeastern British Columbia. It attains a maximum thickness of about 600 m
(1968 a) in western sections between Peace and Pine rivers, but decreases eastward in the foothills to
less than 300 m (984 a) to 150 m (492 ft) in the subsurface (Stott, 1975).
Relationship to Other Units: The formation is conformable on the underlying Jurassic Fernie Formation
and grades transitionally downward into a succession of shales and thin sandstones. The contact with
the overlying Beattie Peaks is marked by a distinct change from thick bedded sandstone to silty
mudstone and thin bedded silty sandstone.
Paleontology: The Monteith Formation ranges in age from Tithonian (latest Jurassic) to earliest
Valanginian (Early Cretaceous). It contains fauna from the Zones of Buchia fisheriana to B. uncitoides
and B. cf. keyserlingi (Stott, 1975).
References: Hughes, 1964a; Mathews, 1947; Stott, 1967, 1975.
DFS
Middle Triassic (Anisian)
Montney Formation
Author: Armitage, J.H., 1962.
Type Locality: Peace River area, Texaco N.F.A. Buick Creek No. 7 well, in 6-26-87-21W6M, 41.6 km
(26 mi) northwest of Fort St. John, British Columbia, between 1715 and 1981 m (5625 and 6500 ft).
Lithology: The Montney Formation generally consists of siltstones and dark grey shales. The lower
Montney is a dark grey dolomitic siltstone, interbedded with shales. The upper Montney is a light
brown, blocky siltstone with interlaminated fine grained sands. The sand or arenaceous content
increases to the east and traces of glauconite are observed .
Thickness and Distribution: The formation reaches its maximum thickness in the foothills and deep
basin area [280 to (918 ft) at Nose Creek to 200 m (656 ft) at Kakwa] and thins to an eastern eroded
edge near Peace River northwestern Alberta, and south of Fort Nelson, north-eastern British
Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: The contact between the Montney and overlying Doig Formation is placed
at the base of the prominent phosphatic pellet Black Shale zone. The base of the formation rests
unconformably on the Permo-Carboniferous beds of the Stoddart Group, or on Mississippian
carbonates where the Permo-Carboniferous has been eroded. The Montney may be overlain by
Jurassic or Cretaceous beds at its erosional limit. Laterally the Montney can be correlated to the lower
Toad-Grayling Formation, and the Vega and Phroso members of the Sulphur Mountain Formation.
References: Armitage, 1962; A.S.P.G., 1964; Hunt and Ratcliffe, 1959; Pelletier, 1960.
CD
Moosebar Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Author: McLearn, F.H., 1923, p. 5B.
Type Locality: Located at the southeastern end of Peace River canyon, 55°58’N, 122°06’N. Although
McLearn indicated that the type section was on the north side of the canyon opposite Contact Point,
Stott (1968, p. 48) described better exposures on the south side. Exposures on either side are now
poor owing to the flooding that resulting from the construction of the lower dam on Peace River.
History: Defined by McLearn (1923, p. 5B) and later more precisely summarized (McLearn and Kindle,
1950, p. 74) as the lowest formation of the Fort St. John Group in the Pine and Peace River valleys,
lying between the Gething Formation of the Bullhead Group and the Gates or Commotion formation
above.
Lithology: The formation consists of marine shale and siltstone. The basal shale is dark grey, rubbly to
blocky and commonly concretionary. A thin bed of pebbles and glauconitic mudstone commonly marks
the contact with the Gething Formation. The silt content increases in the upper beds, and silty
mudstones and thin platy siltstone occur toward the top.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit occurs throughout the foothills of northeastern British Columbia
south of Peace River (Stott, 1968, 1982) and extends as a thin tongue southeasterly into the Alberta
Foothills (McLean, 1982; Langenberg and McMechan, 1985). The formation is about 289 m (950 ft)
thick at its type location, but thins southeasterly along the foothills. It is only 43 an (141 ft) thick at
Mount Torrens.
Relationship to Other Units: The formation lies abruptly on the Gething Formation, but is gradational
into the overlying sandstones of the Gates Formation. It is equivalent to the Wilrich Member of the
Spirit River Formation of the Peace River Plains and to the basal part of the Buckinghorse Formation
between Peace and Tetsa rivers and part of the Garbutt Formation of the Liard River region.
Paleontology: Arcthoplites representative of the lower part of the generalized Arcthoplites or

Beudanticeras affine Zone are of late Early Albian age. An Early to Middle Albian microfaunal
assemblage of the Marginulinopsis collinsi-Verneuilinoides cummingensis subzone occurs in these
beds (Caldwell et al., 1978; Stelck et al., 1956; Stott, 1968,1982).
References: Caldwell et al., 1976; Langenberg and McMechan. 1985; McLean, 1982; McLearn, 1923;
McLearn and Kindle, 1950; Stelck et al., 1956; Stott, 1968,.1982
DFS
Mississippian
Moosehorn Formation (Obsolete)
Type Locality: Exposures along railroad at the south end of De Smet Range. Jasper National Park,
Alberta, Twp. 47, Rge. 1W6M.
History: Raymond divided the Carboniferous of the Jasper area into, in ascending order the Bedson
Formation, the Moosehorn Formation and the Rocky Mountain Quartzite. The Bedson is now
recognized to be the Devonian Palliser Formation so that the Moosehorn now comprises most of the
Mississippian (Moore, 1958, p. 169). However, beds assigned to the Rocky Mountain Quartzite by
Raymond were designated the Greenock Formation by Brown (1952, p. 24) and are now assigned to
the Mississippian Mount Head Formation (Moore, 1958, p. 155; Mountjoy, 1962; Walasko et al, 1964).
Thus strata assigned to the Moosehorn Formation are currently included in the Mississippian Exshaw,
Band, Pekikso, Shunda. and Turner Valley formations.
References: Brown, 1952; Macqueen et al., 1972; Moore, 1958; Mountjoy, 1962; Raymond, 1930;
Walasko et al., 1964.
PAM
Upper Cretaceous
Moosehound Member (Cardium Formation, Alberta Group)
Author: Stott, D F., 1963.
Type Locality: The type section is on Wapiabi Creek (same as the Cardium type section) in Twp. 41,
Rge. 18W5M.
Lithology: Consists of nonmarine shale, siltstone, sandstone and some coal. Shale and mudstone are
green to brown, generally soft and crumbly and contain a nonmarine invertebrate fauna; the
sandstones vary from very fine grained to coarse grained and are friable to indurated. Plant debris is
abundant in stone beds. In the Blackstone River region coal beds are as much as 15.2 cm (6 in) thick.
Thickness and Distribution: The Moosehound Member extends from about the North Saskatchewan
River northward in the foothills into northwestern British Columbia. It extends from the front ranges
eastward across the foothills into the plains. It ranges in thickness from 40.8 m (134 ft) at Muskeg River
to 7.6 m (25 ft) in the vicinity of Brazeau River to the south and to 16.1 m (53 ft) at Wapiti River to the
north.
Relationship to Other Units: The contact of the Moosehound and underlying Ram members is
generally distinct and probably conformable. The Moosehound is overlain by progressively younger
members northward because the upper, predominantly marine beds of the Cardium Formation in the
south, assigned to various members are replaced northward by carbonaceous, nonmarine strata
included in the Moosehound. In the Wapiti River area it forms all of the Cardium above the Ram and is
overlain by the Muskiki Formation. Southwest of Dawson Creek the Moosehound may be overlain by
the Baytree Member, and disappears eastward.
Paleontology: Contains a fauna of brackish water and freshwater invertebrates. Poorly preserved plant
leaves also occur.
DFS
Moose Lake Dolomite (Interlake Group)
Type Locality: Cliff, 0.8 km (0.5 mi) west of the marshy shore of Moose Lake, Manitoba at 54°03’N
(approximately Sec. 26, Twp. 58, Rge. 20WPM). Suggested reference core hole and outcrop section is
at Manitoba Mineral Resources Division core hole M-6-79, in Lsd. 6, Sec. 32, Twp. 57, Rge. 12WPM,
between 3.4 and 10.5 m(?) (11.2 and 34.4 ? ft), and at the William River microwave tower.
Lithology: The Moose Lake Dolomite consists of two units. The lower is a thin bedded, aphanitic, in
part highly fossiliferous dolomite showing only rare evidence of algal content. The upper dolomite is
very fine grained to aphanitic, medium bedded, almost totally stromatolitic, with bedding planes rising
into small, closely packed domes; interbeds of dolomite breccia consisting of thin algal slabs are
common throughout.
Thickness and Distribution: Stearn reported a thickness of 4 m (13 ft) for the upper unit and 4.6 m (15
ft) for the lower unit where the two units can be distinguished. The name has been applied only to the
Silurian outcrop belt of southwestern Manitoba, primarily to the area north of Grand Rapids. Extensive
“new” or newly accessible outcrops, not reported by Stearn or Baillie, occur for 91.7 km (57 mi) north
of Grand Rapids and generally east of Highway 6, where they form a prominent scarp at the erosional
edge of the Silurian strata. From 91.7 km (57 mi) the scarp bends west and becomes highly irregular
and dissected, extending from north of William Lake to Moose Lake and Atikameg Lake. Extensive
“new” exposures also occur as shore cliffs on Buffalo, Little Limestone, William and Talbot Lakes. The
most southerly reported outcrops are on the south shore of Lake St. Martin and west of Fisher Branch.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit overlies conformably and gradationally the fragmental dolomites
of the Inwood Formation. Contact with the overlying brown, massive, vuggy Atikameg Dolomite ranges
from gradational to sharp, and may be locally disconformable. In the subsurface equivalent strata
comprise a part of the lower Brandon Formation (Interlake Group) of King, in Cowan (1971), or a part
of the lower Interlake Group of Porter and Fuller, (1959).
HRM
Upper Jurassic (Portlandian)
Moose Mountain Member (Morrissey Formation)
Type Locality: Moose Mountain, Alberta. No clearly defined type section was assigned by Beach
(1943), although exposures near the headwaters of Bragg Creek were referred to as the best exposed
Kootenay in the Moose Mountain area. NTS Map 82J/15 Bragg Creek.
History: Ambiguously defined as “Basal Sandstone” of the Kootenay Formation by Beach (1943).
Revised by Gibson (1977, 1979, 1985) to include only the upper sandstone of the Morrissey
Formation of the Kootenay Group.
Lithology: Fine to coarse grained, medium grey weathering quartz-chert sandstone which
mineralogically resembles that of the underlying Wear) Ridge Member. Locally may contain rare
carbonaceous mudstone and thin seams of coal, conglomerate sandstone lenses and isolated, well
rounded pebbles of chert and quartzite. The sandstone of Moose Mountain is less argillaceous,
ferruginous and carbonaceous, does not contain conspicuous carbonate minerals, and accordingly is
better indurated, more resistant weathering than that of the underlying Weary Ridge Member.
Thickness and Distribution: The Moose Mountain Member is recognized throughout the Rocky
Mountain Foothills and parts of the eastern front ranges between the United States border (Cabin
Creek) and Limestone Mountain near the Clearwater River, western Alberta (Gibson 1979, 1985). The
Moose Mountain Member ranges in measured thickness from a minimum of 4 m (13 ft) south of
Blairmore, Alberta to a maximum of 36 m (118 ft) near Mist Mountain and Highwood Pass, Alberta.
The Moose Mountain Member thins laterally and disappears with the rest of the Kootenay Group
northeast of Limestone Mountain
Relationship to Other Units: The contact of the Moose Mountain Member with the overlying Mist
Mountain Formation is conformable and distinct, and is placed at the level where resistant, commonly
cliff forming sandstone of the member is overlain abruptly by darker grey weathering siltstone,
mudstone, shale and coal of the Mist Mountain Formation. The contact with the underlying Weary
Ridge Member is conformable and abrupt, and is placed at a prominent change in texture, weathering
color and weathering profile. The contact is drawn at the level where less argillaceous-ferruginous,
commonly coarser grained, more resistant, medium grey weathering sandstone of the Moose
Mountain contrasts with more argillaceous, ferruginous and carbonaceous, generally finer grained,
less resistant orange-brown weathering sandstone of the Weary Ridge Member. The member grades
laterally northwestward into sandstone, siltstone, mudstone and shale of the Nikanassin Formation
near the Saskatchewan River. The Moose Mountain Member may be equivalent to part of the “Brown
sand” of the Turner Valley area of Alberta (Beach, 1943).
References: Beach, 1943; Gibson, 1977, 1979, 1985
DWG
Upper Cretaceous (Late Turonian)
Morden Shale
Type Locality: Exposures on Pembina Mountain, near Morden, Manitoba, and in the Pembina River
valley. McNeil and Caldwell (1981) have designated at type section located on the south side of the
Pembina River valley in the southwest quarter of Sec. 5, Twp. 1, Rge. 1WPM.
History: Proposed originally as the informal “Morden beds” by Kirk (1930). Wickenden (1945) formally
recognized the Morden as the lower member of the Vermilion River Formation. McNeil and Caldwell
(1981) elevated the Morden to formational status, using the name Morden Shale, at the same time
recommending discontinuation of the formational name Vermilion River.
Lithology: The Morden Shale is a remarkably uniform, greyish black, carbonaceous, soft,
noncalcareous shale with rare thin bentonite beds and rare, but conspicuous large ovoid ironstone
concretions. Thin laminae of quartzose silt or fine sand are characteristic of its uppermost beds in the
Pembina River valley. In outcrop the Morden is typically marked by streaks of jarosite and crystals of
selenite and, in places by acicular masses of a water-soluble efflorescent mineral which McNeil and
Caldwell (1981) indicated to be epsomite or melanterite.
Thickness and Distribution: The Morden Shale is recognizes in the Manitoba escarpment and
westwards through southern Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan. It forms a northwestward
decreasing wedge, thickest at 55 m (180 ft) in the subsurface of southern Manitoba, decreasing
gradually northwestward to 5 m (16 ft.) in east-central Saskatchewan, and finally absent in central
Saskatchewan (McNeil and Caldwell, 1981).
Relationship to Other Units: The Morden Shale rests unconformably on calcareous shale of the Favel
Formation. Its upper contact with calcareous shale of the Niobrara Formation (previously the Boyne
Member of the Vermilion River Formation in Manitoba is sharp and probably unconformable. The
Morden correlates westwards with an unnamed shale unit of the upper Colorado Group of western
Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta, and with the upper Blackstone Formation and Cardium
Sandstone of the central and southwestern Alberta Foothills. To the south the Morden correlates with
the Blue Hill Shale and Coded Sandstone Members of the Carlile Shale in North and South Dakota,
Nebraska, Kansas, eastern Wyoming and Colorado.
References: Bannatyne, 1970; Dowling, 1920; Hattin, 1962; Kirks 1930; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981;
Wickenden, 1945; Williams and Burk, 1964.
DHM; LLP
Quaternary
Morley Till (Informal)
Type Locality: Given as ‘’a roadcut through a drumlin 2.75 mi (4.4 km) southwest of Morley”, Alberta,
but not further defined.
History: Introduced in Ph.D. thesis, not described elsewhere.
Lithology: A sandy, silty, grey till that is very stony. Apparently lacks Shield stones. Highly calcareous,
with about 31% carbonate in the matrix.
Thickness and Distribution: At type section 10 m (33 ft) thick; in drum in field southwest of Morley
combined thickness of Morley Till and Morley Gravel (see below) reaches 75 m (246 ft). Widespread in
Bow Valley west of Cochrane.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies bedrock and also, probably Spy Hill till; exposed at surface.
Appears to be equivalent of Bow Valley Till.
It is amongst the youngest tills in Calgary area and was assigned a Wisconsin age by Tharin (1960, p.
61). It was deposited by Cordilleran ice flowing down Bow Valley. The name Bow Valley Till appears
preferable.
Tharin (1960, p. 84) also named thick sequences of valley train gravel the “Morley Gravel”. The type
locality for this unit is in a high terrace along the north side of Bow River in Sec. 14, Twp. 26, Rge.
6W5M, and the unit is recorded in the “Bow Valley and associated highlands to the north”. The unit
bears the same name (Morley) as another unit (Morley Till), which could cause confusion. As much of
this gravel is equivalent to the Bighill Creek Formation, that name would appear preferable.
References: Harris and Waters, 1977; Tharin, 1960.
AMacSS
Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian?)
Morrison Formation
Author: Eldridge, G.H., 1896.
Type Locality: Waldschmidt and Leroy (1944) designated a revised type section along a road cut on
the West Alameda Parkway, in SE/4 Sec. 23, Twp. 4S, Rge. 70W, about 3 km (2 mi) north of Morrison,
Colorado.
History: Numerous workers have described and mapped the Morrison access large areas of the
western interior of the United States. Several members have been designated, and controversies in
mapping and distinction from Cretaceous strata persist to the present. Some workers have proposed
that the Morrison is traceable into the Williston Basin of Saskatchewan and Manitoba (e.g., Francis,
1957), but have not presented supporting evidence.
Lithology: At the type section the Morrison consists of interbedded, variegated mudstones, siltstones
and sandstones with lenticular limestone beds. In general it consists of continental strata as described
above, with other lithologies ranging from shell developed coal beds in some areas to excellent
dinosaur fossil beds in others. Several distinctive lithologic units are recognized as members across
restricted areas. .
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality, the Morrison is 84 km (276 ft) thick. It is recognized
across much of the western interior of the United States, and consequently varies greatly in thickness.
It is bevelled to an erosional edge near the Canadian border; this edge had not been mapped in detail.
Relationship to Other Units: The most regionally correlative feature of the Morrison is its stratigraphic
position, gradationally overlying marine Jurassic strata and unconformably overlain by basal
Cretaceous sandstones and conglomerates. Many different names are applied to these units over the
broad geographic range of the Morrison. Christopher (1974) suggested that the lower S1 Member of
the Success Formation in southern Saskatchewan is correlative with the Morrison.
References: Christopher, 1974; Eldridge, 1986; Francis, 1957; Waldschmidt and Leroy, 1944.
BJH
Morrissey Formation (Kootenay Group)
Type Locality: On the west side, near the south end of Morrissey Ridge, 8 km (5 mi) north of Morrissey
Creek, 16 km 110 mill southeast of Fernie, British Columbia. NTS Maps 82G/6 Elko and 82G/7 upper
Flathead Valley.
History: Long recognized massive, cliff forming sandstone designated the base of the Kootenay Group
(McEvoy, 1902; Cairnes, 1914; Rose, 1917).
Lithology: A coarsening upward sequence of medium dark to brownish grey to orange-brown

weathering, very fine to coarse grained sandstone with rare carbonaceous mudstone and coal;
subdivided into two members, the lower less well indurated, orange-brown to brownish grey slightly
argillaceous-carbonaceous lithofacies called the Weary Ridge Member, and an uppers generally
darker grey weathering, better indurated, more siliceous sandstone lithofacies called the Moose
Mountain Member.
Thickness and Distribution: The Morrissey Formation is recognized throughout the Rocky Mountain
Foothills and parts of the eastern front ranges of southwestern Alberta and south-eastern British
Columbia between the United States border and North Saskatchewan River. The formation ranges in
measured thickness from a minimum of 20 m (66 ft) near Moose Mountain, Alberta to a maximum of 80
m (262 ft) near Mist Mountain and Highwood Pass (Gibson 1979, 1985).
Relationship to Other Units. The unit conformably overlies Upper Jurassic strata of the Fernie
Formation, and is conformably overlain by coal bearing strata of the Mist Mountain Formation.
Northward, beyond the North Saskatchewan River the Morrissey Formation grades laterally into an
alternating succession of siltstone, sandstone, mudstone and shale of the lower Nikanassin Formation
(Gibson, 1979). The Morrissey Formation is lithologically similar to and occurs at a similar stratigraphic
level as the “Brown sand” in the subsurface of the Alberta Foothills near Turner Valley. It is uncertain
whether the “brown sand” is equivalent to all of the Morrissey or to only the Moose Mountain or Weary
Ridge Member. The “Brown sand’’ of the subsurface has been arbitrarily assigned to and informally
considered part of the Fernie Formation (Spivak, 1954). Gibson (1979, 1985) recently suggested that
the thrown sand” be considered part of the Morrissey Formation and the Kootenay Group. Correlation
of the Morrissey with strata south of the Canada-United States border in Montana is uncertain (Gibson,
1985).
References: Cairns, 1914; Gibson, 1977, 1979, 1985; McEvoy, 1902; Rose, 1917; Spivak, 1954.
DWG
Morro Member (Palliser Formation)
Author: de Wit, R. and McLaren, D.J., 1950, p. 6.
Type Locality: Front ranges of the Rocky Mountains near Bow River, Alberta. Representative sections
are also exposed near Crowsnest Pass and Roche Miette. Named for Morro Peak (south-central part
of Twp. 47, Rge. 1W6M, about 15 km (9.2 mi) north of Jasper and east of the Athabasca River.
Lithology: Limestone and/or dolomite: dark grey to brownish grey dense, hard, thick bedded to
massive (but occasional small intervals may be thin bedded) and cliff forming. The rocks may be
partially or almost completely dolomitized, with the dolomite weathering as ideographic tracery or
mottling The member may be brecciated in part and in the subsurface foothills includes anhydrite and
dolomite beds without appreciable amounts of silt in its lower part.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness is variable, usually varies inversely as the overlying
Costigan Member and ranges from 70 to 400 m (230 to 1312 ft). The Morro is present throughout the
Rocky Mountains of Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The Morro Member overlies transitionally the silty upper Alexo Formation
(Sassenach Formation) and is conformably overlain by the Costigan Member of the Palliser
Formation. It is the equivalent of the middle and lower part of the Wabamun, which is widespread in
the plains area of Alberta.
References: Andrichuk, 1960; Beales, 1953, 1956; de Wit and McLaren, 1950; Fox, 1951; McLaren,
1955; Severson, 1950; Taylor, 1960.
LSE
Middle Devonian
Morse River Sand (Superseded)
History: Local name used by Chevron Standard for the Assineau Sand, a Keg River equivalent sand in
central Alberta. First published by Parsons (1973, p. 77, 82, 89).
Reference Well: Imperial Morse R. 14-31-63-8W5M, between 2504.2 and 2515.2 m (8216 and 8252 ft).
References: Parsons, 1973.
DWO; PAM
Mosby Sandstone (Greenhorn Formation, Colorado Group)
Author: Lupton, C.T. and Lee W.. 1921; Cobban, W.A., 1951.
Type Locality: Exposures along the Musselshell River, near Mosby Post Office, Garfield County,
Montana, in Secs. 2 and 11, Twp. 14N, Rge. 30E.
History: Originally named by Lupton and Lee for the lower of two sandstone units. Redefined by
Cobban (1951) to include the overlying sandstone.
Lithology: Light grey fine and very fine grained sandstone incorporating dark grey and dark bluish grey
noncalcareous shale partings and intercalations. In the Mosby dome region of central Montana the
succession mainly consists of two coarsening upward sequences made up of thin bedded, cross-
laminated sandstones and interbedded shales, each 1.7 m (5.6 ft) thick, separated by some 3.4 m (11
ft) of shale with subordinate, thin sandstone intercalations. Both sandy sequences include calcareous
concretions. The upper sanderstone sequence is capped by a layer of chert pebbles; the lower
sequence is gradational with 1.1 m (3.6 ft) of dark grey shale containing thin sandstone intercalations,
which rests on 0.5 m (1.6 ft) of interbedded sandstone and shale. The unit is characterized by variable
shadiness across central and north-central Montana and in southwestern Saskatchewan and
Thickness and Distribution: The unit has a thickness of about 8.4 m (28 ft) in the Mosby dome. To the
east and northeast the Mosby Sandstone is gradational with calcareous shales of the Green
Formation and equivalent Second White Speckled Shales.
Relationship to Other Units: In central Montana the Mosby Sandstone is overlain conformably by 9.2 m
(30.2 ft) of interbedded, dark grey calcareous and noncalcareous shales referable to the upper part of
the Greenhorn Formation. The shales include 0.8 m (2.6 ft) of white bentonite occurring 4.7 m (15.4 ft)
below the top of the formation. In the Bowdoin Dome region of north-central Montana the equivalent of
the Mosby Sandstone is the part of the Phillips Sandstone belonging to the Greenhorn Formation. The
unit is approximately equivalent to the Phillips Sandstone of southwestern Saskatchewan and the
Second White Specks Sandstone of southeastern Alberta and is gradational with the underlying lower
Colorado Shale.
References: Cobban, 1951,1953; Lupton and Lee, 1921.
FS
Moulton Member
Author: Oakes, M.A., 1966.
Type Locality: Montana Power Farbo No. 4 well, in NWSE Sec. 3, Twp. 37N, Rge. 4W, Montana,
between 727.9 and 757.4 m (2388 and 2485 ft). The section was not described.
History: Bartram and Erdmann (1935) described the Moulton as an irregularly developed sandstone,
but subsequent workers included equivalent and underlying strata in the Moulton Member of “zone”.
Oakes (1966) specifically included the basal “Brown lime” submember in his descriptions, which are
the most complete.
Lithology: The Moulton sandstone is lithologically variable, but where developed as a porous reservoir
sandstone consists primarily of quartz and chert grains with minor lithic grains, and is cemented by
silica and clay. In type area the Moulton Member is characterized by the basal “Brown lime”
submember, a 1 to 3 m (3 to 10 ft) fossiliferous brown marlstone to calcareous siltstone. The remainder
of the member consists of interbedded dark siltstones and carbonaceous shales with varicolored
mudstones and thin bed of light grey fine sand stones. Marker beds are not developed and individual
beds generally cannot be correlated from well to well.
Thickness and Distribution: Most workers describe the Moulton Member as up to 30 m (98 ft) thick, but
distinct limits are difficult to set because of the member’s lithology similarity to the over- and underlying
Strata. The Moulton sandstone is irregularly developed, reaching a maximum thickness of about 10 m
(33 ft). Moulton is a local oil field term recognized over several townships in the North Cut Bank area
of north-central Montana and the Border-Red Coulee area near Coutts, Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The Moulton conformably overlies interbedded continental mudstones,
siltstones and sandstones of the looter Mannville and Kootenai formations. The upper contact is
variable, ranging from an imperceptible gradation to similar upper Mannville/Kootenai lithologies to an
unconformity overlain by channel fining sandstones of the upper Mannville/Kootenai. Away from the
type area Moulton Member strata are continuous with the same lithologies of the “Calcareous” or
Ostracod Member in southern Alberta. Several workers have correlated the Moulton Member eastward
with the “upper Sunburst” sandstone of the Kevin-Sunburst area in northern Montana.
References: Bartram and Erdmann, 1935; Oakes, 1966.
BJH
Mount April Formation
Author: Jackson, D.E., Steen, G . and Sykes, D., 1965.
Type Locality: None specified; a partial section on Cloudmaker Mountain is referred to in the text. The
type area is in the northern Ware map-area (NTS 49F), from the Akie and Prophet River headwaters
area north to Quetin Lake, British Columbia.
History: Jackson, Steen and Sykes (1965) redefined part of the lower Kechika Group as the Mount
April Formation. Their usage has not generally been followed in the type and surrounding areas, the
unit more often being referred to the lower Kechika Croup or “Kechika Formation” (Taylor et al., 1979;
Taylor, 1979; Cecile and Norford, 1979). Gabrielse (1975) used the term Mount April Formation in the
nearby Mesalinka River map-area (NTS 94C).
Lithology: Argillaceous limestone, minor limestone, and shale.
Relationship to Other Units: The Mount April Formation overlies unconformably Cambrian strata in the
eastern and western parts of the Ware map-area, but is conformable with Upper Cambrian strata in the
east-central part of the same map-area. It is overlain conformably, and partly diachronously by the
Road River Formation (upper Kechika Group) in the same areas.
Paleontology: Graptolites, trilobites and brachiopods are the most abundant fossils. Tipnis (1981, and
pers. comm. 1982) has identified continuous conodont zone fauna from Trempealeauan to latest Early
Ordovician in both a condensed eastern (mountain front) and a very thick western section of the Mount
April, Mid-Continent, North Atlantic, and mixed Early Ordovician conodont faunal elements are
present.
References: Barnes, Norford and Skevington, 1981; Cecile and Norford, 1979; Jackson, Steen and
Sykes, 1965; Taylor et al., 1979; Taylor, 1979.
MPC
Middle Proterozoic
‘Mount Baker Unit’ (Purcell Supergroup) (abandoned)
Author: Thompson, 1962.
Type Locality: Not indicated, but probably Mount Baker, south of Cranbrook, British Columbia.
History: Following Willis’ (1902) definition of the Siyeh Formation in the Lewis Range of Montana,
Schofield (1914a) introduced the term “Siyeh” to the Purcell Mountains. He defined it as the sequence
of argillite, carbonate and argillite units overlying the Kitchener Formation and underlying the Purcell
Lava. In the Cranbrook area numerous lava flows are interbedded with sedimentary rocks. Schofield
(1915, p. 35) placed the top of the “Siyeh” at the bottom of the highest lava flow. Rice (1937, p. 9-11),
working in the same area was unable to recognize Schofield’s Kitchener - “Siyeh” boundary. He
restricted the “Siyeh Formation” to the upper argillaceous unit of Schofield, and included all the lava
flows within the formation. Leech (1960) recognized that the “Siyeh Formation” as defined by Schofield
and modified by Rice was not equivalent to the type Siyeh Formation defined by Willis . He therefore
abandoned the term “Siyeh Formation” in the Purcell Mountains. Thompson (1962) named these rocks
the “Mount Baker unit”. The “Mount Baker unit” consists of two distinct lithologic units which have been
named the Van Creek and Nicol Creek formations by McMechan, Hoy and Price, 11980).
Lithology: Upper unit (Nicol Creek Formation): interlayered lava flows, siltite, argillite, volcanic
sandstone and tuft. Lower unit (Van Creek Formation): siltite and argillite.
References: Leech, 1960; McMechan, Hoy and Price, 1980; Rice, 1937; Schofield, 1914a, 1915;
Thompson, 1962; Willis, 1902.
MEM
Middle Devonian (Eifelian and possibly Early Givetian)
Mount Forster Formation
Author: Walker, C.T., 1926.
Type Locality: Mount Forster, Purcell Range, southeastern British Columbia (50°36’N, 116°17’W).
History: Described originally to the west of the Rocky Mountain Trench, the formation has since been
recognized east of the Trench in the western ranges of the Rocky Mountains. Norford modified the
upper boundary in the type section by including in the top of the Mount Forster 61 m (200 ft) of strata
placed by Walker in the lower Starbird.
Lithology: A variety of rock types, characterized by limy and dolomitic mudstones that weather light
greenish grey and pale red, but including dolomitic quartz sandstones, dolomites with floating quartz
sand and silt grains, quartzites, argillaceous dolomites and rare limestones.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation is 459 m (1506 ft) thick at Mount Forster and predominantly
mudstones, with dolomites towards the top and also forming a basal unit that is equivalent to the basal
Cedared Formation. Farther west sandstones are common, and conglomerates (including some Upper
Ordovician Casts) and volcanics (some pillowed) are developed locally.
Relationship to Other Units: At the type section the formation underlies the Upper Devonian Starbird
Formation and overlies the Upper Ordovician Beaverfoot Formation, both disconformably. Its basal unit
represents a tongue of the Middle Devonian Cedared Formation. Further west the Mount Forster is cut
out by the unconformity and the Starbird rests directly on the Precambrian Horsethief Creek Group. In
the western ranges of the Rockies the Mount Forster is part of an intricate facies-complex of
formations; it normally overlies and intertongues with the Cedared Formation. Locally the Middle
Devonian Harrogate Formation rests directly on a thin Mount Forster.
Paleontology: Charophytes and fish fragments are the only known fossils and indicate Middle
Devonian, but the formation can be dated more precisely from its stratigraphic relationships.
References: Belyea and Norford, 1967; Douglas et al., in: Douglas (Ed.), 1970; Eyer, 1971; Grayston,
Sherwin and Allan, 1964; Norford, 1981; Reesor, 1973; Root, 1985; Walker, 1926.
BSN
Lower Permian (Asselian-Artinskian?)
Mount Greene Beds (Ishbel Group)
Author: McGugan, A., 1967, p. 62, 84.
Type Locality: West flank of Mount Greene, north of Peace River, northeastern British Columbia, east
of Finlay Forks (Sec. 150A, 56°04’N, 123°17’W).
History: McGugan (1967) proposed the informal name Mount Greene Beds to refer to a fossiliferous
limestone and phosphatic shaly siltstone succession homotaxial with, and apparently with lithological
and faunal affinities to the Johnston Canyon, Telford and Ross Creek formations further south. These
beds are now generally correlated with the Kindle Formation.
Lithology: At the type section the formation consists of thin bedded phosphatic, blocky and shaly
siltstone and silty carbonate beds with chert nodules, and chert lenses and beds.
Thickness and Distribution: 48 m (157 ft) at the type section. Similar at Chowade River headwaters to
the north (Sec. 151A). Homotaxial strata measure 85 m (279 ft) at Carbon Creek to the south (Sec.
145A) and similar beds in a syncline at Pine Pass (Sec. 145) are mainly covered. Not recognized in
the eastern front ranges and foothills subsurface, except for the homotaxial Belloy Formation in the
Peace River subsurface.
Relationship to Other Units: Unconformably overlain by the Ranger Canyon Formation with basal
phosphatic conglomerate. Disconformably overlies, with basal phosphatic conglomerate and
sandstones various Carboniferous rocks of the Stoddart Group. Homotaxial beds (Belcourt Formation)
in carbonate facies occur to south in the Wapiti-Belcourt area (Sec. 136-142, McGugan et al., 1964),
and the Mount Greene Beds correspond with middle and lower parts of the Kindle Formation (Bamber,
pers. comm., 1979). Homotaxial in part with Belloy Formation of Peace River subsurface, and with
Johnston Canyon and Telford formations of the southern Rocky Mountains.
Paleontology: Zoophycos, and Telford “Russian” Brachiopod fauna occur at the type section and in
homotaxial strata at Carbon Creek (Sec. 145A) and Pine Pass (Sec. 145). Recent conodont research
(C.M.H., unpublished) of these beds have not yielded any Permian faunas, but rather well preserved
upper Lower Carboniferous faunas (Serpukhovian). These faunas are either reworked or indicate that
age relationships are questionable.
References: Hovdebo, 1962; Irish, 1962, 1963; McGugan, 1967; McGugan et al., 1964.
AM, CMH
Mount Hawk Formation (Fairholme Group)
Author: de Wit, R. and McLaren, D.J. 1950.
Type Locality: Roche Miette, northeast shoulder, 34 km (21 mi) north-northeast of Jasper, Alberta
along Highway 16 (53°10’N, 117°55’W).
Reference Sections: The Palisade, gully on mountain face near north end; 14.5 km (9 mi) north of
Jasper, Alberta (53°00’N, 118°08’W). Lithologic description not published: see McLaren, 1955, fig- 3.
Medicine Lake, ridge between Medicine and Beaver lakes; 22.6 km (14 mi) east of Jasper, Alberta.
52°52’N, 117°44' (McLaren, 1955).
History: The formation was named after Hawk Mountain, a prominent peak in the Colin Range 16 km
(10 mi) north of Jasper The original type section of de Wit and McLaren (1950) was revised by
McLaren (1955), who lowered the top and base of the type section by 25 m (82 ft) and 47.5 m (156 ft)
respectively. The revised type section then included 3 informal members: in ascending order the grey
mudstone and limestone member, the argillaceous limestone member and the grey limestone member.
The type section was amended further by Mountjoy (1965), who omitted McLaren’s grey limestone
member from the Mount Hawk Formation and assigned it instead to the Arcs and Grotto members of
the Southesk Formation
The Roche Miette section of Mountjoy (1965) consists of two members subequal in thickness, an
upper, fossiliferous grey limestone member, and a lower, argillaceous limestone and shale member,
and a lower, argillaceous limestone and shale member. These units are comparable to the two lower
member of McLaren’s (1955) Mount Hawk Formation (except possibly with respect to the base of the
formation, discussed below).
Lithology: in modern usage the Mount Hawk Formation consists of two informal members:
Lower Grey Mudstone and Limestone Member: Thin bedded, medium grey argillaceous limestone,
rhythmically interbedded with thin bands of dark grey calcareous shale. The limestone beds increase
in thickness upwards at the expense of the shales and may contain brachiopods towards the top.
Petrographically the limestones are micrites or microsparites, with finely disseminated clay and small
amounts of organic material. Near carbonate buildups they contain increasing amounts of lime sand.
The shale interbeds are composed of aligned and intergrown clay minerals, with subordinate lime
mud and small dolomite rhombs. The principal clay mineral is illite, with lesser amounts of chlorite
(Hopkins, 1972).
Upper Argillaceous Limestone Member: The member consists of medium to thin bedded medium grey
limestone with thin interbeds of argillaceous limestone towards the bottom. The upper member is
distinguished by its increased carbonate content, which is dominantly lime mud in the basin but near
buildups may contain appreciable quantities of lime sand peloids. It commonly contains brachiopods,
which increase in abundance and occur with corals near carbonate buildups and is petrographically
similar to the lower member, with a smaller proportion of clays. The upper member may also contain
mud mounds (Winnifred Pass, Mount Mackenzie) and buildup-derived “breccia” beds (Hopkins, 1972
and 1977)
Thickness and Distribution. The Mount Hawk Formation is a widespread basin filling formation present
in the front and main ranges of the Rocky Mountains, occurring between carbonate buildups of the
Fairholme Group. The Mount Hawk Formation is recognized over a 650 km (400 mi) belt from the U.S
border (Price, 1964) to at least the Smoky River area of west-central Alberta (McLaren, 1953). It is
recognized in wells drilled immediately east of the mountain front and is generally correlative with the
Ireton and Nisku formations of the plains subsurface. Westward the formation is absent through
erosion in most of the main ranges, but occasionally it is preserved, as at Mount Spring Rice
(Mountjoy, 1978). Mount Hawk thicknesses recorded in the literature vary with the definition of the
formation. The Mount Hawk Formation is thickest near carbonate buildups due to its increased lime
content; it thins into the basin. In the modern sense basin sections range from 65 to 120 m (213 to 394
ft) thick (e.g., Medicine Lake section); adjacent to buildups of the Fairholme Group thicknesses of 120
to 200 m (394 to 656 ft) are more typical (e.g., Roche Miette section).
Relationship to Other Units: The Mount Hawk Formation was originally defined as a basin formation.
Unfortunately the type section was chosen at, Roche Miette, which is in a transitional position
between carbonates of the Miette buildup, located 15 km (9.3 mi) along strike to the southeast, and
argillaceous limestones and shales of the basin. McLaren (1955) recognized this problem and
suggested the Palisade and Medicine Lake sections as being more typical, without formally
designating them as reference sections. Placement of the upper and lower formational boundaries has
varied historically because of this complication.
In the basin the Mount Hawk conformably overlies Perdrix Formation shales. Both formations contain
interbedded limestone and shale, and the contact is placed where the limestone beds become
dominant upward. Because or this convention the Mount Hawk Formation weathers slightly more
resistant and is lighter in color than the Perdrix Formation. The transitional contact therefore appears
conformable in the field. However, basin sections in southern Jasper Park (e.g., Miette and Queen
Elizabeth ranges) exhibit a sharp color change on talus covered ridges at the Mount Hawk-Perdrix
formation contact, suggesting a distinct formation break which might be paraconformable. This is
supported by data from Hopkins (1972), who attributed part of the lighter weathering color of the Mount
Hawk Formation to the presence of chlorite in the Mount Hawk and its absence in the Perdrix
Formation.
The Mount Hawk Formation in the basin is overlain by the Sassenach Formation. The Sassenach
Formation consists of siltstone and silty limestones and marks the influx of quartzose clastics into the
basin. The contact is placed at the base of the strongly silty carbonates and not at the lowest silty bed,
and appears conformable although it approximates the Famennian-Frasnian boundary. The Mount
Hawk is replaced laterally by the Southesk Formation of the carbonate buildups of the Fairholme
Group, and in proximity to carbonate buildups the Mount Hawk Formation may be overlain by, and
interfinger with tongues of detrital and reefal carbonate. Such is the case at the Roche Miette type
section.
In the Crowsnest Pass area the Mount Hawk overlies the Borsato Formation, The Mount Hawk is
lithostratigraphically equivalent to the subsurface Ireton Formation, but may contain age equivalents of
the Nisku Formation away from carbonate buildups.
Paleontology: The Mount Hawk Formation is characterized by the following brachiopods (McLaren,
1955) Devonoproductus ex. gr. walcotti (Fenton & Fenton), Nudirostra albertensis (Warren),
Cyrtospirifer cf. whitneyi (Hall), Indospirifer n. sp. cf. I. orestes (Hall & Whitfield), Tenticospirifer
cyrtinifornis (Hall & Whitfield), Thomasaria rockymontana (Warren), in addition to the corals Alveolites,
Thamnopora, Syringopora, Disphyllum and Macgeea.
References: Coppold, 1976; de Wit and McLaren, 1950; Hopkins, 1972, 1977; McLaren, 1953, 1955;
Mountjoy, 1965, 1978;: Price, 1965.
MPC; EWM
Lower Carboniferous (Lower to Upper Visean, V1 to V3)
Mount Head formation
(Rundle Group)
Type Locality: A type section has not been designated. The type area is the Mount Head map-area,
NTS 82J/7 and 10, Rocky Mountain Foothills and eastern front ranges, southwestern Alberta
(Douglas, 1958; Macqueen and Bamber, 1968).
Lithology: Douglas (1958) divided part of the Mount Head into the Wileman, Baril, Salter, Loomis,
Marston and Carnarvon members. A seventh member, the Opal was erected by Macqueen and
Bamber (1968). These members are widely distributed, but cannot be easily identified in most of the
eastern Rockies from 51°45’N to 53°30’N, the central to eastern foothills and interior plains. Only the
lower three members are present from 53°30’N to 55°15’N.
The recessive, thin to medium bedded Wileman, which abruptly overlies the Turner Valley and
Livingstone formations thickens from 7.6 m (25 ft) in the northeast to 25 m (82 ft) in the southwest, and
is chiefly silty, microcrystalline dolostone with locally abundant small and medium scale cross-
bedding.
Resistant, southwestward thickening deposits of the Baril unconformably overlie the Wileman and
range in thickness from 11 to 39 m (36 to 128 ft). Pelletoid-skeletal and skeletal-ooid lime grainstone
with subordinate dolostone constitute most of the medium to very thick bedded Baril, which commonly
shows large scale cross-bedding. In western sections cherty, pelletoid-skeletal wackestone and
packstone are common and become more abundant upward.
The recessive Salter, thickening from 29 m (95 ft) in the northeast to 67 m (220 ft) in the southwest
generally conformably overlies the Baril, but in the southwest it gradationally overlies the Livingstone
Formation. Microcrystalline, silty dolostone, fenestral cryptalgal boundstone and foraminiferal-algal
lime wackestone predominate in this thin to medium bedded unit. Skeletal and ooid lime grainstone
are common in the southwest; anhydrite and related solution-collapse breccia are widespread in the
northwest. Chert is very abundant in mixed-skeletal limestone at southwestern localities.
In most areas the resistant, northeastward thinning Loomis is 30 to 101 m (98 to 331 ft) thick. It
unconformably overlies the Salter and is predominantly massive, thick to very thick bedded lime
grainstone. The Loomis, abruptly overlain by the Marston in the east is conformably overlain by the
Opal in the west
Deposits of the recessive, rhythmically bedded Marston pass southwestward into the lower Opal. The
medium bedded Marston consists of microcrystalline dolostone with subordinate fenestral, cryptalgal
boundstone, solution-collapse breccias, ooid to skeletal limestone, shale and marlstone.
The Opal thickens southwestward and is 161 m (528 ft) thick at its type locality. It overlies the Loomis,
passes northeastward into the Marston and lower to middle Carnarvon, and is generally abruptly
overlain by the upper Carnarvon in the southwest. The moderately resistant, medium to very thick
bedded lower Opal consist of cross-bedded, pelletoid-skeletal and ooid-skeletal lime grainstone with
subordinate marlstone and cherty, pelletoid-skeletal lime packstone and wackestone. The recessive,
medium to thick bedded upper Opal comprises shale and marlstone rhythmically interbedded with
fenestral cryptalgal boundstone, peloid-skeletal lime wackestone and packstone, and breccias.
The resistant, medium to thick bedded Carnarvon conformably overlies the Marston in the northeast
and abruptly overlies the Opal to the southwest. Peloid-skeletal lime wackestone to packstone,
rhythmically interbedded with thin shale beds constitute the Carnarvon, which is unconformably
overlain by the Etherington Formation.
Most of the medium to thick bedded, undivided Mount Head comprises sparsely fossiliferous,
yellowish grey silty dolostone. Shale, anhydrite, siltstone, solution-collapse breccias and dolomitized
skeletal limestone are commonly present. Chert nodules and irregular masses are plentiful in many
units (Macqueen and Bamber, 1968; Bamber et al., 1981, McGugan, 1984).
Thickness and Distribution: In the Rocky Mountains and foothills the Mount Head Formation extends
from the United States border in southeastern British Columbia and southwestern Alberta to 55°15’N
in east-central British Columbia (Oswald, 1964, Price, 1965; Macqueen and Bamber, 1968;
Beauchamp et al., 1986; Richards et al., in press). In the interior plains it occurs from the United States
border in southwestern Alberta to 53°15’N. Farther north on the plains it lithologic and stratigraphic
equivalents have been included in the Debolt Formation by Macauley et al. (1964); an arbitrary
nomenclatural boundary separates the two.
The Mount Head thickens southwestward overall, but its thickness is highly variable because of
several episodes of subaerial erosion and a southwestward facies change to the Livingstone
Formation. The Mount Head, over 300 m (984 ft) thick in the western front ranges, is principally
between 75 and 250 m (246 and 820 ft) thick in the Rocky Mountains, and normally less than 75 m
(246 ft) thick to the east (Douglas, 1958; Price, 1965; Macqueen and Bamber, 1968).
Relationship to Other Units: The Mount Head abruptly overlies the Turner Valley Formation in the
northeast at a contact that is locally a subaerial unconformity. To the southwest the Mount Head
abruptly overlies the eastern Livingstone Formation. Farther southwestward the basal Mount Head
becomes younger as its four lower members grade laterally basinward into the Livingstone
(Macqueen and Bamber, 1968; Macqueen et al., 1971). The Mount Head is unconformably overlain by
the Etherington Formation in most of the southern Rocky Mountains south of 52°30’F; and in part of
the adjacent foothills, but the contact with the Etherington in the southwest may be partly conformable.
East, northeast and northwest of the erosional edge of the Etherington, Permian and Mesozoic strata
overlie the Mount Head (Richards et al., in press).
References: Bamber, Macqueen and Ollerenshaw, 1981; Beauchamp et al., 1986; Douglas, 1953,
1958; Macauley et al., 1964; Macqueen and Bamber, 1968; Macqueen, Bamber and Mamet, 1972,
McGugan, 1984; Oswald, 1964; Price, 1965; Richards et al., in press.
BCR
Middle Proterozoic
Mount Nelson Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Author: Walker, J. F., 192 6.
Type Locality: East slope of Mount Nelson, 25 km (15 mi) west of Invermere, southeastern British
Columbia.
Lithology: A succession of cliff forming dolomites with two distinctive, thick quartzite marker units, and
with subsidiary green, grey and purple argillite and buff dolomitic argillite. The base of the formation is
marked by a massive, coarse brained orthoquartzite up to 50 m (164 ft) thick, overlain by 300 to 600 m
(1984 to 1968 ft) of dolomite and sandy dolomite, commonly stromatolitic, interbedded with green and
purple argillite and with rare oolitic dolomite. An upper quartzite unit overlies the dolomites, is finer
grained than the basal quartzite and is variable in thickness, but up to 100 m (328 ft) in the central
Lardeau area (Reesor, 1973). A succession of cherty dolomites capped by a black argillite unit
overlies the upper quartzite. Mudcracks are common in the argillites, and the quartzites are often
ripple marked, though cross-bedding is rare.
Thickness and Distribution: The Mount Nelson occurs in the Purcell Mountains. Walker (1926)
recorded 1100 m (3608 ft) in the type area, thickening northward to 1300 m (4264 ft) at Frances Creek
west of Brisco. (50°45’N, 116°30’W; Reesor, 1973). Rice (1941) estimated 1050 m (3444 ft) at Rose
Pass in the Kootenay Arc (49°45’N, 116°35’W). The thickness and character of individual units are
more or less constant as far south as Canal Flats; but south from there the units are successively
truncated beneath the sub-Toby unconformity, toward a southern limit along the Kootenay River at
latitude 50°N.
Relationship to Other Units. The basal quartzite of the Mount Nelson lies conformably upon the Dutch
Creek Formation, but it is probably a time transgressive prograding shelf deposit, younger in the
southwest (Atkinson, 1975). The Mount Nelson Formation is overlain unconformably by the Toby
Conglomerate, which appears concordant at the outcrop scale, but involves a regional truncation to
the south. The Mount Nelson equates with the upper Missoula Group of the Garnet Range Formation
in Montana.
References: Atkinson, 1975; McCammon, 1965; Reesor, 1973; Rice, 1941; Walker, 1926.
WKF, RAP
(Middle Proterozoic)
Mount Rowe Member,
(Miller Peak Formation, Belt-Purcell Supergroup) (Abandoned)
Author: Fenton, C.L. and Fenton, M.A., 1937, p. 1902-1903.
Type Locality: South crest of Mount Rowe, near Akamina Pass, Waterton Lakes National Park,
History: Fenton and Fenton (1937) established the Mount Rowe Member of the Miller Peak Formation
for a sequence of red quartiles and argillites that overlie the upper member of the (restricted) Gateway
Formation (Member B of the Kintla Formation of Hume, 1933) at Mount Rowe, near Akamina Pass,
Waterton Lakes National Park. They erroneously assigned the underlying unit to Daly’s (1912)
Roosville Formation, instead of the upper part of the Gateway Formation, and thus obscured the fact
that the “Mount Rowe Member” is synonymous with Daly’s (1912) Phillips Formation (Price, 1962,
1964).
References: Daly, 1912; Fenton and Fenton, 1937; Hume, 1933; Price, 1962, 1964.
RAP
Cambrian
Mount Selwyn Formation
Author: Williams, M.Y. and Bocock, J.B., 1932.
Type Locality: On the eastern slope of the Murray range, at the summit of Pine Pass, and Mount
Selwyn, on the Peace River, northeastern British Columbia.
Lithology: Dominantly shale in the upper part and quartzite in the lower. The shale is pinkish to light
buff, thin bedded, with alternating calcareous and arenaceous layers and grade laterally into quartzite.
The quartzite is characteristically pale buff and occurs in massive beds 1 to 3.7 m (4 to 12 ft) thick,
occasionally 6 m (20 ft) thick, interbedded with shales.
Thickness and Distribution: About 1068 m (3500 ft) at the type locality.
Relationship to Other Units: Appears to overlie the pre-Middle Devonian Mountain Creek Formation,
however the Selwyn may be older than the Mountain Creek, and overlie it by thrust faulting.
References: Pacific Great Eastern, 1929-1930; Williams and Bocock, 1932.

Mount St. Helens Set Y Tephra
Author: Crandell, D.R. et al., 1962.
Type Locality: Mount St. Helens-Mount Rainier region of Washington, U.S.A.
History: First referred to as “Layer Y” by Crandell et al. (1962), and as “set y” by Mullineaux et al.
(1972).
Lithology: A dacitic tephra with abundant hornblende, cummingtonite, plagioclase feldspar and iron-
titanium oxides; pryoxenes are rare.
Thickness and Distribution: This tephra is not exposed on the flanks of Mount St. Helens because the
present core postdates it (Crandell et al., 1962), but 40 km (25 mi) northeast of the vent it is about 1 m
(3 ft) thick, and at Mount Rainier 0.3 m (3 ft) thick. It occurs within a narrow plume directed northeast of
the vent and has been recognized at several localities in west-central Alberta, approximately 1150 km
(720 mi) from Mount St. Helens (Westgate, 1977).
This tephra undoubtedly came under the scrutiny of Smith (1900) and Coombs (1936) and other early
workers. Carithers’ (1946) “older pumice’’ of the Cowlitz River valley is equivalent to this unit. Set y
tephra is actually a composite of several discrete units, two of which occur in Alberta. The older one,
about 4300 years old, is the more extensive; the other is about 3400 years old (Westgate, 1977).
References: Carithers, 1946; Crandell et al., 1962; Coombs, 1936; Mullineaux et al., 1972; Smith,
1900; Westgate, 1977.
JAW; NWR, AMacSS

Upper Cambrian
Mount Synge Formation (Abandoned)
Author: Greggs, R.G., 1962.
Type Locality: On the north and west sides of Mount Murchison, between 1983 and 2283 m (6500 and
7500 ft), above the north branch of Bison Creek, in Alberta.
History: The Mount Synge was proposed as a new name for the Lyell Formation, in consideration of
the near inaccessible and poorly described section of Walcott’s type Lyell in Glacier Lake valley. Field
work by J.D. Aitken resulted in better definition of Walcott’s type section, and the name Mount Synge
was abandoned in favor of Lyell.
References: Aitken and Greggs, 1967; Greggs, 1962.
RGG
Lower to Middle Cambrian
Mount Whyte Formation
Type Locality: on the north slope of Mount Whyte, in the Bow Range, 3 km (2 mi) west of the outlet of
Lake Louise, Band National Park, Alberta. Also on Ptarmigan Peak 16 km (10 mi) northeast of original
type locality (Deiss, 1939), and on the eastern slope of Pope’s Peak, about 0.6 km (1 mi) south of
original type locality.
Lithology: Deiss (1939, p. 998-1000) amended the original description of the Mount Whyte Formation
to:
Upper member: interbedded oolitic limestones and shales; 44 m (143 ft) thick.
Middle member: green shales with thin sandstones and conglomerates, grading upward into shady
calcareous sandstones and, finally into blue-grey, nodular, impure limestones; 32 m (106 ft) thick.
Basal member: flaggy beds of limestone and arenaceous limestone, with lenticular beds of pebbly
sandstone and shale partings; 18 m (26 ft) thick.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is 84 m (275 ft) thick in the amended type section (Deiss, 1939).
Thicknesses measured by Rasetti (1951) range from 18 to 176 m (58 to 578 ft). The formation is known
at numerous localities in the Kicking Horse Pass area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Mount Whyte Formation overlies the Lower Cambrian St. Piran
Formation and is overlain by the Middle Cambrian Cathedral Formation; both contacts apparently
conformable. The basal member of Deiss (1939) contains the Olenellus fauna, and the upper member
the Plagiura zone. Rasetti (1951) placed the Olenellus fauna in the upper limestone of the St. Piran
Formation, suggesting that the Mount Whyte Formation is of Middle Cambrian age only. There may be
a marked disconformity between the basal Olenellus zone and the remainder of the formation.
References: Allan, 1914; Burling, 1916, 1922; Deiss, 1939, 1940; Fox, 1953; North and Henderson,
1954, Rasetti, 1951; Walcott, 1908, 1917, 1928.

Upper Middle to Lower Upper Ordovician
Mount Wilson Formation
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1923; Norford. B.S., 1969
Type Locality: Mount Wilson, northeast of Saskatchewan River, Alberta, near 52°00’N, 116°45’W.
History: Walcott erected the Mount Wilson Formation but did not examine the type section. North and
Henderson (1954) suggested the name be applied to the succession of quartz sandstone then known
as the Wonah Quartzite, occupying a homotaxial position in the western ranges. That suggestion has
been followed in subsequent mapping (Norford, 1969; Price and Mountjoy, 1979).
Lithology: Light grey to white, thin to thick bedded and partly cross stratified quartz sandstone, well
cemented by clear quartz.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section the formation is about 165 m (541 ft) thick (Norford,
1969). In the Beaverfoot Range, about 10 km (6.3 mi) south of Golden the formation is about 450 m
(1476 ft) thick (Evans, 1933); from there the formation thins southward to Bull River, southeastern
British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: The name Mount Wilson Formation has replaced the term Wonah
Quartzite. Mount Wilson quartz sandstones lie conformably on the Owen Creek Formation (Middle
Ordovician) in the eastern main ranges and on Glenogle Formation shales (Middle Ordovician:
Caradocian) in the western ranges. Larson and Jackson (1966) suggested that a regional hiatus lies at
the base of the Mount Wilson Formation, accounting for the absence of graptolite zones. Upper
Ordovician (Ashgillian) beds of the Beaverfoot Formation regionally overstep the Mount Wilson strata.
No diagnostic fossils have been recovered from the Mount Wilson Formation.
References: Evans, 1933; Larson and Jackson, 1966; Norford, 1969; North and Henderson, 1954;
Price and Mountjoy, 1979; Walcott, 1923.
HRB
Cambrian or Older
Mountain Creek Formation
Author: Williams, M.Y. and Bocock, J.B., 1932.
Type Locality: In the upper part of Mountain Creek valley, tributary to the upper Pine River,
Lithology: Interbedded dark, slaty, slightly schistose, ferruginous shales and fine grained, hard, platy,
micaceous, ferruginous sandstones; the sandstones more common in the upper part of the formation.
Ironstone concretions are present in some of the shales; the iron in the sandstones appears as
impregnations.
Thickness and Distribution: Almost 366 m (1200 ft) thick at the north end of the Murray Range; the
lower part being covered.
Relationship to Other Units: Base covered; overlain by the Mount Selwyn Formation.
References: Pacific Great Eastern, 1929-1930; Williams and Bocock, 1932.

Middle Triassic
Mount Wright Formation (Schooner Creek Group)
Author: Colquhoun, D.J., 1960.
Type Locality: On Mount Wright, north side of Halfway River, SW/4 of Zone C, NTS 94-G-3 Marion
Lake, northeastern British Columbia.
History: Name proposed by Colqahoun (1960) to include strata between the Toad (Hart Passe and
Halfway formations. The strata are now included as part of the Liard and upper Toad by Gibson
(1971,1975).
Lithology: Thin to medium bedded, platy weathering, dark to medium grey calcareous, argillaceous
siltstone, and thin to thick bedded, medium grey to light grey to buff, very fine to medium grained
calcareous and dolomitic sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized by Colquhoun in surface exposures of the Rocky Mountain
Foothills between the Halfway and Pine Rivers, attaining a maxim m thickness exceeding 215 m (705
ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Mount Wright Formation is gradationally overlain and underlain by
strata assigned to the Halfway and Toad formations respectively by Colquhoun (1960). The Mount
Wright is equivalent to the ‘Dark Siltstones’ and ‘Flagstones’, and the upper part of the subsurface
Doig Formation. Strata assigned to Mount Wright were included in the lower Liard and upper Toad by
Gibson (1971,1975). The unit is equivalent to the lower Llama Member of the Sulphur Mountain
Formation in west-central and southwestern Alberta (Gibson, 1975).
References: Colquhoun, 1960, 1962; Gibson, 1971, 1975.
DWG
Mountain Park Formation
Author: Mackay, B.R., (1929a, b, c).
Type Locality: A type section was not specified. The type area is in the vicinity of the old coal mining
town of Mountain Park, west-central Alberta. No complete sections occur in this area. McLean (1980)
proposed two principal reference sections, at Wapiabi Creek (UTM 5332/58152 to 5344/58150, Zone
11) and Malcolm Creek (UTM 3563/59743, Zone 11).
History: Proposed for the strata between the Luscar and Blackstone formations. Used in the Alberta
Foothills primarily between the North Saskatchewan and Athabasca rivers. Not generally recognized
north to the Athabasca River until McLean (1980) recognized it between the South Ram and the
Alberta-British Columbia border near 54°N.
Lithology: The most distinct lithology is sandstone, very coarse to fine grained, in thick to massive
beds, with abrupt bases and usually a decrease in mean grain size upward. Conglomerate beds occur
locally, as in the type area. In most sections the greatest thicknesses are composed of sequences of
interbedded mudstone, siltstone and very fine grained sandstone, with subordinate claystone and
coal. Colors are predominantly greys and browns, but greenish grey is most prevalent in the upper
part of all sections and is prominent throughout the formation in more southerly sections. Where
sandstone beds are well developed the formation is well exposed, but is generally recessive where
such beds are few or relatively thin.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation is recognized (McLean, 1980) from the South Ram River
(approx. 52°10’N) to the Alberta-British Columbia border (54°N). it is confined to the foothills region of
Alberta. Thicknesses range from about 200 to 275 m (656 to 902 ft). The reference section at Wapiabi
Creek is 275 m (902 ft) and at Malcolm Creek 210 m (689 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units. Overlies the Malcolm Creek Formation abruptly but conformably. Overlain
abruptly and disconformably by the Blackstone Formation south of the Athabasca River and by the
Shaftesbury Formation to the north. To the south the formation is replaced by the Beaver Mines
Formation, and in northeastern British Columbia by the upper Gates, Hulcross and Boulder Creek;
formations (correlations subject to possible revision).
References: Mackay, 1929a, b, c; Douglas, 1956,1958; McLean, 1980.
JRM
Mowitch Formation
(Ishbel Group)
Author: McGugan, A. and Rapson. J.E., 1963b, p. 56.
Type Locality: In a divide between Mowitch and Deer Creek headwaters, Jasper area, Alberta (Sec.
60, McGugan and Rapson, 1961a; Sec. 114, McGugan et al., 1964) (53°22’N, 118°32’W).
History: McGugan and Rapson (1961a) recognized a sandstone unit in the Jasper area which was
named rock unit 2 and correlated it with the upper member of the Greenock Formation (Brown, 1952).
Unit 2 was named the Mowitch Formation by McGugan and Rapson (1963b) when the Ishbel
Formation was raised to group status.
Lithology: Brown weathering sandstone, fine to coarse grained, thick to thin bedded, often calcareous,
with grains of glauconite, phosphate and wind-blown gypsum. Contains silicified carbonate patches
and bedded lenticular chert. Pebble beds and coarse sandstones contain fish remains. At some
localities difficult to separate from underlying Ranger Canyon Formation. Top bed usually black
sandstone with phosphate nodules.
Thickness and Distribution: 30 m (98 ft) at the type sections Thickness variable over area of
occurrence, from 76 m (249 ft) at Winnifred Pass (Sec. 125, McGugan et al., 1964) to 6 m (20 ft) east of
Blue Creek (Sec. 118, McGugan et al., 1964). Absent in the foothills subsurface. Recognized from the
Athabasca Valley east of Jasper as equivalent to upper member of the Greenock Formation Obsolete),
north to the Wapiti-Belcourt area (Sec. 136-146, McGugan et al., 1964).
Paleontology: Contains Neospirifer, Lingula, shell, fish and bone fragments east of the headwaters to
the south fork of Sulphur River.
References: Brown, 1952; Henderson, 1989; Henderson et al., in press; McGugan and Rapson,
1961a, 1963b; McGugan et al., 1964; Norris, 1965; Sutherland, 1958.
AM, CMH
Upper Cretaceous
Mowry Shale Formation (Colorado Group)
Author: Darton, N.H., 1904, p. 339-400.
Type Locality: Mowry (originally Mowrie) Creek, on east side of Bighorn Mountains (approx. 44°30’N,
117°W), north of Buffalo, Wyoming.
Lithology: Siliceous shale with large numbers of fish scales and thin bedded sandstones. Becomes
non-siliceous towards Manitoba.
Thickness and Distribution: 45 m (148 ft) thick at type locality.
Relationship to Other Units: The Mowry Formation has been correlated in Saskatchewan by Rice
(1981), who equated it with the interval from the top of the Fish Scale Zone to the top of the Viking
Formation; McNeil and Caldwell (1981) considered it homotaxially equivalent to the Westgate Member
of the Ashville Formation and thus to the interval below the Fish Scale Zone. Stelck (1958, p. 6)
equated the Mowry with the Shaftesbury Formation.
Paleontology: Ammonites include Gastroplites in the lower part and Neogastroplites in the upper part.
Foraminifera, mainly arenaceous are abundant, being assigned to the Miliammina manitobensis Zone
and part of the Verneuilinoides perplexes Zone. An Albian to Early Cenomanian age is indicated.
References: Darton, 1904; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; Rice, 1981: Stelck, 1958; Wulf, 1962.
PFM
Mulga Tongue (Lea Park Formation)
Author: Nauss, A.W., 1945, p. 1622.
Type Locality: Imperial Oil Core Test No. 44, in 13-14-49-9W4M, east-central Alberta, between 36.7
and 46.1 m (121 and 152 ft).
History: Introduced as a member of the Lea Park Formation between the upper and lower Birch Lake
members of the Belly River Group. Included as a member of the Belly River Formation by Shaw and
Harding (1949). Tentatively retained as a member of the Lea Park Formation by McLean (1971, p. 37)
although it appears to be quite restricted areally.
Lithology: Massive, dark grey shale with thin silt interbeds which increase in number and thickness
upward; carbonaceous fragments common, pyrite minor.
Thickness and Distribution: The recorded thicknesses are from 0.3 to 12 m (1 to 39 ft). The reported
distribution is confined to east-central Alberta, from Twps. 43 to 57, Rges. 1 to 14W4M.
Relationship to Other Units: Separates two sandstone members formerly known as upper and lower
Birch Lake members. The name Birch Lake is now confined to the upper sandstone, the lower is
unnamed. The lower contact is abrupt but conformable, the upper is gradational. The Mulga Tongue is
not recognized in west-central Saskatchewan, but due to lack of subsurface control it is not known if it
pinches out with the overlying and underlying sandstones uniting as the Birch Lake Member or if the
underlying sandstone pinches out to the east and the Mulga becomes part of the Grizzly Bear Member
of the Lea Park Formation.
References: McLean, 1971; Nauss, 1945; Shaw and Harding, 1949.
JRM
Lower to Middle Cambrian
Mumm Limestone (Abandoned)
Author: Walcott, C.D., 191 3, p. 337; 1928, p. 355.
Type Locality: Mumm Peak on the British Columbia-Alberta boundary north of Mount Robson.
History: Proposed by Walcott (1913) for the limestones in Mumm Peak now named Chetang Formation
(Fritz and Mountjoy, 1975). Abandoned by Walcott (1928, p. 355) after Burling (1923) pointed out that
the Mumm Peak section represented the Chetang and Hota formations (see map in Fritz and Mountjoy,
1975).
References: Burling. 1923, Fritz and Mountjoy, 1975; Walcott, 1913, 1928.
EWM
Silurian and Devonian
Muncho-McConnell Formation
Author: Taylor, G.C., 1967; Taylor. G.C. and MacKenzie, W.S., 1970.
Type Locality: Located on ridge north of the Alaska Highway, 4 km (2.5 mi) west of Toad River bridge at
Mile 438, (km 701) directly overlying the type Nonda Formation. Geographical coordinates of the type
section: 58°48’N, 125°37’W, British Columbia.
History: Laudon and Chronic (1949) named the Muncho and McConnell formations in northeastern
British Columbia and designed type sections for them in the Sentinel Range east of the Alaska
Highway near Mile 472. Later workers recognized that a fault cuts the type sections and moreover,
were unable to recognize the same two-fold division of that interval. It became common practice to
regard the interval as a single mappable unit. The hyphenated name was applied and a new type
section designated revising the unit to formation status.
Lithology: Recessive, light brown weathering, sandy, argillaceous, fine crystalline dolomites at base,
overlain by alternating medium and dark grey weathering, well bedded, finely crystalline dolomites.
Local thin beds of orthoquartzite in upper part, with floating bimodal frosted sand grains in the
dolomites; rare thin brown shale partings.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized as far south as Pine Pass, where it onlaps the Peace River
and Alberta arches, to Beaver River in southern Yukon. Thickens westerly from 60 m (197 ft) at
mountain front to 350 m (1148 ft) in the Sentinel Ranges.
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformably overlies the Nonda Formation and is conformably
overlain by the Wokkpash Formation in type area. South of Redfern Lake [Trutch (94G) map-area] is
disconformably overlain by the Stone Formation. Further south the Muncho-McConnell pinches out
against the Peace River Arch, and westward it passes to a shale facies.
Paleontology: Fossils are extremely rare in the Muncho-McConnell Formation. Well preserved fish
originally reported as of Early Devonian age (Taylor and MacKenzie, 1970, p. 7) are now considered to
be of Pridolian (latest Silurian) age. Apparently the Muncho-McConnell Formation spans the Silurian-
Devonian boundary.
References: Griffin, 1967; Laudon and Chronic, 1949; Norford et al., 1966; Taylor, 1967; Taylor and
MacKenzie, 1970; Taylor and Stott, 1973.
GCT
Lower Cambrian
Mural Formation (Gog Group, Cariboo Group)
Author: Burling, L.D., 1923.
Type Locality: North face of Mumm Peak, north of Mount Robson, British Columbia, near foot of Mural
Glacier (53°12’N, 119°09’W)
Lithology: A dominantly carbonate unit, consisting of dolomite and/or limestone, with minor amounts of
quartz sandstone, green calcareous shale and grey silty shale. The Mural has a typical tripartite
sequence of a lower carbonate member in which oolitic and coated grain limestone are common, a
medial shale member dominated by thin bedded limy shale, siltstone and micrite, and an upper
carbonate member composed of massive beds of dolomite or dolomitic, sparsely fossiliferous micrite.
In many localities a prominent basal sandstone unit and overlying green calcareous mudstone are
found below the lower carbonate member.
Thickness and Distribution: Mural carbonates appear with the Gog Group quartzites in northern
Jasper National Park and extend northwest card as a mappable unit as far as Pine Pass The Mural
Formation is also present within and west of the Rocky Mountain Trench in the northern Cariboo
Mountains.
Its thickness varies from about 35 m (110 ft) near Jasper to more typical thicknesses of 140 to 170 m
(460 to 560 ft) in the eastern main ranges, and 100 to 200 km (63 to 125 mi) to the northwest. It is 245
m (805 ft) thick at its type section. In the western Rocky Mountains it thickens to about 545 m (1800 ft)
maximum in the Walker Creek area near 54°N. In the Caribou Mountains the Mural is thinnest near the
Rocky Mountain Trench (150 m, 500 ft), and thickens westward into a massive limestone accumulation
approximately 730 m (2400 ft) thick. This narrow zone of thickening trends north-south along the
western edge of the Cariboo Mountains. The formation thins to about 40 m (140 ft) in the Pine Pass
area.
Relationship to Other Units: Contact with underlying McNaughton Formation is abrupt but
conformable. The overlying Mahto Formation lies with abrupt to gradational contact on the Mural. In the
Cariboo Mountains the Mural conformably overlies the shaly Midas Formation, and grades upward
through a thin transition zone into black shales and bituminous limestones of the Dome Creek
Formation. West of the zone of Mural thickening the Mural is progressively truncated below an
unconformity at the base of black argillite of the Lower Devonian Black Stuart Formation.
Paleontology: Hosts earliest shelly fauna in the eastern Cordilleran sequence, and includes trilobites,
archaeocyathids, primitive brachiopods, salterellids and echinoderms. These fossils indicate a middle
Early Cambrian age (Nevadella and lower part of Bonnia-Olenellus Zones) for the Mural Formation.
References: Burling 1923, 1955; Campbell, Mountjoy and Young, 1973; Fritz and Mountjoy, 1975; Slind
and Perkins, 1966; Stelck and Hedinger, 1975.
FGY
Middle Cambrian
Murchison Formation (Abandoned)
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1923; p. 334.
Type Locality: “Cliffs south and above Siffleur River, about 19.3 km (12 mi) east-northeast of Mount
Murchison”.
History: The term Murchison was used only by Walcott (1923, 1928) and is redundant at all of the
localities noted by Walcott for the Murchison Formation a normal Cathedral-Stephen-Eldon-Pika
succession (part or parts of which constitute Walcott’s idea of the Murchison) is present. A structural
oversight must have been involved in erecting the formation.
Lithology: Limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: 151.5 m (497 ft) at the type section .
Relationship to Other Units: At the type section the Murchison was reported to underlie the
unmistakable Arctomys Formation. Given its reported thickness, the type Murchison is the Pika
Formation (to which it would have priority, if adequately defined). On the other hand, Walcott’s report of
Glossopleura, not in association with shale indicates upper Cathedral Formation.
References: Walcott, 1923, 1928.
JDA; LVH
Quaternary
Muriel Lake Formation (Informal)
Author: Andriashek, L D., 1985, p. 88-95.
Type Locality: Between 34 and 53 m (112 and 174 ft), in Alberta Environment borehole E802, located
in Lsd. 5, Sec. 32, Twp. 61, Rge. 5W4M, near Muriel Lake, Alberta, in the eastern part of the Sand
River map-area, NTS 73L.
Council Bulletin.
Lithology: The formation consists of light to medium grey stratified silt, sand and gravel, locally with
clay beds of varied thickness. Granitic clasts are present in the gravel.
Thickness and Distribution: The Muriel Lake Formation lies both within major buried bedrock valleys
and on the interfluves in east-central Alberta. At the type section the Muriel Lake Formation is about 19
m (62 ft) thick. The thickness of the formation usually ranges between 10 and 20 m (33 and 66 ft),
though as much as 58 m (190 ft) are mapped directly west of Cold Lake.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact of the Muriel Lake Formation is clearly defined where
the formation overlies clayey till of the Bronson Lake Formation. Where fluvial erosion of the Bronson
Lake Till allows superimposition of the Muriel Lake sediments on the Empress Formation the
differentiation between the two stratified units is difficult. The top of the Muriel Lake Formation has a
sharp contact with the till of the overlying Bonnyville Formation. The formation is recognized primarily
by stratigraphic position in electric logs from boreholes. The age is unknown.
LDA
Muskeg Formation
Author: Law, J., 1955; re-defined or subdivided into members by Belyea, H.R. and Norris, A.W., 1962;
Hriskevich, M.E., 1966; McCamis and Griffith, 1969; Klingspor, A., 1969.
Type Locality: California Standard Steen River 2-22-117-5W6M, in Alberta, between 1377 and 1589 m
(4513-5210 ft); cored.
Lithology: A sequence of interbedded and interfingering evaporite and carbonate rocks including salt,
anhydrite, dolomite and limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: 212 m (640 ft) in type well, maximum thickness about 270 m (825 ft).
Occurs throughout the northern half of the Elk Point Basin in western Canada.
Relationship to Other Units: The Muskeg Formation overlies the Keg River Formation with gradational
contact, as originally defined Sand still accepted by many geologists). It is disconformably overlain by
the Watt Mountain Formation. Equivalent to the Prairie Evaporite Formation to the south and to the
Middle Devonian barrier-complex to the north (all or parts of the Pine Point, Presqu’ile and Sulphur
Point formations). In the northern part of the Elk Point Basin the upper part of the Muskeg Formation is
entirely dolomite or limestone (Bistcho Member of McCamis and Griffith, 1967); this was placed in the
Sulphur Point Formation by Belyea and Norris (1962). Belyea (1971) indicated an erosional
unconformity at the base of the Sulphur Point Formation.
References: Bebout and Maiklem, 1973; Belyea, 1971; Belyea and Norris, 1962; Hriskevich, 1966;
Klingspor, 1969; Lava, 1955a; McCamis and Griffith, 1967.
GKW; DWM
Upper Cretaceous
Muskiki Member (Wapiabi Formation, Alberta Group, and
Muskiki Formation, Smoky Group)
Type Locality: Within the type section of the Wapiabi Formation on Thistle Creek, Alberta Foothills,
Sec. 17, Twp. 44, Rge. 20W5M.
Lithology: Consists predominantly of alternating beds of rubble and flaky shale having a characteristic
weathered “striped” appearance. The shale is locally concretionary. Beds of pebbly mudstone or
coarse grained gritty sandstone occur at the base in many places. High silt content is typical along the
western foothills.
Thickness and Distribution: Well defined along the foothills between the Highwood and Little Berland
rivers. At the latter locality its thickness is 80.2 m (263 ft), increasing to 99.1 m (325 ft) at Thistle Creek,
and decreasing to about 45.7 m (150 ft) in the south. The member also thins eastward across the
foothills.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies conformably or with only slight disconformity on the Cardium
Formation. The upper beds grade into the overlying Marshybank Member. The Muskiki is elevated to
formational status north of the Smoky River and in northeastern British Columbia, where it is underlain
by the Cardium Formation and overlain by the Bad Heart Formation (Stott, 1967).
Paleontology: Contains ammonites and pelecypods of two zones. The lower assemblage lies within
the Zone of Scaphites preventricosus Cobban and Inoceramus deformis Meek of latest Turonian age.
The upper assemblage lies within the Zone of Scaphites ventricosus Meek and Hayden and
Inoceramus involutes Sowerby of Coniacian age. A depauperate microfauna of foraminifera was
reported by Wall and Germundson (1963).
DFS
Muskwa Formation
Author: Gray, F.F. and Kassube, J.R., 1963.
Type Locality: Western National Gas et al. Fort Nelson a-95-J, 94-J-10, near Fort Nelson, British
Lithology: Black bituminous shale with abundant pyrite.
Thickness and Distribution: It is 37 m (120 ft) thick in the type well, which is typical. Present in northern
Alberta, northeastern British Columbia and southern Northwest Territories.
Relationship to Other Units: in the type well the Muskwa is a member of the Horn River Formation,
underlain by the Otter Park Member and overlain by the Fort Simpson Formation. South and east of
the Slave Point carbonate front the Muskwa overlies the Slave Point Formation; still further south and
east the Muskwa overlies the Waterways Formation (previously Beaverhill Lake Formation). Griffin
(1965) proposed formation status; in the opinion of Griffin (1965), Bassett and Stout (1967) and others
the base of the Muskwa is a widespread erosional unconformity. Williams (1977), however, considered
the Muskwa to be a condensed sect ion equivalent to the Waterways Formation as well as younger
strata.
References: Bassett and Stout, 1967; Gray and Kassube, 1963; Griffin, 1965; Williams, 1977a, b.
GKW; DWN
Musreau Member (Cardium Formation)
Type Locality: West-central Alberta. Type section is in the Mobil Smoky River 6-29-59-1W6M well,
between 2322 and 2327 m (7616 and 7632.6 ft); reference section in Dome et al. Cutbank 10-14-64-
10W6M, between 1885.5 and 1908 m (6183 and 6258 ft).
Lithology: Consists of carbonaceous mudstones and siltstones, with occasionally a thin layer of
pebbles or granules marking the top, and some cross-bedded sandstones.
Thickness and Distribution: 5 m (16.4 ft) thick at the type section; varies from zero in the east to over 40
m (131 ft) in the northwest of the type area. Not present in the southeastern area of Cardium
occurrence.
Relationship to Other Units: Underlies the Raven River or Karr members of the Cardium Formation,
and overlies the Kakwa Member of the Cardium.
References: Plint, Walker and Bergman, 1986; Plint, Walker and Duke, 1988.
Lexicon Committee
Upper Jurassic
Mutz Member (Mist Mountain Formation)
haulage road between Grassy No. 2 and Grassy No. 4 coal pit (Norris, 1959; Hughes, 1978). NTS 92G/
9 Blairmore.
History: Unit recognized and named by Norris (1959) as a member of the Kootenay Formation. The
strata occur within part of the Mist Mountain Formation (Gibson, 1979, 1985).
Lithology: Medium grey to black siltstone, carbonaceous shale, medium to dark grey fine grained chert
and quartz sandstone, with one or two major bituminous coal seams.
Thickness and Distribution: The Mutz Member is a locally recognized lithofacies in the Mist Mountain
Formation in the Crowsnest Pass area of the southwestern Alberta Foothills east of the Lewis Thrust
and in the area immediately adjacent to and south of Blairmore and Coleman (Gibson, 1977, 1985).
The member attains a maximum measured thickness of 57 m (187 ft) at Grassy Mountain, and a
minimum measured thickness of 8 m (26 ft) at the Adanac Strip Mine.
Relationship to Other Units: The Mutz Member is unconformably overlain by chert and quartzite
pebble conglomerate and sandstone of the Cadomin Formation of the Blairmore Group. It is
conformably but abruptly underlain by sandstone and siltstone of the Hillcrest Member, with the
contact placed at the base of No. 2 Grassy Mountain coal seam (Norris, 1959; Hughes, 1978).
References: Gibson, 1977, 1979, 1985; Hughes, 1978; Norris, 1959.
DWG
Myrtle Creek Formation (Abandoned)
Author: Allan, J.A., 1919, p. 120.
Type Locality: At the mouth of Myrtle Creek, tributary to the North Saskatchewan River in Twp 58, Rge.
20W4M, Alberta.
History: Introduced as a formation name for the upper unit of the Belly River Series along the North
Saskatchewan River, Abandoned by Nauss (1945) in favor of Pakan Member and Oldman Formation.
Not used by any subsequent workers.
Lithology: “... includes clayey sandstones irregularly hardened, arenaceous shales, shales, bluish and
brownish ironstone nodules, and thin coal seams and coaly shales near the top.” (Allan, 1919).
Thickness and Distribution: The type section is at least 130 m (425 ft) thick. Never mapped or used
elsewhere by other geologists.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlain abruptly by the Bearpaw Formation. Overlies the Pakan
Formation, but the nature of the contact was not specified by Allan (1919).
References: Allan, 1919; McLean, 1971; Nauss, 1945.
JRM
Middle Devonian (?Givetian)
Nahanni Formation
Author: Hage, C.O., 1945.
Type Locality: Upper part of south facing cliffs on Nahanni Butte (61°03’N, 123°37’W).
History: As currently used the term is restricted to the upper part of Hage’s section; the lower has been
split off into the Headless Formation which conformably underlies it (Douglas and Norris, 1961).
Lithology: Dolomitic limestone, bedded, dark grey, light grey weathering, dense, and limestone dense,
finely crystalline, more argillaceous near the base.
Thickness and Distribution: The Nahanni is 137 m (450 a) thick at the type locality, 61 m (200 ft) at
Grizzly Bear Lake, Thunder Cloud Range, 35 m (115 ft) 9.6 km (6 mi) west of South Redstone River,
69 m (225 ft) 9.6 km (6 mi) southeast of Little Dal Lake, and 81 m (265 ft) east of Little Dal Lake, 76 to
84 m (250 to 275 ft) (Rouge and Dusky ranges) in the west; it is thinner to the east. It is present in the
southern Mackenzie Mountains, District of Mackenzie, and in northeastern British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is conformably overlain by the Fort Simpson Formation in the
Root River and western Camsell Bend map-areas, and the Horn River Formation in the Horn River
and eastern Camsell map-areas. The combined Headless and Nahanni formations are equivalent to
the Hume Formation. The lower contact with the Headless a diachronous, becoming younger
westward (Noble and Ferguson, 1973). The upper part of the formation is interpreted to be equivalent
to the Lonely Bay, Pine Point and Little Buffalo formations of the Great Slave Lake area, the Keg River
Formation of northcentral Alberta, and the Hume of the central Mackenzie region. The Nahanni
Formation changes facies to shales of the Headless Formation in the west of the type area. It may
interfinger with the Manetoe Formation (Morrow, 1977), and may correlate with the Dunedin Formation
of northeastern British Columbia.
Paleontology: Corals, brachiopods, trilobites, most common in the middle part of the formation.
References: Blusson, 1971; Braun, 1978; Chatterton, 1978, Douglas and Norris, 1960, 1961, 1963;
Gabrielse et al., 1965; Gabrielse et al.. 1973; Hage, 1945; Law, 1971; Morrow, 1977, Noble and
Ferguson, 1971, 1973; Norford et al., 1970.
BIC; LVH, PAM

Middle Cambrian
Naiset Formation
Author: Deiss, C., 1940; p. 773.
Type Locality: Naiset Point, at 50°53’45”N, 115°39’W, near Mount Assiniboine, British Columbia.
Lithology: Mainly laminated, thin bedded shale and siltstone, with gravity slides and
penecontemporaneous folds. Lenses of sandstone, conglomerate and, locally lime mudstone occur at
the base. Minor beds of oolitic and oncoidal limestone are present near the top.
Thickness and Distribution: 145 m (476 ft) thick at the type section; 212 m (695 ft) thick at nearby
Wedgewood Peak. Rapid northeastward pinch-out is evident. Naiset equivalents at Mount Stephen
are 108 m (354 ft). The known exposures are few; all lie west of the Kicking Horse Rim (Aitken, 1971).
Relationship to Other Units: The Naiset lies unconformably on Gog Group beds and is overlain by the
Cathedral Formation at a gradational, interbedded contact. The northeastward pinch-out is partly by
onlap onto the unconformity and partly by facies change to limestones of the Cathedral Formation. The
Naiset dips westward and disappears from view within a few kilometres of the type locality. Equivalent
strata to the east of the Kicking Horse Rim are assigned to the Mount Whyte Formation.
References: Aitken, 1971; Deiss, 1940.
JDA; LVH
Upper Triassic
Nancy Member (Charlie Lake Formation, Schooler Creek Group)
Type Locality: Pacific Sinclair Nancy #d-A84-A, in d-84-A/94-A-15, northeastern British Columbia,
between 1138.1 and 1139.3 m (3734 and 3738 ft). Reference Section: Pacific Fort St. John 2-18-84-
19W6M, between 1363.1 and 1369.2 m (4472 and 4492 ft).
Lithology: Calcareous dolomite in the vicinity of the Nancy Field; becoming anhydritic to the south.
Thickness and Distribution: 10 m (33 ft) along the Foothills to 1 m (3 ft) in the Peejay Nancy area.
Concurs throughout the Charlie Lake basin of northeastern British Columbia. It has an eroded eastern
edge at the subcrop.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies 2 to 5 m (7 to 16 ft) below the Cecil Member of the Charlie Lake
Formation. It is easily correlated in the eastern portion of the basin, but difficult in the foothills.
JWR, KAM
Middle Cambrian
Narao Member (Stephen Formation)
Type Locality: South slopes of Mount Bosworth, above Highway #1 at the continental divide.
History: The platformal part of the Stephen Formation was first divided into two members by Aitken (in
press).
Lithology: Limestone and mudrocks. Limestone is mainly ‘parted’ lime mudstone and calcisiltite, with a
few beds of intraformational conglomerate and lenses and laminae of trilobite coquina and, locally,
oncoidal limestone. Shale and mudstone are grey brownish grey and greenish grey. From North
Saskatchewan River southward the member consists of two shallowing upward mud-based cycles;
near the Kicking Horse Rim these cycles are capped with cryptalgal laminite and/or stromatolites and
thrombolites.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section 46 m (151 ft), thinning eastward. The Narao Member is
recognizable as a division of the platformal part of the Stephen Formation from Mount Assiniboine in
the south to the Sunwapta Pass area in the north, and beyond that to the Jasper area as a member of
the Snake Indian Formation. Well developed in the Rocky Mountains main ranges, it is recognizable
eastward to the mountain front.
Relationship to Other Units: The Narao Member overlies the Cathedral Formation conformably and
passes westward into the uppermost Cathedral at the rim. Its contact with the overlying Waputik
Member is abrupt and concordant, but may be disconformable (Aitken, 1989, in press). The Narao
Member may be recognized in the Snake Indian Formation, where it is represented by the third
recessive and upper limestone members, jointly. It is equivalent to part of the Amiskwi Member of the
basinal Stephen Formation.
Paleontology: The Narao Member yields abundant fossils of the mid-Middle Cambrian Glossopleura
Zone.
Reference: Aitken, 1989, in press.
JDA
Neely Member (Dawson Bay Formation, Manitoba Group)
Type Locality: Noranda Neely 16-21-34-27W2M, in Saskatchewan, between 971.7 and 987.6 m (3188
and 3240 ft).
History: The Neely Member combines members of Lane (1959) and Bannatyne (1975) because of the
difficulty in further subdividing the interval on geophysical well logs. Criteria for dividing the member
are inconsistent.
Lithology: Limestone and argillaceous limestone, Commonly bituminous, pale to dark brown;
microcrystalline to sucrosic, with cryptocrystalline zones near the top and bottom of the member. North
of Saskatoon and also near the U.S. border the member is dolomitized. Porosity is commonly plugged
with halite and the unit is locally bituminous. Reefoid mounds are common in the upper Neely.
Anhydrite is common at the top of the member.
Thickness and Distribution: Rarely less than 15 m (49 ft) or greater than 20 m (66 ft). Can be traced
from outcrop in Manitoba across most of Saskatchewan and into North Dakota and Montana. The
argillaceous content of the basal bed is low in western Saskatchewan, making differentiation from the
underlying member locally uncertain on gamma-ray logs.
Relationship to Other Units: The Neely Member overlies cryptocrystalline carbonates of the Burr
Member with minor disconformity. The contact is commonly a clearly defined hardground (a result of
erosion or corrosion). The upper contact is commonly gradational from anhydrite into dolomite
mudstones of the First Red Beds (Souris River Formation); except where halite of the Hubbard
Evaporite is present the contact is sharp.
The Neely Member is equivalent to the combined C and D units of Manitoba (Bannatyne, 1975). It
includes the DB5, DB4 and top DB3 bed of Lane (1959) The unit is present throughout most of the
Williston Basin. In Alberta its equivalent may be part of the Watt Mountain Formation.
Paleontology: The Neely contains abundant stromatoporoids and Stringocephalus. The ostracode
Leperditia sp. occurs near the top the member (Braun and Mathison, 1982). The two-hole crinoid
Gasterocoma occurs in the lower Neely (Dunn and Kendall, 1978).
References: Bannatyne, 1975; Braun and Mathison, 1982; Dunn, 1980, 1982; Dunn and Kendall, 1978;
Lane, 1959.
CED; KRM
Upper Cretaceous (Upper Maastrichtian) to Lowermost Paleocene
Nevis Member (Edmonton Group) (Disused)
Type Locality: Red Deer River, Huxley region, Sec. 13, Twp. 34, Rge. 22W4M, Alberta (Snead, 1969, p.
84).
Lithology: Light to dark grey fine grained argillaceous sandstones, claystones, siltstone, lignite and
coal seams.
Thickness and Distribution: The Nevis Member is about 25 m (82 ft) thick at the type locality in the
Huxley region and about 43 m (141 ft) in the Scollard area in central Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The base of the Nevis Member is at the base of a 0.3 m (1 ft) thick
argillaceous, dark grey to black lignite overlying a 6 m (20 ft) thick medium grained, grey loosely
consolidated sandstone bed of the “Mammal Bearing Member” of the Edmonton Formation of
Srivastava (1968); the top of the member is a 1.5 m (5 ft) thick silty, light grey to buff, carbonaceous
Capstone underlying a 4 m (13 ft) thick sandstone bed (see Snead, 1969, p. 84), i.e., basal Paskapoo
Formation sensu Allan and Sanderson (1945), and Gibson (1977). The Nevis Member is equivalent to
the upper coaly part of the upper Edmonton Member (Allan and Sanderson, 1945) or the upper, coaly
part of the Scollard Formation (Gibson, 1977). The lower part of the Nevis Member is equivalent to the
Lance Formation of Wyoming.
Paleontology: Fossil pollen Wodehouseia spinata disappeared, and W. fimbriata appeared above the
Nevis coal seam (Srivastava, 1968, 1970). Dinosaur remains are absent above the Nevis coal seam;
radiometric (K-Ar) age dating and magnetostratigraphic studies indicate that the Maastrichtian-
Paleocene boundary lies in the clay seam at the base of the Nevis coal seam (Lerbekmo et al., 1979a,
Lerbekmo et al., 1979b).
References: Allan and Sanderson, 1945; Gibson, 1977; Lerbekmo et al., 1979a; Lerbekmo et al.,
1979b; Snead, 1969; Srivastava, 1968, 1970.
SKS
Newcastle Formation (Colorado Group)
Author: Hancock, E.T., 1920.
Type Locality: Exposures and subsurface sections near Newcastle, Wyoming were studied by
Hancock (1920). The type section proposed by Skolnick (1958) is an exposure on the northwest side
of a road cut along U.S. Highway 85, 0.6 km (0 4 mi) northeast of the junction with U.S. Highway 16,
and 1.6 km (1 mi) east of Newcastle, in NWNW Sec. 28, Twp. 45N, Rge. 61W, Weston County,
Wyoming.
Lithology: Relatively well washed and variably shaky fine to coarse grained sandstone with
interbedded siltstone and mudstone. The well washed sandstones are cross-laminated and
incorporate minor mudstone intercalations The shady sandstones are frequently kaolinitic and include
bioturbated deposits and thin graded sandstones and siltstones, alternating in vertical sequence with
mudstones and shales. Bentonite and coal are commonly interbedded with the principal lithologies.
Concretionary siderite layers also occur.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness in the type section is 28.3 m (93 ft). The Newcastle
Formation occurs in eastern Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. Thicknesses of up to 85.3 m
(280 ft) are encountered in eastern North Dakota. Sandstone bodies characterized by dominance of
fining-upward sequences are termed the Viking Formation in southeastern and east-central
Saskatchewan. However, these sandstones form a northward extension of the Newcastle Formation of
eastern Montana and North Dakota and are separates from the Bow Island-Viking succession of
Alberta and western Saskatchewan by a section of undifferentiated lower Colorado shale in central
Saskatchewan. The deposits equivalent to the Newcastle Formation in southeastern Saskatchewan
reach a maximum thickness of about 40 m (131 ft). The Ashville Sand of southern Manitoba also
appears to exhibit Newcastle affinities, with regard to gross lithology.
Relationship to Other Units: The Newcastle Formation rests disconformably on the Skull Creek Shale
with a sharp boundaries between the two units, but makes a gradational contact with the overlying
Mowry Shale. The same relationships are observed between the Viking-Newcastle succession of
southeastern Saskatchewan and the underlying Joli Fou and overlying Big River shale sequences
respectively.
References: Anderson, 1967, 1969; Hancock, 1920; Hansen, 1959; Price, 1963; Reishus, 1968;
Simpson, 1979a, b; Simpson and O’Connell, 1979.
FS
Newcastle Sandstone Member (Ashville Formation)
Author: Hancock, E.T., 1920.
Type Locality: Exposures near Newcastle, Weston County, Wyoming. The type section is in the NW/4
Sec. 28, Twp. 45N, Rge. 61W, in roadcut beside U.S. Highway 85 (Wulf, 1962).
History: The “Newcastle sandstone member” was named by Hancock (1920), who recognized it as a
sandstone unit between unnamed shales in what was then referred to as the “Graneros shale” in the
Black Hills area of northeastern Wyoming. The Newcastle and the unnamed shales have
subsequently been recognized as formations. For example, Cobban (1951) listed the following
formational sequence in the Black Hills: Skull Creek Shale, Newcastle Sandstone and Mowry Shale.
The name Newcastle Sandstone was introduced into Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan by McNeil
and Caldwell (1981). They correlated the Newcastle Sandstone northward from its type locality in
Wyoming, through western North Dakota into southeastern Saskatchewan, and to the outcrop belt of
the Manitoba escarpment, where the Newcastle’s lateral lithologic equivalents corresponded to the
informal Nashville sand” of the lower Ashville Formation. McNeil and Caldwell (1981) thus
recommended that the “Ashville sand” be referred to as the Newcastle Sandstone Member of the
Ashville Formation.
Lithology: Sandstone, with subordinate siltstone and shale. The Newcastle generally consists of light
grey to light brown, very fine to medium grained sandstone with interbeds of siltstone and dark grey
shale. Wulf (1962) described the typical Newcastle sandstone as an orthoquartzite, rich in organic
mater The sand is normally well sorted with subrounded grains. Of the clay minerals present kaolinite
is the most common. Throughout the Newcastle there are fragments of woody material ranging from
unaltered wood to coal fragments. The bedding is generally thin to thick, and massive beds are
characteristic in the upper part. Besides horizontal bedding sedimentary structures include planar and
trough cross-bedding, channels and oscillation ripple marks.
Thickness and Distribution: The Newcastle Sandstone is recognized front western Nebraska, north
through eastern Wyoming and Montana and through western South and North Dakota. It extends
northward into Canada, where it is referred to as the Newcastle Sandstone Member of the Ashville
Formation in the subsurface of southern Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan, and crops out along
the northern section of the Manitoba escarpment. It is discontinuous over this broad elongate tract of
land, comprising various lenticular and lobate bodies of sand, generally of an eastern derivation, and
ranging in thickness from zero to 30 m (98 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The upper contact with the Westgate Member, and lower contact with the
Skull Creek Shale Member of the Ashville Formation are generally conformable, with the exception of
local hiatuses, and may be either gradational or sharp. In areas where the Newcastle becomes thin or
disappears entirely, it does so by facies change to dark shale of the upper Skull Creek Shale. The
Newcastle is an eastward extending tongue of the arenaceous Dakota Formation in Nebraska and
South Dakota. Its westward equivalents are the Muddy Sandstone of Wyoming, the Bow Island
Sandstone of Alberta and Montana, the Viking Sandstone of Saskatchewan and Alberta, and the
Flotten Lake Sandstone of north-central Saskatchewan.
References: Cobban, 1951; Hancock, 1920; Hansen, 1955; McGookey et al. 1972; McNeil and
Caldwell, 1981; Price, 1963; Reishus, 1968; Rudkin, 1964; Schoon, 1971; Wulf, 1962.
DHM; LLP
Middle Proterozoic
Nicol Creek Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Author: McMechan, M.E., Hoy. T. and Price, R.A., 1980.
Type Locality: 1.2 m (0.75 mi) southeast of Cliff Lake, approximately 17.5 km (11 mi) east of Fort
Steele, British Columbia.
History: When Schofield (1914a) redefined the Purcell Series he introduced the “Siyeh Formation” to
the Purcell Mountains as the sequence of rocks overlying the “Kitchener Formation” and underlying
the Purcell Lava. These are mainly argillites, and the underlying Kitchener Formation consists mainly
of carbonate rocks. However, the Siyeh Formation, as defined by Willis (1902) in the Glacier National
Park area of northern Montana, and as used there and in adjacent parts of Canada (Daly, 1912; Price,
1962,1964) consists mainly of carbonate rocks, but includes argillaceous members at the bottom and
at the top, beneath a basic lava unit. In the Cranbrook area numerous lava flows are interbedded with
sedimentary rocks. Schofield (1915) placed the top of the “Siyeh Formation” at the base of the highest
lava flow and called that flow the “Purcell Lava). Rice (1937) included all the flows within the “Siyeh”
but called them flows of the “Purcell Lava”. Leech (1960) recognized that the Kitchener, not the “Siyeh
Formation” of the Purcell Mountains was correlative with the carbonate rocks which comprise the bulk
of the (original) Siyeh Formation in the Clark and Galton ranges; he therefore abandoned the “Siyeh
Formation” in the Purcell Mountains and instead designated the rocks as map-unit 5, divided into a
lower clastic (unit 5a) and an upper volcanic and clastic (unit 5b) unit. McMechan et al. (1980) named
the volcanic and clastic rocks equivalent to unit 5b the Nicol Creek Formations
Lithology: The Nicol Creek Formation consists of green and lesser purple, locally dolomitic siltite and
argillite, green volcanic sandstone and tuft, interlayered with green or maroon, massive to
amygdaloidal, basaltic to andesitic lava flows (Daly, 1912, Hunt, 1964; McMechan et al., 1960). Mud
cracks, ripple cross- and trough lamination, rip-up debris beds, scour-and-fill structures, and climbing
ripples are locally abundant in the sedimentary rocks. The siltites and argillites interbedded with the
lava aces are generally similar to those of the underlying Van Creek Formation.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit occurs in the southwestern Hughes Range and eastern Purcell
Mountains. Its thickness varies from approximately 750 m (2460 ft) in the Mount Baker (McMechan,
1980)-Bloom Creek area (Leech, 1960) of the Purcell Mountains, and in the Hughes Range east of
Teepee Mountain (Hoy, 1979) to 60 m (197 ft) in the eastern part of Dewar Creek area; it is absent
elsewhere in the Nelson east half map-area (Reesor, 1958).
Relationship to Other Units: The Nicol Creek Conformably but abruptly overlies the Van Creek
Formation; it is conformably to disconformably overlain by quartzites and dolomites of the Sheppard
(Dutch Creek in the Dewar Creek area) Formation. Volcanic flows correlative with the Nicol Creek
Formation form the Purcell Lava in the Galton, Clark and northern Whitefish and Lewis ranges, and
occur within the lower part of the Sheppard Formation (Price, 1962,1964; Smith, 1963) in the northern
Whitefish and southern Clark ranges.
References: Daly, 1912; Hoy, 1979; Hunt, 1964; Leech, 1960; McMechan, 1980; McMechan, Hoy, and
Price, 1980; Price, 1962, 1964; Reesor. 1958; Rice, 1937, 1941; Schofield, 1914a, 1915: Smith, 1963:
Willis, 1902.
MEM, RAP
Jurassic to Cretaceous
Nikanassin Formation
Author: McKay, B.R., 1929.
Type Locality: on Brown Creek, near Brule, central Alberta Foothills in Sec. 4, Twp. 50, Rge. 27W5M.
The name Nikanassin was first introduced by MacKay (1929) on G.S.C. Map 208A, Mountain Park. A
type locality for the information was not designated. An incomplete section located farther to the north
on Brown Creek in the Brule Mines coal area was described by MacKay (1929). A complete section is
located on Red Cap Mountain in Sec. 35, Twp. 45, Rge. 22W5M (D.F. Stott, pers. comm.).
Lithology: Marine and continental sandstones, and dark grey shales. The sandstones are grey, hard,
mostly quartzose and are fine grained, although the grain size increases to the north and east in the
plains region. The lower beds are mainly marine and in the foothills the upper part is coastal to
continental in origin, containing carbonaceous shales and small carbonaceous streaks but no
commercial coal seams.
Thickness and Distribution: The Nikanassin thickens northward from the foothills near North
Saskatchewan River. The formation reaches about 400 m (1312 ft) in the type area, but thins to the
east due to pre-Cadomin erosion. In the plains the erosional edge curves northwestward from the
Coalspur area (east of Jasper) to the vicinity of Fort St. John, and roughly parallels the Cadomin edge
which lies 20 to 40 km (12 to 24 mi) to the east.
Relationship to Other Units: The Nikanassin sandstones grade into the underlying Jurassic Fernie
shales through an interval of interbedded sandstones and shales (“Passage Beds”). The upper contact
is sharp, as the Lower Cretaceous Cadomin conglomerates overlie eroded, progressively older
Nikanassin beds in an easterly direction, forming a regional angular unconformity.
The stratigraphic position of the Nikanassin is similar to that of the Kootenay Group in the southern
foothills and to the Minnes Croup north of Smoky River. These three units represent northward
regression of the sea, beginning in Late Jurassic; although generally related they are not entirely time
equivalent
Paleontology: The Nikanassin Formation appears to range in age from Portlandian to Barremian, but
fossil evidence is particularly scarce and ambiguous in the upper part of the succession.
References: Gussow, 1960; Irish, 1965; Loranger, 1958; MacKay, 1929; Mountjoy, 1962, 1962;
Springer, MacDonald and Crockford, 1964; Stow, 1967, 1972; Ziegler and Pocock, 1960.
RdeW
Upper Cretaceous (Coniacian-Santonian)
Niobrara Formation
Author: Meek, E.B. and Hayden, M.D., 1862.
Type Locality: Along the Missouri River of south-central South Dakota and northeastern Nebraska,
named after exposures near the Niobrara River, Knox County, Nebraska.
History: The “Niobrara division” was introduced by Meek and Hayden (1862) for chalky shales,
limestones and chalk or marl occurring between the “Fort Benton group” (now the Graneros Shale,
Greenhorn Limestone and Carlile Shale) and the “Fort Pierre group” (now the Pierre Shale) of the
classical Nebraska section in the Missouri River Valley. The formation has been recognized since
through much of the eastern and median facies belts of the western interior from New Mexico to
Manitoba and has been subdivided extensively along that tract (Cobban and Reeside, 1952;
McGookey et al., 1972; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981) in the type area of South Dakota and Nebraska
the formation has been divided into the lower Fort Hays Limestone Member (Williston, 1893) and an
upper Smoky Hill Chalk Member (Cragin, 1896).
The name “Niobrara” was in up in Canada through the late nineteenth century (Tyrrell, 1892) and early
twentieth century (Ells, 1923). It was, however, applied incorrectly during that period. Thus the
“Niobrara” in Manitoba included beds of the upper “Fort Benton Group” (now the Favel Formation and
the Morden Shale).
In 1930 Kirk introduced a revised nomenclature based on units defined and named in the area of the
Manitoba escarpment. The “Boyne beds” of Kirk (1930), later termed the Boyne Member of the
Vermilion River Formation by Wickenden (1945), corresponded to the Niobrara Formation of the
Missouri River Valley. The nomenclature of Kirk and Wickenden was used widely and unmodified until
1981, when McNeil and Caldwell recommended reintroduction of the name “Niobrara” into Manitoba.
Their recommendation was based on lithologic similarity and lateral continuity of the chalky Niobrara
lithofacies in the eastern facies belt of the western interior of Canada and the United States from the
type area in South Dakota and Nebraska through to Manitoba. McNeil and Caldwell (1981) divided the
Niobrara Formation of Manitoba into a lower calcareous shale member and an upper chalky member.
Lithology: Medium grey to olive-grey calcareous or chalky shale, limestone, chalk or marlstone. The
Fort Hays Limestone Member consists of thick to massive bedded, microcrystalline limestone. The
Smoky Hill Chalk Member is an argillaceous limestone or impure chalk, thinner bedded than the
underlying Fort Hays Limestone. Hattin (1981) described the chalk as laminated to nonlaminated,
mostly a foraminiferal pelmicrite with packstone or wackestone texture. The type beds are about 80 per
cent calcium carbonate, mostly derived from foraminifers and coccoliths. A characteristic feature of the
Niobrara is the abundant occurrence of chalky specks, which Hattin (1975a) determined as of fecal
pellet origin composed of aggregates of coccoliths. The proportion of carbonate in the Niobrara
decreases westwards from the type locality coincident with a proportionate increase in terrigenous
clastic sediments derived from western source areas. The nomenclature reflects this change; the
formation is referred to as the Niobrara Shale in central Wyoming; the name Smoky Hill Shale Member
is applied in Colorado.
In Manitoba the Niobrara consists of a lower, olive-black, carbonaceous, chalk-speckled calcareous
shale, with minor beds of greyish-black shale, thin bentonite beds and, in its lowermost 1 or 2 m (3 to 7
ft) lenses of silty or fine quartzose sand. The upper Niobrara consists of 2 buff weathering chalky, olive-
black shale with subordinate interbeds of black, noncalcareous shale and numerous bentonite beds.
The upper chalky lithotype is developed prominently in Pembina Mountain, disappears northward
towards Riding Mountain and reappears farther northwest in the Pasquia Hills. In Manitoba the calcite
content reaches 55 per cent (Bannatyne, 1970).
Thickness and Distribution: The chalk-limestone facies of the Niobrara forms an elongate zone
(eastern platform of Hattin, 1975b) covering the central western interior of North America, extending
from the San Juan basin of northeastern New Mexico to the Pasquia Hills of east-central
Saskatchewan. In northeastern Nebraska the formation is 55 to 62 m (180 to 203 ft) thick. The Foe
Hays Limestone constitutes 12 to 24 m (39 to 79 ft) of that total, with a distribution limited to eastern
Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska. The Niobrara thickens westward with the increase in terrigenous
clastic sediments; reaching approximately 150 m (492 ft) through extreme northeastern New Mexico,
eastern Colorado, extreme eastern Wyoming and the western margins of South and North Dakota. In
southern Manitoba the formation attains a thickness of 73 m (239 ft), but thins northwestward along the
Manitoba escarpment to 15 m (49 ft) in the Pasquia Hills of Saskatchewan, marking the northernmost
occurrence of the chalky facies of the Niobrara (McNeil and Caldwell, 1981).
Relationship to Other Units: Lower and upper contacts of the Niobrara may be either conformable or
unconformable. Unconformable boundaries are generally more characteristic of the eastern sections
(Kansas, Nebraska, eastern South and North Dakota, and southern Manitoba), whereas western
sections are generally in conformable contact.
In Manitoba chalky shale of the Niobrara unconformably overlies black shale of the Morden Shale
(formerly Morden Member, Vermilion River Formation). Black shale of the Pembina Member of the
Pierre Shale lies unconformably on the Niobrara along most of the Manitoba escarpment. A westward
thickening shale wedge, the Gammon Ferruginous Member of the Pierre Shale intervenes between
the Pembina and the Niobrara in the subsurface of southern Manitoba.
The Niobrara correlates westwards with shale and subordinate sandstone. It correlates with the
Mancos Shale (part) in northwestern Colorado, the Cody Shale and uppermost Frontier Formation in
central and northern Wyoming, the Hilliard Shale and contiguous sandy units in Utah, and the Kevin
Shale Member of the Marias River Shale and the Telegraph Creek Formation in Montana. In Canada
the Niobrara extends through southern Manitoba into eastern Saskatchewan, correlating westwards
with the First (upper) White Speckled shale of the Colorado Group in western Saskatchewan and
eastern Alberta and the Muskiki, Marshybank, Dowling, Thistle and Hanson members of the Wapiabi
Formation in the central and southwestern Alberta Foothills.
References: Cragin, 1896; Cobban and Reeside, 1952; Ells, 1923; Hattin, 1975a, b, 1981; Kirk, 1930;
McGookey et al., 1972; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; Meek and Hayden, 1862; Reeside, 1944; Scott
and Cobban, 1964; Simpson, 1960; Tyrrell, 1892; Wickenden, 1945; Williams and Burk, 1964; Williston,
1893
DHM; LLP, PAM

Nisku Formation (Winterburn Group)
Type Locality: Type section is the B.A. Pyrcz No. 1 well, in 12-25-50-26W4. Alberta, between 1496.3
and 1548.8 m (4909 and 5065 ft).
History: The terns ‘D-2’ zone was first used to describe the first-discovered oil producing zone of the
Leduc field Alberta (Layer et al., 1949) The term was superseded by the designation of the Nisku at
the type well (Geological Staff, Imperial Oil, 1950). In this usage the Nisku was assigned member
status within the then Winterburn Formation. Andrichuk and Wonfor (1954, p. 2505) recommended
elevation of the Winterburn to group status and the term Nisku Formation came into general usage.
Lithology: At the type section the Nisku Formation is composed of light brown to light grey crystalline
dolomite, with lesser amounts of brownish grey dolomitic siltstones, green shales and anhydrite. In
southcentral Alberta it is composed of two distinct units: a lower, open marine dolomitized carbonate;
and an upper, anhydritic dolo-mudstone with shale interbeds. The lower carbonate unit is fossiliferous
and comprises small stromatoporoid-coral bioherms, Amphipora lagoonal sediments and laminated
tidal-flat dolo-mudstones through dolo-grainstones. The upper unit, which shows a reciprocal
thickness variation with the lower unit is composed of laminated and bedded, unfossiliferous anhydrite
and dolo-mudstones. West of the Rimbey-Meadowbrook chain of Leduc reefs the Nisku Formation is
almost entirely composed of open marine carbonate sediments that pass laterally into more basinal
sediments in the West Pembina area. This is accompanied by locally developed coral-stromatoporoid,
downslope “pinnacle reefs” (Chevron, 1979; Watts, 1987).
To the west and northwest in Alberta the Nisku Formation comprises a blanket of carbonate platform
sediments that also shale out into equivalent basin sediments of the Besa River west of the Peace
River Arch in northeastern British Columbia.
Thickness and Distribution: The Nisku Formation is 47.5 m (156 ft) thick at the type section and
generally ranges between 40 to 60 m (131 to 197 ft) thick throughout southern and central Alberta. The
formation thins to 35 to 45 m (115 to 148 ft) where it overlies Leduc carbonate complexes. In eastern
Alberta the Nisku Formation has been truncated by pre-Cretaceous erosion. In west central Alberta
thicknesses of greater than 100 m (328 ft) are encountered within the Winterburn Basin (Chevron,
1979).
Relationship to Other Units: The Nisku Formation conformably overlies dolomitic and calcareous
shales of the Ireton Formation (Woodbend Group) and is overlain conformably (locally unconformably)
by dolomitic siltstones, green shales and anhydrites of the Calmar Formation (Winterburn Group). To
the south and east the Nisku has equivalents in the Birdbear Formation in Saskatchewan, Montana,
North Dakota and Manitoba (A.S.P.G., 1964) In Rocky Mountain outcrops the Nisku has been
correlated with the Grotto and Arcs Members of the Southesk Formation (Belyea and McLaren, 1957).
In the West Pembina area it is composed of a number of distinct members (Chevron, 1979) marking its
transition to the Winterburn shale basin. In northern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia it
equates to the Jean Marie Member and the upper member of the Redknife Formation.
References: A.S.P.G. 1964; Belyea, 1962; Belyea and McLaren, 1957; Exploration Staff, Chevron
Standard Limited, 1979; Layer, et al., 1950; Watts, 1987; Stoakes, 1987; Geological Staff, Imperial Oil
Ltd., 1950; Andrichuk and Wonfor, 1954; Gilhooly, 1987.
FAS
Upper Cretaceous
Nomad Member (Wapiabi Formation, Alberta Group)
Sec. 17, Twp. 44, Rge. 20W5M.
Lithology: Consists of dark grey rusty weathering, rubbly mudstone overlain by carbonaceous, greyish
green mudstone which contains beds of fine grained, greyish green sandstone. The sand content
increases upward, producing a transitional appearance with the overlying massive beds of coarse
grained sandstone assigned to the Belly River, Brazeau or Wapiti formations. A thin Conglomerate of
chert pebbles commonly occurs at the base.
Thickness and Distribution: The Nomad varies in thickness from 27.7 to 39.6 m (90 to 130 ft)
throughout most of the foothills, but increases to as much as 51.8 m (170 ft) in a few of the easterly
sections. It is recognized from the upper Smoky River as far south as Crowsnest River. It is not present
in the foothills of northeastern British Columbia, but is 23.8 to (78 ft) thick on lower Smoky River in the
type section of the Smoky Group.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact with the Chungo Member is drawn below a bed of chert
pebbles which may mark a brief hiatus in deposition. The upper boundary, generally of transitional
nature is drawn at the base of coarse grained sandstone or carbonaceous sediments of the Wapiti
Formation in northern regions, of the Brazeau Formation of the central foothills, and of the Belly River
of the southern foothills. The Nomad Member is considered to be equivalent to the Pakowki Formation
of southern Alberta and to the Claggett and part of the Lea Park formations of eastern Alberta.
Paleontology: Microfauna include Verneuilina bearpawensis Wickenden, a diagnostic species

occurring in Pakowki equivalents above the beds correlated with the Milk River sandstones. Baculites
and pelecypods occur sporadically. A calcareous foraminiferal assemblage is recognized as the
Robulus microfauna by Wall and Germundson (1963).
References: Stott, 1963,1967; Wall and Germundson, 1963.
DFS
Upper Lower Silurian (Late Llandovery)
Nonda (Ronning) Formation
Author: Norford, B.S., Gabrielse, H. and Taylor, G.C., 1966.
Type Locality: On the shoulder of a ridge at 58°48’N, 125°37’W, just east of a deep canyon about 3.2
km (2 mi) northwest of the Toad River bridge on the Alaska Highway in British Columbia.
Lithology: Dominantly siliceous dolomite with chert nodules, with lesser amounts of quartzite,
quartzitic sandstone and limestone near the base. The base of the formation is southward thinning
quartzite and quartzitic sandstone north of Keily Creek, south of this locality it is a dark dolomite.
Quartzites and quartzitic sandstones are most abundant at the base of the formation; the upper part is
dominantly siliceous dolomite with chert nodules. In the southern Yukon the basal beds of the Nonda
Formation consist of very well bedded, homogeneous, fine grained, strongly cross-bedded, buff,
dolomitic siltstone and sandstone 30+ m (100+ ft) thick. This is overlain by medium to thick bedded,
flaggy, locally with lenses and layers of black chert, medium to dark grey, fine grained, commonly fetid
dolomites, probably less than 305 m (1000 ft) thick.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit ranges from 138 m (452 ft) through 295 m (969 ft) at the type
locality to 612 m (2008 ft) at Gibault Creek (west of Fort St. John). It is 344 m (1160 ft) south of the
Liard River on the north and 290 m (950 ft) at the south end of the Caribou Range. It is present in a
linear belt extending from southwest of Fort St. John, at about 55°N, 123°15’W, extending
northwestward into southern Yukon at about 126°W and in the Caribou Range (125°35’W). To the east
of the mountains the Nonda is absent in the subsurface, with Devonian rocks resting on mid-Cambrian
and older strata. In the Coal River map area of the Yukon the formation is probably less that 305 m
(1000 ft) thick and is present on Coal River, Otter River, Spruce Creek and Siwash Creek.
Relationship to Other Units: The Nonda unconformably overlies Precambrian or Cambrian and
Ordovician strata, and is unconformably overlain by the Muncho-McConnell Formation. The contact
between Cambrian quartzites and quartzites of the Nonda is difficult to recognize. The unit was
referred to as the Ronning Formation in northern British Columbia by Laudon and Chronic (1949). In
the Yukon the Nonda unconformably overlies unnamed ?Middle Cambrian to Lower Ordovician strata
and the Sunblood Formation and is overlain by unnamed Silurian to Middle Devonian dolomites and
limestone.
Paleontology: Brachiopods and trilobites, colonial corals and stromatoporoid biostromes in the upper
part of the Nonda.
References: Gabrielse and Blusson, 1969; Norford et al., 1966; Taylor and Mackenzie, 1970; Taylor
and Stott, 1973; van Hees, 1964.
LVH; MPC
Nordegg Member (Fernie Formation)
Author: Spivak, J. 1949.
Type Locality: No specific locality designated, but the unit is well exposed in the Limestone Mountain
area, at Nordegg, Cadomin, and in the Snake Indian River valley, Alberta .
History: Originally referred to as the “black chert member” by Warren (1964) and Spivak (1949); the
latter noted use of the term Nordegg Member.
Lithology: Dark grey to black, hard, platy to medium bedded, cherty and phosphate limestones, with
40-90% chert occurring as layers exhibiting pinch and swell, lenticular beds and nodules; chert dark
grey to black with blue tints. Interbeds of plater dark grey and black silty shales and papery black
shales also present in small amounts. A thin (30 cm, 12 in) band of slightly phosphate chert
conglomerate often forms the lowermost bed of this unit. In the Limestone Mountain area Ollerenshaw
(1966) recognized three subdivisions: a basal soft, brown shale up to 0.9 m (3 ft) thick, a middle chert
and limestone from 7.0 to 24.7 m (23 to 81 ft) thick, and an upper platy, oolitic and silty limestone, 6.7
to 7.6 m (22 to 25 ft) in thickness. This upper unit is now referred to the Red Deer Member (q.v.).
The Nordegg Member is usually capped by the highly fossiliferous Oxytoma Bed, which should be
included within this member.
Thickness and Distribution: Known in outcrop from Limestone Mountain area, south of Clearwater
River, north to the Peace River area, varying from 15 to 47.8 m (49 to 157 ft) in thickness. According to
Springer et al. (1964), in the subsurface it extends eastward to a line from Pincher Creek through
Calgary to the Gilbey area southwest of Edmonton and consists of speckled dark brown shale of
bituminous appearance, with thin beds of shaly limestone.
Relationship to Other Units: Where present represents the base of the Fernie Formation, resting on the
Triassic Spray River Group (infilling cracks in its upper surface) or directly on Paleozoic units with
apparent conformity. In most exposures the top of the member is marked by the highly fossiliferous
Oxytoma Bed which is conformably overlain by black, fissile shales of the Poker Chip Shale. Rocks of
equivalent age farther north and south are dark, indurated shales, phosphatic limestones and
sandstones; these rocks have never been formally designated as a member within the Fernie
Formation.
References: Frebold, 1957, 1969; Ollerenshaw, 1968; Springer et al., 1964; Spivak, 1949; Stott, 1967,
Warren, 1984.
RLH
Upper Devonian
Normandville Member (Wabamun Formation)
Author Halbertsma, H.L. and Meijer Drees, N.C., 1987.
Type Locality: Peace River Arch area, northwestern Alberta.
History: The name Normandville was introduced independently at the same time by Halbertsma and
Nishida at the Second International Symposium on the Devonian System in 1987. Nishida had
previously suggested the name Beaver Creek in 1985, but this name was dropped in favor of
Normandville.
Lithology: The Normandville Member is the most important producing zone in the Wabamun Formation
of Alberta. Its base is marked by a grey-brown, very argillaceous wackestone or marl. In general the
Normandville represents a period of decreasing sea level rise with prograding layers of buff, shoaling,
pelletoidal grainstones which are locally dolomitized. Shelly organisms (brachiopods, gastropods)
were minor and sediment feeders probably the dominant organisms, producing huge amount of
pellets. Calcite cementation has reduced porosity considerably. Effective porosity is generally present
where pervasive dolomitization has taken place. Typical for the Normandville are stromatoporoid patch
reefs which formed halos around shoaling, pelletoidal grainstone patches.
Thickness and Distribution: in northcentral Alberta the thickness ranges from zero to 100 m (328 ft).
The Normandville covers nearly completely the Peace River Arch, where pelletoidal grainstone
buildups tend to form barriers.
Relationship to Other Units: The Normandville is overlain conformably by the Cardinal Lake Member
and underlain by the Whitelaw Member of the Wabamun Formation. It is correlated with the upper
porous part of the Crossfield Member of southcentral Alberta. Nishida (1987) noted that according to
C.W. Stearn the stromatoporoids in the Normandville Member are slightly younger than those in the
Crossfield Member. The very argillaceous wackestones or marls at the base of the Normandville may
correlate with the “black band” or “black mudstone” in the middle of the Morro Member in the Palliser
Formation (Geldsetzer, 1982).
References: Andrichuk, 1960; Eliuk, 1984; Eliuk and Hunter, 1987; Geldsetzer, 1982; Halbertsma,
1990; Halbertsma and Meijer Drees, 1987; Metherel and Workman, 1969; Nishida, Murray and Stearn,
1985; Nishida, 1987; Stoakes, 1987; Styan, 1984.
HLH
Upper Carboniferous and Permian
Norquay Formation (Obsolete);
Rocky Mountain Group (Redundant)
Author: Beales, F.W., 1950, p. 6.
History: Warren (1947) recognized two unnamed members comprising the Rocky Mountain Formation.
Beales (1950, p. 6) referred to an upper Norquay Mountain Formation, attributing these names to
Warren (1947). Douglas (1953, p. 68) also attributed these names to Warren (1927, 1947). McGugan
and Rapson (1961) divided the Rocky Mountain Group into three formations, in ascending order the
Tunnel Mountain, Kananaskis and Ishbel formations. The latter two are equivalent to the Norquay
Formation.
Lithology: Interbedded, dark cherty dolomite and chert, with phosphatic zones; it is more highly
colored near the base, with interbedded quartzite and basal chert conglomerates.
References: Beales, 1950; Douglas, 1953; McGugan and Rapson, 1961b; Warren, 1927, 1947.
AM, CMH
Upper Triassic
North Pine Member (Charlie Lake Formation, Schooler Creek Group)
Type Locality: Pacific Fort St. John 2-18-84-19W6M, in northeastern British Columbia, between 1450.2
and 1452.7 m (4758 and 4766 ft).
History: The unit is one of several Charlie Lake zones referred to as the Triassic ‘C’ zone. Hess (1968),
to avoid further confusion named it after the producing zone in gas wells in the North Pine area of
British Columbia.
Lithology: Mostly calcareous quartzose sandstone and black, cryptocrystalline anhydrite; immediately
south of the Fort St. John Field, restricted depositional conditions caused salt deposition in this
member.
Thickness and Distribution: 2 to 4 m (7 to 13 ft) thick. The unit is widespread over the whole Charlie
Lake Basin in British Columbia. It occurs as well developed porous sands in the North Pine, Red
Creek, Fort St. John and Pingel areas; to the east it is eroded beyond its subcrop edge.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies 8 to 18 m (26 to 59 ft) below the Inga Member of the Charlie Lake
Formation.
JWR
Nosehill Member (Cardium Formation)
Type Locality: West-central Alberta. Type section is in the B.P. Gulf Edson 6-34-52-17W5M well,
Lithology: Mainly black mudstone. Where fully developed coarsens upward into bioturbated and cross-
bedded sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: Generally varies from about 20 to 53 m (66 to 174 ft) in the type area. It is
erosionally truncated to the east.
Relationship to Other Units: Underlain by shales of the Blackstone Formation and overlain by the
Bickerdike or Kakwa members of the Lower Cardium Formation.
Lexicon Committee
Notikewin Member (Spirit River Formation)
Type Locality: Wickenden’s (1951) section 8 (p. 28-30), located on the southeast side of Peace River
about 0.5 km (0.3 mi) below a sharp bend in the SW/4 Sec. 28, Twp. 93, Rge. 20W5M, Alberta. In the
subsurface type section of the Spirit River Formation in the Imperial Spirit River No 1 well, in 12-20-
78-6-W6M the Notikewin occurs between 817 and 845 m (2678 and 2770 ft).
History: The Notikewin is the upper part of the “Basal Member” of the Peace River Formation
(Wickenden, 1951). The name was taken from the Notikewin River, 110 km (70 mi) downstream from
the town of Peace River, Alberta, and was used for the sandstones outcropping there in company
reports much before 1954.
Lithology: Grey, yellowish and greenish grey more or less argillaceous sandstone, fine to medium
grained, containing interbeds of light to dark grey shale with ironstone concretions. Some glauconitic
beds are present. In the southern portions of the Peace River area some nonmarine deposits are
interbedded.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness in type section is 10 m (33 ft), in the Imperial Spirit River No. 1
well it is 28 m (92 ft) it is present in the Peace River area of Alberta and westward to the Fort St. John
area of British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: The Notikewin Member is abruptly though conformably overlain by the
Harmon Member of the Peace River Formation and underlain conformably and somewhat
transitionally with the Falher silts and shaly beds. The Notikewin is probably equivalent to the upper
part of the Gates Formation of the Hudson Hope area of British Columbia and to the lower sandstone
member of the Scatter Formation (Bulwell Member, Stott, 1981) of the Liard River area. It correlates
with part of the Grand Rapids Formation of the Athabasca River area of northern Alberta, with the
upper Mannville of the plains, and to the upper Luscar (Malcolm Creek Member of McLean, 1980) of
the central Alberta Foothills.
References: Badgley, 1952; McLean, 1980; Singh, 1971; Stow 1981; Wickenden, 1951.
CRS
Nunki Sandstone (Kaskapau Formation)
(Redundant, abandoned)
Author: Moore, W.E., 1962; Stelck, C.R. (1962).
Type Locality: Nini Hill, east of Murray River, between Mount Puggins and East Pine.
History: Moore (1962) and Stelck (1962) indicated the presence of a sandstone between the Wartenbe
and Cardium sandstones in the vicinity of Nini Hill, east of Murray River, northeastern British
Columbia. The stratigraphy was based on a composite section originally described by C.R. Stelck,
which extended from Coalstream Creek to Gordon Creek. Stott (1967, p. 15) considered the sandstone
to be part of the Cardium Formation.
Thickness and Distribution: Stelck (1962, p. 16) described the sandstone as 18 m (60 ft) thick. He
apparently believed that it extended eastward to Pouce Coupe.
Relationship to Other Units: Considered to be transitional with the underlying and overlying shales.
Paleontology: A marine fauna was briefly outlined by Moore (1962) and Stelck (1962).
References: Moore, 1962; Stelck, 1962; Stott, 1967.
DFS
Middle Devonian
Nyarling Formation
Type Locality: Road cuts and exposures adjacent to road connecting Salt River and Hay River
Settlement; 60°09’N, 113°30’W, District of Mackenzie.
Lithology: Mainly gypsum, with minor brown thinly bedded, fissile, fine grained to aphanitic limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: Calculated 128 m (420 ft). It is discontinuously and poorly exposed in a
northwest trending belt about 45 km (28 mi) wide between the northern boundary of Alberta and the
south flank of the Presqu’ile dolomite, about 16 km (10 mi) south of the south shore of Great Slave
Lake.
Relationship to Other Units: It corresponds to map unit 10 of Douglas (1959) and occurs
stratigraphically between the Little Buffalo Formation (below) and the Slave Point Formation. Neither
contact is exposed. Possibly stratigraphically equivalent to the upper 4/5 of the Pine Point formation,
and all of the Presqu’ile and Sulphur Point formations. In places it appears to be equivalent to the
lower part of the Slave Point Formation. It appears to occupy roughly the stratigraphic position (Law,
1955a, b) of the combined Muskeg and Watt Mountain formations and Fort Vermilion Member of the
Slave Point Formation of northwestern Alberta.
References: Norris, 1965; Douglas, 1959; Law, 1955a, b.
LVH; AWN
Obed Till
Author: Roed, M.A., 1975, p. 1507.
Type Locality: North side of Trail Creek, about 20 km (12.5 mi) northeast Obed, Alberta, in SW/4 Sec.
3, Twp. 52, Rge. 24W5M (approximately 53°27’30”N, 117°27’30”W).
Lithology: Dominantly clayey, locally sandy loam till of fairly uniform composition. Carbonate content
from 18 to 30%, average 20%. Medium olive brown where oxidized, dark olive where non-oxidized,
slightly plastic. Very stony, with stones all of Cordilleran origin and typical of front and main ranges of
Rocky Mountains; they include boulders of Athabasca Valley Erratics Train; the heavy mineral suite is
typically Cordilleran.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality 4.8 m (16 ft) thick and reaches 43.5 m (143 ft), but
average thickness about 4.5 m (15 ft). Found along Athabasca Valley between 1050 and 1290 m
(3444 and 4231 ft) a.s.l., in the southwest part of the Edson-Hinton area.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies bedrock, glaciofluvial or glaciolacustrine sediments, and

Marlboro Till or associated outwash. Exposed at surface or else overlain by outwash from retreating
Obed glacier, by wind deposits, glacial lake sediments or muskeg. Correlated by Roed with the
Canmore and Late Portage Mountain tills of Rutter.
Deposited by an expanded “toe glacier” that spread generally northeast down Athabasca Valley; this
most likely was a major readvance of the Cordilleran Marlboro glacier, and as a result Marlboro and
Obed tills are difficult to distinguish. Last major Cordilleran glacier advance in the Edson-Hinton area.
AMacSS
Odanah Member (Pierre Shale)
Type Locality: Exposures in the Minnedosa River valley, about 1 km (0.6 mi) northwest of Minnedosa,
Manitoba, rear the long-abandoned village of Odanah (in Lsd. 6, Sec. 10, Twp. 15, Rge. 28WPM). A
railroad cut in the northwest portion of Lsd. 5, Sec. 10, Twp. 15. Rge. 18WPM has been designated the
type section by McNeil and Caldwell (1981).
History: The “Odanah Series” was proposed by Tyrrell (1890) for light grey hard (siliceous) shales
overlying softer shale of the “Millwood Series”, constituting the upper Pierre in Manitoba. Wickenden
(1945) considered the Odanah as a peculiar lithologic phase of the “Riding Mountain Formation”
(combined Millwood and Odanah) not warranting formal stratigraphic differentiation. The name was
later resurrected by Tovell (1948), and the Odanah has been recognized since as a member assigned
either to the Riding Mountain Formation or the Pierre Shale. Initially the Odanah was thought to be the
uppermost unit of the Pierre in contact with Boissevain Formation in Manitoba. However, the work of
Bannatyne (1970), Bamburak (1978) and McNeil and Caldwell (1981) led to the documentation of a
soft shale unit above the siliceous Odanah forming the uppermost unit of the Pierre.
Lithology: Olive-grey, siliceous shale or clay with subordinate olive-grey, sod shale. Bannatyne (1970)
indicated that silica, probably amorphous is the major constituent of the Odanah Shale. The origin of
the silica is problematic. McNeil and Caldwell (1981) considered it to be biogenic, perhaps derived
from the dissolution of siliceous microfossils. Thin beds of soft, dark olive-grey shale resembling the
underlying Millwood Shale Member are characteristic, as too are thin bentonite beds. Purplish black
weathering iron-manganese concretions are also common in the Odanah Member.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized in the Manitoba escarpment, extending through eastern
Saskatchewan, southeastern Manitoba and North Dakota. Only in the Turtle Mountain area of southern
Manitoba and northernmost North Dakota is there a complete section of Odanah preserved,
approximately 150 m (492 ft) thick. Elsewhere its upper beds are eroded and overlain by Quaternary
sediments.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact with the soft shales of the Millwood Member in
Manitoba or similar shales of the DeGrey Member in North Dakota is conformable. The upper contact
is probably conformable with overlying sober shales (Coulter Member of Bamburak, 1978), or the
unnamed member of McNeil and Caldwell (1981) known only from subsurface sections.
The Odanah correlates southward with the Verendrye and lower Virgin Creek members of the Pierre
Shale in South Dakota. Westwards, correlative units are the upper Broderick, Matador, Sherrard,
Demaine, Beechy and Ardkenneth members of the Bearpaw Formation and, in Montana are within the
undivided Bearpaw Shale.
References: Bamburak, 1978; Bannatyne, 1970; Gill and Cobban, 1965; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981;
Tovell, 1948; Tyrrell, 1890, 1892; Wickenden, 1945.
DHM; LLP, PAM

Middle Cambrian
Ogygopsis Shale Lentil (Stephen Formation)
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1908c.
Type Locality: The famous fossil beds on the northwest slope of Mount Stephen, above Field, British
Columbia, at 51°24’N, 116°47W.
History: The Ogygopsis Shale is famous for its profusion of spectacular fossil trilobites, but it has never
been recognized at any other locality. It is not useful as a formal member and is best treated as a
specific exposure of the Stephen Formation (as is the Burgess Shale).
Lithology: Shale, with abundant well preserved fossils, notably the large trilobite
Thickness and Distribution: Less than 30 m (98 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: A local body of shale characterized by its fauna, low in the “thick” basinal
facies of the Stephen Formation, immediately in front of the depositional Cathedral Escarpment
(McIlreath, 1977). It is part of a conformable sequence.
References: Deiss, 1940; Fritz, 1971; McIlreath, 1977; Rasetti, 1951; Walcott, 1906c.
JDA; LVH
Okla Sandstone (Big River Formation, Colorado Group)
Author: Simpson, F., 1979a, 1979b.
Type Locality: Imperial Okla 1-29-35-8W2M well, in Saskatchewan, between 372 and 380 m (1220
and 1246 ft).
Lithology: Yellowish grey and fight olive grey very fine and fine grained sandstone with abundant dark
green mudstone intercalations. The sandstone is quartzose, micaceous and variably kaolinitic,
occurring in layers which range in thickness from a few millimetres to several centimetres and are
characterized by horizontal and gently inclined lamination. There is a downward increase in the
proportion of interbedded mudstone. Several bentonite layers are present. Finely comminuted fish-
skeletal debris is concentrated in some sandstone layers.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness remains relatively constant at 5 to 8 m (16 to 26 ft) in east-
central Saskatchewan near the Manitoba border. The unit undergoes progress decrease in thickness
and grain size to the south.
Relationship to Other Units: Both the upper and lower contacts with the enclosing shales and
mudstones of the Big River Formation are gradational. The unit appears to mark the top of the Lower
Cretaceous section, although the relation to the Fish Scale Marker is not clear. It equates
approximately with the St. Walburg Sandstone.
References: Simpson, 1979a, 1979b.
FS
Upper Proterozoic
Old Fort Point Formation (Middle Miette Group)
Author: Charlesworth et al., 1967; McDonough, in prep.
Type Locality: Old Fort Point, 1 km (0.63 mi) southeast of Jasper townsite, Alberta. Reference Section:
The Comb (Lucerne 83D/15), northern Selwyn Range, Rocky Mountains.
History: Originally proposed by Charlesworth et al. (1967): however the type section at Old Fort Point
lacks a base and therefore should be abandoned in favor of the reference section. Regional
correlation of the Old Fort Point Formation was suggested by Aitken (1969) Murphy and Journeay
(1982), Carey and Simony (1985), Pell and Simony (1987) and Ross and Murphy (1988). The
reference section was proposed by McDonough (in prep.).
Lithology: The Old Fort Point Formation at the reference section comprises a distinctive triad of pelite
and carbonate that has been widely recognized throughout the western part the Windermere Basin.
The basal unit of the triad consists of olive to emerald green phyllite to phyllitic schist and schist, with
minor interbedded siltstone and sandstone, and abundant pyrite in its upper part. The basal unit
grades into a middle unit of rhythmically bedded, dolomitic siltstone and limestone, with increasing
limestone upward. The limestone is capped by thin bedded, dark grey to black, carbonaceous phyllite
and phyllitic schist, with minor siltstone. Eastern exposures near Jasper have an expanded section,
including distinctive limestone conglomerates associated with the upper two units, and an overlying
green slate and siltstone unit.
Thickness and Distribution: At Old Fort Pointe the formation is a minimum of 378 m (1240 ft). At the
reference section the lower pelite unit is about 80 m (262 ft) thick, with minor structural repetition at the
base. The carbonate unit is 32m (39 ft) thick. The black pelite cap is locally absent. The Old Fort Point
Formation is regionally persistent marker unit found throughout the outcrop area of the middle Miette.
Relationship to Other Units: The Old Fort Point Formation lies near the middle of the middle Miette
Group. It conformably overlies the feldspathic turbiditic grits of the lower part of the middle Miette.
Local channelling and scouring of the top of the Old Fort Point Formation by the overlying middle
Miette grit unit indicates that it is in part disconformably overlain by the upper half of the middle Miette.
References: Aitken, 1969; Carey and Simony, 1985; Charlesworth et al., 1967,; Klein and Mountjoy,
1988; McDonough, in prep.; McDonough and Simony, 1988a; Murphy and Journeay, 1982; Pell and
Simony, 1987; Ross and Murphy, 1988.
MRM
Oldman Drift
Lithology: Chiefly Laurentide Till with high content of Shield stones, commonly including an overlay of
lake sediments.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness not stated; occupies the region in Alberta between the Bow and
south Saskatchewan rivers below 810 m (2657 ft) above sea level
Relationship to Other Units: Not stated, but presumably overlies Etzikom drift, and either exposed to
surface or overlain by Recent deposits.
The unit was deposited by the last glacier to enter the Foremost-Cypress Hills (Alberta) map-area, and
is considered to be of Classical Wisconsin age (Westgate, 1965, p. 89, 98, 99). Westgate (1968, p. 65)
considered this a “morphostratigraphic” rather than a rock-stratigraphic unit. As there is already an
Oldman Formation the name appears pre-empted, and in 1972 (p. 50) Westgate suggested it be
replaced by “Walsh drift”.
References: Westgate, 1965, 1968, 1972.
AMacSS
Upper Cretaceous
Oldman Formation
Author: Russell, L.S. and Landes, R.W., 1940.
Type Locality: Oldman River, from near confluence with St. Mary River 9.6 km (6 mi) south of
Lethbridge, Alberta to the vicinity of Lethbridge.
History: The Oldman Formation was known successively as the Pale and Yellow Beds and Pale Beds.
Lithology: The upper part (Lethbridge Member) consists of carbonaceous sandstones and shales, coal
seams and one or more bentonitic beds near the top. The lower member, generally a fresh water
deposit, consists of light grey sandstones and shales, with minor greenish, brown and reddish shares,
and siltstones. The shales grade from sandy shale to argillaceous sandstone. The sandstones are
generally weakly cemented and commonly weather to form “badland” topography. Grain sizes range
from fine to coarse. Plant remains are common and the formation is world famous for dinosaurian
remains.
Thickness and Distribution: The Oldman is 328 m (1000 ft) thick at Lethbridge and thins to 122 m (400
ft) in eastern Alberta. The formation loses its identity in southwestern Saskatchewan, being replaced
by shale.
Relationship to Other Units: The Oldman is underlain by the brackish water Foremost Formation and
overlain by the marine Bearpaw Formation. To the west and north of the type area the Oldman and
Foremost formations together constitute the Belly River Formation.
References: Crockford, 1949; Furnival, 1946; Powers, 1931; Russell and Landes, 1940; Thompson
and Oxford, 1953.

Olympus Sandstone Lentil (Starlight Evaporite Member)
Type Locality: Northeast spur of Mount Olympus, Jasper National Park, Alberta, on ridge on the
southwest side of large tributary Isaac Creek. (52°28’N, 117°W) NTS 83C/6 Sunwapta.
History: Originally recognized as a facies of the Starlight Evaporite Member by Gibson (1968) and
informally called ‘Quartzite Facies’.
Lithology: Resistant, generally cliff forming sequence of buff to yellow weathering, slightly dolomitic
quartz sandstone, with locally intercalated beds of sandy dolostone in thicker, more massive
exposures.
Thickness and Distribution: Outcrops in the Rocky Mountain front ranges and foothills between
Athabasca and Bow Rivers, attaining a maximum thickness of 139 m (456 ft) at Snow Pass, Banff
National Park. Lentil thins beyond the area of outcrop.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlain and underlain by typical recessive weathering, porous, sandy
carbonates and dolomitic sandstones of the Starlight Evaporite Member. At Snow Pass, Eland
National Park the upper contact is disconformable with black shales of the Jurassic Fernie Formation.
The facies grades laterally and intertongues with strata of the Starlight Evaporite Member.
References: Gibson, D.W., 1968, 1974.
DWG
Upper Cretaceous
Opabin Member (Blackstone Formation and Kaskapau Formation)
Type Locality: Bighorn River, below junction of Littlehorn River and above Sunkay Creek, Alberta, in
the type section of the Blackstone Formation.
Lithology: Typically contains silty mudstone with large, reddish brown weathering sideritic concretions.
The upper part contains considerable quantities of massive argillaceous siltstone and some
sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: Occurs throughout the Foothills Belt. The thickness ranges from a
minimum of about 21 m (69 ft) south of the Crowsnest Pass to 54.6 m (179 ft) on the Little Berland
River. Increased thickness to 96 6 m (317 ft) is found near Mount Puggins in northeastern British
Columbia. On the lower Smoky River, in the type section of the Smoky Group shales presumably
equivalent of the Opabin are about 80 m (262 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The contact with the underlying Haven Member is conformable and locally
gradational through about 6 m (20 ft) of strata. Upper beds are gradational into the overlying Cardium
Formation. The Opabin Member is recognized north of the Athabasca River, and is there considered to
be a member of the Kaskapau.
Paleontology: Ammonites include Prionocyclus woollgari Mantell and Scaphites of Late Turonian age.
Pelecypods include species of Inoceramus. A foraminiferal assemblage of Pseudoclavulina-
Gaudryina-Haplophragmoides was recognized by Wall and Germundson (1963).
DFS
Opal Member (Mount Head Formation)
Author: Macqueen, R.W. and Bamber, E.W., 1968.
Type Locality: Base of section is 1.4 km (0.9 mi) southwest of Mount Rae, north side of Ptarmigan
Cirque at head of Storm Creek; (50°36’41”N, 114°58’51”W). NTS 82J10; Misty Range, Rocky
Mountain front ranges, southwestern Alberta (Macqueen and Bamber, 1968).
Lithology: The moderately resistant, well bedded lower Opal Member of the upper Mount Head
Formation consists of dark grey pelletoid-skeletal and ooid-skeletal lime grainstone with subordinate
cherty, pelletoid-skeletal lime packstone and wackestone. Thin interbeds of dark grey marlstone
commonly separate limestone beds in this cyclic, dominantly medium to very thick bedded unit.
Medium and large scale cross-bedding is common in the grainstone. Rugose corals and brachiopods
are plentiful in the limestone.
The recessive upper Opal grades into the lower unit and comprises medium to dark grey, dolomitic,
fenestral, cryptalgal lime boundstone and peloid-skeletal lime wackestone and packstone,
rhythmically interbedded with slightly less abundant dark grey shale and marlstone. Terra-rossa
breccia and sharp based intraclast-rich beds are locally common in this medium to thick bedded upper
unit (Macqueen and Bamber, 1968; Macqueen et al., 1972; Richards et al., in press).
Thickness and Distribution: The southwestward thickening Opal, best developed in the western front
ranges is widely distributed in the Rocky Mountains from southeastern British Columbia to Mount
White on the Red Deer River, southwestern Alberta. The southern Opal, 161.5 m (530 ft) thick at its
stratotype thickens progressively southwestward, attaining a thickness of over 304 m (997 ft) in
southeastern British Columbia. Northwest of the type section the unit thins markedly, attaining only 11
m (36 ft) at Mount White (Macqueen and Bamber, 1968).
Relationship to Other Units: The Opal overlies the Livingstone Formation in the southwest and the
Loomis Member of the Mount Head in the northeast. The contact with the underlying units varies from
sharp to gradational. Grainstone in the lower Opal resembles that of the Loomis and Livingstone, but is
darker colored and intercalated with micritic and argillaceous beds. The Opal, abruptly overlain by the
Carnarvon Member of the Mount Head grades northeastward into the lower and middle units of the
Carnarvon and into the underlying Marston Member.
References: Macqueen and Bamber, 1968; Macqueen, Bamber and Mamet, 1972; Richards et al., in
press.
BCR
Lower Cretaceous
Ostracod Beds (Mannville Group)
Author: The term “Ostracode zone” was first used by Imperial Oil geologists in the Taber area of
southeastern Alberta. It was extended by Loranger, D.M., 1951.
Type Locality: Southern Alberta. Loranger described a type section in the Imperial Leduc No. 1 well (5-
22-50-26W4M) between about 1284 and 1291.7 m (4210 and 4235 ft).
History: The Ostracod Limestone of the Mannville Group in southern Alberta, generally referred to as
the Ostracod Zone (Loranger, 1951) and Calcareous Member (Glaister, 1959), includes the Bantry
Shale and overlying fossiliferous limestone. Farshori (1983) re-defined the Calcareous Member of
Glaister, renaming it the Ostracod Beds, and subdivided it into four members (A, B. C, and D units). A
and B units include the Bantry Shale, the Ostracod Limestone of the Ostracod Zone and Calcareous
Member, which forms a regional marker. Unit C is composed of interbedded siltstones and shales and
is conformably overlain by unit D.
Lithology: The Ostracod Beds are divided into four distinct lithostratigraphic units which are, in
ascending order:
Unit A: Light grey, carbonaceous and bentonitic shale interbedded with light grey, creamy,
fossiliferous limestone.
Unit B: Light grey to buff argillaceous, fossiliferous (ostracods) limestone. This unit may be used
as a regional marker.
Unit C: Dark grey to black shales interbedded with light grey siltstones and sandstones which
coarsen upwards The thin bedded Unit C is finely laminated, lightly bioturbated and
contains flaser beds, lenticular bedding and syneresis cracks
Unit D: Light grey, fine to medium grained, well sorted, feldspathic, calcareous, kaolinitic, cherty
litharenite.
Thickness and Distribution: The Ostracod Beds range in thickness from zero to 40 m (131 ft) and thin
over Mississippian highs. The Ostracod Beds are widely distributed throughout southcentral Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The Ostracod Beds are Albian in age (McLean and Wall, 1981). They are
thin or absent over paleotopographic highs on the pre-Cretaceous surface in southeastern Alberta.
The upper contact with the upper Mannville Sediments is disconformable and the lower contact with
the underlying Sunburst Sandstone Member is unconformable. The Ostracod Beds of the southern
Alberta Plains have many lithological and palaeontological similarities to the Calcareous Member of
the foothills in central and southern Alberta (Glaister, 1959) The Calcareous Member of the Kootenai
Formation in Montana can be correlated with the Ostracod Beds of the southern Alberta Plains.
Paleontology: The sediments are richly fossiliferous, particularly in the Ostracod Limestone (Unit B).
Fossils include Ostracods, charophytes, gastropods, pelecypods and fish teeth. The ostracods
Bisulcocypris (Metacypris) albertensis (Pinto and Sanguenette) and Candona sterlingensis
(Loranger), charophyta: Stellatochara mundular (Peck) and Charaxis sp. A and B. and gastropods:
Viviparus murrainensis (Russell) and Zaptychius off. (Walcott) and Rubeyella carbonarius (Yen) are
typical of the unit.
References: Farshori, 1983; Finger, 1983; Glaister, 1959; Hunt 1950; Loranger, 1951; McLean and Wall,
1981.
ZF
Upper Cretaceous
Ostrea Shale (Obsolete)
Author: James Hector, as reported by Whiteaves, J.F., 1895, p. 110.
History: J.F. Whiteaves (1895), palaeontologist with the Geological Survey of Canada studied and
reported on ‘Some of the Cretaceous fossils collected during Captain Palliser’s explorations in British
North America in 1857-60’. Whiteaves examined six specimens in the collection obtained by Hector
and labelled ‘Cardium shales, Old Bow Fort’. Whiteaves indicated also that Hector visited Bighorn
Creek near North Saskatchewan River in September 1858, and collected fossil specimens from the
‘Ostrea shales’. The shales probably are equivalent to those referred to as Cardium shales on Bow
River. No other reference to the Ostrea shales has been found, and Hector apparently never used the
field term in his subsequent repot
References: Stott, 1963; Whiteaves, 1895.
DFS
O’Sullivan Member (Mannville Formation) (Disused)
Type Locality: The type section is in the Northwest Mannville No. 1 well, in Lsd. 1, Sec. 18, Twp. 50,
Rge. 8W4M, Alberta, between 560 and 608 m (1838 and 1994 ft).
Cretaceous formations (McMurray, Clearwater and Grand Rapids) exposed in the valleys of the
Clearwater and Athabasca River of central eastern Alberta Six members were designated, in
ascending order the Dina, Cummings, Islay, Tovell, Borradaile and O’Sullivan. Only the first two of
these divisions and names have come into general usage.
Lithology: Salt-and-pepper sandstone, grey shale and several prominent coal seams. Upper sands are
porous; lower sands contain considerable silt, silty shale and coal seams. Thickness is a maximum 46
m (151 ft) in the type well and decreases to 39 m (128 ft) in the Borradaile oil field.
JEC
Otherside Formation
Author: Ramaekers, R., 1979.
Type Locality: About 2 km (1.25 mi) west of the southern part of Livingstone Lake, (NTS 74J-11),
central northern Saskatchewan.
Lithology: Well sorted, bedded and cross-bedded quartzose sandstone, with largest grain size seldom
exceeding 2 mm is predominant. Includes some siltstone units.
Thickness and Distribution: Crops out widely in the central area of the Athabasca Basin in the
drainage basin of Otherside River. Maximum thickness is about 350 m (1148 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Locker Lake Formation and underlies the Tuma Lake
Formation of the Athabasca Group
References: Ramaekers, 1979.
JEC
Middle Devonian
Otter Park Member (Horn River Formation)
Author: Gray, F.F. and Kassube, J.R., 1963.
Type Locality: Western Natural Gas et al. Fort Nelson a-95-J, in centizone 95, block J. NTS 94-J-10, in
northeastern British Columbia, between 2020.8 and 2185.4 m (6630 and 7170 ft).
Lithology: Shale, medium dark grey to dark grey calcareous. The shale is more calcareous and has a
higher resistivity and acoustic velocity than Fort Simpson Formation. Limestone beds are rare or
absent.
Thickness and Distribution: 164.6 m (540 ft) in the type section; thins to the south. It is 149.4 m (490 ft)
thick in Fort Nelson d-38-J well, 33.5 m (116 ft) in Fort Nelson e-47-I, and absent over the Clarke Lake
Field.
Relationship to Other Units: The Otter Park Member is underlain by the Evie Member (Horn River
Formation) and overlain by the Muskwa Member (Horn River Formation), except the south on the
north flank of the Clarke Lake Field, where it is underlain by the Slave Point Formation. Where the
Slave Point is fully developed the Otter Park is absent. It is to equivalent of the Slave Point, the
Sulphur Point and, probably the uppermost part of the Pine Point formations.
References: Belyea and Norris, 1962, de Wit et al., 1973; Gray and Kassube 1963; Griffin, 1967.
LVH; AWN
Upper Cambrian
Ottertail Formation
Author: Allan, J.A., 1912, p. 180; Allan, J.A., 1914, p. 84-93.
Type Locality: Not expressly stated, but implied by the following quotation: “The Ottertail ... forms
prominent escarpments wherever it outcrops. This cliff-forming feature is especial well developed
along the northeast side of the Ottertail Mountains from Mount Hurd southeast to ... south of the
Washmawapta Glacier, a distance of almost 20 miles” (Allan, 191 p. 84). The formation was named
from the Ottertail Range, British Columbia.
Lithology: Mainly thin bedded lime mudstone, with some shady limestone. Thin layers of chert and
dolomitic limestone are common.
Thickness and Distribution: 470 to 500 m (1542 to 1640 ft) thick in the type area; locally may reach 750
m (2460 ft) (Allan, 1914).
The name Ottertail is applied only in the region west of the shale-out of most of the Cambrian
carbonate formations - the Ottertail is the westward continuation of the Lyell Formation of the main and
front ranges of the Rocky Mountains and extends to the Rocky Mountain Trench. Along the Trench it
extends from north of Blaeberry River southward as far as White River.
Relationship to Other Units: In the type area the Ottertail lies conformably between the Chancellor
Formation below and the McKay Group or Goodsir Group (abandoned) above. The carbonate unit may
be equivalent to the Jubilee Formation in the Stanford and other ranges immediately east of the Rocky
Mountain Trench
References: Allan, 1912, 1914.
JDA; LVH
Oungre Evaporite (Ratcliffe beds)
Author: Fuzesy, LM., 1960.
Type Locality: No type well was designated. The evaporite was named after the Oungre field in Twp. 2,
Rge. 16W2M, southeastern Saskatchewan. It forms the caprock for the reservoir in this field.
Lithology: Hartling et al. (1982) found the Oungre Evaporite to be composed of both displacive
anhydrite and layered anhydrites. The former was developed in microcrystalline dolomite and latter
may, in places contain interbedded, finely crystalline dolomite.
Thickness and Distribution: The Oungre Evaporite ranges from about 3 to 12 m (10 to 39 ft) in
thickness. Hartling et al. (1982) found that some of the thickness variation, especially along the
Oungre trend of oil fields, was due to paleobathymetry, thinning over shoals and thickening in the
intervening channels. Fuzesy (1973) shows that the Oungre Evaporite occupies an area similar to but
slightly larger than the Midale Evaporite. Its northern and eastern limit is marked by the erosional edge
of the Ratcliffe Beds, and it reaches a zero depositional edge along a line from Twp. 1, Rge. 17W2M to
Twp. 6, Rge. 23W2M, from where it turns north to the subcrop.
Relationship to Other Units: Fuzesy (1960) indicated that over much of its areal extent the evaporite
lies about 13 m (43 ft) above the base of the Ratcliffe. However, because of an increase in thickness of
the interval beneath the Oungre Evaporite west of the Oungre trend of oil fields the distance between
the evaporite and the base of the Ratcliffe Beds increases to a maximum of about 29 m (95 ft).
References: Fuzesy, 1973; Hartling et al., 1982.
DMK
Outlook Member, Bearpaw Formation
Type Locality: The segment of the south Saskatchewan River valley between the town of Outlook in
the north and the Saskatchewan Landing bridge in the south, in southwestern Saskatchewan. The
type section is located in Twp. 29, Rge. 8W3M, on the west bank of the river, immediately adjacent on
the upstream side to the road bridge at Outlook. It is the same section as that described by Hind (1860,
p. 380-382).
Lithology: Sand and poorly indurated sandstone, thick bedded to massive, grey, brownish grey and
greenish grey when fresh, but with yellow and brownie rarely green hues dominant when weathered,
patchily iron stained, fine to medium grained, silty, with a variety of bedded calcareous concretions,
some of them extremely large (1 to 3 m, 3 to 10 ft in diameter, parallel to bedding), partly encased in
selenite and generally unfossiliferous, others much smaller (about 0.3 m, 1 ft in diameter) with
concentrations of corbulid, ostreid, and pteriaceid bivalves and other fossils. The highest beds form a
4.5 m (15 ft) thick transitional zone to the overlying clays of the Broderick Member, and in this zone
brown, grey and olive-green sands, patchily iron stained, commonly cross-bedded and containing
different kinds of small concretions occur in beds and lenses up to 0.15 m (0.5 ft) thick and alternate
with dark grey iron stained clays and shales in beds of comparable thickness.
Thickness and Distribution: The Outlook Member has been traced in outcrop and subsurface section
throughout the type area and its immediate environs. Between Rges. 11 and 17W3M it can be traced
through the subsurface as far south as the Montana border. East of Rge. 11W3M it has been identified
in the subsurface at many localities and its distribution is probably fairly continuous. Only partly
exposed in the type section, the Outlook Member is about 12.2 m (40 ft) thick, but within the Bearpaw
outcrop belt of the South Saskatchewan River valley it varies between 15 and 37 m (49 and 121 ft),
with an average thickness of little less than 30 m (98 ft). Farther south it varies from about 3 to 10 m (10
to 20 ft) in thickness, with an average little below 15 m (49 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The base of the Outlook Member is not exposed in the type area and is
only doubtfully exposed elsewhere in the plains of southwestern Saskatchewan. From subsurface
evidence the member is known to overlie dark grey silty clays of the basal unnamed member of the
Bearpaw Formation and there is no reason to suspect other than a conformable relationship. Presence
of a 4.5 m (15 ft) thick transitional zone close to the type locality emphasizes the conformable
relationship with the overlying dark grey silty clays of the Broderick Member of the Bearpaw
Formation. At both its southern limit and west of Rge. 17W3M the Outlook Member is known to pass by
facies change into the upper Judith River Formation.
Paleontology: Small, slender baculitid ammonites with relatively simple sutures, many kinds of
bivalves, some gastropods, scaphopods, brittle stars and wood fragments are the most common
fossils recovered from concretionary beds of the Outlook Member. The member is known to underlie
beds with Baculites rugosus Cobban, indicative of the Zone of Exiteloceras jenneyi, and the presence
of a fragment of a didymoceratid ammonite in the type section suggests the member may lie in the
Zone of Didymoceras stevensoni. At least the upper part of the member falls within the Dorothia cf.
smokyensis Subzone of the Haplophragmoides fraseri Zone in the foraminiferal zonal sequence for
the southern interior plains. The lower part probably lies within the Zone of Eoeponidella linki.
References: Caldwell, 1968; Caldwell et al., 1978; Fraser et al., 1935; Hind, 1860; North and Caldwell,
1970, 1975a, b.
WGEC; RJH
Lower Ordovician
Outram Formation
Author: Aitken, J.D. and Norford, B.S., 1967, p. 173-179.
Type Locality: Mount Wilson (52°00’N, 116°45’W), southwestern Alberta.
Lithology: Calcareous siltstones, dark limy shales and siliceous shales, calcisiltites, clotted, nodular
and laminated limestones, biocalcarenites, limestone-pebble conglomerates. Grey chert present as
nodules, irregular masses and tracery.
Thickness and Distribution: Observed thickness range from 170 to 443 m (559 to 1452 ft) within the
shelf carbonate facies of the southern Rocky Mountains [Kananaskis Lakes, Calgary, Golden, Brazeau
map-areas (82J, K, N, O; 83E)], with the easterly sections being the thinnest and containing virtually
no shales. Shales increase westward towards equivalent beds of the Glenogle shales of the graptolitic
facies.
Relationship to Other Units: Gradational contact with the underlying Survey Peak formation, but
regionally apparently virtually synchronous and probably coeval with the McKay-Glenogle contact
further west. Gradational and diachronous contact with overlying Skoki Formation. Near the outboard
rim of the carbonate shelf the uppermost Outram is younger than elsewhere and is the facies
equivalent of the lower part of the Skoki Formation.
Paleontology: Trilobites, brachiopods, conodonts, gastropods, sponges, pelecypods, cephalopods,

echinoderm fragments and extremely rare graptolites allow recognition of the trilobite zones G and H
and the Hesperonomia and Orthidiella brachiopod zones.
References: Aitken and Norford, 1967; Dean, 1978.
BSN
Middle Ordovician
Owen Creek Formation
Author: Norford, B.S., 1969, p. 21-25, 55-56.
Lithology: Well bedded, aphanitic dolomites that weather colorful shades of yellowish grey light grey
very pale orange and light olive grey. Quartz silt and very fine sand are components of most beds and
sparse, well rounded, coarse quark sand grains are present in many beds, apparently floating in
aphanitic matrices. Minor interbeds of dolomitic mudstone present in the lower part of the Owen Creek
weather reddish brown, greyish red and pale greenish yellow and show rare mud cracks. The upper
beds include dolomitic quartz sandstones and siltstones.
Thickness and Distribution: The Owen Creek is widespread in the carbonate facies of the southern
Rocky Mountains [Kananaskis Lakes, Golden and Brazeau map-areas (82J, N; 83C)] where its
observed thicknesses are between 46 and 199 m (150 and 652 ft). Westwards its place is taken by
part of the Glenogle shales of the graptolitic facies. Northwards and eastwards the Owen Creek is cut
out beneath the sub-Devonian unconformity, but it can be recognized in the McBride and Monkman
Pass map-areas of the central Rocky Mountains (93H, I; Norford, unpublished). Farther north the Owen
Creek may be represented within carbonates mapped as the Skoki Formation in the Pine Pass,
Halfway River, Trutch and Ware map-areas (930; 94B, F, G).
Relationship to Other Units: Paraconformable with underlying Skoki Formation, but channel fillings
and indications of karst topography are present at some outcrops. Erosion surfaces are locally
developed at the contact with the overlying Mount Wilson Formation and, at a single locality a deeply
incised karst topography. Probably the Owen Creek-Mount Wilson contact represents an important
hiatus, but paleontological control is inadequate to document the break.
References: Cecile and Norford, 1979; Norford, 1969; Slind and Perkins, 1967.
BSN
Oxarart Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Author: Furnival, G.M., 1941, p. 58-60.
Type Locality: East side of a small creek about 4 km (2.5 mi) southwest of Oxarart Creek, Cypress
Hills, Saskatchewan, Lsd. 1, Sec. 13, Twp. 6, Rge. 28W3M.
History: in the Alberta extension of the Cypress Hills intercalated sands and clays in the upper 100 m
(328 ft) of the Bearpaw Formation were correlated with the “Fox Hills” by McConnell, (1885, p. 25) and
Dyer (1926, p. 16B, 19B), and with the lower part of Eastend Formation by Russell (1933, p. 132).
Furnival (1941, p. 58-67, 1946, p. 38-39) placed these beds in the Bearpaw Formation He recognized
three sandstone units, naming them, in ascending order the Oxarart, Belanger and Thelma members.
In the interprovincial area Furnival (1941, p. 65-66; 1948, p. 70-75) correlated the lowermost of three
Bearpaw Formation sands with the type section of the Oxarart Member. Russell (1948, p. 19-20)
concluded that the middle sand in Alberta is equivalent to the combined Oxarart and Belanger
members of Saskatchewan. The lowermost sand in Alberta was regarded by Russell as a fourth sand
unit, the Black Eagle Sandstone. Lomenda (1973, p. 11-12, 113) supported Furnival’s correlation, but
suggested that intertonguing in the upper Bearpaw Formation is too complex to justify member status
to every sand or clay unit. He provisionally named the beds between the Manyberries Member and the
Eastend Formation the Oxarart-Medicine Lodge Composite “Member”.
Lithology: Greyish brown weathering, coarsening upward marine and nonmarine(?) sand. Very fine to
fine grained sand, interbedded with clay grades upwards into fine grained, crossbedded sand. The
upper 2 to 6 m (7 to 20 ft) are medium grained, ledge forming sandstone containing petrified wood
fragments and Ophiomorpha-like structures. Locally 1.5 to 2.0 m (5 to 7 ft) of volcanic ash and
bentonite occur near the top of this unit. Lenses of lignite, up to 1.0 m (3 ft) thick cap the sand in the
western part of the Cypress Hills.
Thickness and Distribution: Cypress Hills area. About 20 m (66 ft) thick, thinning eastward to 12 m (39
ft) at Belanger Creek (Twp. 26, Rge. 7W3M) before disappearing into the subsurface. In the Alberta
extension of the Cypress Hills the sand is 36 m (118 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The Oxarart Member lies about 7.5 m (25 ft) beneath the Belanger
Member of the Bearpaw Formation and 80 m (262 ft) beneath the Eastend Formation. The Oxarart
Sand is underlain gradationally by the Manyberries Member and is overlain sharply by unnamed dark
grey clays of Bearpaw Formation. At Thelma Creek, Alberta the lower contact is sharp. The Oxarart
Member occurs in the basal part of the Ammodiscus-gyroidina foraminiferal zone of Loranger and
Gleddie (1953) and the basal part of North and Caldwell’s (1970, p. 73) Haplophragmoides excavata
fauna of southcentral Saskatchewan. Thus this sandstone is equivalent to the lower part of Aquadell
Member clays east and northeast of the Cypress Hills. Northwestward the unit grades into marine and
nonmarine sediments of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation. Correlation of the Oxarart Sandstone with
the Blood Reserve Formation of southwestern Alberta was made by early investigators.
ML
Oxytoma Bed (Nordegg Member, Fernie Formation)
Type Locality: At bridge over Snake Indian River in Jasper Park, Alberta; grid reference 308902, NTS
83E/1E/Snaring.
Lithology: Arenaceous brown limestone with pebbles, locally containing abundant bivalves (especially
Oxytoma cygnipes), some ammonites and brachiopods.
Thickness and Distribution: 4.4 m (14 ft) at Snake Indian River bridge; also present in Limestone
Mountain area and on Ram River.
Relationship to Other Units: Usually forms uppermost part of Nordegg Member, in which it should be
included. Conformably overlain by black, fissile Poker Chip Shale.
References: Frebold, 1953, 1957, 1966, 1969.
RLH
Lower Cretaceous
Paddy Member (Peace River Formation)
Type Locality: Wickenden’s (1951) section 2, located on west side of Peace River, 100 m (328 ft) south
of a small creek in NE/4 Sec. 4, Twp. 84, Rge. 21W5M, about 15 km (9.4 mi) north of Peace River town,
Alberta.
History: The Paddy was previously called the “Continental Member” of the Peace River Formation by
Wickenden (1951). Named from Paddy’s Creek at Peace River town.
Lithology: The Paddy consists of white buff and light grey sandstone, poorly sorted, fine to very coarse,
partly silty and carbonaceous, containing thin shale and some coal beds.
Thickness and Distribution: Varies from zero to 40 m (131 ft) . Thicker sections of the Paddy are
restricted to the Peace River area of Alberta south of the Clear Hills; it thins northward to zero by Twp.
91.
Relationship to Other Units: The Paddy is disconformably underlain by the Cadotte Member of the
Peace River Formation and disconformably overlain by the Shaftesbury Formation of the Fort St. John
Group. The Paddy may represent a shoreline facies of the Viking (Pelican) and the Joli Fou formations
of central Alberta (Oliver, 1960) or it may be the basal sand of the Shaftesbury Formation. It may be
correlative with upper part of the Boulder Creek Member of the Commotion Formation of the Pine
River area, northeastern British Columbia.
Paleontology: Inoceramus cadottensis altifluminis has been collected from the Paddy at Peace River
town. Singh (1971) reported early dicotyledonous pollen from the Paddy.
References: Alberta Study Group, 1954; Badgley, 1952; Oliver, 1960; McLearn, 1918; Singh, 1971;
Wickenden, 195 1.
CRS
Upper Cambrian (Dresbachian)
Paget Formation (Obsolete)
Type Locality: Southwestern slope of Paget Peak, British Columbia. A more accessible locality is on
the east face of the west ridge of Mount Bosworth (Sherbrooke Ridge).
History: The term Paget Formation was only rarely used. North and Henderson (1954), Greggs (1962)
and Aitken and Greggs (1967) all recommended that the name be abandoned
Lithology: Bluish grey oolitic limestone, usually thin bedded, with interbeds of greenish, sandy shale.
Thickness and Distribution: Walcott reported 110 m (360 ft) at Mount Bosworth; Greggs (1962)
measured only 59.5 m (195 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: In the type locality the Paget Formation is overlain by the Sherbrooke
Formation and was originally thought to be underlain by the Bosworth Formation. Later studies
(Greggs. 1962) show it to be underlain by the Waterfowl Formation. The Paget Formation is the same
rock unit to which Walcott later termed Sullivan Formation.
Paleontology: The Paget contains an abundant, diverse fauna of the Cedaria Zone of the Upper
Cambrian.
References: Aitken and Greggs, 1967; Greggs, 1962; North and Henderson, 1954; Walcott, 1908a, b.
RGG
Upper Cretaceous
Paintearth Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Author: Lines, F.G., 1963, p. 220, 223.
Type Locality: None designated. Excellent exposures reported along Paintearth Creek, which joins the
Battle River in Sec. 4, Twp. 40, Rge. 13W4M, Alberta.
Lithology: Alternating dark grey shale and relatively massive sandstone. Sequence established from a
composite section consists of, in ascending order a 0.9 m (3 ft) thick chert pebble bed overlain by
about 6 m (20 ft) of dark grey blocky shale, followed by an approximately 9 m (30 ft) thick, chiefly
massive, medium grained, brown weathering glauconitic sandstone which the author believed to be
the Bulwark Sandstone. This sandstone is overlain by 13.7 m (45 ft) of dark grey, blocky shale with thin
bentonite seams, followed by about 9 m (30 h) of bentonitic, white weathering, “typical nonmarine”
sandstone, succeeded by about 12 m (40 ft) of dark grey “marine” shale.
Thickness and Distribution: 55 m (180 ft) thick in the type area. Recognized in the surface and
subsurface of the Castor-Hand Hills area of southcentral Alberta by the author, who believed that
equivalent beds could be traced in the subsurface as far north as the Beaverhill Lake area in east-
central Alberta (Lines, 1963, Fig. 5).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies, probably disconformably, as indicated by the basal chert pebble
bed the Young Creek Member of the Bearpaw Formation. The upper contact with the brown banded
shale of the Horseshoe Canyon (=Edmonton) Formation was described as sharp, with the suggestion
of a possible disconformity as shown by the occasional development of a chert pebble bed in the
subsurface. The member apparently equates with the following informal units recognized by Given
and Wall (1971) within the Bearpaw Formation at the Research Council of Alberta Castor well, in
ascending order: lower shale unit (uppermost part), second Castor sandstone (“Bulwark” equivalent),
middle shale unit, first Castor sandstone and upper shale unit. The member is equivalent in part to the
Bassano Member of Russell (1932b) in southcentral Alberta and to the Manyberries Member of Lines
(1963) of the Cypress Hills area of southeastern Alberta.
The validity of this unit is questionable, as it never was named or proposed as a member by Lines
(1963) although it was designated as such on his Figures 3 and 4. The author gave no indication as to
where along Paintearth Creek the best exposures are located. Bearpaw Formation outcrops are
recorded in the creek by Warren and Hume (1939) on Geological Survey of Canada Map 502A-
Hardisty, in Twp. 39, Rges. 13 and 14W4M, and by Rutherford (1939) on Geological Survey of Canada
Map 503A-Stettler, in Twp. 39, Rge. 15W4M.
References: Given and Wall, 1971; Lines, 1963; Russell, 1932b; Rutherford, 1939; Warren and Hume,
1939.
JHW; RAR
Pakan Formation (Abandoned)
Author: Allan, J.A., 1919, p. 12c.
Type Locality: “The lower part is exposed on Egg Creeks Twp. 58, Rge. 17W4M, about a mile from the
mouth, and also at the north end of Pakan Ferry”, Alberta.
History: Introduced as a formation name within the Belly River Series along the North Saskatchewan
River. Reduced to member status within the Belly River group (Nauss, 1945) and abandoned as an
impractical division, the beds being placed in the lower part of the Oldman Member of the Belly River
Formation (Shaw and Harding, 1949). These beds are now the lower part of the upper unnamed
member of the Judith River Formation (McLean, 1971, Fig. 3).
Lithology: “... includes a thin bedded, variegated series of arenaceous shales, thin coal seams, thin
grey sandstones, and sandy clays. (Allen, 1919).
Thickness and Distribution: The type section is at least 70 m (225 ft) thick. Used, but not mapped by
Nauss (1945). Abandoned by later workers.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlain by the Myrtle Creek (Allan, 1919) or the Oldman Formation
(Nauss, 1945). Nature of contact not stated, but presumably is not distinct, as these two units were not
differentiated by later writers. Overlies abruptly the Birch Lake Member.
References: Allan, 1919; McLean, 1971; Nauss, 1945.
JRM
Pakowki Drift
Lithology: Chiefly Laurentide till, whose matrix is coarser than that of till in the underlying Wildhorse
drift.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness not stated; exposed between Etzikom Coulee and Milk River
Valley, and on western and northern slopes of Cypress Hills, in Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: Not stated, but presumably overlies Wildhorse drift (Westgate, 1965, p. 89)
and where not exposed underlies Manyberries Volcanic Ash or Etzikom Drift.
Westgate (1965, p. 89, 99) considered this unit to be of Classical Wisconsin age. Its recognition is
based chiefly on geomorphological features rather than on inherent characteristics, and so its
correlation to units found in other sections is difficult. Westgate (1963, p. 65) considered this a
“morphostratigraphic” unit rather than a rock formation. In 1972 (p. 50) he suggested the name be
replaced by Robinson Drift.
AMacSS
Pakowki Formation
Author: Dowling, D.B., 1916, p. 107.
Type Locality: Near the mouth of Pakowki Coulee, southwestern Alberta, in Twp. 3, Rges 8 and 9W4M,
and Twp. 2, Rges. 8 and 9W4M.
History: Outcrops at the mouth of Pakowki Coulee were examined, although not formally named by
Dawson (1884, p. 125c), but were mis-correlated with what is now the upper part of the Colorado
Group. Hatcher and Stanton (1903) introduced the name Claggett to the Pakowki Coulee area, but the
name was not adopted by Dowling (1916), echo formally introduced the name Pakowki for the same
sequence. The name Pakowki subsequently has been used by most authors, with intermittent attempts
to reintroduce the name Claggett because it has precedence.
Lithology: Dark grey mudstone is the predominant lithology. Lighter grey and olive-grey siltstone to
very fine grained sandstone is subordinate, but normally increases in number and thickness of beds
upward. The base is usually marked by a thin pebble Conglomerate bed .
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum thickness is about 200 m (656 ft) in west-central Saskatchewan.
Thins dramatically to the west and pinches out near the eastern edge of the foothills in southwestern
Alberta. The Pakowki can be recognized wherever the underlying Milk River (or Eagle) Formation is
present or where the distinctive subsurface marker, the Milk River (or Eagle) ‘shoulder’ is recognized
on geophysical logs. This includes the plains of Alberta and Saskatchewan between 49°N and 53°N,
104°W and 113°W (see McLean, 1971, Fig. 17).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Milk River Formation abruptly and is overlain gradationally by
the Judith River (or Foremost) Formation it pinches out to the west into the Belly River Formation. To
the east it becomes an undifferentiated part of the Riding Mountain Formation and, to the north, where
the Milk River (Eagle) is not recognizable it is equivalent to the upper part of the Lea Park Formation.
References: Dowling (1916, 1917); McLean, 1971; Ogunyomi and Hills, 1977; Russell, 1940, 1970;
Williams and Dyer, 1930.
ARM
Upper Cretaceous
Pale Beds (Variegated and Pale Beds) (Obsolete)
Author: Dowling, D.B., Slipper, S.E. and McLearn, F.H., 1919.
Type Locality: Not given, but believed to be in the Cypress Hills area of southeastern Alberta.
History: Dowling et al. (1919) reported that G.B. Dawson, in 1915 divided the Belly River into an upper
“Pale series” and a lower “yellow beds’. Hume (1933) referred to the Pale Beds as the Variegated and
Pale Beds, and Russell and Landes (1940) proposed the name Oldman Formation for the Pale Beds.
References: Hume, 1933; Russell and Landes, 1940.

Palliser Formation
Author: Beach, H.H., 1943, p. 15-17.
Type Locality: No type section was named, but reference was made to the south end of the ‘namesake’
Palliser Range just north of Lake Minnewanka, Band National Park, Alberta (west half Twp. 27, Rge.
10W5M, and east half Twp. 27, Rge. 11W5M).
History: Beach (1943) stated that the Palliser was equivalent to “Lower Band Limestones of McConnell
(1887) and Minnewanka Formation (upper part)” of Shimer (1926). The term Palliser had early
application in the subsurface of the foothills (Beach, 1943) and even in the Peace River Arch area (de
Mille, 1958); it is presently used interchangeably with the term Wabamun in foothills wells.
Lithology: The Palliser consists of fine grained, fossiliferous, dark grey to black limestones in the
uppermost 3 to 35 m (10 to 115 ft) (upper Costigan Member of deWit and McLaren, 1950). The
remainder of the formation (Morro Member of deWit and McLaren) is composed of massive beds of
grey mottled, dolomitic limestone characterized by irregular branching tracery standing cut in relief on
weathered surfaces. The Morro Member may or may not be overlain by thin dolomite beds and
limestone breccias (lower Costigan Member) in front range outcrops the Palliser forms massive cliffs.
In the foothills subsurface anhydrite beds with dolomite occur in the lowermost Palliser (and Alexo
equivalent) and, to a less widespread extent in the upper part, beneath the thin, capping fossiliferous
limestones. In outcrop dissolution of these beds explains the breccias of the Costigan Member. In
addition, in the subsurface the middle Palliser is typically dolomitic, with porosity often developed in a
position analogous to that of the Crossfield Member of the Stettler Formation in the plains.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness varies from approximately 240 m (787 ft) in the foothills to
about 280 m (918 ft) in the front ranges, and to more than 450 m (1476 ft) in the main ranges, with 580
m (1902 ft) measured at Sunwapta Pass (Severson, 1950). The Palliser is present throughout the
Rocky Mountains and foothills of Alberta. Southwest of the Peace River Arch, in the Rocky Mountains
of British Columbia the Palliser was markedly truncated prior to deposition of the overlying shale (H.
Geldsetzer, pers. comm.).
Relationship to Other Units: The Palliser conformably overlies light grey siltstone and arenaceous
dolomite of the upper Alexo Formation (Sassenach Formation) and is disconformably overlain by
black shales of the Exshaw Formation. It correlates with the Wabamun Group of the Alberta Plains
area and with the middle part of the Three Forks Formation of Saskatchewan and Montana.
Northwestward it correlates to the Tetcho and Kotcho formations, which lose identity westward in the
shales of the Besa River Formation in northeastern British Columbia.
References: Andrichuk, 1960; Beach, 1943; Beales, 1956; de Mille, 1958; deWit and McLaren, 1950;
Fox, 1951; McLaren, 1955; Mound, 1967; Severson, 1950; Stewart, 1960.
LSE
Lower Jurassic (Toarcian)
Paper Shale (Fernie Formation) (Superseded)
History: Frebold introduced this name for strata cropping out in the western foothills of Alberta, and it
has since been used interchangeably with the older term “Poker Chip Shale” (q. v.).
Lithology: Black, fissile shales, weathering to a soft, papery form.
References: Frebold, 1957, 1969, 1976.
RLH
Upper Triassic (Norian)
Pardonet Formation (Schooler Creek Group)
Type Locality: Pardonet Hill, in the Peace River Foothills on the south side of Williston Lake, opposite
the mouth of Nabesche River, NTS 94B/3 Mount Brewster. Section contains small scale thrust faulting
(Dozer, 1967). Supplemental reference section at the headwaters of Eleven Mile Creek, 30.6 km (19
mi) south of Pardonet Hill (Gibson, 1971). NTS 93O/15W Carbon Creek.
History: Originally defined and named ‘Pardonet Member’ by McLearn (1940); raised to formation
status in 1960.
Lithology: Dark grey to dark brownish grey weathering, very carbonaceous-argillaceous limestone,
silty limestone, calcareous and dolomitic siltstone, and minor shale with strong fetid odor upon
fracture. Limestone commonly bioclastic, consisting of whole and fragmented pelecypod shells which
resemble wavy to crenulated laminations.
Thickness and Distribution: The Pardonet Formation is confined mainly to the Rocky Mountain
Foothills between Liard River in the north and Sukunka River in the south. The formation attains a
maximum thickness of 137.2 m (450 ft) near the headwaters of Eleven Mile Creek, south of Williston
Lake and thins eastward to zero in the subsurface of the eastern Foothills and Peace River Plains.
Relationship to Other Units: In most areas the Pardonet Formation is unconformably overlain by dark
grey recessive shale, shaly siltstone and limestone of the Jurassic Fernie Formation. Between Pine
Pass and Peace River it is overlain abruptly and probably disconformably by pale grey weathering
limestone of the Bocock Formation. The Pardonet is underlain conformably by resistant, cliff forming,
pale to medium grey weathering carbonates of the Baldonnel Formation. The basal Pardonet is
possibly equivalent to the upper Winnifred Member of the Whitehorse Formation in the Smoky River
region of Alberta (Gibson, 1975).
References: Gibson, D.W., 1971, 1975; McLearn, 1940; 1940, 1960
DWG
Paleocene
Paskapoo Formation (Saunders Group in Foothills)
Type Locality: Blindman River, a tributary entering the Red Deer River from the northwest, 10 km (6.25
mi) north of Red Deer, Alberta. An exact location was not specified (Paskapoo is a native word for
blind man).
History: Tyrrell (1887, p. 138) suggested that the contact of his Paskapoo with the underlying Edmonton
beds represented the Tertiary/Cretaceous boundary. This time connotation to a lithostratigraphic unit
has been a continuing problem. The name Paskapoo has been applied consistently in the central
Alberta Plains region, except for Irish (1970) and Carrigy (1970), who lowered the basal contact with
the Edmonton Group to the top of the Battle Formation, including the Scollard as a member. Gibson
(1977) returned the boundary to its original position and included the Scollard as a formation in his
Edmonton Group. The name Paskapoo was introduced into the foothills by Russell (1932). It has not
been possible to correlate the strata directly from the type area, so that attempts were made to
correlate on the basis of fossil age determinations. The base of the Paskapoo has been placed at
different stratigraphic levels by different authors, from the top of the Brazeau to hundreds of metres
above, and well above the main coal bearing zone. Recently, palynological analysis by Sweet (in:
Jerzykiewicz and McLean, 1980) has shown that the coal bearing zone located approximately 250 m
(820 ft) above the top of the Brazeau Formation is equivalent in age to the Ardley zone of the
Edmonton Group in the plains. Therefore beds below this coal zone cannot be correlated with the type
Paskapoo Formation. The base of the Paskapoo in the foothills has been placed at the base of the first
prominent sandstone unit above the last major coal seam in the Coalspur Formation (Jerzykiewicz
and McLean, 1980).
Lithology: Interbedded hard to soft mudstone, siltstone and sandstone, with subordinate limestone,
coal, pebble conglomerate and bentonite. Most prominent are thick (up to 15 to 20 m, 49 to 66 ft)
abrupt based, massive to crossbedded, medium to coarse grained, buff weathering sandstones
Commonly fining upward thinner, finer grained, well indurated to unconsolidated sandstones occur
throughout the formation. More abundant, but more recessive are soft mudstone to siltstone, usually
grey to greenish grey in color. Coal seams are usually thin and dirty, but locally they are of economic
interest, as in the Obed-Marsh area northeast of Hinton, Alberta Limestone beds, reported from the
plains are thin and argillaceous, but sometimes very fossiliferous. Conglomerate or conglomeratic
sandstone is a minor but conspicuous component of some sections, particularly in the foothills. A
conglomerate bed reported by Lang (1947) from High Divide Ridge (50-25W5) and estimated to be
485 m (1492 ft) thick appears to be anomalous.
Thickness and Distribution: Only 240 m (787 ft) of strata are exposed in the type area. Elsewhere on
the plains reported thicknesses range from zero to 600 m (1968 ft). The formation thickens westward
but no reliable thicknesses have been published. Estimates range up to 1000 m (3280 ft), but in
certain areas the thickness may be much greater. The upper surface of the formation is almost always
the present erosional surface, so that thickness values range from zero to some maximum, but have
little interpretive value. The formation is confined to a crescent with its base along the foothills, the
bottom near 50°N, the top at about 55°N and its outer edge extending out to 112°W at its most easterly
limit.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Scollard Formation of the Edmonton Group in the plains, and
the Coalspur Formation in the foothills abruptly, but opinions differ in whether this relationship is
conformable or not (see Allan and Sanderson, 1945; Gibson, 1977). The upper surface is usually the
present erosional surface, but in a few localities the Paskapoo is overlain abruptly and disconformably
by later Tertiary gravels (see Carrigy, 1971). Laterally it is equivalent to an upper part of the
Ravenscrag Formation in southern Saskatchewan.
References: Allan and Sanderson, 1945; Carrigy, 1970, 1971; Eliuk, 1969; Irish, 1970; Jerzykiewicz
and McLean, 1980; Lang, 1947.
ARM
Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian, Kimmeridgian, ?Portlandian)
Passage Beds (Fernie Formation)
Type Locality: Blairmore area, southwestern Alberta; no specific locality designated. More completed
and undisturbed exposures can be seen above Burns’ Mine on Sheep River (grid reference 516065,
NTS 82 J/10W Mount Rae), just east of the Banff exit on the TransCanada Highway (overturned
section; grid reference 027740, NTS 82 O/4E Banff); and in a tributary of Pigeon Creek on the east
face of Mount Allan (grid reference 271498, NTS 82 O/3E Canmore).
Lithology: Lower parts consist of dark grey shales fracturing into small blocky and splintery fragments,
elongated, yellow-brown weathering concretions often present. Thin (60 cm, 24 in) silty bands,
weathering brown appear higher in the section, imparting a ribboned or banded appearance to
outcrops. The abundance and thickness of these siltstones increase upwards through the section and
they contain coarser, sandy sediment. They exhibit parallel lamination, hummocky and ripple cross-
laminations, bioturbation, sole marks and plant fragments, and some have been interpreted as
turbidites (Hamblin and Walker, 1979).
Thickness and Distribution: The Passage Beds crop out in most sections throughout the foothills of
Alberta and adjacent parts of British Columbia and form the uppermost unit of the Fernie Formation.
Apparently undisturbed sections at Burns’ Mine (120 m, 394 ft.), and or Mount Allan (185 m, 607 ft) are
much thicker than the exposures on Grassy Mountain (80 m, 262 ft), which have previously been
suggested as a typical section (Frebold, 1957, p. 32). Similar maximum thicknesses are developed in
the northern foothills of the Peace River area. Much thinner developments occur in other sections, e.g.,
32.8 m (106 ft) in Canyon Creek, Moose Mountain area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Passage Beds conformably overlie the Green Beds where these are
present, with abrupt changes in color and rock type; elsewhere they lie on the Grey Beds with
apparent local conformity, except in Fiddle River northeast of Jasper, where both the Grey Beds and
Green Beds are absent and there they overlie the Highwood Member. Overlain conformably by the
Weary Ridge Member of the Morrissey Formation (Kootenay Group) in southern areas; Gibson (1979)
placed this contact at the base of the first continuous sandstone devoid of the interbedded siltstones
and shales typical of the Passage Beds. A similar relationship exists between the Passage Beds and
overlying Nikanassin Formation in central-northern Alberta, and the Monteith Formation (Minnes
Group) in northeastern British Columbia. Laterally equivalent to the Swift Formation of the Sweetgrass
Arch and the upper parts of the Vanguard Formation in the subsurface plains region.
References: Frebold, 1957; Frebold et al., 1959; Gibson, 1979; Hamblin and Walker, 1979; McLearn,
1927; Stott, 1967.
RLH
Patience Lake Member (Prairie Evaporite, Elk Point Group)
Author: Holter, M E., 1969, pi. 22.
Type Locality: Southwest Potash Elstow 16-9-35-1W3M, in Saskatchewan, between 993.6 and 1015.9
m (3260 and 3383 ft).
History: The Patience Lake Member was previously referred to as Zone 3 (Goudie, 1957), K-3 Zone
(Klingspor, 1966), and Zones D and E (Harding and Gorrell, 1967).
Lithology: Sylvite (10-30%), carnallite (up to 50%), “insolubles” (4-10%) and halite. Sylvite percentages
increase from north to south, whereas carnallite decreases.
Thickness and Distribution: A maximum thickness of 26.8 m (88 ft) occurs in General Petroleums
Saskatoon 6-12-38-4W3M. It is thickest in its northcentral portion, with local thickenings elsewhere -
notably where carnallite is abundant. The member is present from near Lloydminster southwestwards
to Yorkton, then south to Weyburn. In the southwest it extends to near Maple Creek.
Relationship to Other Units: It is the uppermost of the three potash-rich members recognized by Hotter
(1969). It conformably overlies beds of halite and is overlain by a halite zone of variable thickness,
except to the north of Saskatoon, where the member was eroded prior to deposition of Dawson Bay
sediments.
References: Goudie, 1957; Harding and Gorrell, 1967; Hotter, 1969; Klingspor, 1957.
CED; KRM
Tertiary to Paleocene
Peace Garden Member (Turtle Mountain Formation)
Type Locality: Turtle Mountain area, southwestern Manitoba; composite subsurface section. Manitoba
Mines and Natural Resources Borehole No. 1, in 15-32-1-22WPM, between 0.9 and 33.8 , (3 and 111
ft), and Geological Survey of Canada Borehole 68-33, in 5-20-122WPM, between 38.1 and 107.9 m
(125 and 354 ft).
Lithology: An assemblage of grey yellowish weathering, well bedded (marine) silty clay with minor
greenish sand and silt.
Thickness and Distribution: The estimated thickness, from incomplete sections, is more than 104 m
(341 ft). The top of the unit is everywhere eroded; it occurs as an isolated outlier capping the
topographic high of Turtle Mountain
Relationship to Other Units: The Peace Garden disconformably overlies massive, bentonitic,
carbonaceous shales of the Goodlands Member; it is unconformably overlain by Pleistocene and/or
recent deposits. It correlates with the Fort Union Group of central North Dakota and with the
Ravenscrag Formation of southern Saskatchewan.
Reference: Bamburak, 1978
HRM
Lower Upper Devonian (Frasnian)
Peace Point Member (Waterways Formation)
Type Locality: Named after Peace Point on Peace River, Alberta, near the lower end of exposures
Lithology: Main lithology is a light to dark olive green, sod, variably calcareous shale, with generally
minor intercalated, rubbly thin beds of argillaceous limestone of the same color containing numerous
brachiopods. Iron sulphide, partly encrusting and replacing fossils and as small irregular masses is
relatively common in the shale.
Thickness and Distribution: Mapped by Norris (1963, fig. 11) at fourteen scattered localities within
roughly the western half of the Gypsum Cliffs area on Peace River, northeastern Alberta The mode of
preservation is within sink-holes, widened joint fissures, and other irregular cavities within the Slave
Point Formation. Maximum thickness of Peace Point beds exposed is about 61 m (20 ft), but most
exposures show a much thinner sequence.
Relationship to Other Units: on the basis of sharp lithological change and marked faunal break Norris
(1963, p. 65) postulated a depositional hiatus between the Slave Point formation and Peace Point
Member of the Waterways Formation Evidence presented by Norris and Uyeno (1983) suggests that
this hiatus was of relatively short duration because there appears to be no missing conodont zones
across the boundary. Beds of the Peace Point Member are unconformably overlain by Pleistocene and
Recent deposits in the Gypsum Cliffs area. The Peace Point beds are equivalent to the basal part of
the Firebag Member (Crickmay, 1957) of the Waterways Formation (Warren, 1933) in the Athabasca-
Clearwater rivers area of northeastern Alberta.
Paleontology: The Peace Point beds recently studied by Norris and Uyeno (1983) contain a rich
brachiopod fauna, including Ladogioides pax McLaren, Platyterorhynchus resselli (McLaren),
Tecnocyrtina billingsi (Meek) and Eleutherokomma impennis Crickmay as its more diagnostic forms.
Associated conodonts belong to the Pandorinellina insita fauna which is probably assignable to the
lowermost Polygnathus asymmetricus Zone. The base of this interval marked by these fossils has
commonly been accepted as the base of the Upper Devonian in western Canada.
References: Crickmay, 1957; Kindle, 1928; Norris, 1963; Norris and Uyeno, 1983; Warren, 1933.
AWN
Peace River Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Type Locality: On the Peace River, from below the mouth of the Smoky River to near the mouth of the
Notikewin River (56°12’N, 1 20°W to 57°12’N, 117°08’W), northwestern Alberta.
History: The original Peace River Formation consisted of an upper sandstone, a middle shale member
and a lower sand member. The upper part of the lower (“basal” of Wickenden, 1951) member was
named the Notikewin Sandstone by the Alberta Study Group (1954); the lower part they designated
the Falher. Both the Falher and Notikewin were removed from the Peace River Formation and placed
in the Spirit River Formation by the Alberta Study Group (1954). This left only the middle shale and
upper sand in the Peace River Formation. Wickenden (1951) had divided the upper sand into two
parts, the continental members later called the Paddy Sandstone by the Alberta Group (1954),
overlying the Cadotte marine sandstone (Wickenden, 1951). The middle Shale Member below the
Cadotte was termed the Harmon by the Alberta Study Group (1954).
Lithology: The Paddy Member consists of lithic greywacke with a considerable carbonaceous content
and some thin coal. However, marine fossils have been found in the type section. The Cadotte
Member is clean, coarse to fine marine sandstone, with massive beds alternating with bands of thin
bedded sands and shales. Concretionary bands are common, with concretions up to 3 to 5 m (10 to 16
ft) in diameter. The member becomes quite argillaceous downstream, finally disappearing northward.
The Harmon Member is soft shale, fissile, dark grey noncalcareous. Thin bentonite beds and
occasional thin siltstones are found within the interval .
Thickness and Distribution: The formation averages around 60 m (197 ft), with the Paddy ranging from
zero to 40 m (131 ft), the Cadotte from 12 to 52 m (39 to 171 ft) and the Harmon from 10 to 34 m (33 to
112 ft). The recognizable Paddy is restricted to the Peace River area of Alberta south of the Clear Hills,
thinning to zero by Twp. 91. The Cadotte may be recognized in the Peace River area of both Alberta
and British Columbia south of the Notikewin River. The recognizable Harmon is co-extensive with the
Cadotte.
Relationship to Other Units: The Peace River Formation is underlain abruptly, though conformably by
the Notikewin Member of the Spirit River Formation. It is overlain abruptly by the Shaftesbury
Formation, with strong evidence of a hiatus, as the Haplophragmoides gigas Zone is missing. The
Paddy may be a shoreline phase of this zone or may represent a somewhat earlier or later horizon.
Downstream from the type area of the Paddy Member the overlying microfauna is older than that found
in the base of the type Shaftesbury Formation (Wickenden, 1951), and the Paddy could represent a
basal sand of the Shaftesbury transgression.
The Harmon Member correlates with the Hulcross Shale of the Commotion Formation of the Pine
River area of British Columbia. It corresponds to the middle shale member of the Scatter Formation
(Wildhorn, Member, Stott, 1981) of the Liard River area. The Cadotte correlates with the lower part of
the Boulder Creek Member of the Commotion Formation, to the upper sandy member, Tussock (Stott,
1981) of the Scatter Formation, and to the basal Lepine Formation of the Liard River area. The Peace
River Formation is correlative with the mid portion of the type Buckinghorse Formation in northeastern
British Columbia. Although the Alberta Study Group (1954) originally correlated the Harmon Member
with the Joli Fou Formation of the east central Alberta, the former is now known to be much lower in
section where both are present in northeastern British Columbia.
Paleontology: The Gastroplites fauna is found within the top of the Harmon Shale and within the
Cadotte. Inoceramus cadottensis and starfish occur with Gastroplites. Arenaceous Foraminifera are
common throughout.
References: Alberta Study Group, 1954; Badgley, 1952; Caldwell et al., 1978; McConnell, 1893;
McLearn, 1918, 1944; Oliver, 1960 ; Singh, 1971; Stott, 1981; Wickenden, 1951.
CRS
Peechee Member (Southesk Formation)
Author: Belyea, H .R. and McLaren, D.J., 1957a. Section first described in Belyea, H .R. and McLaren,
D.J., 1956.
Type Locality: White Man Gap, at the southeast end of Mount Rundle, 6.5 km (4.0 mi) west of Canmore,
Alberta on the Spray Lakes reservoir road. Section measured on the north side of the pass (51°04’N,
115°25’W). Supplementary subsurface sections in the Bailey Olds No. 1, in 2-18-31-27W4M, between
2471 and 2621 m (8108 and 8600 ft) and California Standard Princess CPR 9-22-20-12W4M,
History: The member is named after Mount Peechee, located south of Lake Minnewanka in Banff
National Park. Belyea and McLaren (1957a) formally named and described three members of the
Southesk Formation in a surface section published in 1956. The Peechee Member replaced the
informal lower grey dolomite member previously used by these authors. Belyea and McLaren (1957a)
also extended this nomenclature into the southern Alberta subsurface.
Lithology: The surface Peechee Member generally consists of light grey, medium to coarse crystalline
dolomite in massive to thick beds. A few thinner, darker and slightly argillaceous beds bearing relict
traces of amphiporids may occur, particularly towards the base of the member. Toward the margins of
carbonate buildups of the Fairholme Group the outcrop may exhibit circular cavities or vague,
concentrically-laminated patches suggestive of bulbous stromatoporoids. Within a few buildups (e.g.,
Ancient Wall) the Peechee Member is largely undolomitized and is essentially a lime sand unit
composed of peloid-intraclast wacke-, pack- and grainstones, with minor amphiporids,
stromatoporoids and corals. Small bioherms are occasionally developed at some buildup margins
(Mountjoy and Jull, 1978).
In the subsurface the Peechee Member includes both massive dolomites at the shelf edge adjacent to
the Ireton shale basin, and more restricted evaporitic sediments in the interior of the southern Alberta
shelf. The massive dolomites appear lithologically equivalent to the surface outcrops while the
evaporitic facies includes fine crystalline anhydrite, and dolomite with interbedded anhydrite and thin
shales.
Thickness and Distribution: The Peechee Member is present in Fairholme Group carbonate buildups
of the Rocky Mountains from northern Jasper National Park to the Flathead area of southwestern
Alberta and southeastern British Columbia. In the subsurface it is present south of Twp 30 and also
east of a line between Drumheller and Vermilion
The Peechee Member is between 60 and 200 m (200 and 656 ft) thick, but may reach 300 m (984 ft) in
the Flathead area and 223 m (732 ft) at Coronation Mountain in the main ranges south of the
Columbia Icefield. It is 61 m (201 ft) thick at the type section, 90 m (300 ft) thick in the Miette buildup
and 150 to 200 m (500 to 650 ft) thick in the Ancient Wail buildup. The subsurface dolomite and
evaporitic reference sections (Belyea and McLaren, 1957) are 150 m (492 ft) and 128 m (420 ft) thick
respectively.
Relationship to Other Units: The Peechee Member is the basal member of the Southesk Formation.
Lithologically the Peechee Member is a peloid-skeletal lime sand unit which overlies the biostromal
Cairn Formation. In some mountain sections the contact is easily distinguished by this lithologic and
associated color change, while in others interbedding of Cairn and Peechee lithologies may occur
over 5 to 30 m (16 to 98 ft) and placing of the “contact” is arbitrary. This relationship has prompted a
formation versus facies debate over the use of the terms Cairn and Southesk (see Taylor, 1957, 1958;
Belyea and McLaren, 1957b; Dooge, 1966), but the formations, with their constituent members have
survived. In the Flathead area the Peechee overlies the Borsato Formation.
The Peechee Member is overlain conformably or paraconformably by the Grotto or, rarely the Arcs
Member Lateral relations at buildup margins have the Peechee Member interfingering with the Perdrix
and also the basal Mount Hawk Formations (Mountjoy and Mackenzie, 1973; Mountjoy and Jull,
1978). Locally, at buildup margins of the Fairholme Group the Peechee may be overlain by Mount
Hawk (e.g., Cripple Tongue)
In the subsurface in the southern Alberta shelf the Peechee sharply overlies the Cairn Formation on
the shelf and is generally overlain by the Grotto Member. To the north it is replaced by the Ireton
Formation. In southern Alberta Peechee Member strata are also referred to the upper part of the Leduc
The Peechee Member is stratigraphically equivalent to the Grosmont Formation of northeastern

Alberta, the upper Leduc Formation of central Alberta, the upper Duperow Formation of the Williston
Basin and part of the Jefferson Formation of Montana .
References: Belyea, 1958; Belyea and McLaren, 1956, 1957a, 1957b; Cuppold, 1976; Dooge, 1966;
Mountjoy and Jull, 1978; Mountjoy and Mackenzie, 1973; Price 1964; Taylor 1957, 1958.
MPC; EWM
Mississippian (Tournaisian)
Pekisko Formation (Rundle Group)
Type Locality: Ridges north of Flat Creek, in the Mount Head map-area, Alberta.
Lithology: Douglas divided the Pekisko into upper and lower intervals based on the predominance of
coarsely crinoidal, massive limestone to the lower pangs and very fine crystalline to lithographic
limestone, with a minor amount of coarsely crinoidal limestone in the upper part. To the east, in the
subsurface this subdivision does not apply, as the Pekisko there consists predominantly of light
colored, coarsely crinoidal and fragmental, to fine grained, sparsely crinoidal, in part dense limestone
(Penner, 1958). In the subsurface Pekisko lithology is virtually identical to that of the expanded
Livingstone to the west.
Thickness and Distribution. Douglas gives a thickness of 134 m (440 ft) at the type section, but the
Pekisko is considerably thinner in the plains area, averaging 46 to 91 m (150 to 300 ft) where
unaffected by erosion. The Pekisko is erosionally truncated easterly below Cretaceous strata, a line
drawn from Twp. 21 on Alberta’s eastern border through Drumheller and thence to Lesser Slave Lake
marking the approximate eastern edge. Northward of Lesser Slave Lake the unit disappears along an
east-west trend by facies change to shaly Shunda Formation equivalents (Macauley, 1958).
Relationship to Other Units: Douglas (1953) showed the Pekisko to conformably overlie the
argillaceous Band Formation and to conformably underlie the Banner silt member and dark
limestones of the Shunda Formation. The Pekisko constitutes the basal section of the lithologically
similar Livingstone Formation in the southern Rocky Mountains and is completely replaced to the
north, in the Peace River subsurface by Shunda shale facies. It is represented in southern
Saskatchewan and Montana by the lower part of the Mission Canyon Formation.
References: Douglas, 1953; Douglas and Harker, 1958; Macauley, 1958; Macauley et al., 1964; Moore,
1958; Penner, 1958.
GM
Quaternary
Pekisko Till (Informal)
General Comment: Name introduced by Waters (1975, p. 68) in M.Sc. thesis for an extremely sandy till
restricted largely to the Pekisko Valley in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains southwest of Calgary,
Alberta. No type locality was given, but a representative section of the till is present at “grid reference
813746”. Unit previously mentioned by Douglas (1958). One of four names introduced by Waters for
units laid down by valley glaciers in different parts of the Pekisko Creek-Happy Valley Area during his
Event 2, the others being the Cartwright, Stimson Creek and Timber Creek tills. He correlated these
tills (p. 48) with the Maycroft Till of Alley (1973, p. 165), the Furman Till of Day (1971) and suggested a
pre-Classical Wisconsin age for them. Harris and Waters (1977, p. 57) incorrectly used the name
Pekisko Creek Till for the unit. As Pekisko Till was introduced for only a local area, is informal and has
received little usage, it probably should be abandoned.
References: Alley, 1973; Day, 1971; Douglas, 1958; Harris and Waters, 1977; Waters, 1975.
AMacSS
Pelican Formation (Colorado Group)
Author: McConnell, R.G., 1893; Badgley, P.C., 1952.
Type Locality: At the mouth of the Pelican River, in Twp. 79, Rge. 17W4M, northern Alberta .
History: The name Pelican was applied by McConnell (1893) to each of two lithologically distinct units:
the Pelican sand and the underlying Pelican shale. Wickenden (1949) assigned formation status to
each of these units, retaining the name Pelican for the sand and naming the shale sequence the Joli
Fou Formation.
Lithology: Relatively well washed and variably shaly fine to medium grained glauconitic sandstone,
with interbedded siltstone and mudstone and subordinate conglomerate and pebbly sandstone. The
well washed sandstones are cross-laminated and incorporate minor thin intercalations of shale and
mudstone. The shaly sandstones include bioturbated deposits several metres thick, with variable
proportions of mudstone as discontinuous partings, and sequences made up of thin grader
sandstones and siltstone, regularly alternating in vertical succession with thin mudstones and shales.
Chert pebbles are abundant in conglomeratic layers which occur near the top of the unit. The
mudstone and shale are dark grey and noncalcareous. Coalified plant fragments are locally abundant.
The main lithologies are arranged in coarsening upward sequence.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is of widespread distribution in northern Alberta. Its thickness is in
the order of 12.2 m (40 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The contact with shales of the underlying Joli Fou Formation is probably
disconformable; there is a gradational relationship with the overlying Labiche (Big River) shales and
mudstones. The Pelican Formation is approximately equivalent to the Viking Formation of southern
Alberta and southern Saskatchewan and the Flotten Lake Sand of central Saskatchewan, and to the
Paddy Member of northwestern Alberta.
References: Badgley, 1952; McConnell, 1893; Rudkin, 1964, McLearn, 1917; Wickenden, 1949.
FS
Pembina Member (Pierre Shale)
Author: Kirk, S. R. , 1 930.
Type Locality: Pembina River valley of southern Manitoba. McNeil and Caldwell (1981) designated a
type section in the southeastern portion of Lsd. 4, Sec 27, Twp 1, Rge. 3WPM.
Lithology: Greyish black shale. The type Pembina consists of two shale units, a lower greyish black,
carbonaceous shale distinguished by numerous thin bentonite beds, and an upper brownish shale.
The bentonite beds are mined by open-pit operation near Morden Manitoba. Elsewhere along the
Manitoba escarpment the Pembina Member is a uniform greyish black shale with numerous bentonite
beds. Fish scales and bone fragments are common locally.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized through North Dakota, eastern Saskatchewan and
southwestern Manitoba to its erosional edge at the Manitoba escarpment. Thickness of the Pembina
ranges from 3 to 25 m (10 to 82 ft) in Pembina Mountain due to variations in sedimentation rate and
absence of the upper Pembina by disconformity.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact is sharp and unconformable with the chalky shale of the
Niobrara Formation (previously the Boyne Member of the Vermilion River Formation in Manitoba). In
Riding Mountain the Pembina rests with sharp contact on the Gammon Ferruginous Member, Pierre
Shale. The upper contact with the olive grey shale of the Millwood is sharp, disconformable to
paraconformable.
The Pembina Member correlates westwards with a lower part of the Lea Park Formation in
Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta, the Pakowki Formation of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan,
and the Clagett Shale of central Montana. Southwards it correlates with the Sharon Springs and Mitten
Black Shale members of the Pierre Shale in South Dakota. Cobban (in: Gill and Cobban, 1965, p. 49)
shows that the Baculites obtusus zone coincides with the basal Pembina Member and the basal
Claggett Formation.
References: Bannatyne, 1970; Gill and Cobban, 1965; Kirk, 1930; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; Tovell,
DHM; LLP
Upper Cretaceous
Pembina Mountain Group (Obsolete)
Type Locality: Pembina Mountain, in the vicinity of the 49th parallel, in Twps. 1-3, Rges. 510WPM,
southern Manitoba.
History: Proposed for beds in Pembina Mountain thought to equate with the “Fort Pierre group” (now
the Pierre Shale), but not definitely correlatable at that time. The name was not adopted by Tyrrell
(1890, 1892), who applied the name “Fort Pierre” instead, nor by following geologists. These strata are
now assigned to the Pembina, Millwood and Odanah members of the Pierre Shale (McNeil and
Caldwell, 1981).
Lithology: Consists of a lower, soft, blackish shale (now the Pembina Member, Pierre Shale) with
common fish fragments; a middle unit of greenish grey clays (now the Millwood Member, Pierre Shale)
forming gently sloping, bare hillsides; and an upper, hard, dark greenish grey clay or shale (now the
Odanah Member, Pierre Shale) with little or no organic remains visible, but containing clay-ironstone
concretions, 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) thick, weathering to dark brown fragments. Problematic rusty
markings were also noted to be characteristic, possibly derived from a burrowing organism.
Thickness and Distribution: Dawson observed 91 m (298 ft) of strata in Pembina Mountain and noted
that similar rocks occurred to the north along the Assiniboine River, and in Riding Mountain and to the
west in the Qu’Appelle River Valley of Saskatchewan to approximately 102°W
Relationship to Other Units: Contact relationships not observed by Dawson. Considered by Dawson to
“belong” to the Fort Pierre Group of South Dakota.
References: Dawson, 1875, McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; Tyrrell, 1890, 1892.
DHM ; LLP
Pembina River Member (Cardium Formation)
Author: Krause, F.F. and Nelson, D.A., 1984.
Type Locality: Pembina oil field, central Alberta. The type section is in the well 12-8-4-77W5M, in the
southeastern part of the Pembina field, between 1551 and 1567 m (5090 and 5140 ft).
Lithology: A generally coarsening upward sequence, with black, bioturbated shale and shale siltstone
at the base, followed by increasing very fine and fine sand, and capped by chert conglomerate. In
detail, several shale and sand pulses interrupt the coarsening upward characteristic. The sandstones
are chert-arenites or quartzose chert-arenites.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness of the unit ranges from zero to 60 m (197 ft). It is usually present
in the Pembina field and the Carrot Creek field, and possibly in the oil fields south of Pembina
(Swagor, 1975; Swagor et al., 1976).
Relationship to Other Units: The Pembina River Member underlies the Cardium Zone Member, the
contact often being a scoured surface. The unit is underlain by shale of the Blackstone Formation.
References: Groeneveld, 1964; Krause and Nelson, 1984; Krause et al., 1987; Mackenzie and
Russum, 1976; Mills, 1968; Nielsen, 1957; Patterson and Arneson, 1957; Wallace, 1960.
FFK
Penitentiary Member (Stony Mountain Formation)
Type Locality: City of Winnipeg Quarry, at the town of Stony Mountain, Manitoba (14-13-2EPM).
Suggested reference outcrop core hole is Manitoba Core Hole M-1-69, Stonewall (13-30-13-2EPM),
Lithology: Consists of medium to thin bedded, finely crystalline, fossiliferous, argillaceous dolomite
ranging in color from dusky yellow to shades of pale reddish grey and greenish yellow. Solution
cavities of fossils are abundant at the type section, because of more intense weathering, but are rare
in the main portion of the outcrop belt. Argillaceous content decreases progressively to the north, and
near the northern limit of occurrence the unit is essentially non-argillaceous, and almost impossible to
distinguish from the overlying Gunton beds.
Thickness and Distribution: The Penitentiary Member is about 7 m (23 ft) thick in the type area, but
thickens rapidly to the north at the expense of the underlying Gunn Member. North of about 51°N the
Gunn-type lithology disappears and the entire lower Stony Mountain, approximately 25 m (82 ft) in
thickness becomes Penitentiary-type argillaceous dolomite.
Relationship to Other Units: The Penitentiary is a facies equivalent of the Gunn Member, and
represents a northern, more shelfward dolomitized and less argillaceous facies. The two members
cannot be differentiated in the subsurface. Where present the Penitentiary is overlain conformably by
the Gunton Member, and where the Gunn is absent the Penitentiary overlies the Fort Garry Member of
the Red River Formation sharply, and possibly with slight disconformity.
References: Kendall, 1976; Kent, 1960; McCabe, 1971; Okulitch, 1943.
HRM, FMH
Pense Formation
Author: Price, L.L., 1963.
Type Locality: The type section is in the interval between the Cantuar Formation below and the Joli
Fou Shale above, between 810 and 842 m (2656 and 2762 ft) in the Sohio Canadian Devonian Pense
No. 1 well, in Lsd. 14, Sec. 6, Twp. 17, Rge. 22W2M, Saskatchewan.
Lithology: “Comprises fine-grained sandstone, mostly with interstitial white clay and shaly silt,
interbedded with firm, splintery, dark grey slightly carbonaceous shale. Fish remains, worm burrows,
rare pelecypod fragments, sparse glauconite and much current bedding and characteristic”. (Price,
L.L., 1963, p. 30). In southwestern Saskatchewan (Maycock, 1967; Christopher, 1974) as many as four
informal units are distinguishable based on a rhythmic succession of, from bottom to top: (1) black
shales, hard, fissile, containing 5% (increasing upward to 20%) of medium grey sandy flasers that rest
on scoured and tool-marked contacts, criss-crossed by randomly oriented trace fossils; (2) medial
sandy mudstones that are generally dark grey and greyish black and are thinly interbedded and
laminated with flasers and lenticles of very fine grained quartzose sandstone. The unit is generally
bioturbated; (3) where preserved, capping sandstones terminate the sequence; these are quartzose,
fine gained and well sorted, and include abundant rose quartz, black chert, muscovite, biotite and
glauconite. Bedding is flat, lamellar, locally trough cross-bedded, and in general interrupted by
scattered crenulated, carbonaceous black shaly partings.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness ranges from less than 6 m (20 ft) in the far east of
Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba to more than 36 m (118 ft) in southwestern Saskatchewan.
Southward into North Dakota and Montana the sandstones grade into siltstone and shale of the basal
Colorado Group. North of Latitude 52°N it thins erosionally beneath the Joli Fou Formation.
Relationship to Other Units: The Pense is the uppermost formation of the Mannville Group in
southwestern Saskatchewan (Maycock, 1967). In its attenuation to the east and north of 52°N it deeply
truncates the underlying Cantuar units across the east-west trending Punnichy Arch. Beyond, to the
northwest the Pense loses its identity at the horizon of the upper part of the McLaren member of the
Mannville Group of central Saskatchewan (Christopher, 1984).
References: Christopher, 1974, 1984b; Maycock, 1967; Price, 1963.
JEC
Perdrix Formation (Fairholme Group)
Type Locality: Roche Miette, northeast shoulder, 34 km (21 mi) north-northeast or Jasper, Alberta,
along Highway 16. 15°3’N, 117°55’W).
History: The formation is named from Roche a Perdrix, 10 km (6 mi) northeast of Roche Miette. The
type section of Raymond (1930) was revised by McLaren (1955), who removed the upper 47.5 m (156
ft) and added it to the Mount Hawk Formation, making the thickness of the Perdrix Formation at Roche
Miette 116 m (380 ft).
Lithology: The Perdrix Formation is composed of dark grey to black calcareous shale that weathers
dark and recessive in outcrop. The upper half to one third of the Perdrix contains nodules or thin
nodular beds of dark argillaceous limestone which increase in frequency upwards and laterally toward
carbonate buildups of the Fairholme Group. The shales are generally bituminous, with fresh surfaces
having a fetid odor. Hopkins (1972) found Perdrix shales in the area of the Ancient Wall and Miette
buildups to contain 1 to 6% organic makers and clays to be illitic in composition. The thin limestone
interbeds and nodules consist of argillaceous, micro-sparry lime mudstone, with increasing amounts
of skeletal wackestone and packstone near buildups. Brachiopods and pelecypods are present in
more carbonate rich sections, but the only ubiquitous fossils are tentaculitids .
Thickness and Distribution The Perdrix Formation is present in basinal sections of the Fairholme
Group in the front and main ranges of the Rocky Mountains from the Kakwa Lake area of northeast
British Columbia to the Ram River area of Alberta, a distance of 370 km (229 mi). The formation is also
recognized in the subsurface immediately adjacent to the mountain front (Belyea, 1958).
The Perdrix Formation is thickest adjacent to the buildups of the Fairholme Group, where it contains a
higher proportion of carbonate than truly basinal sections. Within the basin sections it also appears to
thicken southward. Mountjoy and Mackenzie (1973) record around 80 m (262 ft) at the Ancient Wall.
Thicknesses of 110 m (361 ft) are common in basin sections in the Colin Range, while 140 m (460 ft)
is more typical in the Brazeau and Cline River areas (McLaren, 1955).
Relationship to Other Units: The Perdrix Formation overlies the Maligne Formation, or the Flume
Formation where the Maligne is absent, with apparent conformity, although paleontologic studies by
Maurin and Raasch (1972) suggest that this boundary marks a hiatus. The Mount Hawk Formation
overlies the Perdrix Formation conformably. The change is transitional, with the boundary being placed
where firestone interbeds become prominent upwards This transition corresponds to a weathering
change, the Perdrix Formation being darker and recessive. Hopkins (1972) reinforced the validity of a
formation break at this point with the finding that the Perdrix shales are composed of illite, whereas
Mount Hawk shales contain both illite and appreciable amounts of chlorite. In basin sections the
formation boundary appears sharp and is denoted by a marked weathering color change on talus
covered ridges.
Laterally the Perdrix Formation intertongues with most of the Peechee Member and also the upper
Cairn Formation of the buildups of the Fairholme Group. The Perdrix Formation is lithostratigraphically
the approximate equivalent of the subsurface Duvernay Formation and Majeau Lake Member of the
Cooking Lake Formation.
References: Belyea, 1958; deWit and McLaren, 1950; Hopkins, 1972; Maurin and Raasch, 1972;
Mountjoy and Mackenzie, 1973; Raymond, 1930.
MPC; EWM
Lower Cambrian
Peyto Formation (Member)
Author: Rasetti, F., 1951, as the Peyto Limestone Member of the St. Piran Sandstone. Revised by
Aitken (in press) as the Peyto Formation of the Gog Group.
Type Locality: “The type section of the Peyto limestone is chosen in the cliffs formed by the west spur
of Mount Thompson ... north of Bow Lake and south of Peyto Lake” (Rasetti, 1951). Hockley (1973)
recognized a fault in the type section and accordingly recommended establishment of a reference
section on the lower slopes of Mount Weed, in Banff National Park, Alberta. Aitken (in press) adopted
Hockley’s suggestion.
History: Walcott (1908, 1928) and Deiss (1939, 1940) did not formalize the distinct limestone formation
at the base of their Mount Whyte Formation and classified the Mount Whyte as Lower Cambrian.
Rasetti (1951) recognized that the Mount Whyte, as earlier conceived comprised a Lower Cambrian
limestone unit which he named the Peyto Member of the St. Piran Sandstone, unconformably overlain
by an upper unit of Middle Cambrian shale and limestone, which he treated as the emended Mount
Whyte.
Lithology: Limestone, locally dolomite, characteristically skeletal and colitic grainstones; sandy
limestone; cryptalgal mounds; oncoidal beds; minor beds of greenish grey shale and calcareous
sandstone. North of North Saskatchewan River passes to a partly red, lagoonal facies of pale, pelletal
lime mudstone and cryptalgal laminite (Hockley, 1973).
Thickness and Distribution: The formation is 35 m (115 ft) thick at the reference section on Mount
Weed. Regionally it is confined to the main ranges and varies from a maximum of 125 m (410 ft) at
Mount Kerkeslin, south of Jasper, eastward and southward to zero (Hockley, 1973). Thinning is by a
combination of depositional thinning and sub-Middle Cambrian erosional bevelling.
Relationship to Other Units: The Peyto Formation rests with conformable, gradational and
intertongued contact upon the uppermost quartzites and calcareous sandstones of the Gog Group,
sandstones replacing carbonate rocks eastward. The upper contact is the base of the Mount Whyte
Formation and a sub-Middle Cambrian unconformity (Rasetti, 1951; Aitken, in press). The equivalent
formation in the Mount Robson area is the Hota Formation (Fritz and Mountjoy, 1975).
Paleontology: The Peyto yields a late Early Cambrian Bonnia-Olenellus trilobite fauna (Rasetti, 1951).
References: Aitken, in press; Deiss, 1939, 1940; Fritz and Mountjoy, 1975; Hockley, 1973; Rasetti,
1951; Walcott, 1908, 1928.
JDA
Phillips Formation (Purcell Supergroup}
Author: Daly, R.A., 1912; p. 108-109.
Type Locality: Near Phillips Creek, southern Galton Range, southeastern British Columbia.
Lithology: Thin to very thin bedded, dark purple and red, fine to coarse grained quartz sandstone and
siltstone. Argillite and micaceous argillite occur as partings and thin interbeds that commonly grade
laterally into intraformational conglomerate. Ripple marks and mudcracks are common.
Thickness and Distribution: Extends from the eastern Purcell Mountains southeastward to near
Helena, Montana along the eastern limit of Purcell-Belt exposures in the Rocky Mountains in Canada
thicknesses vary from unrecognizably thin north of Skookumchuck and in the western Purcell
Mountains to 120 m (394 ft.) near Elko, and 200 m (656 ft) near Sage Creek.
Relationship to Other Units: The Phillips conformably overlies the Gateway Formation and is
conformably overlain by the Roosville Formation. It is correlative with the Bonner Quartzite (Red
Plume Quartzite) in Montana, with Member C of Hage’s Kintla Formation, and with strata included in
the Dutch Creek Formation
References: Daly, 1912; Hage, 1943; Leech, 1958, 1960; McMechan, 1978; Norris, 1959; Price, 1962,
1964, 1965; Ross, 1959, Schofield, 1914a, 1914b.
MEM, RAP
Phillips Sandstone
(Second White Speckled Shale, Colorado Group)
Author: Schroth, H.A., 1953, Simpson, F., 1979a, 1979c.
Type Locality: Bowdoin gas field, Phillips and Valley counties, Montana. The discovery well was the
Martin well (Sec. 18, Twp. 31 N, Rge. 35E), although the Bowdoin No. 1 well (Sec. 22, Twp. 31N, Rge.
35E) revealed the reservoir character of the Bowdoin Sandstone and the Phillips Sandstone, which
yield commercial production of natural gas in the area.
Lithology: Largely composed of monotonously repeated, light olive grey, fine and very fine grained
sandstones and coarse grained siltstones in beds up to several centimetres thick, alternating in
vertical sequence with dark grey calcareous shales and mudstones of similar thickness. The
sandstones and siltstones exhibit horizontal and gently inclined lamination and graded bedding, as
well as sharply defined soles with common tool markings. The shales and mudstones are
characterized by abundant flakes of coccolithic debris and intercalated shaly chalk layers several
millimetres thick. Pelecypod coquinoidal layers and accumulations of fish-skeletal debris are
abundant. Two main sandy subunits occur in the Bowdoin dome region. There is a tendency towards
upward coarsening of the succession, seen as a progressive upward decrease in the proportion of
intercalated mudstone. Up to one metre of bioturbated, fine grained, muddy sandstone, containing
pebbles and granules of phosphorite is found near the top of the unit.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum thickness about 38 m (125 ft) in the Bowdoin gas field. The unit
is best developed in the Bowdoin dome region of Phillips and Valley counties, Montana, and adjacent
southwestern Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: Occurs some 6.5 m (21 ft) below the top of the Second White Speckled
Shale in southwestern Saskatchewan. The top of the Phillips Sandstone is sharply defined by the
upper surface of a characteristically calcite-veined, calcareous concretionary layer up to a few
decimetres thick located immediately below a prominent bentonite beds. The lower contact of the unit
is gradational with calcareous shales and shaly chalks of the Second White Speckled Shale. The
sandstones and siltstones are replaced laterally by argillaceous rocks in western and southcentral
Saskatchewan. The Second White Specks sandstone of southern Alberta is an equivalent of the
Phillips. In northcentral Montana the unit also includes sandstones equivalent to the uppermost shales
of the Belle Fourche Formation, (e.g., Mosby Sand, Greenhorn Formation).
References: Balster, 1971; Nydegger et al., 1979; Rice, 1976; Rice and Shurr, 1978; Schroth, 1953;
Simpson, 1979a, 1979c.
FS
Lower Triassic (Griesbachian to Dienerian)
Phroso Siltstone Member
(Sulphur Mountain Formation)
Type Locality: on the east side of Phroso Creek, approximately 0.8 km (0.5 mi) upstream from its
junction with Sulphur River, immediately below the main creek gorge. NW/4 Sec. 4, Twp. 54, Rge.
7W6M. NTS 83E/10W, Adams lookout, Alberta
History: The strata were first mentioned as a distinct facies of the Sulphur Mountain Formation by Best
(1958) in the North Saskatchewan-Athabasca River area. Later Manko (1960) defined contacts and
informally named the unit “Lower Black Siltstone Member”. It was tentatively renamed the “Shaly
Siltstone Member” by Gibson (1965), who later designated it as a new member of the Sulphur
Mountain Formation.
Lithology: Recessive, shaly to flaggy weathering, thin bedded to massive, grey-brown to dark grey,
carbonaceous, pyritiferous, micromicaceous siltstone and silty shale with, locally quartz sandstone
interbeds near base. The member forms a distinctive marker facies at the base of the Sulphur
Mountain Formation because of its recessive weathering and commonly talus covered character, in
contrast to the overlying Vega Siltstone Member and underlying Permian Ishbel Group.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is recognizable throughout most areas of the Rocky Mountain
Foothills and front ranges of Alberta. It ranges in measured thickness from a minimum of 31 m (102 ft)
at Picklejar Creek, near Highwood Pass, Alberta to a maximum of 242 m (794 ft) at Ross Creek, near
Sparwood, British Columbia (Gibson, 1974).
Relationship to Other Units: The contact with the overlying Vega Siltstone Member is conformable and
is placed at the base of the first repeated occurrence of resistant weathering, dolomitic to calcareous
siltstone beds of the Vega Siltstone Member, above recessive weathering, dolomitic thin bedded
sandstone of the Phroso Member. Between the Pine and Smoky rivers of northeastern British
Columbia and west-central Alberta the contact between the Phroso and overlying Vega Siltstone
members is poorly defined, with strata of the two members interdigitating over several metres of strata.
Accordingly the two members are combined and called the Vega-Phroso Siltstone Member (Gibson,
1975). The member is disconformably underlain by chert, cherty dolomite and sandstone of the
Permian Ishbel or Mississippian Rundle groups. The Phroso Member is equivalent to the Grayling
Formation in the foothills of northeastern British Columbia and the lower third of the subsurface
Montney Formation of the Peace River Plains.
References: Best 1958; Gibson, 1965, 1968, 1974, 1975; Manko, 1960.
DWG
Pierre Shale
Author: Meek, F.B. and Hayden, M.D., 1862.
Type Locality: Exposures along the Missouri River, near Pierre, South Dakota, in Stanley and Hughes
counties .
History: The Pierre Shale has a simple history dating back to Meek and Hayden’s introduction of the
“Fort Pierre Group” in 1862, defined as a formation of dark grey clays Iying between the calcareous
marl of the Niobrara Formation and the sandstones of the Fox Hills Formation. The division of the
Pierre into members, however has a more extensive history. Searight (1937) divided the Pierre of the
type area into the Gregory, Sully, Virgin Creek, Mobridge and Elk Butte members. Subsequent
revisions were made by Searight (1938) and Gries and Rothrock (1941). Crandell’s (1950) revision of
the Pierre in South Dakota stands today, comprising eight members: the Sharon Springs, Gregory,
Crow Creek, DeGrey, Verendrye, Virgin Creek, Mobridge and Elk Butte. In northeastern North Dakota
Gill and Cobban (1965) found the Pierre Shale to comprise five members: the Pembina, Gregory,
DeGrey, Odanah, and an unnamed shale.
The Pierre Shale was recognized in Manitoba by Tyrrell (1890), but later abandoned in the area by
Kirk (1930), Wickenden (1945) and others. In 1981 the name Pierre Shale was reintroduced into
Manitoba by McNeil and Caldwell, who recognized five members: the Gammon Ferruginous,
Pembina, Millwood, Odanah, and an unnamed shale (Coulter Member of Bamburak, 1978).
Lithology: The Pierre Shale is more variable than its name suggests. Its type sequence comprises
eight members consisting of shale (non-carbonaceous, carbonaceous, noncalcareous, siliceous),
marlstone or chalk. The Sharon Springs Member consists of greyish black shale with many
conspicuous beds of light colored bentonite. Above, light grey calcareous shale with interbeds of
medium dark grey shale form the Gregory Member, which includes also beds of pale yellowish brown
claystone, marlstone and fossiliferous concretions. A thin chalky unit named the Crow Creek Member
overlies the Gregory and includes a sandy zone near its base. The DeGrey Member consists of grey
shale, commonly with bentonite beds. It is siliceous in its lower part and contains an abundance of
black weathering iron-manganese carbonate concretions in its upper part. Light olive-grey to dark grey
shale makes up the Verendrye Member, which weathers to a distinctive rough crust (“gumbo”) that
obscures bedding. The Virgin Creek Member is composed of a lower, relatively resistant, light to
medium grey shale with conspicuous bentonite beds, and an upper grey shale weathering to a light
grey rough crust and containing fossiliferous concretions. The buff weathering Mobridge Member is
conspicuous in outcrop, comprising bluish grey to dark grey calcareous shale, marlstone and chalk
with limestone lenses and a variety of concretions. The final Elk Butte Member of the Pierre is a dark
grey shale that passes gradationally into the overlying sandstone of the Fox Hills Formation.
In Manitoba McNeil and Caldwell (1981) recognized five members in the Pierre Shale. At the base the
Gammon Ferruginous Member consists of greyish black shale containing numerous ferruginous
concretions. It is overlain by greyish black shales of the Pembina Member with numerous bentonite
beds. The succeeding Millwood Member is an olive-grey silty clay in west-central Manitoba, but
changes facies southeastward to clay and shale, and then to interbedded calcareous and
noncalcareous shale in Pembina Mountain in southern Manitoba and northernmost North Dakota. The
Odanah Member consists of uniform, siliceous, olive grey clay or shale with minor beds of sob olive-
grey shale, commonly containing blackish red weathering, manganese coated concretions. At the top
is a unit of softer olive-grey shale which Bamburak (1978) named the Coulter Member, but which
McNeil and Caldwell (1981) referred to as an unnamed member.
Thickness and Distribution: Due to the variable thickness of its members the Pierre Shale ranges from
about 120 m (394 ft) to nearly 335 m (1099 ft) in the Missouri River valley of South Dakota (Searight,
1937). Regionally it is markedly thicker westwards. Reeside (1944) indicated a maximum of 2400 m
(7872 ft) in northcentral Colorado, but a fairly uniform thickness range from 300 to 600 m (984 to 1968
ft) was determined through Nebraska, South and North Dakota, eastern Wyoming and Montana, and
southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The Pierre Shale and its coarser grained western equivalents form broad
facies belts trending north-south along the Western Interior of North America (Tourtelot, 1962). The
Pierre constitutes the eastern (shale-carbonate) facies and much of the central or median (shale,
minor sandstone) facies which trend northwards from southeastern Colorado through Nebraska,
eastern Wyoming, South and North Dakota, eastern Montana and Saskatchewan and southern
Manitoba. The coarser grained equivalents of the Pierre form the western facies belt that encroaches
into the central facies belt.
Pierre correlations to the southwest in New Mexico include the Cliff House Formation, Lewis Shale,
Picture Cliff Formation, Fruitland Formation and Kirkland Shale in western Colorado it correlates with
the uppermost Mancos Shale, Mesaverde Group and lower Lance Formation. In central Montana its
correlatives are the Eagle Formation, Claggett Shale, Judith River Formation and Bearpaw Shale. In
western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta the Pierre Shale correlates with the Lea Park and
equivalent Milk River and Pakowki formations, the Judith River (Belly River) and Bearpaw formations.
The Pierre Shale unconformably overlies the Niobrara Formation in eastern Colorado, in the Missouri
River valley of South Dakota and in eastern North Dakota (Scott and Cobban, 1964; Gill and Cobban,
1965). In southern Manitoba the Pierre Shale also unconformably overlies the Niobrara Formation
[previously the Boyne Member, Vermilion River Formation (McNeil and Caldwell, 1981)]. The lower
contact is conformable in eastern Wyoming and eastern Montana. The upper contact with the
widespread, arenaceous Fox Hills Formation of the western United States and the Boissevain
Formation of southern Manitoba is conformable.
References. Bamburak, 1978; Crandell, 1950; Gries and Rothrock, 1941: Kirk, 1930; Meek and
Hayden, 1862; McGookey et al., 1972; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; Reeside, 1944; Scott and Cobban,
1964; Searight 1937; Tourtelot, 1962; Tyrrell, 1890; Wickenden, 1945.
DHM; LLP, PAM

Middle Jurassic (?Callovian)
Pigeon Creek Member (Fernie Formation)
Author: Crockford, M.B.B., 1949.
Type Locality: Headwaters of Pigeon Creek, in tributary flowing down the northeast face of Mount
Allan, Alberta; grid reference 271498, NTS Canmore 82 O/3E, Alberta.
Lithology: Regularly interbedded hard, grey calcareous siltstones and grey shales; pale grey to light
brown weathering surfaces. Siltstone beds usually lacking internal structures, except towards top of
unit, where lamination is visible; individual beds 0.1 to 0.4 m (0.3 to 1.3 ft) thick, becoming thicker
towards top of unit. Intercalated shales finely laminated. This unit as a whole provides a resistant, well
exposed marker horizon, usually forming small waterfalls and cliffs in stream sections. Unfossiliferous.
Thickness and Distribution. Type section is 44 m (144 ft) thick, thinning to south in Evans-Thomas
Creek, where it is 20 to 25 m (66 to 82 ft) thick. Known from a number of localities in Kananaskis area:
Pigeon, Ribbon and Evans-Thomas creeks, and on east side of Highwood Pass as well as Cascade
River farther northwest.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies dark grey and rusty weathering shales of Highwood
Member in Pigeon and Ribbon creeks; overlain by dark shales with large concretions (Ribbon Creek
Member) in Ribbon Creek, though this contact is not exposed. Regarded as laterally equivalent to
Grey beds, which occur farther south and north of Kananaskis area.
References: Crockford, 1949; Frebold, 1957; Stronach, 1984
RLH
Middle Cambrian
Pika Formation
Author: Deiss, C., 1939: p. 1008.
Type Locality: Helena Ridges Alberta at 51°18’30”N, 115°54’W, part of the Castle Mountain massif.
The type section is continuous with that of the Eldon Formation.
History: Deiss recognized as the Pika Formation the upper, shale more prominently bedded and
lithologically varied part of Walcott’s (1908a, b) type Eldon.
Lithology: The Pika Formation is dominated by thin bedded lime mudstone with burrowed, dolomitized
partings. In the lower part westward pinching tongues of shale form the basal units of limestone
dominated, shallowing upward small scale cycles, with some flat pebble conglomerate in the upper
units. In the main ranges dolomitization is erratic; in the front ranges the upper third is a consistently
dolomitized member with many beds of oolite and flat pebble conglomerate.
Thickness and Distribution. Like most Middle Cambrian formations the Pika thickens from east to west;
it is 159 m (522 ft) at the type section. On the Bow River transect the formation thickens from slightly
more than 90 m (295 ft) at the mountain front to 237 m (777 ft) at Mount Bosworth. The greatest
measured thickness is 361 m (1184 ft), at Chaba River. Eastward, the Pika thins to extinction in the
subsurface of the plains.
The Pika is the most extensive of the Middle Cambrian carbonate formations. It extends northward
from south of Mount Assiniboine to Kakwa Lake, and from the main ranges eastward to Rge. 8W4M
(111°N) (Pugh, 1971).
Relationship to Other Units: The Pika is in gradational contact with the underlying Eldon and Titkana
formations in the west, and with the shady Earlie Formation in the eastern subsurface. Its contact with
the overlying Arctomys Formation is abrupt and may be disconformable; beneath the plains its contact
with the overlying Sullivan Formation is unconformable. The Pika passes westward into basinal shaly
limestone of the upper middle Chancellor Formation (McIlreath, 1977). Along the Kicking Horse Rim
the Pika merges with the underlying Eldon and overlying Waterfowl carbonates into a single multi-
storey carbonate unit.
References: Deiss, 1939; McIlreath, 1977; Pugh, 1971.
JDA, LVH
Pine Point Formation (Group)
Author: Cameron, A.E., 1918; re-defined by Norris, A.W., 1965; redefined by Skall, H., 1975.
Type Locality: Pine Point to Fort Resolution, on the south shore of Great Slave Lake, Northwest
Territories.
Lithology: Originally defined as dark, fine grained bituminous limestone and limy shale. Later
definitions also included carbonate rocks of several facies.
Thickness and Distribution: See below.
Relationship to Other Units: As originally used the term applied to what is now known as the Lonely
Bay and Bituminous Limestone and Shale members of Norris (1965), the maximum thickness of
which, in the type area is about 115 m (377 ft); approximate correlatives include the Lonely Bay
Formation to the north, and the Keg River Formation (excluding reef facies) to the south. This package
is gradational with the Chinchaga Formation below and the Buffalo River Member above. Norris
(1965) redefined the term to include the above, plus younger strata up to the base of the Presqu’ile-
Sulphur Point formations (at that time thought to be a time-stratigraphic unit) and including the fore-reef
argillaceous rocks, the Buffalo River Member and the Horn River shale tongue. As thus conceived the
Pine Point Formation included the Keg River Platform plus carbonate and shaly rocks equivalent to
approximately the lower two thirds of the Muskeg Formation. Skall (1975) elevated the term to group,
and excluded the Keg River Platform, but included all strata up to the Watt Mountain Formation. Skall’s
Pine Point Group includes both carbonate and shaly rocks of the barrier-complex equivalent to the
Muskeg Formation. In addition the term Pine Point has been applied as follows: 1) all carbonate rocks
of the entire barrier-complex, from the top of the Chinchaga Formation to the Watt Mountain erosion
surface (Law, 1955); and 2) to include strata equivalent to the Dunedin Formation in British Columbia
(Macqueen and Thompson, 1978).
Paleontology: Rich and varied fauna (see Norris, 1965) Includes the following brachiopod species:
Atrypa arctica Warren, Chonetes aurora Hall, Leiorhynchus castanea, Stringocephalus sp., Warrenelli
kirki.
References: Cameron, 1918; Law, 1955a; Macqueen and Thompson, 1978; Norris, 1965; Skall, 1975.
GKW; DWM
Jurassic
Pine River Formation (Abandoned)
Author: Spieker, E.M., 1921.
History: Shales supposedly of Jurassic age in northeastern British Columbia were named the Pine
River Formation by Spieker in 1921. He described their occurrence on Pass Creek (Crassier Creek, a
tributary of Pine River) and clearly intended that the designation be applied to beds between Triassic
limestone and the Cretaceous Bull Head Mountain Formation. Allan and Stelck (1940, p. 19) also used
the term Pine River shales for Jurassic shale in a report on the Guardian well No. 1 at Bonanza,
Alberta. Those beds were correlated with lithologically similar shales of Jurassic age that Stelck had
examined on Le Moray Mountain and Gold Creek in the foothills and from which he reported Jurassic
fossils. Later Wickenden and Shaw (1943, p. 4) pointed out that the shales at Crassier Creek were not
of Jurassic age, but were of Lower Cretaceous age, occurred above, not below the Bullhead
sediments and were assignable to the Moosebar shales of the Peace River section. Subsequently
Beach and Spivak (1944), working in the Dunlevy-Portage Mountain map-area, and Hage (1944),
working north of Peace River applied the name Fernie to Jurassic strata in northeastern British
Columbia to avoid the uncertainties introduced by Spieker. Since then, the name Pine River has not
been used.
References: Allan and Stelck, 1940; Beach and Spivak, 1944; Hage, 1944; Spieker, 1921; Wickenden
and Shaw, 1943.
DFS
Middle Jurassic
Piper Formation
Author: Imlay, R.W., et al., 1948.
Type Locality: Piper Junction, about 17.6 km (11 mi) southeast of Lewistown, central Montana.
Thickness and Distribution: The type section, from base to top consists of about 3.6 m (12 ft) of
massive white gypsum, 1.8 m (6 ft) of chocolate grey limestone, 17.4 m (57 ft) of maroon and green
siltstone and shale, 1.5 m (5 ft) of grey, papery to chunky shale, and 1.2 m (4 ft) of yellowish grey sandy
limestone. West of a line in Montana linking the Sweetgrass Arch to the Big Belt Mountains the Piper
yields much of its evaporitic, red-bed character to the tan sandstone and grey shale facies of the
Sawtooth Formation.
Relationship to Other Units: Equivalent in Saskatchewan to the upper member of the Watrous
Formation as well as the Gravelbourg and Shaunavon formations. (Francis, 1956; Christopher, 1984a).
The name Piper Formation has not come into formal general usage in Canada.
References: Christopher, 1984a; Francis, 1956; Imlay, Gardiner, Rogers and Hadley, 1948.
JEC
Upper Devonian
Pipestone Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Walcott, C. D ., 1924.
Type Locality: On northeastern side of Pipestone Pass [14.4 km (9 mi) north of Lake Louise Station,
Alberta], down over slopes of Devon Mountain to the level of Clearwater Canyon, about 3.2 km (2 mi)
from head of canyon.
History: The Pipestone Formation was called “Intermediate series” by Dowling (1907, 1908); ‘lower
Banff limestone and underlying intermediate limestone” by Shimer (1913) and Allan (1914);
“Intermediate limestone” by Burling and Kindle (1916); “Banff limestone and dolomite, lower half
probably mid-Devonian” by Kindle (1924).
Lithology: Light grey limestone, bedded, with siliceous, cherty stringers and nodules. Contains a
brachiopod and coral fauna.
Thickness and Distribution: About 364.8 m (1200 ft) thick at the type section.
Relationship to Other Units: The Pipestone overlies the Middle Devonian Messines Formation of
Walcott (1924c) and is overlain by the Banff Formation. It is correlative with the Fairholme, Alexo and
Palliser Formations of the Rocky Mountains, and with the Woodbend, Winterburn and Wabamun
groups of the Alberta Plains subsurface.
Reference: Walcott, 1924c.
HRB
Lower Cretaceous
Pocaterra Creek Member (Blairmore Group)
Author: Allan, J.A. and Carr, J.L., 1947.
Type Locality: Headwaters of Pocaterra Creek, Sec. 14, Twp. 19, Rge. 8W5M, Alberta.
History: First named and described by Allan and Carr (1947) as a member of the Blairmore Formation
Recent investigations by Ricketts and Sweet (1984) defined the Pocaterra Creek Member as part of
the Cadomin Formation.
Lithology: Blocky, grey to olive-grey shale, carbonaceous, dark grey shale, fine grained, hard,
quartzitic sandstone, coarse grained, grey cherty sandstones chert pebble conglomerate, and minor
grey to maroon limestone nodules and maroon shale.
Thickness and Distribution: Occurs sporadically in areas of Rocky Mountain Foothills and front ranges
of Highwood-Elbow River and Mount Allan areas of Alberta and, possibly, Sparwood, Fernie and
Marten Ridge areas of southeastern British Columbia (Gibson, 1977, 1985). The Pocaterra Creek
Member ranges in measured thickness from minimum 6 m (20 ft) at Lineham Creek to a maximum of
122 m (400 ft) at Mount Allan.
Relationship to Other Units: Erosionally or possibly conformably overlain by well rounded black, grey,
green and white pebbles of chert, argillite and quartzite pebble conglomerate of the Cadomin
Formation of the Blairmore Group. Erosionally or possibly conformably underlain by dark grey
carbonaceous-argillaceous siltstone, mudstone to shale, medium grey slightly carbonaceous
sandstone, and medium to light grey pebble conglomerate and thin seams of coal of the Elk Formation
of the Kootenay Group (Gibson, 1977, 1985).
References: Allan and Carr, 1947; Gibson, 1977, 1985; Ricketts and Sweet, 1984.
DWG
Middle and Late Devonian
Point Wilkins Member
(Souris River Formation, Manitoba Group)
Type Locality: Point Wilkins (Steeprock Point), west shore of Dawson Bay, Lake Winnipegosis,
Manitoba. Subsurface reference section is Manitoba Mineral Resources Division core hole M-10-71, in
Lsd. 4, Sec. 21, Twp. 44, Rge. 25WPM, between zero and 47.9 m (157 ft).
History: Baillie originally proposed the term Point Wilkins for the pure, non-argillaceous limestones
comprising a portion of the unnamed upper part of the Manitoba Group. These unnamed beds were
subsequently named the Souris River Formation (Sandberg and Hammond, 1958). Uyeno et al. (1980)
then proposed that the Point Wilkins Member be expanded to include the complete lower depositional
cycle of the Souris River Formation.
Lithology: As redefined, the Point Wilkins Member consists of four subunits; a basal red to grey shale
and dolomitic shale (First Red Beds) (4 to 14 m, 13 to 46 ft); a thin bedded, argillaceous, silty
fossiliferous limestone (7.6 to 9.1 m, 25 to 29.9 ft); a thick, thick bedded, dense, hard, fossiliferous,
micritic and intraclastic, high-calcium limestone (original point Wilkins of Baillie, 1951) (18.3 to 21.3 m,
60 to 69.9 ft) and an upper granular dolomite and dolomitic limestone (4.6 to 9.1 m, 15 to 29.9 ft). To the
south of the type area the outcrop section becomes highly variable in lithology, ranging from fine
grained laminated and pelletal limestones to highly fossiliferous, coral biolithitic calcarenite and
biosparudite, to fine grained calcareous dolomite.
Thickness and Distribution: The name is applied only in the outcrop area of Manitoba. The maximum
thickness in the outcrop belt is approximately 49 m (161 ft) in the type area. The unit thins southward to
about 30 m (98 ft) in the Winnipegosis area. Equivalent strata of the Davidson Member attain a
maximum thickness of 91 m (299 ft) in the central part of the Elk Point Basin of Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit disconformably overlies limestones and dolomites of the Dawson
Bay Formation. It is overlain with slight disconformity by basal shales of the Sagemace Member of the
Souris River Formation. In outcrop both contacts may represent salt solution horizons. It correlates with
the Davidson Member of Saskatchewan (Lane, 1964).
References: Baillie, 1951; Lane, 1964; Uyeno et al., 1980.
HRM
Lower Jurassic (Toarcian)
Poker Chip Shale (Fernie Formation)
Author: Spivak, J., 1949.
Type Locality: Name originally used for “black calcareous shales with thin limestones” encountered in
four wells in the southwestern Alberta Foothills, located between the Turner Valley area in the south to
just north of the Bow River. Complete, accessible exposures occur on Fording River in southeastern
British Columbia, grid reference 543297, NTS Tornado Mountain, 82 G/15; east bank of Bighorn
Creek, central-western Alberta, grid reference 010333, NTS Barrier Mountain, 82 O/12; and in
numerous exposures on the east and west banks of Scalp Creek between its confluence with the Red
Deer River and the Yahatinda ranch buildings, between grid references 994323 and 979339, NTS
Barrier Mountain 82 O/12.
History: Variously referred to as “Black shales”, “Toarcian black shales” and ‘’Paper shales” by other
authors.
Lithology: Black, fissile, calcareous shales with relatively high organic carbon content ; 1.3 - 4.9%;
Stronach, 1984) weathering to thin, plate or papery sheets. Occasional thin (0.2 to 0.4 m, 0.7 to 1.3 ft),
hard, calcareous-cemented beds or concretionary layers. Some bedding planes covered with
scattered fish remains, abundant lateral imprints of ammonites, bivalves, ammonite aptychi and squid
(Hall, 1985, 1987; HalI and Neuman, 1989).
Thickness and Distribution: Although a recessive unit it occurs in outcrop throughout the foothills and
front ranges of Alberta, northeastern and southeastern British Columbia. Total thickness varies from a
minimum of 10 to 11 m (33 to 36 ft) at Rock Creek, near Frank, Alberta and Canyon Creek, in the
Moose Mountain area, up to 38 m (125 ft) in Morris Creek and Fiddle River, north of Jasper. Also
identified in the subsurface of the eastern foothills, where it is said to range in thickness from 1.8 to
14.4 m (5.9 to 47 ft); pinches out eastward in southern Alberta by onlap over Mississippian carbonates
and/or truncation by Cretaceous clastics.
Relationship to Other Units: Rests conformably on older Pliensbachian strata (Red Deer Member; Red
Deer River area) or Sinemurian strata (unnamed basal black shales and limestones; Fording River
and Lodgepole Creek areas) or directly and unconformably on either Triassic or Paleozoic sediments
(Morris Creek and Fiddle River in Jasper Park and Canyon Creek, Moose Mountain area). This unit is
not a lateral equivalent of the Nordegg Member as suggested by Spivak (1949) .
Overlain conformably by grey rusty and yellow weathering shales of the Highwood Member; the
contact either relatively sharp (as in Bighorn and Scalp creeks, north of Red Deer River on Yahatinda
ranch) or gradational, coarsening upwards sequence (Fording River, southeastern British Columbia).
References: Frebold, 1969, 1976; Hall, 1984, 1985, 1987; Hall and Neuman, 1989; Spivak, 1949; Stott,
1967; Stronach, 1984.
RLH
Jurassic
Poker Formation (Fernie Group)
Author: Hamilton, 1962.
History: Suggested by Hamilton (1962), as an informal name for the predominantly shaly portion of the
Fernie Group overlying the Nordegg “Fm” and underlying the “Passage Beds” in northeastern British
Columbia. This interval ranges from Toarcian to Kimmeridgian and is essentially equivalent to the
Poker Chip Shale, Rock Creek Member, Grey Beds and Green Beds of the Fernie Group of the
southern and central foothills (Hamilton, 1962; Stott, 1967).
References: Hamilton, 1962; Stott, 1967.
PAM
Mississippian (Meramecian)
Poplar Beds
Type Locality: Named for the Poplar field, Montana which produces oil from several relatively thin
carbonate beds in the section. A characteristic development is illustrated in Murphy East Poplar Unit
No. 1 borehole in Sec. 2, Twp. 28N, Rge. 51E, Montana, between 1611.8 and 1769 m (5288 and 5809
ft). Fuzesy (1960) proposed a standard reference section for the Saskatchewan subsurface in Lake
Alma 8-22-2-17W2M, between 1812 and 1937 m (5945 and 6356 ft).
Lithology: Fuzesy (1960) described the Poplar Beds as consisting of limestones, argillaceous
dolomites and evaporites. The evaporites are primarily anhydrite and evaporitic dolomite, but Fuzesy
reported that two halite intervals exist in a small region in the vicinity of the standard reference well.
These halites range from 4.6 to 12 m (15 to 89 ft) thick.
Thickness and Distribution: The Poplar is widespread in the interior of the Williston basin and in the
central Montana trough. The beds cover some 12950 km2 (5059 mi2) in southeastern and southcentral
Saskatchewan, with their average maximum extending about 58 km (36 mi) north of the U.S. border. In
Saskatchewan the Poplar Beds have a minimum thickness of about 117 m (384 ft) and attain a
maximum thickness in the central part of the Williston Basin of about 152 m (500 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Saskatchewan Geological Society (1956) placed the lower contact of
the Poplar at the base of an anhydrite underlying a 30 m (98 ft) thick interval of anhydrites and
mudstone immediately above the Ratcliffe Beds. Fuzesy (1960) found that the basal evaporite is not
always present and a more consistent marker bed for recognition of the base of the Poplar is a 6 to 10
m (20 to 33 ft) thick zone of argillaceous dolomitic limestone or argillaceous dolomite that produces a
markedly low resistivity response. The Poplar Beds may be recognized as well by a pronounced
positive deflection of the spontaneous potential log. The top of the unit is a matter of some controversy
as well; Fuzesy (1960) recommended that it be placed some 30 m (98 ft) below the base of the Kibbey
Limestone, which was proposed as the top by the Saskatchewan Geological Society.
Paleontology: Brindle (1960) reports the presence of a coral-brachiopod-molluscan fauna in the Poplar
Beds, dominated by brachiopods that he recognized as Meramecian in age.
References: Brindle, 1960; Fuzesy, 1960.
DMK
Early Tertiary (Paleocene)
Porcupine Hills Formation
Type Locality: Outcrops in the Porcupine Hills area, southwestern Alberta. In the Gulf Spring Point 2-4-
10-29W4M well, located near the south end of the hills the boundary between the Porcupine Hills
History: Dawson (1883) gave the name “Porcupine Hills Series” to massive, cross-bedded sandstones
with scattered shaly layers that outcrop in the Porcupine Hills of southwestern Alberta, and named the
underlying beds which outcrop extensively in the surrounding plains, the “Willow Creek Series”.
In central Alberta Tyrell (1887) proposed the name “Paskapoo Series” for the beds overlying the
“Edmonton Series” and then correlated the Paskapoo with Dawson’s “Porcupine Hills”, “Willow Creek”
and all but the lowest 200 m (656 ft) of the “St. Mary’s River Series”. Damson believed the beds of the
“Porcupine Hills” to be equivalent to those outcropping along the Bow River, whereas Tozer (1956)
arbitrarily defined all beds north of Twp. 13 in western Alberta as Paskapoo, thus obscuring the true
relationship between the Porcupine Hills and Paskapoo. Recently, however evidence has been
presented (Carrigy, 1971) to show that the Porcupine Hills Formation, which overlies the Willow Creek
Formation in south western Alberta extends north beyond Calgary and also overlies the beds
assigned to the Paskapoo Formation on the Bow River.
Lithology: The Porcupine Hills Formation is composed of olive brown shales interbedded with fine to
coarse brained brownish grey cross-bedded limy sandstone and calcareous siltstone, in fairly well
indurated beds from 6 to 15 m (20 to 49 ft) thick.
The sandstones consist of detrital quartz, chert, non-volcanic rock fragments and clastic carbonates.
Sandstones at the base contain detrital coal fragments and a few calcareous pellets. The light grey
shale contains calcareous concretions.
Thickness and Distribution: Late Tertiary and recent erosion have confined the Porcupine Hills
formation to southwestern Alberta, where it is recognized from the Porcupine Hills area to north of the
Bow River. It reaches a thickness of up to 1220 m (4000 ft) in the type area, but because the upper
boundary is an erosion surface the original thickness cannot be determined.
Relationship to Other Units: The Porcupine Hills Formation grades downward into recessive green,
purple, maroon and brown shales of the Willow Creek Formation and is disconformably overlain by
Quaternary deposits or is exposed at the surface. The Porcupine Hills Formation overlies and grades
laterally into the Paskapoo Formation to the north and is believed to be the equivalent of the
Ravenscrag Formation in southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan.
Paleontology: At the type locality the Porcupine Hills Formation contains abundant fresh water mollusc
remains of Paleocene age which have been correlated with similar assemblages in the upper part of
the Paskapoo by Tozer (1956).
References: Carrigy, 1970, 1971; Dawson, 1883, Tozer, 1956; Tyrell, 1887.
DRT
Quaternary
Porcupine Till (Informal)
Author: Day, D.L., 1971, p. 46.
General Comment: Informal name assigned by Day in M.Sc. thesis to till of the first and stronger
Laurentide advance into the Trout Creek area of the Porcupine Hills, south of Calgary, Alberta. No type
locality was given. Day (p. 116) correlated this till with the “basal till” of Horberg, which is equivalent to
the Labuma Till. Name not in general use, and probably should be abandoned.
References: Day, 1971; Horberg, 1952; Harris and Water, 1977.
AMacSS
Portage Mountain Till (Informal)
Author: Rutter, N.W., 1977, p.5.
Type Locality: Not stated. Lectostratotype locality: here designated as the Del Creek section (Rutter,
1977, p. 27, illustrated on p. 4, figs. 3, 4) on Finlay River near Del Creek, in British Columbia
(57°08’45”N, 125°14’15”W), where it includes units 5 and 7 in that section (units D and B in figure 4.)
This locality was used by Rutter to illustrate the unit.
Lithology: Hard, grey to buff till with stones comprising up to 30%, but generally about 10% of volume,
most are small and subangular to rounded; matrix sandy loam to loam. The unit consists of two
members, an upper one designated the Late Portage Mountain Advance Till (unit 7 at lectostratotype
locality, unit B in figure 4), and a lower one designated the Early Portage Mountain Advance Till (unit 5
at lectostratotype section and unit D in figure 4), that are much similar in composition but commonly
separated by 1 to 2 m of gravel, sand or silt.
Thickness and Distribution: At lectostratotype section the lower member is 1.5 m (5 ft) thick, the upper
13.4 m (44 ft). Elsewhere the lower member reaches thicknesses of more than 14 m (46 ft); the upper
member reaches a thickness of 40 m (131 ft) but averages 3 to 6 m (10 to 20 ft). The lower member is
widely scattered in the Williston Lake Area, especially above altitude 1060 m (3479 ft); the upper
member is less extensive and generally at lower altitudes.
Relationship to Other Units: Generally overlies river gravel and sand or earlier drift, exposed or
overlain by Deserters Canyon Till or river and lake deposits mainly deposited during retreat of the
“Late Portage Mountain advance”. Roed (1975, p. 1513) correlated the lower member with his
Marlboro and Raven Creek tills, and the upper member with his Obed Till.
Name applied by author for till deposited during Early and Late Portage Mountain advances, and the
advances are emphasized rather than the deposits. Name apparently not intended to be formal.
Outwash and other deposits laid down by these advances are not included in the unit, to which the
author ascribes a Classical Wisconsin age on the basis of radiocarbon dates.
AMacSS
Upper Devonian
Potlatch Member (Three Forks Formation)
Author: Perry, E.S., 1929.
Type Locality: In the Potlatch Adams No. 1 well in Sec. 21, Twp. 34N, Rge. 1W, Kevin-Sunburst oil field,
Montana.
History: Perry used the term ‘Potlatch anhydrite’ for a sequence in the upper part of the Upper
Devonian thought to be approximately equivalent to the Jefferson Formation of the type section in
southern Montana. It is now (1960) considered the equivalent of both the Three Forks and Jefferson
dolomite formations of the type section. The Potlatch is sometimes applied to the Stettler Formation
(Wabamun Group) in southern Alberta.
Lithology: Massive anhydrite, interbedded toward the base with brown, dense to sucrosic dolomites.
The lower 1.5 to 4.6 m (5 to 15 ft) is composed of silty dolomite or dolomitic siltstone. Halite is locally
present in the lower part of the unit in the Stettler-Drumheller-Big Valley area, Alberta.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit varies in thickness in southcentral Alberta from 183 m (600 ft) to
disappearance as an anhydrite facies in western Alberta and western Saskatchewan. It is present as
far north as Twp. 45, Rge. 27W4M in Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The Potlatch is the anhydrite facies of the Stettler, Graminia, Calmar and
upper part of the Nisku formations in Alberta. It is the anhydrite part of the Qu’Appelle Group in
Saskatchewan. It is overlain by the Big Valley and underlain by the “Jefferson” formations.
References: Perry, 1929; Sloss and Laird, 1947.

Pouce Coupe Member
(Kaskapau Formation, Smoky Group)
Author: Warren, P.S. and Stelck, C.R., (1940, p. 144) named the member, but it was described in more
detail later by Stelck and Wall (1954, p. 8).
Type Locality: Junction of Saskatoon Creek and Pouce Coupe River, in Twp. 79, Rge. 13W6M,
Lithology: Yellow, massive, fine grained clean sandstone, occurring about 92 m (300 ft) above the base
of the Kaskapau Formation.
Thickness and Distribution: Approximately 9 m (30 ft). It apparently has a fairly widespread distribution
in the Peace River Plains.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies within the Kaskapau Formation. It is believed to grade westerly and
northwesterly into nonmarine sediments that are included in the Dunvegan Formation (Steak and
Wall, 1955; Stelsk, 1962; Stott, 1967, 1968; Singh, 1983).
Paleontology: Lies within the zones of Hillites cf. H. Septarianus and Dunveganoceras cf. D. conditum.
Shown by Stelsk and Wall (1954) as lying within the foraminiferal zone of Ammobaculites pacalis.
References: Singh, 1983; Stelck, 1962; Stelck and Wall, 1954; Stott, 1967.
DFS
Prairie Evaporite (Prairie Formation, Elk Point Group)
Type Locality: Imperial Davidson No. 1, in 16-8-27-1W3M, Saskatchewan, between 1326.5 and 1524
m (4352 and 5000 ft). Hotter (1969) noted that this well “does not have sufficient well data by present
standards, to demonstrate units of the formation ... Typical development of the Prairie Evaporite
(occurs) ... in the White Rose et al. Drake 4-29-32-22 well (Lsd. 4-29-32-22W2)” between 993.3 and
1186.9 m (3259 and 3894 ft).
History: McGehee (1949) recognized a shale-carbonate-evaporite sequence in western

Saskatchewan which he called the Elk Point Formation. Mitchell (1951) correlated these units into
Manitoba. Baillie (1953) chose the name Prairie Evaporite for the salts, which later were called the M2
member (Crickmay, 1954), then the Prairie Formation (Sandberg and Hammond, 1958). The formation
has been divided into several members: Jordan (1967, 1968) introduced the terms Leofnard, Whitkow,
Shell Lake and Quill Lake; Holter (1969) named the three main potash members Esterhazy, Belle
Plaine and Patience Lake, plus the White Bear Marker Beds.
Lithology: Halite, carnallite and sylvite of various hues and degrees of crystallinity, but predominantly
red and moderately coarsely crystalline. Locally blue halite is present. Seams of red or grey dolomitic
mudstone and some anhydrite beds are present.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum of 218 m (715 ft), with the thickest part occupying a belt from
west of Saskatoon east to Melville and south to North Dakota. Extensive solutioning of salts has given
rise to an irregular thickness to the formation and local absence of salt. Areas of major salt solutioning
occur in southcentral Saskatchewan. The Prairie Evaporite extends from northcentral Alberta
southeastward into Manitoba, and southward into North Dakota and Montana.
Relationship to Other Units: The basal contact is conformable with carbonates or anhydrite of the
Winnipegosis Formation. However there is difference of opinion as to whether a basal anhydrite
should be ascribed to the Winnipegosis (Edie, 1959) or the Prairie Evaporite (Jones, 1965; Hotter,
1969). Kendall (1975) elaborated on the problem, pointing out that “parts of Winnipegosis banks ... are
believed to be younger than, or equivalent to the Lower Prairie Evaporite”. This interpretation is in
accord with Jordan (1967) and Reinson and Wardlaw (1972). The upper contact is disconformable
with dolomitic mudstones comprising the Second Red Bed Member of the Dawson Bay Formation.
Locally the contact is diffuse due to intermingling of halite with the overlying strata. The Prairie
Evaporite is correlated with the Muskeg and Presqu’ile formations in northern Alberta.
References: Baillie, 1953; Crickmay, 1954; Edie, 1959; Halter, 1969; Jones, 1965; Jordan, 1967, 1968;
Kendall, 1975; McGehee, 1949; Mitchell, 1951; Reinson and Wardlaw, 1972; Sandberg and Hammond,
1958.
CED; KRM
Quaternary
Prelate Ferry Paleosol
Author: David, P.P., 1966, p. 685.
Type Locality: An artificial cut halfway up the east side of a valley tributary to the South Saskatchewan
River, 3 km (1.9 mi) east of the Prelate Ferry Crossing and south of the river, in Lsd. 13, Sec. 24, Twp
23, Rge. 25W3M, Saskatchewan. Reference section designated as SW/4 Lsd. 2, Sec. 25, Twp. 23,
Rge. 25W3M, a short distance east of the type locality.
Lithology: Where examined the paleosol has been developed on a sandy-clayey, stony till that is pale
olive to olive brown in color and very calcareous. At the reference section the soil is about 1 m (3 ft)
thick and consists of: 10 cm (4 in) clay loam, dark grey (Ab horizon) over 15 cm (6 in) greyish brown (Bb
horizon), overlying in turn about 75 cm (30 in) of pale olive material (Cb horizon). The whole is leached,
oxidized and noncalcareous to slightly calcareous at base. (Note: in abstract [David, 1966, p. 685]
entirely different thicknesses are given for the various horizons at the reference section).
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality 4 to 5 m (13 to 16 ft) thick, at the reference section
about 90 cm (35 in) thick (text) or 4 m (13 ft) thick (abstract). Known from five localities in tributaries of
the South Saskatchewan River between Prelate and Lancer ferry crossing, and to near Empress,
Saskatchewan (David, 1969, p. 6).
Relationship to Other Units. Generally overlies till; overlain by marl and stratified drift that is overlain by
tills and additional stratified drift. Would appear to overlie the Wymark Till and underlie the Aikins Till
(Christiansen, 1965, p. 22). A buried soil reported 210 km (131 mi) farther north may correlate with this
one (Christiansen, 1965, p. 22, 23).
David (1966, p. 695) suggested that the soil is a planosol or solodized-solonetz, which indicates a
climate similar to the present. It marks an important episode of non-deposition during the Pleistocene
Epoch. A radiocarbon date on humus from the top of the soil indicates its formation ended about
20000 years ago, but this date probably should be treated with caution.
References: Christiansen, 1965; David, 1966; Prest, 1970.
AMacSS
Presqu’ile Formation
Author: Cameron, A.E., 1918; restricted by Norris, A.W., 1965 and Skall, H., 1975.
Type Locality: Vicinity of Pine Point ore bodies, south of Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories.
Lithology: Coarse crystalline dolomite (narrow usage); carbonate rocks (broad usage).
Thickness and Distribution: Up to 67 m (145 ft) thick in the Pine Point area (narrow usage); up to 300 m
(915 ft) (broad usage).
Relationship to Other Units: The term Presqu’ile has been used in several ways, the most common
are: 1) that part of the Middle Devonian barrier-complex excluding the fore-reef facies, from the top of
the Keg River platform to the Watt Mountain Formation, i.e., carbonate rocks equivalent to the Muskeg
Formation (Campbell, 1950; McCamis and Griffith, 1967; Morrow, 1973); 2) dolomite of the barrier-
complex equivalent to only the upper part, i.e., the Bistcho Member of the Muskeg Formation (Belyea
and Norris, 1962; Gray and Kassube, 1963), 3) as a diagenetic facies, meaning coarsely recrystallized
dolomite, with no time-stratigraphic connotation (Belyea, 1971; Skall, 1975; Williams, 1977); and 4) the
barrier-complex as a paleogeographic feature (Jackson and Folinsbee, 1969; Maiklem, 1971).
Paleontology: Corals, brachiopods, stromatoporoids, gastropods, cephalopods, crinoids and

Amphipora (Skall, 1975) .
References: Belyea, 1971; Belyea and Norris, 1962; Cameron, 1918; Campbell, 1950; Gray and
Kassube, 1963; Jackson and Folinsbee, 1969; Maiklem, 1971; McCamis and Griffith, 1967; Morrow,
1973; Norris, 1965; Skall, 1975; Williams, 1977b.
GKW; DWM
Lower Carboniferous (Middle Tournaisian, Tn2 to Upper Visean, V3)
Prophet Formation
Author: Sutherland, P.K., 1958.
Type Locality: The type section is near a waterfall on the headwaters of Bat Creek (formerly Bull
Creek), about 10 km (6.25 mi) south of the Muskwa River; 57°47’N, 123°37’W; NTS 94G/13, eastern
Rocky Mountains, northeastern British Columbia (Sutherland, 1958).
Lithology: The Prophet Formation is mainly chert, spicularite and skeletal to ooid limestone, but
contains substantial shale, marlstone and dolostone (Bamber and Mamet 1978; Richards, 1989).
Sutherland (1958) divided the formation into members A, B, and C, in ascending order. Member A
consists of black spicularite and spiculitic to radioarian chert, with subordinate black shale and dark
grey spicular to pelmatozoan lime mudstone and wackestone. Lower member A is recessive and
planar laminated. The moderately resistant, thin to medium bedded middle and upper parts of the
member contain sharp based, graded beds. Cliff forming member B comprises spicularite and chert-
rich, massive spicular and bryozoan-pelmatozoan lime wackestone and packstone that are commonly
rhythmically bedded and grade upward into cherty bryozoan-pelmatozoan lime grainstone. The
grainstone is thick to very thick bedded and commonly shows large scale cross-bedding. Beds,
nodules and coalesced masses of replacement chert commonly constitute more than 50% of dark to
medium grey member B. Moderately resistant to recessive member C comprises medium bedded,
medium grey skeletal to ooid lime wackestone, packstone and grainstone that are commonly
rhythmically interbedded with calcareous marlstone. Nodules and irregular masses of replacement
chert, corals, and brachiopods are common.
Thickness and Distribution: The Prophet, lying mainly in the eastern Rocky Mountains and western
foothills extends from southwestern District of Mackenzie and southeastern Yukon Territory to
Mountain Creek (NTS 93O) south of Pine Pass, east-central British Columbia (Bamber and Mamet,
1978; Richards et al., in press). It is thickest in the Halfway River maps area (NTS 94B) west of Fort
Saint John, where it reaches more than 1100 m (3608 ft). North and south of this area, in more easterly
sections the thickness ranges from approximately 150 to 760 m (492 to 2493 ft) The formation thins
gradually southwestward to 3.5 m (12 ft) or less (Bamber et al., 1968) because of depositional thinning
and a facies change to shale of the Golata and Besa River formations. Marked local thickness
changes occur in the southwestern Peace River Embayment because of block faulting. Member B is
generally much thicker than the other members.
Relationship to Other Units: The Prophet gradationally overlies the Besa River Formation and is
generally gradationally overlain by the Golata Formation, but the contact with the latter is locally sharp.
In the southern Pine Pass map-area (NTS 93O), and locally to the north the Prophet is unconformably
overlain by Permian strata. Most of the Prophet grades northeastward into an unnamed western
correlative of the Shunda Formation and the overlying Debolt and Flett formations. Toward the
southwest the lower Prophet passes into shale of the Besa River Formation as the upper Prophet
grades into shale of the Golata (Bamber and Mamet, 1978; Richards et al., in press).
References: Bamber and Mamet, 1978; Bamber, Taylor and Procter, 1968; Richards, 1989; Richards et
al., in press; Sutherland, 1958.
BCR
Provost Member
Author: Not known.
Type Locality: No type section designated. The Provost Member is the upper reservoir unit of the
Viking Formation in the Provost gas field of east-central Alberta. The discovery well was the Imperial
Provost No. 1 well, in 3-27-37-3W4M.
Lithology: Relatively well washed and variably shaky fine to medium grained sandstone, with
interbedded siltstone and mudstone and subordinate conglomerate and pebbly sandstone. The well
washed sandstones are characteristically cross-laminated and incorporate minor shale intercalations.
The shaly sandstone include both bioturbated deposits several metres thick, with variable proportions
of mudstone as discontinuous partings, and sequences made up of thin graded sandstones and
siltstones, regularly alternating in vertical succession with thin mudstones and shales. Chert pebbles
are abundant in the conglomerates. The mudstones and shales are dark grey and noncalcareous. The
unit is composed of up to three main sandstone bodies, in which coarsening upward arrangements of
the main lithologies are prominent.
Thickness and Distribution: The Provost Member is 16.2 m (53 ft) thick in the Provost area. To the north
and east the unit thins and grades into shales and mudstones of the Big River Formation .
Relationship to Other Units: The Provost Member rests conformably upon the Hamilton Lake Sand, the
basal unit of the Viking Formation. It is conformably overlain by about 5.2 m (17 ft) of Viking shaly
sandstone. The Provost Member is approximately correlative with the First and Second Viking Sands
and intervening mudstones and shales of the Hamilton Lake oil field to the southwest.
References: Alho et al., 1977; McPherson, 1955; Renaud, 1959; Suey, 1969.
FS
Middle Cambrian
Ptarmigan Formation (Ptarmigan Limestone) (Abandoned)
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1917a, p 1-4; Deiss, C , 1939, p. 1000-1002.
Type Locality: Ptarmigan Peak, 12 m (7.5 mi) northeast of Lake Louise, Alberta
History: Erected by Walcott as an emendation of the Middle Cambrian formational nomenclature of the
upper Bow Valley, which he had published in 1908. Deiss (1939) suggested that the Ptarmigan was
erected “solely to provide a name for the strata in which the Albertella fauna was believed to occur”.
Deiss (1939, 1940) used the term Ptarmigan, but recognized its limited areal applicability and
considered rejecting it. Rasetti (1951) chose not to recognize the Ptarmigan and it has not been used
since.
Lithology: Limestone, largely burrow-mottled lime mudstone, with a few oolite beds.
Thickness and Distribution: 141.8 m (465 ft) at the type section.
Relationship to Other Units: The base of the Ptarmigan corresponds to the base of the Cathedral
Formation. The upper and lateral contacts are diagenetic, not depositional in origin. The Ptarmigan
Formation is part of the Cathedral Formation and is a particularly large relict mass of limestone in a
region where the Cathedral Formation is extensively dolomitized.
References: Deiss, 1939, 1940; Rasetti, 1951; Walcott, 1917, 1928.
JDA, LVH
Middle Proterozoic
Purcell Lava (Purcell Supergroup)
Author: Daly, R.A., 1912; p. 207-208.
Type Locality: McGillivray Range, Purcell Mountains, 0.8 km (0.5 mi) north of the International
Boundary, in southwestern British Columbia.
History: Daly defined the Purcell Lava as a sequence of lava flows exposed along the 49th parallel
from the McGillivray Range eastward to the Clark Range. In the Cranbrook area, where thick
sedimentary sequences are present between volcanic flow rocks Schofield included these beds and
all but the uppermost lava flows in the “Siyeh” Formation. Rice (1937, p. 110) re-defined the “Siyeh” to
include all the lava flows in this area, but referred to the flow rocks as Purcell Lava. Leech (1960),
however, recognized that the “Siyeh Formation” as used by Schofield and modified by Rice was not
equivalent to the type Siyeh of the Waterton Lakes area; he designated the thick series of interlayered
volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Cranbrook area as map-unit 5b. McMechan et al. (1980)
assigned these rocks to the Nicol Creek Formation.
Lithology: The Purcell Lava consists of a series of chloritized basic flow rocks, with a basal zone of
pillowed lava up to 20 m (66 ft) thick. The lava is dark green to reddish and purplish, and amygdules of
quartz, chloritic and calcite are common. Altered stellate aggregates of elongate plagioclase
phenocrysts up to 7 cm (2.8 in) long occur locally in porphyritic andesite (Price, 1962).
Thickness and Distribution: The Purcell Lava varies in thickness from 60 m (197 ft) in the western
Waterton Lakes area to 150 m (492 ft) at Sage Creek. Locally, in the southern Galton Range it has
been removed by pre-Sheppard erosion. The Purcell Lava extends southward from North Kootenay
Pass to the central part of Glacier National Park in Montana, and westward to the eastern Purcell
Mountains at 115°30W, where sedimentary rocks are interbedded with the flows and included with
them in the Nicol Creek Formation.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit conformably overlies the Siyeh Formation and is overlain by the
Sheppard Formation, apparently conformably in most areas, but unconformably in the southern Galton
Range. Approximately equivalent volcanic rocks are included in the “Siyeh” Formation in the western
ranges.
References: Daly, 1912; Douglas, 1952; Leech, 1960; McMechan et al., 1980; Norris, 1959; Johns et
al., 1963; Price, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1965; Rice, 1937; Ross, 1959; Schofield, 1914a, 1915.
MEM, RAP
Middle Proterozoic
Purcell (Belt) Supergroup
Author: Daly, R.A., 1912, p. 119-136: Schofield, S.J., 1912, p. 158-160: re-defined by Schofield, S.J.,
1914a, p 221-225.
Type Locality: Southern Purcell Mountains, southeastern British Columbia.
History: Schofield (1912, p. 159) showed that Daly’s (1912) designation of stratigraphic units was
inconsistent from one locality to another in the Purcell Mountains. He re-defined the Purcell series by
revising some of Daly’s units, introducing a new formation at the base, and incorporating formations
from Daly’s Galton Series at the top. (Schofield, 1914a, p. 221-225). Walker (1926, p. 7) recognized a
new formation at the top of the sequence in the Windermere area.
Lithology: The Purcell Supergroup consists predominantly of siltite, argillite, fine grained quartzite, and
impure dolomite and limestone. Basic flows and gabbroic sills and dykes occur locally. Major facies
changes require different formational nomenclature for different areas. In the Clark Range the lowest
known strata are a sequence of units unexposed at the surface, comprising grey argillaceous dolomite
and limestone, grey, green, red and white limestone and dolomite, and dark argillite penetrated by the
Pacific-Atlantic-Flathead No. 1 well, in d34E, 82G1, southeastern British Columbia. The lowest
exposed strata are grey, argillaceous dolomite, banded and streaked limestone and dolomite, and
argillite overlain by dark grey, argillaceous limestone and dolomite and dark argillite of another
unnamed unit (Fermor and Price, 1983). Overlying these, in ascending stratigraphic order are
argillaceous dolomite, banded and streaked limestone and dolomite, and argillite of the Waterton
Formation; grey argillaceous limestone and dolomite, black argillite and sandy dolomite of the Altyn
Formation; green, grey or minor red argillite and siltstone and quartzite of the Appekunny Formation;
red argillite and siltstone, and quartzite of the Grinnell Formation; argillaceous limestone and dolomite,
black and green argillite, dolomitic quartzite and stromatolitic dolomite of the Siyeh Formation;
chloritized, amygdaloidal basic flows of the Purcell Lava; dolomite, stromatolitic dolomite, sandstone,
siltstone, dolomitic argillite, argillite and, locally, one thin basic lava flow of the Sheppard Formation;
red siltstone and argillite, green argillite, dolomitic argillite, dolomitic sandstone, dolomite and sandy
dolomite of the Gateway Formation; red quartz sandstone, siltstone and argillite of the Phillips
Formation; green and grey argillite, dolomitic argillite, siltstone, sandstone, and argillaceous and
stromatolitic dolomite of the Roosville Formation (Price, 1964). In the Purcell Mountains, Lizard Range
and Steeples area rusty and non-rusty weathering grey quartzite, argillaceous quartzite, siltite and
dark grey, rusty weathering argillite of the Aldridge Formation comprise the lowest exposures. In the
Hughes Range, north of Fort Steele white, cross-bedded quartzite, grey, argillaceous quartzite, dark
argillite, grey and black dolomitic and calcareous argillite, and dolomite of the Fort Steele Formation
underlie the Aldridge Formation. Aldridge strata are overlain by green, grey and purple, laminated
argillite and siltite, grey, commonly purple-mottled, very coarse grained siltite and, in eastern
exposures white, cross-bedded quartzite of the Creston Formation. These are overlain by grey and
green, calcareous and dolomitic siltite and argillite, grey, silty dolomite and limestone, argillite, siltite,
sandy dolomite and quartzite of the Kitchener Formation and these by green, grey, and locally purple
siltite and argillite that have been incorrectly referred to as the ‘’Siyeh Formations” (Van Creek
Formation of McMechan et al., 1980). In the southeastern Purcell Mountains and Hughes Range the
Van Creek is overlain by chloritized and amygdaloidal basic lava flows and tufts commonly
interbedded with volcanic sandstone, and siltite, argillite and minor dolomite of the Nicol Creek
Formation occur at the top of the “Siyeh”. Volcanic rocks are absent to the west and north. Overlying
the Nicol Creek are strata of the Gateway, Phillips and Roosville formations similar to those of the
Carton and Clark Ranges, except that in the Purcell Mountains the Gateway Formation includes strata
equivalent to both the Sheppard and Gateway formations of the Rocky Mountains Dolomite, dolomitic
limestone, dolomitic argillite, argillite and quartzite of the Mount Nelson Formation appear above the
Roosville Formation north of Skookumchuck British Columbia; a thick basal quartzite unit is
characteristic. In western and northern exposures Gateway, Phillips and Roosville strata cannot be
distinguished and are included in the Dutch Creek Formation, a sequence of varicolored argillite,
quartzite dolomitic limestone and dolomitic quartzite. Carbonate rock and quartzite are common at the
base.
Thickness and Distribution: The Purcell Supergroup is exposed over 15000 km2 (5859 mi2) in the
southern Purcell Mountains and in the western Hughes and Lizard ranges, and the Clark, MacDonald,
and Galton ranges of the Rocky Mountains. Its thickness varies from >2100 m (>6890 ft) in the
northern Clark Range to >10000 m (>32800 ft) in the Purcell Mountains.
Relationship to Other Units: Although the base is not exposed in Canada the Purcell Supergroup is
inferred to unconformably overlie the Hudsonian crystalline basement which extends under the Rocky
Mountains from the Canadian Shield. The Purcell Supergroup is overlain unconformably by Upper
Proterozoic Windermere Supergroup strata in northern and western exposures, by Cambrian strata in
central and eastern exposures, and by Devonian rocks immediately south of the Moyie-Dibble Creek
Fault in the Cranbrook area. The Belt Supergroup exposed in Montana, Idaho and eastern Washington
is the United States equivalent.
References: Daly, 1912; Harrison, 1972; Price, 1964; Reesor, 1957; Schofield, 1912, 1914b; Smith and
Barnes, 1966; Walker, 1926.
MEM, RAP
Puskwaskau Formation (Smoky Group)
Author: Wall, J.H., 1960, p. 6.
Type Locality: Lower Smoky River, Alberta near the mouth of Puskwaskau Creek and upstream
(55°28’N, 118’12’W).
History: This name was introduced for McLearn’s (1918) “Upper shale member” of the Smoky River
Formation.
Lithology: Thinly bedded, dark marine shales with some speckled shale in mid-portion; some nodules
sporadically appearing in lower part and silty beds toward the top. Includes the Chinook Sandstone in
the transitional zone with the overlying Wapiti Formation. Recessive in outcrop.
Thickness and Distribution: The shales are 200 m (656 ft) thick near Pouce Coupe and thin to 123 m
(403 ft) in the Smoky River area. Found throughout the Peace River area of Alberta and south of the
Pine River in northeastern British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units The Puskwaskau is underlain conformably by the Bad Heart Formation
and overlain by the Wapiti Formation with a transitional zone carrying the Chinook Member in the
British Columbia-Alberta boundary area. It correlates with the upper part of the Wapiabi Formation of
the central foothills of Alberta, with most of the First White Speckled Shale of the Colorado Group and
the lower part of the Lea Park Formation of the east-central Alberta Plains, with the upper portion of
the Labiche Formation of northeastern Alberta, and is the equivalent of the Kotaneelee Formation of
the Liard River area.
Paleontology: The Puskwaskau carries Inoceramus, Scaphites S. 1 and Baculites, with some brackish
waterclams appearing near the top. The Foraminifera include planktonics, and calcareous and
arenaceous benthonics (Wall, 1960).
References: McLearn, 1919; Rutherford, 1930; Stott, 1963; Wall, 1960.
CRS
Quaternary
Qu’Appelle Alluvium
Author: Christiansen, E.A, 1961, p. 39.
Type Locality: A bore hole in the Qu’Appelle Valley in the Regina area of Saskatchewan, in NW/4,
Sec. 13, Twp. 19, Rge. 23W2M.
Lithology: At the type section consists of a bottom unit of fine, silty sand, a middle unit of silty clay and
a top unit of clayey silt, the sediments are unoxidized, calcareous, and light greyish brown to light
brownish grey. The brownish hue distinguishes this unit from the underlying grey Regina Clay.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality the bottom unit is 4 m (13 ft) thick, the middle unit 1 m (3
ft), and the top unit 5 m (16 ft) thick; it generally ranges from 6 to 13 m (20 to 43 ft), with greatest
thickness at mouth of Moose lass Creek. Extends throughout Qu’Appelle Valley.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Regina Clay and exposed to surface. In Christiansen (1972,
p. 215-216) given as overlying Saskatoon Group, and though not stated the Qu’Appelle Alluvium, as
used there apparently included the Regina Clay. Shown in Christiansen (1961, p. 43) as
stratigraphically overlying the Condie Till. Apparently of Late Wisconsin and Recent age.
References: Christiansen, 1961, 1972; Klassen, 1972.
EAC, AMacSS
Qu’Appelle Group (Disused)
Author Baillie, A.D., 1953, p. 54.
History: Recommended by Christopher (1961, p. 19) that the term “Qu’Appelle Group”, which includes
strata of the Big Valley and Torquay formations be discontinued, and that the term “Three Forks Group”
be introduced to incorporate the Torquay, Big Valley and Bakken formations.
References: Baillie, 1953, 1955; Christopher, 1961; Sandberg and Hammond, 1958.
CED; KRM
Mississippian
Queensdale Lime (Frobisher-Alida Beds, Informal)
Author: Gow, L.B., 1964.
Type Locality: The term was applied informally to a limestone interval in the lower part of the Frobisher
Alida Beds in the East Willmar Field. Seven wells in Twps. 5 and 6, Rge. 2W2M produce oil from this
interval. Gow (1964) did not designate any type section for this interval, but did use the Francana
Queensdale 10-32-5-2W2M well to illustrate its stratigraphic position with respect to the overlying
Willmar Lime.
Lithology: Gow (1964) described the Queensdale Lime as consisting of algal-pelleted fragmental
limestone with variable amounts of cryptocrystalline to microcrystalline matrix. Outside of the
producing area the unit becomes increasingly more finely crystalline and has only scattered algal-
pelleted fragmental limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: The author’s intent appears to have been to limit recognition of the unit to
the Willmar area and its distribution beyond that area was not attempted. Average thickness of the unit
appears to be about 9 m (30 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Queensdale Lime lies immediately beneath an argillaceous to sandy
dolomite or dolomitic limestone at the base of the Willmar Lime. Gow called this interval the K unit and
considered it to be equivalent to a part of the Kisbey Sandstone.
Reference: Gow, 1964.
DMK
Quill Lakes Marker Beds (Prairie Evaporite, Elk Point Group)
Author: Jordan, S.P., 1968. Formally defined by Reinson, G.E., and Wardlaw, N.C., 1972.
Type Locality: (Reference section): Pheasant Chevron Dome Quill Lake 8-16-37-15W2M, in
Saskatchewan, between 871.1 and 886.4 m (2858 and 2908 ft).
History: Informally described as the Quill Lake Member by Jordan. Reinson and Wardlaw, however
formally described this rock-stratigraphic unit and reduced its status to “Quill Lake marker beds”.
Lithology: Earthy brown dolomite, characteristically pelletoidal and pisolitic, with minor anhydrite beds.
Amphipora common.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum of 15 m (49 ft) thick in the reference section. The beds are
thickest close to carbonate banks and pinch out completely toward adjacent basins. Development is
sporadic throughout southern Saskatchewan, with the best development on the southern side of
carbonate banks.
Relationship to Other Units: The Quill Lakes Marker Beds occur within the Shell Lake Member,
adjacent to upper Winnipegosis carbonate banks.
References: Jordan, 1968; Reinson and Wardlaw, 1972; Wardlaw and Reinson, 1971.
CED; KRM
Rainbow Member (Keg River Formation)
Author: Hriskevich, M.E., 1966, 1967.
Type Locality: Subsurface of northwestern Alberta, Band Aquitaine Rainbow West 7-32-109-8W6M
Lithology: The Rainbow Member constitutes the upper part of the Keg River Formation and “consists of
reef which has been largely dolomitized”. Interval 2018.3 to 1843.4 m (6622 to 6048 ft) is composed of
fine to coarsely crystalline dolostone with an irregular light and dark grey to brown, breccia-like
patchwork. Both intercrystalline and vuggy porosities are well developed Remains of stromatoporoids,
corals and algal mats are locally present. Interval 1843.4 to 1804.4 m (6048 to 5920 ft) is a reefal
limestone which includes calcisiltite to calcirudite lithologies. The reefal beds are made up of
stromatoporoids, corals, brachiopods, gastropods, pelecypods, crinoids, bryozoans, ostracodes,
calcareous algae and calcispheres. Intrafossil and intergranular porosities of light to dark brown, very
fine to coarsely crystalline dolostone which includes shadows of stromatoporoids.
Relationship to Other Units: In the Rainbow Lake area the Rainbow Member forms mound-like
structures of build-ups that are surrounded by halite and anhydritic deposits of the Muskeg Formation.
The reef mounds overlie platform carbonates of the lower member of the Keg River Formation and are
overlain by anhydritic beds belonging to the upper pan of the Muskeg Formation (Hriskevich; 1966,
Fig. 4).
The Rainbow reef mounds are similar to, and of approximately the same age as the reef mounds of the
Methy and Horn Plateau formations. They also resemble the reef mounds in the upper part of the
Winnipegosis Formation .
References: Hriskevich, M.E., 1966, 1967.
NCMD
Upper Cretaceous
Ram Member (Cardium Formation, Alberta Group)
Author: Stott, D.F., 1963, p. 63.
Type Locality: Within the type section of the Cardium Formation on Wapiabi Creek, Alberta, Twp. 41,
Rge. 18W5M; a standard section was established on Ram River.
Lithology: Predominantly fine grained sandstone, although a siltstone facies is included as part of the
member in the southern foothills. The sandstone is tan or buff weathering, commonly thick bedded
quartz-arenite. Fine uniform laminae are typical but small scale cross-bedding, ripple lamination and
mottling (worm re-working) are common.
Thickness and Distribution: The Ram Member is the most persistent unit of the Cardium Formation,
being present from the southern foothills into northeastern British Columbia. The thickness ranges
from 31.4 m (103 ft) on the south Ram River to 7.3 m (24 ft) on Drywood River near the International
Border.
Relationship to Other Units: The basal contact with the Blackstone Formation and equivalent
Kaskapau Formation north of the Athabasca River is gradational, but an arbitrary boundary is drawn at
the base of the lowest massive sandstone unit. The upper beds are generally overlain conformably by
carbonaceous strata of the Moosehound Member, and south of the North Saskatchewan River
possibly disconformably by marine shale of the Kiska Member.
Paleontology: Yields a fauna chiefly significant for its ecological implication. Contains numerous
marine specimens, including Inoceramus and Cardium pauperculum.
DFS
Ranger Canyon Formation
(Ishbel Group)
Author: McGugan, A. and Rapson, J.E., 1963b, p. 56.
Type Locality: West Flank of Mount Ishbel, Sawback Range, Banff National Park, Alberta, (Secs. 4, 5,
McGugan and Rapson, 1961; Sec. 70, McGugan et al., 1964) (51°16’N, 115°47’W).
History: McGugan and Rapson (1961 b) proposed the name Ishbel Formation for the upper part of the
Norquay Formation in the Sand area and divided the formation into lower and upper Ishbel. The upper
Ishbel was subsequently named Ranger Canyon Formation when the Ishbel was raised to group
status.
Lithology: Diagenetic complex of chert, sandstone and siltstone, with associated dolostones, gypsum,
phosphate pellets and ooliths, floating sand grains in blue grey cherts with sponge spicules,
disseminated organic material, fracturing with mosaic breccias and zebra cherts, and thin basal
phosphatic chert conglomerate. (Rapson-McGugan, 1970)
Thickness and Distribution: 8.5 m (28 ft) at the type section, increasing to over 30 m (98 ft) in westerly
sections (e.g.. Connor Lakes, Sec. 28, McGugan et al., 1964). Very widespread unit in front ranges of
Rocky Mountains from northwestern U.S.A. (Rex Chert, Idaho, Montana) to Yukon (Fantasque
Formation). Absent in easternmost front ranges and foothills subsurfaces except possibly present at
the top of some Belloy Formation sections, Peace River subsurface (Naqvi, 1972).
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformably overlies the Ross Creek Formation in the Telford Creek
area, southeastern British Columbia. Unconformably overlies the Johnston Canyon Formation in many
sections north of Telford Creek area; unconformably overlies carbonates homotaxial with type Ross
Creek Formation at Panther River headwaters, Mount McConnell, Mount Malloch and Graham River
(Secs. 77, 82, 86, 149-150, McGugan et al., 1964). Overlies various rocks of Carboniferous age north
of Mount Malloch, Clearwater River Sec. 86, McGugan et al., 1964) in Jasper area (where it is
equivalent to the middle member of the Greenock Formation - obsolete) and north to Sulphur River
(Sec. 21, McGugan et al., 1964). Overlies the Permian Belcourt Formation in the Wapiti Lake area,
British Columbia (Seas. 136-142, McGugan et al., 1964). Overlies Permian Mount Greene Beds of
Pine Pass, Carbon Creek, Mount Greene and Chowade River, northeastern British Columbia (Secs.
145, 145A, 150A, 151A, McGugan, 1967). Paraconformably overlain in all sections by the basal
Triassic Spray River Group, except where the Permian Mowitch Formation is developed, in the Jasper
area north to Winnifred Pass and Llama Mountain (Secs. 125, 131, 132, McGugan, et al., 1964). At
these sections conformably to gradationally overlain by the Mowitch Formation. Equivalent to the Rex
Chert of Idaho and Montana, and the upper Kindle of northeastern British Columbia and Yukon.
Paleontology: Contains no macro-fossils other than sponge spicules at all localities, except in
Winnifred Pass and Wapiti Lake area (Secs. 124, 125, 136-142, McGugan et al., 1964), where it
contains abundant silicified brachiopods of Guadalupian age. In the Banff area it contains Wordian
conodonts (Henderson and McGugan, 1986).
References: Henderson, 1989; Henderson et al., in press; Henderson and McGugan, 1986; MacRae
and McGugan, 1977; McGugan et al., 1964; McGugan 1965, 1984; McGugan and Rapson, 1961b,
1963a, 1963b; Naqvi 1972; Rapson-McGugan, 1970.
AM, CMH
Ratcliffe Beds
Type Locality: The name was taken from the Socony Central Del Rio Ratcliffe No. 1 well, in Lsd. 5,
Sec. 30, Twp. 1, Rge. 15W2M, southern Saskatchewan, in which the Ratcliffe Beds lie between 1934.5
and 1980 m (6347 and 6496 ft).
Lithology: The Ratcliffe Beds characterize the “Charles/Mission Canyons relationship; east, northeast
and north of the Weyburn area the Ratcliffe consists of dense dolomites and mudstones interlayered
with three distinctive anhydrite intervals. The lowermost anhydrite has been called the Midale
Evaporite; the middle one is known as the Oungre and the upper one remains unnamed. South and
west of Weyburn the interval has an increasingly greater carbonate content, much of it being
dolomitized lime mudstone, but oolitic accumulations are common in places. Each of the evaporites
reaches a depositional limit toward the southwest, the youngest extending the farthest south, attaining
a zero depositions edge along a line extending from Twp. 1, Rge. 20W2M to Twp. 6, Rge. 24W2M.
Thickness and Distribution: The trace of the truncated edge of the Ratcliffe Beds forms an arcuate
pattern on the sub-Mesozoic unconformity in southeastern and south-central Saskatchewan,
extending from Rge. 31W1M to Rge. 2W3M along the U.S. border. The maximum northerly extent of
the subcrop is some 107 km (67 mi) north of the U.S border and averages about 58 km (36 mi). Within
that area the Ratcliffe varies in thickness from an absolute minimum of zero to about 46 m (151 ft).
Immediately south of the type well farther south in North Dakota the unit attains a thickness
approaching 80 m (262 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The base of the Ratcliffe Beds is placed at the bottom of the Midale
Evaporite, which rests on an argillaceous dolomite that represents the top strata of the Midale Beds.
The upper contact is controversial; it has been suggested by Fuzesy that it can best be recognized by
a low resistivity response for an argillaceous dolomite limestone at the base of the Poplar Beds.
Brindle (1960) correlated the Ratcliffe Beds with the Turner Valley Formation of Alberta.
Paleontology: Brindle (1960) identified an upper Osagean coral-brachiopod fauna that contained
some 23 species from the Ratcliffe Beds.
References: Brindle, 1960; Edie, 1958: Fuller, 1956; Fuzesy, L.M., 1960, 1973.
DMK
Ratner Member (Winnipegosis Formation, Elk Point Group)
Author: Wardlaw and Reinson, 1971; formally defined in Reinson and Wardlaw, 1972, p. 304, 317.
Type Locality: California Standard Ratner 1-15-48-17W2M, in Saskatchewan, between 505.7 and
519.1 m (1659 and 1703 ft).
Lithology: Carbonate laminites overlain by interlaminated carbonate and anhydrite. Locally the
uppermost lithology is enterolithic anhydrite and anhydrite, interlaminated with carbonate, bituminous
partings and organic-rich layers.
Thickness and Distribution: Restricted to interbank areas where total Winnipegosis sedimentation was
least. In the northern basin (between Saskatoon and Prince Albert) thicknesses range from 12 to 16 m
(39 to 53 ft) but it is only 4 m (13 ft) thick in the basin near Quill Lakes. Similar lithologies occur
throughout most of the Elk Point Basin.
Relationship to Other Units: The contact is conformable with the underlying argillaceous carbonates at
the top of the lower Winnipegosis Member (Jones, 1965) and with overlying anhydrite of the Whitkow
Member (Prairie Evaporite). In areas where the upper Ratner is composed of anhydrite the contact
with the Whitkow is difficult to discern. Generally the Ratner anhydrites are interlaminated with
organic-rich layers, the Whitkow anhydrites are not.
While some consider the Ratner Member to be Winnipegosis in age, (Kendall 1975) argued that it is
better considered as the basal portion of the Prairie Evaporite because the inter-bank laminated
sequence was deposited after carbonate bank growth had ceased.
The Ratner Member is approximately equivalent to the Regway and Beaver members recognized in
southeastern and northwestern Saskatchewan (Fuzesy, 1975, 1980). To the west equivalent strata
comprise the Keg River Formation.
References: Fuzesy, 1975, 1980; Jones, 1965; Kendall, 1975; Perrin, 1982; Reinson and Wardlaw,
1972; Wardlaw and Reinson, 1971; Shearman and Fuller, 1969.
CED; KRM
Raven Creek Till
Author: Roed, M.A., 1975, p. 1506.
Type Locality: North side of dissected drumlin in SE/4 Sec. 7, Twp. 50, Rge. 16W5M, Alberta,
(53°17’50”N, 116°19’30”W), about 20 km (12.5 mi) east of Raven Creek.
Lithology: A clayey to sandy-clay loam till that is medium green-grey to brown-grey in color and slightly
plastic if moist. At the type section its matrix contains 5% carbonate, elsewhere 11%. Moderately stony,
with in places up to 2% Shield stones derived from an earlier Laurentide till. Heavy minerals typically
of Cordilleran origin.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality 1.5 m (5 ft) thick; along the Pembina Valley 0.3 to 15 m
(3 to 49 ft) thick. At the type locality overlies the Paskapoo Formation, and along Pembina River
outwash gravel, but lower contact normally is poorly known. Exposed in the southeast part of the
Edson-Hinton area.
Relationship to Other Units: Probably a lithofacies of the Marlboro Till, into which it grades
northwestward, but distinguished from the latter by its small content of Shield stones. Northeastwards
grades into the Laurentide Edson Till.
In the Edson-Hinton area deposited by southeast flowing Cordilleran ice. Deposited during same
glaciation as Cordilleran Marlboro Till and Laurentide Edson and Mayberne tills of Reed (1975, p.
1510), and the Lamoral, Jackfish Creek and Athabasca tills of Bonded (1978). Assumed to be of
Wisconsin age.
AMacSS
Author: Walker, R.G., 1983.
Type Locality: Garrington and Caroline oil fields, west-central Alberta, Twp. 33-36, Rges. 3-8W5M. The
type section is in the Hudson’s Bay Garrington 11-32-34-4W5M well, between 2033 and 2037.9 m
(6670 and 6686 ft); reference section in the Mesa Amoco Caroline 11-31-34-6W5M well, between
2457 and about 2461 m (8061 and 8074 ft).
The member was redefined by Plint, Walker and Bergman (1986) to include all of the section above
the Burnstick up to the base of the Carrot Creek Member, between 2033 and 2069 m (6670 and 6786
ft) in the type well.
History: Walker proposed the Raven River Member for the sands informally termed the “A sand” in the
type area.
Lithology: Generally sandstone, in an upward coarsening sequence commencing with very fine, silty,
quartzose, sideritic, bioturbated muddy sandstone that becomes less bioturbated and coarser grained
upward (to fine to medium grained) and contains more discrete beds of sandstone and abundant
coarse to very coarse quartz and chert grains. The sequence is stones interlayered with three
distinctive anhydrite intervals. The lowermost anhydrite has been called the Midale Evaporite; the
middle one is known as the Oungre and the upper one remains unnamed. South and west of Weyburn
the interval has an increasingly greater carbonate content, much of it being dolomitized lime
mudstone, but colitic accumulations are common in places. Each of the evaporites reaches a
depositional limit toward the southwest, the youngest extending the farthest south, attaining a zero
depositional edge along a line extending from Twp. 1, Rge. 20W2M to Twp. 6, Rge. 24W2M.
Thickness and Distribution: The trace of the truncated edge of the Ratcliffe beds forms an arcuate
pattern on the sub-Mesozoic unconformity in southeastern and south-central Saskatchewan,
extending from Rge. 31W1M to Rge. 2W3M along the U.S. border. The maximum northerly extent of
the subcrop is some 107 km (67 mi) north of the U.S border and averages about 58 km (36 mi). Within
that area the Ratcliffe varies in thickness from an absolute minimum of zero to about 46 m (151 ft)
immediately south of the type well. Further south in North Dakota the unit attains a thickness
approaching 60 m (262 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The base of the Ratcliffe Beds is placed at the bottom of the Midale
Evaporite, which rests on an argillaceous dolomite that represents the top strata of the Midale Beds.
The upper contact is controversial; it has been suggested by Fuzesy that it can best be recognized by
a low resistivity response for an argillaceous dolomite limestone at the base of the Poplar Beds.
Brindle (1960) correlated the Ratcliffe Beds with the Turner Valley Formation of Alberta.
Paleontology: Brindle (1960) identified an upper Osagean coral-brachiopod fauna that contained
some 23 species from the Ratcliffe Beds.
References: Brindle, 1960; Edie, 1958: Fuller, 1956; Fuzesy, L.M., 1960,1973.
DMK
Ratner Member (Winnipegosis Formation, Elk Point Group)
Author: Wardlaw and Reinson, 1971; formally defined in Reinson and Wardlaw, 1972, p. 304, 317.
Type Locality: California Standard Ratner 1-15-48-17W2M, in Saskatchewan, between 505.7 and
519.1 m (1659 and 1703 ft).
Lithology: Carbonate laminites overlain by interlaminated carbonate and anhydrite. Locally the
uppermost ethology is enterolithic anhydrite and anhydrite, interlaminated with carbonate, bituminous
partings and organic-rich layers.
Thickness and Distribution: Restricted to interbank areas where total Winnipegosis sedimentation was
least. In the northern basin (between Saskatoon and Prince Albert) thicknesses range from 12 to 16 m
(39 to 53 ft) but it is only 4 m (13 ft) thick in the basin near Quill Lakes. Similar lithologies occur
throughout most of the Elk Point Basin.
Relationship to Other Units: The contact is conformable with the underlying argillaceous carbonates at
the top of the lower Winnipegosis Member (Jones, 1965) and with overlying anhydrite of the Whitkow
Member (Prairie Evaporite). In areas where the upper Ratner is composed of anhydrite the contact
with the Whitkow is difficult to discern. Generally the Ratner anhydrites are interlaminated with
organic-rich layers, the Whitkow anhydrites are not.
While some consider the Ratner Member to be Winnipegosis in age, Kendall (1975) argued that it is
better considered as the basal portion of the Prairie Evaporite because the inter-bank laminated
sequence was deposited after carbonate bank growth had ceased.
The Ratner Member is approximately equivalent to the Regway and Beaver members recognized in
southeastern and northwestern Saskatchewan (Fuzesy, 1975, 1980). To the west equivalent strata
comprise the Keg River Formation.
References: Fuzesy, 1975, 1980; Jones, 1965; Kendall, 1975; Perrin, 1982; Reinson and Wardlaw,
1972; Wardlaw and Reinson, 1971; Shearman and Fuller, 1969.
CED; KRM
Raven Creek Till
Author: Roed, M.A., 1975, p. 1506.
Type Locality: North side of dissected drumlin in SE/4 Sec. 7, Twp. 50, Rge. 16W5M, Alberta,
(53°17’50”N, 116°19’30”W), about 20 km (12.5 mi) east of Raven Creek.
Lithology: A clayey to sandy-clay loam till that is medium green-grey to brown-grey in color and slightly
plastic if moist. At the type section its matrix contains 5% carbonate, elsewhere 11%. Moderately stony,
with in places up to 2% Shield stones derived from an earlier Laurentide till. Heavy minerals typically
of Cordilleran origin.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality 1.5 m (5 ft) thick; along the Pembina Valley 0.3 to 15 m
(3 to 49 ft) thick. At the type locality overlies the Paskapoo Formation, and along Pembina River
outwash gravel, but lower contact normally is poorly known. Exposed in the southeast part of the
Edson-Hinton area.
Relationship to Other Units: Probably a lithofacies of the Marlboro Till, into which it grades
northwestward, but distinguished from the latter by its small content of Shield stones. Northeastwards
grades into the Laurentide Edson Till.
In the Edson-Hinton area deposited by southeast flowing Cordilleran ice. Deposited during same
glaciation as Cordilleran Marlboro Till and Laurentide Edson and Mayberne tills of Roed (1975, p.
1510), and the Lamoral, Jackfish Creek and Athabasca tills of Boydell (1978). Assumed to be of
Wisconsin age.
AMacSS
Lower Cretaceous (Turonian)
Author: Walker, R.G., 1983.
Type Locality: Garrington and Caroline oil fields, west-central Alberta, Twp. 33-36, Rges. 3-8W5M. The
type section is in the Hudson’s Bay Garrington 11-32-34-4W5M well, between 2033 and 2037.9 m
(6670 and 6686 ft); reference section in the Mesa Amoco Caroline 11-31-34-6W5M well, between
2457 and about 2461 m (8061 and 8074 ft).
The member was re-defined by Plint, Walker and Bergman (1986) to include all of the section above
the Burnstick up to the base of the Carrot Creek Member, between 2033 and 2069 m (6670 and 6786
ft) in the type well.
History: Walker proposed the Raven River Member for the sands informally termed the “A sand” in the
type area.
Lithology: Generally sandstone, in an upward coarsening sequence commencing with very fine, silty,
quartzose, sideritic, bioturbated muddy sandstone that becomes less bioturbated and coarser grained
upward (to fine to medium grained) and contains more discrete beds of sandstone and abundant
coarse to very coarse quartz and chert grains. The sequence is capped by cherty, sideritic
conglomerates (Walker’s facies 5-8). Sorting of the conglomerate is poor, and mudstone partings and
matrix are present. The redefined section includes the massive dark mudstones overlying the
Burnstick Member (by the Burnstick Member, as redefined).
References: Krause et al., 1987; Krause and Nelson, 1984; Plint and Walker, 1987; Plint, Walker and
Bergman, 1986; Swagor, Oliver and Johnson, 1976; Walker, 1983a, b, c.
Lexicon Committee
Ravenscrag Formation
Author: Davis, N.B., 1918; Fraser, F.J., McLearn, F.H., Russell, L.S., Warren, P.S and Wickenden,
R.T.D., 1935.
Type Locality: Ravenscrag Butte, southeastern Saskatchewan.

Tertiary, Paleocene
Upper Ravenscrag (Ravenscrag Formation)
History: Mapped as Estevan by Davis (1918), as Fort Union by Rose (1916), and as upper Laramie by
McConnell (1885). The Willowbunch Member of McLearn (1930) is part of the upper Ravenscrag.
Lithology: Buff, grey and white sandy clays, with sandstones, shales and coal.
Thickness and Distribution: The upper Ravenscrag ranges from 162 to about 244 m (530 to about 800
ft) in thickness. It is present, where not eroded, in southwestern Saskatchewan in the Eastend-Cypress
Hills area.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is overlain by the Eocene Swift Current Creek beds and
underlain by the Upper Cretaceous lower Ravenscrag Formation.
Upper Cretaceous
Lower Ravenscrag (Frenchman Formation)
Lithology: Massive, cross-bedded, medium to fine grained sandstones, grey to greenish grey
weathering to yellowish or yellowish green. Clay pellets are present and the sands are occasionally
dolomitic or calcareous.
Thickness and Distribution: The lower Ravenscrag ranges from 6 to 58 m (20 to 190 ft) in thickness. It
is present in the Eastend-Cypress Hills area, southeastern Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is conformably overlain by the Paleocene upper Ravenscrag and
underlain by the Upper Cretaceous Battle, Whitemud, Eastend or Bearpaw formations at an erosional
contact.
The lower Ravenscrag is equivalent to the Hell Creek Member of the Lance Formation of Montana, the
upper part of the Brazeau Formation of the central Alberta Foothills, the lower part of Willow Creek
Formation in the Oldman River area of southwestern Alberta, and the Willow Creek Facies of the
Paskapoo Formation in the Bow and Red Deer River areas, Alberta.
Paleontology: The lower Ravenscrag is well known for its dinosaur fauna, which includes abundant
Triceratops as well as amphibians and fish.
References: Davis, 1918; Fraser et al., 1935; Furnival, 1950; Williams and Dyer, 1930.

Ray Member (Kibbey Formation)
Author: Rawson, 1968.
Type Locality: Hunt Petroleum Co. No. 1 Hamers, in SE NW Sec. 20, Twp. 157N, Rge. 98W, Williams
Co. North Dakota, between 2458.5 and 2470.1 m (8066 and 8104 ft).
History: Proposed by Rawson (1968) for the middle carbonate member of the Kibbey Formation,
commonly known as the “Kibbey Limestone”
Lithology: Limestone: dark brown argillaceous carbonaceous micrites are present toward the centre of
the Williston Basin, white to cream micrites occur near the basin margin, and in central Montana colitic
and pelletal limestones are present, particularly in the area of transition between light and dark
micrites. Anhydrites occur locally in central Montana and occur at the top of the member in the centre
of the Williston Basin. Dolomite occurs locally near the southern margin of the Williston Basin and in
south central Montana. Skeletal debris is not abundant and comprises ostracodes, brachiopods,
crinoids and bryozoans. Stromatolites occur near the Williston Basin margin (Rawson, 1969).
Thickness and Distribution: Up to 15 m (49 ft) thick in central portion of Williston Basin in Montana and
North Dakota thinning to 6 m (20 ft) on the edges of the basin; extends into South Dakota and locally
into southern Saskatchewan; extends into the central Montana uplift, where it is 5 to 10 m (16 to 33 ft)
thick.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlain and underlain conformably by red sandstone, siltstones and
shales of Kibbey Formation. On the northern margin of the Williston Basin and central Montana uplift
unconformably overlain by Jurassic strata, and on the southern margin by Pennsylvanian strata.
References: Rawson, 1968, 1969; Maughan and Roberts, 1967.
PAM
Helikian
Red Gap Member (Grinnell Formation, Obsolete)
Author: Fenton, C.L. and Fenton, M.A., 1931.
Type Locality: Mountain between Red Gap and Ptarmigan Wall, Glacier National Park, Montana,
(48°42’N, 113°42W) (Fenton and Fenton, 1937).
History: Proposed by Fenton and Fenton (1931) as the lower member of the Grinnell Formation in the
Waterton Lakes-Glacier National Peace Park area. Fenton and Fenton (1937) re-defined it as the
middle member of the Grinnell Formation, underlain by the Rising Wolf Member and overlain by the
Rising Bull Member. Ross (1959, p. 17, 31) did not recognize it in his mapping of Glacier National
Park.
Lithology: “Dominantly red argillite, locally brownish or green, with interbedded pink, white or greenish
white quartzites, brown sandstones and sandy argillites”. (Fenton and Fenton, 1937, p. 1889).
References: Fenton and Fenton, 1931, 1937; Keroher et al., 1966; Ross, 1959; Wilmarth, 1938.
PAM
Lower Jurassic (Pliensbachian)
Red Deer Member (Fernie Formation}
Type Locality: East bank of Bighorn Creek, Alberta, 100 m (328 ft) upstream from Bighorn Falls, north
of the Red Deer River at Yahatinda Ranch; grid reference 007331, NTS Barrier Mountain 82 O/12. A
better exposed section occurs in nearby Scalp Creek, immediately below the Yahatinda ranch
buildings; grid reference 99342, NTS Scalp Creek 82 O/13E
Lithology: Interbedded platy, hard grey to black shales and black, fetid, finely laminated limestones.
Occasional large oval concretions present. Some limestone bedding planes densely covered with
pectinid bivalves, others with rhynchonellid brachiopods or baryte filled cracks. Has also yielded
lateral impressions of ammonites, abundant fish debris, belemnoids and a crinoid.
Thickness and Distribution: Occurs only in the area immediately north and south of the Red Deer
River valley, from limestone Mountain in the north to Wigmore Creek in the south. Between 7 and 9 m
(23 and 30 ft) thick in Wigmore, Bighorn and Scalp creeks.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies units of quite different ages in Scalp Creek appears to rest
conformably on the Triassic Sulphur Mountain Formation; at Limestone Mountain on the Lower
Sinemurian Oxytoma Bed; in Bighorn Creek on the thin, Upper Sinemurian coquina bed, and in
Wigmore Creek on Upper Sinemurian shales. The contact with the overlying Poker Chip Shale is
nowhere exposed.
References: Frebold, 1969; Hall, 1984, 1985, 1987.
RLH
Middle Jurassic (Bajocian - Bathonian)
Red Jacket Formation
(Rocanville, Moosomin and Burrows members)
Author: Kreis, L.K., 1988.
Type Locality: The Red Jacket Formation is present in the Tidewater North Wapella Crown well (in 14-
22-15-1W2M), in southeastern Saskatchewan, between 665.4 and 734.6 m (2183 and 2410 ft).
The Rocanville Member was originally defined in the Tidewater North Wapella Crown well (in 14-22-
15-1W2M), between 719.3 and 734.6 m (2360 and 2410 ft), Kreis (1988). A new type
section is introduced in the Tidewater Wapella No. 6-33 well (in 6-33-14-1W2M),
The Moosomin Member is defined in the Tidewater North Wapella Crown well (in 14-2215-1W2M),
The Burrows Member is defined in the Tidewater North Wapella Crown well (in 14-22-151W2M),
History: The Red Jacket Formation was defined by Kreis (1988) to describe Middle Jurassic strata in
southeastern Saskatchewan equivalent to the Shaunavon Formation and upper member of the
Gravelbourg Formation of southwestern Saskatchewan. Re-definition of this strata was proposed
because of lithofacies changes in these units which make it difficult to correlate the Shaunavon
Formation and upper member of the Gravelbourg Formation into southeastern Saskatchewan. An
arbitrary lithofacies boundary was proposed by Kreis (1988).
Lithology: The Rocanville Member, up to 30 m (98 ft) thick is characterized by silty, very fine to fine
grained quartzose sandstones, siltstones, dolostones and mudstones which are commonly dolomitic
and variegated near the top of the member. It is subdivided into units A, B and C in the area around the
villages of Wapella and Rocanville in southeastern Saskatchewan. It correlates with the upper
member of the Gravelbourg Formation and the lower member of the Shaunavon Formation of
southwestern Saskatchewan.
A discontinuity separates the Rocanville Member from the overlying Moosomin Member. The
Moosomin Member is dominated by very fine to fine grained quartzose sandstones, siltstones, olive
grey to greenish grey mudstones and minor limestones that are locally dolomitic (unit B.). The upper
10 m (33 ft.) is commonly composed of calcite cemented, bioturbated, very fine to fine grained
quartzose sandstone and greenish grey mudstone. Where the Moosomin Member infills the incised
paleotopography of the Underlying Rocanville Member it is characterized by fine to medium,
sometimes coarse grained sandstone, and olive grey to dark grey noncalcareous mudstone (unit A).
Abundant carbonaceous and micaceous material also characterizes this unit. It ranges up to 44 m
(145 ft) thick. It correlates with the lower approximately two-thirds of the upper member of the
Shaunavon Formation of southwestern Saskatchewan .
The Burrows Member, 8 to 12 m (26 to 39 ft) thick is characterized by interbedded and interlaminated
calcareous sandstone and greenish grey mudstone (unit B). It is commonly bioturbated and very
similar in appearance to the upper 10 m (33 ft) of the Moosomin Member A uniform 3 m (10 ft) thick
olive grey to medium grey mudstone unit (unit A) at the base of the Burrows Member is an excellent
marker in the area around Wapella and Rocanville in southeastern Saskatchewan and can be traced
into southwestern Manitoba. It correlates with the upper one-third of the upper Shaunavon Formation
of southwestern Saskatchewan
Thickness and Distribution: The Red Jacket Formation is present in southeastern Saskatchewan. Its
thickness ranges up to approximately 90 m (295 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Directly correlatable with the Shaunavon Formation and the upper
member of the Gravelbourg Formation west of the lithofacies boundary in southeastern
Saskatchewan.
Reference: Kreis, 1988.
LKK
Upper Devonian
Redknife Formation (Grumbler Group)
Type Locality: Trout River, District of Mackenzie. It comprises all beds between the cliff forming Kakisa
Formation down to and including the lowest outcrop at Table Rock Rapids. As much of the section is
covered a supplementary section is defined in Briggs Turkey Lake No. 1 well, 61°07’30”N,
120°22’30”W, between 194.4 and 237.7 m (490 and 780 ft) .
Lithology: The formation is divided into the Jean Marie Member and an informally designated upper
member. The lower, Jean Marie Member is variably argillaceous, silty, dolomitic limestone with
abundant fossil fragments. It grades westward to massive carbonate in northeastern British Columbia
between 121° and 122°W. The upper member is greenish grey and maroon calcareous mudstones
and shales, with thin interbeds of argillaceous silty limestones and some calcareous quartzose
sandstones. The shales pinch out to the south and east and the member becomes a sequence of
limestones and siltstones, the former changing to dolomite near the Peace River Arch.
Thickness and Distribution: On Trout River a 70 m (231 ft) section is present; in the supplementary
section Briggs Turkey Lake No. 1, 88.4 m (290 ft). The upper member is 67 m (220 ft) on Trout River, 79
m (260 ft) in Briggs Turkey Lake No. 1 well. Only 3.4 m (11 ft) of the Jean Marie is exposed on Trout
River. It is 9.1 m (30 ft) thick in the supplementary section and more than 15 m (50 ft) in wells in
northern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia. The Redknife Formation can be mapped into
northeastern British Columbia to a line between the 122nd and 123rd meridians, where the Jean
Marie Member tongues out into the Fort Simpson shale sequence. It extends southwards as far as the
Peace River Arch, and can be traced into northeastern Alberta where it passes into a carbonate facies
and is included with the Kakisa Formation.
Relationship to Other Units: The Redknife overlies Tathlina Formation in the Tathlina Uplift area and
northeastern Alberta. To the west and south, where the Tathlina Formation is not present the Redknife
overlies the Fort Simpson Formation and is conformably overlain by the Kakisa Formation. The
Redknife is correlative with the upper part of the Southesk Formation of the Alberta Rocky Mountains,
with the Nisku and upper part of the Ireton of central Alberta, and the Birdbear of Saskatchewan.
References: Bassett and Stout, 1967; Belyea and McLaren, 1962; Law, 1971; McCrossan and Glaister,
1964; Stearn, 1966.
HRB; DWM
Upper Ordovician (Caradocian/Ashgillian)
Red River Formation (Bighorn Group)
Type Locality: “Tyndall Stone” quarries in the Garson-Tyndall area (NW/3-13-6EPM), and the Red
River Valley area of southern Manitoba. Suggested reference core hole is Manitoba Core Hole M-3-80,
Anama Bay (10-27-34-5WPM), between 9.3 and 100 m (31 and 328 ft). Subsurface reference hole is
B.A. Morriseau 8-20-9-6WPM (Porter and Fuller, 1959), between 324 and 479 m (1063 and 1572 ft).
History: Red River strata were first studied by Dowling (1900) along the west shore and islands of
Lake Winnipeg. He correlated these strata with the “Trenton” of Minnesota and subdivided the
sequence into three units, in ascending order the lower Mottled Limestone, the Cat Head Limestone
and upper Monied Limestone. Foerste renamed the “Trenton strata the Red River Formation, and also
renamed Dowling’s members the Dog Head, Cat Head and Selkirk members Subsequently McCabe
and Bannatyne (1970), identified a fourth unit overlying the Selkirk Member and named it the Fort
Garry Member. Sinclair (1959) determined that the so-called upper Mottled or Selkirk strata at the
northern end of Lake Winnipeg were actually correlative with the Stony Mountain Formation; he went
on to suggest that, since these strata overlay supposed Cat Head beds, this placed the Cat Head at
the top of the Red River succession. He therefore suggested that the term Selkirk should be
eliminated. Subsequent mapping and core hole studies (McCabe, 1980) indicated Sinclair’s
correlations of the Cat Head to be incorrect. The supposed Cat Head strata at the north end of Lake
Winnipeg are, in fact dolomites of the Fort Garry Member, and the type Cat Head Member lies
between the Dog Head and Selkirk members are originally defined. In the subsurface Porter and
Fuller (1959) and Andrichuck (1959) indicated that the dolomites of the upper Red River were
correlative with the Selkirk Member, inasmuch as no dolomitic unit was known to occur in the outcrop
succession. The Selkirk is now known to correlate with the upper part of the lower Red River
Formation.
Lithology: In the central area of the Manitoba outcrop belt the lower Red River consists of a basal
fossiliferous, mottled dolomitic limestone (Dog Head Member), overlain by a cherty dolomite (Cat
Head Member) which is overlain by a second sequence of fossiliferous, mottled, dolomitic limestones
(Selkirk Member). To the south the Cat Head Member becomes increasingly calcareous until, at the
southern end of the outcrop belt it is indistinguishable from the underlying and overlying strata. In
contrast, to the north of the type area the Dog Head and Selkirk members pass abruptly to mottled
dolomites indistinguishable from the Cat Head. The Fort Garry Member maintains a relatively uniform
lithology throughout the outcrop belt, consisting of finely crystalline and micritic, variably argillaceous
dolomites, with a medial zone of shaly dolomite breccias, probably resulting from evaporite solution.
Thickness and Distribution: The Red River Formation extends throughout the Manitoba outcrop belt,
and can be correlated throughout the entire Williston Basin area. Identical strata occur in the Hudson
Bay Basin (Portage Chute Formation of the Bad Cache Rapids Group; Sanford et al., 1968). In the
type area, at the southern end of the outcrop belt the formation is about 150 m (492 ft) thick; it thins
progressively to the north, to less than 50 m (164 ft) near its northern erosional edge, and to the south,
in the central part of the Williston Basin it reaches a maximum thickness of 215 m (705 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Red River strata overlie shales and sandstones of the Winnipeg
Formation sharply and with possible slight unconformity (Kendall, 1976). They Overstep strata of the
Winnipeg Formation to rest unconformably on the Cambrian Deadwood Formation in western
Saskatchewan, and on Precambrian in northern Manitoba. The Red River is overlain sharply and with
possible slight disconformity by shaly beds of the Stony Mountain Formation. Subsurface equivalents
of the outcrop units are: the Dog Head, Cat Head and Selkirk correlate with the Yeoman Formation; the
Fort Garry correlates with the Herald Formation; and the Herald is further subdivided into the Lake
Alma, Coronach and Redvers members with their associated anhydrite units (Kendall, 1976).
References: Andrichuck, 1959; Foerste, 1929a, b; Kendall, 1976; McCabe, 1980; McCabe and
Bannatyne, 1970; Porter and Fuller, 1959; Sanford et al., 1968; Sinclair, 1959.
HRM
Red Speck Zone (Vaughn Member, Blackleaf Formation)
(Bow Island Formation, Colorado Group)
Author: Not known.
Type Locality: None designated. The unit is well exposed some 5.6 to 6.4 km (3.5 to 4 mi) northwest of
Vaughn, near Great Falls, Montana, where U.S. Highway 91 crosses a badland area.
History: The term “Red Speck Zone” was formerly applied (Blixt, 1941; Erdmann and Schwabrow,
1941) to the entire sequence of bentonitic clay, siltstone and sandstone making up the Vaughn
Member of the Blackleaf Formation. In their re-definition of the Vaughn Members Cobban et al. (1976)
described red-speckled deposits containing crystals of clinoptilolite in the upper part of the unit.
Lithology: Exposed clayey strata that are light to dark grey greenish grey greyish green to olive green,
greenish yellow, pink and chocolate brown, interbedded with subordinate grey to green, bentonitic
siltstone and fine to medium grained sandstone, which are commonly tuffaceous (Cobban et al.,
1976). Locally the uppermost strata are black, carbonaceous shales. Small orange-red crystals of
clinoptilolite occur in some of the clay, siltstone and sandstone beds, and in places impart a pinkish
color to outcrops. In the subsurface the clays are light to medium grey and green and the sandstones
are light grey to white; all lithologies are bentonitic and clinoptilolite is present.
Thickness and Distribution: Red-speckled bentonitic clay forms the uppermost 13.8 m (45 ft) of the
type section of the Vaughn Member, located 5.6 to 6.1 km (3.5 to 3.8 mi) north-northeast of Vaughn, in
NWNE Sec. 6, Twp. 21 N. Rge. 2E, and SWSE Sec. 31, Twp. 22N, Rge. 2E, Cascade County, Montana
(Cobban et al., 1976). The unit appears to the restricted in distribution to the west side of the
Sweetgrass Arch in the vicinity of the international boundary, where the thickness ranges from 7.6 to
91.4 m (25 to 300 ft) (Balster, 1971).
Relationship to Other Units: in the type section of the Vaughn Member the Red Speck Zone is overlain
by ferruginous concretions, which are succeeded by 3.3 m (10.8 ft) of greyish black, non-calcareous,
non-bentonitic, carbonaceous shale. The last mentioned lithology is overlain by sandstones of the
Bootlegger Member of the Blackleaf Formation. The red speckled lithologies are replaced downwards
by similar Vaughn lithologies, from which clinoptilolite is absent. Cobban et al. (1976) correlated the
Vaughn Member as a whole with the Newcastle Sandstone of the Black Hills area. North of the
international boundary the red-speckled unit appears to be restricted to the southernmost part of the
Alberta Plains on the Sweetgrass Arch and occurs in the mudstones and shales which separate the
First and Second Bow Island Sands in vertical sequence.
References: Balster, 1971; Blixt, 1941; Cannon, 1966; Cobban et al., 1976; Erdmann and Schwabrow,
1941; Cobban et al., 1976.
FS
Upper Ordovician
Redvers Unit (Herald Formation)
Type Locality: Not defined as a formal unit. Reference section is the Imperial Arm River Annandale 6-
23-8-32W1M well, in Saskatchewan, between 1926.9 and 1930.0 m (6322 and 6332 ft).
Lithology: Slightly argillaceous, laminated to incipiently laminated micro-dolomites.
Thickness and Distribution: Usually 3 m (10 ft) thick, but may be up to 6 m (20 ft) thick in the
Hummingbird-Lake Alma area in southern Saskatchewan. It can only be recognized where an
overlying marker bed is distinguishable on gamma ray logs; where the marker bed is not present the
Redvers unit is included with the basal part of the Stony Mountain Formation.
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformably overlain by the Stony Mountain Formation and
disconformably overlies the Coronach Member of the Herald Formation.
References: Kendall, 1976; Kent, 1960; Porter and Fuller, 1959.
FMH
Regina Clay
Type Locality: Borehole in NE corner of Sec. 21, Twp. 17, Rge. 21W2M, near Regina, Saskatchewan.
Lithology: Calcareous clay, silty clay and silt; grey where unoxidized, otherwise a light greyish brown.
Thickness and Distribution: From less than 1 m (3 ft) to above 13 m (43 ft) thick; found in Glacial Lake
Regina Basin, around, south and west of Regina, except where it has been removed by erosion or in
marginal zones of the basin where it was never laid down.
Relationship to Other Units: South of the Condie Moraine and southeast of the Moose Jaw Moraine it
is underlain by silts derived from the last glacier in the region. Southward and eastward, beyond the
influence of the glacier it rests disconformably on the Battleford Formation; north the Condie Moraine it
rests conformably on the Condie Till, with which it locally interfingers; in the Lake Rouleau Basin it is
overlain by the Rouleau Clay, from which it is distinguished by the grey color of the latter. The Regina
Clay in the Qu’Appelle Valley apparently was included by Christiansen (1972, p. 216) with his
Qu’Appelle Alluvium.
References: Christiansen, E.A., 1961,1972.
EAC; AMacSS
Regway Member (Winnipegosis Formation, Elk Point Group)
Author: Fuzesy, L.M., 1975a, p. 194; 1975b, p. 165. Not formally defined.
Type Locality: Dome Saskoil McKinnon 12-20-4-21W2M, in Saskatchewan, between 2492.3 and
Lithology: Laminated carbonates with bituminous partings. Also massive, pelletoidal-biofragmental

carbonate bank deposits. Carbonates are predominantly dolomites. Local replacement of banks by
anhydrite.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness of the unit is variable. Fuzesy (1975a, by shows variation from 5
to 27 m (16 to 89 ft) in southeastern Saskatchewan. In northwestern Saskatchewan similar lithologies
that occur in a zone up to 30 m (98 ft) thick may be equivalent to the Regway Member (Fuzesy, 1980b),
in which case the member may be discernible over a large part of the Williston Basin.
Relationship to Other Units: The Regway Member rests conformably upon carbonates of the Maxim
Member and is overlain conformably by interbedded dolomites and anhydrites of the Beaver Member,
except locally where Dawson Bay carbonates unconformably lie upon the Regway Member.
Equivalent to most of the upper Winnipegosis of Jones (1965) and most of the Ratner Member of
Reinson and Wardlaw (1972).
References Fuzesy, 1975a, b, 1980a, b; Jones, 1965; Reinson and Wardlaw, 1972.
CED; KRM
Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous
Residual Zone
Author: White. W.l., 1969.
History: Informal term used as synonym of ‘Detrital zone’, Deville Formation (Maycock, 1967), and
Success Formation (Christopher, 1974, 1984b).
Lithology: The term refers to an accumulation of cherty debris and limestone fragments in a red
claystone matrix, intermixed with a white quartzose sandstone in a matrix of tripolite and kaolinite, with
abundant sphaerosiderite, resting in general on the Mississippian Madison limestone paleo-surface.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness is variable depending on its location on the paleotopography,
but ranges from zero to 45 m (148 ft). In southwestern Saskatchewan the unit is restricted to the region
between 51°N and 53°N, where it underlies the Cantuar Formation as an infill of a paleotopographic
basin on the Madison Group.
Relationship to Other Units: A homolog of the Success Formation to the south, this body of sandstone
represents an erosional inlier of a former widespread Jura-Cretaceous sandstone that also included a
similar body on the Devonian in east-central Saskatchewan.
References: Christopher, 1974, 1984b; Maycock, 1967; White, 1967.
JEC
Middle Jurassic (Bajocian?)
Reston Formation
Type Locality: Named for subsurface occurrence in southwestern Manitoba, but no type section
defined. Outcrop now known to occur on Turtle River (SW/4 Twp. 24, Rge. 15WPM), south of St. Rose
du Lac. Suggested subsurface reference section is in the well Tudale Neepawa 5-29-24-14WPM,
between 197.8 and 214.7 m (649 and 704 ft) completely cored.
Lithology: Interbedded light buff, dolomitic, argillaceous and partly sandy limestones, and dark grey to
greenish grey rarely reddish to yellowish brown shale. Limestone interbeds are thicker and more
common towards top of unit which is marked by a persistent sandy and oolitic bed. Anhydrite and
gypsum are present locally.
Thickness and Distribution: The Reston ranges from zero to 45.7 m (150 ft) in thickness in
southwestern Manitoba, to as much as 61 m (200 ft) for equivalent strata in the central part of the
Willison Basin. The formation thins to the north, and north of Virden (approx. Twp. 12), near the
Saskatchewan border overlaps a Paleozoic paleotopographic high, pinching out north of about Twp.
15. East of the paleotopographic high the Reston extends as far north as Twp. 28. The name is applied
only in southwestern Manitoba, where it is also referred to informally as the “Jurassic Lime”.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit conformably overlies evaporites of the Amaranth (Watrous)
Formation, except north of Virden, where it rests unconformably on Mississippian limestones of the
Lodgepole Formation. It is overlain with slight unconformity by variegated shales and sands of the
Melita Formation. It correlates with the lower Gravelbourg of Saskatchewan and with part of the Piper
of North Dakota.
References: Bannatyne, 1975; Stone 1955.
HRM
Lower Cretaceous
Rex Sand (Lower Grand Rapids Formation, Mannville Group)
Author: Unknown, but the name is in common usage in the Lloydminster area.
Type Locality: Rex No. 1 well, in Lsd. 5, Sec. 28, Twp 51, Rge. 27W3M, Saskatchewan. Depths not
given.
Lithology: The Rex is a very fine to fine grained quartzose sand, interbedded with silt and shale.
Thickness and Distribution: The Rex is about 14 m (45 ft) thick in the Rex No. 1 well and is restricted to
the Lloydminster area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Rex Sands lies about 45 m (250 ft) below the top of the Mannville
Group. It conformably overlies the Lloyd Sand and is conformably overlain by the General Petroleum
Sand, with minor shale beds between those units. It is probably a nearshore marine deposit
transitional (along with the Lloyd, G.P. and Sparky) between the marine Clearwater and the nonmarine
Grand Rapids formations.
References: Coons, 1950; Edmunds, 1948; Orr, Johnston and Manko, 1977; Putnam, 1982.
PEP, AIB
Ribbon Creek Member (Fernie Formation)
Author: Stronach, N.J., 1981.
Type Locality: Ribbon Creek in the Kananaskis area, southern foothills of Alberta; grid reference
294436, NTS Spray Lakes Reservoir 82 J/14.
Lithology: At the type section and adjacent Pigeon Creek consists of dark grey, silty and clayey shales
with large (1 m, 3 ft diameter), orange weathering sideritic concretions. Farther south, in Blairmore and
Carbondale River areas these concretions are sometimes absent; orange bentonitic clay horizons are
present there in lower parts of section. Flattened ammonite impressions occur in southerly localities
Thickness and Distribution: Occurs throughout most of the outcrop belt of the Fernie Formation in the
southern Alberta Front Ranges. Thickness varies from about 18 m (59 ft) in more southerly exposures
(Adanac Pass, Grassy Mountain, Daisy Creek) to 57 m (187 ft) farther north in Pigeon Creek, near
Canmore.
Relationship to Other Units: In the south the Ribbon Creek Member is overlain conformably by the
Green Beds and lies conformably on the Gryphaea Bed (Carbondale River, Adanac Pass, Grassy
Mountain and Daisy Creek). Farther north, in Ribbon and Pigeon creeks, Kananaskis area it lies
above the Pigeon Creek Member and in Pigeon Creek is seen to grade upwards into the Passage
Beds with the loss of concretions and appearance of thin silty stringers.
The Bathonian age of this unit at Adanac Pass indicates that it is laterally equivalent in part to the
Grey Beds, Corbula munda Beds and Gryphaea Bed. Probably equivalent to parts of the Rierdon
Formation of the Sweetgrass Arch area.
References: Hall, 1984, 1989; Stronach, 1981, 1984.
RLH
Ribbon Sand Member (Swift Formation, Ellis Group)
Author: Cobban, W.A., 1945.
Type Locality: North shore of Swift Reservoir, 65 km (41 mi) southwest of Cut Bank, Montana, NE/4
Sec. 27, Twp. 28N, Rge. 10W.
History: The Ribbon Sand has been recognized in outcrop as described by Cobban (1945) and in the
subsurface as the “ribboned sandstone”, “brown shale”, or “laminated siltstone”. The term was
originally used to describe beds near the top of the generally correlative Fernie Group in the southern
Alberta Foothills; these strata are now called the Passage beds.
Lithology: Interbedded dark shales and siltstones to fine grained sandstones, exhibiting a variety of
wavy and lenticular bedding which imparts an overall “ribboned” appearance. Where well developed
the succession becomes sandier from base to top. The shale component is locally more oxidized at
the top, becoming light grey to grey-green.
Thickness and Distribution: Correlative across northern Montana and southern Alberta south of Twp.
10, the Ribbon Sand thickens southward from an intricate erosional zero edge to over 35 m (115 ft)
thick immediately south of the International Border. At the type locality it is about 25 m (82 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The Ribbon Sand gradationally overlies the basal Swift shale member
and the two may be facies equivalents in some areas. In southern Alberta the Lower Cretaceous
Mannville Group overlies a high relief erosional surface on the Ribbon Sand. To the east the Ribbon
Sand is equivalent to the basal S1 member of the Success Formation in the Saskatchewan Williston
Basin. To the west the Passage Beds of the Fernie Group appear to be equivalent although the
correlation has not been documented.
References: Cobban, 1945; Hayes, 1983; McConnell, 1887.
RLH
Ribstone Creek Member (Judith River Formation)
Author: Slipper, S.E. 1919, p. 8c.
Type Locality: Ribstone Creek, a tributary of Battle River, east-central Alberta, in Sec. 6, Twp. 45, Rge.
1W4M.
History: Introduced as a formation name by Slipper (1919) for the lowest unit of the Belly River Series,
with a stated thickness of 68 m (225 ft). Divided into upper and lower Ribstone Creek Sandstone
members of the Belly River Group by Nauss (1945), with the intervening dark shale tongue named the
Vanesti. The name Ribstone Creek was retained for the upper sandstone member by Shaw and
Harding (1949); the lower sandstone was mis-correlated with the Victoria sandstone of Allan (1919),
and this sandstone member remains unnamed (McLean, 1971. p. 37). The Ribstone Creek is a
member of the Judith River Formation (McLean, 1971).
Lithology: Sandstone, medium to very fine grained, buff weathering, friable to well indurated with
calcite cement, cross-bedded in part, carbonaceous fragments common, coal seams present in more
westerly sections, interbedded mudstones more common in eastern sections.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness of 68.2 m (225 ft) for the type section was indicated by Slipper
(1919), although only 22.7 m (75 ft) were measured by McLean (1971, P1. 1). Shaw and Harding
(1949) indicated a range from zero to 36.4 m (120 ft) for the revised Ribstone Creek Member, which
constitutes only the upper sandstone unit of the original unit (see Nauss, 1945, p. 1625). The member
can be recognized in the subsurface from Twps. 1 to 48, Rge. 7W3M to Rge. 8W4M (see McLean,
1971, Fig. 16).
Relationship to Other Units: Transitional lower contact with the Vanesti Tongue, abrupt contact with the
overlying Grizzly Bear Tongue. To the west becomes pan of the undifferentiated Judith River Formation
where the overlying Grizzly Sear Member pinches out. To the east thins to a depositional edge in the
Lea Park Formation.
References: McLean, 1971; Nauss, 1945; Shaw and Harding, 1949, 1954; Slipper, 1919.
JRM
Ricinus Member (Cardium Formation)
Author: Walker, R.G, 1985.
Type Locality: Ricinus oil field, west-central Alberta. Type section is in the Amoco Unit 19 Ricinus 2-
24-36-9W5M well, between 2751.5 and 2769 m (9025 and 9082 ft); reference section in the Amoco D-
3 Ricinus 8-10-34-8W5M well, between 2467 and 2485.3 m (8092 and 8152 ft).
Lithology: The unit consists of rather even, fine to medium grained sandstone that has been interpreted
as a channel fill resting on various pans of the coarsening upward Raven River Member, into which it
has been incised.
Thickness and Distribution: The Ricinus Member averages 15 to 18 m (49 to 59 ft) in thickness in the
Ricinus oil field area. Its eastern margin is well defined, but there is little control for the western limit. It
is faulted at the northwest and southeast ends of the field, and also within the field area.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is underlain by various parts of the Raven River Member, and
overlain by the Dismal Rat (Cardium Zone) Member.
References: Plint, Walker and Bergman, 1986; Walker, 1985.
Lexicon Committee
Pleistocene
Riddell Member (Floral Formation)
Author: SkaraWoolf, T., 1981 .
Type Locality: Riddell site, north of Saskatoon, on the east side of South Saskatchewan River in the
southwest quarter of Lsd . 5, Sec . 13, Twp. 37, Rge. 5W3M, Saskatchewan .
Lithology: Stratified and cross-bedded sand, heavily stained with iron and manganese oxides,
containing abundant fossilized bone, shells and wood.
Thickness and Distribution: Up to 8 m (26 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlain by a striated boulder pavement. The lowermost metre or so of the
sand is not exposed at the type locality.
Paleontology: Large mammalian fauna includes Camelops cf. C.hesternus and Equus conversidens
as well as numerous present-day species. Faunal evidence permits the assignment of the member to
the latest of the land-mammal ages of the Pleistocene (Late Rancholabrean).
Reference: SkaraWoolf, 1981.
PFM
Riding Mountain Formation
Type Locality: Not specified, but inferred to be along Edward Creek, in Sec. 9, Twp. 23, Rge. 19WPM,
on the north slope of Riding Mountain, Manitoba.
History: Originally proposed for the soft, greenish grey shale between the black Pembina Shale and
the siliceous Odanah shale. Wickenden (1945) expanded it, recognizing the Riding Mountain
Formation as comprising both the soft shale and the siliceous shale (Millwood and Odanah), in
contact with the Pembina Shale below and the Boissevain Formation above. McNeil and Caldwell
(1981) recommended abandonment of the name Riding Mountain in favor of reintroduction of the
name Pierre Shale, which includes the Gammon Ferruginous, Pembina, Millwood, Odanah, and an
unnamed unit (Coulter Member of Bamburak, 1978) as members.
Lithology: Olive-grey clay and shale with clay-ironstone concretions common. The lower, Millwood
Member is an olive-grey, silty clay in west-central Manitoba, but changes facies southeastward to clay
and shale, then to interbedded calcareous and noncalcareous shale in Pembina Mountain in southern
Manitoba and northernmost North Dakota, and finally to equivalent beds in South Dakota marked by
prominent beds of chalk (McNeil and Caldwell, 1981). The facies change corresponds to a
progression from the fine clastic, median facies belt to the eastern or mid-basin carbonate facies belt
sensu Tourtelot (1962). Clay-Ironstone Concretions yielding bivalves and ammonites are common
throughout the Millwood. The Odanah Member consists of a uniform siliceous, olive-grey clay or shale
with minor beds of soft, olive-grey shale. Blackish-red weathering, manganese coated concretions are
common through the member. Unknown to Kirk (1930) and Wickenden (1945) the siliceous shale is
overlain by a softer olive-grey clay, silty in part, known mainly from the subsurface of Turtle Mountain
(Bannatyne, 1970; Bamburak, 1978; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981). Bamburak (1978) separated these
uppermost beds of the Odanah Member under the name Coulter Member; McNeil and Caldwell (1981)
distinguished them as an unnamed member pending regional studies of their distribution.
Thickness and Distribution: The Riding Mountain Formation is recognized in southeastern

Saskatchewan and eastwards to its erosional edge in the Manitoba escarpment. The uppermost beds
are truncated through much of the area by erosion, and only in Turtle Mountain is there a complete
section of 280 m (918 ft) preserved.
Relationship to Other Units: The Riding Mountain lies with sharp, disconformable to probably
paraconformable contact on the black shale of the Pembina Member, Vermilion River Formation (now
Pembina Member, Pierre Shale). The contact with the overlying arenaceous Boissevain Formation is
gradational, known only from the subsurface (Bamburak, 1978) The Riding Mountain correlates
westward with the upper Lea Park, Judith River (Belly River) and Bearpaw formations of western
Saskatchewan. In South Dakota its correlatives are the Gregory, DeGrey, Verendrye, Virgin Creek and
Mobridge members of the Pierre Shale (Gill and Cobban, 1965).
References: Bamburak, 1978; Bannatyne, 1970; Gill and Cobban, 1965; Kirk, 1930; McNeil and
Caldwell, 1981; Tourtelot, 1962; Wickenden, 1945.
DHM; LLP
Middle Jurassic (Bathonian-Callovian)
Rierdon Formation (Ellis Group)
Type Locality: Rierdon Gulch, about 43 km (27 mi) west of Choteau, Montana, W/2 Sec. 23, Twp. 24N,
Rge. 9W.
Lithology: Three informal members can be recognized: a basal grey-green, calcareous shale with
micritic limestone beds, a medial dark grey-green, fissile, slightly calcareous to noncalcareous shale
with minor limestone beds, and an upper grey-green, calcareous shale with nodular limestones or
limestone beds. Bedding throughout the formation is on the scale of tens of centimetres and marine
molluscan fossils are common in all three members. The Rierdon is generally more calcareous to the
east, especially in the Williston Basin.
Thickness and Distribution: The Rierdon Formation is recognized in the southern Alberta Plains,
extreme southwestern Saskatchewan, northern and central Montana and the North Dakota Williston
Basin. The Rierdon is 42 m (138 ft) thick at the type locality and ranges up to 60 m (197 ft) thick in
southeastern Alberta and north-central Montana. It thins regionally over the Sweetgrass Arch,
pinching out over the southwestern part of the Arch near Great Falls. The northern subcrop edge lies
between Twps. 8 and 20 in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and is deeply dissected by Late Jurassic and
Early Cretaceous erosion.
Relationship to Other Units: The Rierdon conformably overlies the Sawtooth Formation and
equivalents, or unconformably overlies Paleozoic strata where the Sawtooth is absent. The Swift
Formation unconformably overlies the Rierdon; north of the Swift subcrop edge lower Mannville Group
strata overlie the Rierdon unconformably. Stratigraphically equivalent rocks, generally in more
arenaceous and less calcareous facies are assigned to the lower Sundance Formation in
southeastern Montana and adjacent Wyoming and South Dakota. Christopher (1974) subdivided
Rierdon-equivalent strata in southern Saskatchewan into the Rush Lake Shale and sandier Roseray
Formation. Westward, in Alberta the Rierdon grades to less calcareous shales of the Grey Beds of the
Fernie Group.
References: Christopher, 1974; Cobban, 1945; Hayes, 1982; Peterson, 1972.
BJH
Upper Silurian (Ludlovian?)
Risser Beds (Interlake Group)
1958.
Type Locality: Amerada No. 1 Risser in SWSE Sec. 12, Twp. 149N, Rge. 96W, North Dakota, between
3845.1 and 4015.4 m (12615 and 13174 ft)
History: A marker-defined unit proposed for the ‘’Upper Interlake” of Porter and Fuller, 1958.
Lithology: See Taylorton Member.
References: Porter and Fuller, 1958, 1959; Saskatchewan Geological Society, 1958.
FMH
Roaring River Clay
Author: Klassen, R W. et al. 1967, p. 436.
Type Locality: Southwest wall of Roaring River Valley, near the northwest limit of Duck Mountain
Upland, in NE/4 Lsd. 2, Sec 30, Twp. 33, Rge. 26WPM (51°51’N, 101°08’W), Manitoba
History: First described by Tyrrell (1893, p. 116-E); further described in Klassen (1969, pp. 11-13) and
in Richmond (1977, p. 12-13).
Lithology: Silt and silty clay; grey to yellowish brown; at type section thinly beaded and contains much
plant detritus and many shells; elsewhere, as at Minnedosa Section in NW/4 Lsd. 16, Sec. 20, Twp. 16,
Rge. 18WPM it consists of silt with plant fragments and rodent bones.
Thickness and Distribution: 1 to 2 m (3 to 7 ft) thick. Known only from three outcrops, but probably
present elsewhere in region along old, buried valleys.
Relationship to Other Units: Underlain by Shell Formation or ‘unnamed lower deposits’ of sand and
gravel; overlain by Minnedosa Formation. Correlates with Vita Formation in southeastern Manitoba.
Unit mostly lacustrine, but may contain loess. Pre-Classical Wisconsin or older in age.
References: Klassen et al., 1967; Klassen, 1969, 1972; Richmond, 1977; Tyrrell, 1893.
AMacSS
Cambrian
Robson Limestones (Obsolete)
Type Locality: Mount Robson, at 53°07’N, 119°10’W, British Columbia.
Lithology: Known only from distant views and from moraine material thought to have been derived
from this interval (Aitken and Norford, 1967, p. 156).
Thickness and Distribution. The unit probably comprises limestones above the Lynx Formation on
Mount Robson.
Relationship to Other Units: “Burling (1923, p. 736, 737) presented calculations to suggest that the
peak of Mount Robson is at about the top of the Upper Cambrian Lynx Group (Lynx Formation) and
suggested that either there was no room on the mountain for any Mount Robson Limestones or that
the formation was very thin at it type section. With Walcott’s later erection (1923, p. 458) of the
Chushina Formation for rocks thought to represent the lower part of the Robson Limestones, it
became virtually certain that any strata that might be present above the Lynx at Mount Robson could
be assigned to the Chushina Formation (see Burling, 1955, p. 24-27, 41, for discussion). The term
Robson Limestones is therefore meaningless. (Aitken and Norford, 1967, p. 156-157).
References: Aitken and Norford, 1967; Burling, 1923, 1955; Walcott, 1913, 1923
PFM
Upper Devonian
Roche Miette Formation (Obsolete)
Type Locality: Roche Miette, in Jasper National Park, Alberta at 53°16’N, 117°55’W.
Lithology: Limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: Not given.
Relationship to Other Units: Dowling described the formation as follows: “The rocks of Roche Miette
show a heavy limestone bed of a somewhat yellowish weathering appearance superimposed on
shales and sandy limestones, the lowest of which represent horizons below the Devonian. It is
probable that the same heavy limestone is repeated in the cliffs on the west side of Brule Lake. The
Roche Miette Limestone is thus similar to the Intermediate beds of the Bow River section.” The heavy
limestone band is obviously the Palliser Formation, which also outcrops west of Brule Lake above a
major thrust. However, the following faunal lists provided by Dowling indicate that he also included the
underlying Mount Hawk Formation, or at least part of it. “From the lowest part of this limestone Mr.
McEvoy collected the following: Atrypa reticularis (Linne), Diphyphyllum, sp., Cyrtina, sp., Spirifer (or
Spiriferina), sp., and casts of elongated spiral brachiopod.”
There is considerable doubt as to whether Dowling intended to propose this as a formal name. The
name does not appear in the Table of formations of p. 205 of Dowling (1912), where the entry is simply
“Devonian ... Heavy bedded limestones.”
Reference: Dowling, 1912.
PFM
Rock Creek Member (Fernie Formation)
Author: Warren, R.S., 1934.
Type Locality: Headwaters of Rock Creek, on east slopes of Livingstone Range, about 6 km (3.8 mi)
northeast of Frank, Alberta; grid reference 918994, NTS Blairmore 82 G/9.
History: Warren (1934) proposed the name Rock Creek Member for a marker horizon of calcareous
sandstone, 1.5 to 9.1 m (5 to 30 ft) thick, which was 15 to 45 m (49 to 148 ft) above the base of the
Fernie. Later in the same paper (p. 66, 67) Warren referred to a rich and distinctive fauna with Bajocian
ammonites (including Teloceras, Stephanoceras, Stemmatoceras and Chondroceras) and bivalves,
which has since been known as the “Teloceras fauna”, as occurring in the Rock Creek Member. In fact,
at the type locality ammonites representing the so-called “Teloceras fauna” are found in large,
calcareous concretions interbedded with dark grey, rusty weathering shales (now placed in the
Highwood Member) some 15 m (49 ft) above the calcareous sandstone. Quartz sandstones and
siltstones equivalent to the Rock Creek Member as defined by Warren occur at a number of localities
in southwestern Alberta: Daisy Creek, Livingstone Gap, and above Burns’ Mine on Sheep River. In
each case the “Teloceras fauna” occurs some distance above the siltstone unit and has not been
found within it The name Rock Creek Member came to be used subsequently for a sequence of dark
grey rusty weathering shales with concretions and beds of sandy shales or dark limestones containing
abundant bivalves, ammonites and belemnites of the “Teloceras fauna” (Frebold, 1957). More recently
(Frebold, 1976) the member was expanded stratigraphically downward to include a calcareous
sandstone with Sonninia along with grey to greyish brown, rusty weathering shales with concretions
immediately underlying this sandstone. As thus defined the Rock Creek Member includes all Fernie
strata Iying between the Poker Chip Shale (Toarcian) and the Grey Beds (Bathonian) and which have
yielded faunas of Bajocian age. Thus the Rock Creek Member, initially defined as a lithostratigraphic
marker horizon has been expanded to include a diversity of lithologies and would be defined on the
basis of the contained ammonite faunas, i.e. it has become a biostratigraphic unit. The original usage,
sensu Warren should be re-established for the Rock Creek Member.
Lithology: As defined by Warren (1984) at the type locality the Rock Creek Member consists of
resistant, grey to grey-brown quartzose siltstone and sandstones; quartz grains subrounded to
subangular, with calcite cement, sometimes poikilotopic, which increases in amount towards the base
of the unit. Parallel-bedded, with individual beds averaging 5 cm (2 in) thick, becoming thicker up to 10
cm (4 in) and coarser toward the top of the unit. Wavy lamination is common and represents the only
internal structure. The top of the Rock Creek Member is marked by two beds of coarser sandstone with
pebbles, small phosphatic pellets oxidized pyritic masses and poorly preserved bivalves; the lower of
these beds is 0.6 m (2 ft) thick, the higher 0.9 m (3 ft).
Farther north, at Livingstone Gap and Sheep River the unit is more platy-bedded and silty, with
individual beds 3 cm (1.2 in) thick.
Around Cadomin and in northern parts of Jasper Park (in Morris Creek, Fiddle River and Snake Indian
River), at approximately this stratigraphic level there occur sandstones containing abundant bivalves,
belemnites and ammonites of the “Teloceras fauna” which have been regarded as representing the
“Rock Creek Member” sense stricto (Frebold, 1957), i.e., as originally defined by Warren. If this
correlation is accepted the Rock Creek Member in the northern foothills and front ranges is younger
than around the type locality in the southern foothills; it is absent from Fernie sections between these
areas, where the Highwood Member sits directly on the Poker Chip Shale. At Cadomin this unit
consists of a single resistant, dark grey sandstone, heavily bioturbated and weathering orange-brown;
to the west, in Fiddle River and Morris Creek there thinner, but otherwise similar bioturbated
sandstones are interbedded with dark grey shales, and farther west at Snake Indian River the
sandstones are represented by thin, calcareous, resistant beds with much thicker shale interbeds. The
Rock Creek Member has been traced east of the Jasper area in the subsurface, where it is up to 37 m
(121 ft) thick and consists of a basal coquinoid sandstone overlain by burrowed, silty sandstones with
clean, flaser bedded, cross-bedded and planar laminated to wave-rippled sandstones at the top
(Marion, 1984).
References: Frebold, 1957, 1976; Hall, 1984; Marion, 1984; Stronach, 1984; Warren, 1934.
RLH
Upper Carboniferous and Permian
Rocky Mountain Group/Formation (Redundant)
Author: Dowling, D.B., 1907, p. 1-37
Type Locality: None designated at that time.
History: Dowling (1907, p. 9) referred to upper Paleozoic sandstones near Canmore as the Rocky
Mountain Quartzite. Allan (1913, p. 183) reported 488 m (1600 ft) of the “Quartzite” at Lake
Minnewanka and 61 m (200 ft) in the Sawback Range to the west. Shimer (1926) published a section
of the Rocky Mountain along the north shore of Lake Minnewanka and included limestones and
dolomites low in his section in the Rocky Mountain, which he thought to be Permian in age. Warren
(1927) published a measured section of the Rocky Mountain on Tunnel Mountain, Banff National Park
and considered it to be Pennsylvanian and perhaps Permian in age. Beales (1950) designated the
Rocky Mountain Formation on Tunnel Mountain as the type section, and published a detailed
measured section 186 m (610 ft) in thickness. For details see Tunnel Mountain and Kananaskis
formations (Spray Lakes Group), and Johnston Canyon and Ranger Canyon formations (Ishbel
Group).
References: Allan, 1913; Beales, 1950: Dowling, 1907; Raasch, 1958; Shimer, 1926; Warren, 1927.
AM, CMH
Ronde Member (Southesk Formation)
Author: McLaren, D.J. and Mountjoy, E.W., 1962.
Type Locality: Roche Miette, north and northeast spurs, 34 km (21 mi) north-northeast of Jasper,
Alberta along Highway 16 (53°10’N, 117°55’W).
History: The term originated from a revision of the Alexo Formation in the Jasper region when McLaren
and Mountjoy (1962) named the informal lower member of the Alexo Formation (McLaren, 1955),
which they showed to grade into the Grotto and Arcs members of the Southesk Formation, as the
Ronde Member. The Ronde Member thus became the fourth 1 member of Southesk Formation. The
Ronde Member is named after Roche Ronde, a short distance northwest of the type section.
Lithology: The Ronde Member consists of thin bedded, light grey to brown fine grained calcarenites
containing variable amounts of quartz silt. The basal part of the member contains silty carbonates
which weather slightly recessive. The remainder of the unit is made up of resistant limestones
containing less quartz silt and often having a fenestral texture. The Ronde is generally unfossiliferous.
Thickness and Distribution: The Ronde Member is 34.5 m (113 ft) thick at its type section, between 30
and 43 m (100 and 141 ft) thick at the Miette buildup, and an average of 55 m (180 ft) thick at the
Southesk-Cairn buildups.
The Ronde Member is presently recognized only at the Miette and Southesk-Cairn carbonate buildups
of the Fairholme Group. The term has also been informally applied to the Fairholme carbonate
complex of the Fairholme Group (Harrison and Jackson, 1978).
Relationship to Other Units: The Ronde Member is the uppermost member of the Southesk Formation
at the Miette and Southesk-Cairn buildups. There it grades laterally into, and also may overlie the Arcs
Member or, rarely the Grotto Member. At the buildup margin the Ronde grades laterally into the upper
Mount Hawk Formation of the basin. The Ronde is overlain unconformably by the Sassenach
Formation. More stratigraphic work is required on the Ronde Member and the presently known
thicknesses and lateral relationships should be treated with caution.
References: Belyea and McLaren, 1964; Harrison and Jackson, 1978; Mackenzie, 1969; McLaren,
1955; McLaren and Mountjoy, 1962; Mountjoy, 1965.
MPC; EWM
Middle Proterozoic
Roosville Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Author: Daly, R.A., 191 2, p. 109-110.
Type Locality: Southern Galton Range, northeast of Phillips Creek (49°02’N, 114°58’W) southeastern
British Columbia. Extensive and more complete sections occur to the north and northeast in the
Galton and MacDonald ranges (Price, 1962).
History: Daly’s (1912) definition of the formation was based on one small outlier in which only the
basal 200 m (656 ft) of the unit is preserved. Schofield (1914b) recognized the Roosville Formation at
Elk River and reported that it is more than 300 m (984 ft) thick and overlain unconformity by Middle
Cambrian beds there. Leech (1960) showed that it also occurs on the west side of the Rocky Mountain
Trench, in the Purcell Mountains, and that it is overlain unconformably by Devonian rocks there and in
the region north of Elk River. Price (1962) showed that the Roosville is the lateral equivalent of, and
has priority over Hage’s (1943) Member D of the Kintla Formation.
Lithology: Green and greenish grey argillite, dolomite argillite, siltstone and sandstone, with less
abundant white and grey quartz sandstone, light grey and yellow argillaceous dolomite and
stromatolitic dolomite, and red argillite. Micaceous partings are common in the siltstone and
sandstone, and mud-cracks and oscillation ripple marks occur throughout the formation .
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness and distribution of the Roosville are controlled by pre-
Middle Cambrian and pre-Devonian erosion, which bevelled the formation to the northwest and
northeast (Price, 1962; Norris and Price, 1966). The northern limit of the formation trends east-
southeast across the northern Clark Range from near North Kootenay Pass. Up to 1300 m (4940 ft) of
the formation are preserved beneath the sub-Cambrian unconformity in the southern MacDonald and
Galton ranges.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact of the unit is conformable and marked by a relatively
abrupt transition to the Phillips Formation [member D of the Kintla Formation in the Clark Range
(Hage, 1943)]. The upper contact is unconformable. Pre-Middle Cambrian erosion bevelled the
Roosville Formation gradually to the northeast, and much more abruptly to the northwest in the vicinity
of Elk River (Norris and Price, 1966). Pre-Devonian erosion bevelled the formation to the northwest
along the west side of the Rocky Mountain Trench (Leech, 1960), and northwest of Elko. In those areas
the Roosville is overlain by the Toby Formation (Windermere Supergroup). The Roosville equates to
the McNamara Formation of Glacier National Park, Montana. It has equivalents in the upper part of the
Dutch Creek Formation to the northwest.
References: Daly, 1912; Hume, 1933, Hage, 1943; Leech, 1960; Price, 1962, 1964, 1965; Norris and
Price, 1966; Schofield, 1914a, b, 1915.
RAP
Quaternary
Rosa Formation (Informal)
History: Name introduced informally in unpublished Ph.D., thesis; not defined elsewhere.
Lithology: Dark grey, silty till; about 49% carbonate in matrix.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness unknown, but at least 15 m (49 ft) in places; found in
southeastern Manitoba.
Relationship to Other Units: Lower contact not reached; overlain by Woodmore Formation or stratified
drift; nowhere exposed. Recognized only in boreholes; age unknown, but older than Classical
Wisconsin.
References: Fenton, 1974; Moran et al., 1976.
AMacSS
Roseau Formation
Type Locality: A borehole in Lsd. 16, Sec. 5, Twp. 3, Rge. 5EPM, Manitoba. Additional reference
sections are given as boreholes in Lsd. 7, Sec. 1, Twp. 3, Rge. 6EPM and in Lsd. 13, Sec. 14, Twp. 5,
Rge. 16EPM.
History: First named informally by Fenton (1974, p. 76) in Ph.D. thesis, where the type locality was
given as a borehole in Lsd. 8, Sec. 21, Twp. 4, Rge. 7EPM.
Lithology: Stony till with about 44% silt, 33% sand and 23% clay in matrix. Generally contains more
than 50% carbonate, with a high calcite to dolomite ratio.
Thickness and Distribution: up to 16 m (53 ft) thick, average about 4 m (13 ft). Numerous exposures
along the Roseau River in southeastern Manitoba. Found discontinuously in southeastern Manitoba
southeast of Lake Winnipeg. Probably also the top till over much of the Interlake Plain northwest of
Winnipeg, and also probably present in the Red River Lowland under Glacial Lake Agassiz clays.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies stratigraphically between the Whitemouth Lake and Senkiw
Formations. Commonly overlies stratified clay, silt or sand; either exposed at the surface or overlain by
bedded sediments or else by the Whitemouth Lake and Marchand formations. Correlates in part with
the Lac du Bonnet and Sprague formations, with the Lennard and Battleford formations, and with the
Libau Drift.
The fabric of the unit indicates deposition by southeast-flowing glacier. Considered by Teller and
Fenton (1980, pp. 30, 31) to be between 2200 and 13000 radiocarbon years old, and so Classical
Wisconsin in age.
References: Fenton, 1974, Keatinge, 1975; Moran et al., 1976; Teller and Fenton, 1980.
AMacSS
Upper Jurassic (Callovian to Oxfordian)
Roseray Formation
Author: Milner, R.L. and Thomas, G.E., 1954; Elphinstone, N.P. 1958; Christopher, J.E., 1974.
Type Locality: The type section is that for the Middle Vanguard in the Tidewater Kelstern Crown No. 1
well, in Lsd. 5, Sec. 28, Twp. 15, Rge. 6W3M, between 990 and 1035 m (3248 and 3397 ft), as revised
by Milner and Blakslee (1958).
History: Elphinstone (1958) introduced the name to the literature for sandstones lying between the
Cretaceous Blairmore Formation and the Jurassic Vanguard Formation in the oil field district of
southwestern Saskatchewan. Christopher (1974), in raising the middle member of the Vanguard
Formation of Milner and Thomas (op. cit.) to formation status named it the Roseray Formation an the
basis of correlations equating Elphinstone’s “Roseray sand” with the Middle Vanguard
Lithology: The central body of the Roseray Formation is dominated by quartzose sandstone that is fine
grained, well sorted, about equally subrounded and subangular, massive to fined flat bedded and
permeable, being only weakly cemented with calcite and silica, or weakly indurated with white to
green-grey kaolinitic clay and dark grey illitic clay. Scattered sphaerosiderite-speckled kaolin layers
and dark grey massive shale are also conspicuous. Internally the formation is constituted the beds that
slope eastward and southeastward through the formation after the manner of foreslope beds. Each unit
shales into the Rierdon lithosome. Those belonging to the older half of the Roseray descend through
the Rush Lake Shale, i.e., the lower Rierdon, the younger beds yield laterally to the upper part of the
Rierdon Shale. Individually these component beds ‘recapitulate’ the facies distribution of the whole,
i.e., each displays a basinward decrease in grain size and shift in the argillaceous spectrum from
sideritic kaolin to glauconitic illite.
The Roseray Clinobeds: These sandstone beds are correlatable wherever shell spacing is dense.
There are ten informally named, becoming younger from west to east: Verlo, Antelope, Webb, Beverley,
Java, Duncairn, Neidpath, Kelstern, Congress and Canopus. The beds older than Kelstern not only
slope across the Roseray lithesome, but also fall asymptotically through the Rush Lake Shale, within
which they are traceable on geophysical logs as calcareous marker beds. The Kelstern, Congress and
Canopus beds shale laterally into the Rierdon Shale, but expand their stratigraphic thickness as a
wedge of calcareous, glauconitic shale and mudstone opening southeastward toward the centre of the
Williston Basin. The Roseray clinobeds conform essentially to time-parallel units, although in
aggregate they constitute the diachronous Roseray Formation. No more than three of the clinobeds
defined in the Roseray appear in the formation at any given geographic point.
Thickness and Distribution: Regionally, the thickness of the Roseray Formation ranges from 15 to 48
m (49 to 157 ft); thicknesses greater than 30 m (98 ft) represent shale content greater than 40%. The
clinobeds (Verlo to Neidpath) are individually up to 21 m (69 ft) thick, but thicknesses decrease toward
the margins to yield a lensoid cross-section.
The Roseray Formation is essentially restricted to southern Saskatchewan and northern Montana,
where it forms a trianguloid mass tapering out to the south on the Bowdoin Dome. It lies between
109°W and 104°W, south of 51°N .
Relationship to Other Units: The Roseray Formation is one of several homologous sandstone tongues
in the Rierdon lithosome of the Williston Basin. Thus, in southeastern Saskatchewan and
southwestern Manitoba there are unnamed Rierdon Sandstones of pre-Webb Age; in the Black Hills
region of South Dakota the Hulett Sandstone is a post-Webb, pre-Kelstern equivalent.
The Roseray Formation overlies the Rush Lake Shale, i.e. the Lower Vanguard of Milner and Thomas
(1954). It is overlain by the Masefield Shale, i.e. the Upper Vanguard Shale with slight disconformity,
but beneath which the Roseray is truncated to its base westward into Alberta. Toward southeastern
Saskatchewan and North Dakota the Roseray sandstones yield to Rierdon shales. There the Roseray
and the underlying Rush Lake shales form the Rierdon Subgroup .
References: Brooke and Braun, 1972; Christopher, 1974, 1984a; Elphinstone, 1958; Milner and
Blakslee, 1958; Milner and Thomas, 1984.
JEC
Middle Devonian
Rosevear Member
(Swan Hills Formation, Beaverhill Lake Group)
Author: Shell Canada reports; Used by R.A. Walls (1987, fig. 14), but rot defined formally.
Type Locality: Reference sections are in:
1) Sun-Shell Rosevear 6-34-54-15W5M (discovery well - A Pool) between 3169 an (10390 ft - “shale
member”) and 3216 m (10550 ft).
2) Shell-Sun Rosevear 10-22-54-15W5M (fully cored - B Pool) between 3146 m (10300 ft) and 3202 m
(10506 ft).
Lithology: Shallow water shelf, non-porous grey-brown limestones, often Amphipora-rich, with
laminites in uppermost beds, but typically dolomitized partly or wholly resulting in permeable
intercrystalline and vuggy fossil-moldic porosity. Two or more shallowing upward cycles can be
distinguished (4 indicated by Walls, 1987; 2 by Kaufman and Meyers, 1988). The top and base can
often be picked by slightly radioactive character on the gamma ray log, which in core may be
represented by thin greenish shale and shaly infill at the top and by slightly argillaceous marine
carbonates at the base. Eastward, towards the shelf edge there are increasing amounts of
hemispherical to massive stromatoporoids. Laterally there is an abrupt change to cherty carbonate
mudstones, wackestones and grainstone debris of a marine channel, whose impermeability results in
separation of the A and B pools of the Rosevear Field. Adjacent to this channel branching
stromatoporoids (‘Stachyodes’) and corals (‘thamnoporids’) are more common.
Thickness and Distribution: Between 40 and 60 m (131 and 197 ft) thick, pinching out to zero eastward
at the shelf margin. Forms the middle part of the Swan Hills Formation platform northward to about the
Carson Creek Field (Twp. 60) and southward at least to the Minehead Field (Twp. 49) paralleling the
Windfall reef complex of the Leduc Formation to the west. Equivalents of the Rosevear Member form
part of the Swan Hills reefal buildups.
Relationship to Other Units: The Rosevear Member is sedimentologically defined by abrupt bottom
and top contacts - below with a more extensive shallowing upward basal platform limestone unit
sometimes equated with the Slave Point Formation, and above with a less extensive shallow water
unit informally called the upper Swan Hills Member, or if that is absent, with basinal calcareous shales
and argillaceous carbonates of the Waterways Formation. The upper contact shows evidence of
subaerial exposure. The Rosevear shelf margin is steeper than either of these bounding ramp-like
units. The Rosevear Member is equivalent to the Stages 2 and 3 platform reef of Kaufman and Meyers
(1988).
References: Kaufman and Meyers, 1988; Walls, 1987.
LSE
Lower Permian (?Late Sakmarian-Artinskian)
Ross Creek Formation (Ishbel Group)
Type Locality: Telford Creek Ridge, Elk Valley, southeastern British Columbia, (Sec. 20, McGugan et
al., 1964; Sec. 66, McGugan, 1963).
Lithology: Basal Unit: (lower Ross Creek Formation of Henderson, 1989 and Henderson et al., in
press) Interbedded silty limestones and calcareous, phosphatic and dolomitic siltstones, interbedded
cherts, etc. and, locally a basal pebble bed. Middle unit: (middle and upper units correlate with upper
Ross Creek Formation of Henderson, 1989 and Henderson et al., in press) Interbedded cherts, cherty
and arenaceous limestones, chert nodules with organic detritus. Upper unit: Phosphates, calcareous
siltstones, thin brachiopod coquinas, intraformational conglomerates, quartz sandstone and zebra
cherts near top. Biostromal unit with corals, brachiopods in basal unit at one locality in the Telford
Plate (MacRae and McGugan, 1977).
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum development of 143 m (469 ft) only in Telford Creek area,
southeastern British Columbia (McGugan, 1963), but thin, incomplete sections in the Fernie area
beneath the Ranger Canyon Formation at Mount Broadwood, Lizard Range, Mount Fernie, Iron Creek
Fenster, Mount Proctor, Mount Hosmer, Sulphur Creek Ridge, (Secs. 4, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19,
McGugan et al., 1964) are correlative with the Ross Creek Formation and the type Johnston Canyon
Formation. Fossiliferous limestones overlying the Johnston Canyon Formation in the south-central
Rockies at Panther River, Mount McConnell, Mount Malloch, (McGugan et aI., 1964, Sect. 77, 82, 86)
and Carbon Creek (McGugan, 1967, Sec. 145A) are homotaxial with the type Telford Formation
(Henderson and McGugan, 1986) . Absent in the foothills subsurface and other sections north of the
type area.
Relationship to Other Units: At the type section, with basal pebble bed disconformably underlain by
the Telford Formation. Disconformably overlain by the Ranger Canyon Formation with basal
phosphatic conglomerate. Homotaxial strata in the Panther River area are also overlain by Ranger
Canyon Formation.
Paleontology: Rather sparse faunas of brachiopods, corals, bryozoa and fusulinaceans (McGugan,
1983) indicate a Late Wolfcampian to Early Leonardian Age. Relatively abundant conodont faunas
indicate a Late Sakmarian to Late Artinskian age range (Henderson and McGugan, 1986; Henderson,
1989).
References: Henderson, 1989; Henderson et al., in press; Henderson and McGugan, 1983, 1985,
1986; MacRae and McGugan, 1977; McGugan, 1963, 1967, 1983; McGugan and Rapson, 1963a,
1963b; McGugan et al., 1964.
AM, CMH
Middle Cambrian
Ross Lake Member (Ross Lake Shale, Cathedral Formation)
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1917a; p. 4.
Type Locality: Cliffs on east side of Ross Lake, 6.5 km (4 mi) northwest of Lake Louise, Alberta, at
51°26’N, 116°18’W.
History: Erected by Walcott as a member of the Ptarmigan Formation (abandoned). Deiss (1939) and
subsequent workers have treated the Ross Lake as the middle member of the Cathedral Formation.
Lithology: At and near the type section grey-green shale with a few limestone nodules; highly
fossiliferous. Thickens northward and becomes an alternation of shale units with thin bedded lime
mudstone units, arranged in small scale cycles. It is recessive weathering relative to the limestones
above and below.
Thickness and Distribution: The Ross Lake is 2.4 m (8 ft) thick at the type section. Westward, it pinches
out before reaching the crest of the Kicking Horse Rim. Eastward, it thickens to 7.8 m (26 ft) near
Clearwater Pass before merging with the Mount Whyte Formation Northward, along the structural
grain it thickens to 78.2 m (257 ft) in the Chaba River section near Fortress Lake, before passing into
the Snake Indian Formation (equivalent to the Cathedral).
Relationship to Other Units: The Ross Lake Member may be regarded as a tongue of the largely
detrital Mount Whyte Formation that extends westward into the carbonate mass of the Cathedral
Formation. It is the central unit of the Cathedral, and is underlain and overlain by unnamed members.
References: Aitken, 1971; Deiss, 1939; Rasetti, 1951 Walcott, 1917a.
JDA; LVH
Middle Ordovician
Roughlock Member (Winnipeg Formation)
Author: McCoy, M.R., 1952.
Type Locality: Several hundred metres up the wall of Spearfish Canyon, 3.8 km (2.4 mi) above
Maurice, South Dakota.
History: McCoy originally gave the Roughlock siltstone formation status. Carlson (1960) showed that it
was correlative with the upper part of the Winnipeg Formation in the subsurface and thus reduced it to
member status.
Lithology: In the type area, the northern Black Hills of South Dakota the Roughlock is a quark siltstone,
usually yellowish to yellow brown, moderately argillaceous in its lower beds. In the subsurface in
North Dakota it becomes progressively more shaly and greenish grey towards the north.
Thickness and Distribution: In the type area the Roughlock is up to 10 m (3 ft) thick and thins to zero
southwards. It is largely confined to North Dakota, where its maximum thickness of 26 m (85 ft) occurs
in the south-central part of the state, coinciding with an increase in coarser elastic content. It extends
some little distance into eastern Montana and is possibly present as a very thin unit in extreme
southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Relationship to Other Units: The Roughlock everywhere rests on the Ice Box Member and is overlain
by the Whitewood (or equivalent Red River) carbonate. The contacts are gradational and apparently
conformable. McCoy suggested that the Roughlock is a southern facies of the Ice Box, but this was not
accepted by Carlson for the subsurface.
References: Carlson, 1960; McCoy, 1952.
DFP
Rouleau Clay
Type Locality: Borehole near Rouleau, Saskatchewan, in NW/4 Sec. 11, Twp. 14, Rge. 23W2M.
Lithology: Grey, massive, unoxidized clay that is calcareous and montmorillonitic.
Thickness and Distribution: At type locality about 3 m (10 ft) thick. Found only in Lake Rouleau Basin
southwest of Regina.
Relationship to Other Units: Distinguished from underlying olive Regina Clay solely by its grey color.
Where present it is the surface unit. Deposited largely in preglacial lake during retreat of last ice-sheet.
Reference: Christiansen, 1961.
AMacSS
Routledge Shale Facies (Lodgepole Formation)
Author: Stanton, M.S., 1956
Type Locality: Chevron Routledge Prov. 13-29-9-25WPM, in southwestern Manitoba, between 679.7
and 703.2 m (2230 to 2307 ft).
Lithology: Dark grey to brown and brownish black shale, moderately fissile to massive, in part slightly
calcareous; silty and micromicaceous, with traces of associated pyrite. Locally orange-red to pale
green
Thickness and Distribution: Ranges from zero to 27 m (89 ft). It is known to occur in only two relatively
small, isolated areas of southwestern Manitoba, one centred near the southeastern part of the Virden-
Roselea oil field, and the second in the Turtle Mountain area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Routledge conformably overlies, and is closely similar in lithology to
the black shale of the upper member of the Bakken Formation. It is conformably overlain by, and
passes laterally to cherty microcrystalline limestone of the basal part of the Scallion beds. It is
correlative with the basal part of the Souris Valley beds of Saskatchewan and the basal part of the
Bottineau interval of the Lodgepole Formation of northern North Dakota.
References: Berg, 1956; McCabe, 1959; Stanton, 1956.
HRM
Middle and Upper Mississippian
Rundle Group
Author: Kindle, E.M., 1924. Raised to Group by Douglas (1953, p. 68).
Type Locality: North end of Mount Rundle, Banff National Park, Alberta.
History: Because of the subdivision of the group into smaller units, and with the elevation to group
status the term Rundle is not now commonly used to define surface or subsurface sections. Because
of significant usage in prior literature, and the validity of the group status in summarizing a major
carbonate interval the term will always remain historically important for western Canada geology.
Lithology: (Warren, 1927): “The Rundle Formation consists of thick-bedded to massive, light grey to
dark grey coarse grained limestone alternating with beds of dark grey to black, fine grained limestone
with or without chert nodules. The chert nodules are more characteristically developed in the fine
grained beds and are more common in the lower part of the formation The coarser grained beds do
not, as a rule, contain chert nodules. Some of the lighter colored beds are very coarse grained,
containing many fragments of crinoid columns and brachiopods; they probably represent shallow
water conditions of deposition. The limestone weathers grey the finer grained beds assuming a much
darker grey than the coarser grained beds. The alternation of these two types of beds produces a very
distinct banding of light and dark grey where a section of the formation is well exposed.”
The light colored coarse grained beds constitute the echinoderm (crinoidal) limestones characteristic
of the Livingstone Formation, occupying the lower part of the Rundle Group, in contrast to limestones
and dolomites, with local shales, sandstones and siltstones of the Mount Head Formation
representing the upper Rundle section.
Thickness and Distribution: The Rundle Group is 698 m (2288 ft) at the type section, 741 m (2431 ft)
on Tunnel Mountain and 549 m (1800 ft) in the Mount Head area. The thickness is less in most
sections of the front ranges and foothills, the unit thinning eastward and erosional absent over much of
eastern Alberta. The lower part is present over a large part of the southern Alberta Plains area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Rundle conformably overlies the Banff Formation and is
disconformably overlain by the Rocky Mountain Formation in the front ranges. It is generally
unconformably overlain by the Jurassic Fernie Formation in the foothills, and by Lower Cretaceous
strata eastward in the plains. In the mountain sections the Rundle comprises the Mount Head and
underlying Livingstone Formations; easterly, in the foothills and plains the Mount Head is missing by
erosion and the differentiated Turner Valley-Shunda-Pekisko sequence, equivalent of the Livingstone
represents the Rundle Group. The Rundle Group equates to the Debolt and Prophet formations to the
northwest, and to the Mission Canyon of southern Saskatchewan, northeastern Montana and North
Dakota.
References: Beach, 1943; Beales, 1950; Douglas, 1950, 1953; Douglas and Harker, 1958; Kindle,
1924, Macauley et al., 1964, McQueen and Bamber, 1967; Moore, 1958; Waxen. 1937.
DGP, GM
Lower Silurian (Llandoverian?)
Rupert Beds (Interlake Group)
1958.
Type Locality: Canadian-Devonian Tidewater Langbank (Rupert) 15-28-12-2W2M well, in

History: A marker-defined unit proposed for the “Lower Interlake” of Porter and Fuller, 1958. Equivalent
to the combined Strathclair and Brandon formations in Manitoba and the Strathclair, Fife Lake and
Guernsey formations in Saskatchewan
Lithology: See Strathclair, Brandon, Fife Lake and Guernsey formations.
References: Porter and Fuller, 1958, 1959; Saskatchewan Geological Society, 1958.
FMH
Upper Jurassic (Callovian)
Rush Lake Shale (Formation) (Vanguard Group)
Author: Milner, R.L. and Thomas, G.E., 1954; Christopher, J.E., 1974.
Type Locality: Type section is that of Milner and Thomas (1954). The lower member of the Vanguard
Formation is defined in the Tidewater Rush Lake Crown No. 1 well, in Lsd. 3, Sec. 5, Twp. 18, Rge.
10W3M, southwestern Saskatchewan, between 1037 and 1083 m (3402 and 3552 ft).
Lithology: Dark green-grey calcareous shale, calcareous mudstone, and light green-grey mudstone;
Rhynchonella gnathopora Meek, Gryphaea nebrascensis, Meek et Hayden, Kepplerites and
Arctocephalites are characteristic of the formation.
Thickness and Distribution: The Rush Lake Shale is defined wherever the overlying Roseray
Formation is mapped, i.e., in an area of southwestern Saskatchewan, between about 105°W and
109°W and from 51°N in Saskatchewan to 48°N in northern Montana. Thickness ranges between 75
and 45 m (246 and 148 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The basal contact is that described for the Vanguard Formation, i.e., a
calcite cemented sandstone with a conglomerate of pelecypod shells (Gryphaea) resting erosionally
on the Shaunavon Formation.
The formation grades upward into a sandy facies transitional to the Roseray Formation. It also
becomes younger eastward by virtue of Roseray clinobeds grading into shales as they slope
downward into the Rush Lake Formation. Beyond the body of the Roseray Formation the Rush Lake
becomes the Rierdon Shale of Alberta by virtue of a late Vanguard unconformity terminating the
Roseray in the west. To the south and southeast (Montana, North Dakota and eastern Saskatchewan)
the formation is equivalent to the lower half of the Rierdon Subgroup (Christopher, 1984).
References: Christopher, 1974, 1964, Milner and Thomas, 1954.
JEC
Upper Cretaceous
Ryegrass Sandstone (Bearpaw Formation)
Type Locality: East bank of Oldman River, just above its junction with Belly River, in SW/4 Sec. 34,
Twp. 9, Rge. 23W4M, Alberta.
Lithology. Light greenish blue, bentonitic sandstone, locally very coarse, cross-bedded and ripple
marked; one 1.2 m (4 ft) thick dark blue shale break.
Thickness and Distribution: About 9 m (30 ft) of sandstone is exposed at the type locality during times
of low water, but diamond-drill holes reveal a section at least 27 m (90 ft) thick which is dominantly
sandstone. Although developed as a distinct sandstone in the type area northwest of Lethbridge this
member passes into sandy shale to the south along the St. Mary River according to Russell (1932a,
p.28B-32B; in: Russell and Landes, 1940, p. 74-75).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies and is overlain by dark blue and steel grey bentonitic to sandy
shales of the Bearpaw Formation. It is the upper of three local sandstones in the Bearpaw of the
Lethbridge area, with its base 168 m (552 ft) above the base of the Bearpaw and 43 m (142 ft) above
the top of the Kipp Sandstone, and its top 26 m (84 ft) below the top of the Bearpaw Formation. The
equivalent stratigraphic level of this unit is in the upper pan of the Manyberries Member of the Cypress
Hills, southeastern Alberta.
References: Link and Childerhose, 1981; Russell, 1932a; Russell and Landes, 1940.
JHW; LSR
Upper Cambrian
Sabine Formation
Type Locality: On Sabine Mountain, at the south end of the Stanford-Brisco Range, near Canal Flats,
British Columbia.
History: The term Sabine Formation has been applied by various authors (Walcott, 1928; Evans, 1933;
North and Henderson, 1954; Leech, 1959). North and Henderson noted that its use should be
confined to the immediate area of Sabine Mountain, as elsewhere its lithology does not differ
appreciably from the rest of the McKay Group.
Lithology: None designated by Schofield. North and Henderson (1954) described the Sabine as a
series of thin beds of bluish grey limestone interbedded with thicker beds of grey shales, the limestone
beds weathering a characteristic reddish brown.
Thickness and Distribution: On Sabine Mountain the formation is just over 214 m (700 ft) thick (North
and Henderson, 1954). On Fairmont Ridge it ranges from 46 to 107 m (150 to 350 ft). Walcott assigned
a thickness of 154 m (505 ft) to the unit in the Glacier Lake area.
Relationship to Other Units: Schofield described the Sabine Formation as being overlain by Devonian
limestones. However, further work has shown it to be a time-equivalent of the Bison Creek Formation,
and therefore overlain by the Upper Cambrian (Trempealeauan) Mistaya Formation. It is underlain with
sharp contact by the massive carbonates of the Lyell Formation .
Paleontology: Howell et al. (1944) identified an abundant trilobite fauna as the Pro-Saukia zone of the
Upper Cambrian Franconian Stage. Representatives of the Saukia zone of the Trempealeauan Stage
are also present at the top of the unit
References: Hurling, 1955; Evans, 1933; Howell et al., 1944; Leech, 1959: North and Henderson,
1954; Schofield, 1921; Walcott, 1924,1928.
RGG
Upper Tertiary
Saddle Hills Conglomerate
(Swan Hills and Hand Hills conglomerates)
Lithology: Remnants of upper Tertiary fluvial conglomerates and gravels from the Rocky Mountains
that cap the Swan Hills, Hand Hills and Saddle Hills in central Alberta. A late Tertiary age was
assigned by Russell (1958) on the basin of a horse bone fragment from the Hand Hills.
References: Allan, 1919a, Russell, 1958.
RGG
Upper Cretaceous (Coniacian)
Sage Hen Limestone
(Niobrara Formation, Colorado Group)
Author: Lupton, C.T. and Lee, W., 1921; Cobban, W.H., 1953.
Type Locality: Sage Hen Creek, in the Little Rocky Mountains of north-central Montana.
Lithology: Originally described as a fine grained sandstone, cemented with calcite and very friable
when weathered (Lupton and Lee, 1921). According to Cobban (1953) the unit consists of a bed of
grey bentonitic shale which incorporates buff weathering, silty and calcareous septarian concretions
along Montana State Highway 18, where it crosses the east dome of the Cat Creek anticline. The latter
form a prominent ledge which is well exposed in Secs. 5, 8, 17 and 18, Twp. 14N, Rge. 31E.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality the unit has a thickness of 25.4 to 50.8 cm (10 to 20 in).
The unit is known exclusively from occurrences in central Montana, but may have significance as a
subsurface marker in south-central Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The Sage Hen Limestone occurs at the base of the lower member of the
Niobrara Formation in central Montana, where it is overlain by dark grey largely noncalcareous shales
which incorporate ten layers of bentonite, calcareous concretions and phosphorite pebbles. The unit
rests upon dark grey shales equivalent to the upper part of the Carlile’ Shale, which contain
calcareous, septarian concretions with veins of calcite and barite.
References: Cobban, 1951,1953; Lupton and Lee, 1921.
LTB
Sagemace Member
(Souris River Formation, Manitoba Group)
Author: Uyeno, T.T., et al., 1980.
Type Locality: Named for scattered thin outcrop occurrences in the vicinity of Sagemace Bay, near the
south end of Lake Winnipegosis, Manitoba. No type section is indicated, but the best exposure is in a
recently reopened quarry in Lsd. 16, Sec. 31, Twp. 33, Rge. 19WPM. Manitoba Mineral Resources
Division core hole M-7-70, in Lsd. 2, Sec. 16, Twp. 31, Rge. 18WPM, between 0 and 14 m (46.3 ft),
located adjacent to the quarry is suggested as the reference subsurface section.
History: In defining the Manitoba Group Baillie (1953) named the lower part of the sequence the
Dawson Bay Formation, but led the upper part unnamed except for the Point Wilkins Member.
Subsequently the term Souris River Formation was applied to the upper part of the Manitoba Group
(Sandberg and Hammond, 1958), and Uyeno et al. (1980) redefined all of the lowest depositional
cycle of the Souris River. The name Sagemace Member was proposed to include the remainder of the
Souris River outcrop section in Manitoba.
Lithology: In the type area dominantly variably fossiliferous, dense micritic limestone, medium bedded,
in part grading to thin, platy bedded, laminated and pelletal limestone and minor saccharoidal
dolomite. Limited core hole data indicate marked lateral changes in lithology, to predominantly finely
granular and vuggy dolomite. The base of unit is marked by a thin shaly bed. The top of the unit is
erosional in the outcrop belt, but the depositional top is placed at the base of a shaly marker occurring
in the subsurface a short distance west of the outcrop belt.
Thickness and Distribution. The name is applied only in the outcrop area of southwestern Manitoba.
The maximum known thickness in the outcrop belt is 27 m (89 ft), which approximates the complete,
non-eroded thickness in the subsurface immediately west of the outcrop belt. Correlative strata in the
central part of the Elk Point Basin of southern Saskatchewan attain a maximum thickness of about 50
m (164 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The unit overlies with slight disconformity the limestone and dolomite
beds of the Point Wilkins Member; the contact possibly represents an evaporite solution zone. Along
the outcrop belt Sagemace beds are overlain unconformably by Mesozoic sands and shales of
Jurassic to Cretaceous age. In the subsurface Sagemace beds are overlain with slight disconformity
by upper Souris River strata correlative with the Hatfield Member of Saskatchewan. The Sagemace
beds are correlative with and continuous with the Harris Member of the Souris River Formation of
Saskatchewan.
References: Baillie, 1951; Lane, 1964; Sandberg and Hammond, 1958; Uyeno et al., 1980.
HRM
Lower Carboniferous
Salter Member (Mount Head Formation)
[Lower Middle Visean (V2)]
Author: Douglas, R.J.W., 1953,1958.
Type Locality: East side of ridge immediately north of Highwood River and Highway 541; 1.9 km (1.2
mi) northwest of mouth of Cataract Creek; 50’23’50”N, 114°36’18”W. NTS 82J/7; southern Highwood
Lithology: The recessive, cyclic, thin to medium bedded Salter Member of the lower Mount Head
Formation consists predominantly of yellowish grey silty to sandy microcrystalline dolostone, fenestral
cryptalgal boundstone and foraminifer-algal lime wackestone. Anhydrite nodules and beds are
common in the subsurface and related solution-collapse breccia are widely distributed in the
Carboniferous outcrop belt. Skeletal-ooid grainstone and peloid-skeletal grainstone, packstone and
wackestone containing abundant nodules and irregular masses of chert are present in the southwest
and become more abundant southwestward and toward the base of the member (Macqueen and
Bamber, 1968; Macqueen et al., 1972) Thin planar laminae and small scale cross-bedding are
moderately common in the silty dolostone.
Thickness and Distribution: The Salter, preserved in the eastern Rocky Mountains and foothills is
widely distributed from southeastern British Columbia to about 51°45’N in south western Alberta
(Oswald, 1964; Price, 1965; Macqueen and Bamber, 1968). In this region it extends substantially
farther southwestward than the underlying Wileman and Baril members. From 51°45’N to 53°30’N the
Mount Head has not been formally divided into members, but strata assignable to the Salter are at
least locally present. Farther northwest strata provisionally assigned to the Salter extend from 53°30’N
in western Alberta to the Wapiti Lake region of east-central British Columbia (Richards et al., in press;
Sando et al., in press). The Salter thickens southwestward before thinning and passing into the
Livingstone Formation. The southern Salter, 29 m (95 ft) thick at its type section, is mainly between 29
and 67 m (95 and 220 ft) thick. In the northwest most of the Salter is from 7 to 41 m (23 to 135 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The Salter abruptly, and Wally unconformably overlies the Baril Member of
the Mount Head in the northeast. Toward the southwest it gradationally overlies the Baril and, in turn
the Livingstone Formation. Along its southwestern depositional limit the southern Salter grades
southwestward into skeletal lime grainstone of the Livingstone. The southern Salter is abruptly and
generally unconformably overlain by the Loomis Member of the Mount Head. In west-central Alberta
and east-central British Columbia the Permian Belcourt Formation unconformably overlies the Salter
and truncates it northeastward (Macqueen and Bamber, 1968; Richards et al, in press).
1972; Oswald, 1964; Price 1965; Richards et al., in press.
BCR
Lower and Middle Silurian
Sandpile Group
Author: Gabrielse, H., 1954, 1963.
Type Locality: Not specified, however the thickest and best described section is on a north facing
slope 1.6 km (1 mi) southeast of lower Sandpile Lake, where the base is exposed but the top is
faulted. The top and bottom of the Sandpile Group are exposed in a thinner section 4 km (2.5 mi)
northeast of Sheep Mountain. Both sections are in the McDame map-area (104P), British Columbia.
Lithology: Divided into a lower dolomite and upper sandy unit. Major lithologies are well bedded
dolomites that are variably fossiliferous, sandy and cherry dolomite breccia, sandstone and quartzite.
Weathering colors are grey dark grey and blue-grey, with buff brown and orange weathering units.
Thickness and Distribution: Outcrops essentially in a northwest trending belt in the central McDame
map-area, southwest of the Northern Rocky Mountain Trench. Similar strata are shown in map legends
of Cry Lake, Kechika and Watson Lake map-areas, but are referred to only by age (Silurian-Devonian)
and map-unit numbers. In the McDame map-area the Sandpile Group ranges in thickness from 215 to
490 m (700 to 1600 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Sandpile Group is laterally equivalent east and west to graptolitic
basin facies rocks and is part of a discrete shallow water platform (Cassiar) located west of the
Kechika Trough. Equivalent basin strata in the Kechika Trough are in the upper Road River Formation,
Lower Silurian basin limestone succession and part of the “orange weathering Silurian siltstone” (SL
and SD units of Cecile and Norford, 1979). Jackson, Steens and Sykes (1965) and Davies (1966)
extended the name Sandpile to this siltstone unit, but Cecile and Norford (1979) considered this
inappropriate because of distinct lithological differences between the two units. East of the Kechika
Trough the Sandpile Group is partly correlative with the Nonda Formation. Gabrielse (1963) showed
that the lower Sandpile Group contact with the Kechika Group and upper contact with the McDame
Group as conformable. However, Norford (1962) and Gabrielse (1967) showed both contacts as
unconformities. Gabrielse (1967) and Norford (pers. comm., 1982) consider that the contact between
the upper and lower Sandpile divisions may be an unconformity.
Paleontology: Norford (1962) reported silicified tabulate and rugose corals with minor brachiopods,
crinoid columnals, gastropods and Receptaculites from the lower to middle part of the Sandpile Group.
These fauna are dated as late Early to early Middle Silurian. Gabrielse (1963) also reported Silurian
graptolites in a minor siltstone unit and Late Ordovician fauna. Barnes, Norford and Skevington (1981)
did not include this late Ordovician unit in the Sandpile Group and referred to it only as the ‘Dolomite
unit’.
References: Barnes, Norford and Skevington, 1981; Cecile and Norford, 1979; Davies, 1966;
Gabrielse, 1954, 1963, 1967; Jackson, Steens and Sykes, 1965; Norford, 1959, 1962.
MPC
Quaternary
Sand River Formation (Informal)
Author: Andriashek, L.D., 1985, p.156-162.
Type Locality: Between 10 and 15.5 m (33 and 51 ft), in Alberta Research Council borehole T-9, in Lsd.
13, Sec. 10, Twp. 62, Rge. 2W4M, near Beaver River, eastern Alberta.
Council Bulletin.
Lithology: The Sand River Formation consists of stratified sand and silt, with lesser amounts of clay
and gravel. The top of the formation is not uniformly colored; in places it is oxidized olive brown,
elsewhere it is dark grey.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section the Sand River Formation is 5.5 m (18 ft) thick.
Elsewhere the thickness is varied, ranging from a thin veneer to as much as 18 m (59 ft) thick in
depressions on the surface of the Marie Creek Formation. The formation is extensive in the central and
southwestern part of the Sand River area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Sand River Formation has a sharp lower contact with tills of either the
Marie Creek or Bonnyville Formation. In the southwest, where the Marie Creek Formation is absent
the Sand River Formation cannot be differentiated from stratified deposits of the Ethel Lake Formation.
In this area all stratified sediments which lie directly above the Bonnyville Formation and are buried by
the Grand Centre Formation are included within the Sand River Formation. The Sand River Formation
has a varied upper contact with tills of the overlying Grand Centre Formation.
LDA
Sarbach Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1920 p. 15; amplified in Walcott, C.D., 1923, p. 459.
Type Locality: Southeast side of Mons Glacier (51°53’N, 116°59’W), southwestern Alberta.
History: Abandoned (Aitken and Norford, 1967, p. 155-156) in favor of Survey Peak, Outram, Skoki and
Owen Creek formations (q.v.).
References: Aitken and Norford, 1967; Walcott, 1920,1923.
BSN
Pliocene to Pleistocene
Saskatchewan Gravels
Author: McConnell, R.G., 1885. p. 70c.
Type Locality: No specific type locality given. Lectostratotype locality: here designated as the Kipp
Section, in the E/2 Sec. 18, Twp. 9, Rge. 22W4M (49°40’N, 112°58’W), southwestern Alberta, where
the formation is the “Unit B” of Stalker (1963, p. 22). The unit is well exposed for many kilometres at
various bluffs downstream from this section.
History: Nomenclature of the unit has had a chequered career. McConnell (1885, p. 70c) originally
called the unit “South Saskatchewan gravels” after the river of that name: “Under the general name of
the South Saskatchewan gravels are included the pebble conglomerates and silty beds which are
found, as valley or lake deposits, in different parts of the [Cypress Hills-Wood Mountain] district”.
Dawson in 1895 (p. 508), and Dawson and McConnell in 1896 (p. 36) simplified the name to
Saskatchewan Gravels. Rutherford (1937, p. 81) further modified the name to “Saskatchewan Gravels
and Sands” in order to recognize the abundant sand found in much of the unit. The names
Saskatchewan Gravels and Sands (Stalker, 1968, p. 156) and Saskatchewan Gravels (Westgate,
1965, p. 87) have been in common use ever since, but “south” has been completely dropped. Whitaker
and Christiansen (1972) established the Empress Group because most workers restricted the
Saskatchewan Gravels to the basal gravel. Here Saskatchewan Gravels is used, following Dawson’s,
Dawson and McConnell’s, and Westgate’s usage.
Lithology: Gravel, sand and silt; a diagnostic feature is a complete lack of stones from the Canadian
Shield. In most places the unit can be divided into a lower, mostly gravel member and an upper, mostly
sand and silt member; the contact between them is generally sharp, but locally is gradational. The
lower member, which is the more extensive typically consists of coarse, rounded gravel whose
lithology reflects that found in the segment of the Rocky Mountains directly to the west, with weaker
rocks commonly weeded out. The upper member also contains much mountain material, but further
includes a large component of debris from local bedrock. The top part of the sand and silt member is
commonly varved. Gravels are more common in the west and in the trunk valleys that rose in the
Rocky Mountains; sand and silt become more prominent eastward and in smaller tributary valleys,
which typically lack gravel.
Thickness and Distribution: At the Kipp (Stalker, 1963) and Labuma (Stalker, 1960, p. 116) sections the
unit is about 6 m (20 ft) thick; at the Wolf Island Section (Dawson and McConnell 1885. p. 141c; Stalker,
1963, p. 12; Westgate, 1965) about 5 m (16 ft) of gravel and about 3 m (10 ft) of the overlying sand and
silt member are present. The gravel member typically is 2 to 10 m (7 to 33 ft) thick, the upper member
generally 1 to 3 m (3 to 10 ft) thick, but McConnell (1885, p. 71c) recorded nearly 50 m (165 ft) for the
latter which, near Medicine Hat reaches even greater thicknesses.
An extremely widespread unit, the Saskatchewan Gravels are found along the pre-glacial drainage
system throughout most of Alberta and western Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: Almost invariably overlies bedrock, and is generally overlain by till of the
first glacier that reached the district. Westward the upper part of the lower member probably grades
into and correlates with the Albertan Formation. This member also undoubtedly includes much of the
Buried Valley Gravel of Roed (1975. p. 1498). The upper silt and sand member corresponds to the Wolf
Island Sediments of Westgate (1965, p. 91). The Saskatchewan Gravels, as originally described by
McConnell (1885, p. 71c) encompass much of the Empress Group, including its whole type section.
The preglacial Gravel and sand of Stalker (1960, p. 16) includes the Saskatchewan Gravels.
Local deposition of this gravel and sand along rivers flowing eastward from the Rocky Mountains
probably took place fairly continuously throughout the latter half of the Pliocene Epoch, and well into
the Pleistocene in those areas that were not reached by the first ice-sheets of the Quaternary
The Saskatchewan Gravels unit is extremely difficult to define precisely, or to separate both from older,
similar gravels lying on higher terraces and uplands and from younger material deposited by rivers
flowing from the mountains since the first Pleistocene glaciation. It is perhaps best defined as the
lower level river and stream deposits ante-dating the first glaciation of any local area. It is a most
valuable name, is in general use and, despite ambiguities of definition there is rarely any difficulty in
recognizing what is meant by the term wherever it is used.
The use of “Gravels” in its name has hindered recognition of the vast amounts of sand and silt in the
unit, and in distinguishing the unit where gravel is absent. Very likely, on the Prairies as a whole silt is
its most abundant component, followed by sand, though the gravels are the most spectacular.
Rutherford (1937, pi. 81 ) recognized this problem when he used the name Saskatchewan Gravels
and Sands. However, this still neglected the large silt content. Saskatchewan Formation would seem
to be a logical name to use, but Saskatchewan has elsewhere been used as a group name. Use of
South Saskatchewan Formation, reverting largely to McConnell’s original name would solve the
problem.
References: Dawson, 1895; Dawson and McConnell, 1896; Henderson, 1959; Horberg, 1952;
McConnell, 1885; Roed, 1975; Rutherford, 1937; Stalker, 1960, 1963, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1976A;
Westgate, 1965, 1968; Whitaker and Christiansen, 1972.
AMacSS
Saskatchewan Group
Type Locality: Williston Basin. Kent (1963, p. 12) selected a characteristic reference section for
Saskatchewan from the Mobil Oil Woodley Sinclair Cantuar X-2-21 well in 2-21-16-7W3M, between
1377.1 and 1620 m (4518 and 5315 ft).
Lithology: Predominantly carbonates, with thin evaporites that exhibit cyclic sedimentation. Cycles are
of variable thickness and completeness. A complete sequence of sediments comprises in ascending
order: a thin dolomite (commonly with rolled mudstone clasts); fossiliferous limestone; thin dolomite;
algal stromatolites; anhydrite; halite and thin dolomitic mudstone. Several zones of sporomorphs are
recognized (Kent 1963, 1968a; Dunn, 1975). For characteristic fauna see Kent (1968a).
Thickness and Distribution: Attains a maximum thickness of about 350 m (1148 ft) near the
Saskatchewan border with Alberta, and is present throughout the Williston Basin except around its
edges, where it has been subjected to post-Mississippian erosion.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies carbonates of the Manitoba Group and is
conformably overlain by shales and dolomitic beds of the Three Forks Group. It contains the Duperow
and Birdbear formations. Its lateral equivalents are: in central Alberta the upper Beaverhill Lake
Formation, the Woodbend Group and the lower part of the Winterburn Group; in eastern Alberta the
upper Beaverhill Lake Formation arid the Fairholme Group; in Montana and North Dakota the
Jefferson Group.
References: Baillie, 1953, 1955; Dunn, 1975; Kent, 1963, 1968a.
CED; KRM
Saskatoon Group
Author: Christiansen, E.A., 1968b, p. 1169.
Type Locality: on bank of South Saskatchewan River at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in SW/4 Lsd. 11,
Sec. 34, Twp. 36, Rge 5W3M.
Lithology: Till and stratified drift; grey where unoxidized, otherwise pale yellow to olive; includes the
Floral and Battleford formations and some stratified drift. Till sandier and less clayey than that in the
Sutherland Group, and contains more dolomite (8 to 20%).
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness ranges from less than 1 to 80 m (3 to 262 ft) at the type locality.
Found throughout southern Saskatchewan south of the Precambrian Shield
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformably overlies weathered or unweathered Sutherland Group;

generally exposed at surface.
References: Christiansen, 1968B, 1971, 1972; Richmond, 1977; Westgate et al., 1977; Whitaker and
Christiansen, 1972.
EAC; AMacSS
Saskatoon Member
Author: Kent, D.M., 1967, p. 789 (first usage), Kent, D.M., 1968a, p. 22 (formally defined).
Type Locality: United States Borax and Chemical Elstow 5-22A, in 5-22-34-1W3M, Saskatchewan,
between 779.1 and 812.0 m (2556 and 2644 ft)-.
Lithology: Yellowish brown, microcrystalline limestone, dolomitic limestone and dolomite, with some
interbeds of yellowish brown anhydrite. Local mudstone pebbles, small scale breccias and ooidal
beds occur. The member comprises a series of cycles of sedimentation. Bands of carbonate containing
sporomorphs are present. Kent (1968a) described the fauna.
Thickness and Distribution: The member thickens from about 12 m (39 ft) near the Third Meridian at
the U.S. border to 60 m (197 ft) in the Wainwright area of Alberta. It is difficult to identify east of Regina
and in the U.S. portion of the Williston Basin because the argillaceous component of the overlying
Elstow Member is low, causing the two members to merge.
Relationship to Other Units: The basal contact is gradational with argillaceous beds which cap the
underlying Souris River Formation, locally there is a 0.5 m (1.6 ft) brecciated zone present. The upper
contact is conformable with argillaceous beds of the Elstow Member. The member is equivalent to the
lower part of unit 1 of Dunn (1975) in southeastern Saskatchewan , i.e., the lowermost four cycles of
sedimentation. In Alberta equivalent strata are the upper Beaverhill Lake and lower Cooking Lake
formations, and the upper Flume and lower Cairn formations.
References: Dunn, 1975; Kent, 1967, 1968a.
CED; KRM
Sassenach Formation
Author: McLaren, D.J. and Mountjoy, E.W., 1962; p. 11-14, 25-29.
Type Locality: Ridge southeast of Thornton Creek, 4 km (2.5 mi) southeast of Mount Haultain in
northeastern Jasper National Park, Alberta. Located 34 km (21 mi) north of Jasper townsite. (53°10’N,
118°14’W).
History: McLaren and Mountjoy (1962) erected the Sassenach Formation to include all beds between
the top of the Fairholme Group and the base of the Palliser Formation in the Jasper area. The
formation was named after Mount Sassenach, near its type section. The Sassenach Formation
replaced the informal upper member in the type Alexo Formation at North Saskatchewan River Gap. In
basin sections far from Fairholme carbonate buildups the Sassenach Formation corresponds closely
to previous usage of the entire Alexo Formation interval (e.g., McLaren, 1955).
Lithology: At the type section consists of two informal members: a lower silty mudstone and an upper
sandy member. The lower member is composed of dark grey to greenish grey mudstones containing
quartz silt and variable amounts of limestone and dolomite. There is an upward increase in carbonate,
with development of silty and argillaceous limestones towards the top of the member. The upper
member is composed of strongly silty limestones and calcareous sandstones.
Detailed examination of Upper Devonian basin sections between the Snake Indian and Brazeau
rivers (Coppold, 1976 and unpub.) shows the Sassenach Formation to be strongly silty at the top and
base, with a thick silk carbonate in the middle. Within these units the Sassenach Formation is
composed of interbedded and interlaminated rocks which are divisible into two gross lithologies
based on the presence or absence of a strong silty component. The Lithologies are always laminated
and frequently are cross-laminated. Interbedding relationships may be planar, undulose or nodular.
Close to carbonate buildups of the Fairholme Group the basal part of the formation may contain fossils
or calcarenite eroded from the buildups. Penecontemporaneous slump structures are common in the
lower part of the Sassenach Formation.
Thickness and Distribution: The Sassenach Formation is recognized in the Rocky Mountains from
northern Jasper National Park to the North Saskatchewan River. Price (1964) also tentatively
identified the Sassenach Formation in the Crowsnest Pass area. The formation thickens to the west
and northwest. A basin filling unit it is only fully developed away from carbonate buildup margins of
the Fairholme Group (i.e., where it overlies Mount Hawk) .
Typical basin thicknesses are: southwestern Ancient Wall 224 m (800 ft); southeastern Ancient Wall
type section 183 m (601 ft), Morro Peak 189 m (620 ft); Rocky Forks 128 m (420 ft) and Cardinal
Mountain 62 m (203 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Sassenach Formation is a basin filling formation between the
Fairholme Group and the Palliser Formation in the Jasper region. The basal contact in the thicker
basin sections (i.e., overlying Mount Hawk Formation) appears conformable or paraconformable.
Where it onlaps the Fairholme Group carbonate buildups (i.e., overlying Southesk Formation) the
relationship is unconformable. The upper contact with the Palliser Formation is conformable and often
gradational over a few metres.
The Sassenach Formation is laterally equivalent to the upper member of the Alexo Formation type
section at North Saskatchewan River Gap. However, the exact relationship of the Sassenach-Alexo
interval south of the North Saskatchewan River has not been resolved. Correlation with the Crowsnest
Pass area also remains tentative (Price, 1964). The Sassenach Formation is homotaxial to the Calmar
and Graminia formations of the central Alberta subsurface and the Crowfoot Formation of
Paleontology: The Sassenach Formation is popularly considered to be Famennian in age with the
Famennian-Frasnian boundary occurring at the base of the formation. The Sassenach, however is
poorly fossiliferous, particularly in its lower part, and most Famennian fossil collections are from some
distance above the base of the formation. For example, at the type section the basal 10 m (33 ft) of the
Sassenach Formation are undated (Mountjoy and Mackenzie, 1973). Placement of the Famennian-
Frasnian boundary at the base of the Sassenach Formation is convenient and probably correct in
eastern outcrop areas. Coppold (1976), how ever suggested on lithostratigraphic grounds that the
Sassenach and its thick western Sections may be partly Frasnian (Southesk and Mount Hawk
equivalent) in age. This suggestion remains unproven.
References: Coppold, 1976; McLaren, 1955; McLaren and Mountjoy, 1962; Mountjoy, 1965; Mountjoy
and Mackenzie, 1973; Price, 1964.
MPC; EWM
Saunders Group
Type Locality: Named for the now abandoned mining town of Saunders, Alberta in Twp. 40, Rge.
13W5M. No type section was specified and no complete section is known to exist in this area or
elsewhere.
History: The name Saunders was utilized by Allan and Rutherford (1923, 1924) and Rutherford
(1925,1926 but not by other workers (MacKay, 1929, 1030; Evans, 1930), or was confined to beds
below the Paskapoo Formation (Russell, 1932). It was replaced by the Foothills ‘series’ in 1934 by
Allan and Rutherford, but this name was never used again. Stelck et al. (1972, 1976) used the name
Saunders in its original sense, and Jerzykiewicz and McLean (1980) have also followed this usage.
Lithology: Characterized by interbedded, very thick to thin bedded mudstone, siltstone and sandstone,
with subordinate conglomerate, claystone including bentonite, coal and tuff. Thick, abrupt based,
fining upward sandstone beds are common and distinctive. Proportions of the major lithologies differ
from one part of the section to another, allowing subdivision into three formations, the Brazeau,
Coalspur and Paskapoo. The Coalspur Formation (used informally at present) includes a thick zone of
major coal seams in the area between the North Saskatchewan and Athabasca rivers. The Brazeau
and Paskapoo contain some coal, but the seams are fewer and generally thinner. Colors are
predominantly olive-grey, greenish grey and grey.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized only in the Alberta Foothills between 52°N and 54°N.
Thickness is extremely variable, as the upper boundary is always the present erosional surface. The
maximum estimated thickness is over 3600 m (11808 ft). A good section of the lower part of the group
on Blackstone River is 1640 m (5379 ft) thick (Douglas, 1958; Gunther and Hills, 1972).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Wapiabi Formation gradationally. The upper boundary is the
present erosional surface. South of 52°N it is equivalent to the Belly River, Bearpaw, St. Mary River
and Willow Creek formations and part of the Porcupine Hills Formation (Carrigy, 1971). In the northern
foothills and west-central plains of Alberta it is correlative with the Wapiti and Paskapoo formations.
The Judith River Formation, Bearpaw Formation, Edmonton Group and Paskapoo Formation are
lateral equivalents in the central to southern Alberta Plains.
Paleontology: Paleontology indicates that the Paleocene/Maastrichtian boundary lies within the
Coalspur Formation, between the Entrance Conglomerate and the major coal zone. (A.R. Sweet, in:
Jerzykiewicz and McLean, 1980)
References: Allan and Rutherford, 1923, 1924; Carrigy, 1971; Douglas, 1958; Eliuk, 1969; Gunther and
Hills, 1972; McLean and Jerzykiewicz, 1978; Jerzykiewicz and McLean, 1980; Russell, 1932;
Rutherford, 1925, 1926.
JRM
Middle Cambrian to Lower Ordovician
Sawback Formation (Obsolete)
Type Locality: Sawback Range, front ranges sub-province, southern Rocky Mountains of Alberta.
History. The term Sawback was originally proposed for the formations underlying the known Devonian
rocks of the Sawback Range. It included rocks of the Sarbach, Mons, Sabine, Lyell, Sullivan,
Arctomys, Pika and Eldon formations, 1129 m (3700 ft) thick at the type locality.
References: Allan, 1914, 1915, 1916; Burling, 1916, Kindle, 1924; Walcott, 1928.

Upper Cretaceous
Sawridge Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Allan, J.A., 1919b, p. 11C.
Type Locality: None specified; the name was applied to outcrops south of Lesser Slave Lake below
elevations of 640 m (2100 ft) between the Valley of the Swan River and the town of Slave Lake, then
known as Sawridge.
History: Allan proposed the term Sawridge for poorly exposed Judith River-equivalent (i.e., Belly River
of common usage in the plains continental clastics with coal seams occurring south of Lesser Slave
Lake, between marine shales of the Labiche Formation (Smoky Group) below, and Edmonton Group
continental clastics above. These strata have been mapped as the Belly River Formation (Allan and
Rutherford, 1934, p. 21; Geological Survey of Canada, 1951), and more recently as the lower part of
the Wapiti Formation (Green, 1972; Kramers and Mellon, 1972), because the Bearpaw Formation that
separates the Judith River Formation (i.e., Belly River) from the Edmonton Group is not present in this
area.
References: Allan, 1919b; Allan and Rutherford, 1934; Geological Survey of Canada, 1951; Green,
1972; Kramers and Mellon, 1972; Williams and Burk, 1964.
PAM
Middle Jurassic (Bajocian-Bathonian)
Sawtooth Formation (Ellis Group)
Type Locality: Rierdon Gulch, about 43 km (27 mi) west of Choteau, Montana, W/2 Sec 23, Twp. 24N,
Rge. 9W.
Lithology: A three-fold subdivision is recognized in most areas: a basal quartzose sandstone that is
bioturbated and coarsens upward, locally named the Crow Indian Lake Member; a medial mudstone
characterized by variable lime content; and an upper, bioturbated, coarsening upward quartz
sandstone to bioclastic sandstone locally named the Conrad Member. Davies (1983) documented
shallow marine to beach environments of deposition
Thickness and Distribution: The Sawtooth is recognized in the south-central Alberta Plains and in
Montana north and west of the Sweetgrass Arch. Thicknesses are highly variable, as the Sawtooth
overlies a high-relief surface sculpted in Mississippian carbonates by pre-Jurassic erosion. At the type
locality the Sawtooth is 41 m (135 ft) thick; it thins eastward and pinches out over the Sweetgrass
Arch, except in areas of southern Alberta, where a thin sandstone remains. The northern subcrop
edge in Rges. 11-15W4 in southern Alberta is deeply dissected by pre-Cretaceous erosion.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit unconformably overlies dissected Mississippian carbonate strata
and is conformably overlain by the Rierdon Formation, except along its northern subcrop edge, where
it is eroded and overlain by lower Mannville Group strata. East and south of the Sweetgrass Arch
carbonate- and evaporite-rich strata of the Piper (Montana) and Shaunavon (Saskatchewan)
formations are equivalent. Westward and northward the Sawtooth grades to shales, siltstones and
sandstones of the Rock Creek Member and Highwood Member of the Fernie Group.
References: Cobban, 1945; Davies, 1983; Peterson, 1972.
BJH
Scallion Member (Lodgepole Formation)
Author: Stanton, M.S., 1956.
Type Locality: Chevron Scallion Prov. 5-11-11-26WPM, in southwestern Manitoba, between 618.7 and
679.1 m (2030 and 2228 ft).
History: Stanton’s formal terminology replaced and extended to a more regional basis an earlier
informal field designation (Milne and Nickoloff, 1955; Berg, 1956) in which the Scallion beds were
referred to as the “Cherty Zone” or “Lower Cherty Limestone Unit”.
Lithology: Limestone and argillaceous limestone, white to yellowish grey and pinkish to purplish grey
mottled or laminated; very finely crystalline to microcrystalline and chalky. Commonly cherty to
siliceous. Scattered crinoidal and oolithic interbeds, particularly towards be top of unit. Commonly
glauconitic in basal 3 to 5 m (10 to 16 ft). In places shows extensive dolomitization and anhydrite
emplacement near the pre-Mesozoic unconformity surface.
Thickness and Distribution: The Scallion ranges in thickness from 58 to 75 m (190 to 246 ft) except for
two local areas where up to 27.5 m (90 ft) of basal Scallion beds appear to pass laterally to Routledge
shale facies. It can be delineated only in a relatively narrow belt in southwestern Manitoba and
adjacent North Dakota, extending from its subcrop limit at the pre-Jurassic uniformity westward to
approximately Rges. 25 to 27WPM, where the Scallion beds pass laterally to argillaceous limestones
and calcareous shales (Cromer Shale Facies of the Daly area).
Relationship to Other Units: The unit conformably overlies black shales of the Bakken Formation or,
locally black shales of the Routledge Shale Facies which replace basal beds. It is conformably
overlain by argillaceous and oolitic/bioclastic limestones of the Virden Member, except for the subcrop
belt, where it is overlain unconformably by Mesozoic strata of the lower Amaranth Formation in the
southeast and the Melita Formation in the northwest. It is correlative with the lower part of the Souris
Valley beds of Saskatchewan and with the lower part of the Bottineau interval of the Lodgepole
Formation of northern North Dakota.
References: Berg, 1956; McCabe, 1959; Milne and Nickoloff, 1955; Stanton, 1956.
HRM
Scatter Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Author: Kindle, E.D., 1944
Type Locality: Scatter River, upstream from the junction with Liard River, northeastern British
Columbia. Toad River map-area (94N) (Stott, 1982).
Lithology: Composed of three members; the basal, Bulwell comprises a thick resistant succession of
flaggy to thick bedded, glauconitic sandstone; the middle, Wildhorn consists of silty, concretionary,
marine mudstone; the upper, Tussock consists of alternating units of silty, glauconitic sandstone and
silty mudstone
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized along the valley of the Liard River from the Toad River in
British Columbia northward to the Kotaneelee Syncline, west of the Liard Range in Northwest
Territories. The thickness ranges between 350 and 375 m (1148 and 1230 ft) in the vicinity of the type
locality on Scatter River to less than 60 m (197 ft) to the east in BA Pan Am Playmate b-6-G well (b-6-
G/94-O-7).
Relationship to Other Units: Both upper and lower boundaries of the formation are gradational. The
lower contact with the Garbutt Formation is drawn at the change from thick bedded sandstone to
argillaceous siltstone or mudstone. The upper contact with the Lepine Formation is represented only
by a change from sandy siltstone to silty mudstone. To the east it grades into shales of the
Buckinghorse Formation, and is equivalent to the Commotion Formation of the Pine River area, and of
the Peace River and part of Spirit River formations of the Peace River area.
Paleontology: Fossils are not abundant within the formation, although a few ammonites have been
collected from the middle Wildhorn Member. The formation apparently lies within the zones of
Arcthoplites to Gastroplites and therefore of Early to Middle Albian age.
References: Kindle, 1944; Stott, 1982.
DFS
Scenic Point Member
(Appekunny Formation) (Abandoned)
Author: Fenton, C.L. and Fenton, M.A., 1937; p. 1873-1970).
Type Locality: Scenic Point, overlooking Two Medicine Valley, Glacier National Park, Montana;
48°29’N, 113°20W.
History: Ross (1959) concluded that the Scenic Point Member is equivalent to beds he considered to
be the lower part of the Grinnell Formation.
Lithology: Argillites, sandstones and gravelly conglomerates; green, purplish, buff, brown and dull
brownish red at the type locality. Northward and westward from the type locality the member is
reported by Fenton and Fenton (1937) to grade into thickly bedded, mud-cracked argillite, which gives
way to thick quartz sandstone and grey and iron stained argillites. Mud chip breccias, mud-cracks and
ripple marks are abundant.
Thickness and Distribution: Reported by Fenton and Fenton to range from 60 to 210 m (197 to 689 ft)
thick, but their measurements may encompass differing stratigraphic intervals in the Lewis and Clark
range.
Relationship to Other Units: The Scenic Point Member was sandwiched between their underlying
Appistoki Member of the Appekunny Formation and the overlying Rising Wolf Member of the Grinnell
Formation (Fenton and Fenton, 1937). Ross (1959) considered the Scenic Point to be the lower part of
the Grinnell Formation
References: Fenton and Fenton, 1937; Ross, 1959.
PRF, RAP
Middle to Upper Triassic (Ladinian to Norian)
Schooler Creek Group
Author: McLearn, F.H., 1921; emended by Hunt, A.D. and Ratcliff, J.D., 1959.
Type Locality: Subsurface Peace River Plains in northeastern British Columbia, in two wells: a) Pacific
Fort St. John No. 16, in 2-18-84-19W6M between 1257.9 and 1565.2 m (4127 and 5168 ft); and b)
Southern Production No. B-14-1, in 1-12-84-23W6M, between 1524.0 and 1569.1 m (5000 and 5148
ft). No specific type surface locality except for the area of Peace River Foothills along Peace River
(Williston Lake Reservoir) between Aylard and Pardonet Creeks (McLearn, 1921, 1947). NTS Maps
94B/2 Jones Peak and 94B/3 Mount Brewster.
History: Originally named Schooler Creek Formation by McLearn (1921), to include all Upper Triassic
strata in the Peace River Foothills. The name was later extended to include strata in the Sikanni Chief
and Halfway River area to the north. McLearn (1947) recommended that the formation be raised to
group status, which subsequently was done by Hunt and Ratcliffe (1959) for strata in the Peace River
subsurface Colquhoun (1962) used the name Schooler Creek Group to include surface strata
comprising the Halfway, Charlie Lake, Baldonnel and Pardonet formations. Gibson (1971, 1975)
recognized two new formations, the Ludington and Bocock in the Schooler Creek Group between
Pine Pass and Sikanni Chief River.
Lithology: Field exposures comprise six formations which, in ascending order are: the Halfway or Liard
- dolomitic to calcareous sandstone, with lesser beds of siltstone, dolostone and skeletal limestone;
Charlie Lake - intercalated dolomitic to calcareous sandstone, siltstone, sandy limestone, dolostone
and minor intraformational and/or solution breccia; Ludington - a lateral equivalent of the Charlie Lake,
Baldonnel and Liard formations, comprising medium to pale grey weathering, dolomitic to calcareous
siltstone, sandstone and silty to sandy bioclastic limestone; Baldonnel - a pale grey to brownish grey
weathering, cliff forming limestone and dolostone, with rare siltstone and very fine grained sandstone;
Pardonnet - a dark grey to brownish grey weathering, very carbonaceous-argillaceous limestone, silty
limestone, calcareous and dolomitic siltstone, and minor shale; Bocock - light grey to yellowish brown
weathering, medium to thick bedded, aphanitic to coarsely crystalline to bioclastic limestone. In the
subsurface the Schooler Creek Group comprises four formations: Halfway - fine to medium grained
sandstone, finely crystalline dolostone and dolostone coquinas; Charlie Lake - interbedded
siliciclastics, carbonates and evaporites; Baldonnel - dolostone and minor limestone; and Pardonet -
argillaceous siltstone, silty limestone and shale. The Pardonet of the subsurface is confined mainly to
the foothills.
Thickness and Distribution: The Schooler Creek Group is recognized throughout the Rocky Mountain
Foothills and subsurface Peace River Plains between the Sukunka and Liard River area of
northeastern British Columbia (Gibson, 1975). The Schooler Creek Group attains an approximate
maximum thickness of 730 m (2394 ft) near the headwaters of Eleven Mile Creek, south of Williston
Lake, and thins to zero towards the east and northeast.
Relationship to Other Units: The Schooler Creek is unconformably overlain by black shale of the
Jurassic Fernie Formation, or sandstone and shale of the Lower Cretaceous Bullhead and Fort St.
John groups, and conformably and gradationally overlies siltstones and shales of the Toad Formation.
In the subsurface plains it conformably and disconformably overlies the Toad or Doig formations (Hunt
and Ratcliffe, 1959; Stott, 1967). The Schooler Greek Group is equivalent to the Whitehorse and upper
Sulphur Mountain formations to the south.
References: Colquhoun, 1962; Gibson, 1971, 1975; Hunt and Ratcliffe, 1959; McLearn, 1921,1947;
Stott, 1967.
DWG
Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene (Maastrichtian and Danian)
Scollard Formation
(Edmonton Group)
Author: Irish, E.J.W., 1970, p. 141.
Type Locality: East bank of the Red Deer River, in Secs. 7 and 18, Twp. 34, Rge. 21W4M, about 8 km
(5 mi) west of Scollard, Alberta. Type section incomplete, 33.7 m (111 ft) of Scollard Formation above
the Nevis seam not represented. Gibson (1977) proposed a complete supplementary type section on
the west bank of Red Deer River in Lsd. 7, Sec. 11, Twp. 34, Rge. 22W4M and Lsd. 3, Sec. 24, Twp. 34,
Rge. 22W4M.
History: First named as “Upper Edmonton member” by Allan and Sanderson (1945) and as “Member
E” by Ower (1960). Later Irish (1970, p. 141) designated as the Scollard Member all the “strata between
the Battle Formation and the uppermost coal seam of the coaly zone (so called Ardley coal zone).”
Gibson (1977) added the younger strata lying between the Ardley seam and the Paskapoo Formation
to the unit and raised it to formational status.
Lithology: Mainly an interbedded, interfingering sequence of argillaceous sandstone, siltstone,

mudstone and shale. Thick coal seams are present in the upper part of the unit, associated with
carbonaceous to coaly shale and laterally persistent bentonite weds. Fine grained, quartzose,
bentonitic, often calcareous, light grey to buff sandstone units are interbedded with light greenish grey,
bentonitic, sandy to silty mudstone, argillaceous siltstone and dark purplish grey bentonitic, sandy to
silty claystone and shale. Medium to micro-scale planar and festoon cross-bedding are common in the
calcite-cemented sandstone. The unit as a whole shows rapid lateral and vertical lithofacies changes.
The following coal seams are present in the Scollard Formation.
Nevis Coal Seam: Allan and Sanderson (1945, p. 48, 57) named this seam the Nevis seam No. 13 in
the type area of the Scollard Formation, where it occurs 41 to 46 m (135 to 151 ft) above
the base of the formation. It is up to 0.4 m (1.3 ft) thick and consists of interlaminated
carbonaceous shale, thin lenses of vitreous coal and a laterally persistent bentonite bed.
The stratigraphic level of the Nevis seam is extremely variable regionally. In the
subsurface of the Pigeon Lake area (Twp. 48, Rge. 27W4M) it lies only 15.5 m (51 ft)
above the base of the Scollard Formation. The seam is best developed in the subsurface
near Red Deer, Ponoka, Pigeon Lake and Drayton Valley, where it is 1.5 to 3.5 m (5 to
12 ft) thick (Hotter et al., 1975, Fig. 15a).
Ardley Coal Seam: Allan and Sanderson (1945, pp. 48, 57) designated this seam the Ardley seam
No. 14 “in the vicinity of Ardley, and outcrops along the slopes of the Red Deer Valley,
from Ardley in Twp. 38, southward to Twp. 32.” In the Scollard area it lies 57.6 to 64.6 m
(189 to 212 ft) above the base of the Scollard Formation and is 2.2 to 3.2 m (7 to 11 ft)
thick. It consists of interbedded coal up to 1.8 m (6 ft) thick, carbonaceous shale and
laterally persistent bentonite beds. The interval between the Ardley seam and the base
of the Scollard Formation thins rapidly toward the north, so that the seam lies 34.6 to 44
m (114 to 144 ft) above the base of the formation in the subsurface of the Ardley area
(40-26W4; 39-24W4) and only 27 m (89 ft) in the Pigeon Lake area (Twp. 48, Rge.
27W4M). The Ardley seam is the most prominently developed coal unit in the south-
central and west-central Alberta Plains. It is 5 to 7 m (16 to 23 ft) thick in the subsurface
south of Red Deer, Lacombe and west of Bearhills Lake and reaches a maximum
thickness of 9 to 13 m (30 to 43 ft.) in the Wabamun Lake area (Holter et al., 1975, Fig.
15a). The Ardley seam has been referred to as the “Big Seam on the North
Saskatchewan River west of Edmonton, as the “Pembina seam’ at Evansburg and as
the “Wabamun seam” near Lake Wabamun. An “Ardley-equivalent coal zone” (1.5 to 4.5
m thick) exists farther north around Swan Hills, Fox Creek and south of Grande Prairie
(Kramers and Mellon, 1972; Campbell, 1972).
“Upper Ardley” Coal Seam:Hotter et al. (1975) described a series of coal seams occurring 15 to 46 m
(49 to 151 ft) above the Ardley coal seam from the subsurface of southcentral Alberta.
The seams consist of interbedded coal, carbonaceous shale and minor bentonite. High
quality coal is rare and thicknesses exceed 1.5 m (5 ft) only in a small area between
Warburg and Pigeon Lake (Holter et al., 1975, Fig. 15b).
Thickness and Distribution: The Scollard Formation has a maximum thickness of 85 m (279 ft) in the
Scollard area and thins to approximately 50 m (164 ft) near Ardley. It thickens considerably (up to 400
m, 1312 ft) toward the west and can be recognized up to the eastern edge of the Alberta Foothills in
the subsurface. The formation has been recognized from the Fox Creek and Swan Hills area in the
north to the Delia and Rosebud area near Drumheller in the south (Green, 1972). The eastern edge of
the formation follows an arc from Whitecourt in the north to the Hand Hills in the south via Wabamun
Lake, Ardley and Big Valley. There appears to be a progressive bevelling of the Scotland strata from
west to east and north to south
Relationship to Other Units: The Scollard Formation appears to be conformable with the underlying
mauve to purplish black, bentonitic shale of the Battle Creek Formation in most of the area. The
contact is sharp and abrupt. According to Irish (1970, p. 139) the Battle Formation has been partly or
wholly removed by erosion at some localities (Twp. 26, Rge. 21W4M; Twp. 22, Rge. 23°W4M) in
southern Alberta, signifying a definite unconformity between the two units. The upper contact of the
Scollard Formation with the massive, cliff forming, orange brown sandstone of the Paskapoo
Formation is sharp and usually marked by some channelling and erosion. The hiatus at this level is
too small in the Red Deer River area to substantiate a major unconformity postulated by Allan and
Sanderson (1945). However, the possibility exists of an unconformity in the south, between the Bow
and Oldman rivers, where a Paskapoo-type sandstone of uncertain age rests on the Battle Formation
or older strata (Tozer, 1956, p. 30; Irish, 1970, p. 142).
The Scollard Formation is correlative with the uppermost part of the Wapiti Group, above the Kneehills
Tuft marker, in northwestern and central Alberta, and the Coalspur Formation of the central Alberta
Foothills. It is correlative with all or most of the Willow Creek Formation in the Porcupine Hills area of
southwestern Alberta, and with the Frenchman and Ravenscrag (lower part) formations in the Cypress
Hills area of southwestern Saskatchewan. It is correlative also with the Hell Creek, Lance and Fort
Union (lower part) formations of Montana and Wyoming.
Paleontology: Sternberg (1947) recorded a Lancian dinosaur fauna consisting of Tyrannosaurus rex,
Triceratops albertensis, Thescelosaurus neglectus, Ankylosaurus magniventris and Leptoceratops
gracilis from the lower part of the Scollard Formation.
The Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary lies within the Scollard Formation, at the base of the Nevis coal
seam it is marked by the extinction of dinosaurs, which coincides with a distinctive microfloral break in
the region stretching from Alberta to Colorado. Dinosaur remains are unknown above the Nevis seam
(Lerbekmo et al., 1979b). The Scollard Formation up to the base of the Nevis seam contains dinosaurs
and microflora of Late Maastrichtian (Lancian) age. Scollard strata lying between the Nevis seam and
the Paskapoo Formation contain microflora of early Paleocene (Puercan) age (Russell and Singh,
1978). The radiometric age based on potassium-argon analyses and recent magnetostratigraphic
studies favor the placing of the cretaceous-Tertiary boundary immediately below the Nevis seam
(Lerbekmo et al., 1979a). The Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary lies in strata which appear to be
conformable.
References: Allan and Sanderson, 1945; Campbell, 1972; Gibson, 1977; Green, 1972; Holter et al.,
1975; Irish, 1970; Kramers and Mellon, 1972; Lerbekmo et al.. 1979a; Lerbekmo et al., 1979b: Ower,
1960; Russell and Singh, 1978; Sternberg, 1947; Tozer, 1956.
CS
Upper Cretaceous
Second Castor Sandstone (Bearpaw Formation)
Type Locality: Research Council of Alberta Castor well in Lsd. 13, Sec. 34, Twp. 37, Rge. 13W4M,
Alberta, between 95.73 and 106.09 m (314 to 348 ft).
Lithology: Greyish green, generally medium grained, partly glauconitic, somewhat bentonitic
sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: Localized in south-central Alberta. As far as known not recorded in
literature subsequent to original definition at “type locality”, where it is 10.36 m (34 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the “lower shale unit” and is conformably overlain by
the “middle shale unit” in the Castor well. The top of this sandstone is 65.85 m (216 ft) below the top of
the Bearpaw Formation and 22.25 m (73 ft) below the base of the first Castor sandstone. Appears
correlative with a sandstone designated as “Bulwark” within the informally designated Paintearth
Member in the composite outcrop section of the Castor area compiled by Lines (1963). The equivalent
stratigraphic level is within the Manyberries Member of the Cypress Hills, southeastern Alberta.
References: Given and Wall, 1971; Lines, 1963.
JHW; RAR
Second Red Bed Member
(Dawson Bay Formation, Manitoba Group)
Type Locality: Noranda Neely 16-21-34-27W2M, in Saskatchewan, between 1005.8 and 1010.1 m
(3300 and 3314 ft).
History: The so-called ‘shale’ (actually a dolomitic mudstone) overlying the Prairie Evaporite has been
widely known as the “2nd red” since the term was applied by Mitchell (1951). Lane (1959) elevated the
unit to member status by naming it the DB1 Member. Dunn (1982) reverted to the original
nomenclature and defined it as the Second Red Bed Member.
Lithology: Dolomitic mudstone, rarely shaky Lower part red, locally green or mottled with greens
grading upward through brown to pale grey. Uppermost few centimetres are indurated and finely
laminated. Unfossiliferous
Thickness and Distribution: Four metres (13 ft) thick across most of Saskatchewan, thickening
gradually eastward from Quill Lakes to 12 m (39 ft) in Manitoba. Present throughout the subsurface of
Saskatchewan, except for the extreme southwest corner and a 100 km (61 mi) wide zone south of the
Precambrian Shield.
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformable contact with the underlying Prairie Evaporite, and
unconformable with overlying carbonates of the Burr Member. Where the Prairie Evaporite is absent
the member rests unconformably upon carbonates or anhydrite of the Winnipegosis Formation. Locally
the Prairie Evaporite has been dissolved, resulting in severe brecciation of the Second Red Bed
Member and overlying carbonates. Present throughout the Williston Basin. In Alberta it is equivalent to
the lowermost part of the Watt Mountain Formation .
References: Dunn, 1982; Lane, 1959; Mitchell, 1951.
CED; KRM
Second White Specks Sandstone
(Second White Speckled Shale, Colorado Group)
Author: Wright, G.N., 1969
Lithology: Monotonously repeated, light olive grey and olive grey fine and very fine grained
sandstones and coarse grained siltstones, in beds up to several centimetres thick, alternating in
vertical sequence with medium to dark grey calcareous shales and mudstones of similar thickness.
The sandstones and siltstones exhibit horizontal and gently inclined lamination and graded bedding,
as well as sharply defined soles with common tool markings. The shales and mudstones are
characterized by abundant white, light grey and light bluish grey flakes of coccolithic debris and
intercalated, light grey shaly chalk layers several millimetres thick. Pelecypod coquinoidal layers,
concentrations of Inoceramus prisms in skeletal calcarenites, and laminae of concentrated fish-
skeletal debris are abundant. There is a general upward decrease in the thickness and degree of
continuity of the argillaceous interlaminae, which is accompanied by an upward increase in the
degree of biogenic disrupt on of the primary layering.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit attains a maximum thickness in the order of 25 m (82 ft) where the
Sweetgrass Arch crosses southeasternmost Alberta, notably at the Alderson and Princess-Verger
production locales. To the southeast the Second White Specks Sandstone is correlative with the
Phillips Sandstone of southwestern Saskatchewan and north-central Montana. Farther north and
northeast the unit is replaced by argillaceous deposits of the Second White Speckled Shale. The unit
also equates with the Mosby Sand of north-central Montana.
Relationship to Other Units: Occurs about 6 m (20 ft) below the top of the Second White Speckled
Shale. The upper boundary is sharply defined by the lop of a calcareous concretionary layer of
strongly indurated siltstone up to a few decimetres thick, located directly below a prominent bentonite
bed. The lower contact is gradational with the calcareous shales and shaly chalks of the Second White
Speckled Shale.
References: Wright, 1969: Simpson, 1979a, 1979c.
FS
Second White Speckled Shale (Colorado Group)
Author: Fraser, F.J., et al., 1935
Lithology: Mainly calcareous shale and mudstone, with intercalated shady chalk and skeletal
calcarenite, as well as subordinate bentonite, accumulations of fish-skeletal debris, concretionary
layers of calcite and siderite, nodular phosphorite and localized occurrences of sandstone and
siltstone. The calcareous shale and mudstone are regularly laminated and incorporate white, light grey
and light bluish grey flakes composed of coccolithic debris up to several millimetres in diameter, and
light grey chalk laminae. The argillaceous deposits are variably bituminous. Skeletal calcarenites are
particularly abundant in the lower half or the unit, occurring as graded layers which range m thickness
from a few millimetres to several centimetres and consist largely of disaggregated Inoceramus prisms
and foraminiferal tests. Sandstones and siltstones are for the most part confined to the upper half of
the unit and are seen as variably muddy, bioturbated layers up to a metre thick, and as monotonously
repeated graded layers several centimetres thick, alternating in vertical sequence with shales and
mudstones.
Thickness and Distribution: The lower of two white speckled, argillaceous units or widespread
distribution across the northern Great Plains region and in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains,
extensively used as stratigraphic markers in subsurface correlation. The unit is 45 to 70 m (148 to 230
ft) thick throughout much of the area, but thins markedly to the north and northeast so that less than 5
m (16 ft) are present in central Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The basal unit of the upper Colorado Subgroup in central and eastern
Alberta and western Saskatchewan, where it is overlain with very low-angle angular unconformity by
an unnamed sequence of noncalcareous shale and bears a similar relationship to the underlying
noncalcareous shale of the Big River Formation. However, in central Saskatchewan the overlying
noncalcareous upper Colorado shale is not present and the Second White Speckled Shale is overlain
unconformably by the First White Speckled Shale to form a single, speckled, argillaceous sequence.
On the Sweetgrass Arch and farther east, immediately north of the international boundary the unit
incorporates a sequence of shaly sandstones and siltstones termed the Second White Specks
Sandstone or Phillips sandstone in southern Alberta, southwestern Saskatchewan and north-central
Montana. In the Rocky Mountain Foothills the unit is referable to the Vimy Member of the Blackstone
Formation of the Alberta Group. In the Smoky River area it is equivalent to the lower part of the
Kaskapau Formation of the Smoky River Group. In the McMurray-Athabasca region it is found within
the Labiche Formation. The Second White Speckled Shale is correlated with the Favel Formation of
southern Manitoba. It is also correlative with the Cone Calcareous Member and Floweree Member of
the Marias River Formation in northwestern Montana, and the Greenhorn Formation of northeastern
Montana and North Dakota.
References: Caldwell et al., 1978; Fraser et al., 1935; Goodwin, 1951; Jeletzky, 1971; Price and Ball,
1971, 1973; Simpson, 1975; Wickenden, 1945; Williams and Burk, 1964.
FS
Selkirk Member (Red River Formation)
Type Locality: Garson-Tyndall Quarry district (NW 3-13-6EPM), and Red River Valley area near
Selkirk, Manitoba. Suggested reference core hole is University of Manitoba Heat Flow #7 (13-4-10-
3EPM), between 30.8 and 85.3 m (101 and 280 ft).
Lithology: The Selkirk Member consists of mottled, pale yellowish grey to medium yellowish brown,
medium bedded dolomitic limestone. The darker brown mottles consist of almost pure fine to medium
crystalline, granular to saccharoidal dolomite; the lighter grey matrix consists of almost pure high-
calcium limestone - a fossiliferous wackestone. The mottled dolomitic areas have a tubular, vermiform
shape and commonly contain several, dark, meniscus-filled burrows. The fossil content is notable for
its large size and excellent preservation of corals, cephalopods and gastropods. The stone is widely
used as a building and ornamental stone, and is commonly referred to as “Tyndall Stone”. Locally the
upper part of the unit shows facies changes to cherry granular dolomite or pure, high-calcium,
unmottled limestone. Locally the entire unit may be dolomitized, and north of approximately Twp. 40
(52°30’) the Selkirk Member, along with the rest of the lower Red River becomes a totally dolomitized
facies but retains its mottled appearance.
Thickness and Distribution: The Selkirk is about 50 m (164 ft) thick in the type area, at the southern
limit of the Manitoba outcrop belts it thins rapidly to the north, as does the entire Red River Formation,
and is only 20 m (66 ft) thick in the vicinity of Lake Winnipeg Narrows. A short distance north of this
(approximately Twp 40) the unit is no longer recognizable because of regional dolomitization. To the
south of Winnipeg the Selkirk also becomes unrecognizable because the underlying Cat Head
Member has graded to a mottled dolomitic limestone identical to the Selkirk. The distribution of the
Selkirk Member is thus limited to areas of intermediate thickness, i.e. a basin flank facies.
Relationship to Other Units: The Selkirk Member overlies the Cat Head Member and is overlain by the
Fort Garry Member of the Red River Formation; both contacts are transitional and conformable. In the
subsurface the Selkirk is equivalent to the upper part of the Yeoman Formation. In the Hudson Bay
Basin area the upper part of the Portage Chute Formation is correlative with, and lithologically
identical to the dolomitic limestone facies of the Selkirk Member.
References: Foerste, 1929a, b.
HRM
Senkiw Formation
Type Locality: Borehole in Lsd. 16, Sec. 5, Twp. 3, Rge. 5EPM, Manitoba. Additional reference sections
given as boreholes in Lsd. 16, Sec. 9, Twp. 3, Rge. 4EPM, in Lsd. 10, Sec.. 8, Twp. 11, Rge. 10EPM, in
Lsd. 6, Sec. 7, Twp. 3, Rge. 5EPM, and in SESE Sec. 25, Twp. 163N, Rge. 48W, in Minnesota, U.S.A.
History: Originally named informally and described in Ph.D. thesis by Fenton (1974, p. 64), without a
type locality being given.
Lithology: A not overly stony till that contains about 60% sand, 29% silt and 11 % clay, and has a low
carbonate content; unit forms massive, near vertical, comparatively joint free cliffs.
Thickness and Distribution: Discontinuous, but reaches thicknesses of more than 30 m (98 ft).
Exposed along the lower part of Roseau River valley, and recognized mainly between the Red and
Whitemouth rivers, south of Winnipeg.
Relationship to Other Units: A western lateral facies of the Whiteshell Formation, distinguished from it
by a lower content of Shield material. Exposed or overlain by the Roseau Formation, generally
overlies sand, commonly with obscure contact. Appears to correlate with the Minnedosa Formation of
Klassen (1980). The unit was deposited by southwest-flowing ice; considered by Teller and Fenton to
have been deposited about 24000 radiocarbon years ago.
References: Fenton, 1974; Keatinge, 1975; Klassen, 1980; Moran et al., 1976; Teller and Fenton, 1980.
AMacSS
Upper Triassic
Septimus Member (Charlie Lake Formation, Schooler Creek Group)
Author: Ramsay, T.B., British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
Type Locality: Canadian Superior Septimus 14-4-81-19W6M,. in northeastern British Columbia

Lithology: Brown, cryptocrystalline, anhydritic, siIty dolomite.
Thickness and Distribution: 1.5 m (5 ft) thick occurs in the Charlie Lake basin south of Fort St. John.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies below the Coplin Unconformity, approximately 5 m (16 ft) above the
Blueberry Member of the Charlie Lake Formation.
JWR
Seward Member
Author: Kent, D.M., 1963, p. 21.
Type Locality: Mobil Oil Woodley Sinclair Cantuar X-2-21, in 2-21-16-17W3M, Saskatchewan,
Lithology: The member comprises several generally incomplete carbonate/evaporite cycles of

sedimentation. The dominant lithology is micro- to crypto-crystalline limestone, commonly
argillaceous, with some dolomite and anhydrite interbeds. A halite beds the Flat Lake Evaporite
(previously named the Holdfast Evaporite) occurs near the base of the Seward Member across a laze
portion of southeastern Saskatchewan (Kent, 1968b; Dunn, 1975). Kent (1968a) described the fauna of
the member.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum thickness of 95 m (312 ft) occurs 40 km (24.5 mi) northeast of
Medicine Hat, Alberta. The erosional edge of the member trends west-northwest across
Saskatchewan, running close to Saskatoon. South of this line the member is present throughout much
of the Williston Basin, maintaining a thickness of about 50 m (164 ft) with local thickenings in areas of
Prairie Evaporite solutioning.
Relationship to Other Units: The Seward Member conformably overlies the Wymark Member and
represents the uppermost member of the Duperow Formation. Carbonates of the Birdbear Formation
lie with slight disconformity upon argillaceous carbonates at the top of the Seward Member.
In southeastern Saskatchewan the member is equivalent to Unit 4 plus the uppermost argillaceous
bed of Unit 3 of Dunn (1975). This argillaceous bed is marker bed A of Wilson (1967). Equivalent strata
in Alberta are part of the Peechee Member of the Southesk formation, the lower part of the Ireton
Formation and the lower part of the Mount Hawk Formation.
References: Dunn, 1975; Kent, 1963, 1968a, b; Wilson, 1967.
CED
Lower and Upper Cretaceous
(Upper Albian-Lower Albian)
Shaftesbury Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Author: McLearn, F.H. and Henderson. J.F., 1944
Type Locality: Lower Peace River, Alberta (56°12’N, 117°18W).
History: Dawson (1881) applied the name Fort St. John to shales underlying the Dunvegan Formation.
McConnell (1893) gave the base of the Fort St. John Shale as the top of the Peace River Formation. To
avoid re-definition of this shale interval between the Dunvegan and Peace River sandstones as the
term Fort St. John Croup was expanded to include shales below the Peace River Sandstone, McLearn
and Henderson (1944) introduced the term Shaftesbury Shale.
Lithology: A friable, dark marine shale with a band of fish scale bearing silts in the central portion,
some thin bentonitic streaks and occasional ironstones in the Shaftesbury region; more silty in the
British Columbia portion near Fort St. John, with ironstone nodules carrying large ammonites.
Thickness and Distribution: The Shaftesbury Shale is about 170 m (558 ft) thick in the type area, but
thickens to around 400 m (1312 ft) in the area west of Fort St. John. The Shaftesbury Shale is
recognized over most of the Peace River area of British Columbia and Alberta, but changes name
when split into three parts by the Goodrich Sand near the foothills in British Columbia. It is recognized
in the foothills of Alberta north of the Athabasca River.
Relationship to Other Units: The contact with the ovens continental Dunvegan Formation is
conformable and transitional both vertically and laterally. The contact with the underlying Peace River
Formation is conformable, but a hiatus is indicated, as the Haplophragmoides gigas Zone is missing
at the town of Peace River, although present in the subsurface to the east and present in part to the
north. In the foothills of west-central Alberta the Shaftesbury equivalent overlies the Mountain Park
Formation.
The Shaftesbury is equivalent to the Hasler, Goodrich and Cruiser formations of the Pine River area,
and to the upper Buckinghorse, Sikanni and Sully formations of the Sikanni Chief River in
northeastern British Columbia. It is equivalent to the lower part of the Sunkay Member of the
Blackstone Formation, and to beds immediately above and below the Fish Scale marker bed of the
Colorado Shale, and to the lower part of the Labiche Shale of northeastern Alberta. Its American
counterpart is the Mowry Shale.
Paleontology: Characterized by the endemic ammonites, Neogastroplites, Irenicoceras and

Beattorioceras and by the large pelecypod Posidonia nahwisi, and by the ubiquitous fish scale beds
with Holcolepis. Foraminifera are entirely benthonic arenaceous.
References: Dawson, 1881; McConnell, 1893; McLearn and Henderson, 1944; Stelck, Wall and Wetter,
1958; Stop, 1961,1968,1981; Warren and Stelck, 1958.
CRS
Shandro Member (Lea Park Formation) (Abandoned)
Author: Allan, J.A., 1919, p. 12c.
Type Locality: Along the North Saskatchewan River, in Twp. 58, Rge. 15W4M, and Twp. 57, Rge.
15W4M, Alberta.
History: Introduced as a formation name by Allan (1919) for the second lowest unit of the Belly River
series. Correlated by him with Slipper’s (1919) Grizzly Bear Formation. Reduced to member status in
the Belly River Formation by Shaw and Harding. Abandoned by McLean (1971), when correlation
showed the type Shandro to be equivalent to the Grizzly Bear of Slipper (1919), which has
precedence. The dark shale tongue to which the name was applied by Shaw and Harding (1949)
remains an unnamed member of the Lea Park Formation (McLean, 1971, p. 37).
Lithology: Interbedded silty clay and clayey silt, unconsolidated, dark grey weakly calcareous, with
carbonaceous fragments in part. Calcareous ironstone concretions are a minor component. More siIty
and sandy upward .
Thickness and Distribution: Allan (1919) indicated a maximum thickness of 21.2 m (70 ft). Shaw and
Harding (1949) indicated a range from 0.3 to 25.8 m (1 to 85 ft) and (Fig. 1 ) a distribution as far west
as Twp. 33, Rge. 3W4M in the south and Twp. 59, Rge. 19W4M along the North Saskatchewan River. It
extends as far east as the overlying and underlying unnamed sandstone members can be recognized
Paleontology: Pelecypods and cephalopods occur in concretions, Foraminifera common in clay.
References: Allan, 1919; McLean, 1971; Shaw and Harding, 1949, 1954.
JRM
Sharky Member (Muskeg Formation)
Author: Anonymous, used informally by Mobil and Husky.
Type Locality: In the Canterra et al. Rainbow 12-19-109-8W6M well, from 1834 to 1840 m (6016 to
6035 ft), and in the Mobil Rain 9-16-110-6W6M well, from 1577 to 1582 m (5173 to 5189 ft).
Lithology: Dolomite, brown, fine to medium crystalline with scattered Amphipora. Intercrystalline and
moldic porosity is well developed where the Sharky overlies Keg River buildups, but porosity
development is poor in off-reef locations.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit consist of a 5 to 6 m (16 to 20 ft) thick bed recognizable
throughout most of the Rainbow sub-basin from Twp. 107 to 111 and Rges. 4 to 10W6M.
Relationship to Other Units: The Sharky is a thicker than usual bed of dolomite in the Muskeg
Formation. It is in conformable contact with the underlying and overlying Muskeg anhydrites.
References: Mobil Oil Canada, Internal Reports.
Lexicon Committee
Shaunavon Formation
Author: Milner, R.L. and Thomas, G.E., 1954.
Type Locality: Type well in the Tidewater A.O. Eastend Crown No. 1, in Lsd. 15, Sec. 11, Twp. 6, Rge.
20W3M, southwestern Saskatchewan, between 1427 and 1470 m (4680 and 4820 ft).
Lithology: There are two members: The lower is a buff to tan, lithographic, i.e., earthy, microcrystalline
limestone, generally massive, with a thickness of up to 32 m (105 ft). Fossil diversity is restricted, but
features abundant corals, pelecypods, gastropods, echinoids, Foraminifera and algae. An oolitic bed 6
to 7 m (20 to 23 ft) thick, as well as dolomitization are widely distributed at the top of the member in the
region west of Rge. 1 5W3M. The upper member is constituted of grey, very fine to fine grained, calcite-
cemented quartzose sandstone, blue-grey and green-grey quartz sand and nucleated, oolitic
limestone, shell calcarenite and calcirudite, coquina and argillaceous limestone; as well as tan
dolomite, and marlstone and shales ranging from tan to green to darker grey and grey black in color.
Stratigraphically the member comprises tabular and lenticular beds separated by sedimentation
breaks ranging from diastems to true hiatuses, featuring dolomitization horizons and channel forms
dissecting underlying beds to depths of 21 m (69 ft). The member is up to 30 m (98 ft) thick.
Thickness and Distribution: The buff color, purity and consistency of lithology of the lower member are
characteristics traceable across the Williston basin as far east as 104°W. There the limestone grades
into green grey calcareous sandstones and, with similar facies of the upper member grade into the
lower Melita Formation of Manitoba. The Shaunavon Formation is 42 to 48 m (138 to 157 ft) thick and
is distributed across Montana and North Dakota as the upper part of the Sawtooth and Piper
formations.
Relationship to Other Units: The Shaunavon Formation is gradational to the upper member of the
Gravelbourg Formation. The contact zone is marked by alternation or calcilutite and dark green
calcareous shales over the basal 1 m (3 ft). However, the presence of solution pitted surfaces on
calcilutite layers indicate at least diastematic breaks. The formation is taken as the equivalent of the
Sawtooth of Alberta; and its upper and lower members are direct equivalents of the Bowes and
Firemoon members of the Piper Formation.
References: Christopher, 1974, 1984a; Francis, 1956; Milner and Thomas, 1954; Nordquist, 1955;
Poulton, 1984.
JEC
Quaternary
Sheep River Silts and Clays
Type Locality: North bank of Threepoint Creek, 600 m (1968 ft) northeast of Millarville Race Track, in
Lsd. 16 Sec. 12, Twp. 21, Rge. 3W5M, Alberta.
Lithology: Name “proposed for silty clays and clayey silts, with local sands”. At the type locality mostly
massively bedded, clayey silt with bottom 2.1 m (7 ft) finely laminated, dark brown to grey but weathers
light brown.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality 12.1 m (40 ft) thick. Found discontinuously covering
valley bottoms of the easternmost foothills and of the prairie, parts of the Kananaskis Lakes map-area,
north of Willow Creek drainage and southwest of Calgary.
Relationship to Other Units: At the type locality overlies Bow Valley Till, elsewhere overlies or locally
grades into that till; generally exposed to surface. This unit resembles the Chain Lakes clays and silts
in composition and structure, and is separated from the latter, which occurs mostly between elevations
of 1372 and 1400 m (4500 and 4592 ft), merely by a generally lower altitude and by its relation to other
units.
Reference: Jackson, 1980.
AMacSS
Shell Formation
Type Locality: Excavation on west side of Shell River Valley, 150 m (492 ft) west of main bridge, in NE/
4 Lsd. 7, Sec. 21, Twp. 25, Rge. 28WPM (approximately 51°11’N, 101°20’W), 6 km (3.75 mi) southeast
of Roblin, Manitoba (Klassen, 1979, Appendix, section 3).
History: A till found at the type locality was described and named “Shell Till” by Klassen (1969, p. 9)
The present formation includes both this original till, which could be considered as a member of it,
plus other contiguous tills and inter-till sediments. Till on Duck Mountain Upland, formerly assigned to
this unit is now considered to belong to the Largs Formation (Klassen, 1971, p. 256).
Lithology: At the type locality the unit consists solely of weathered till; elsewhere other till sheets and
intertill sediments are present. The till consists of approximately equal parts of sand, silt and clay; it is
typically somewhat more sandy than other tills of the region; the carbonate content of the silt traction
typically is between 24 and 36%, but in the upper weathered zone of the main till unit it drops to 13%,
and immediately below that zone may reach 55%. Till is light olive or yellowish brown where
weathered, elsewhere dark grey or dark olive grey The younger intertill deposits contain organic
detritus; these organic deposits are not otherwise described.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality appears to be merely 1 to 2 m (3 to 7 ft) thick; typically
thin, but locally the unit reaches a thickness of more than 30 m (98 ft). Found discontinuously along the
lower Shell Valley and over the northeastern part of the Assiniboine River Plain and on Duck
Mountain Upland .
Relationship to Other Units: Commonly overlies the Tee Lakes Formation; typically overlain by the
Minnedosa Formation or Roaring River Clay. Generally separated from the Minnedosa Formation by a
zone of strong surface weathering. Its stratigraphic position indicates a correlation with the top till of
the Sutherland Group. The unit was evidently deposited by a westward flowing Laurentide glacier, in
pre-Classical Wisconsin or earlier time.
References: Klassen, 1969, 1971, 1979; Klassen and Elson, 1972; Richmond, 1977.
RWK, AMacSS
Shell Lake Member (Prairie Evaporite, Elk Point Group)
Author: Jordan, S.P., 1967. Formally defined by Reison, G.E. and Wardlaw, N.C., 1972, p. 311, 318.
Type Locality: White Rose et al. Drake 4-29-32-22W2M, in Saskatchewan, between 1106.1 and
1141.2 m (3629 and 3744 ft).
History: This member was first referred to informally as the “Shell Lake Gypsum” Formation (Jordan,
1967, 1968), named from the Sturgeon Shell Lake No. 1 well (Lsd. 12-12-50-8W3M), between 672.4
and 742.5 m (2206 and 2436 ft). It appears that this substantial thickness is a combined thickness of
anhydrites from both the Shell Lake and Whitkow members. Jordan felt that the Shell Lake deserved
formation status because it is a widely identifiable lithological unit in west-central Saskatchewan.
Furthermore, he considered it a possible key to successful oil exploration in Saskatchewan. Hotter
(1969) formally defined the Middle Devonian evaporites of the Elk Point Basin as the Prairie
Evaporite, within which the Shell Lake Gypsum (diagenetically altered to anhydrite) occupies a zone
(Holter’s “Middle Anhydrite”) in the lower part of the salt sequence. In that the Prairie Evaporite is
accepted as a formation, the Shell Lake beds must be relegated to member status (Reinson and
Wardlaw, 1972).
Lithology: Nodular-mosaic and massive anhydrites. A thin pelletoidal and pisolitic dolomite unit (the
Quill Lakes Marker Beds) commonly occurs within the Shell Lake Member.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness is generally about 30 m (98 ft) in the type section, thinning
southeastward from near Melville to zero in the southeastern corner of Saskatchewan The member is
present throughout most of the Saskatchewan portion of the Elk Point Basin.
Relationship to Other Units: The contact with the underlying Whitkow member is apparent where the
Whitkow lithology is salt. Adjacent to carbonate banks the Whitkow is anhydrite, rendering impossible
a distinction between the two members. In this event the term “undifferentiated Shell Lake - Whitkow” is
used. These combined beds comprise the “lower Prairie Evaporite” of Reinson and Wardlaw (1972)
and most of the “Lower Salt” of Holter (1969).
The upper contact is distinctive where it is overlain by halite of the upper Prairie Evaporite. Where the
salts are missing the Shell Lake Member is overlain unconformably by dolomitic mudstones of the
Second Red Bed Member (Dawson Bay Formation)
Equivalent strata to the west are part of the Muskeg and Presqu’ile formations.
References: Holter, 1969; Jordan, 1967, 1968; Kendall, 1975; Klingspor, 1969; Reinson and Wardlaw,
1972; Wardlaw and Reinson, 1971.
CED; KRM
Middle Proterozoic
Sheppard Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Type Locality: Flattop Mountain, Glacier National Park, Montana. Approximately 48°50’N, 113°50W.
History: Price (1962) showed that the Sheppard Formation is synonymous with, and has priority over
Daly’s (1912, p. 107) lower member of the Gateway Formation defined on the basis of exposures in the
southern Galton Range. Price restricted the Gateway Formation to exclude those beds at the base
which comprise the Sheppard Formation.
Lithology: The Sheppard consists of light colored dolomite and stromatolitic dolomite, light yellow, grey
and dark red sandstone and siltstone, light green dolomitic sandstone, dolomitic argillite, argillite and,
in the southern Clark Range one chloritized basic lava flow. Mudcracks, oscillation ripple marks, oolitic
dolomite and dolomitic intraformational conglomerate occur locally. Feldspathic and chloritic
sandstone and conglomerate overlies the Purcell Lava in the southern Galton Range. Distinctive red
clastic rocks of the upper Sheppard in the eastern and northeastern Clark Range are replaced to the
west by green and grey colored equivalents (Price, 1962, 1964).
Thickness and Distribution: The Sheppard extends from North Kootenay Pass to south of Helena,
Montana, along the eastern limit of Purcell-Belt exposures. In Canada its thickness varies from 50 m
(164 ft) at North Kootenay Pass to 275 an (902 ft) at western Waterton Lakes (Wall Lake).
Relationship to Other Units: The unit conformably overlies the Purcell Lava with a sharp contact in
most areas; but unconformably overlies the Purcell Lava and, locally the upper and middle Siyeh
Formation in the southern Galton Range. It is overlain conformably by the Gateway (restricted)
Formation. Equivalent strata are termed Shepard in Montana. It is correlative with the lower part of the
Gateway Formation in the southeastern Purcell Mountains and in the ranges bordering the Rocky
Mountain Trench in the Fernie map-area, west half.
References: Daly, 1912; Douglas, 1952; Hage, 1943; Norris, 1959; McMechan, 1978; Price, 1959,
1962, 1964, 1965; Ross, 1959; Willis, 1902.
MEM, RAP
Upper Cambrian
Sherbrooke Formation (Obsolete)
Type Locality: “Western slopes of Mount Bosworth, overlooking Sherbrooke Lake, Canadian Rocky
Mountains, five miles north of Hector, on the Canadian Pacific Railway, British Columbia” (Walcott,
1908a)
History: As with the Paget and Bosworth formations, rarely used. North and Henderson (1954) and
Greggs (1962) recommended that the term be abandoned.
Lithology: Bluish grey, sandy, dolomitic, massive and thin bedded to shale limestones; a few oolitic
beds and some cherty inclusions
Thickness and Distribution: Walcott reported 110 m (360 ft) of Sherbrooke at the type locality.
Relationship to Other Units: The Sherbrooke is underlain by the Paget Formation at the type area.
Walcott thought that the Sherbrooke underlay Ordovician strata; however, later Cambrian strata
(Franconian) are the overlying beds.
Paleontology: The contained fauna include Lingulella of. isse (Walcott), Crepicephalus? sp. Kingstonia
macro Resser and K. bosworthensis Resser, of Dresbachian age.
References: Allan, 1914; Deiss, 1940; North and Henderson, 1954; Walcott, 1906a, 1925.
RGG
Sherrard Member, Bearpaw Formation
type section is located at the boundary between Secs. 31 and 32, Twp. 19, Rge. 11W3M, 8 km (5 mi)
west of the old Herbert Ferry crossing.
Lithology: The Sherrard Member consists throughout of dark grey clays, weathering grey to brownish
grey and yellowish grey silty and locally sandy, irregularly iron stained, containing veins of selenite
discordant to the bedding and many prismatic crystals of selenite, some of them twinned, the basal
few centimetres of the clays locally lignitic, the upper few centimetres locally sandy.
Thickness and Distribution: Just over 15 m (49 ft) thick in type section, the Sherrard Member has been
traced throughout the type area, in which it varies in thickness between 5 and 29 m (16 and 95 ft), the
variation apparently due to a combination of varying rates of sedimentation and to facies changes
between the higher clays of the Sherrard Member and the lower sands of the overlying Demaine
Member. South of the type area the Sherrard Clay may be identified for varying distances dependent
on the extent of the bounding Matador Sand and Demaine Sand. For example between Rges. 11 and
1 7W3M it may be traced only about 10 km (6 mi) south of Swift Current, but between Rges. 20 and
23W3M the Sherrard Clay may be traced to within 37 km (22.6 mi) of the border with Montana. Varying
between 21 and 44 m (69 and 144 ft) thick in the southwestern corner of Saskatchewan, the thickness
of the Sherrard Member is usually greater than in the type area farther north.
Relationship to Other Units: The Sherrard Member conformably succeeds the Matador Member and is
conformably succeeded by the Demaine Member. Both contacts are sharp.
Through facies changes the Sherrard Member disappears south of the type area, where it becomes
part of a composite Broderick-Sherrard Member and, ultimately part of the Manyberries Member of the
Bearpaw Formation. The same holds true to the east, in the Qu’Appelle River valley where, in less
than 75 km (46 mi) from the type area the Sherrard Member becomes lost in a composite and much
thicker Broderick-Sherrard Member bounder by the Outlook Sand below and the Demaine Sand
above. To the west, about the Alberta-Saskatchewan border the Sherrard Member, as an indistinct pan
of the lower Manyberries Member may pass laterally into the Judith River Formation.
Paleontology: Lying conformably between beds belonging to the ammonite Zone of Exiteloceras
jenneyi and that of Baculites compresses, the Sherrard Member well may fall within the zone of
Didymoceras cheyennense. The member marks the base of the subzone of Gaudryina bearpawensis
of the Haplophragmoides desert Zone in the foraminiferal zonal scheme for the southern interior
plains.
WGEC; RJH
Mississippian (Tournaisian-Visean)
Shunda Formation (Rundle Group)
Author: Beach, H.H., 1947 (unpub.); Stearn, C.W., 1956.
Type Locality: Near Nordegg, Alberta, in Box Canyon Creek, a south branch of Shunda Creek. An
alternate subsurface type section is completely cored at the Hudson’s Bay - Oilwell Operators
Westward Ho 15-5 well, in Lsd. 5, Sec. 5, Twp. 33, Rge. 4W5M (Penner, 1958).
History: Beach (1947) introduced the name Shunda for the Middle Clastic unit of his threefold
subdivision (Dyson, Shunda and Tunnel Mountain) of the Rundle in the front ranges of the Bow Valley
area. His type locality of the Shunda was in the vicinity of Carrot Creek, in the Fairholme Range near
Canmore has stated by Beach), although he believed the unit to correlate with a elastic section lying
between carbonate strata in the Nordegg area, on Shunda Mountain. Eastward from Carrot Creek, into
the subsurface the unit was correlated with the “Black Lime” of the Turner Valley field section (Clark,
1949; Gallup, 1951). In 1954 a Carboniferous Study Committee showed that the Shunda of the Carrot
Creek section is Meramecian in age, and the Shunda of Nordegg and Turner Valley is Osage. In view
of the mis-correlation the term Shunda was replaced by the Mount Head for the Carrot Creek section
(Moore, 1958). Stearn described and measured the type section of the Shunda near Nordegg in 1956.
Subsequently, the top of Steam’s Shunda was raised 10 m (33 ft) by the Carboniferous Study
Committee (Penner, 1958).
Lithology: The Shunda consists of interbedded limestone and dolomite, argillaceous limestone, silty
and argillaceous dolomite, siltstone, sandstone, shale and breccias. Anhydrite and red beds are
present in the subsurface at isolated locations. The limestones and dolomites are commonly fine
grained or crystalline, predominantly mudstones, with minor skeletal (crinoidal) debris. In the Peace
River area the Shunda is interbedded limestone and shale, with shale increasing northerly.
Thickness and Distribution: The Shunda is 71 m (232 ft) thick at the type section near Nordegg, 49 m
(160 ft) at the Westward Ho well location and more than 122 m (400 ft) in the Peace River area. The
unit is present in the foothills and in the western part of the plains area, from Twp. 15 in the south to the
Peace River area in the north.
Relationship to Other Units: The Shunda conformably overlies the Pekisko Formation and conformably
underlies the Turner Valley Formation in the south, and the Debolt Formation in the north in the
northerly part of the Peace River area the Shunda occupies the total Shunda-Pekisko interval
(Macauley, et al., 1964). The Shunda is equivalent to part of the lower Mission Canyon Formation of
Montana and southern Saskatchewan.
References: Beach, 1947, Brady, 1958; Clark, 1949: Gallup, 1951; Macauley et al., 1964; Moore, 1958;
Penner, 1958; Stearn, 1956.
DGP, GM
Upper Cretaceous to Eocene (?))
Sifton Formation
Author: Hedley, M.S. and Holland, S.S., 1941.
Type Locality: in the Rocky Mountain Trench, between 30 km (18 mi) northwest to 24 km (14 5 mi)
southeast of Sifton Pass, British Columbia (57°57’N, 26°13W).
Lithology: Varied assemblage of nonmarine elastic Sedimentary rocks, ranging from coarse, poorly
sorted polymictic conglomerate to fine grained carbonaceous shale and micaceous siltstone. Contains
an abundant flora and at least two coal seams more than 1 m (3 ft) thick.
Thickness and Distribution: Exposed in canyons and on timbered ridges to elevations of 1500 m (4920
ft) along the northern Rocky Mountain Trench near Sifton Pass. Scattered exposures occur in and
along the trench to south of Peace Reach on Williston Lake. Another belt of exposures extends
northwesterly for about 65 km (40 mi) from the trench near the mouth of Stelkuz Creek along the west
sides of Mount Bennett Cormier Range and Sifton Range. No complete sequences are known, but
there are fairly continuous sections more than 200 m (656 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: Generally overlies the Upper Cambrian Kechika Group in the type area,
but is locally faulted against Proterozoic rocks. The rocks are cut by minette dykes, but their
relationship to spatially related andesite volcanic rocks is unknown.
References: Eisbacher, 1974; Gabrielse, 1963; Hedley and Holland (1941).
HG
Lower Cretaceous
Sikanni Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Author: Hage, C.O., 1944; restricted by Stott, D.F.., 1960.
Type Locality: Sikanni Chief River, northeastern British Columbia. Standard section on Murky Creek,
on west flank of Liard Range, District of Mackenzie. Approximately 58°10’N, 121°40’W.
Lithology: Fine grained sandstone, argillaceous siltstone and shale. Sandstone is greenish grey thick
bedded, commonly calcareous, and much is finely cross-bedded. Glauconite is common. Siltstone is
argillaceous, massive to thick bedded, dark grey to brownish grey with fine laminations and
crossbeds.
Thickness and Distribution: The Sikanni extends northward in British Columbia from the type locality
along a series of prominent escarpments lying east of the Minaker, Muskwa, Dunedin and Liard rivers.
It is the surface bedrock over large areas of the Fort Nelson map area (94J), but eastward becomes
inseparable from other beds of the Fort St. John Group. In District of Mackenzie it occurs in the
Kotaneelee Syncline west of the Liard Range. It ranges in thickness from 115 m (350 ft) at Sikanni
Chief River to 240 m (732 ft) on the Dunedin Escarpment and to 105 m (320 ft) along Liard Range.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower beds grade into the underlying Lepine shale. The upper
boundary is distinct between the sandstone and overlying Sully shale, but is drawn at the top of
different sandstone units from one locality to another.
Paleontology: Posidonia cf. P. nahwisi McLearn and Neogastroplites Cornices (Whiteaves) of Late
Albian age have been collected from the formation or the west flank of the Liard Range.
References: Anan-Yorke and Stelck, 1978; Hage, 1944; Stott, 1960.
DFS; DWM
Simla Formation
Author: McLaren, D.J. and Mountjoy, E.W., 1962.
Type Locality: Northern part of Jasper National Park, Alberta. The type section forms part of the steeply
south-southwesterly dipping Ancient Wall 2.4 km (1.5 mi) northwest of an unnamed creek that flows
into Blue Creek 3 km (1.9 mi) above the confluence of Blue Creek and Snake Indian River (NTS
83E7, Blue Creek).
History: The Simla Formation represented originally the lower part of the undivided Alexo Formation
(de Wit and McLaren, 1950). Northwest of the North Saskatchewan River the Alexo Formation can be
subdivided. At Ancient Wall McLaren and Mountjoy (1962) called the lower part of the Alexo Formation
the Simla Member of the Southesk Formation and the upper part the Sassenach Formation. Mountjoy
and Mackenzie (1973) abandoned the name Simla Member and assigned the lower 19 m (62 ft) to the
Grotto Member and the upper 58 m (190 ft) to the Arcs Member of the Southesk Formation (Belyea and
McLaren, 1957). Faunal and lithologic criteria indicate that the Simla Member at Ancient Wall is
younger than both the Grotto and Arcs members, and Geldsetzer (1982) resurrected the name Simla
and raised the rank from member to formation because the Simla Formation is a regional mappable
unit north of Ancient Wall and the Southesk Formation there has lost its identity.
Lithology: The lower 12.5 m (41 ft) are composed of a recessive weathering yellowish orange to
greenish grey argillaceous siltstone. The upper 64.5 m (212 ft) consist of cliff forming, thick bedded
carbonate which forms a light grey very conspicuous marker horizon in the otherwise medium to dark
grey Devonian succession. The lower carbonate beds are dolomite limestone with a distinctive fauna
of corals and brachiopods. The upper beds are limestone consisting of pack- to grainstones.
Silicification accentuates occasional amphiporid beds and, locally, overlapping stromatoporoidal
bioherms.
Thickness and Distribution: The Simla Formation is 77 m (253 ft) thick at the type section. The
thickness is remarkably consistent over 280 km (175 mi), ranging from 60 to 85 m (197 to 279 ft). The
Simla Formation can be traced from the Ancient Wall northwestward to the northwest corner of the
Monkman Pass map-sheet (NTS 931), a distance of 280 km (175 mi).
Relationship to Other Units: The Simla Formation conformably overlies nodular limestone of the upper
Mount Hawk Formation. Locally the underlying lithology is brecciated and/or partially iron stained,
especially where the Simla rests on carbonate barks of the Arcs Member, which is the lateral
equivalent of the upper Mount Hawk Formation. This suggests a brief regressive interval. The Simla
Formation is conformably overlain by the Sassenach Formation in basinal settings. Along former reef
margins the Sassenach wedges out against the Simla and the Simla is overlain by Palliser carbonates
of P crepida age (Middle Famennian). In the northern part of the Monkman Pass map-sheet (NTS 93I)
the Simla is overlain by the Besa River Formation of Early Carboniferous (Visean) age.
The Simla Formation is equivalent to the Ronde Member of the Southesk Formation in the front
ranges to the south, and to the Graminia Formation in the subsurface of southern Alberta. The lower
recessive siltstone correlates with the Calmar Formation and the upper resistant carbonate with the
Blue Ridge Member of the Graminia Formation in the subsurface of central Alberta (Meijer Drees and
Geldsetzer, 1984).
Paleontology: The fauna of the Simla Formation includes foraminifera, tabulate Corals, brachiopods,
some stromatoporoids, and a few conodonts, but is especially notable for its numerous rugose corals,
which comprise more than 30 species and is the most spectacular late Frasnian rugose coral fauna
known anywhere in the world. It resulted from a sudden evolutionary burst which began in Middle
Frasnian (Mount Hawk) time and was abruptly terminated by the Frasnian-Famennian Extinction
Event. The brief ranges of many of the morphologically distinct rugose species provide a powerful set
of tools for correlation which is especially useful in the absence of conodonts adequate for refined
correlation.
The Simla coral fauna is widely distributed in eastern Canada. It is known in the Ronde Member of the
Southesk Formation, the Kakisa Formation of southern District of Mackenzie and in subsurface units.
At the type locality the principal genera represented are Smithiphyllum, Disphyllum, Chuanbeiphyllum
and Medusaephyllum.
References: Belyea and McLaren, 1957; de Wit and McLaren, 1950; Geldsetzer, 1982; Meijer Drees
and Geldsetzer, 1984; McLaren and Mountjoy, 1962; Mountjoy and Mackenzie, 1973.
HHJG, AEHP
Ordovician (Arenig-Llanvirn)
Sinclair Formation (Obsolete)
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1924c, p. 14-16, 34-35.
Type Locality: Mount Sinclair (50°38.5’N, 115°55’W), southeastern British Columbia.
History: Abandoned (Walcott, 1928, p. 219-220) in favor of Glenogle Shales (q.v.).
References: Walcott, C.D., 1924c, 1928.
BSN
Upper Triassic
Siphon Member (Charlie Lake Formation, Schooler Creek Group)
Reference Section: Pacific Fort St. John 2-18-84-19W6M, in northeastern British Columbia, between
1344.5 and 1346 m (4411 and 4416 ft).
History: Hess (1968) stated: “The term Siphon ... comes from the first well to test gas from this zone in
commercial quantities, Imp. Pac. Siphon 10-27-87-16W6M”. There is no well of this name or location:
Hess may have been referring to Pacific et al. Siphon 11-27-86-16W6M, which had 3.3 m (11 ft) of gas
pay between 1248.2 and 1251.5 m (4095 and 4106 ft). This unit has also been known as the Alder
Sand, Two Rivers Sand and Siphon Sand.
Lithology: The Siphon grades from a clean, light grey, quartzose, dolomitic sandstone in the Bulrush
area to a multiple zone sand-dolomite-anhydrite sequence in the Fort St. John area.
Thickness and Distribution: 1 m (3 ft) thick at its eastern and western extremities; 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft)
thick along the main depositional trend. It accumulated in minor downwarped areas in an elongate
north-south belt in the vicinity of Rge. 16W6M. Its areal extent is terminated by erosion just north of the
Bulrush Field, and limited to the south by facies change to shale in the Parkland area.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies approximately 20 m (66 ft) below the top of the Charlie Lake
Formation. It is underlain by the Siphon Disconformity.
References: Hess, 1968; Torrie, 1973, McAdam, 1979.
JWR
Middle Proterzoic
Siyeh Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Author: Willis, B., 1902, p. 323-324.
Type Locality: Mount Siyeh, at the head of Canyon Creek, northern Montana (48°44’N, 113°39W).
Lithology: The Siyeh Formation may be divided into three informal members (Douglas, 1952). The
lower member consists of green, grey and black argillites, green and grey argillaceous and
arenaceous dolomites and dolomitic quartz sandstones (Price, 1964). Mud-cracks and ripple marks
are locally abundant (Daly, 1912). The middle member consists mainly of thick bedded, argillaceous
grey limestone and dolomite, interbedded algal stromatolites, and thin interbeds and partings of grey
and black argillite, with minor sandy dolomite, intraformational conglomerate and oolitic limestone.
Molar-tooth structures are common in the massive carbonate beds. Thinly bedded argillaceous
limestone and dolomite, with abundant sandy dolomite, dolomitic sandstone, intraformational
conglomerate, and grey and black argillite occur in the condensed middle member section at North
Kootenay Pass. A distinctive 15 to 25 m (49 to 82 ft) thick stromatolite zone occurs in the upper part of
the member in the Clark and Galton ranges (Price, 1964). The upper member consists mainly of green
argillite, and dolomite with subordinate red argillite. Oscillation ripple marks and mud-cracks are
common (Price, 1964).
Thickness and Distribution: The Siyeh is exposed from North Kootenay Pass to Marias Pass, and west
to the Rocky Mountain Trench. Its thickness in Canada varies from 352 m (1155 ft) at North Kootenay
Pass to 792.5 m (2600 ft) at West Waterton Lakes.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit conformably overlies the Grinnell Formation and is overlain by
the Purcell Lava. The Empire (Werner Peak), Helena and Snowslip formations in Glacier National
Park, Montana are equivalents of the lower, middle, and upper members respectively. The lower and
middle members correlate with the Kitchener Formation and the upper member with the sedimentary
part of the “Siyeh Formation” of the southeastern Purcell Mountains.
References: Daly, 1912; Douglas, 1952; Leech, 1960; Price, 1962, 1964, 1965; Smith and Barnes,
1966.
MEM, PAP
Middle Proterozoic
“Siyeh Formation” (Map Unit 5, Leech, 1960)
(Purcell Supergroup)
Author: Schofield, S.J., 1914a, p. 225.
Type Locality: Moyie Mountain, south of Cranbrook, southeastern British Columbia (Schofield, 1915):
History: Following Willis’ (1902) definition of the Siyeh Formation in the Lewis and Clark Range of
Montana, Schofield (1914a) introduced the term “Siyeh” to the Purcell Mountains. He defined it as the
sequence of argillite, carbonate, and argillite units overlying the Kitchener Formation and underlying
the Purcell Lava. In the Cranbrook area numerous lava flows are interbedded with sedimentary rocks.
Schofield (1915. p. 35) placed the top of the “Siyeh” at the bottom of the highest lava flow. Rice (1937,
P. 9-11), working in the same area was unable to recognize Schofield’s Kitchener-”Siyeh” boundary.
He restricted the “Siyeh Formation” to the upper argillaceous unit of Schofield, and included all the
lava flows within that formation. Leech (1960) recognized that the “Siyeh Formation” as defined by
Schofield and modified by Rice was not equivalent to the type Siyeh Formation defined by Willis. He
therefore chose not to assign formational names to these rocks, and instead designated them as map-
unit 5. McMechan et al. (1980) divided the “Siyeh” into the Van Creek and overlying Nicol Creek
formations.
Lithology: The “Siyeh Formations consists of two units, the upper of which is absent to the west and
north. The lower unit (equivalent to Leech’s map-unit 5a) consists of green, grey and locally purple,
very thin bedded to laminated siltite and argillite, locally dolomitic siltite, and minor silty quartzite. Mud-
cracks, ripple marks, rip-up debris beds and ripple cross-laminations are locally abundant. The upper
unit consists of sequences of green, and lesser purple, volcanic sandstones and siltites, argillite and
minor dolomite interlayered with green or maroon, massive to amygdoloidal basic flows and turfs.
Mud-cracks, ripple cross-laminations, ripples and mud flasers are locally abundant in the sedimentary
sequences.
Thickness and Distribution: Occurs in the western Hughes and Lizard ranges and Purcell Mountains.
In the Nelson east half and Lardeau east half map-areas Rice (1941) and Reesor (1973) could not
separate it from the underlying Kitchener Formation. In the Lardeau east half map-area Reesor could
not distinguish it from the overlying Dutch Creek Formation. Thicknesses of the lower unit vary from
750 m (2460 ft) west of Bloom Creek to 200 m (656 ft) in the northern Hughes Range and Steeples
area. The thickness of the upper unit varies from 750 m (2460 ft) in the Mount Baker-Bloom Creek
area, to 60 m (197 ft) east of Dewar Creek, and zero in the Nelson east half and the Lardeau east half
map-areas.
Relationship to Other Units: The “Siyeh” conformably overlies the Kitchener Formation and is
conformably overlain by the Dutch Creek Formation in the northern and western Purcell Mountains. It
is conformably to disconformably overlain by the lower Gateway or Sheppard Formation in the
southeastern Purcell Mountains and western Hughes and Lizard ranges. The “Siyeh Formation”
(Leech’s map-unit 5) correlates with the upper member of the Siyeh Formation and Purcell Lava of the
Galton to Clark ranges, or the Snowslip Formation and Purcell Lava of the Whitefish Range.
References: Edmunds, 1973; Hay, 1978; Leech, 1958, 1960; McMechan, 1978; Reesor, 1958, 1973;
Rice, 1937, 1941; Schofield, 1914a, 1914b, 1951.
MEM, RAP
Skoki Formation
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1928, p. 217, 218.
Type Locality: Skoki Mountain (51°32’N, 116°03’W), southwestern Alberta. The type section is
incomplete and the standard reference section is at Mount Wilson (52°00’N, 16°45’W), southwestern
Alberta (Norford, 1969, p. 12, 56, 57).
Lithology: Resistant dolomites and rare limestones, quartz silt and sand in many beds, some with dark
brown, wispy, argillaceous layers. Oncolites common in beds near the top of the formation in the
southern Rockies and at may levels in the central and northern Rockies.
Thickness and Distribution: The Skoki is widespread in the carbonate facies of the southern Rocky
Mountains [Kananaskis Lakes, Calgary, Golden and Brazeau map-areas (82J, N, O; 83C)] where its
observed thicknesses are between 62 and 186 m (204 and 610 ft). Westwards its place is taken by
Glenogle Shales of the graptolitic facies. Northwestward and eastward the Skoki is cut out beneath
the sub-Devonian unconformity, but in the central and northern Rocky Mountains a much thicker
succession (up to 550 m, 1800 ft) of similar Carbonates has been mapped as the Skoki Formation in
the McBride, Monkman Pass, Pine Pass, Halfway River, Trutch and Ware map-areas (93H, I, O; 94B, F.
G).
Relationship to Other Units: Basically conformable with the underlying Tipperary Quartzite and Outram
Formation, the latter contact locally gradational and diachronous. The upper contact with the Owen
Creek Formation is paraconformable at most localities, but channel fillings and indications of karst
topography are present at some outcrops
Paleontology: Brachiopods, gastropods, conodonts, cephalopods, trilobites, echinoderm fragments

Three brachiopod zones (Hesperonomia, Orthidiella, Anomalorthis), present in the southern Rockies,
in addition younger horizons with corals are present in the central and northern Rockies.
References: Cecile and Norford, 1979; Norford, 1969; Slind and Perkins, 1967; Walcott, 1928.
BSN
Skull Creek Shale Member (Ashville Formation)
Author: Collier, A.J., 1922.
Type Locality: Exposures along Skull Creek, southeast of Osage, Weston County, Wyoming (Twp. 46N,
Rges. 62 and 63W).
History: The “Skull Creek shale member” was introduced as the basal member of the “Graneros shale”
in the Black Hills of northeastern Wyoming by Collier (1922). The unit has been mapped extensively
since then between the Fall River Sandstone and Newcastle Sandstone through eastern Montana and
South and North Dakota (McGookey et al., 1972) and has remained unmodified from its original
definition except for a change in rank from member to formation. The name Skull Creek Shale was
introduced in eastern Saskatchewan and Manitoba by McNeil and Caldwell (1981), who correlated
the shale from its type locality northward through eastern Montana and North Dakota, into eastern
Saskatchewan and to the Manitoba escarpment, where it was designated the basal Skull Creek Shale
Member of the Ashville Formation.
Lithology: Noncalcareous shale. The Skull Creek Shale consists mainly of greyish black shale, silty in
part, with rare bentonite beds. In its uppermost and lowermost parts it is marked by thin beds of
siltstone or fine grained sandstone. Ironstone and cone-in-cone concretions are also a common
constituent.
Thickness and Distribution: The Skull Creek Shale is recognized in eastern Wyoming, Montana, North
and South Dakota and extends into Canada as the Skull Creek Shale Member of the Ashville
Formation in southern Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan. Thickness ranges from 75 m (246 ft) in
Montana to 60 m (197 ft) in northeastern Wyoming. It thins northeastward to 30 m (98 ft) in north-
central North Dakota, 40 m 1131 ft) in southeastern Saskatchewan, and virtually pinches out
eastwards in Manitoba, where it is reduced to 3 m (10 ft) in the subsurface of Pembina Mountain.
Relationship to Other Units: The Skull Creek lies conformably on the Fall River Sandstone in
Wyoming, Montana and South and North Dakota. In the Manitoba escarpment it rests with sharp
contact on sands of the Swan River Formation. The upper contact with the Newcastle Sandstone is
conformable and either sharp or gradational.
The Skull Creek Shale correlates westward with the Thermopolis Shale of western Wyoming,
southeastward with part of the Dakota Group in South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas, and
northwestward with part of the Blackleaf Formation of Montana in western Saskatchewan and eastern
Alberta it correlates with the Joli Fou Formation. In the central and southwestern-Alberta Foothills the
Skull Creek equates to a section within the upper Blairmore Group, and in southern most Alberta to
the lower Bow Island Sandstone
References: Collier, 1922; Hansen, 1955; McGookey et al. 1972; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; Price,
1963: Robinson et al., 1964; Rudkin, 1964; Schoon, 1971; Wulf, 1962.
DHM; LLP
Middle Devonian
Slave Point Formation
Author: Cameron, A.E., 1918. Law, J., 1955a.
Type Locality: Along the south side of Great Slave Lake, District of Mackenzie, from Presqu’ile Point to
High Point; along the Buffalo River; on the northwest side of the lake at Slave Point; and along the
shore between Jones Point and Moraine Point.
California Standard Steen River 2-22-117-5W6M, in Alberta, between 1301.5 and 1357.0 m (4270
and 4452 ft) (Subsurface reference section: Law, 1955a).
History: Cameron (1922) subsequently added to the area of Slave Point outcrop by including
exposures on hills north of Sulphur Bay (part of Great Slave Lake) and along the lake shore between
Sulphur Point and Mellor Rapids on Buffalo River. These later additions have been re-assigned to the
Presqu’ile Formation by Douglas (1959). Campbell (1950) described the Slave Point from core holes
in the Pine Point area on the south shore of Great Slave Lake. Law (1955a) re-defined Campbell’s
Slave Point and extended the term into the subsurface of northern Alberta, defining the
aforementioned reference section at 2-22-117-5W6M.
Lithology: The formation consists of light yellowish brown to dark brown limestone, interbedded with
finely crystalline dolomite and thin shale laminae. Locally the formation has been recrystallized to
coarsely crystalline dolomite. Stromatoporoids are locally abundant along the margin of the formation
in northeastern British Columbia and southern Northwest Territories, facing the open marine shale
facies (Otter Park Member), and around the eastern and southern edges of the Peace River Arch in
northern Alberta. Belyea (1971) interpreted the stromatoporoids occurring in a matrix of lime
mudstone, pelletal and skeletal grainstone as sediment-trapping organisms rather than frame-builders.
Thickness and Distribution: The Slave Point Formation is approximately 49 m (160 ft) thick in the
vicinity of the type area (Cameron, 1922; Douglas, 1959). The thickness ranges from less than 30 m
(100 ft) in northeastern Alberta to more than 120 m (400 ft) around the Celibeta area. The formation is
present in the southern Northwest Territories, northeastern British Columbia and northern Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: At Law’s (1955a) reference section the Slave Point is unconformably
overlain by Upper Devonian Beaverhill Lake or Waterways shales. Braun (1967) demonstrated from
subsurface faunal data in the Great Slave Lake and northeastern Alberta areas that much of the basal
Upper Devonian is missing due to onlap over the Slave Point formation. Norris (1965) also
documented the top unconformity from exposures and fauna in the Great Slave Lake area. In
northeastern British Columbia, at the facies front where the Slave Point is partially developed it is
overlain by the Otter Park Member (Horn River Formation) where the Slave Point is fully developed at
the facies front the Otter Park is absent, and the Muskwa Member (Horn River Formation) overlies the
Slave Point Formation.
In northern Alberta the Slave Point may be conformably underlain by the Fort Vermilion Formations or
disconformably underlain by the Watt Mountain Formation. The lower Slave Point is equivalent to the
Livock River Formation (Crickmay, 1957; Leavitt and Fischbuch 1968) and the entire Slave Point is
equivalent to the lower Swan Hills Formation (Leavitt and Fischbuch, 1968).
In northeastern British Columbia, at the facies edge where the Watt Mountain Formation is absent the
Slave Point is conformably underlain by the Sulphur Point or Presqu’ile formations
Paleontology: Fossils identified from the Slave Point Formation by Norris (1965) are as follows:
stromatoporoids, Stromatopora sp., Cladopora sp., Atrypa sp., Atrypa sp. (med. costate), Atrypa sp. cf.
A. independesnis Webster, Emanuella sp. C, Emanuella sp. F. ?Emanuella sp. undetermined
brachiopods, undetermined pelecypods, crinoid ossicles, and locally abundant Amphipora.
References: Belyea, 1971; Braun, 1967; Cameron, 1918, 1922; Campbell, 1950; Crickmay, 1957;
Douglas, 1959; Law, 1955a; Leavitt and Fischbuch, 1968; Norris, 1965.
LVH; RPF
Smiley Clinobed (Viking Formation, Colorado Group)
Author: Evans, W.E., 1970; Simpson, F., 1975, in prep.
Type Locality: The name is taken from the Sturgeon Smiley No. 1 well, in 13-13-32-26W3M, western
Saskatchewan, which penetrated the maximum thickness of the “N” member, recognized by Evans
(1970). The type section is in the Canpet Sarcee N Eureka 11-9 well, in Lsd. 11-9-32-23W3M,
between 731.7 and 737.3 m (2400.5 and 2419 ft).
members, alphabetically designated “K”, “Upper L”, “Lower L”, “M”, “N’ and “O” was worked out
independently by Evans (1970) on the basis of detailed electric log correlation. Simpson (1975, in
prep.) examined the lithologic variation in these units and named them; the Smiley Clinobed is
equivalent to the “N” and “O” members of Evans.
sandstone. The shaly sandstone consists of largely fine grained sandstone beds a few centimetres
thick, regularly alternating in vertical sequence with noncalcareous mudstones of similar thickness. A
generalized upward coarsening takes the form of an upward decrease in the proportion of mudstone
and the amount of bioturbation increases upwards. Locally, conglomerates and pebbly sandstones
occur at the base of the sequence.
Thickness and Distribution. The unit attains a maximum thickness of 8.5 m (28 ft) near the Fourth
Meridian. It Occupies a belt with a west-southwesterly trend in the northern part of the Dodsland-
Hoosier production locale in west-central Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The Smiley Clinobed rests disconformably on the shales of the Joli Fou
Formation. It makes a relatively sharp contact with sandy shales equivalent to the Crystal and possibly
Hoosier Clinobeds, which rest upon it in the north. It is overlain by the Hoosier Clinobed farther south.
The upper limit of the Smiley Clinobed is marked in both cases by the sharp base of a bentonite bed.
References: Evans, 1970; Jones, 1961a, 1961b, Reasoner and Hunt, 1954a, 1954b; Simpson, 1975,
1979d, in prep.
FS
Upper Cretaceous
Smoky (River) Group
Author: Dawson, G.M., 1881. Emended to Smoky Group by Russell, L.S., 1943, and McLearn, F.H. and
Henderson, J.F., 1944
Type Locality: Peace River Plains of west-central Alberta, with good sections on the Smoky, Spirit and
Pouce Coupe rivers.
Lithology: Marine, thinly bedded, dark silty shale with occasional ironstone and claystone nodules and
thin bentonite streaks, divided into a lower shale units the Kaskapau Formation, a middle sandstone,
the Bad Heart Formation and an upper shale units the Puskwaskau Formation carrying fewer
concretions than the Kaskapau Formation. Extra sand tongues appear in beds transitional with the
underlying Dunvegan Sandstone Formation, viz: the Doe Creek and Pouce Coupe sandstones along
the Pouce Coupe River, and a somewhat higher sand, the Howard Creek Sandstone in the Spirit
River area. In the Pouce Coupe area the Baytree Conglomerate is a coarse Plastic member
introduced on an incipient unconformity within the Kaskapau Formation, and approximately equivalent
to the Cardium Formation of the foothills of Alberta. Where the Cardium Sandstone is present the term
Kaskapau is confined to pre-Cardium beds and the shale between the Cardium and the Bad Heart
sandstones is referred to as the Muskiki Formation. The Chinook Sandstone occurs in the upper
Puskwaskau, marking the transition with the overlying Wapiti in the British Columbia-Alberta boundary
region.
An colitic iron-formation is developed within the Bad Heart interval in the Clear Hills region north of
the Peace River.
Thickness and Distribution: The Kaskapau Shale is 477 m (1565 ft) thick near the Pouce Coupe
Rivers thinning to 160 m (525 ft) on the Smoky River. The Bad Heart Sandstone ranges from 1.5 to 8 m
(5 to 26 ft) thick. The Puskaskau is 200 m (656 ft) thick near Pouce Coupe and thins to 123 m (403 ft) in
the Spirit River and Smoky River area. The gross thickening of the Smoky Group, from 290 m (951 ft)
on the Smoky River to 677 m (2221 ft) on the Pouce Coupe River continues in northeastern British
Columbia to somewhat more than 1100 m (3608 ft) along the foothills.
The Smoky Group is found throughout the Peace River area of Alberta and in northeastern British
Columbia south of the Peace River
Relationship to Other Units: The Smoky Group is conformable with the underlying Dunvegan
Sandstone, and the basal part interfingers with the top of the Dunvegan Formation in northeastern
British Columbia near the foothills. The basal Dunveganoceras Zone is missing south of Watino,
Alberta, suggesting a local disconformity. The Smoky Group is conformably overlain by, and
transitional to the Wapiti continental sequence.
The Smoky Group is approximately equivalent to all but the lower portion of the Blackstone, Cardium,
and Wapiabi formations of the Alberta Group of the foothills of Alberta, to the Lea Park and the upper
pare of the Colorado Group above the base of the Second White Specks marker bed in the central and
southern plains of Alberta to the upper portion of the Labiche Formation of northeastern Albertar and,
in part to the Kotaneelee Formation of the Liard River area.
Paleontology: The ammonites of zonation Dunveganoceras, Watinoceras, Scaphites s. 1., Baculites
are accompanied by Inoceramus throughout with oysters mussels, brackish water clams and
gastropods common in the transition beds at the top and base. Planktonic Foraminifera appear within
the dominantly arenaceous suites at the base and the assemblages become progressively more
calcareous upwards. The Bad Head Sandstone is very fossiliferous m the type area.
References: Dawson, 1881; Gleddie, 1944; McLearn, 1918, 1926; McLearn and Henderson 1944;
Russell, 1943; Rutherford, 1930; Stelck, 1962; Stelck and Wall, 1954, 1955; Stott, 1960; Wall, 1960.
CRS
Smoothstone River Formation (Elk Point Group, Disused)
Author: Fuzesy, L.M., 1977 p. 177.
Type Locality: Not formally defined. Named after the Smoothstone River in north-central
Saskatchewan. Thickest development (25 m, 82 ft) is in the DMR La Ronge 10-77 borehole (12-31-68-
22W2M), between 75 and 100 m (246 and 328 ft).
History: The Smoothstone River Formation “combines the weakly soluble residues of the Lotsberg
Salt, Ernestina Lake Formation and Cold Lake Salt of east-central Saskatchewan” (Fuzesy, 1977, p.
177). It represents the lowermost unit of the Devonian in Saskatchewan and rests unconformably upon
a basal sandstone of uncertain age. It is overlain by carbonates of the Contact Rapids Formation in
the light of subsequent studies Fuzesy (1980) considered that rocks of the Smoothstone River
Formation should be considered as the lower member of the Meadow Lake Formation.
References: Fuzesy, 1977, 1980.
CED; KRM
Upper Cretaceous (Campanian and Maastrichtian)
Snakebite Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Saskatchewan Landing bridge in the south, in southwestern Saskatchewan. The type locality
encompasses Snakebite Creek, a southeastward flowing tributary of the South Saskatchewan River,
which rises near Beechy and joins the river about 19 km (11.6 mi) west of the Vermilion Hills. Lying
just inland of the creek mouth, the type section in Sec. 9, Twp. 21, Rge. 9W3M exposes the contacts
with the Ardkenneth Member below and the Cruikshank Member above.
Lithology: The Snakebite Member is the most distinctive of all the members of the Bearpaw Formation
in the South Saskatchewan River valley and surrounding area and is easily traced remarkable
distances from the type locality. Mid-grey clay and claystones, patchily iron stained, containing a high
(although gradually decreasing) quantity of silt, randomly distributed brick red, iron rich claystone
concretions with pteriaceids, and, near the too, septaria with flattened Baculites characterize the basal
16.8 m (55 ft). These are overlain by dark grey clays and shales, 29 m (95 a) thick, containing
numerous bentonite seams and nodular masses of calcite with well developed cone-in-cone structure.
The masses of buff weathering fibrous calcite, 0.6 to 0 9 m (2 to 3 ft) in diameter and woody in
appearance are concentrated in a bed 36.6 m (120 ft) above the base of the member. Together with
numerous beds of septaria, some of them calcite capped, reddish brown ironstone concretions, and
recurrent cream, yellow and ochreous bentonite partings, they distinguish this 29 m (95 ft) section as a
marker that can be recognized around the Cypress Hills, where Furnival (1946, p. 43) and Lines (in:
Loranger and Gleddie, 1953, fig. 4; 1963, p. 215, fig. 1) referred to it as the “aragonite zone” and
“bentonite-aragonite zone” respectively. The septarian concretions contain many broken and flattened
molluscs; these include the ammonites Baculites cuneatus Cobban, B. reesidei Elias, and Scaphites
(Hoploscaphites) nodosus Owen and inoceramid bivalves Mid- to dark grey clays and shales, 30 m
(93 ft) thick and containing bentonite seams and dark bluish grey weathering septaria, some of them
built around the ammonite shells of Rhaeboceras sp. and S. (H.) nodosus or clusters of inoceramid
bivalves, complete the Snakebite sequence.
Thickness and Distribution: At 75 m (246 ft) in the type section the Snakebite Member is one of the
thickest members of the Bearpaw Formation in southwestern Saskatchewan, and it seems to retain
this thickness throughout the type area, with some evidence of a slight thickening northwards to give a
section of about 90 m (295 ft) at the Gardiner Dam. The Snakebite Member forms the bedrock surface
south of the type area where, although thicker at about 110 m (361 ft), complete sections are rare.
Distribution of the member is controlled by that of the underlying Ardkenneth Member, beyond the
limits of which the Snakebite forms part of a thicker composite Beechy-Snakebite Member. Although
the member sensu stricto can no longer then be discriminated, its distinctive sediment and rock types
can be traced southward into Montana and, west of the Cypress Hills, into the eastern plains of
Alberta. To the east of the type area the Snakebite Member can be followed for a negligible distance
into the Qu’Appelle River valley. Throughout most of this valley it has been removed by pre-
Pleistocene erosion; this holds true for much of the tract west of the type area.
Relationship to Other Units: Almost completely exposed in the type section, the Snakebite Member is
conformably stratified between the Ardkenneth Member below and the Cruikshank Member above.
The lower contact is fairly sharp, but the upper contact is arbitrarily placed within a thick transition
zone. Elsewhere the upper contact is much more clearly demarcated than in the type section. About
mid-way between the type area and the border with Montana (in Twp. 12 between Rges. 15 and
19W3M) the Snakebite Member loses its identity because the defining Ardkenneth Sand below
passes by facies change into silty clays. It becomes the dominant component of a composite Beechy-
Snakebite Member and, still farther south the composite member becomes the dominant component of
the Manyberries Member of the Bearpaw Formation, widely recognized around the Cypress Hills
Paleontology: The rich molluscan fauna of the Snakebite Member shows that is spans the greater part
of three zones: the lower beds fall within the Baculites cuneatus Zone, the bentonite- and concretion-
rich beds of the middle member within the B. reesidei Zone, and the upper beds within the B. jenseni
Zone. The boundary between the Snakebite Member and overlying Cruikshank Member seems to
correspond closely to that between the B. jenseni Zone and the overlying B. eliasi Zone. The member
also carries a rich and varies foraminiferal fauna, with many calcareous-walled elements. All the
uppermost 3 m (10 ft) lie in the Anomalinoides sp. Zone, the remainder within the Haplophragmoides
excavata Zone, of the foraminiferal zonal scheme for the southern interior plains.
References: Caldwell, 1968; Caldwell et al., 1978; Lines, 1963, Loranger and Gleddie 1953; North and
Caldwell, 1970, 1975a, b.
WGEC; RJH
Middle Cambrian
Snake Indian Formation
Author: Mountjoy, E.W. and Aitken, JADE, 1978.
Type Locality: Chetamon Mountain, 21 km (13 mi) north of Jasper, Alberta. A reference section at
Whitecap Mountain, 8 km (5 mi) along strike to the northwest was also designated.
History: Mountjoy (1962, 1964) was unable to recognize the classical Middle Cambrian succession of
the Bow Valley along the Athabasca River transect of the Rocky Mountains. Accordingly he mapped
the strata between the top of the Gog Group sandstones and the base of the Eldon (Titkana)
Formation as map-unit 3. The Snake Indian Formation was erected to formalize map-unit 3 and
provide a basis for its full description and discussion.
Lithology: The Snake Indian Formation “... can be divided into nine informal members: a basal red
member and a green quartz siltstone member, followed by four shale units - first second, third and
fourth recessive members, separated by three resistant limestone units - lower, middle and upper
limestones (Mountjoy and Aitken, 1978).
Thickness and Distribution: The Snake Indian thins depositionally from 433 m (1420 ft) at the type
section to 152 to 244 m (499 to 800 ft) in the Miette thrust sheet in eastern Jasper Park. It thickens
westward to 671 m (2201 ft) in the Snaring thrust sheet west of the type section. It may be recognizable
northwestward as far as Pine Pass (Slind and Perkins, 1967). The Snake Indian Formation passes
southeastward along strike into the equivalent Mount Whyte-Cathedral-Stephen succession of the
Bow Valley at a line “passing a little to the north of Mount Athabasca and Beauty Creek” (Aitken, in
press).
Relationship to Other Units: The type section of the Snake Indian Formation includes at its base a thin,
partly red unit of limestone, dolomite and mudstone that is equivalent to the Peyto Formation (Aitken,
in press). Where the Peyto or equivalent Hota Formation are mapped apart from the Snake Indian the
basal contact is a sub-Middle Cambrian unconformity (Rasetti, 1951; Aitken, in press). The Snake
Indian is overlain conformably and gradationally by Eldon/Titkana) Formation. The Snake Indian
Formation was erected because the equivalent Mount Whyte-Cathedral-Stephen succession of the
Bow Valley becomes unrecognizable northward, largely through the thickening of two shaly tongues
(members) in the Cathedral Formation.
Paleontology: The Snake Indian Formation yields fossils assigned to the Middle Cambrian Plagiura-
Poliella, Albertella, Glossopleura and Bathyuriscus-Elrathina zones (Mountjoy and Aitken, 1978).
References: Aitken, in press; Mountjoy, 1962, 1964; Mountjoy and Aitken, 1978; Rasetti, 1951; Slind
and Perkins, 1967.
JDA
Upper Cambrian
Snaring Formation
Author: Raymond, RE., 1930, zones 6 and 7.
Type Locality: Southwest shoulder of Mount Chetamon, just above Snaring River, Jasper National
Park, Alberta.
History: Named after Snaring River. Mountjoy (1960, 1961, 1962), during regional mapping showed
that the Lynx Formation (Walcott, 1913) of the Mount Robson area and the Arctomys Formation
(Walcott, 1920) are stratigraphic equivalents and have priority. Therefore the term Snaring was
abandoned, along with the Bosche.
Thickness and Distribution: Uppermost part of Cambrian sequence on Roche Miette.
References: Mountjoy, 1961, 1962, 1980; Raymond, 1930; Walcott, 1913, 1920.
EWM
Upper Cretaceous
Solomon Sandstone (Obsolete)
Author: Lang, A.H., 1946.
History: Lang, in a report on the Brule map-area near the Athabasca River described the Solomon
sandstone as 29 m (95 ft) of fairly hard, cliff forming, grey, buff weathering sandstone overlying Wapiabi
shales. Although Lang noted that analogous beds had been called ‘Chungo member’, ‘Transitional
member’, ‘Brazeau-Pierre’ and ‘Highwood sandstone’, and had been classed by some writers as
uppermost Wapiabi, he regarded the sandstone as the base of the Brazeau Formation. Stott (1963, p.
105) noted that the name had been pre-empted several times, rejected the designation of Solomon
and defined the term Chungo Member for the marine sandstone occurring in the upper part of the
Wapiabi Formation.
References: Lang, 1946; Stott, 1963.
DFS
Upper Devonian (Frasnian, Lowermost Beds may be
Late Middle Devonian, Givetian)
Souris River Formation (Manitoba Group)
Author: Williston Basin Nomenclature Committee, 1953. Formally defined by Sandberg, C.A., and
Hammond, C.R., 1958, p. 2309.
Type Locality: California Company Blanche Thompson No. 1 well (Sec. 31, Twp. 16N, Rge. 81W),
Bottineau County, North Dakota, between 1802 and 1377.6 m (5912 and 6160 ft). This section was not
formally defined, so Sandberg and Hammond (1958) proposed that the standard subsurface section
be between 3274.5 and 3368.7 m (10743 and 11052 ft) in the Mobile Producing Co. No. 1 Birdbear
well (C SENW Sec. 22, Twp. 149N, Rge. 91W), Dunn County, North Dakota.
The standard subsurface section for Saskatchewan is Socony Sohio Hatfield 11-14-28-22W2M well,
between 893.1 and 1 077.8 m (2930 and 3536 ft) (Lane, 1964).
Lithology: Scattered outcrops occur in Manitoba, notably near Mafeking. There the lower, Point Wilkins
Member sequence is red and green calcareous shales, fossiliferous argillaceous limestone,
cryptocrystalline and fragmental fossiliferous limestone, and yellowish brown dolomite and dolomitic
limestone. The overlying Sagemace Member outcrops only at the southern end of Lake Winnipegosis
and comprises dolomites and limestone. The faunal content is described by Norris et al. (1982).
In the subsurface additional components are anhydrites and halites within the Davidson, Harris and
Hatfield members. The rocks comprise several shale-limestone-evaporite cycles.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness of the formation immediately west of the Manitoba outcrops
ranges from 76 to 91 m (249 to 300 ft). Regionally the range in Manitoba is from 67 m (220 ft) in the
extreme south to 85 m (279 ft) in the north. In Saskatchewan the formation is generally about 120 m
(394 ft) thick, attaining a maximum of nearly 200 m (656 ft) in the Davidson/Saskatoon areas. Lane
(1964) recognized two sub-basins, the Beechy and Davidson, within which the Souris River
Formation is relatively thick. The formation is present throughout the Williston Basin.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact with the Dawson Bay Formation is transitional and
conformable. The upper contact is generally conformable with carbonates of the Duperow Formation,
except where local brecciation of the basal Duperow is present. In Manitoba geologists commonly pick
the break between the Souris River and Duperow formations at the top of the lower of two shale
breaks, which is about 15 m (49 ft) lower than the top commonly used elsewhere (Norris et al., 1982, p.
58). The Souris River Formation comprises the upper strata of the Manitoba Group left unnamed by
Baillie (1953).
In Manitoba the formation is divided into two members - Point Wilkins and Sagemace. In
Saskatchewan it is divided into three members - Davidson (including the First Red Beds, two
carbonate units and the Davidson Evaporate), Harris and Hatfield.
Correlative strata in Alberta are most of the Beaverhill Lake Group, and most (if not all) of the Watt
Mountain Formation. In northern Alberta equivalent beds are those of the Waterways and Slave Point
formations in Montana the Souris River is represented by the Maywood Formation.
References: Baillie, 1953; Braun and Mathison, 1982; Lane, 1964; Norris, Upend and McCabe, 1982;
Sandberg and Hammond, 1958: Walker, 1958; Williston Basin Nomenclature Committee, 1953.
CED; KRM
Souris Sand and Gravel (Informal)
Type Locality: Gravel pit 1 km (0.63 mi) east of Souris, Manitoba, in SW/4 Lsd. 9, Sec. 34. Twp. 7, Rge.
21WPM (approximately 49°37’30”N, 100°14’30”W).
Lithology: Sand, gravel; includes both Tertiary and glacial gravels; contains 20 to >75% stones derived
from Rocky Mountains; also contains stones from Precambrian Shield.
Thickness and Distribution: Up to 6 m (20 ft) thick in outcrops, 24 m (79 ft) in the subsurface. Exposed
intermittently along walls of preglacial valleys in southwestern Manitoba, and found in the deepest
parts of some of these valleys.
Relationship to Other Units: At the reference section overlies bedrock and underlies 2 to 3 m (7 to 10
ft) of recent river alluvium. In valley bottom can also overlie bedrock and be overlain by up to 60 m
(197 ft) of valley till.
Name proposed for informal usage only. Material composing the unit probably collected by interglacial
streams from Tertiary gravels and sands and from glacial drift. Considered Early Pleistocene in age.
Reference: Klassen, 1969.
AMacSS
Souris Valley Beds (Madison Group)
Type Locality: Souris Valley Oil Gordon White No. 1 well, in Lsd. 5, Sec. 14, Twp. 1, Rge. 28WPM,
Manitoba, between 1107 and 1283 m (3632 and 4216 hi.
Lithology: At the type locality the Souris Valley Beds comprise a dark grey sparsely fossiliferous, thin
bedded basin-type sequence of argillaceous limestones, calcareous shales, and chert. To the east
and north of the type well the unit loses its argillaceous nature and becomes more shelf-like,
containing abundant fossils and colitic intervals.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section the Souris Valley Beds are 176 m (577 ft) thick and in
southeastern Saskatchewan they range from 122 to 170 m (400 to 558 ft). The unit can be traced from
the type well to about Rge. 22W2M, where the argillaceous marker bed defining the upper contact
undergoes a facies change and is no longer recognizable. In addition it can be traced southward from
the type well into North Dakota. Its northern and eastern limits are an erosional edge as the interval is
progressively truncated in those directions.
Relationship to Other Units: The contacts with the underlying Bakken Formation and overlying Tilston
Beds are conformable. The unit is equivalent to the Lodgepole Formation of southwestern Manitoba
(Stanton, 1958) and with the Bottineau Interval of North Dakota (Bjorlie and Anderson, 1978). Kent
(1974) correlated this interval with the lower part of the Strathallen Beds of southwestern
Saskatchewan.
Paleontology: Brown (1952) reported a brachiopod fauna in this unit from a well in south western
Manitoba and Brindle (1960) reported a brachiopodal fauna from several wells in southeastern
Saskatchewan, most of which had affinities to uppermost Kinderhookian faunal assemblages .
References: Bjorlie and Anderson, 1978; Brindle, 1960; Brown, 1952; Edie, 1958; Fuller, 1956; Fuzesy,
1960; Kent 1974; McCabe, 1959; Ower, 1953; Porter, 1955; Stanton, 1958; Thomas, 1954
DMK
Southesk Formation (Fairholme Group)
Author: McLaren, D.J., 1955.
Type Locality: Mount Dalhousie, northern spur, Jasper National Park, Alberta, immediately south of the
junction of the Southesk and Cairn rivers; and on the southeast side of the mountain immediately west
of that junction. Located 63 km (39 mi) west-northwest of Nordegg townsite (52°38’N, 116°58’W).
History: McLaren (1955) raised the Fairholme Formation of Beach (1943) to group status and named
the former upper member the Southesk Formation. McLaren designated a new type section on Mount
Dalhousie, within the Southesk-Cairn carbonate buildup. The Southesk Formation has since been
split into four members, in ascending order the Peechee, Grotto, Arcs and Ronde, which are discussed
separately in this Lexicon.
Lithology: The Southesk Formation consists of light grey weathering lime sands and dolomites that are
thick to massively bedded and frequently cliff forming, except for the more recessive and darker Grotto
Member.
Thickness and Distribution: The Southesk Formation forms the upper parts of carbonate buildups of
the Fairholme Group. Where fully developed within carbonate buildups it is between 150 and 260 m
(492 and 853 ft) thick. In the Flathead area of southeastern British Columbia the formation may be as
thick as 300 m (1000 ft).
The Southesk Formation occurs discontinuously in the Fairholme Group in the front and main range of
the Rocky Mountains, from northern Jasper National Park to the Flathead area in the south, a distance
of over 600 km (372 mi). In the subsurface southern Alberta carbonate shelf the Southesk is present
south of approximately Twp. 30 and also east of a line between Vermillion and Drumheller, where it
may reach 150 m (500 ft) in thickness.
Relationship to Other Units: The Southesk Formation is a carbonate facies of the Fairholme Group
restricted to the southern Alberta shelf and the isolated carbonate buildups of the Rocky Mountains.
The Southesk Formation generally conformably overlies the Cairn Formation in the Crowsnest Pass
area it conformably overlies the Borsato Formation. At buildup margins the formation may interfinger
with the Perdrix and the Mount Hawk formations (see individual member descriptions). The base of the
Southesk Formation has been the subject of controversy (see Taylor, 1957, 1958; Belyea and
McLaren, 1957b). The Cairn-Southesk boundary is often gradational over 5 to 30 m (16 to 98 ft) and
placement of the Change from mainly dark biostromal dolomites below to predominantly light lime
sands above can be somewhat arbitrary. In the mountains the Southesk is unconformably overlain by
either the Sassenach Formation or the equivalent Alexo Formation, or, rarely, the Palliser Formation.
The Southesk is overlain by the Crowfoot Formation in the southern Alberta subsurface. It is
lithostratigraphically equivalent to the upper Leduc and Nisku formations of subs surface central
Alberta and is homotaxial with the upper Duperow and the Birdbear formations in southeastern
Alberta.
References: Peach, 1943; Belyea and McLaren, 1957, 1957a, b; McLaren, 1955; McLaren and
Mountjoy, 1962, Taylor, 1957, 1958.
MPC; EWM
Lower Cretaceous
Sparky Sand (Lower Grand Rapids Formation, Mannville Group)
Author: Charles Mills, driller of Sparky No. 1 well named the sand. The name appeared in the Alberta
Oil and Gas Conservation Board Schedule of Wells for 1949.
Type Locality: Sparky No. 1 well, in the Lloydminster oilfield, Alberta-Saskatchewan.
Lithology: Petroliferous, unconsolidated, well sorted, rounded pure quartz sand, with an average grain
size of 0.15 mm. Commonly it is associated with pyrite nodules and grey shale and open contains
plant fragments. It is most often interpreted as a widespread package of shoreface deposits locally cut
by channelized bodies of shale and sandstone. It is capped by a regionally extensive coal.
Thickness and Distribution: The sand and associated shale are about 12 m (40 ft) thick in the
Lloydminster area, but can vary between zero and 20 m (65 ft). Vigrass (1977) recognized an “intra-
Mannville” disconformity at the top of the Sparky. Silt and shale filled channels related to this
disconformity locally replace the Sparky.
Relationship to Other Units: Wickenden (1948) placed the Sparky sand in the “Middle Division” of the
Mannville Group (Grand Rapids Formation). It can probably be more correctly referred to as the last
sand of a transitional sequence between the marine Clearwater Formation and the nonmarine Grand
Rapids Formation, referred to as the Lower Grand Rapids Formation by Putnam (1980) and others.
The disconformity at the top of the sand supports this thesis, and Badgley (1952) recognized that such
a transition zone could exist. Vigrass (1977) cited several authors who reported marine fossils in
Sparky shales which are similar to those in the Clearwater Formation near Fort McMurray. The Sparky
is overlain disconformably by the Waseca sand and conformably overlies a thin shale above the G.P.
(General Petroleum) sand. It usually occurs about 50 m (175 ft) below the top of the Mannville Group.
References: Badgley, 1952; Burnett and Adams, 1977; Orr, Johnston and Manko, 1977; Putnam, 1980;
Smith. Van Hulten and Young, 1984; Vigrass, 1977; Wickenden, 1948.
PEP, AIB
Permo-Triassic
Spearfish Formation
Author: Darton, N.H., 1899.
Type Locality: Spearfish, South Dakota, on the northern flank of the Black Hills of south Dakota and
Wyoming.
Lithology: In the type region consists of red shale, siltstone and sandstone, with thick beds of gypsum
near the base. Rests with sharp contact on the Permian Minnekahta Limestone and is overlain
unconformably by the Jurassic Sundance Formation. In the subsurface of the Williston Basin of North
Dakota the formation is divided into 3 members: the Belfield, Pine Salt and Saude.
Thickness and Distribution: The red-bed facies comprising this formation is continuous from Wyoming,
where it is equated with the Chugwater Formation, northeast into the Williston Basin of North Dakota,
Saskatchewan and Manitoba. However, only the upper portion may be present in Canada,
represented by the lower members of the Watrous and Amaranth formations Thickness of the
Spearfish ranges from more than 260 m (886 ft) in northeastern Wyoming to 225 m (738 ft) in North
Dakota to less than 100 m (328 ft) in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Relationship to Other Units: Unconformably overlies beds ranging from the Middle Permian in
Wyoming to Mississippian and Upper Devonian in Saskatchewan. The name Spearfish has not come
into general usage in Canada.
References: Bluemle, Anderson and Carlson, 1981; Francis, 1956; McLachlan, 1972; Robinson, Mapel
and Bergendahl, 1964.
JEC
Spence River Formation
Author: Hunt, C.W., 1954.
Type Locality: The type well is the West Territories Westerol 7A (61°39’13”N, 120°43’34”W), which was
drilled across the Mackenzie River from the mouth of Spence River. The Spence River interval is
Lithology: Highly bituminous shale, medium brown or grey to dark brown or black, slightly silty, slightly
calcareous to noncalcareous, with interbeds of brown limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: In the type well there are 47.5 m (156 ft) of shale; elsewhere the thickness
ranges between 40 and 55 m (130 and 180 ft). It is encountered over the southern Mackenzie Basin.
Law (1955) believed that its usage should be restricted to the Fort Simpson area, where it is a useful
subdivision, but that it should not be used elsewhere in northern Alberta or the Great Slave Lake area
because it is not a mappable unit. In a discussion at the end of Law’s paper Hunt disagreed with this
opinion.
Relationship to Other Units: The Spence River Formation disconformably overlies limestones of the
Territories Formation (Slave Point Formation) and conformably underlies the greenish prey shales of
the Simpson Formation (Hay River Formation). Hunt (1954) believed that this unit was correlative with
the Bituminous Shale zone of the Fort Creek Formation (this zone is now the Canol Formation) in the
Norman Wells area, and possibly the Horn River Formation in the Great Slave Lake area.
References: Hunt, 1954; Law, 1955a, b.
DRB; LVH
Upper Cretaceous (Late Albian)
Spikes Zone (Big River Formation, Colorado Group)
Author: Campen, E.B., 1975; Simpson, F., 1979a; Simpson, F. and O’Connell, S., 1979.
Lithology: The term is derived from a characteristic, serrated signature on electrical logs which
indicates a dominantly argillaceous sequence with interbedded sandstones and siltstones. The main
lithologies are dark grey shale and mudstone, for the most part finely laminated. Typically light olive,
grey, fine and very fine grained sandstone and coarse grained siltstone occur in graded layers up to
several centimetres thick, composed of horizontal and gently inclined laminae, which, with shale
intercalations of similar thickness form Sequences a few decimetres to several metres thick.
Bioturbated shaly sandstone and siltstone also form layers a decimetre or more in thickness. There is
a general upward decrease in the frequency of sandstone occurrence. Subordinate lithologies are
layers of chert pebbles and granules, bentonite, concretionary layers of siderite and calcite, and
accumulations of nodular phosphorite.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness varies from 70 to 105 m (230 to 344 ft) metres in southeastern
Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The Spikes dome is that part of the Big River Formation located between
the base of the Fish Scale Marker and the top of the Bow Island Formation (Second and Third Bow
Island Sands). The upper contact is a disconformity or a very low angle angular unconformity, the
lower limit is gradational. The unit is largely restricted to southeastern Alberta, southwestern
Saskatchewan and north-central Montana. Farther west the proportion of sandstone in the lower
Colorado succession increases and the unit is replaced by the upper sandstone bodies of the Second
Bow Island Sand, which are succeeded still farther west by the First Bow Island Sand. To the north
and east the unit undergoes progressive decrease in the proportion of interbedded sandstone and
siltstone, to be replaced by Big River shales and mudstones. It is equivalent to the Westgate Member
(Ashville Formation) in Manitoba, and to the Mowry Formation of Montana and North Dakota).
References: Campen, 1975; Simpson, 1979a; Simpson and O’Connell. 1979.
FS
Spinney Hill Member
(Joli Fou Formation, Colorado Group)
Author: Edwards, R.G., 1960.
Type Locality: Name first applied by F.H. Edmunds to the glauconitic sandstone unit occupying the
lower part of the Joli Fou Formation in the Spinney Hill No. 1 well, in 16-24-40-14W3M, near Spinney
Hill, Saskatchewan. The type well, designated by Edwards (1960), is the Liberal Canada Southern
New Devon Skyline No. 2 well, in 3-6-37-16W3M.
Lithology: Greyish green and dusky yellowish green, very fine to coarse grained glauconitic sandstone
with interbedded, dark grey noncalcareous shale and mudstone. Typically the succession is for the
most part made up of vertically repeated fining upward sequenced each of which is several metres
thick and composed of cross-laminated sandstone with minor intercalated shale, replaced upwards by
regular alternations of sandstone and shale. In central Saskatchewan the Spinney Hill Member
includes only minor amounts of interbedded shale, but the proportion of shale increases progressively
southward. Bioturbated, shaky glauconitic sandstone occurs in layers up to a few decimetres thick.
Scarce intraformational conglomerates also occur. Reworked relict pebbles of nodular phosphorite
form local concentrations Other subordinate lithologies include pelecypod coquinas and concretionary
layers of siderite and pyrite.
Thickness and Distribution: The Spinney Hill Member forms a prominent tongue of sandy strata
extending southwards from the southwestern margin of Prince Albert National Park, to the west of and
parallel to the South Saskatchewan River, shaping out to the north of swift Current. This tongue is
about 60 km (37.5 mi) wide. The unit ranges in thickness from about 12.2 to 36.6 m (40 to 120 ft), with
an average value of 18.3 m (60 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: In central Saskatchewan the unit subcrops beneath a Pleistocene drift
cover of variable thickness. Farther south the contact with the overlying Joli Fou shales and
mudstones is gradational as is the relationship between the sandstone tongue and the flanking
argillaceous deposits. The unit rests disconformably on sandstones and shales of the Mannville
Group.
References: Christopher, 1974; Edwards, 1960; Maycock, 1967; Simpson, 1975, 1979d, in prep.
FS
Spirit River Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Author: Alberta Study Group, 1954: first published by Badgley, P.C., 1952.
Type Locality: Imperial Spirit River No. 1 well, in 12-20-78-6W6M, northwestern Alberta, between 817
and 1162 m (2678 and 3810 ft). This interval was completely cored and core recovery was between 45
and 50 percent. The Spirit River Formation comprises three members: the Notikewin occurs between
817 and 845 m (2678 and 2770 ft); the Falher between 845 and 1052 m (2770 and 3450 ft); and the
Wilrich Member between 1052 and 1162 m (3450 and 3810 ft).
History: McLearn (1918) placed McConnell’s (1893) Peace River formation above the sequence of
shales (Loon River Shale named by McLearn) appearing on the lower Peace River in Twp 108.
Wickenden (1951) divided the Peace River Formation into 4 units: the continental sand member, the
Cadotte Member, the middle shale member and the Basal Sand member. The Alberta Study Group
(1954) removed the Basal Sand Member from the Peace River Formation, divided it into the overlying
Notikewin Sandstone and underlying Father Member and joined these to the underlying shale which
later they renamed the Wilrich Member to create the term Spirit River Formation. At this point the term
Loon River was rejected for the southern Peace River area.
Lithology: The Spirit River Formation consists of the following members, from top to bottom the
Notikewin, Falher and Wilrich. The Notikewin is grey yellowish and greenish grey more or less clayey
sandstone, fine to medium brained, containing interbeds of light to dark grey shale with ironstone. The
Falher is a variable succession of lithic greywacke, shales and siltstones with some thin coal beds.
Traces of glauconite are fairly common. The Wilrich is composed of dark grey shales with some thin
interbeds of sand and silt.
Thickness and Distribution: The Spirit River Formation is 348 m (1141 ft) thick in the type section. It
occurs in the subsurface throughout an area extending from the Fort St. John area in British Columbia
to Lesser Slave Lake in Alberta, and from the Grande Prairie, Alberta area north to Twp. 96.
Relationship to Other Units: Very abrupt conformable contact with the overlying Harmon shale member
of the Peace River Formation. Conformable with the underlying Bluesky Formation, which might be
considered a basal sandy introduction to the Spirit River Formation. Laterally the Spirit River grades
into shale facies of the Buckinghorse Formation to the northeast in the area north of Twp. 96 in Alberta
and into continental facies, i.e. Malcolm Creek Formation (upper type Luscar) toward the foothills and
south of the Wapiti River. It corresponds to the upper Mannville Formation of the Central Alberta
Plains, and to the Clearwater and Grand Rapids formations of the Athabasca River area. It correlates
with the Gates and Moosebar formations of the Hudson Hope area of British Columbia.
Paleontology: The Spirit River Formation yields the ammonites Beaudanticeras (Grantziceras) and
Arcthoplites. The microfauna carries calcareous benthonic Foraminifera of the Marginulinopsis collinsi
Subzone (Wickenden, 1951, Caldwell et al., 1978). Singh (1971 ) reported the earliest dicotyledon
pollen in Alberta from the Spirit River Formation.
References: Alberta Study Group, 1954; Badgley, 1952; Caldwell et al., 1978; McConnell, 1893;
McLearn, 1918; Singh, 1971; Wickenden, 1951.
CRS
Sprague Formation (Informal)
Author: Keatinge, P.R.G., 1975, p. 29.
Type Locality: Near Sprague, Manitoba, in Lsd. 10, Sec. 23, Twp. 2, Rge. 14EPM.
History: Name introduced in M.Sc. thesis, not defined elsewhere.
Lithology: Presumably till; low in sand and with 36 to 84% carbonate in matrix.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality 10 m (33 ft) thick; found in southeastern Manitoba.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Whiteshell Formation; overlain by silt and clay; correlated
with part of Lac du Bonnet Formation and Libau Drift; eastern equivalent of Roseau Formation.
Considered by Keatinge (p. 50) as Classical Wisconsin in age.
References: Keatinge, 1975; Moran et al., 1976.
AMacSS
Upper Carboniferous (Bashkirian-Moscovian)
Spray Lakes Group
Type Locality: Not specified. Composite. See Kananaskis and Tunnel Mountain formations.
History: McGugan and Rapson (1961b) recognized that the Norquay Formation in the Banff area
consisted of a Permian upper portion which they named the Ishbel Formation and a Middle
Pennsylvanian (Upper Carboniferous) lower portion which they named the Kananaskis Formation.
The Kananaskis was proposed for Middle Pennsylvanian carbonates and the existing Lower
Pennsylvanian Tunnel Mountain Formation was restricted to the cliff forming clastics, excluding the
limestones and dolomites of the Mississippian Etherington Formation. McGugan and Rapson (1963b)
elevated the Permian Ishbel Formation to group status and proposed the name Spray Lakes Group to
include the Pennsylvanian Kananaskis formation and Tunnel Mountain Formation (restricted).
Lithology: Brown and grey weathering clastics and carbonates, composed of two formations, in
ascending order: the Tunnel Mountain Formation, which comprises brown weathering, cliff forming
dolomitic siltstones, sandstones and orthoquartzites with chert nodules and thin chert beds, and
occasional silty carbonates in the lower portion; and the Kananaskis Formation, comprising light grey
weathering silty limestones and dolomites with blue and grey chert nodules, thin chert beds, and chert
breccio-conglomerates.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum thickness of over 610 m (2000 ft) in westernmost front range
sections owing to thickening of the Tunnel Mountain Formation; although the Kananaskis Formation is
open not recognized in these sections (McGugan and Rapson, 1964; Scott, 1964a, b). At the type
section of the Kananaskis Formation on Mount Chester the Spray Lakes group is 253 m (830 ft) thick.
The group thins eastward, and in the easternmost front ranges the Kananaskis thins to a feather edge
condensate and the Spray Lakes Group is mainly represented by the Tunnel Mountain Formation,
which seldom exceeds 91 m (300 ft) in thickness. The Spray Lakes Group is absent in the foothills
subsurface and is apparently absent north of about Windy Point on the David Thompson Highway.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the uppermost Mississippian (Visean-Serpukhovian) Etherington

Formation and equivalents throughout the area of occurrence. Overlain paraconformably by the
Permian Ishbel Group. Equivalent in part to the Amsden Group of Central Montana.
References: Bamber and Macqueen, 1979; Bamber, Taylor and Procter, 1968; Crickmay, 1960;
Halbertsma, 1959; Halbertsma and Staplin, 1960; Henderson, 1989; Hovdebo, 1962; McGugan, 1984;
McGugan and May, 1965; McGugan and Rapson, 1961b, 1963b, 1964, 1979; McGugan and Spratt,
1981; MacCauley et al., 1964; Nelson, 1961; Nelson and Rudy, 1961; Norris, 1957, 1965, Richards et
al., in press; Steward and Walker, 1980; Scott, 1964a, 1964b.
AM, CMH
Triassic (Griesbachian to Karnian )
Spray River Group
Author: Kindle, E.M., 1924; emended by Irish, E.J.W., 1965.
Type Locality: In the Spray River gorge, at the south end of Sulphur Mountain, Banff National Park,
Alberta, beginning in the first intermittent stream gully downstream from the junction of Goat Creek and
Spray River, terminating at the south end of the Spray River gorge (Gibson, 1968). NTS 82O/4 Banff.
History: Originally named Spray River Formation by Kindle (1924); subsequently raised to group
status by Irish (1965).
Lithology: Siltstone, silty shale, dolostone, limestone, solution or intraformational breccia, and minor
sandstone and gypsum; divisible into 2 formations: a lower Sulphur Mountain (4 members) comprising
a dark grey to rusty brown weathering sequence of siltstone, silty dolostone and silty, carbonaceous
shale; and an upper Whitehorse (3 members) comprising a light weathering, multicolored, locally
sandy sequence of limestone, dolostone and lesser calcareous and dolomitic sandstone and solution
or intraformational breccia.
Thickness and Distribution: Occurs throughout the Rocky Mountain Foothills and eastern front ranges
between the United States border and the Sukunka River area of northeastern British Columbia.
Ranges in measured thickens from zero in the eastern foothills of Alberta to 853 m (2798 ft) in the front
ranges of west-central Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: Unconformably overlies sandstone, chert and cherty dolostone of the
Permian Ishbel Group or Fantasque Formation, or in some areas, cherty dolostone of the
Mississippian Rundle Group. The Spray River Group is overlain disconformably by the Jurassic
Fernie. It is stratigraphically equivalent to the Diaber Group and most of the Schooler Creek Group of
the surface and subsurface foothills and Peace River Plains of northeastern British Columbia.
References: Gibson, 1968; Irish, 1965; Kindle, 1924.
DWG
Upper Devonian
Springburn Member (Beaverhill Lake Formation and Group)
Author: Unknown; first published by Committee on Slave Point and Beaverhill Lake Formation, 1964,
p. 63.
Type Locality: Shell Imperial Springburn No. 1, in 14-34-80-17W5, Alberta, between 2066 5 and
2089.1 m (6790 and 6845 ft).
History: Informal term used by industry for upper Beaverhill Lake reefal developments on the southeast
flank of the Peace River Arch.
Lithology: Reefal limestone and dolomites.
Thickness and Distribution: Forms discontinuous barrier reefs flanking basement paleotopographic
highs on the southeast flank of the Peace River Arch. Up to 30 m (98 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: An upper Beaverhill Lake Group reefal unit; passes laterally into basing
limestones and shales of the upper Waterways Formation. Overlies Precambrian basement directly, or
thin Devonian basal sand. Overlain by upper Waterways Formation or looser Woodbend Group shales.
It is equivalent to cycles 5 and 6 of the Slave Point Formation (Campbell et al., 1987), and to the upper
Slave Point of Podruski et al. (1988).
References: Committee on Slave Point and Beaverhill Lake Formations, 1964; Hemphill, Smith and
Szabo, 1970
PAM, PFM; RYH

Spy Hill Till (Informal)
Type Locality: Roadcut near Spy Hill, northwest of Calgary, in NE14 Sec. 29, Twp. 25, Rge. 2W5M,
Alberta.
History: Informal name introduced in Ph.D. thesis; further used by Rutter and Wyder (1969, p. 2) .
Lithology: A sandy and silty, buff to reddish grey till with a moderate to large number of stones;
calcareous, with an average carbonate content of 28% in the matrix; intermediate in character between
the more westerly Morley Till and the Lochend, Balzac and Crossfield tills to the east.
Thickness and Distribution: Up to 10 m (33 ft) thick; found in a long, narrow belt stretching northwest
from Calgary.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies “orange” stratified drift or bedrock; generally at surface, but may
be overlain by Lochend Till along its eastern margin. Deposited by glacier flowing down Bow Valley
into the foothills and plains. Assigned a Wisconsin age by Tharin (1960, P. 61 ).
References: Tharin, 1960; Rutter and Wyder, 1969.
AMacSS
Starbird Formation
Author: Walker, C .T., 1926.
Type Locality: Summit of Mount Forster, Purcell Range, southwestern British Columbia (50°36’N,
116°17’W).
History: Walker based the Starbird on 78 m (256 ft) of strata at the peak of Mount Forster, together with
an isolated outcrop on the west slope of the mountain that probably is higher stratigraphically. Norford
modified the formation substantially by placing the lowest 61 m (200 ft) in the underlying Mount Forster
Formation. Root mapped the Starbird west from Mount Forster to the core of the Purcell Range.
Lithology: Dolomite, dark grey weathering light olive-grey, grey and light grey with coarse dolomite
stringers, some siliceous content, platy, argillaceous dolomite, dolomitic siltstone, quartzite, argillite.
Thickness and Distribution: The Starbird Formation is only 17 m (56 ft) thick at its type section, but no
top is seen. Some 270 m (881 ft) are reported from farther west in the Purcell Range .
Relationship to Other Units: No younger rocks are known in contact with the Starbird, which
unconformably overlies the Middle Devonian Mount Forster Formation and locally the Precambrian
Horsethief Creek Group Uproot, 1985). The formation is coeval with the lower part of the Fairholme
Group of the Rocky Mountains and with the Beaverhill Lake and Souris River formations of Alberta
and Saskatchewan.
Paleontology: Corals, stromatoporoids, brachiopods, conodonts, echinoderm debris. Conodonts from

the basal beds indicate the upper part of the Polygnathus disparilis Zone; higher brachiopods indicate
the Eleutherokomma leducensis and E. jasperensis zones.
References: Douglas et al., in: Douglas (ed.), 1970; Norford, 1981; North and Henderson, 1954; Root,
1983, 1985; Walker, 1926.
BSN
Starlight Evaporite Member (Whitehorse Formation)
Type Locality: On Llama Mountain, the northeast limb of the Llama Mountain Anticline, beginning at
the southwest side of the mountain and continuing over the crest. E/2 Sec. 1, Twp. 5 6, Rge. 11W6M,
Alberta. NTS Grande Cache, 83E/14W.
History: The facies was first reported as the ‘Evaporite Facies’ of the Whitehorse Member by Best
(1958). Later Manko (1960) named the interval ‘Evaporitic Member’ of the Whitehorse Formation,
although including strata equivalent to the Brewster Limestone Member. Gibson (1965) subdivided
Manko’s Evaporitic Member into 2 members, a lower, tentatively termed ‘Evaporitic Member’ after
Manko, and an upper, tentatively termed ‘Crinoidal Limestone’ Member. Both units were designated as
new members of the Whitehorse Formation by Gibson in 1968. The name is derived from the Starlight
Range, Jasper National Park, site of an early gypsum discovery.
Lithology: Buff, yellow, light grey to reddish brown weathering sequence of interbedded carbonates,
sandstones, siltstones, intraformational and/or solution breccias, with locally intercalated beds and
lenses of gypsum up to 44 m (144 ft) thick. Breccia forms diagnostic facies at many western, thicker
exposures of the member. Breccias are massive weathering, generally porous and crumbly,
weathering yellow to reddish brown and forming, in part, “red bed” facies. A well indurated cliff forming
quartz sandstone forms a distinctive lithofacies between the Athabasca and Bow rivers and is named
the Olympus Sandstone Lentil (Gibson, 1974)
Thickness and Distribution: The unit occurs throughout the Rocky Mountain Foothills and front ranges
and southwestern and west-central Alberta and northeastern British Columbia to Sukunka River. It
ranges in thickness from a minimum of 30 m (98 ft) at Adams lookout in West-central Alberta to a
maximum of 402 m (1319 ft) at Mount Olympus, the type locality of the Olympus Sandstone Lentil. In
some areas between Bow River and Crowsnest Pass the Starlight Evaporite Member and Whitehorse
Formation are absent because of pre-Jurassic and Pleistocene-Recent erosion.
Relationship to Other Units: The Starlight is conformably underlain by medium to dark grey-brown to
yellow-brown weathering, silty to sandy quartzose dolostone and siltstone of the Llama Member of the
Sulphur Mountain Formation It is conformably and abruptly overlain in most areas by cliff forming
limestone of the Brewster Limestone Member. In the front ranges south of the Athabasca River, where
the Brewster Limestone Member is absent due to probable facies change the member is gradationally
overlain by more resistant yellowish to medium dark grey weathering sandy to silty dolostone and
limestone of the Winnifred Member. At more eastern exposures between the Athabasca and Bow
rivers the member is disconformably overlain by the Jurassic Fernie Formation. Between the Bow
River and Crowsnest Pass area the Whitehorse Formation is undifferentiated, although the strata are
considered equivalent to the Starlight Evaporite Member. The Starlight Evaporite Member is
equivalent to the Charlie Lake Formation and most of the Ludington Formation of the Peace River
Plains and Rocky Mountain Foothills of northeastern British Columbia respectively (Gibson, 1975).
References: Best, 1958, Gibson, 1968, 1974, 1975; Manko, 1960.
DWG
Middle Devonian
Steen River Formation (Obsolete}
Type Locality: Defined in the California Standard Steen River No. 1 well, in 2-22-11-75W6M,
northwestern Alberta, between 1364 and 1415 m (4473 and 4640 ft).
Lithology: Finely granular, dark brown, fossiliferous, argillaceous dolomite, changing facies to
limestone near the Alberta-Northwest Territories border.
Thickness and Distribution: 49 to 61 m (160 to 200 ft) thick in the area of the type section. It is
erosionally truncated to the east and thickens and becomes part of the Keg River Formation to the
west.
Relationship to Other Units: The Steen River is overlain by the Territories Formation of Hunt (1954)
and underlain by the Fitzgerald Formation of Cameron (1922). As originally defined it included the
plastic and/or detrital unit now referred to the Watt Mountain Formation. The term is sometimes used to
designate the carbonate lying below the Watt Mountain and above the evaporites of the Muskeg
Formation.
References: Cameron, 1922; Hunt, 1954; Law, 1955a, b.
C.S.P.G. Yukon Mackenzie Lexicon, 1981.

Middle Cambrian
Stephen Formation (Stephen Shale)
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1908a, 1908b; Deiss, C., 1940.
Type Locality: Walcott gave the anomalous section on Mount Stephen as the type locality. Rasetti
(1951) discussed the many difficulties with the Mount Stephen locality and moved the type section to
Mount Bosworth, 8 km (5 mi) northwest of Lake Louise, Alberta, at 51°28’N, 116°19’W. There the
section is contiguous with the type Cathedral Formation and representative of the regional character of
the Stephen.
History: Walcott’s publications (1908b, 1908c, 1928) on the Stephen, particularly the type section, were
confused. In his earliest descriptions, and on p. 247 of his posthumously published synthesis (1928)
he limited the Stephen to the shaly interval between Cathedral and Eldon massive carbonates, but on
p. 315-319 he added an additional 58 m (190 ft) of “blueish grey limestone with bands of dark,
siliceous shale in its lower Portion” to the top of the Stephen on Mount Stephen. This was a revision of
his concept of the Stephen, dictated by his having included within the Stephen at Mount Bosworth and
other localities the conspicuous, dark grey weathering limestones at the base of the pale Eldon
dolomites that overlie the highest Stephen shales. Deiss (1939, 1940) and Rasetti (1951) continued to
include the dark limestones within the Stephen, although Rasetti suggested that they might be
transferred to the Eldon. Rasetti’s suggestion has been followed in subsequent work (Aitken, 1966b;
Aitken, Fritz and Norford, 1972; McIlreath, 1977) to make the Stephen-Eldon contact a depositional,
rather than a diagenetic one. Fritz (1971) and McIlreath (1977) distinguished the anomalously thick
and lithologically distinct Stephen Formation of the western parts of Mounts Stephen and Field as the
“thick” Stephen, as contrasted with the regional “thin” Stephen as represented by the Mount Bosworth
section.
Lithology: Regionally the “thin” Stephen consists of interbedded shale and limestone. The shales are
grey and greenish grey in the main ranges, and partly bright green and purple-red at mountain front
and subsurface localities. Thin laminae of quartz siltstone are minor, and increase eastward.
Limestones are predominantly thin bedded, burrowed lime mudstone, but include ooid, oncoid and
skeletal grainstones, stromatolites and flatstone and roundstone conglomerates.
The “thick”, or basinal Stephen deposits west of the Cathedral Escarpment are dominated in the lower
part by thin bedded and laminated, partly turbidity shale. Interbedded with shale is a small content of
ooid-skeletal-intraclast packstone and mudstone re-deposited from the shallow platform. The
boundary limestone member occurs as a westward thinning wedge up to 100 m (328 ft) thick where it
abuts the escarpment (McIlreath, 1977a, b). An upward shallowing trend is evident; the upper part of
the basinal “thick” Stephen resembles the regional “thin” Stephen and is continuous with it.
Thickness and Distribution: The Stephen Formation is 109.1 m (358 ft) thick at the type section. It thins
westward onto the axis of the Kicking Horse Rim (Aitken, 1971), in part by the incorporation of basal
peritidal carbonates into the Cathedral Formation, before thickening rapidly to 275 to 335 m (902 to
1100 ft) in a largely deep water facies. It thins eastward to as little as 21 .6 m (71 ft) at the mountain
front at Ghost River, and continues thinning eastward in the subsurface. The maximum thickness of the
“thin” Stephen is 370 m (1214 ft) in the Chaba River section near Fortress Lake.
The Stephen Formation dips westward out of view west of the Kicking Horse Rim. No specific western
equivalent has been recognized. Eastward the Stephen passes into part of the subsurface Earlie
Formation as the bounding Cathedral and Eldon carbonates change to inner-detrital facies (Pugh,
1971). A similar change takes place northward - as the Cathedral Formation becomes unrecognizable
along a line slightly north of Athabasca Glacier and Sunwapta Peak the Stephen becomes part of the
Snake Indian Formation, as the Stephen Member. Southward the Stephen plunges from view south of
Mount Assiniboine.
Relationship to Other Units: The Stephen Formation may be regarded as a westward directed tongue
of inner-detrital facies that invades the long-term locus of the middle carbonate facies belt (Cathedral
and Eldon formations). The basal contact is conformable and gradational and, except near the Rim
(see above), approximately time parallel. The upper contact (with the Eldon) is gradational and
diachronous, becoming younger eastward.
References: Aitken, 1966b, 1978; Aitken, Fritz and Norford, 1972; Deiss, 1939, 1940; Fritz, 1971;
McIlreath, 1977; Mountjoy and Aitken, 1978; Pugh, 1971; Rasetti, 1951; Walcott, 1908a, b, c, 1928.
JDA; LVH
Stettler Formation
Author: Wonfor, J.S. and Andrichuk, J.M., 1953, 1956.
Type Locality: Canadian Gulf Gerard No. 1, in 16-34-37-20W4M, in Alberta, between 1411.2 and 1588
m (4630 and 5210 ft).
Lithology: Dolomites and evaporites. The dolomites vary from micro-sucrosic to coarsely crystalline.
Evaporites, which are concentrated south of the Stettler area generally comprise anhydrite, locally
halite and associated cryptocrystalline dolomite. A secondary development of evaporites occurs in the
foothills area west of Calgary. In a north-south belt trending through the Calgary area the Stettler
Formation includes the Crossfield Member, a porous, biostromal dolomite unit. The dolomite facies of
central Alberta passes westward and northwestward into limestones referred to the Morro Member of
the Palliser Formation and the Wabamun Group respectively.
Thickness and Distribution: The Stettler Formation occurs throughout southern Alberta and northern
Montana, where it is termed Potlatch. It averages 100 to 150 m (328 to 492 ft) in thickness where not
affected by solution-brecciation or post-Paleozoic erosion and thickens to the west and northwest. In
southern Saskatchewan Stettler equivalents are included in the Torquay Formation, and in
southwestern Manitoba in the Lyleton Formation.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies, apparently conformably siltstones and silty dolomites of the
Winterburn Group and conformably overlain by limestones of the Big Valley Formation. In southern
Alberta it overlies strata assigned to the Crowfoot Formation.
References. Andrichuk, 1960; Andrichuk and Wonfor, 1954; Beales, 1956; Belyea, 1955, 1957, 1964;
Sutterlin, 1958; Wonfor and Andrichuk, 1953, 1956.
JMA; FAS, JW
Lower Cretaceous
St. Edouard Member (Joli Fou Formation, Colorado Group)
Author: Badgley, P.C., 1952.
Type Locality: Shaw Petroleums St. Edouard No. 2 well, in Alberta, between 495.5 and 510.5 m (1625
and 1675 ft).
Lithology: The St. Edouard is a thin succession of quartzose sandstones, with minor shale and
siltstone interbeds and interlaminate. The sandstones are generally porous and well sorted.
Thickness and Distribution: The member is 15 m (50 ft) thick in the type well and is present in east-
central Alberta, in the area embracing Edmonton, Athabasca and Lloydminster.
Relationship to Other Units: The St. Edouard Member is a laterally persistent quartzose sandstone. It is
probably equivalent, at least in part to the Colony Sand of the Lloydminster area. The St. Edouard
Member is believed to have been deposited at a time of still-stand, when little detritus was being
supplied and conditions for sorting were favorable. Widespread littoral conditions prevailed at this
time.
Reference: Putnam, 1980.
PEP, AIB
St. Eloi Clinobed (Viking Formation, Colorado Group)
Author: Evans, W.E., 1970; Simpson, E, 1975, in prep.
Type Locality: The name is taken from the Phillips St. Eloi A7-10 well, in Lsd. 7-10-30-23W3,
Saskatchewan, which penetrated the maximum thickness observed by Evans (1970). The type section
is in the Murphy Kiyiu 4-12-30-22W3M well, between 709.3 and 713.2 m (2327 and 2340 ft).
members, alphabetically designated “K”, “Upper E”, “Lower L”, ;”M”, “N” and “O” was worked out
independently by Evans (1970) on the basis of detailed electric log correlation Simpson (1975, in
prep.) examined the lithologic variation in these units and named them; the St. Eloi Clinobed is
equivalent to the “Upper L” member of Evans.
Lithology: Shaly, fine grained, slightly glauconitic sandstone, with minor conglomerate and pebbly
sandstone. Characteristically sandstone beds a few centimetres thick alternate in vertical sequence
with mudstone layers of similar thickness. The proportion of interbedded mudstone decreases upward;
this is accompanied by an increase in the degree of biogenic disruption of primary layering. Coarse
grained sandstone and pebbly sandstone occur sporadically at the base of the unit.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is up to 4.9 m (16 ft) thick and forms a belt which extends
westwards across the southern unit of the Dodsland-Hoosier production area, the northern edge of the
unit has a west-southwesterly trend; the southern perimeter extends in a westerly direction.
Relationship to Other Units: The St. Eloi Clinobed onlaps the Crystal Clinobed in the north and
oversteps the Joli Fou Formation farther south. It is overlapped by the Merrington Clinobed; the sharp
contact is defined by the base of a thin layer of bentonitic mudstone. In the northern pan of the
production area the St. Eloi Clinobed passes into sandy shale.
References: Evans, 1970; Jones, 1961, 1961b; Reasoner and Hunt, 1954a, 1954b; Simpson, 1975,
1979d, 1980.
FS
Miocene
St. Eugene Formation
Type Locality: Southern Rocky Mountain Trench, British Columbia. Reference sections are located
along: (1) St. Mary River in the vicinity of Wycliffe and St. Eugene Mission (49°35’ to 49°37’N, 115°42’
to 115°52’W), (2) Elk River, south of Elko (49°12’ to 49°13’N; 115°07’ to 115°09’W), and (3) Gold
Creek, north of Newgate (49°04’N, 115°14’W).
History: The St. Eugene Formation is part of the ‘St. Eugene silts’ of Schofield (1915). The latter unit
was defined as silt, sand and gravel underlying till of the last glaciation along the St. Mary River
between Wycliffe and St. Eugene Mission. So defined, the St. Eugene silts occur widely in the Rocky
Mountain Trench and are exposed in the major river valleys beneath late Pleistocene drift, but the unit
is a grouping of diverse geologic-climate sub-units of different ages Schofield assigned the sediments
to the ‘St. Eugene interglacial (?) epoch’, although he thought a “pre-Glacial’ age possible.
A collection of fossil leaves from stratified silt near the base of Schofield’s St. Eugene unit was
examined by Hollick (1914, 1927), who thought the flora to be Tertiary in age. Berry (1929) designated
the St. Eugene flora as Pliocene in age. Rice (1937) then redefined the St. Eugene silts as silt, sand
and gravel of Miocene age underlying all glacial and interglacial deposits. He listed four localities, all
along the St. Mary River in the vicinity of Wycliffe and St. Eugene Mission, where these sediments are
exposed.
Lithology: Diamicton, silt, sand and gravel. Three informal units have been recognized in the exposed
part of the St. Eugene Formation: (1) a lower unit of colluvium and fanglomerate; (2) a middle unit of silt
and sand deposited in lakes or backwater ponds on flood plains, and (3) an upper unit of fluvial
channel gravel.
The colluvium consists of poorly sorted, Weakly stratified angular debris in a clay-silt matrix. Most of
the sediment comprises clasts of one or a few lithologies which crop out nearby.
Like the colluvium, the fanglomerate is poorly sorted, consisting of clasts up to 1 m (3 ft) in diameter in
a clay- and silt-rich matrix. Stratification is defined by gently dipping, discontinuous silt and sand beds.
Many of the larger clasts are well rounded, but most granules and small pebbles are angular to
subrounded. Sorting and clast roundness increase upward in most fanglomerate sections, presumably
due to increased water-working of sediment during transportation and deposition. The only observed
sedimentary structures other than discontinuous parallel stratification are channels cut into and filled
with fanglomerate.
Both the colluvium and fanglomerate are debris accumulations at the foot of slopes, the former having
been emplaced mainly by gravity, the latter by flowing water and mudflows
Colluvium and fanglomerate are distinguished from other sediments in the southern Rocky Mountain
Trench by color. Hues are generally brown, orange, or yellow (5YR, 10YR, 5Y). in contrast, glacial
deposits are light grey to very light grey (N7 to N8). The coloring of the colluvium and fanglomerate is
thought to be due to the presence of iron oxide formed during weathering. Lengthy or intense
weathering is also indicated by probable paleosols, rotten Casts and secondary (?) clay.
The middle unit of the St. Eugene Formation consists of gently dipping beds of very light grey to bluish
white (N8 to 5B8/1) silt and sand with abundant plant remains in places. Interbeds of well sorted, well
rounded gravel are uncommon, although along the St. Mary River the unit is locally underlain by such
gravel. Parallel stratification is the most common sedimentary structure; large scale trough cross-
stratification is rare.
The upper unit consists of well sorted, stratified gravel with minor sand layers. Gravel Casts, which are
as large as 1 m (3 ft) in diameter, are well rounded and highly weathered most are stained by iron
oxide, many are rotten). A matrix of medium to coarse sand surrounds the Casts.
Thickness and Distribution: The St. Eugene Formation underlies Pleistocene deposits in the southern
Rocky Mountain Trench from north of Cranbrook to the International Boundary, a distance of
approximately 80 km (50 mi). Although the exposed part of the unit is relatively thin (i.e., less than 50
m, 164 ft), up to 1500 m (4920 ft) of sediments of Eocene to Miocene age are present in fault-bounded
basins beneath the floor of the Trench (Garland et al., 1961; Lamb and Smith, 1962; Thompson, 1962)
An unknown thickness of the upper part of this basin fill is assignable to the St. Eugene Formation.
The Tertiary basins in the southern Rocky Mountain Trench are bounded on the east and west by high-
angle faults parallel to the Trench margins and on the north and south by faults transverse to the trend
of the Trench. Block faulting of a half-graben style probably was contemporaneous with deposition of
the St. Eugene Formation, thus the present distribution of the unit likely approximates its original
extent.
Relationship to Other Units: The base of the unit in most places is not exposed, but it is probable that
the St. Eugene Formation is underlain by weakly consolidated early Miocene and older sediments in
several fault-bounded basins beneath the floor of the Rocky Mountain Trench. Outside these basins
the St. Eugene unconformably overlies, and is in fault contact with Paleozoic, and Precambrian
sedimentary rocks. It is unconformably overlain by Pleistocene glacial and interglacial deposits.
Paleontology: Stratified silt and sand of the St. Eugene Formation include beds rich in fossil plant
remains. Hollick (1927) identified 18 plants from fossil leaf and fruit impressions collected near St.
Eugene Mission. This plant assemblage indicates a warm temperature climate such as that of the
southeastern United States today. Berry (1929) concluded that the flora was late Tertiary in age on the
basis of similarities with Miocene floras of the northwestern United States.
A palynological investigation of the St. Eugene formation by Clague (1974) revealed the Presence of
39 genera of ferns, gymnosperms and anthophytes. Phytogeographic reconstruction based upon the
habitats of extant counterparts indicated floral elements growing on poorly drained lowlands, adjacent
slopes and montane uplands; thus there seas a moderate to high relief in southeastern British
Columbia during middle Miocene time. The climate apparently was temperate, with warm summers,
mild winters and abundant, uniformly distributed precipitation This contrasts with the present climate of
the southern Rocky Mountain Trench, which is semi arid, with hot summers and cold winters and
suggests that the mountain barriers which presently restrict cool, moist Pacific maritime air masses to
the coast were lower during the Miocene, or that the polar seas were relatively warm.
References: Berry, 1929; Clague, 1974; Garland et al., 1961; Hollick, 1914, 1927; Lamb and Smith,
1962, Rice, 1937; Schofield, 1927; Thompson, 1962.
JJC
Cretaceous
St. John Formation (Disused)
History: Shortened form of Fort St. John used first by McLearn (1918). This form is no longer used.
References: McLearn, 1918, 1919; Allan and Rutherford, 1934; Stott, 1963.
PAM
Quaternary
St. Malo Formation (Informal)
Author: Fenton, M.M., 1974, p. 47
Type Locality: “Circus Section”, south of St. Malo, Manitoba, in Lsd. 5, Sec. &, Twp. 3, Rge. 5EPM.
Lithology: Stratified sediment, apparently mostly fine sand and silty clay, with some compressed plant
material.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section about 1 m (3 ft) thick; present in southeastern Manitoba.
Relationship to Other Units: “The St. Malo Formation includes all the stratified sediment above the
Woodmore Formation and below the Stuartburn Formation”. Contacts are sharp. Age greater than
38000 radiocarbon years.
Reference: Fenton, 1974.
AMacSS
?Permian
St. Martin Complex (Series)
Author: McCabe, H.R. and Bannatyne, B., 1970.
Type Locality: Limited to the area of the Lake St. Martin crater structure, centered in Twp 32, Rge.
8WPM, in the Interlake area of southern Manitoba, 325 km (203 mi) north of Winnipeg. No type section
defined.
History: The unit was originally designated as a “Series” but is more properly defined by the
Stratigraphic Code as a Complex.
Lithology: Defined as “the sequence of carbonate breccia, granitic breccias, polymict breccias
(suevite), and aphanitic igneous rocks, of approximate Permian age, that occurs within the Lake St.
Martin crater structure and is genetically associated with formation of the crater. Also associated with
the origin of the Lake St. Martin structure is the extensive shock metamorphism of the Precambrian
rocks which form the central uplifted core ...” The basal rocks commonly consist of granitic breccias
and micro-breccia formed by fragmentation of Precambrian basement rocks. Carbonate breccias occur
immediately within the crater rim and consist of slightly to highly fragmented rocks ranging in age from
Ordovician to Upper Devonian. Polymict breccias commonly overlie the above and consist of a highly
variable mixture of fragments of altered carbonate rocks, altered granitic rocks and highly altered
“volcanic” or melt rocks. Massive trachyandesites or melt rocks, dated at +-250 m.y., occur either above
or intercalated with the polymict breccias, and range in texture from vesicular, with numerous
inclusions of altered and shock-metamorphosed granitic fragments in the lower part to relatively clean,
massive trachyandesite in the upper part. Structurally uplifted basement rocks comprise a small,
approximately 2 km (1.25 mi) wide, central core of highly shock-metamorphosed granitic gneiss.
Thickness and Distribution: The complex is limited to the central part of the crater structure (diameter
approximately 23 km, 14.4 mi). Its maximum recorded thickness is 265 m (869 ft), but may be
considerably thicker. It is absent in the central part of the structure on the uplifted core of shock-
metamorphosed basement gneiss.
References: McCabe and Bannatyne, 1970.
HRM
Upper Cretaceous
St. Mary River Formation
Type Locality: None designated by author (1883), but in 1884 (p. 54C) he mentioned the St. Mary River
as affording the best and most typical display of these rocks. Williams and Dyer (1930, p. 52) assumed
the type locality to be along the St. Mary River west of Magrath, Alberta, “where excellent exposures
occur for more than 20 miles, (32 km). The outcrop along the river between Sec. 20, Twp. 4, Rge.
24W4M and Sec. 24, Twp. 6, Rge. 23W4M is the focal point for the lithostratigraphic study of the
formation by Williams (1951).
Lithology: Hard, greenish-grey weathering, fine grained, calcareous, commonly lenticular sandstones
alternating with green and grey friable, silty shales. Thin carbonaceous shales and nodular, rusty
weathering limestones are present in places. The basal zone or member, about 30 m (100 ft) thick
consists of fissile grey shale, rusty weathering sandstone, coal beds and coquinoid limestone (Tozer,
1956, p. 8). The basal member is considered representative of lagoonal conditions by Williams (1951,
p. 896) and of a lagoonal to marsh regime by Young and Reinson (1975) and Reinson (1979); the
remainder of the formation is regarded as nonmarine.
Thickness and Distribution: 354 m (1160 ft) thick in the type area on the St. Mary River (Williams, 1951;
p. 892) and about 457 m (1500 ft) on Oldman River (Russell, 1932a, p. 34B). It thickens westward to
the foothills, where Hage (1943, p. 11) estimated a thickness of about 762 m (2500 ft) on the Castle
and Crowsnest rivers. The formation extends northward from Glacier County, northwestern Montana to
Twp. 14 in Alberta and westward from the Sweetgrass Arch area to the foothills belt.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Blood Reserve Formation or the Bearpaw
where the former is absent in the foothills, and is conformably overlain by the Willow Creek Formation,
except on the east limb of the Alberta Syncline, where Russell (1965) indicated the contact may he
erosional. The St. Mary River Formation gives place to the Horseshoe Canyon (=Edmonton)
Formation north of the Oldman River at about Twp. 10, but extends as a lens into the middle of the
Horseshoe Canyon as far north as the Little Bow River in the vicinity of Carmangay, near the north
boundary of Twp 13 (Russell, 1932b, p 131; 1950, p. 38), where Irish (1968a) recognized hard
sandstones and friable shales of St. Mary River lithology overlying typical Horseshoe Canyon
sediments. On the east side of the Alberta Syncline, along the Oldman River in Sec. 25, Twp. 10, Rge.
25W4M Tozer (1952, p 4) identified a tuff bed at the top of the formation which he correlated with the
Kneehills tuft “zone” of the Battle Formation of the central and southeastern Alberta Plains. Underlying
this tuft are dark grey shale and white weathering sandstone which were thought to be the equivalents
of the “mauve” shale of the battle Formation and the Whitemud Formation, respectively. The St. Mary
River Formation is also equivalent in part to the Eastend Formation of the Cypress Hills region.
Paleontology: Ostrea, Corbula and other forms indicative of a brackish water environment are common
in the basal member as contributors to the limestone coquinas. Throughout the remainder of the
formation well preserved and distinctive fresh water and terrestrial mollusk shells occur, the most
important locality being on Pincher Creek west of the town of that name (see Tozer, 1956). Dinosaur
bones have been found at a number of localities and stratigraphic levels. A rich deposit occurs on Lee
Creek, southwest of Cardston. At Scabby Butte, east of Nobleford dinosaur and other vertebrate
remains occur near the base of the formation (Langston, 1975). One very distinctive dinosaur
(Pachyrhinosaurus) described from here has also been found in the lower part of the Horseshoe
Canyon Formation near Drumheller. Mammalian remains of Cretaceous affinities have been described
from the Scabby Butte locality and from near the top of the formation on the Oldman River, north of
Lundbreck (Sloan and Russell, 1974).
References: Dawson, 1883, 1884; Hage, 1943; Irish, 1968a; Langston, 1975; Reinson, 1979; Russell,
1932a, b, 1950, 1965; Sloan and Russell, 1974; Dozer, 1952, 1956; Williams, 1951; Williams and Dyer,
1930; Young and Reinson, 1975.
JHW; LSR
Lower Cambrian
St. Piran Formation
Type Locality: “Slopes of Mount St. Piran a little northwest of Lake Louise” (Walcott, 1908, 1928) in
Alberta.
History: The St. Piran Formation was recognized as a division of what is now the Gog Group only by
Walcott and, in a limited way, Deiss. Deiss (1940) raised doubts about the validity of the Fort
Mountain-Lake Louise-St. Piran formations, which depended upon recognition of the suspect Lake
Louise Shale. Prior to the erection of the Gog Formation (now Group) by Deiss (1940) workers in
areas remote from the Lake Louise area tended to use the name St. Piran for the entire Lower
Cambrian quartzite dominated succession, except in the Mount Robson area, where the McNaughton,
Mural and Mahto formations were well established.
Lithology: “This is essentially a sandstone formation, with some greenish, siliceous and arenaceous
shales in its upper portion. The sandstones ... vary in color from light gray to dirty gray, brownish,
purplish and pink”. (Walcott, 1928).
Thickness and Distribution: Walcott (1928) gave the following thicknesses: 824.5 m (2704 ft) at the
type section; 153.3 m (503 ft) at Mount Bosworth, 8 km (5 mi) distant; 160 m (525 ft) in the Mount
Assiniboine area. The first two figures in themselves suggests that the base of the formation may not
have been a consistent stratigraphic level, as suggested by Deiss (1940). The criterion for identifying
the base of the St. Piran in the absence of the Lake Louise Shale (itself suspect, see “Lake Louise
Shale”) was never stated.
Relationship to Other Units: The St. Piran Formation is some upper part of the Cog Group, and that
part above the Lake Louise Shale where that unit is identifiable. Elsewhere it was described as
overlying the Fort Mountain Formation. The St. Piran is overlain conformably by the Lower Cambrian
Peyto Formation (of the Gog Group), or unconformably by the Middle Cambrian Mount Whyte
Formation (Rasetti, 1951).
The St. Piran Formation contains hyolithids and fragments of olenellid trilobites. It is conformably
overlain by the Lower Cambrian, fossiliferous (Bonnia-olenellus Zone) Peyto Formation.
References: Deiss, 1940; Rasetti, 1951, Walcott, 1908, 1928.
JDA
Lower Cretaceous (Upper Fabian)
St. Walburg Sandstone
(Big River Formation, Colorado Group)
Author: Simpson, F., 1975,1980.
Type Locality: in view of the absence of a complete cored section through the St. Walburg Sandstone,
the partial cored sections from two wells were designated reference sections: these are the St.
Walburg No. 1 well (Lsd. 14-31-55-21W3M), between 337.1 and 339.2 m (1106 and 1113 ft), and the
Cdn. Seaboard Horse Head 9-28-57-18W3M well, between 242.9 and 254.5 m (797 and 835 ft)
respectively; the unit is restricted to the subsurface of west-central Saskatchewan.
History: The name St. Walburg Sandstone first appeared in the Saskatchewan Department of Mineral
Resources Schedule of Wells, Volume 13 for 1963-1964. Although correlations of the unit across west-
central Saskatchewan were made by means of geophysical well logs in an unpublished report by
Buller and von Ledebur (1962), the first account of the St. Walburg lithologic associations was
provided by Simpson (1975).
Lithology: Light to medium grey and light olive grey, fine to coarse grained silty sandstone, with varying
proportions of intercalated dark grey mudstone and shale. The sandstones are quartzose, kaolinitic
and variably glauconitic. They occur in up to two principal coarsening upward sequences
characterized by an upward increase in sand size and concomitant replacement of alternating layers
of sandstone and shale by increasingly bioturbated strata. Scarce conglomerates and pebbly
sandstones also occur.
Thickness and Distribution: The maximum thickness of the unit is 32.9 m (108 ft) to the north of the
town of Meadow Lake. The St. Walburg Sandstone forms a prominent southwestward thinning wedge
which is restricted in distribution to a structural platform delineated in west-central Saskatchewan by
the southern perimeter of the Precambrian Shield and the valley of the modern North Saskatchewan
River. The zero edge of the unit approximately coincides with the southern edge of this platform.
Relationship to Other Units: The St. Walburg Sandstone conformably rests upon and is conformably
overlain by enveloping shales and mudstones of the Big River Formation; both lower and upper
contacts of the unit are gradational. The St. Walburg Sandstone appears to be the lithostratigraphic
equivalent of the Big River shales and mudstones beneath the Fish Scale Sandstone. It is
approximately equivalent to the Okla Sandstone of east-central Saskatchewan near Meadow Lake the
underlying Big River shales separating the unit from the Flotten Lake sand are not present and the two
arenaceous sequences form a continuous sandstone succession. The St. Walburg occurs slightly
higher than the Viking Formation in the stratigraphic section .
References: Buller and von Ledebur, 1962; Saskatchewan Department of Mineral Resources, 1964;
Simpson, 1975, 1979, 1980
FS
Quaternary
Stimson Creek Till (Informal)
General Comment: Name introduced by Waters (1975, p. 72) for till laid down by the northern lobe of
the valley glacier in Stimson and Willow Creeks during his Event 2, and the unit is largely restricted to
that part of the Pekisko Creek-Happy Valley area, Rocky Mountain Foothills, southwest of Calgary,
Alberta. The till is dark grey to black, sandy and of Cordilleran origin. No type locality given, but a
representative section is present at “grid reference 864700”.
Stimson Creek is one of four names that Waters introduced for deposits laid down by valley glaciers
within the Pekisko Creek-Happy Valley area during his Event 2, the others being the Cartwright,
Pekisko and Timber Creek tills. Waters (p. 48) correlated these tills with each other, with the Maycroft
Mill of Alley (1973) and with the Furman Till of Day (1971), and suggested a pre-Classical Wisconsin
age for them. As Cartwright was introduced solely for a local area and is informal, its use should be
restricted
References: Alley, 1973; Day, 1971; Harris and Waters, 1977; Waters, 1975
AMacSS
Lower Cretaceous
Stockman’s Sand (Blairmore Group)
Author: Unknown.
Type Locality: Stockman No. 1 well, in Lsd. 1, Sec. 27, Twp. 20, Rge. 3W5M, Turner Valley oil field,
Alberta, at 537 m (1760 ft).
Remarks: The sand is reported to be present in a few wells drilled in Twp. 20, Rge. 3W5M and Twp. 19,
Rge. 2W5M. Where present it occurs about 31 m (100 ft) below the top of the Blairmore. It contained
gas in the Stockman No. 1 well.
References: Alberta P. & N.G. Cons. Bd. Schedule of Wells for 1949; Goodman, 1935.

Mississippian and Lower Pennsylvanian
Stoddart Group
Author: Rutgers, A.T.C ., 1958.
Type Locality: Pacific Fort St. John #23, in 3-29-83-18W6M, in northeastern British Columbia, between
2020 and 2680 m (6630 and 8796 ft).
Lithology: The Stoddart Group is a succession of clastics and carbonates that is divided, in ascending
order into the Golata, Kiskatinaw and Taylor Flat formations. The Golata Formation is a fossiliferous
limestone at the base, which grades up to dark grey to black to greenish shales with occasional
siltstone. Coal and anhydrite are developed locally in Alberta. The Kiskatinaw Formation is a
quartzose sandstone with interbedded dark grey to variegated shale and rare carbonate beds. The
Taylor Flat Formation is composed mainly of limestone and dolomite, with occasional sandstone beds.
The lower part of the Taylor Flat is generally calcareous shale to argillaceous limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: The maximum known thickness is at the type area, where the Stoddart
Group is 660 m (2165 ft) thick. The group is recognized in the foothills and Rocky Mountains in British
Columbia, where the northwestern and southern limits are not well established, and through the
Peace River subsurface into Alberta, between approximately Twps. 60 and 85, as far east as Rge.
23W5M.
Relationship to Other Units: The Stoddart Group rests conformably on the Debolt Formation, but is
locally disconformable in Alberta it lies unconformably below Permian Belloy strata in the Peace River
subsurface, and below the Kindle Formation or Mount Greene Beds of the Ishbel Group in the Rocky
Mountains and foothills. According to most authors no major unconformities occur within the Stoddart.
However local or regional conformities are present within the Kiskatinaw, and at the Kiskatinaw-Taylor
Flat boundary in the Fort St. John and Peace River areas. The Stoddart passes westward into the
Besa River formation and grades northward into the relatively, coarse grained, partly continental
Mattson Formation. It is equivalent to the upper Mount Head (Carnarvon Member), Etherington, Tunnel
Mountain and Kananaskis formations of the Southern Rocky Mountains, and the Big Snowy Group in
Montana.
References: Bamber and Mamet, 1978; Halbertsma and Staplin, 1960; Macauley, 1958; McCrossan
and Glaister, 1964; Rutgers, 1958; Hovdebo, 1962.
HLH; DF, RSD, PAM

Early and Middle? Devonian
Stone Formation
Author: Taylor, G.C., 1967; Taylor, G.C., and MacKenzie, W.S., 1970.
Type Locality: In and along the stream bed of One Ten Creek, adjacent to the Alaska Highway west of
Mount St. Paul in the Tuchodi Lakes (94K) map-area of northeastern British Columbia. Geographical
coordinates of the type section: 58°41’N, 124°48’W.
Lithology: In the type area a sequence of intertidal, very light grey aphanitic dolomites and dolomite
breccias. South from Mount Mary Henry [Tuchodi Lakes (94K) map-area] floating quartz sand grains
are common in the lower three quarters of the formation to the degree that they dominate the lithology
in the Halfway (94B) map-area north of Peace River. Accompanied by color change from very light
grey to tan and change of bedding character to very well bedded alternation of sand-rich and sand-
poor dolomites, the lower Stone becomes a distinctive map-unit there. West of the type area the
intertidal dolomites pass into subtidal fine crystalline dolomites with minor interbedded limestones.
Thickness and Distribution: Widespread throughout the northern Rocky Mountains of British
Columbia, the formation can be traced from a feather edge onlapping the Alberta and Peace River
arches just north of Monkman Lake [in Monkman Pass (93I) map-area] to the shale transition south of
Beaver River in the LaBiche (95C) map-area. Approximately 400 m (1312 ft) thick at the type section,
the formation thickens westerly to approximately 600 m (1968 ft) near Muncho Lake.
Relationship to Other Units: Unconformably overlies the Wokkpash Formation in the type area and
older units, where onlapping of the Peace River and Alberta arches can be demonstrated. At the type
area and southward is disconformably overlain by the Dunedin Formation. West and north of the type
area becomes conformable with the overlying Dunedin Formation. Passes laterally in the subsurface
of northeast British Columbia into the lower part of the Chinchaga Formation, and westwards into
equivalent shales. Probable correlative of the Arnica and Bear Rock formations of the Northwest
Territories
References: Griffin, 1967; Taylor, 1967; Taylor and MacKenzie, 1970, Taylor and Stott, 1973.
GCT
Late Ordovician (Ashgillian/Llandoverian) to possibly Early Silurian
Stonewall Formation
(Richmondian/Alexandrian)
Type Locality: Stonewall Quarry, Stonewall, Manitoba (13-30-13-2EPM). Suggested reference outcrop
core hole is Manitoba Core Hole M-1-86, Warren, 13-31 -13-1 WPM, between 40.7 and 53.7 m (134
and 176 ft). Reference subsurface hole is B.A. Morriseau 8-20-96WPM, between 266.7 and 286.5 m
(875 and 940 ft).
History: As proposed by Kindle (1914) the Stonewall Formation included all Silurian strata
outcropping in Manitoba. However Baillie (1951) proposed the term Interlake Group for all Silurian
strata and restricted the term Stonewall Formation to include only those strata between the Upper
Ordovician Stony Mountain Formation and the overlying Virgiana beds (his unit B, subsequently
named the Fisher Branch Formation by Stearn, 1956). Baillie (1952) then further revised the
Stonewall, placing a series of reddish, sandy, argillaceous marker beds occurring at the base of the
formation into the underlying Stony Mountain Formation. General usage, however has retained these
marker beds as the basal unit of the Stonewall Formation (Kendall, 1976). Stearn (1956), on the basis
of faunal studies showed that the Stonewall quarry beds (which comprise only the lower part of the
Stonewall Formation) were Ordovician in age, and therefore removed the Stonewall formation from the
Interlake Group. Brindle (1960) suggested that the upper portion of the Stonewall above a medial
argillaceous marker (T-marker of Porter and Fuller, 1959) was possibly Silurian in age.
Lithology: Consists largely of pale yellowish grey faintly mottled, finely crystalline, medium bedded
dolomite, generally sparsely fossiliferous. A basal unit about 3 m (10 ft) thick consists of grey to
reddish and brownish argillaceous and/or sandy dolomite named the Williams Member (of the Stony
Mountain Formation) by Smith (1963, 1964). A thin sandy, argillaceous marker also occurs near the
middle of the formation (T-marker of Porter and Fuller, 1959), and another similar marker occurs at the
top of the formation.
A brown, nodular anhydrite bed termed the Stonewall anhydrite (Porter and Fuller, 1959; Kendall,
1976) occurs toward the base of the formation and averages 2.5 to 3 m (8 to 10 ft) thick. Thin anhydrite
beds are present in the central part of the Williston Basin.
Thickness and Distribution: The Stonewall Formation extends throughout the Manitoba outcrop belt
and throughout the subsurface of the Williston Basin. Thickness ranges from 15 to 34 m (49 to 112 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Stony Mountain Formation (Gunton Member) sharply and
probably with slight disconformity. In more basinal areas it is overlain with possible slight disconformity
by the Interlake Group (Fisher Branch Formation), but to the north, towards the edge of the basin
upper Stonewall beds become increasingly conglomeratic and the contact with the overlying Fisher
Branch probably is unconformable.
References: Baillie, 1957; Brindle, 1960; Kendall, 1976; Kindle, 1914; Porter and Fuller, 1959; Smith,
1963, 1964; Stearn, 1956.
HRM
Stony Mountain Formation (Bighorn Group)
Type Locality: Quarry at Stony Mountain, Manitoba, in 14-13-2EPM. Suggested reference core hole is
Manitoba Core Hole M-3-74, Headingly North (1-21-11-1EPM), between 19.5 and 54.9 m (64 and 180
ft).
History: Dowling’s Stony Mountain was subdivided by Okulitch (1943) into four members, in ascending
sequence the Stony Mountain Shale, Penitentiary, Gunton and Birse. Sinclair and Leith (1952) re-
named the lower shaly unit the Gunn Member to conform to the Stratigraphic Code. Baillie (1952)
indicated that the Birse Member was indistinguishable from the Gunton Member and assigned all
Birse strata to the Gunton Member. In 1952 Baillie proposed that the 6 m (20 ft) sequence of red,
argillaceous and arenaceous dolomites immediately above the Gunton dolomite be part of the Stony
Mountain Formation, rather than the Stonewall. These beds were named the Williams Member (Smith,
1963), but general usage has retained the argillaceous marker beds as part of the Stonewall
Formation (Kendall, 1976). In the subsurface the Gunn and Penitentiary members cannot be
differentiated. The Saskatchewan Geological Society (1958) subdivided the Stony Mountain into
Stoughton and Gunton “Beds”, which Kent (1960) formalized as members. Kendall (1976) revised the
Stony Mountain Formation to include the Hartaven, Gunn and Gunton members.
Lithology: The Stony Mountain Formation shows pronounced lateral facies changes along the outcrop
belt. To the south, towards the centre of the Williston Basin the lower part of the formation consists of
Gunn-type lithology; i.e. a sequence of interbedded, red to grey calcareous shales and highly
fossiliferous limestones. These are overlain by thin, red to yellowish grey, argillaceous, fossiliferous
dolomites of the Penitentiary Member. To the north the Stony Mountain changes rapidly to argillaceous
dolomite, so that the entire lower Stony Mountain acquires a Penitentiary-type lithology. Still farther
north the shale content decreases progressively to the point where the lower Stony Mountain beds are
virtually indistinguishable from the overlying Gunton dolomites. The Gunton Member maintains a
relatively uniform lithology, consisting of pale yellowish brown, faintly mottled, very finely crystalline,
dense, sparsely fossiliferous dolomite, show thin nodular bedding. In the central portion of the
Williston Basin Kendall (1976) noted the presence of a thin evaporite (the Gunton anhydrite) at the top
of the formation.
Thickness and Distribution: The Stony Mountain Formation extends throughout the Williston Basin, but
the shaly Gunn Member is limited to the more central region to the south and east. The unit thins to the
north along the outcrop belt, from about 45 m (148 ft) near the border with the United States to 30 m
(98 ft) at the northern erosional limit. A comparable, though more irregular thinning occurs to the north
and west in Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: In the type area the Stony Mountain Formation overlies the Fort Garry
Member of the Red River Formation sharply, and possibly with slight disconformity. It is overlain, also
with possible slight disconformity by the sandy, argillaceous (non-sequential) marker beds of the
Stonewall Formation.
References: Baillie, 1951, 1952; Dowling, 1900; Kendall, 1976; Kent, 1960; McCabe 1971; Okulitch,
1943; Porter and Fuller, 1958, 1959; Saskatchewan Geological Society, 1958; Sinclair and Leith, 1958;
Smith, 1964a, b.
HRM, FH
Upper Carboniferous (Bashkirian)
Storelk Formation (Spray Lakes Group)
Author: Scott, D.L., 1964a, p. 62; 1964b, p. 475.
Type Locality: Southwest corner of Storelk Mountain, Elk Mountains, southeastern British Columbia,
near head of Elk River, in narrow canyon 1.6 km (1 mi) E32°N from mouth of Tobermory Creek
(50°31.5’N, 114°59.7’W). Directly above the type section of the Tyrwhitt Formation .
History: Storelk is the name given to a unit originally contained within the Rocky Mountain Formation,
Tunnel Mountain Member (Warren, 1947, 1956), later known as the Rocky Mountain Group, Tunnel
Mountain Formation. It was probably this resistant sandstone, which forms conspicuous dip slopes in
the Bow Valley area that prompted Dowling (1907) to introduce the name Rocky Mountain Quartzite.
At Tunnel Mountain it corresponds to Beales’ 31 m (102.5 ft) quartzitic sandstone unit (Beales, 1950).
The formation has been studied in detail in the type area by Stewart (1978) and Stewart and Walker
(1980).
Lithology: Composed of white, quartz-cemented, quartz-chert sandstone averaging fine to medium

grained, but containing very fine to coarse sand, commonly in alternating laminae. Towards the base
grain size decreases and sorting increases. Larger grains are well rounded. Weathered surfaces are
very light grey to white, but usually covered with black lichen. In gross aspect commonly appears as a
single massive unit, but in the type area Stewart identified three cross-bedded intervals that alternate
with two structureless intervals. The most outstanding feature is the large scale cross-bedding:
megatrough sets reach 6 m (20 ft) and mega-planar sets reach 10 m (33 ft) and have been interpreted
to represent coastal aeolian dunes.
Thickness and Distribution: The Storelk is a widespread stratigraphic unit recognized from south of
Crowsnest Pass north to the Palliser Range in the front ranges. It appears to be absent east of the front
ranges because of pre-Permian erosional truncation. The maximum measured thickness of 93.2 m
(306 ft) occurs in the type section and a thickness of as little as 12.2 m (40 ft) occurs in the Palliser
Range.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact with the Tyrwhitt Formation is sharp and distinct in some
areas and poorly defined in others, but is believed to be everywhere conformable. The Storelk is
overlain unconformably by the Tobermory Formation of Middle Pennsylvanian age. The contact is
sharp, smooth and easily recognized; locally it is marked by a thin pebble conglomerate and rarely by
erosional pits. Scott (1964a, b) interpreted the unconformity to be regionally angular, below which
underlying formations are truncated towards the east. In outcrop the Storelk forms conspicuous cliffs or
ridges bounded by ledges or slopes.
Paleontology: Fossils are extremely rare in the formation and the only remains reported are by Stewart
(1978), who observed a few brachiopods in a thin dolomitic bed in the lower part of the unit in the type
area.
References: Beales, 1950; Dowsing, 1907; Henderson, 1989; Scott, 1964a, b; Stewart, 1978; Stewart
and Walker, 1980; Warren, 1947, 1956.
AM, CMH, MML

Upper Carboniferous
Storm Creek Formation
[(Obsolete) Rocky Mountain Group (Redundant)]
Author: Raasch, G.O., 1958, p. 114-119.
Type Locality: In the cirque at the head of Storm Creek, Misty Range, east side of Highwood Pass,
Alberta.
History: Raasch (1954, 1958) interpreted the thick sandstone succession at Storm Creek cirque in the
Misty Range as younger than type Rocky Mountain and named these beds the Storm Creek
Formation. Norris (1957) suggested that the thick sandstone unit resting on Mississippian carbonates
was the same rock unit in the High Rock and Misty Ranges and on Mount Rundle and Tunnel
Mountain. McGugan and Rapson (1960) found Middle Pennsylvanian fusulinaceans low in the type
Norquay Mountain Member (now Kananaskis Formation) of the Rocky Mountain Formation at various
localities: McGugan and Rapson (1961 b, p. 79), reported the occurrence of Profusulinella (lower
Moscovian) in brecciated and nodular chert of the Kananaskis Formation directly overlying the Storm
Cheek Formation on Tombstone Mountain in the headwaters of Whiteman Creek (Sec. 33), thereby
demonstrating that the clastics of the Storm Creek Formation are in fact Tunnel Mountain Formation
(lower Pennsylvanian, not Permian). For details refer to Tunnel Mountain Formation.
References: Raasch, 1954, 1958, McGugan and Rapson, 1960, 1961b; Norris, 1957.
AM, CMH
Upper Ordovician
Stoughton Member (Stony Mountain Formation)
Author: Saskatchewan Geological Society, 1958; Kent, D.M., 1960.
Type Locality: The Imperial Canadian Superior Stoughton 3-27-8-8W2M well, in Saskatchewan,
History: The name Stoughton Beds was proposed by the Saskatchewan Geological Society (1958) for
the Stony Mountain shale unit of Porter and Fuller (1958, 1959) and elevated to member status by
Kent (1960). Kendall (1976) departed from this nomenclature and subdivided these strata into the
Hartaven and Gunn members.
Lithology: The unit has two facies: an upper, dark grey interbedded, fossiliferous, very argillaceous
limestone and fossiliferous shale, and a lower, dark brown, bioclastic and fossiliferous, often slightly
argillaceous, dolomitic limestone or dolomite.
Thickness and Distribution: In the southeastern corner of Saskatchewan the Stoughton is composed
almost entirely of the upper argillaceous facies. Maximum thickness 121 m, 69 ft) of the member
occurs in this area. The upper facies feathers to the north and west, and as it thins the lower carbonate
facies thickens to approximately 11 m (36 ft). Beyond the edge of the upper facies the Stony Mountain
Formation cannot be subdivided.
Relationship to Other Units: The Stoughton Member is conformably overlain by the Gunton Member of
the Stony Mountain Formation and overlies the Herald Formation with probable disconformity. It is
equivalent to the combined Hartaven and Gunn members of Kendall (1976) and correlates with the
Gunn and Penitentiary members in the Manitoba outcrop belt.
References: Andrichuk, 1959; Kendall, 1976; Kent, 1960; Porter and Fuller, 1958, 1959; Saskatchewan
Geological Society, 1958.
FMH
Mississippian (Kinderhookian-Osagean)
Strathallen Beds (Madison Formation)
Author: Kent, D.M., 1974.
Type Locality: Named after the post office of Strathallen, 9.7 km (6 mi) southeast of the standard
reference well for southwestern Saskatchewan, Sohio et al. Wood Mountain 9-18-3-3W3M The unit
occupies the interval between 1777.3 and 2017.8 m (5831 and 6620 ft) in that well.
Lithology: The lithology of the Strathallen Beds varies considerably. The lower portion is dominated by
bituminous or argillaceous, laminated lime mudstones that can be recognized as far north as the Swift
Current area. Beyond that area rocks at the same stratigraphic level are much less bituminous or
argillaceous, but continue to be mainly lime mudstones. The upper portion includes non-argillaceous
lime mudstones, wackestones and thick accumulations of crinoidal grainstones that Kent (1974)
considered to represent crinoidal banks.
Thickness and Distribution: A depositional thickness of the Strathallen Beds can be determined only
where they are overlain by the Killdeer Beds. In that area the maximum thickness is about 261 m (856
ft); beyond the subcrop of the Killdeer the unit varies from 104 to 229 m (341 to 751 ft). The Strathallen
Beds underlie all of southwestern Saskatchewan from 106°W to 110°W.
Relationship to Other Units: The Strathallen beds are separated from the overlying Killdeer by a 3 to 9
m (10 to 30 ft) thick interval of skeletal grainstone or lime mudstone with numerous partings of reddish
brown or greyish red shale. The shaly nature of the interval gives a high natural radioactive response
on the gamma ray log, which can be used to correlate the unit throughout its uneroded extent in
southeastern Saskatchewan. This marker lies about 21 m (69 ft) above a second argillaceous interval
that is less continuous in southwestern Saskatchewan, but can be correlated farther east with the
marker bed at the top of the Midale. The Strathallen Beds rest unconformably on the Bakken
Formation, and there is a clear indication of progressively deeper truncation of that formation toward
the west.
Kent (1974) considered the Strathallen Beds to be equivalent to most of the Mississippian sequence
beneath the Ratcliffe Beds of southeastern Saskatchewan. The unit is correlative with the Lodgepole
Formation and the lower Mission Canyon of Montana.
Paleontology: Kent (1974) identified a limited coral-brachiopod fauna in the Strathallen Beds, much of
which came from the rocks of the upper part of the unit. The fauna was thought to be of Kinderhookian
and lower Osagean age.
Reference: Kent, 1974.
DMK
Strathclair Formation (Interlake Group)
Author: King, K.R., 1964a, 1964b.
Type Locality: Dome Strathclair 8-34-16-21WPM well, in Manitoba, between 950 and 962 m (3118 and
3157 ft).
History: King (1964a) attempted to correlate into the subsurface of Manitoba the units defined by
Stearn (1956) for the Interlake Group of the Manitoba outcrop belt. Not all the formations could be
correlated so King subdivided the Interlake into three formations, from oldest to youngest the
Strathclair, Brandon and Cedar Lake.
Lithology: Pale yellowish grey to yellowish brown dolomite or calcareous dolomite, with complex
lateral and vertical distribution of textures dominated by mudstones and wackestone/packstones and
lesser amounts of grainstones and boundstones/floatstones. The uppermost bed is the u marker,
composed of microcrystalline dolomite, with abundant arenaceous and argillaceous interbeds.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness ranges from about 10 to 23 m (33 to 75 ft). Maximum thickness
occurs in the central portion of the basin; elsewhere localized thicker bodies may coincide with
organic or mechanical buildups. The formation extends to its sub crop edges throughout the Williston
Basin area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Strathclair Formation overlies the Stonewall Formation and underlies
the Brandon Formation (Fife Lake in Saskatchewan). Both contacts are define by thin, argillaceous
and/or sandy marker beds (“non-sequential” beds, Porter and Fuller 1959) and probably are slightly
disconformable. It is correlative with the Fisher Branch Formation and part of the Inwood Formation in
the Manitoba outcrop bed Stearn (1956).
References: Haidl, 1987, 1988; Jamieson, 1979; Johnson and Lescinsky, 1986; King 1964a, b;
Magathan, 1987; Porter and Fuller, 1959; Stearn, 1956
HRM, FMH
Quaternary
Strathcona Sand and Silt
Author: Warren, P.S., 1954, p. 80.
Type Locality: None given; name derived from a big sand pit in South Edmonton, which was formerly
known as Strathcona, Alberta.
Lithology: Sand, silt and minor clay locally varved; mostly lacustrine and apparently deposited in
proglacial lakes, but loess also present. Locally includes compressed masses of the underlying brown
till. Silt normally clean and coarsely bedded, and it forms vertical cliff faces along river valleys.
Thickness and Distribution: Generally between 3 and 15 m (10 and 49 ft) thick, with the variation partly
due to being laid down on an uneven surface. Found in low areas in central Alberta, particularly over
preglacial valleys. Described (Warren, 1954) from near Red Deer and near Edmonton.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the “brown till” of Warren (1954), apparently with conformable
contact, and underlies his “silt till”. Underlies the youngest till of area, and so probably of Wisconsin
age. Would appear to have about the same composition and to have been deposited under similar
circumstances and at about the same time as the Lenzie Silt (Horberg, 1952); if they are equivalent the
name Lenzie Silt has priority. The overlying silt till would appear to be Buffalo Lake Till, and the
underlying brown till either Buffalo Lake or Maunsell Till.
References: Horberg, 1952; Harris and Waters, 1977; Horberg, 1952; Warren, 1954.
AMacSS
Quaternary
Stuartburn Formation (Informal)
Type Locality: “Circus Section” northwest of Stuartburn, Manitoba in Lsd. 5, Sec. 8, Twp. 3, Rge. 6EPM.
Lithology: Till, with about 41% sand and 45% silt, and with about 50% carbonate in matrix; dark
greyish brown where oxidized, otherwise olive grey; locally interbedded with stratified drift.
Thickness and Distribution: Up to 10 m (33 ft) thick; present in southeastern Manitoba, where it is
recognized mostly in boreholes; found also in northwestern Minnesota.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the St Malo Formation with sharp contact; overlain by the Tolstoi
Formation with gradational contact or by the Vita Formation: relationship to units defined by Teller and
Fenton (1980) not known. Deposited by southeast flowing glacier before Classical Wisconsin time.
References: Fenton, 1974; Moran, et al., 1976; Teller and Fenton, 1980.
AMacSS
Upper Cretaceous
Sturrock Member (Cardium Formation, Alberta Group)
Type Locality: Within the type Cardium Formation on Wapiabi Creek, Alberta Foothills, Twp. 41. Rge.
18W5M
Lithology: Includes all the fine grained, thin to thick bedded sandstone occurring at the top of the
Cardium Formation. In local areas thin units of concretionary shale and carbonaceous sediments
occurring within the sandstone are also included. Ripple marks, small channel-fill structures and
intrastratal flow structures are found within the sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized within the southern, central and northern foothills of Alberta
from the Castle River in the south to the Muskeg River in the north. The thickness ranges between
50.6 and 4.6 m (166 and 15 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The lower boundary between the Sturrock and Leyland members is drawn
at the base of the sandstone and forms no persistent stratigraphic horizon. The contact with the
overlying Wapiabi Formation is distinct. The top of the Sturrock sandstone is commonly concretionary
and may have embedded pebbles. North of Wildhay River the Sturrock Member overlies and grades
laterally into the Moosehound Member.
Paleontology: Contains marine pelecyods, including Cardium pauperculum Meek and Hayden and
Inoceramus.
DFS
Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous
Success Formation
Type Locality: The type section is located in the M.U.S.E. Cantuar 6-20-16-16W3 well, in southwestern
Saskatchewan, between 951 and 968 m (3118 and 3172 ft).
History: “Success” is a term applied to the Cantuar Sand of Humphrey and Rogers (1945). This sand
was informally regarded as the “lower Blairmore” in the oil field district of southwestern Saskatchewan.
Price (1963) attempted to formalize the nomenclature by defining a Cantuar Formation. However, the
Cantuar sand is a set of strata older than the Cantuar Formation in the type Tidewater Matador Crown
No. 1 well and is not present in that well. The Success Formation caps the pre-Cantuar (Formation)
topography of the oil field district east of Swift Current, and therefore underlies the Cantuar Formation.
Lithology: Comprises white and light green grey kaolin-indurated quartzose sandstones and
siltstones, with abundant accessories (4%), and minor components (5 to 15%) of feldspar,
sphaerosiderite, chert, marcasite and carbonaceous fragments, and rare glauconite. There are three
units, in ascending order S1, S2, and S3.
The basal unit, S1 is characterized by beds, 0.3 to 6 m (1 to 20 ft) thick, consisting of quartzose, very
fine grained, subangular, grey white to light grey kaolin-indurated sandstones intermixed and
interlaminated with quartzose, coarse drained slightly to heavily carbonaceous, lavender grey to black
siltstone, with abundant to sparse layers of sphaerosiderite. Locally the carbonaceous beds are
weakly bioturbated, contorted, brecciated and faulted on a small scale. Accessory glauconite occurs in
thicker deposits associated with valleys of the paleotopography. The laminae in S1 coarsen upward
internally, as does the unit as a whole Where the unit is thicker bedded ripple-drift and small scale
beds are seen. Unit S1 thickens to a maximum of 38 m (108 ft) in topographic lows on the sub-
Success unconformity.
The S2 unit is macro-lenticular and bimodal in grain size distribution. It features upward fining and
large scale trough and tabular cross-bedding. Grain sizes are dominated by coarse to fine and
medium grained quartzose sand, but include cobbles and siltstone as end members. The nearly
tabular cross-beds dip 15° to 30°, occur in sets 0.3 to 0.6 m (1 to 2 ft) thick and grade upward to low
angle trough cross-beds or nearly horizontal layers. Small scale festoons and ripple laminae appear
higher in the section. The macro-lenticular bodies are as much as 13.5 to 15 m (44 to 49 ft) thick,
although 4.5 to 12 m (15 to 39 ft) is more usual for individual fining upward beds. Their area is of the
order of 1 km2 (0 4 mi2). These bodies are invariably floored by erosional contacts.
An erosional unconformity caps the Success Formation and throughout the region has removed the S3
unit, except near the border with Montana. The S3 unit is fine grained like the S2, but is less
carbonaceous, and is only poorly known.
Thickness and Distribution: The Success Formation is distributed as beds capping mesas and buttes
of the pre-Cantuar (Aptian) erosion surface. In that it also overlies an erosional surface (Kimmeridgian
or later) cut into the Oxfordian-Callovian Vanguard Group and older strata, the thickness of the
Success Formation is highly variable. Maximum thickness in southwestern Saskatchewan is about 45
m (148 ft). Other homologous bodies of the “Success” strata occur in southeastern Saskatchewan
above the Masefield Shale; in east-central Saskatchewan (at its thickest about 75 m, 246 ft) on the
Devonian carbonates, and in westcentral Saskatchewan, where 45 m (148 ft) of it overlies the
Mississippian Madison Limestone as the “Detrital” (Christopher, 1984b).
Relationship to Other Units: The S1 unit has been dated as Jurassic and correlated with the Swift
Formation of Alberta (Hayes, 1982) and, by extension northwestern Montana. The S2 unit is traceable
into the Lakota Formation of north-central Montana and is thus Early Cretaceous, probably pre-Aptian
in age. It is everywhere unconformably overlain by the Lower Cretaceous Cantuar Formation and its
equivalents. The Success unconformably overlies, from the south to the north, formations dating from
the Upper Jurassic Masefield Shale to the Upper Devonian Duperow Formation.
References: Christopher, 1974, 1984b; Hayes, 1983; Price, 1963.
JEC
Upper Cambrian (Dresbachian)
Sullivan Formation
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1920, 1923.
Type Locality: On the north side of Glacier Lake Valley a 439.2 m (1440 ft) interval was designated the
type section. Walcott also included the south cliffs and slopes of Sullivan Peak in the type locality, in
Alberta.
Lithology: A markedly recessive unit of greenish grey and brown shales interbedded with thin, plate
oolitic and bioclastic limestone; it grades upward into the massive carbonates of the Lyell Formation.
Thickness and Distribution: Walcott’s type section was indicated to be over 427 m (1400 ft) thick, but it
included 99 m (325 ft) of “Lyell” limestone at the top of the section. Aitken and Greggs (1967) revised
the Sullivan to conform to Walcott’s description, and measured 424 m (1390 ft) at the type section.
Elsewhere in the front ranges thicknesses of 61 to 92 m (200 to 300 ft) are more characteristic;
although to the south at Mount Ogden it is more than 153 m (500 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: The Sullivan is gradationally overlain by carbonates of the Lyell
Formation, and in very sharp, presumably conformable contact with the underlying Waterfowl
Formation. The unit passes northward into strata assigned to the lower Lynx Group.
Paleontology: The Sullivan contains an abundant diverse trilobite fauna of the Cedaria Zone of
Dresbachian age.
References: Aitken and Greggs, 1967; North and Henderson, 1954; Walcott, 1920, 1923, 1928.
RGG
Precambrian to Lower Cambrian
Sullivan Quartzite (Invalid)
Remarks: Considered invalid because: 1. Sullivan name preoccupied by Walcott, 1919 for Middle
Cambrian rock unit in southern Rocky Mountains, Alberta. 2. Probably includes portions of both the
Gog and Miette formations.
RGG
Sully Formation (Fort St. John Group)
Type Locality: Sully Creek, tributary of Kotaneelee River, on west flank of Liard Range, District of
Mackenzie.
Lithology: Predominantly marine shale and siltstone. The lower of three members comprises very silty
shale to mudstone, with numerous sideritic concretions. A middle member contains flaky to fissile
black shale with yellow efflorescence. The upper member of concretionary mudstone becomes
extremely silty in its upper parts and grades into overlying sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: Ranges from 90 to 300 m (270 to 915 ft) thick. Extends from the Liard
Range southward along the Dunedin and Muskwa escarpments. In northeastern British Columbia
numerous outcrops occur along the canyons of the Buckinghorse and Sikanni Chief rivers east of the
Alaska Highway, extending downstream to the junction with the Fort Nelson River.
Relationship to Other Units: The contact with the underlying Sikanni Formation is rarely seen, but
appears to lie above different sandstone units from one locality to another. The upper beds are
gradational into the overlying Dunvegan Formation.
Paleontology: No fossils have been reported from the Sully Formation. It lies between the Sikanni
Formation containing Late Albian Neogastroplites cornutus and the Cenomanian Dunvegan
Formation.
References: Stott, 1960, 1968a.
DFS; DWM
Sulphur Mountain Formation (Spray River Group)
Author: Warren, P.D., 1945; emended by Mountjoy, E.W., 1960.
Type Locality: Designated by Warren (1945) in the Spray River Gorge, at the south end of Sulphur
Mountain, Banff National Park, Alberta. The section (described by Gibson, 1968) begins in the first
intermittent stream gully downstream from the junction of Goat Creek and Spray Rivers and terminates
at the south end of the Spray River Gorge. NTS 820/4, Banff.
History: Originally named by Warren (1945) as the Sulphur Mountain Member of the Spray River
Formation, and subsequently raised to formation status by Mountjoy (1960) and Manko (1960) in the
Jasper and Rock Lake areas of Alberta. The type section was amended to include additional younger
strata by Gibson (1968).
Lithology: Dark grey to rusty brown weathering siltstone, silty dolostone and silty, carbonaceous shale
divisible into four members which, in ascending order are the Phroso Siltstone, Vega Siltstone
(including Mackenzie Dolomite lentil) Whistler and Llama (Gibson, 1968).
Thickness and Distribution: The Sulphur Mountain Formation occurs throughout the Rocky Mountain
Foothills and eastern front ranges between the United States border and the Pine River of
northeastern British Columbia. The recorded thickness ranges from 37 m (285 ft) near Picklejar Lakes
south of Bow River, Alberta to 557 m (1827 ft) on West Burnt River, south of Pine River, northeastern
British Columbia (Gibson, 1968, 1974).
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is conformably overlain by pale grey to yellow to buff weathering
sandstone, dolostone and intraformational and/or solution breccia of the Whitehorse Formation or
laterally equivalent Charlie Lake Formation; it disconformably overlies sandstone, chert and cherty
dolostone of the Permian Ishbel Group or Fantasque Formation, or the Mississippian Rundle Group. In
some eastern exposures it is disconformably overlain by the Jurassic Fernie Formation. The Sulphur
Mountain Formation is laterally equivalent to the Grayling, Toad and Liard formations of the Sikanni
Chief, Peace and Pine River areas of the northeastern British Columbia Foothills; the Montney, Doig,
and Halfway formations of the subsurface Peace River Plains of Alberta and British Columbia
(Gibson, 1975).
References: Gibson, 1968, 1974, 1975; Manko, 1960; Mountjoy, 1960; Warren, 1945.
DWG
Middle Devonian
Sulphur Point Formation
Type Locality: The interval between 6 and 53 m (20 and 172.6 ft) in the Cominco G-4 Test well, at
60°54’N, 114°46’W, District of Mackenzie.
Lithology: The formation consists of light buff to brown, non-skeletal and fossiliferous limestones, with
locally thin interbeds of green shales. Non-skeletal limestones are mudstone with numerous pellets
and calcispheres. Fossiliferous limestones occur along the flank of the Shekilie or Presqu’ile
carbonate complex, over the basement highs or, in places where the Sulphur Point Formation overlies
Keg River reef buildups. The fossiliferous limestones contain stromatoporoid, coral, Stachyodes and
Amphipora fauna. The intra-organic pore spaces are generally infilled by a lime mud matrix, which
results in a tight limestone facies. Locally the formation is altered completely to white, coarsely
crystalline dolomite. Thin green, waxy shales are commonly present in the upper part of the formation.
The formation is locally composed of a brecciated, fossiliferous limestone in a green shale matrix
which appears to have been deposited along the flanks of the carbonate buildups or shelf margin.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation ranges in thickness from about 8 m (25 ft) in the Rabbit Lake
area to a maximum of 106 m (347 ft.) in the Deep Bay area (Norris, 1965; Belyea, 1971 ). The
formation can be mapped over much of the southern Northwest Territories, northeastern British
Columbia and northwestern Alberta as far as the facies front, where it is difficult to differentiate
between the underlying Keg River and overlying Slave Point formations (where the Watt Mountain
Formation is absent).
Relationship to Other Units: Barss et al. (1970) and Belyea (1971) demonstrated that an unconformity
separates the Sulphur Point and underlying Pine Point and Muskeg Formations. The same authors
also suggested a disconformity between the Sulphur Point and overlying Watt Mountain Formation.
The dolomitized part of the Sulphur Point Formation is referred to as the Presqu’ile Formation.
Northwest of the Presqu’ile carbonate complex the Sulphur Point Formation is absent and is
stratigraphically replaced by Otter Park shales.
Paleontology: Fossils identified by A.W. Norris (1965) are as follows: algal ‘buns’, Stromatoporella sp.
undetermined stromatoporoids, Amphipora ramosa (Phillips), Amphipora sp. Aulopora sp., Cladopora
sp., Coenites sp., Grypophyllum grackle Wedekind, leptoinophyllid genus E, Thamnopora sp. F (=
Favosites polymorpha Goldfuss of Meek), Thamnopora sp. G, undetermined corals, Atrypa sp. cf. A.
perfimbriata Crickmay, Spinatrypa sp. cf. S. Lata (Warren), Emanuella meristoides (Meek), Emanuella
sp. F, ?Emanuella sp., ?Warrenella sp. cf. ?W. franklini (Meek), ?Warrenella sp., Hypothyridina
cameroni Warren, ?Leiorhyncus sp., Stringocephalus sp, undetermined brachiopods, undetermined
gastropods, ?Buchiola sp., crinoid ossicles.
References: Barss et al., 1970; Belyea, 1971; Norris, 1965.
BIC; LVH
Lower Cretaceous
Sunburst Sandstone Member
(Mannville Group)
Author: Bartram, J.G. and Erdmann, C.E., 1935.
Type Locality: Southeastern Alberta and northern Montana. Rice (1975) specified a type section in the
Johnson No. 1 Johnson “D” well, in NWNW Sec. 32, Twp. 35N, Rge. 1W, Montana, between 372 and
380 m (1220 and 1245 ft).
History: The term Sunburst Sandstone was originally referred to the quartzose basal Kootenai
sandstone which overlies the Madison limestone (Mississippian) at the Kevin-Sunburst Dome,
northern Montana, (Bartram and Erdmann, 1935). In Alberta the term Sunburst has most often been
used for quartzose fluvial sandstones in the interval below the Ostracod limestone and above Detrital
(Deville) or Mississippian beds. (Glaister, 1959).
Lithology: Sunburst Ribbon Sandstones consist of light grey to light brown, fine to coarse grained, well
to poorly sorted sub-litharenites and occasionally quartzarenites. Sunburst Sheet Sandstones are light
grey to light brown, well sorted, fine to very fine grained quartzarenite and sub-litharenite, in which
chert is the main lithic grain constituent. Kaolinite and authigenic quartz cementation and, in places,
calcite cements reduce the porosity.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness of the Sunburst Member varies between zero and 30 m (98
ft) and displays features interpreted as deeply scoured fluvial paleo-channels. It is thin or absent over
paleotopographic highs on the pre-Cretaceous surface. The lower contact is unconformable upon
Mississippian, Jurassic or older Cretaceous strata. The upper contact is disconformable with the
Ostracod Beds.
Sunburst Ribbon Sandstone: The fining upward Sunburst Ribbon Sandstones range between 300 m
(984 ft) and 1 km (3300 ft) in width and are up to 30 m (98 ft) thick. They are widely distributed in
central and southern Alberta, and trend northwest following earlier valleys. The thickness of the
Sunburst Sheet Sandstone ranges from 2 to 10 m (7 to 33 ft) in the Hussar and Rockyford areas up to
five coarsening upward cycles are recognized. In the Little Bow area elongate bodies appear to have
merged to produce broad Sunburst Sheet Sandstone.
Relationship to Other Units: The Sunburst Member in south-central Alberta is equivalent to the fluvial
(base) to marine (top) quartzose sandstone of the Ellerslie Formation (Hunt, 1950) or Ellerslie Member
(Glaister, 1959). The Sunburst is equivalent to the upper part of the Gladstone in the foothills of
southern Alberta.
References: Bartram and Erdmann, 1935; Blixt, 1941; Farshori and Hopkins, 1989; Glaister, 1959;
Hager, 1923; Hayes, 1986; Hunt, 1950; Rice, 1975.
ZF, BJH
Sunkay Member
(Blackstone Formation, Kaskapau Formation)
Author: Stout, D.E, 1963.
Type Locality: Bighorn River, below junction of the Littlehorn River and above Sunkay Creek, Alberta.
Lithology: Includes the basal, rusty weathering shale, siltstone and thin beds of coarse grained
sandstone of the Blackstone Formation. The base is marked by beds of pebbles. In the lower part thick
units of silt and mudstone to argillaceous siltstone contain large “kettle” concretions. A layer of coarse,
gritty sandstone probably represents the Fish Scale Marker Horizon. The upper part of the member
consists of fissile to platy, rusty weathering shale and mudstone.
Thickness and Distribution: Concurs throughout the Foothills Belt, being much reduced in the
Crowsnest Pass region and expanded in the northern foothills. In the central foothills maximum
thickness is 192.3 m (631 ft) at the type section, decreasing southward to only 4.6 m (15 ft) at Castle
River. Partly equivalent beds at Mount Puggins in northeastern British Columbia are more than 304.8
m (1000 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformably to unconformably overlies the Blairmore and Luscar
groups; overlain conformably by calcareous shale of the Vimy Member. North of the Athabasca River
the middle part of the Sunkay is replaced laterally by the Dunvegan Formation. Only shale between
the Dunvegan and Vimy is included in the Sunkay Member in northeastern British Columbia. North of
the Athabasca River the Sunkay is included as a member of the Kaskapau Formation.
Paleontology: Ammonites of the Dunveganoceras Zone and associated Inoceramus are assigned a
Late Cenomanian age. The Miliammina manitobensis-Verneuilina canadensis microfauna of Albian
age is reported from the central Alberta Foothills (Wall and Germundson, 1963).
DFS
Mississippian (Meremecian)
Sun River Member (Castle Reef Dolomite)
Author: Erdmann, C.E., in: Andrichuk, J.M., 1955; Chamberlain, V.R., 1955; McCourt, J.H., 1955.
Type Locality: In ridge on the east side of Cannon Gulch, just north of Diversion Lake, Sec. 35, Twp.
22N, Rge. 9W, Sun River Canyon, Sawtooth Ridge 7 1/2 min. quadrangle, Teton County, Montana
History: Used as a field term by Erdmann; first published by Andrichuk (1955), Chamberlain (1955)
and McCourt (1955). Assigned to the Madison Group by Chamberlain (1955) and the Madison
Formation by McCourt (1955) . Re-assigned as the upper member of the Castle Reef Dolomite by
Mudge, Sando and Dutro (1962).
Lithology: Almost entirely light grey beds of dolomite that are fine to medium crystalline, thick bedded
and contain some nodules and lentils of smoky grey chert. Locally contains one or more thin beds of
dolomitic limestone and calcic dolomite. Geodes and cavities occur near the top of the member. The
member is fossiliferous.
Thickness and Distribution. The member is continuous in the eastern part of the northern Rockies and
adjacent plains and Sweetgrass Arch, Montana. It ranges in thickness from 76 to 137 m (249 to 449 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Gradationally overlies the lower member of the Castle Reef Dolomite.
Unconformably overlain by the Jurassic Ellis Group. Equivalent to the upper part of the Brazer
Dolomite in northeastern Utah, the upper part of the Mission Canyon Limestone in western Wyoming
and Montana. Equivalent to the lower part of the Mount Head Formation and the Uppermost part of the
Livingstone Formation of the southern Rockies and plains of southern Alberta. In the Sweetgrass Arch
area it is continuous with the uppermost part of the Livingstone Formation of Alberta.
Paleontology: Contains a Meremecian fauna in outcrop sections.
References: Andrichuk, 1955; Chamberlain, 1955; McCourt, 1955; Mudge, 1972; Mudge, Sando and
Dutro, 1962.
MRM; PAM
Lower Cretaceous
Sunset Sandstone
Author: MacVicar, J., 1924, p. 34B.
Type Locality: None designated. Used by MacVicar in the foothills between the Athabasca and Smoky
rivers (Twp. 50, Rge. 27W5M to Twp. 58, Rge. 9W6M), Alberta.
History: Used by MacVicar for the sandstone unit underlying the Berland River shales (i.e., Blackstone
equivalent, Allan and Rutherford, 1934, p. 33) and overlying the “Kootenay Coal Measures”, which
were later divided into the Nikanassin, Cadomin and Luscar formations (Mellon, 1966, p. 68). Strata of
the Sunset Sandstone are now recognized to be the Mountain Park Formation (Mellon, 1966, p. 68).
However, until the work of McLean (1980) the term Mountain Park had not generally been employed
north of the Athabasca River and these strata had been included with the Oscar Formation for
mapping purposes (Irish, 1965, p. 51, 57; Mellon, 1966, p. 78).
Lithology: Sandstone, fine to coarse grained, locally passes into conglomerate.
Thickness and Distribution: MacVicar reported a thickness of “not less than” 915 m (3001 ft), although
this appears excessive due to faulting as McLean (1980) reported a thickness of 200 to 275 m (656 to
902 ft) for the Mountain Park.
References: Allan and Rutherford, 1934; Irish, 1965; MacVicar, 1924; McLean, 1980; Mellon, 1966.
PAM
Middle Cambrian
Sunwapta Peak Formation
Type Locality: Sunwapta Peak, in Sec. 17, Twp. 39, Rge. 23W5M, 44 km (70 mi) south-southeast of
Jasper, Alberta.
Lithology: Predominantly limestone and dolomite, with minor shale. The dolomite is creamy white to
light buff, partly calcareous, medium crystalline. The limestone is dark bluish grey and argillaceous.
Intraformational conglomerates are present in the upper part of the unit.
Thickness and Distribution: up to 763 m (2500 ft) thick. Between Jones Creek and Sunwapta River the
unit forms ridges culminating in Sunwapta Peak; east of Poboktan and Poligne creeks the formation
forms the mountains of Le Grand Brazeau.
Relationship to Other Units: The formation overlies the Lower and Middle Cambrian Mount Whyte
Formation and underlies shale of the Upper Cambrian Tangle Ridge Formation. It is equivalent to the
Murchison and Cathedral formation of the Siffleur River-Glacier Lake area to the southeast, and the
Titkana, Tatei and Chetang formations to the northwest at Mount Robson.
References: Allan, 1938; Deiss, 1939; Hughes, 1955; Rasetti, 1947, 1951; Walcott, 1908, 1928.

Upper Cambrian and Lower Ordovician
Survey Peak Formation
Author: Aitken, J.D. and Norford, B.S., 1967, p. 160-173.
Lithology: Calcareous shales and mudstones, siltstones, microcrystalline limestone, calcisiltites,

limestone-pebble conglomerates, biocalcarenites, cryptalgal limestones and oolitic limestones. Most
of the rock types are present in all four informal members, but in different proportions: upper massive
member; middle member; putty shale member; and basal silty member.
Thickness and Distribution: Widespread in the shallow water carbonate shelf facies of southwestern
Alberta and adjacent British Columbia [Fernie, Kananaskis Lakes, Calgary, Golden, Brazeau map-
areas (82G, J, N, O; 83E)]. The formation and its members all thicken towards the west; the formation
from 322 m (easterly) to 519 m (westerly) (1055 to 1702 ft), the basal silty member from 14 to 82 m (46
to 270 ft), the putty shale member from 12 to 137 m (38 to 448 ft), the middle member from 248 m (815
ft) at the type section, thinner to the east and thicker to the west, and the upper massive member from
60 to 113 m (190 to 370 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The basal contact with the Mistaya Formation is concordant but abrupt; an
erosion surface and channelling are present at one locality. The upper contact is gradational with the
Outram Formation. Westward the Survey Peak Formation can be mapped into the upper part of the
McKay Group and the putty shale member can be clearly recognized within that rock unit.
Northwestward the Chushina Formation of the Jasper region appears to represent the bulk of the
lower two members of the Survey Peak; further away, the putty shale and basal silty members
apparently are present within the easterly, shallow water facies of the Kechika Group in the Trutch and
Ware map-areas (94F, G) of the northern Rocky Mountains.
Paleontology: Trilobites, brachiopods, conodonts, gastropods, echinoderm debris and extremely rare
graptolites allow recognition of the uppermost Cambrian Saukia trilobite zone and Ordovician trilobite
zones A, B, D, E and, probably F. The Survey Peak Formation provides one of the best exposed and
accessible fossiliferous successions in Canada across the Cambrian-Ordovician Boundary.
References: Aitken and Norford, 1967; Cecile and Norford, 1979; Dean, 1978; Derby, Lane and
Norford, 1972.
BSN
Sutherland Group
Author: Christiansen, E.A., 1968B, p. 1169.
Type Locality: Near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, at an exposure along the bank of the South
Saskatchewan River in the SW/4 Lsd. 11, Sec. 34, Twp. 36, Rge. 5W3M.
Lithology: Till and stratified drift, but mainly till; till is grey where unoxidized, otherwise olive to pale
olive and gypsiferous; carbonate content 5% to 12%; dense and jointed, with joints showing yellowish
brown and black iron and manganese oxide staining.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness 40 to 85 m (131 to 279 ft) at the type locality; extends
throughout southern Saskatchewan south of the Canadian Shield.
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformably overlies bedrock of the Empress Group and
disconformably overlain by the Floral Formation. Not subdivided into formations, although locally the
unit can be subdivided into subunits on the basis of carbonate content.
References: Christiansen, 1968B, 1971, 1972; Richmond, 1977; Westgate et al., 1977; Whitaker and
Christiansen, 1972.
EAC; AMacSS
Swan Hills Formation (Beaverhill Lake Group)
Author: Fong, G., 1959, p. 95-108;1960, p. 195-209.
Type Locality: Home Regent “A” Swan Hills 10-10-67-10W5M, in Alberta, between 2489.3 and 2590.8
m (8167 and 8500 ft). The name is derived from the Swan Hills, which rise above a relatively flat
muskeg-plain area north of Whitecourt, Alberta.
History: In 1959-60 Fong introduced the term Swan Hills as a member of the Beaverhill Lake
Formation for the oil-producing carbonate at Swan Hills and divided it into a lower dark brown member
and an overlying light brown member. Leavitt and Fischbuch (1968) raised Fong’s Swan Hills Member
to formational status and included it, along with the Fort Vermilion Formation and the Waterways
Formation in the Beaverhill Lake Group. Later Fischbuch (1968) divided the Swan Hills Formation into
nine informal units designated from bottom to top as Divisions I to IX, and suggested that the Middle to
Upper Devonian boundary occurs between Divisions V and Vl.
Lithology: The reef complexes constituting the Swan Hills Formation consist essentially of two
contrasting rock types: a lagoonal series of facies consisting of dense, micritic, pelletoidal limestones
with only minor skeletal material; and a reef to fore-reef series of facies consisting of coarse grained,
commonly porous, bioclastic, organically constituted limestones. The Swan Hills Formation generally
is a limestone unit, although some reef complexes are dolomitized.
Thickness and Distribution: In the general Swan Hills area Divisions I to III form a reef-rimmed platform
on which isolated reef complexes of Division IV to IX are situated and the formation ranges fronds over
152 m (500 ft) to less than 15 m (50 ft) in thickness The formation extends southward and westward
and thins into the outcrop area, where it is known as the Flume Formation. Divisions I to III of the Swan
Hills Formation extend northward from the type area around the Peace River Arch, across northern
Alberta into the Northwest Territories and northeastern British Columbia, where they are known as the
Slave Point Formation. These Slave Point-lower Swan Hills carbonates terminate at the margin of the
Sulphur Point-Keg River facies front in northeastern British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.
Relationship to Other Units: The Swan Hills Formation is underlain conformably by evaporites of the
Fort Vermilion Formation and, southwest of the Swan Hills area by clastics of the upper Elk Point
Group. The Swan Hills reef complexes are overlain and surrounded by nodular shale and micrites of
the Waterways Formation. To the south the upper part of the Swan Hills Formation is correlative with
the Flume Formation of the Rocky Mountain outcrop, and to the north the lower part of the Swan Hills
Formation (Divisions I to lilt is correlative with the Slave Point Formation.
Paleontology: The reefal facies of the Swan Hills Formation are populated mainly by sub-spherical,
dendroid, bulbous and tabular stromatoporoids, with minor occurrences of crinoids, brachiopods,
gastropods, ostracods and algae. The lagoonal facies contain quantitatively far less fossils, primarily
of the stromatoporoid genus Amphipora.
References: Fischbuch, 1968; Fischbuch and Havard, 1977; Fong, 1959, 1960; Havard and
Oldershaw, 1976; Hemphill and Smith, and Szabo, 1970; Leavitt, 1968; Leavitt and Fischbuch, 1968;
Murray, 1966.
NRF; PAM
Late Eocene to Oligocene
Swan Hills Gravels
Author: Vonhof, J.A., 1969.
Type Locality: Summit of Swan Hills, central Alberta.
Lithology: Mainly unconsolidated pebble gravel deposits with occasional cobbles and minor
intercalated thin beds and lenses of sand. The gravel consists almost entirely (90%) of rounded, light
colored, greyish white quartzite pebbles. Minor quantities of sandstone, chert, feldspathic quartzite,
jasper, agate and argillite constitute the remainder. The heavy mineral assemblage in the sand beds
and the sand fraction of gravel matrices is characterized by an abundance of Muscovite, staurolite and
kyanite. The deposits are of fluvial origin.
Thickness and Distribution: The Swan Hills Gravels occur as isolated patches on top of the Swan
Hills. The average thickness of the deposits is about 2.5 m (8 ft). A maximum thickness of 6 m (20 ft) is
present in 12-34-66-10W5M.
Relationship to Other Units: Unconformably overlies the Paskapoo Formation of Paleocene age.
Unconformably overlain by Pleistocene deposits. No vertebrate or invertebrate fossils have been
found. A comparison of the Swan Hills Gravels with the fluvial deposits of the Cypress Hills Formation
reveals that both are at about the same distance from their respective source areas and lie at
approximately the same altitude. If the amount of post-depositional regional uplift was the same in both
areas, then the local base level of erosion for the streams that deposited the Tertiary sediments was
also approximately the same. It is therefore held that the age of the Swan Hills Gravels may well be
the same as that of the Cypress Hills Formation, that is Late Eocene to Oligocene.
Reference: Vonhof, 1969.
JAV
Swan River Formation
Type Locality: Exposures along the Swan River, east of Swan River, Manitoba, between Secs. 3 and 6,
Twp. 37, Rge. 26WPM.
History: The rank of the Swan River has been changed from group to formation by McNeil and
Caldwell (1981).
Lithology: Mainly a fine grained sand or sandstone, with silts and light to dark grey clays. In the type
locality the lowest exposures are of kaolinitic clays and silts associated with minor amounts of fine
grained sand, pyrite nodules and carbonized plant fragments. The upper type beds consist of fine,
clean sands with interbedded dark clay and are distinguished by flaser bedding and a variety of
biogenic sedimentary structures. The uppermost sands are richly glauconitic (up to 25 per cent).
Thickness and Distribution: The name Swan River has been applied only in the vicinity of the
Manitoba escarpment and in the neighbouring subsurface of eastern Saskatchewan and southern
Manitoba. Its thickness is highly variable, ranging from near zero around the Virden area of Manitoba
(Bannatyne, 1970), to a maximum of about 150 m (492 ft) in some areas west of the Manitoba
escarpment. Due to incomplete exposure its thickness along the escarpment is not precisely known.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact is not exposed, but in the subsurface the Swan River
oversteps in succession, from the southwest to the northeast rocks of Jurassic, Devonian, Silurian and
Ordovician age. At the type locality the upper contact with dark shale of the Ashville Formation is
sharp and locally scoured.
In eastern Saskatchewan the Swan River-Ashville contact maintains a fairly constant stratigraphic
position, but towards the escarpment in southeastern Manitoba the contact rises markedly.
The formation correlates westwards with the Cantuar and Pense formations of the Mannville Group in
Saskatchewan, with the Mannville Group of southern and central Alberta, and with a part of the
Blairmore Group of the Alberta Foothills. Southward it correlates with the Lakota Sandstone, Fuson
Shale and Fall River Sandstone in North Dakota.
References: Bannatyne, 1970; Hansen, 1955; McLearn and Wickenden, 1936; McNeil and Caldwell,
1983; Price, 1963; Wickenden, 1945.
DHM; LLP
Eocene
Sweetgrass Hills Dykes
Type Locality: Black Butte, 3 km (2 mi) north of Pinhorn, Alberta.
History: There seems to be no formal proposal for the name Sweetgrass Hills dykes, although Currie
used it in the “Alkaline Rocks of Canada”, G.S.C. Bull. 239, p. 172.
Lithology: These rocks occur as poorly exposed dykes, sills or, possibly laccoliths. The main bodies lie
in the Sweetgrass Hills just south of the U.S. boundary, but all the rock types have also been found in
Canada. Black Butte consists of minette with phenocrysts of biotite to 3 mm (0.1 in) in a matrix of
sanidine, aegirine and sparse calcite. The dykes are composed of minette, vogesite (hornblende
phenocrysts, labradorite-bytownite phenocrysts in a hornblende-plagioclase-quartz-magnetite matrix)
and feldspar porphyry with aegirine augite as the mafic and quartz in the matrix.
Thickness and Distribution: Dykes occur sparsely in a region some 50 km (31 mi) in length, extending
10 km (6 mi) north of the international boundary and centred on the Sweetgrass Hills. Thee rocks are
outlying fringes of the potassic alkaline province of northern Montana, which includes the Leucite
Hills, Shonkin Sag, Judith Mountains and others.
Relationship to Other Units: The youngest rocks known to be intruded by the dykes belong to the Belly
River Formation.
References: Currie, 1976; Dawson, 1875; Williams and Dyer, 1930.
KLC
Upper Eocene
Swift Current Creek Beds
Type Locality: About 14 km (9 mi) east-southeast of Swift Current Saskatchewan, in Lsd. 15, Sec. 5,
History: Originally named Swift Current beds by Russell and Wickenden (1933, p. 54); name changed
in 1950 because original name was pre-empted. Christiansen (1959, p. 30) used the name Swift
Current Creek Formation
Lithology: Soft, fine grained sandstone; hard, coarse sandstone and, in part conglomeratic gravel. The
hard sandstone forming the top 4 m (13 ft) of the beds contains vertebrate fossils. The gravel consists
mainly of cherts and quartzites brought by rivers from the western mountains.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality about 16 m (53 ft) thick. Exposed locally southeast of
Swift Current. Vertebrate fossils indicate an upper Eocene age for the unit. Christiansen (1959, p. 30)
combined the Swift Current Creek Beds and Cypress Hills Formation into one unit.
References: Christiansen, 1959; Fraser et al., 1935; Russell, 1950; Russell and Wickenden, 1933,
Storer, 1978.
AMacSS
Swift Formation (Ellis Group)
Type Locality: North shore of Swift Reservoir, 65 km (40.6 mi) southeast of Cut bank, Montana, NE/4
Sec. 27, Twp. 28N, Rge. 10W.
Lithology: A basal chert pebble-belemnite conglomerate a few centimetres thick is overlain by dark
grey marine shale with siltstone laminae and calcareous concretions. The Ribbon Sand Member caps
the Swift, consisting of wavy and lenticular bedded shale, siltstone and sandstone. Fine sandstone
dominates the ribbon sand member to the west; in the Manyberries area of southeastern Alberta
coarser sandstones are interbedded with marine to transitional It siltstones and shales.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized throughout most of Montana and the southern Alberta Plains.
At the Swift Reservoir the Swift is 41 m (135 ft) thick, and is generally more than 30 m (98 ft) thick in
northern Montana, although it pinches out over the southwestern part of the Sweetgrass Arch near
Great Falls. In southern Alberta the Swift is severely eroded beneath the pre-Cretaceous unconformity
and is completely removed north of an irregular subcrop edge ranging from near the Montana border
to Twp. 15.
Relationship to Other Units: The Swift Formation unconformably overlies the Rierdon Formation; it is
conformably overlain by the Madison Formation in Montana, but is unconformably overlain by the
Mannville Group in southern Alberta. The Swift is equivalent to similar lithologies of the upper
Sundance Formation in surrounding areas of the northern U.S. The upper Green beds and lower
Passage beds of the Fernie Group are equivalents in extreme Southwestern Alberta; eastward the
Swift passes into similar, but generally finer facies of the Masefield Shale and lower Success
Formation of the Saskatchewan Williston Basin.
References: Cobban, 1945; Hayes, 1983.
BJH
Sylvan Lake Till
History: Name introduced in Ph.D. thesis by Boydell (1972, pp. 61, 62), given formal status by him in
1978.
Lithology: A moderately sandy till that is variable in color, ranging from medium brown (oxidized),
through grey in non-oxidized samples, to yellow-green near contact with Paskapoo Formation; matrix
carbonate content about 7%; stones mostly quartzites and from Shield, heavy minerals largely garnet
and hornblende.
Thickness and Distribution: up to 35 m (115 ft) thick; found at the eastern margin of the Rocky
Mountain House area.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies Paskapoo Formation bedrock- exposed to surface or overlain by
glacial lake deposits; westward grades laterally into the Athabasca Till, which Boydell considered a
lithofacies of the Sylvan Lake, with both being deposited by same Laurentide advance.
Boydell (Table 2) showed a “Late Wisconsin” age for the unit, and suggested that it was laid down at
much the same time as the Lamoral, Jackfish Creek, Obed, Marlboro, Edson, Elkton Creek and
Sundre tills. If the Edson and Sylvan Lake tills correlate the name Edson appears to have priority.
Boydell further used the term “Sylvan Lake deposit” to include Sylvan Lake Till and some overlying
lacustrine deposits. These combined deposits, which range up to about 37 m (121 ft) thick are not
formally described.
References: Boydell, 1972,1978; Roed, 1975; Harris and Waters, 1977.
AMacSS
Taber Sandstone
(Lower Mannville Formation/ Mannville Group)
Author: Alberta Society of Petroleum Geologists Field Guidebook, 1957.
Type Locality: Taber Province No. 1, in 9-18-9-16W4M, southern Alberta; no interval specified nor
described.
History: The Taber Sandstone is a well known local oil field term, but very little has been published on
it, and no formal description exists. It was originally designated only in two small oil pools in Twp. 9,
Rges. 16-17W4M, but is now recognized over an area encompassing several townships.
Lithology: Sandstone, variably sorted, but generally medium to coarse grained, containing pebbly
intervals and a basal chert pebble conglomerate in some wells. The grains are composed of quart and
chert, with minor rock fragments, and are cemented by silica and clays. Many sections are dominated
by repetitive fining upwards successions with basal scour surfaces and pebble lags.
Thickness and Distribution: Recognized locally in Twps. 6-12, Rges. 16-20W4M, the Taber forms a
blanket up to 25 m (82 ft) thick, pinching out sharply eastward against an erosional scary
Relationship to Other Units: The Taber is a local designation of the Cut Bank Sandstone which is
correlated regionally in areas of southern Alberta and northern Montana. The Cut Bank is the basal
member of the lower Mannville Formation and is correlative with the Cadomin Formation of the
Alberta Foothills. The Taber sandstone lies unconformably on marine shales of the Jurassic Rierdon
Formation, and is overlain more or less conformably by undifferentiated mudstones, siltstones and
sandstones of the lower Mannville.
References: Alberta Society of Petroleum Geologists, 1957; Hayes, 1986; Hradsky and Griffin, 1984.
BJH
Tertiary or Quaternary
Tableland Gravel
Author: Roed, M.A., 1975, p. 1496.
General Comment: Descriptive term used by author for gravel of Cordilleran origin, up to 12 m (39 ft)
thick, found on “tablelands” in the Edson-Hinton area of Alberta.
Unit not formally described. Part of the alluvial preglacial gravels and sands, generally of late Tertiary
to early Quaternary age, found on remnant plateaus in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Reference: Roed, 1975.
AMacSS
Taft Hill Member (Blackleaf Formation)
Type Locality: Taft Hill, 16 km (10 mi) west of Great Falls, Montana. Type section is in the NE/4 Sec. 12,
Twp. 20N, Rge. 1E and Secs. 2 and 9, Twp. 20N, Rge. 2E, Cascade County.
Lithology: Medium grey soft, bentonitic, clayey to silty marine shale and fine grained, greenish grey
glauconitic sandstone. The sandstone beds coarsen upward and tend to be thin bedded. On the
Sweetgrass Arch the member is divisible into a lower bentonitic shale, a middle glauconitic sandstone
and an upper unit of quartzose sandstone, siltstone and bentonitic shale.
Thickness and Distribution: Generally between 61 and 82 m (200 and 269 ft) thick on the Sweetgrass
Arch. Thickens westward to 180 m (590 ft) in the Disturbed Belt. Loses its identity off the east flank of
the Sweetgrass Arch.
Relationship to Other Units: Soft, medium grey shale of the Taft Hill Member conformably overlies
harder black-grey shale or quartzose sandstone of the Flood Member. Overlain conformably by non-
glauconitic sandstone or mudstone of the Vaughn Member. Replaced by Vaughn lithologies in
northwesternmost section at East Glacier. Equivalent to the upper Skull Creek shale and, possibly the
Muddy and Newcastle. In southern Alberta it is equivalent to the upper part of the Bow Island (Viking)
Formation. May correlate with upper part of the Ma Butte Formation (Blairmore Group) in
southwesternmost Alberta.
References: Cobban, et al., 1959, 1976.
WAC
Middle Cambrian
Takakkaw Tongue (Cathedral Formation)
Type Locality: Lower north slopes of Mount Stephen, Yoho National Park, British Columbia.
History: The Takakkaw Tongue represents a formalization of the concept of the “thin Cathedral” that lies
outboard of the “thick” Cathedral platform and underlies the “thick Stephen” of Frisk (1971) and
McIlreath (1974, 1977). It was illustrated by Aitken (1989).
Lithology: Cliff forming limestone and derived dolomite. Original limestones are mainly ribbon-bedded
lime mudstone with penecontemporaneous folds, and subordinate pellet and skeletal wackestone and
minor grainstone; coarse breccias of debris flow origin are common; thick ooid grainstone at the base.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section, 242 m (794 ft) thick. The member has a very limited
distribution because it lies outboard of the Cathedral carbonate platform and dips westward out of
sight within a short distance
Relationship to Other Units: The Takakkaw Tongue is a westward projection of the lower part of the
Cathedral Formation, that is, the part pre-dating the Cathedral Escarpment (reef). It thins westward
between the gradationally underlying Naiset Formation and the conformably overlying “basinal”
Stephen Formation. It represents slope deposits.
Paleontology: The Takakkaw Tongue yields sparse fossils of the early Middle Cambrian Plagiura -
Poliella and Albertella Zones. It is sandwiched between more richly fossiliferous formations yielding
fossils of the Plagiura - Poliella Zone beneath, and the Glossopleura Zone above.
References: Aitken, in press and 1989; Fritz, 1971; McIlreath, 1974, 1977.
JDA
Tampico Member (Piper Formation)
Author: Nordquist, J.W., 1955.
Type Locality: Named after the town of Tampico in Valley County, northeastern Montana. Type section
is in the well Gulf Oil Corporation No. 1 Cornwell, in C SWNE Sec. 14 Twp 30N, Rge. 38E, between
1177 and 1203 m (3858 and 3944 ft).
Lithology: Grey green calcareous, fossiliferous shale some 26 m (85 ft) thick.
Thickness and Distribution: Present across northern Montana, western North Dakota and southern
Saskatchewan. Thickness regionally is of the order of 25 m (82 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Directly correlatable with the unnamed upper member of the Gravelbourg
Formation. Though nomenclaturally applicable the term has not come into general usages in Canada.
Reference: Nordquist, 1955.
JEC
Upper Triadic (Norian)
Tangent Dolomite (Superseded)
Author: Unknown.
Type Locality: H.B. Union North Tangent 16-20-80-24W5M, in Alberta, between 875.7 and 877.8 m
(2873 and 2880 ft).
History: Name given to an uppermost Triassic dolomite reservoir zone found in the Tangent field (Twp.
80. Rge. 24W5M) of west-central Alberta. The name has fallen into disuse in favor of Worsley
Dolomite.
References: Podruski et al., 1988.
GH
Middle Cambrian
‘Tanglefoot Unit’
Author: Thompson, 1962, p. 45-49.
Type Locality: Northeast from Tanglefoot Creek, starting at 49°40.7’N, 115°24.5’W.
Lithology: Grey, red or rusty, finely crystalline, Shady occasionally pyritic limestone with
intraformational breccia; dark green to grey, calcareous, sandy shale; grey to buff, very finely to finely
crystalline, mottled dolomite; grey to green, calcareous, laminated sandstone; conglomerate and
breccia are the dominant rock types. Red soil horizons, abrupt facies changes, a scarcity of fossils,
and dense, black limestones that commonly are associated with intraformational limestone breccias
are features characteristic of the unit (Thompson, 1962).
Thickness and Distribution: Exposed in the Bull River area in the vicinity of Tanglefoot and Van
Creeks. Thickness varies from about 1250 to 1350 m (4100 to 4428 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Tanglefoot Unit conformably overlies the Eager Formation and is
conformably overlain by the McKay Group. Contacts are gradational. The unit is probably the facies
equivalent of the lower part of the Jubilee Formation (Thompson, 1962).
References: Benvenuto, 1978; Thompson, 1962.
MEM
Upper Cambrian
Tangle Ridge Formation (Abandoned)
Type Locality: On the north ridge of Tangle Ridge, in Alberta.
History: The term Tangle Ridge was not much used outside the type locality. Subsequent work showed
that better known rock units were applicable to the Tangle Ridge area.
Lithology: Green and ochre shales, interbedded with limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: The Tangle Ridge Formation is 549 m (1800 ft) thick at the type locality.
Relationship to Other Units: At the type locality the Tangle Ridge comprises 244 m (800 ft) of the
Sullivan, 140 m (460 ft) of the Waterfowl and 163 m (535 ft) of the Arctomys (emended) formations.
There the top of the Tangle Ridge is in fault contact with overlying Lower Ordovician carbonates.
References: Aitken and Greggs, 1967; Greggs, 1962; Hughes, 1955.
RGG
Middle Cambrian
Tatei Formation
Type Locality: North side of Tatei Ridge, immediately southeast of Adolphus Lake (82E/3E), Alberta.
History: The geographic name Tatay was proposed by Walcott (1913) and later accepted as Tatei by
the Geographic Board. There has been minor confusion concerning its lateral tracing and extent
(Burling, 1923; Walcott, 1926: see Fritz and Mountjoy, 1975, and Mountjoy, 1980).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlain gradationally by the Titkana Formation and underlain
gradationally by the Chetang Formation. It represents a marginal carbonate bank equivalent to the
upper part of the more shaly inner detrital facies of the Snake Indian Formation (Mountjoy, 1962;
Mountjoy and Aitken, 1978).
References: Burling, 1923; Fritz and Mountjoy, 1975; Mountjoy, 1962, 1964, 1980; Mountjoy and
Aitken, 1978; Walcott, 1913, 1928.
EWM
Late Devonian
Tathlina Formation (Grumbler Group)
Type Locality: Briggs Tathlina Lake No. 3 well, in 60°40’49”N, 117°31’9.56”W, southwestern Northwest
Territories.
Lithology: Grey, calcareous siltstones, silty and sandy mudstones; limestones, fossiliferous; underlain,
in descending stratigraphic order by micaceous siltstones with interbedded greenish grey to grey
shales; silty limestones and siltstones; and greenish grey to grey shales.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section the unit is 131 m (400 ft) thick. It ranges from
approximately 91 to 131 m (280 to 400 ft) thick. It outcrops on Hay River, 4.2 to 6.4 km (2.5 to 4 m)
upstream from Grumbler Rapid. It occupies a narrow belt between the Tathlina Lake area and the
Peace River west of Fort Vermilion, Alberta. It grades into shales of the Fort Simpson Formation west
of 116°W and is truncated to the northeast by pre-Cretaceous erosion. It is not mappable south of
58°30’N, 116°W where the underlying Twin Falls Formation grades to shales.
Relationship to Other Units: The Tathlina Formation overlies the Twin Falls Formation and is overlain
by the Redknife Formation. It grades westward into the Fort Simpson Formation. It correlates with a
dolomite-siltstone unit that overlies the Grosmont in north-central Alberta and may be equivalent to
thickened Winterburn and/or upper Woodbend.
References: Belyea, 1964, 1968; Belyea and McLaren, 1962.
HRB; DWM
Early Pennsylvanian
Taylor Flat Formation
Type Locality: Type section in Pacific Fort St. John No. 23, in 3-29-83-18W6M, northeastern British
Lithology: At its base the Taylor Flat Formation is generally calcareous shale to argillaceous limestone
which grades higher in the section to skeletal, often cherty limestone and dolomite. It becomes more
silty and argillaceous in northeastern British Columbia.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation is up to 152 m (499 ft) thick in the Peace River area. In part
of the Fort St. John area and northeastern British Columbia thicknesses may be more than 310 m
(1017 ft). The Taylor Flat Formation is missing in the eastern Peace River area due to erosion, but is
present in more westerly Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The contact with the underlying Kiskatinaw Formation may be
conformable in the type section area but is locally and regionally unconformable in the Fort St. John
and Peace River areas. The Permian Belloy Formation everywhere unconformably overlies the Taylor
Flat Formation. The Taylor Flat may be correlated with part of the Tunnel Mountain and Kananaskis
formations of the front ranges of the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains, and with part of the
Amsden Formation of Montana. It also correlates with part of the Mattson Formation and with the
Tobermory, Storelk, Tyrwhitt, Todhunter and Misty formations .
References: Camber et al., 1968; Bamber and Mamet. 1978; Halbertsma, 1959; Halbertsma and
Staplin, 1960; Hovdebo, 1962; McCrossan and Glaister, 1964; McGugan and Rapson, 1961.
HLH; DF, RSD, PAM

Upper Silurian? (Ludlovian?)
Taylorton Member (Interlake Group)
Author: Jamieson, E.R., 1979; Haidl, F.M., 1987.
Type Locality: No type section has been published. Jamieson (1970, unpub.) suggested a composite
section from two cored wells near Taylorton, Saskatchewan: British American Canadian Devonian
Quinn 9-34X, in 9-34-3-4W2M, between 2359.6 and 2414 m (742 and 7920 ft) and British American
Taylorton 1-8-2-6W2M, between 2659.7 and 2691.1 m (8726 and 8829 ft).
History: An informal unit of uppermost Interlake strata in the subsurface of southeastern

Saskatchewan. Suggested as a member of the Interlake Formation by Haidl (1987), but not formally
defined.
Lithology: Dolomite characterized by brecciated textures, fenestral fabrics and dolomite cements.
Yellowish grey to yellowish brown, with abundant pinkish grey, greyish orange, pink, or greyish red
interbeds; dolomite cements are commonly white. Quartz silt or sand grains are present in a few beds;
sand content increases in the stratigraphically equivalent unit in North Dakota, particularly in the
vicinity of the Nesson Anticline.
Thickness and Distribution: Restricted to the central Williston Basin in southeastern Saskatchewan,
northwestern North Dakota and, possibly, northeastern Montana. Maximum thickness in
Saskatchewan is 76 m (249 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformably(?) overlies the Cedar Lake Formation and is
unconformably overlain by the Ashern Formation (Middle Devonian). Magathan (1987) subdivided the
stratigraphically equivalent unit in North Dakota into the following formations, from bottom to top
Grondale, Mendenhall, Missouri Breaks and Sherven. The Taylorton is roughly equivalent to the upper
Interlake (Porter and Fuller, 1959) and the Risser Beds (SGS, 1958).
References: Haidl, 1987; Jamieson, 1979; Magathan, 1987; Porter and Fuller, 1958, 1959;
FMH
Quaternary (Pleistocene )
Tee Lakes Formation
Author: Klassen, R.W., 1979, p 7
Type Locality: Borehole (Klassen, 1979, Appendix, Sec. 17) on the Duck Mountain Upland, in SW Sec.
11, Twp. 32, Rge. 27WPM (approximately 51°43’N, 101°12’W), near the Tee Lakes, Manitoba.
Lithology: Multiple tills with intertill sediments; the till typically is very dark grey and consists almost
equally of sand, silt and clay; the silt fraction contains 20 to 26% carbonate.
Thickness and Distribution: Normally between 15 and 60 m (49 and 197 ft) thick. Widespread on Duck
Mountain Upland and along a broad, buried valley in the northeastern part of the Assiniboine River
Plain.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Largs Formation or unnamed sediments; overlain by the
Shell Formation or unnamed drift. The Tee Lakes Formation apparently is not exposed at the surface,
and so has been recognized only in boreholes. Its stratigraphic position indicates a pre-Wisconsin
age.
Reference: Klassen, 1979.
RWK; AMacSS
Lower Silurian
Tegart Formation
Author: Norford, B.S., 1969, p. 32-34, 75-77.
Type Locality: Mount Tegart (50°27’N, 115°51W), southeastern British Columbia.
Lithology: Argillaceous limestones, limy shales and limestones. Poorly fissile shales predominate in
the basal part of the formation, which normally is poorly exposed. Recessive, thinly bedded aphanitic
limestones are the most common lithology in the main and upper parts of the Tegart Formation.
Thickness and Distribution: Restricted to a small area in the carbonate facies of the southern Rocky
Mountains [Fernie, Kananaskis Lakes and Lardeau map-areas (82G, J, K)]. The area represented a
structural low at the onset of Devonian sedimentation and the Tegart is truncated by the sub-Devonian
unconformity in all directions away from the type-section. The observed thicknesses range from 1.5 to
74 m (5 to 243 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Conformable contact with underlying Beaverfoot Formation;

unconformable contact with overlying Cedared Formation (Middle Devonian).
Paleontology: Trilobites, brachiopods, graptolites, corals, cephalopods, conodonts of Eophacops-

Cheirurus trilobite zone and Monograptus spiralis graptolite zone.
Reference: Norford, 1969.
BSN
Middle Devonian
Telegraph Member (Muskeg Formation)
Type Locality: Richfield Oil Corporation Telegraph 9-26-85-13W4M, between 628.8 and 740.7 m (2063
and 2430 ft), northern Alberta.
History: On the basis of widespread shaly or residual clastic markers Klingspor (1969) divided the
Telegraph, Mikkwa, Wabasca, Wolverine, Chipewyan, Mink and Bear members. The five middle
proportion of anhydrite increases northwestward and the proportion of halite increases southeastward.
Lithology: Primarily halite, commonly carved, with minor interbeds of anhydrite with dark brown
bituminous dolomite, and dolomite, laminated with anhydrite nodules
Thickness and Distribution: Up to 110 m (361 ft) thick. Shown by Klingspor (1969, p. 935-938) to be
present only in the La Crete Basin of northeastern Alberta. Thins over Keg River carbonate buildups.
Relationship to Other Units: The Telegraph sharply overlies the Keg River formation and is overlain by
the Mikkwa Member.
References: Bebout and Maiklem, 1973; Klingspor. 1969.
PAM
Upper Cretaceous
Telegraph Creek Formation (Montana Group) (Informal)
Author: Erdmann, C.E., 1948.
Type Locality: The Telegraph Creek Formation was mapped as an informal unit along Eagle Creek
and Marias River south of Lothair, Liberty County, Montana. No type section was given.
Lithology: The Telegraph Creek Formation consists of “soft buff or grey sandy shale and thin bedded
friable sandstone with calcareous cements. The formation contains 3 or 4 thin layers off bentonite, two
of which are persistent and locally contain cone-in-cone calcite. Two beds in the formation were used
as marker beds. The lower occurs at an average interval of about 13.4 m (44 ft) above the base and
consists of 15.2 to 45.7 cm (6 to 18 in) of firm, grey, usually thinly laminated sandy limestone
containing occasional poorly developed septarian concretions of limestone and sandy limestone. The
upper marker bed occurs about 15.2 m (50 ft) below the top of the formation and consists of a thin layer
of cone-in-cone calcite associated with a 0.7 m (2.5 ft) thick bed of gritty, sandy bentonite containing
occasionally large discord limestone concretions which weather reddish buff.
The top of the Telegraph Creek Formation was chosen at the base of a hard sandstone ledge about
0.6 m (2 ft) thick which forms the basal unit of the overlying Virgelle Member of the Eagle Formation.
The base of the Telegraph Creek Formation is normally marked by a thin, 7.6 to 15.2 cm (3 to 6 in)
thick layer of cream to salmon colored sandy bentonite underlain by a zone with small discoid
concretions of grey limestone. The underlying Colorado share is dark grey
Thickness and Distribution. In the type area the Telegraph Creek Formation varies in thickness
between 45.4 and 49.9 m (149 and 164 ft). The formation is widely distributed in northern Montana and
contains a Late Santonian fauna characterized by Inoceramus lundbreckensis McLearn and
Desmoscaphites bassleri Reeside (Cobban, 1950, p. 1900).
Relationship to Other Units: The Telegraph Creek Formation replaces the term “Transition beds”, or
“Transition zone” used by previous authors for a unit of interbedded sandstone and shale which forms
the transition between the “Eagle” sandstone and the “Colorado” or “Benton” shale (Erdmann, 1948).
The Telegraph Creek Formation conformably overlies the Marias River Shale (Cobban et al., 1959)
and the contact between the two map units is marked by a change in color and lithology: dark grey
shale containing white specks is overlain by interbedded light to medium grey shale, siltstone and
sandstone (Rice and Cobban, 1977)
In southeastern Alberta stratigraphic equivalents of the Telegraph Creek Formation are present in the
lower part of the Milk River Formation, which has been referred to informally as the Lower Milk River
(Evans, 1931) or as the lower part of the Eagle sandstone (Erdmann and Schwabrow, 1941) or as the
Transition beds (Tovell, 1956).
References: Cobban, 1950; Cobban et al., 1959; Erdmann, 1948; Erdmann and Schwabrow, 1941;
Evans, 1931; Rice and Cobban, 1977; Tovell, 1956.
NCMD
Lower Permian (?Asselian-Sakmarian)
Telford Formation (Ishbel Group)
Type Locality: Telford Creek Ridge, Elk Valley, southeastern British Columbia (Sec. 20, McGugan et al.,
1964; Sec. 66, McGugan, 1963).
History: Referred to lower part of middle Ishbel Formation (McGugan, 1963). Renamed when Ishbel
raised to group status (McGugan and Rapson, 1963b).
Lithology: Light grey cliff forming unit of fine and coarse grained fossiliferous, detrital limestones,
abundant clastic quartz, cross-bedded thick and thin bedded encrinites, partly dolomitized, and chert
nodules and interbeds. A biostromal carbonate unit with coral and brachiopods has been recognized
in the Telford Plate section (MacRae and McGugan, 1977).
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum development of 259 m (850 ft) only in the Telford Creek area,
southeastern British Columbia (McGugan, 1963). Absent in the foothills subsurface.
Relationship to Other Units: At the type section conformably and gradationally underlain by the
“Johnston Canyon Formation” (older but lithologically similar to type Johnston Canyon);
disconformably overlain by the Ross Creek Formation with basal pebble beds. May be homotaxial
with part of the Mount Greene Beds of the Peace River area.
Paleontology: Contains the “Russian Fauna” of brachiopods, corals and bryozoans, indicating a
Wolfcampian Age. Conodont faunas indicate a Sakmarian Age (Tastubian - Early? Sterlitamakian
Substages) (Henderson and McGugan, 1986).
References: Henderson, 1989; Henderson et al., in press; Henderson and McGugan, 1986; Logan and
McGugan, 1968; MacRae and McGugan, 1977; McGugan et al., 1964; McGugan and Rapson, 1963a,
1963b; McGugan 1963, 1967.
AM, CMH
Territories Formation
Type Locality: Present in the California Standard Steen River No. 1 well, in 2-22-117-5W6M,
northwestern Alberta, between 1304 and 1363 m (4266 and 4473 ft).
Lithology: Light to medium brown limestone, thin bedded, fine grained, argillaceous; shaly limestones
common near the base and top.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is 63 m (207 ft) thick in the type well and ranges from 41 to 73 m
(135 to 240 ft) in the subsurface of northwestern Alberta, northeastern British Columbia and the
Mackenzie area of the Northwest Territories.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Steen River Formation and underlies the Spence River
Formation (Hunt, 1954). The Territories Formation is equivalent to the Case Point Formation (Law,
1955a; Warren, 1957)
References: Hunt, 1954; Law, 1955a: Warren, 1957; Warren and Stelck, 1950.
C.S.P.G. Yukon-Mackenzie Lexicon, 1981

Middle Cambrian
Tershishner Member (Pika Formation)
Author Aitken, J.D., in press.
Type Locality: Section above Windy Point, north side of Abraham Lake, on the North Saskatchewan
River, Alberta.
History: Aitken et al. (1972) mentioned an “... upper member characterized by medium to thick beds of
dolomitized flat-pebble calcirudite and oolite”. Aitken (in press) provided regional detail and formalized
the member.
Lithology: The Tershishner Member consists of dolomite characterized by the presence of abundant
thin to thick beds of ooid grainstone and unusually coarse flat-pebble conglomerate; the remainder of
the member is dogmatized, ‘parted’ lime mudstone. The preservation of primary textures is
outstanding.
Thickness and Distribution At the type section 33 m (108 ft), thickening westward to a maximum of 117
m (384 ft). It is recognizable in the front and eastern main ranges from Kananaskis River in the south to
Brazeau River in the north.
Relationship to Other Units: The Tershishner Member is a widely recognizable upper member of the
Pika Formation. Its basal contact is conformable and depositional. Its lateral contacts are facies
changes, although southward in the front ranges it is bevelled at the sub-Devonian unconformity. Its
upper contact is the inferred disconformity beneath the Arctomys Formation.
Paleontology: Deiss, the author of the Pika Formation assigned its fossils to the Upper Cambrian
Cedaria Zone. The formation is now known to be terminal Middle Cambrian (Bolaspidella Zone; Aitken
et al., 1972).
References: Aitken, in press; Aitken et al., 1972.
JDA
Tetcho Formation
Type Locality: Imperial Island River No. 1, at 60°09’18”N, 121°18’16”W, Northwest Territories, between
1269.5 and 1345.7 m (4165 and 4415 ft).
Lithology: Light colored, fined grained limestone, with shale partings, becomes silty towards the base.
Thickness and Distribution: About 75 m (246 ft) thick. Occurs in northeastern British Columbia, north of
57°N, west to about 123°W and adjacent Northwest Territories to 61°N between 119° and 123°W.
Relationship to Other Units: The Tetcho Formation is conformable with the overlying Kotcho Formation
and the underlying Trout River Formation. To the east it equates with the lower part of the Wabamun
Group; west of about 123°W the shale equivalent is part of the Besa River Formation.
Paleontology: Brachiopods (Athyris sip., Basilicorhyncus basilicum (Crickmay), cyrtiopsis sp.,

Productella).
References: Belyea and McLaren, 1962; Griffin, 1967.
GKW; DWM
?Helikian
Tetsa Formation
Type Locality: West flank of Tetsa River valley, near headwaters in the Tuchodi Lakes (94K) map-area,
Geographical co-ordinates of type section: base of section: 58°26’15”N, 124°37’15”W, top of section:
58’26’30”N, 124°40’00”W
Lithology: Thin bedded, dark grey to black siltstones; siliceous, feldspathic, micaceous and
carbonaceous mudstones and shale characterize the formation. Local white massive quartzite in
basal 60 m (197 ft) of section. Abundant micro-load casts and micro-flame structures,
penecontemporaneous overfolds and local basal diamictite suggest deep water deposition.
Thickness and Distribution: The Tetsa Formation crops out only in the core of the Muskwa
Anticlinorium in the Tuchodi Lakes 194K) map-area of northeastern British Columbia. There the
formation is uniformly about 350 m (1148 ft) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: Disconformably overlies the Chischa Formation with a distinct erosional
surface and pebbly quartzite or diamictite developed in basal beds of the formation. Conformable and
transitional contact with the overlying George Formation.
GCT
Thelma Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Author: Furnival, G.M., 1946, p. 42-43, 54-55, 70-76.
Type Locality: East side of Thelma Creek in the Cypress Hills, Alberta, in Lsds. 9 and 10, Sec. 10, Twp.
1, Rge. 7W4M.
History: In the Cypress Hills intercalated sands and clays in the upper 100 m (328 ft) of the Bearpaw
Formation were correlated with the “Fox Hills” by McConnell, (1885, p. 25) and Dyer (1926, p. 16B,
19B) and with the lower part of the Eastend Formation by Russell (1933, p. 132). Furnival (1941, p. 58-
67; 1946, p. 38-39) placed these beds into the Bearpaw Formation and named three sandstone units,
in ascending order the Oxarart, Belanger and Thelma members. Furnival (1946, p. 54-55) correlated
the type Thelma Member with a sand about 27 km (17 mi) eastward on Battle Creek, Saskatchewan,
but Russell (1948, p. 19) argued that the Thelma Member merges with clays west of Battle Creek.
Lomenda (1973, p. 10-11, 113) recognized complex intertonguing in the upper Bearpaw Formation
and suggested that member status should not be given to every sand or clay unit. He provisionally
grouped the beds between the Manyberries Member and the Eastend Formation into the Oxarart-
Medicine Lodge Composite “Member”.
Lithology: Greenish to bluish grey, very fine to fine grained sand, with minor partings and thin beds of
clay and lignite. A lignite seam 10 to 75 cm (4 to 30 in) thick caps the Thelma Member.
Thickness and Distribution: In Alberta the Thelma Member is 12 m (39 ft) thick, but eastward, in
Saskatchewan it becomes thin and merges with clays. Present in the Cypress Hills.
Relationship to Other Units: Transitionally overlies unearned dark grey clays of the Bearpaw
Formation and sharply underlies clays of the Medicine Lodge Member. The Thelma Member occurs in
the upper half of the Ammodiscus gyroidina foraminiferal zone of Loranger and Gleddie (1953) and the
upper half of the Haplophragmoides excavata fauna (North and Caldwell, 1970, p. 73). The member
disappears into Aquadell Member clays in south-central Saskatchewan. The Thelma Member is
correlative with beds of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation immediately beneath the Drumheller
Member of the same formation at Castor, Alberta. In southwestern Alberta the Thelma Member
changes facies into marine and nonmarine beds of the St. Mary River Formation.
ML
Upper Cretaceous
Thistle Member (Wapiabi Formation, Alberta Group)
Sec. 17, Twp. 44, Rge. 20W5M.
Lithology: Fissile to plate calcareous, dark grey to black shale that weathers grey to slightly rusty. In
contrast to other members of the Wapiabi Formation the Thistle only rarely contains sideritic
concretions. A few large lens-shaped bodies of argillaceous dolomitic limestone occur within the
member. Interbeds of thin sandstone and siltstone become abundant in areas west of the Bighorn and
Nikanassin ranges.
Thickness and Distribution: This thickest and most easily recognizable member of the Wapiabi
Formation extends from Muskeg River in the north to the International Boundary. It ranges in thickness
from a maximum of 237.1 m (778 ft) in the type area to 117 an (384 ft) on the Highwood River.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact with the Dowsing Member is conformable. It is drawn at
the base of calcareous shale of the Thistle and above concretions in the lower part of the Wapiabi
Formation. The upper contact with the Hanson Member is drawn at the top of the calcareous shale and
below the concretionary shale in the upper part of the Wapiabi Formation. The member is recognized
within the Puskwaskau Formation in northeastern British Columbia and in the type area of the Smoky
Group on the lower Smoky River in Alberta (Stott 1967). The top of the member is approximately
equivalent to the First White Speckled Shale at the top of the Colorado of the subsurface of the plains.
Paleontology: Contains ammonites of the Scaphites montanensis Cobban Zone, Desmoscaphites

erdmanni and Inoceramus of the group I. lobatus-cardissoides-strenstrupi, indicating a time span
within the Santonian Stage. Contains a pelagic foraminiferal assemblage that also occurs in the First
White Speckled Shale at the top of the Colorado Group in the plains (Wall and Germundson, 1963).
DFS
Middle? or Upper? Cambrian
Thompson Dolomite (Obsolete)
Author: Unknown.
History: The sole reference to the “Thompson dolomite” known to us is that of Keyes (1924), in which
the “Thompson is shown without explanation beneath the “Paget” (obsolete) as part of the “Sullivanian
Series” in this column, Keyes assigned series rank to all or most of Walcott’s Formations. The position
shown for the “Thompson”, below the “Paget” (see Aitken and Greggs, 1967) suggests that the
“Thompson” might be a synonym of the Waterfowl Formation. Alternatively, the “Thompson” may be a
name for a rather local development of largely oolitic limestone and dolomite 240 m (787 ft) in the
middle of the Sullivan Formation in the Sherbrooke Lake area. But this is guesswork.
References: Aitken and Greggs, 1967; Keyes, 1924.
JDA
Upper Devonian to Lower Mississippian, [Famennian (and
Tournaisian of Europe, Kinderhookian of North America)]
Three Forks Group
Author: Christopher, J.E., 1961, p. 16.
Type Locality: Outcrops near Three Forks, southern Montana.
History: Peale (1893, p. 29) introduced the term “Three Forks Shale” for argillaceous and calcareous
strata sandwiched between Mississippian and Devonian carbonates in southern Montana. Haynes
(1916) described similar strata as the Three Forks Formation. Sloss and Laird (1974) and Wilson
(1955) outlined different limits to the formation; Sandberg and Hammond (1958) and Christopher
(1961) recognized Peale’s boundaries. Detailed analysis of the problem by Christopher (1961)
resulted in this elevation of the formation to “group” status. The group comprises the Torquay, Big
Valley and Bakken formations, the last of which is almost entirely Mississippian in age.
Lithology: The Torquay Formation is composed of brown carbonates (mainly dolomite) and shales of
various hues, overlain locally by mudstones of the Big Valley Formation, or black bituminous shales of
the Bakken Formation. The Bakken comprises two radioactive black shale beds, between which there
is a calcareous siltstone. Sparse fauna.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness range is from 35 to 80 m (115 to 262 ft), extending
southward from the post-Mississippian erosion edge (south of Saskatoon) throughout the Williston
Basin.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies carbonates of the Saskatchewan Group, and is
disconformably overlain by limestone of the Madison Group. Equivalent strata in Alberta are the
Wabamun Group and Exshaw Formation.
References: Brindle and Guliov, 1965; Christopher, 1961; Haynes, 1916; Kents, 1959; Lethiers, 1978;
Peale, 1893; Sandberg, 1965; Sandberg and Hammond, 1958; Sloss and Laird, 1947; Wilson, 1955.
CED; KRM
Tilston Beds
Type Locality: Named after the Tilston Oil field near Tilston, Manitoba. The type section was
established by the Saskatchewan Geological Society (1956) in the Gordon White No. 1 well (Lsd. 5-
14-1-28WPM), between 1057.6 and 1104 m (3470 and 3622 ft). Fuzesy (1960) proposed that the
standard reference well for southeastern Saskatchewan for the Tilston Beds should be Canadian
Superior Cayuga 14-33-3-30WPM, in which the Tilston Beds may be found in the interval 1065 to
1115.5 m (3494 to 3660 ft).
Lithology: The strata that are presently known as the Tilston Beds were originally subdivided by
Thomas (1954) into two intervals, MC1 and MC2. In extreme southeastern Saskatchewan, as well as in
southwestern Manitoba and north-central North Dakota the lower portion (MC1) consists of oolitic-
pisolitic and crinoidal grainstones and packstones, but to the west these undergo a facies change to
dense, often cherty finely crystalline limestones that in places are dolomitized. The MC 2 portion of the
Tilston consists of an argillaceous, commonly silty limestone or dolomitic limestone with shale
partings. However, in extreme southeastern Saskatchewan a thin, 1.2 to 1.5 m (4 to 5 ft) anhydrite
occurs at the base of the MC2 interval The same evaporite attains thicknesses of up to 9 m (30 ft) in
southwestern Manitoba.
Thickness and Distribution: Major limitations to the Tilston Beds are the erosional edge that follows a
line from Twp. 1, Rge. 24WPM to Twp. 15, Rge. 16W2M and a facies change in the MC2 interval that
marks the top of the Tilston and occurs at approximately Rge. 16W2M. The unit varies in thickness
from 49 to 80 m (161 to 262 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The upper and lower boundaries of the unit are recognizable within a
limited portion of southeastern Saskatchewan and north-central North Dakota. Both boundaries are
placed at the tops of argillaceous limestone intervals, both of which change facies toward the west
within about 56 km (36 mi) of one another. The upper marker bed is lost first at Rge. 16W2M and the
lower at Rge. 22W2M. The Tilston has been correlated with the Spirifer missouriensis zone of the
Banff Formation of Alberta (Brindle, 1960) and with the C1 coral zone of the Madison Group (upper
Lodgepole) of Montana (Sando, 1978).
References. Brindle, 1960; Fuzesy, 1960; McCabe, 1959; Sando, 1978; Thomas, 1954.
DMK
Quaternary
Timber Creek Till (Informal)
General Comment: Name introduced by Waters (1975, p. 75) for deposits laid down by a valley glacier
in upper North Willow Creek during his Event 2, and are largely restricted to that district of the foothills.
No type locality is given, but a representative section is found at “grid reference 998643”. This is a silty
and clayey till, with a matrix carbonate content of about 21%. A thickness of 4 m (13 ft) has been
measured.
The Timber Creek is one of four names Waters introduced for deposits laid down by valley glaciers
within the Pekisko Creek-Happy Valley area of the foothills southwest of Calgary, Alberta, during his
Event 2. The others are the Cartwright, Pekisko and Stimson Creek tills. Waters (p. 48) correlated these
tills with each other, with the Maycroft Till of Alley (1973) and with the Furman Till of Day (1971), and
suggested a pre-Classical Wisconsin age for them. As Cartwright is a local name introduced
informally in a thesis, it use should be restricted
References: Alley, 1973; Day, 1971; Harris and Waters, 1977; Water, 1975.
AMacSS
Lower Ordovician
Tipperary Quartzite
Author: Norfold, B.S., 1969, p. 16-18, 62, 63, 67, 68.
Type Locality: Just to the east of Tipperary Lake (50°40’N, 115°21’W), southeastern British Columbia.
Lithology: Thickly bedded, cross-laminated quartzites, with very minor dolomitic quartz sandstones
silica-rich dolomites and shady mudstones
Thickness and Distribution: Restricted to a small area in the carbonate facies of the southern Rocky
Mountains (Kananaskis map-area NTS 82J). Westward it is intertongued with the Glenogle Shales of
the graptolitic facies: northward it is represented by the basal part of the Skoki Formation. The
observed thicknesses range from 33 to 175 m (108 to 574 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Tipperary, Monkman and Mount Wilson quartzites all have very
similar lithologies and probably represent transport of sand from a similar source to different areas of
the carbonate shelf at various times during the Ordovician. Despite an erosion surface at the
Tipperary-Skoki boundary at the type section the contact and that with the underlying Glenogle Shales
basically are conformable.
Paleontology: No fossils are known from the formation, but it underlies the basal Middle Ordovician
Hesperonomia brachiopod zone of the Skoki Formation at one locality and overlies probable Zone J
trilobites (uppermost Lower Ordovician) in the Glenogle Shales at another.
References: McKee, Norford and Ross, 1972; Norford, 1969.
BSN
Middle Cambrian
Titkana Formation
Type Locality: Titkana Peak and adjacent Tatei Ridge, on the British Columbia-Alberta boundary east
of Robson Pass.
History: Has been recognized by all subsequent workers as a distinctive cliff forming unit beneath the
Arctomys and Pika formations. It was amended by Mountjoy (1962, p. 10) to exclude 61 to 214 m (200
to 700 ft) of recessive weathering, argillaceous limestone from the top which were assigned to the
Pika Formation.
Lithology: Massive, cliff forming grey limestones and dolomitic limestones, micritic and generally
unfossiliferous.
Thickness and Distribution: 366 to 519 m (1200 to 1700 ft) thick (Mountjoy, 1964) [not 671 m (2200 ft),
as Walcott (1928) stated ]. It thins eastward to 244 m (800 ft) feet in the Chetamon thrust sheet. It is a
lateral equivalent of the Eldon Formation. Until more stratigraphic work is done in the Mount Robson
area it may still be a useful local formation name.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlain conformably by the Pika Formation and underlain unconformably
by the Tatei Formation.
References: Mountjoy, 1962, 1964, 1980; Mountjoy and Aitken, 1978; Walcott, 1913, 1928.
EWM
Toad Formation (Obsolete)
Type Locality: Liard and Toad Rivers, near the mouth of Toad River, northeastern British Columbia.
NTS 94N/7, Toad River. Alternate localities typical of the Toad Formation were provided by Colquhoun
(1962), Pelletier (1960, 1961, 1963, 1964) and Gibson (1971).
History: Originally named and described by Kindle (1944) who, in 1946 modified the term to include
only the lower, more thinly bedded and finer grained strata. The overlying more massive, coarser
grained strata were defines as the Liard Formation. The facies was recognized and the name
extended to the foothills between the Pine and Liard rivers by Pelletier (1960, 1961, 1963, 1964),
Colquhoun (1962) and Gibson (1971,1975). The facies was combined with the Grayling Formation
and extended into the subsurface plains by Hunt and Ratcliffe (1959) as the Toad-Grayling Formation.
The term was replaced by the Doig and Montney formations of the Diaber Croup by Armitage (1962),
although the older usage persists. In the Peace River area of the foothills beds assigned to the Toad by
Gibson were assigned to the Toad and lower Mount Wright by Colquhoun. The upper Toad is
equivalent to ‘FIagstones’ and ‘Dark Siltstones’.
Lithology: Dark grey shaly to flaggy weathering, very calcareous siltstone, silty limestone, silty shale
and minor amounts of silty dolostone and calcareous sandstone. Contains thin phosphate nodules
near base of formation.
Thickness and Distribution: The Toad Formation occurs in the Rocky Mountain Foothills between the
Liard and Pine rivers, northeastern British Columbia. It ranges in measured thickness from 158.5 m
(520 ft) at Mount Greene, on the north side of the Williston Lake Reservoir, to maximum of 823.0 m
(2700 ft) south of Halfway River.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is gradationally overlain by medium to pale grey to brownish grey
weathering fine to medium grained sandstone, siltstone and, locally very finely crystalline limestone of
the Liard Formation. In the western foothills north of Peace River it is overlain abruptly and possibly
unconformably by medium grey weathering sandstone, siltstone and limestone of the Ludington
Formation. In the eastern foothills of the Liard River Alaska Highway area the Toad is disconformably
overlain by the Lower Cretaceous Fort St. John Group. The Toad is gradationally underlain by more
recessive weathering, less calcareous, more dolomitic siltstone, shale and sandstone of the Grayling
Formation The Toad is laterally equivalent to the subsurface Doig and the upper two thirds of the
Montney Formations of the Peace River Plains (Armitage, 1962), and to part of the Llama Member of
the Sulphur Mountain Formation of west-central and southwestern Alberta (Gibson, 1975).
References: Armitage, 1962; Colquhoun, 1962; Gibson, 1971, 1975: Kindle, 1944, 1946; McLearn and
Kindle, 1950; Pelletier, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1964.
DWG
Upper Carboniferous (Upper Bashkirian?-Lower Moscovian)
Tobermory Formation
(Spray Lakes Group)
Type Locality: Southwest corner of Storelk Mountain southeastern British Columbia, near the head of
Elk River, in narrow canyon 1.6 km (1 mi) E32°N from the mouth of Tobermory Creek. (50°31.5’N,
114°59.7W). Directly above the type section of the Storelk Formation.
History: Tobermory is the name given to a unit originally contained within the Rocky Mountain
Formation, Tunnel Mountain Member (Warren, 1947, 1956), later known as the Rocky Mountain Group,
Tunnel Mountain Formation. The formation lies between two distinctive units, the Storelk Formation
below and Kananaskis Formation above, and within the Tunnel Mountain Formation (restricted) of
McGugan & Rapson (1961b).
Lithology: Composed dominantly of very fine to fine grained, bioturbated, light grey, quartzitic and
dolomitic, well sorted quartz-chert shallow marine sandstone. Medium and coarse chart sand occurs
mainly as accessory grains in many beds and become abundant south of Crowsnest Pass, where thin
beds of coarse grained sandstone occur. Sorting also decreases toward the south and southeast. The
quartz/dolomite cement alternates in zones ranging from thin laminae up to beds several metres thick.
The sandstones are well stratified and cross-stratification is not characteristic, except locally. A few
dolomite beds 0.3 to 4 m (1 to 13 ft) thick account for a small part of most sections; they are grey sandy,
microcrystalline and resemble those in the Kananaskis Formation. Some beds are composed of equal
amounts of dolomite and sand, indicating that one lithology probably grades laterally into the other.
Chert nodules are abundant in some beds. A few distinctive white, partially to completely silicified
pelecypod coquinas from 2 cm to 1 m (0.8 in to 3 ft) thick occur at a few localities. One distinctive and
unique accessory component in the sand is black, rounded detrital clasts of phosphorite resembling
chert, ranging from sand through small pebble size. These occur in abundance at Mount Hosmer,
British Columbia. In some areas the basal bed is a sandy dolomite and locally a thin bed of dolomite,
sandstone, chert or phosphorite pebble conglomerate is present.
Thickness and Distribution: In the type section (Elk Mountains) the unit is 66.4 m (218 ft) thick, and
reaches a maximum of 101.5 m (333 ft) south of Crowsnest Pass (Flathead Range). From these areas
the formation thins in all directions. It is 7.6 to 30 m (25 to 98 ft) thick in the Livingstone and Highwood
ranges, 1 to 2 m (3 to 7 ft) at Mount Elpoca near Highwood Pass, and very thin north of Bow Valley
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact is an unconformity, interpreted by Scott to be a regional
angular unconformity that truncates increasingly older units towards the east and northeast such that,
in the Livingstone and Highwood ranges the Tobermory rests unconformably on the Etherington
Formation. The upper contact is conformable and locally transitional, between the High Rock Range
and Highwood-Livingstone Range areas the formation thins in the Highwood Pass area at the Mount
Elpoca to 2 m (7 ft) of white, spicular chert which rests unconformably on the Storelk Formation. In the
Highwood-Livingstone ranges the Rocky Mountain Supergroup is less than 33 m (108 ft) thick and
contains white chert, resting unconformably on the Etherington Formation, and is interpreted to be
equivalent to the Tobermory Formation. The Tobermory is composed of similar lithologies to those in
the Kananaskis Formation but they occur in different proportions. The two are believed to be, in part
lateral facies equivalents.
Paleontology: Fossils are rare in the Tobermory, but silicified brachiopods, pelecypods, gastropods
and scaphopods from a widespread white, silicified coquina have been recovered. These have been
identified as probably representing a Middle Pennsylvanian (lower Moscovian) age, which tends to
confirm the close genetic relationship between the Tobermory and Kananaskis formations inferred
from physical relationships.
References: Henderson, 1989; McGugan and Rapson, 1961b; Scott, 1964a, 1964b; Warren, 1947,
1956.
AM, CMH, MML

Upper Proterozoic
Toby Formation (Winderemere Supergroup)
Author: Walker, J.F., 1926.
Type Locality: Toby Creek, west of Invermere, southeastern British Columbia.
Lithology: Diamictic conglomerates (pebbly to boulder argillite or sandstone) are diagnostic: they
range from brown to green-grey and are extremely poorly sorted. Phenoclasts are angular to slightly
rounded, range from granules to boulders 2 m (7 ft) or more long, and are packed chaotically in a
matrix ranging from mud to fine sand; at one locality in the Lardeau area the matrix is vesicular
andesite (Reesor, 1973, Plate V). Clasts are mostly quartzites, dolomites and argillites derived from
the underlying Purcell Supergroup, but boulders of granite gneiss occur at a few rare localities, and
clasts derived from the Moyie Intrusions and syenitic intrusions occur locally elsewhere. Subsidiary
rock types include argillite, sandstone and black limestone in beds 0.5 to 3 m (1.6 to 6 ft) thick. Beds
are massive and defined by the presence or absence of clasts; they lack internal structures such as
lamination, cross-lamination, etc. Aalto (1971) suggested a glaciogenic origin for these deposits.
Thickness and Distribution: The Toby occurs in the Purcell Mountains between 50°N and 51°N and
extends into the western Rocky Mountains to a southern erosional limit beneath the Lower Cambrian
Cranbrook Formation in the northern Hughes Range (Leech, 1954). It extends along the western flank
of the Purcell anticlinorium in the Kootenay arc, into northeastern Washington where it is called the
Shedroof Conglomerate (Little, 1960, Aalto, 1971) Its thickness is highly variable, ranging up to 2000
m (6560 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The unit unconformably overlies the Mount Nelson Formation of the
Purcell Supergroup over most of its outcrop area. Its basal contact cuts down section southward and
eastward so that the Toby Formation oversteps the Mount Nelson and unconformably overlies the
Roosville Formation in the northern Hughes Range. The contact with the overlying Horsethief Creek
Group is apparently conformable and gradational. Lower Cambrian Cranbrook Formation quartzites
overstep the Horsethief Creek Group southward, and unconformably overlie the Toby Formation in the
northern Hughes Range.
References: Aalto, 1971; Atkinson, 1975; Leech, 1954, 1960; Lis and Price, 1976; Little, 1960; Reesor,
1973; Rice, 1941: Walker, 1926; Young et al., 1973.
WKF, RAP
Upper Mississippian (Chesteran)
Todhunter Member (Etherington Formation)
Type Locality: North side of Beehive Pass, British Columbia, in the Highrock Range, Beehive
Mountain map-area; NTS 82J/2E.
History: The Todhunter Member, as originally defined was included as the basal unit of the Rocky
Mountain Supergroup. Scott (1964) adopted this usage. However, because of the regional persistence
of the overlying sandstones of the Misty Formation, and the genetic association of the Todhunter with
underlying beds Norris (1965) re-defined the Todhunter as the upper member of the Etherington
Formation in the Highrock Range.
Lithology: The Todhunter comprises brightly colored, interbedded siltstones, dolomites and sandstone
in gradational contact with light grey and buff weathering dolomites associated with red and green
shales of the Etherington Formation.
Thickness and Distribution: In the eastern ranges of the Rocky Mountains, between the Bow and
Crowsnest River drainages the Todhunter ranges in thickness from zero to 35 m (115 ft). It is 27 m (89
ft) at the type section in Beehive Pass The unit is best developed in the Highrock Range in the vicinity
of Beehive Pass, Alberta and British Columbia. Equivalent strata have not been demonstrated in the
Highwood and Livingstone Ranges, Alberta
Relationship to Other Units: The Todhunter is lithologically gradational with the Etherington Formation
beneath it. Its contact with the overlying Misty Formation is disconformable.
Paleontology: The total fauna of the Todhunter includes Spirifer increbescens, Spirifer sp., Composita
sp., Archimedes Sp.. and ?Caninia sp.. (see Norris, D.K., 1965, p. 21). The member is of Mississippian
(Chesteran) age. It has similar lithology and stratigraphic position to the lower Amsden Formation of
south-central Montana.
References: Norris, 1957, 1965; Stott, 1964.
DKN
Quaternary
Tofield Sand
Author: Warren, P.S., 1954, p. 78.
Type Locality: None given; formation well exposed near Tofield, Alberta.
Lithology: Fine, white, quartzose sand, locally grading upwards to fine gravel. Sand grains are well
rounded and rare fragments of shell are present; the unit is remarkably constant over wide areas, and
so forms an excellent marker bed.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness varies greatly but not stated. Fills channel depressions eroded
into underlying Grey till. Found near Tofield, Alberta and apparently widespread, but distribution not
otherwise given.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Grey till of Warren (1954) and underlies his Brown till. The
Grey till is probably equivalent to the Lubuma Till,, and the Brown till to the Maunsell Till. The unit was
also called Tofield Sands and gravels by Warren (1954, p. 77). It is of Pleistocene age, but stage
unknown.
References: Harris and Waters, 1977; Warren, 1954.
AMacSS
Tolman Member (Edmonton Group) (Disused)
Type Locality: Tolman Crossing of the Red Deer River, in Sec. 12, Twp. 33, Rge. 22W4M, Alberta.
Lithology: Sandstones and siltstones, with some admixture of calcareous and ferruginous matter.
Iron-nodule beds are intermittently present.
Thickness and Distribution: The average thickness of the Tolman Member is about 40 m (131 ft) in the
Red Deer River valley.
Relationship to Other Units: The Tolman Member overlies the uppermost bed of the Drumheller Marine
Tongue of the lower Edmonton Member sensu Allan and Sanderson (1945) and underlies the first coal
seam in the middle Edmonton Member (sensu Allan and Sanderson) The base of the Tolman Member
is marked by a 0.6 m (2 ft) ironstone bed about 41 m (135 ft) above the water-level of the Red Deer
River at Tolman Crossing, and the top by the base of the 1.5 m (5 ft) coal seam about 79 m (259 ft)
above the water-level. The Tolman is now included in the Horseshoe Canyon Formation
Paleontology: Dinosaur remains have been found in the lower strata of this member. On the basis of
fossil angiosperm pollen data this member occurs within the Mancicorpus van-campoi Zone (V) of
Srivastava (1968, 1970).
References: Allan and Sanderson, 1945; Srivastava, 1968, 1970.
SKS
Quaternary
Tolstoi Formation (Informal)
Type Locality: “Silence Section” northwest of Tolstoi, Manitoba, in Lsd. 8, Sec. S. Twp 3, Rge. 5EPM.
History: Name introduced informally in Ph.D. thesis, not defined elsewhere.
Lithology: Silty till, with matrix averaging 53% silt and 55% carbonate; light yellowish brown where
oxidized.
Thickness and Distribution: Generally less than 1 m (3 ft) thick; found in southeastern Manitoba, where
it is recognized mostly in boreholes.
Relationship to Other Units: Locally overlies, with interbedded contact the stratified drift found near top
of the Stuartburn Formation; overlain with sharp contact by the Vita Formation. Relationship to units
later described by Teller and Fenton in 1980 not dated by them. The unit is older than Classical
Wisconsin.
References: Fenton, 1974; Keatinge, 1975: Moran et al., 1976; Teller and Fenton, 1980.
AMacSS
Proterozoic
Tombstone Mountain Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Author: Fermor, P.R. and Price, R.A, 1983.
Type Locality: On the southeast side of the ridge forming the northwest side of Middlepass Creek
valley, 54 km (33 mi) southeast of Fernie, British Columbia, NTS Fernie 82G/1.
Lithology: Recessive, dark grey argillaceous and silty limestones micritic to cryptocrystalline, and dark
grey, calcareous and silty argillite. Silty and argillaceous dolomite is present in northeastern
exposures. Some beds are well laminated, fathers unlaminated with wavy surfaces. Some banded and
streaked limestone and dolomite (ribbon-rock) present in northeastern exposures.
Thickness and Distribution: Exposures are restricted to the northern Clark Range, British Columbia
and Alberta, from near North Kootenay Pass to Middlepass Creek, and possibly as far south as Sage
Creek. The Tombstone Mountain Formation is 175 m (574 ft) thick at the type section at Middlepass
Creek and may thin somewhat to the northeast towards St. Eloi and Syncline Brooks.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit overlies banded and streaked limestone and dolomite of Unit E of
the Haig Brook Formation with gradational contact, and underlies resistant, silty limestone of the base
of the Waterton Formation with abrupt lout apparently conformable contact. The Tombstone Mountain
Formation may be equivalent to a portion of the upper part of the Aldridge Formation and equivalent
Pritchard Formation of southeastern British Columbia and northern Montana, respectively.
References: Fermor and Price, 1983.
RAP
Torquay Formation (Three Forks Group)
Author: Christopher, J.E., 1961, p. 18.
Type Locality: Compagnie Francaise des Petroles Torquay No. 1 well, in 8-32-3-11W2M,
Lithology: Dolomite and shale, with lesser amounts of anhydrite. Some brecciated fragments of
dolomite occur scattered in the mudstone. Color ranges from greys and greens to reds and browns,
depending on the degree of oxidation of the sediments. Weathered anhydrite is white The formation is
divided into 6 units.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness is consistently 45 to 50 m (148 to 164 ft), except in
southwestern Saskatchewan, where it reaches a maximum of 65 m (213 ft.), and in southeastern
Saskatchewan, where it is locally reduced to 20 m (66 ft). The Torquay is present throughout much of
the Williston Basin. Its northern limit is the west-northwest trending post Mississippian erosional edge
in central Saskatchewan (south of Saskatoon).
Relationship to Other Units: The relationship to the underlying carbonates of the Birdbear Formation is
probably unconformable in western Saskatchewan but conformable farther east (Kent, 1968). The
Torquay is conformably overlain by mudstones of the Big Valley Formation, or unconformably of black
shales of the Bakken Formation. The Torquay is the lowest formation of the Three Forks Group. It is
equivalent to the Stettler Member of Kents (1959) and the Potlatch Evaporite (restricted) of Wilson
(1955). Equivalent strata in Alberta comprise the Crowfoot Formation.
References: Christopher, 1961; Kent, 1968a; Kents, 1959; Wilson, 1955.
CED; KRM
Torrens Member
(Malcolm Creek Formation and Gates Formation)
Author: McLean, J.R., 1980.
Type Locality: On an unnamed creek flowing southwest into Saxon Creek from the ridge on which
Mount Torrens is situated (Narraway River, northeastern British Columbia, NTS 93I/8E)
Lithology: Characterized by sandstone, very fine to very coarse grained, typically coarsening upward,
although sometimes a reversal to fining upward was observed in the upper sandstone bed. Burrowing
is common in lower beds, but rare in higher ones. Some thin mudstone beds may occur near the base.
Horizontal bedding, cross-bedding and rip-up clasts are common sedimentary structures.
Thickness and Distribution: The type section is 39 m (128 ft) thick. It is generally thinner to the south
and thicker to the north, but there are exceptions. It is recognized in the foothills of Alberta and
northeastern British Columbia from about the Clearwater River (52°N) to the Peace River (about
56°N).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Moosebar Formation or Member gradationally and is overlain
conformably, either abruptly or gradationally by the Grande Cache Member or the undifferentiated
upper part of the Gates Formation. It is correlative with the basal part of the Grand Rapids Formation.
JRM
Tovell Member (Mannville Formation) (Disused)
Type Locality: The type section is in the Northwest Mannville No. 1 well, in 1-18-50-8W4M, Alberta,
History: The Mannville Formation was defined by Nauss as a Western plains subsurface equivalent of
the Blairmore Formation cropping out in the eastern Rocky Mountains and the sub-Colorado
Cretaceous Formations (McMurray, Clearwater and Grand Rapids) exposed in the valleys of the
Clearwater and Athabasca rivers of central eastern Alberta. The type section of the Mannville is in the
Northwest Mannville No. 1 well, between 561 and 704 m (1838 and 2308 ft). Six members were
designated, in ascending order the: Dina, Cummings, Islay, Tovell, Borradaile and O’Sullivan. Only
Dina and Cummings have come into general usage.
Lithology: Massive, coarse grained salt and pepper sandstone, grey shale with abundant plant
remains and some thin coal seams. Sandstones are composed of angular quartz and dark grey chert
or smoky quartz. Grain size is at maximum 1 mm; generally poorly sorted with high matrix component
and in places is cemented with calcium carbonate. Well preserved fronds in the shale is suggestive of
in-situ deposition, permeability is generally poor.
Thickness and Distribution: The Tovell Member ranges from 23 to 35 m (75 to 116 ft) throughout the
Vermilion area Twps. 43 to 57, Rges. 1 to 14W4M, Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: “The Tovell Member is underlain conformably by the Islay Member and is
overlain by the Borradaile Member”.
Reference: Nauss, 1945.
JEC, A.S.P.G. Lexicon 1960

Middle Cambrian
Trinity Lakes Member (Cathedral Formation)
Type Locality: Trinity Lakes, at the head of Beauty Creek, north of Sunwapta Pass, southern Jasper
National Park, Alberta.
History: Mountjoy and Aitken (1978) showed, but did not discuss an “upper shale”, higher than the
Ross Lake Member and bearing Glossopleura Zone trilobites in the Cathedral Formation at
Athabasca Glacier. Aitken (in press; see also Aitken, 1989) provided detail and formalized the member.
Lithology: The Trinity Lakes Member is one of two recessive weathering, westward-pinching shaly
tongues in the Cathedral Formation (the other tongue is the Ross Lake Member). It is characterized by
several mud-based, shallowing upward cycles consisting of grey calcareous shale and ‘parted’, thin
bedded lime mudstone, with trilobite coquinas and oncoidal beds. Both shaly members of the
Cathedral Formation are tongues of inner detrital facies, i.e., tongues of the Mount Whyte Formation.
Thickness and Distribution: The Trinity Lakes Member undergoes depositional pinchout southward,
and also westward onto the Kicking Horse Rim. As thin as 6 m (20 ft) at its most southerly extent
(Ghost River), it thickens northward to 49 m (161 ft) at Mount Kerkeslin and 80 m (262 ft) at the type
section of the Snake Indian Formation. The member persists eastward until it merges with the Mount
Whyte and Earlie formations (see Aitken, 1989).
Relationship to Other Units: The Trinity Lakes Member may be viewed as a westward projecting
tongue of the Mount Whyte Formation, or alternatively a southward projection of the corresponding
shaly member of the Snake Indian Formation. Its contacts are conformable.
Paleontology: The Trinity Lakes Member is characterized by a trilobite fauna belonging to the mid-
Middle Cambrian Glossopleura Zone.
References: Mountjoy and Aitken, 1978; Aitken, 1989 and in press.
JDA
Upper Devonian
Trout River Formation
Author: Crickmay, C.H., 1953, 1957.
Type Locality: On Trout River, District of Mackenzie, between 16 km (10 mi) above Third Falls and 12.5
km (10 mi) below the falls, i.e. 35.5 km (22 mi) by stream from MacKenzie River.
Lithology: From top to bottom: light grey finely silty, bedded limestone, 18 m (60 ft): grey silty limestones
with shales, 11 m (37 ft): grey to light grey silty limestones, calcareous siltstones in lower 5 m (16 ft) .
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section 52 m (174 ft). Ranges up to 91 m (300 ft) in District of
Mackenzie south of 61°N, between 120°W, and 121°W. Extends into the Fort Nelson area of
northeastern British Columbia
Relationship to Other Units: The Trout River disconformably overlies the Kakisa Formation with a
depositional and faunal break. Westward it overlies the Fort Simpson Formation. It is overlain
conformably by the Tetcho Formation. It is equivalent to the Sassenach Formation of the central
Alberta Rocky Mountains, the upper part of the Graminia of central Alberta, the Crowfoot of southern
Alberta, the Torquay of Saskatchewan and the Lyleton of Manitoba.
References: A.S.P.G lexicon, 1960; Belyea, 1964; Crickmay, 1953, 1957; Warren and Stelck, 1956.
HRB; DWM
?Middle Cambrian
Tsar Creek Formation
Type Locality: No type locality was designated by the author. The Tsar Creek Formation is reported to
be well exposed in Tsar Creek and on Kinbasket Mountain, British Columbia.
Lithology: “On the south side of the lower part of Tsar Creek, and north of the creek in a synclinal
trough, the argillite is dark grey to black, relatively blocky, and poorly bedded. On Kinbasket Mountain
it is grey and dark grey highly sheared, and is a slate or phyllite. To the southeast between Sullivan
and Kinbasket rivers and southeast of Sullivan River, the argillite is also strongly sheared and on
steep slopes commonly breaks down into prominent light-colored talus slides”. (Fyles, ibid., p. 92).
Thickness and Distribution: The Tsar Creek is estimated to be between 153 and 328 m (500 and 1000
ft) thick. It is well exposed in Tsar Creek and on Kinbasket Mountain, to the southeast [of Kinbasket
Mountain] and near the south end of the Solitude Range.
Relationship to Other Units: The Tsar Creek is overlain by the Kinbasket Formation and underlain by
the “Sullivan Quartzite”. (The “Sullivan quartzite” is presumably a Gog/Miette equivalent) .
RGG
?Helikian
Tuchodi Formation
Author: Bell, R.J., first use 1966, first published 1968.
Type Locality: On mountain north of Tuchodi Lakes in the Tuchodi Lakes (94K) map-area of
northeastern British Columbia. Geographical co-ordinates of type section: base of section: 58°15’30”N,
124°28’00”W, top of section: 58°16’00”N, 124°32’00”W. Reference section: base of section:
58°08’30”N, 124°29’00”W, top of section: 58°07’45”N, 124°32’30”W.
Lithology: Typified by resistant, brown weathering, white to light prey and light brown feldspathic
quartzites, dolomitic siltstones and sandstones, and argillaceous, silty light grey brown, aphanitic
dolomites. Varicolored shales and sandstones are common in eastern exposures.
Thickness and Distribution: Widespread throughout the northern Rocky Mountains of British
Columbia, the formation is recognized from exposures on the Muskwa River in the south to the
Caribou Hills of the Toad River (94N) map-area in the north. No significant thickness variations have
been documented from the 1600 m (5248 ft) of the type area.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Henry Creek Formation and is conformably
overlain by the Aida Formation. Over much of the exposure area the Tuchodi Formation has been
truncated by sub-Cambrian erosion.
References: Bell, 1966, 1968; Taylor and Stott, 1973.
GCT
Tuma Lake Formation
Author: Ramaekers, P. 1979.
Type Locality: Outcrop 5 km (3.1 mi) northeast of Puma Lake (NTS 74K-11), northwestern
Saskatchewan.
Lithology: Quartzose, pebbly sandstone with variable clay matrix and maximum pebble size of 34 mm
(1.3 in.). Planar and trough cross-bedding are common, with lesser number of low angle cross-beds
and cross-laminations.
Thickness and Distribution: Found in the western part of the Athabasca Basin around the Carswell
structure. Maximum thickness is 80 m (262 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Otherside Formation, and in the Carswell structure underlies
the Douglas Formation of the Athabasca Group.
JEC
Upper Carboniferous (Bashkirian-Lower Moscovian)
Tunnel Mountain Formation
(Restricted); (Spray Lakes Group)
Author: Beales, F.W., 1950, p. 6.
Type Locality: South end of Tunnel Mountain, Banff, approximately Sec. 33, Twp. 25, Rge. 12W5M.
History: H.H. Beach, in a 1947 presentation to the A.S.P.G. used the term Tunnel Mountain Formation
for the uppermost part of the Mississippian Rundle Formation. Warren (1947) recognized two
unnamed members comprising the Rocky Mountain Formation. Beales (1950, p. 6) referred to an
upper Norquay Mountain Member and a lower Tunnel Mountain Member in the Rocky Mountain
Formation, attributing theses names to Warren (1947). Douglas (1953, p. 68) also attributed these
names to Warren (1947). McGugan and Rapson (1961b) divided the Rocky Mountain Group into three
formations, in ascending order the Tunnel Mountain, Kananaskis and Ishbel. They restricted the Tunnel
Mountain to exclude the basal carbonates, which were referred to the Etherington Formation of the
Rundle Group. Scott (1964a, b) studied Lower Pennsylvanian clastics of the Tunnel Mountain and
recognized four members within that formation, in ascending order the Todhunter, Tyrwhitt, Storelk and
Tobermory. In some sections these units cannot be differentiated and therefore the name Tunnel
Mountain Formation is most appropriate. Norris (1965, p. 14, 41) referred the Lower Pennsylvanian
clastics to the Misty Formation and equated the top and bottom of the formation to the section of
Beales (1950, p. 43, 44)
Lithology: The Tunnel Mountain Formation (restricted, McGugan and Rapson, 1961b) consists mainly
of sandstone, with subordinate dolomite and dolomitic sandstone in the lower part two beds of
quartzite occur in the upper part.
Thickness and Distribution: 91 m (300 ft) at the type section. Present in the front ranges of the Rocky
Mountains. Thickens to over 610 m (2000 ft) in some westerly sections, e.g., Connor lakes (Cummings
Creek - Forsyth Creek, Norris, 1965) west of the Elk River (Sec. 28, McGugan et al., 1964; Sec. 5,
Scott, 1964b) Recognized from the Flathead Valley in the south to Windy Point on the David
Thompson Highway (Sec. 93, McGugan et al., 1964). Thins to 15 to 61 m (49 to 200 ft) in the
Highwood and Livingstone ranges (Secs. 12, 28, 34, Scott, 1964); 152 m (500 ft) in the Misty Range
(Sec. 32, Scott, 1964b). Absent in the foothills subsurface.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Mississippian Etherington Formation throughout
its area of occurrence. Concordantly overlain by Kananaskis Formation wherever that formation
occurs. In westerly sections, where the Kananaskis Formation is not recognized it is unconformably
overlain by the Permian Ishbel Group, with a basal conglomerate.
Paleontology: Scattered occurrences of brachiopods and endothyrid foraminifera in carbonate beds

(Scott, 1964a; Norris, 1965, p. 7, 8; McGugan and May, 1965).
References: Allan, 1913; Beales, 1950; Douglas, 1953; Dowling, 1907: Henderson ,1989; McGugan,
1987; McGugan et al., 1964; McGugan and May, 1965; McGugan and Rapson, 1961b; McGugan and
Spratt, 1981; Nelson, 1961; Nelson and Rudy, 1961; Norris 1955, 1965; Richards et al., in press; Scott,
1964a, b; Shimer, 1926; Warren 1927,1947.
AM, CMH
Turner Valley Formation (Rundle Group)
Type Locality: Anglo Canadian et al., Devonian Test Well in the Turner Valley field, in Lsd. 2, Sec. 5,
Twp. 19, Rge. 3W5M, Alberta, between 2248 and 2358 m (7370 and 7730 ft).
History: Douglas (1953) introduced the term Turner Valley Member to include the following units in the
Gunner Valley surface section: in ascending order the Banner Silt, Black Lime, tower Porous,
Crystalline Zone, Middle Hard or Dense and Upper Porous. The Carboniferous Committee of the
Alberta Society of Petroleum Geologists (Moore, 1958; Penner, 1958) restricted the Turner Valley to
only the upper part of Douglas’ section, namely, the two porous units and the intervening Middle
Dense and raised the Turner Valley to formation status. The lower beds (Banner Silt and Black Lime) of
Douglas are now included in the Shunda Formation in the subsurface of southwestern Alberta, and
the Lower Porous and Crystalline zones are termed the Elkton Member (Penner, 1958).
Lithology: The Turner Valley consists of medium to coarse crystalline crinoidal limestone and medium
crystalline dolomite in the Upper Porous and Lower Porous intervals, separated by the intervening
Middle Dense unit of finely crystalline, nonporous carbonate The entire Turner Valley Formation is
dolomitized over much of southwestern Alberta.
Thickness and Distribution: As restricted by Penner the Turner Valley Formation is 110 m (360 ft) thick
in the Turner Valley field. It is present in the Foothills belt of western Alberta and thins eastward by
erosional truncation. The zero edge occurs just east of Calgary and passes southeastward toward the
southern border of Alberta (Penner, 1958). The formation cannot be recognized to the west as the
underlying Shunda changes facies in the mountains, and the Livingstone Formation then represents
the Turner Valley-Shunda Pekisko sequence.
Relationship to Other Units: The Turner Valley rests on the Shunda Formation and is overlain by the
Mount Head Formation in the most westerly areas; both contacts are conformable. In southern to west-
central Alberta, where the Mount Head is removed by erosion Jurassic or Cretaceous strata rest
unconformably on the eroded Turner Valley surface. The Turner Valley is correlated with the upper
Mission Canyon of Montana and the lower Debolt of the Peace River area.
References: Douglas, 1953, Douglas and Harker, 1958; Gallup, 1951; Macauley et al., 1964; Moore,
1958; Penner, 1957, 1959.
JMA, RWE, GM
Tertiary (Paleocene)
Turtle Mountain Formation
Type Locality: Turtle Mountain, southwestern Manitoba, in the vicinity of Twps. 1 and 2, Rges. 17 to
23WPM. Outcrops are thin and sparse, so not type outcrop section has been defined. Bannatyne
(1970) described an essentially complete subsurface section, and subsequent subsurface studies by
Bamburak (1978) permitted subdivision of the formation into two members. The combined type
sections of these two units provides a reference subsurface section of the Turtle Mountain Formation:
(upper) G.S.C. Hole 68-33, in 5-20-1-22WPM, between 98.1 and 107.9 m (322 and 354 ft), and (lower)
Manitoba Mines and Natural Resources Hole No. 1, in 15-32-1-22WPM, between 0.9 and 80.5 m (3
and 264 ft). A thin “unknown interval” may occur between the two reference intervals.
History: The name was first used by Dowling (1921) for the Turtle Mountain coal-bearing series Kirk
(1930) used the name in a manuscript map, as did Johnson (1934a) in a tabulation of bedrock
formations of southwestern Manitoba. First description was by Wickenden (1945).
Lithology: “The outcrops observed consists mostly of fine-grained, white or yellowish sand or
sandstone with occasional fossil plant remains. Some shady bands are present and also a few thin
concretionary layers, and beds of lignite.” Bamburak (1978), from subsurface studies subdivided the
formation into two members. The lower, Goodlands Member consists of an assemblage of grey
(nonmarine) bentonitic, carbonaceous sands silts and clays, with scattered lignite beds. The upper,
Peace Garden Member is a grey, yellowish weathering (marine) silty clay, with minor greenish sand
and silt.
Thickness and Distribution: The maximum known thickness is 158 m (518 ft), but the upper part of the
formation has everywhere been eroded. Turtle Mountain beds comprise an erosional outlier of the
Missouri Coteau and are limited to the immediate area of Turtle Mountain .
Relationship to Other Units: The Turtle Mountain unconformably overlies coarse sandy beds of the
Boissevain Formation and is everywhere unconformably overlain by Pleistocene and/or Recent
deposits. The lower, Goodlands Member is correlated with the Frenchman Formation of Saskatchewan
and the Hell Creek Formation of North Dakota. The upper, Peace Garden Member is correlated with
the Ravenscrag Formation of Saskatchewan and the Fort Union Group of North Dakota.
References: Bamburak, 1978; Bannatyne, 1970; Dowling, 1921; Johnson, 1934a; Wickenden, 1945
HRM
Devonian and Carboniferous
Turtle Mountain Group (Obsolete)
Author: MacKenzie, J.D., 1914a.
Type Locality: Turtle Mountain, between Frank and Blairmore, southwestern Alberta.
History: Originally referred to as limestone of Turtle Mountains The beds are now assigned to the
Rundle and Etherington formations of Mississippian age.
Lithology: Interbedded grey to dark grey dolomite and limestone, argillaceous in some layers, cherty;
dolomite and chert breccias near the top, overlain by maroon and green shale.
Thickness and Distribution: No thickness was reported. The unit occupies a narrow belt from
approximately 49°45’N at 114°25’W, narrowing southward to 49°30’N and, possibly further south.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlain unconformably by the Jurassic Fernie Formation; rests in an
overthrust position on the Jurassic Kootenay Formation.
References: A.S.P.G. Carboniferous Committee, 1955 (unpublished); MacKenzie, 1914a.
HRB; PAM
Tuskoola Sandstone (Kaskapau Formation, Smoky Group)
Author: Stelck, C.R., 1955, p. 272 applied the name to sandstones in the Kaskapau Format on, but
never formally defined them as a member.
Type Locality: Presumably Tuskoola Mountain, west of Murray River and south of Pine River,
Lithology: Described by Stelck as massive sandstone, the sandstone are fine grained and brown to
brownish grey show fine lamination and are commonly cross-bedded (Stott, 1967, P 23).
Thickness and Distribution: Stelck indicated that the sandstone grades laterally eastward into siltstone
and disappears west of Kiskatinaw River. It also disappears southward along Flatbed Creek between
Murray River and Stony Lake.
Relationship to Other Units: Separated by silty shale from the younger Wartenbe sandstone and other
sandstones lower in the Kaskapau Formation. The Tuskoola sandstone was shown by Stelck and Wall
(1955) and Stelck (1962, p. 18) as a tongue of the “Sukunka Member” (which has never been defined)
in the upper part of the Dunvegan Formation. Stott (1967, P. 24) pointed out that the sandstone occurs
well above the Dunvegan Formation in the area of the Sukunka and Pine rivers, but may be
equivalent to some part of the Dunvegan Formation north of Pine River.
Paleontology No diagnostic fauna has been reported from the sandstone, but Stelck (1955, p. 272)
suggested that the Tuskoola Mountain section is approximately equivalent to the “Second White
Specks” shale zone, with the Tuskoola sandstone approximately marking the base of that zone.
References: Stelck, 1962; Stelck and Wall, 1955, Stott, 1967.
DFS
Tussock Member
Type Locality: North bank of the Scatter River, just upstream from its junction with the Liard River,
Lithology: Alternating units of silty, glauconitic sandstone and silty mudstone, ranging from 1.5 to 9 m
(5 to 30 ft) in thickness. Mudstone is black, silty, weathers blocky and rusty. Siltstone is argillaceous,
dark grey, finely laminated. Sandstone is silty to argillaceous, very fine grained and finely laminated.
Mottling and worm trails are common.
Thickness and Distribution: Occurs in vicinity of the Scatter River, where it is 76 m (249 ft) thick. It
extends only a short distance southward along the Liard River, but occurs in the foothills as far north
as the headwaters of Kotaneelee River in Yukon Territory.
Relationship to Other Units: The basal and upper beds are gradational with the underlying Wildhorn
Member and overlying Lepine Formation respectively. Southward from the Scatter River the Tussock
grades laterally into shale of the Lepine or Buckinghorse formation. It is also equivalent to the Cadotte
Member of the Peace River Formation and to the Boulder Creek Formation .
Paleontology: Indeterminate gastroplitid ammonites are present. The member lies directly below beds
containing Gastroplites kingi McLearn and above beds containing forms closely related to the Zone of
Pseudopulchellia pattoni, indicating an age no younger than late Middle Albian.
DFS
Twin Cliffs Formation
Author: Stalker, A.MacS., 1976A, p. 394.
Type Locality: Twin Cliffs Section on northeast (right) bank of South Saskatchewan River, about 5 km
(3.1 mi) northeast of Medicine Hat, Alberta, in N/2 Sec. 9, Twp. 13, Rge. 5W4M (50°4’30”N, 110°37’W
to 110°38’W). There the formation is between 16 and 52 m (53 and 171 ft) below prairie level, or 23 to
59 m (75 to 194 ft) above normal river level.
Lithology: Till, sand and gravel. At the type section the formation consists of a bottom till member, a
middle sand and gravel member and a top till member. The till in both till members is dark brown to
black if damp, light yellowish grey if dry, and is the least stony till in the region, but contains stones
from the Precambrian Shield and the Prairies, in addition to Rocky Mountain ones picker up from
underlying river gravels; generally massive, but when dry and exposed breaks into angular fragments
2 to 8 cm (0.8 to 3 in) long; forms near vertical faces in fresh cuts slopes about 65° in older ones. The
middle member ranges from coarse, angular gravel at the base, which is probably outwash, upwards
through stoneless sand and clay, to its major component of fine to medium sand, with thin beds of
gravel found at the top.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section 35 m (115 ft.) thick, with bottom member 15 m (5 ft)
thick, middle member 18 m (59 ft), and top member 16 m (53 ft). Generally thinner, and in many places
destroyed by erosion. Appears intermittently in preglacial valleys of southeast Alberta; rare in inter-
fluve areas
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies Saskatchewan Gravels and Sands, proglacial lake deposits, or
outwash with sharp and generally horizontal contact. Underlies lake or stream deposits or younger
tills. Relationship to Labuma Till uncertain, but the Labuma may correspond to its top member, or to its
top and bottom members combined.
Stalker (1976, p. 394) assigned an Illinoian age to the formation, which represents the initial glaciation
of southeastern Alberta. If the unit corresponds to the Labuma Till the latter name has precedence.
Reference: Stalker, 1976A.
AMacSS
Twin Falls Formation
Type Locality: On Hay Rivers District of Mackenzie, from the base of Alexandra Falls to 1.6 km (1 mi)
upstream from Grumbler Rapid. Supplementary type section, 27.5 to 160 m (90 to 525 ft) in Murphy
Canada Alexandra Falls No. 2, in 60°15’31”N, 116°41’42”W, Northwest Territories.
Lithology: Thin bedded calcarenite, variably sandy with many shaly layers. The basal biostromal layer
is the Alexandra Member.
Thickness and Distribution: Between 120 and 200 m (365 and 610 ft) thick. Occurs within a northwest
trending belt up to 120 km (75 mi) wide by about 180 km (113 mi) long, south of the Mackenzie River,
District of Franklin, Northwest Territories.
Relationship to Other Units: The Twin Falls is conformable with the overlying Tathlina Formation and
the underlying Hay River Formation. It shales out to the west into part of the Foe Simpson Formation
(Northwest Territories), or part of the Ireton Formation (Alberta). To the southeast it correlates with part
of the Grosmont Formation.
Paleontology: Corals and brachiopods (Atrypa ciliipes Crickmay, A. canadensis Webster, Hexagonaria
bompasi (Smith), H. reticulata (Smith), Indospirifer sp., Mictophyllum modicum Smith, Pacellophyllum
tructense McLaren, Pachyphyllum, Theodossia).
References: Belyea and McLaren, 1962; Jamieson, 1971; Williams, 1977a, b.
GKW; DWM
Two Medicine Formation (Montana Group)
Author: Stebinger, E., 1914.
Type Locality: West side of Sweetgrass Arch, on Two Medicine River (Blackfeet Indian Reservation,
northwestern Montana) between its mouth in Twp. 31 N. Rge. 5W and 4.8 km (3 mi) above the Family
Post Office in Twp. 31 N. Rge. 9W.
Lithology: Grey to greenish grey clay and soft, lenticular, fine to very coarse arkosic sandstone which
is most abundant in the lower 75 m (246 ft); contains in places thin beds of green, grey and red clay
and nodular limestone. At many horizons carries a fresh water fauna, at others brackish forms, with
one marine horizon.
Thickness and Distribution: 595 m ;(950 ft) thick at the type location. Restricted to the area west of the
Sweetgrass Arch in northwestern Montana and southeastern Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies with gradational contact marine Virgelle Sandstone (lower Eagle
Sandstone of Montana; lower Milk River Sandstone of Alberta). Contact with overlying Bearpaw Shale
is sharp but conformable. Eastward the Two Medicine Formation splits into the upper Eagle, Claggett
and Judith River formations of central Montana, corresponding to the upper Milk River, Pakowki and
Belly River formations of Alberta.
References: McLean, 1977; Rice and Cobban, 1977; Stebinger, 1914; U.S.G.S. Geologic map of
Montana, 1955.
LTB
Upper Triassic
Two Rivers Sand
Charlie Lake Formation, Schooler Creek Group) (Superseded)
Author: Unknown.
Type Locality: Pacific Fort St. John 2-18-84-19W6M, in northeastern British Columbia between 1344.5
and 1346 m (4411 and 4416 ft): grey anhydrite equivalent.
History: Now named the Siphon Member of the Charlie Lake. This unit has also been called the Alder
Sand (Hess, 1968).
Lithology: The unit grades from a clean sandstone sequence in the Be Brush area to a multiple zone
sand-dolomite sequence in the Fort St. John area.
Thickness and Distribution: 1 m (3 ft) thick at its eastern and western extremities; 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft)
thick along the main depositional trend. It accumulated in British Columbia in minor downwarped
areas in an elongate north-south belt in the vicinity of Rge. 16W6M. Its areal extent is terminated by
erosion just north of the bulrush Field, and limited to the south by facies change to shale in the
Parkland area.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies approximately 20 m (66 ft) below the top of the Charlie Lake
Formation; it is underlain by the Siphon Disconformity.
Reference: Hess, E.B., 1968.
JWR
Tyndall Stone
(Selkirk Member, Red River Formation) (Informal)
Author: Goudge, M.F., 1929, 1944.
Type Locality: “Tyndall Stone” quarries in the Garson-Tyndall area (NW 3-13-6EPM), and the Red
River Valley area of southern Manitoba
History: “Tyndall Stone” is an informal term applied to building and ornamental stone from the Selkirk
Member of the Red River Formation.
Lithology: Consists of a matrix of fine grained, blue-grey to buff, fossiliferous, high calcium limestone
which contains throughout a network of tubular features of medium to dark brown dolomite. The
mottled limestone can take a high polish and produces a tapestry-like effect.
Thickness and Distribution: Production comes mainly from a band 6 to 8 m (20 to 26 ft) thick near the
middle of the Selkirk Member in the southeastern part of Manitoba.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlain and underlain by Selkirk Member strata of the Red River
Formation.
References: Goudge, 1929, 1933, 1934
RB
Upper Carboniferous (Bashkirian)
Tyrwhitt Formation (Spray Lakes Group)
Type Locality: Southwest corner of Storelk Mountain, Elk Mountains, southeastern British Columbia,
near head of Elk River, in narrow canyon 1.6 km (1 mi) E32°N from mouth of Tobermory Creek
(50°31.5’N, 114°59.7’W).
History: Tyrwhitt is the name given to a unit originally contained within the Rocky Mountain Formation
(Tunnel Mountain Member of Warren, 1947, 1956), later known as the Rocky Mountain Group, Tunnel
Mountain Formation, (McGugan and Rapson, 1963a), and Rocky Mountain Group, Misty Formation
(Norris, 1965). Scott (1964a) used the name Rocky Mountain Supergroup to embrace Pennsylvanian
and Permian rocks above the Mississippian Etherington Formation, but did not formally use that
designation in Scott (1964b).
Lithology: Composed dominantly of very fine grained, well sorted, bioturbated, shallow marine quartz
sandstone containing variable amounts of chert grains, tan to light greyish white, weathering grey to
brown, cemented with quartz and dolomite, well stratified in beds mostly 0.3 to 6 m (1 to 20 ft) thick,
with rare cross-stratification. Minor siltstone beds 0.3 1.8 m (1 to 6 ft) thick, grey to brown, dolomitic,
argillaceous, sandy, micaceous; a few shale beds 2.5 to 15 cm (1 to 6 in.) thick, silty, greenish grey,
and a few lenticular dolomite beds 0.3 to 5 m (1 to 16 ft) thick, tan to light grey very fine to coarsely
crystalline, granular and very porous and friable to tight and hard, abundant fine to coarse quartz
grains, brown to grey weathering, locally cherty, commonly containing abundant silicified brachiopods
and sharp bedding contacts are interbedded with the sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: Persistent and relatively uniform over a broad area occupying the same
area as the Todhunter. Thickness ranges from less than 30 m (98 fit) in the Palliser and Highwood
ranges to a maximum of 105 m (344 ft) in the Kananaskis Range. It is 85 m (279 ft) thick at its type
locality and is missing from the foothills, Livingstone Range and subsurface due to pre-Permian
erosion.
Relationship to Other Units: The Tyrwhitt unconformably overlies the Todhunter Member of the
Etherington Formation, although in individual exposures the contact appears conformable. The two
units are composed of similar lithologies, but in different proportions. Where both are thin and lack
distinctive carbonate beds they are virtually indistinguishable.
Paleontology: Fossils are not abundant, but well silicified brachiopods are numerous in sandy
dolomite beds. The basal sandstone bed commonly contains silicified productid brachiopods. These
fossils establish the marine origin of the Tyrwhitt.
References: Henderson, 1989; McGugan and Rapson, 1961b, 1963a; Norris, 1965; Scott, 1964a,
1964b; Stewart, 1978; Stewart and Walker, 1980; Warren, 1947, 1956.
AM, CMH, MML

Unnamed Upper Colorado Shale (Colorado Group)
Author: Fraser, F.J. et al., 1935.
Lithology: Dark grey and greyish black, noncalcareous shale and mudstone, with subordinate skeletal
calcarenite, fish-skeletal debris, bentonite and localized occurrences of conglomerate, sandstone and
siltstone. The shale and mudstone are finely laminated. Skeletal calcarenite composed of Inoceramus
prisms and accumulations of fish-skeletal debris form isolated laminae and graded beds up to several
centimetres thick. Sandstone and siltstone, interbedded with shale occur with conglomerate and
pebbly sandstone in coarsening upward sequences in the northwestern plains of Alberta and British
Columbia. Fine and very fine grained sandstone and coarse grained siltstone occur in graded layers a
few centimetres thick and interbedded with noncalcareous shale throughout the unit near the Fourth
Meridian in the vicinity of the international boundary.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit separates two important calcareous marker units, the First (upper)
and Second (lower) white Speckled Shale throughout much of the northern Great Plains region. It
attains a maximum thickness of about 107 m (351 ft) in southern Alberta and southwestern
Saskatchewan, but thins considerably to the north and northeast and is not present in central
Saskatchewan.
Relationship to Other Units: The unnamed noncalcareous shale referable to the upper Colorado Sub-
group is overlain with very low angle angular unconformity by the First White Speckled Shale and
overlies the Second White Speckled Shale in a similar manner in the plains region of Alberta and
southern Saskatchewan. To the north of the northeasterly pinchout of the unit in central Saskatchewan
the First White Speckled Shale rests unconformably on the Second White Speckled Shale. The unit
incorporates up to five discrete sandstone bodies referable to the Cardium Formation in east-central
British Columbia and western Alberta. Shaly sandstone and siltstone, interbedded with shale and
mudstone throughout the unit comprise the Bowdoin Sandstone of southwestern Saskatchewan and
north-central Montana. The unnamed noncalcareous shale is correlative with the upper part of the
Blackstone Formation of the Alberta Group in the Rocky Mountain Foothills and with the Morden
Member of the Vermilion River Formation in eastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba.
Equivalents are found in the Smoky Group and Labiche Formation in the northwestern plains of British
Columbia and Alberta. It is correlated with the Ferdig Shale Member of the Marias River Formation in
northwestern Montana and the Carlile Formation of northeastern Montana and North Dakota.
References: Caldwell et al., 1978; Fraser et al., 1935; Jeletzky, 1971; Simpson, 1975, Wickenden,
1945.
FS
Upper Porous
Informal term used in the Turner Valley area for the porous carbonate overlying the “Middle Dense” and
underlying the Mount Head Formation.
Triassic
Valhalla (Cutbank) Sand
Author: None.
The Valhalla is the same as the Cutbank. Valhalla is an informal local name.
JAD
Vanalta Sand (Disused)
Author: Erdmann, C.E. and Schwabrow, J.R., 1941.
Type Locality: Vanalta Oils Red Coulee No. 1, in Lsd. 2, Sec. 4. Twp. 1, Rge. 16W4M, Southern Alberta,
between 751.9 and 755 m (2467 and 2477 ft); not described.
History: Evans (1930) recognized the Vanalta Sand in the Red Coulee field, but did not describe or
map it. Erdmann and Schwabrow (1941) described the Vanalta in general, but did not describe the
type section or a reference section. They also reviewed earlier confusion in the application of the
name in the Border - Red Coulee field areas of Alberta and Montana. Some early workers called the
Vanalta the “upper Cosmos” in Montana, while others attached the name “Vanalta” to sandstones
higher in the section. The name is no longer used in Canada, being replaced by the more regionally
correlative Cut Bank Sandstone.
Lithology: Sandstone, fine to medium grained, cross-bedded, composed primarily of quartz, with some
dark chert. Fine laminae of black shale are also noted. Well log profiles suggest a fining upward
sequence in many sections.
Thickness and Distribution: The Vanalta is recognized locally in the Border - Red Coulee area of
Alberta and Montana; it is an oil field designation only. As recognized by Erdmann and Schwabrow
(1941) the Vanalta is 1.5 to 5 m (5 to 16 ft) thick across the field area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Vanalta is a local designation of the upper part of the Cut Bank
Sandstone, which is the basal member of the Kootenai Formation in Montana and of the lower
Mannville Formation in Alberta. The Vanalta conformably overlies the siltstone separating it from the
Cosmos sand, and is conformably overlain by undifferentiated mudstones, siltstones and sandstone of
the lower Mannville.
References: Erdmann and Schwabrow, 1941; Evans, 1930.
BJH
Van Creek Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Author: McMechan, M.E., Hoy, T. and Price, R.A. (1980).
Type Locality: 1 km (0.63 mi) southeast of Cliff Lake, approximately 17 km (10.6 mi) east of Fort Steele,
History: Formerly the elastic part of the “Siyeh Formation” as defined in the Purcell Mountains
(Schofield, 1914a; Rice, 1937). Leech (1960) recognized that the Kitchener, not the “Siyeh” Formation
of the Purcell Mountains was correlative with the carbonate rocks which Comprise the bulk of the
(original) Siyeh Formation in the Clark and Galton ranges (Willis, 1902; Daly, 1912). He therefore
abandoned the term “Siyeh Formation” in the Purcell Mountains and instead designated the rocks as
map unit 5, divided into a lower clastic (unit 5a) and an upper volcanic and clastic (unit 5b) unit.
McMechan et al. (1980) named the clastic strata equivalent to unit 5a the Van Creek Formation.
Lithology: Consists of green, grey and locally purple siltite and argillite, locally dolomitic siltite, and
minor quartzite. Mudcracks, ripple marks, ripple cross-laminations, climbing rips pies, scour-and-fill
structures, rip-up debris beds and lenticular bedding are locally common.
Thickness and Distribution: The Van Creek occurs in the southwestern Hughes Range, and the
Purcell and southeastern Selkirk Mountains. In regional reconnaissance mapping of the Lardeau (east
half) map-area Reesor (1973) could not separate it from the overlying Dutch Creek or underlying
Kitchener Formations. Its thickness varies from 200 m (656 ft) on the Steeples in the southern Hughes
Range (McMechan, 1980) to 850 m (2788 ft) in the south eastern Selkirk Mountains (Glover, 1978).
Relationship to Other Units: The unit conformably overlies the Kitchener Formation and is conformably
overlain by the Nicol Creek Formation in the Hughes Range and eastern Purcell Mountains, and by
the Dutch Creek Formation in the southeastern Selkirk and western Purcell Mountains. The Van Creek
Formation correlates with the upper member of the Siyeh Formation in the Galton and Clark ranges
(Price, 1964), the Snowslip Formation of Smith (1963) and Barnes (1963), the upper unit of the Piegan
Group of Johns (1970) in the northern Whitefish Range of Montana, and the argillite, and argillite,
siltite and limestone members of the Wallace Formation in the Pend Oreille area of Idaho (McMechan,
1980).
References: Barnes, 1963; Clover, 1978; Hoy, 1979; Leech, 1960; Johns, 1970; McMechan, 1979,
1980; McMechan, Hoy and Price, 1980; Price, 1962, 1964; Reesor, 1958, 1973: Rice, 1937, 1941;
Schofield, 1914a, 1915; Smith, 1963.
MEM
Vanesti Tongue (Lea Park Formation)
Author: Nauss, A.W., 1945, p. 1620.
Type Locality: Composed of two exposures, one on the spur dividing the Battle River Valley from
Grizzly Bear Coulee in Lsd. 8-35-47-5W4M, the other on a spur in Lsd. 14-25-47-5W4M, Alberta.
History: Introduced as a member name for a tongue of the Lea Park Formation. Used as a member
name in the Belly River Formation by Shaw and Harding (1949). Reverted to member of the Lea Park
Formation by McLean (1971, p. 36).
Lithology: Interbedded mudstone and clayey siltstone, dark to medium grey, weakly calcareous,
laminated in part, bioturbated in part, pyrite burrow fillings minor, more silty and sandy upward.
Thickness and Distribution: The type section is 30 m (98 ft) thick. Shaw and Harding (1949) indicated a
range from 0.3 to 42.4 m (1 to 139 ft). Recognized in east-central Alberta as far west as Twp. 26, Rge.
6W4M to Twp. 58, Rge. 17W4M, and eastward as far as both the underlying and overlying sandstone
members of the Judith River Formation can be recognized, which varies from about the Saskatchewan
border to Twp. 34, Rge. 18W3M.
Relationship to Other Units. Contact is abrupt with underlying unnamed member (formerly Victoria
Member) of the Judith River Formation. Upper contact with the Ribstone Creek Member is gradational.
To the west the Vanesti Tongue pinches out into the undivided Judith River Formation and to the east
merges with the undifferentiated Lea Park Formation when the underlying sandstone member pinches
out.
References: McLean, 1969,1971; Nauss, 1945; Shaw and Harding, 1949, 1954
JRM
Jurassic (Callovian to Oxfordian)
Vanguard Formation (Group)
Author. Milner, R.L. and Thomas, G.E., 1954.
Type Locality: Southwestern Saskatchewan No type section was defined; however, the authors
divided the formation into three members, lower, middle and upper, with type sections. Christopher
(1974) formally raised these members to formation status and the Vanguard to group status. The
formations were named the Rush Lake Shale, Roseray Formation and Masefield Shale, and are
described under those headings.
Lithology: The Vanguard Formation as a whole is dominantly a green-grey, variably calcareous shales
medially divided by a glauconitic, calcareous, fine bedded, fine grained quartzose sandstone
corresponding to the middle member. The lower member is generally fossiliferous, containing mostly
pelecypods, especially Gryphaea. The ammonite Kepplerites is found locally in southeastern
Saskatchewan.
Thickness and Distribution: The Vanguard Formation lies generally south of Latitude 51°N in southern
Saskatchewan. From the sub-Cretaceous erosional edge Its thickens to 180 m (590 ft) southward into
the Williston Basin centre, along the border of Montana and North Dakota.
Relationship to Other Units: The Vanguard Formation overlies the Shaunavon Formation
disconformably and is severely truncated under the Cretaceous Mannville Group. The base and
contact is marked by a calcite-cemented sandstone less than 1 m (3 ft) thick, and an abundance of
Gryphaea costidensus (nebrascensis). As a whole the formation correlates with the Ellis Group, made
up of the Rierdon and Swift formations south of the International border.
References: Christopher, 1974; Milner and Thomas, 1954.
JEC
Lower(?) Cretaceous (Albian?)
Vaughn Member (Blackleaf Formation)
Author: Cobban, C.A. et al., 1959; p. 2790.
Type Locality: Low bluffs a few kilometres north, west and south of Vaughn, in Cascade County,
Montana. Type section is the NE/4 Sec. 6, Twp. 21N, Rge. 2E and SE/4 Sec. 31, Twp. 22N, Rge. 2E.
History: Originally referred to as the “red speck zone” by Erdmann and Schwabrow (1941, p. 284) and
Blixt (1941, p 337). Also termed the “nonmarine member” (Cobban, 1951, p. 2180).
Lithology: Light colored bentonitic clays, siltstones and sandstones that readily erode into poorly
vegetated badlands. The member is nonmarine, and the sandstone beds are usually cross-bedded
and may have channeled bases. The clayey beds are grey to olive-green and interbedded with
bentonitic siltstone and sandstone beds that are commonly tuffaceous. Orange-red clinoptilolite, a
zeolite is abundant in some beds of clay, siltstone, sandstone and orthoquartzite, hence the driller’s
term “red speck zone”. Black lignitic shale is locally present at the top.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickens westward from 8 m (26 ft) on the southeast flank of the
Sweetgrass Arch to 152 m (499 ft) in the Disturbed Belt. Present over the Sweetgrass Arch in Montana
and westward into the Disturbed Belt. On the east flank of the Sweetgrass Arch the Vaughn Member
grades into marine sediments and loses its identity.
Relationship to Other Units: Locally the base may be a coarse grained sandstone bed channeled into
the underlying Taft Hill Member. At other localities bentonitic clay beds that contain orange-red zeolite
seem to rest Conformably on glauconitic mudstone or sandstone of the Taft Hill Member. The upper
contact is sharp and marked by an abrupt change from nonmarine to marine conditions, such as from
black carbonaceous shale to grey sandy shale or from white bentonitic sandstone to grey sandy shale.
To the northwest Vaughn lithologies appear to completely replace the underlying Taft Hill Member. The
Vaughn Member is correlative with the Newcastle and muddy sandstones of central Montana and
North Dakota. It is equivalent to part of the Bow Island (Viking) Formation, (Colorado Group) and part
of the Ma Butte Formation (Blairmore Group) in southern and southwestern Alberta.
References: Blixt, 1941; Cobban et al., 1 959, 1976; Erdmann and Schwabrow, 1941.
WAC
(Lower Triassic (Smithian to Spathian)
Vega Siltstone Member
(Sulphur Mountain Formation)
Locality: On the north side of Mowitch Creek, 0.8 km (0.5 mi) due south of Vega Peak, Jasper National
Park, Alberta, in Sec. 30, Twp. 51, Rge. 5W6M and Sec. 25, Twp. 51, Rge. 6W6M. NTS Blue Creek,
83E/7E.
History: First recognized by Manko (1960) as a distinctive unit in the Sulphur Mountain Formation and
named the “Blocky Brown Siltstone Member”. The unit boundaries and name were tentatively adopted
by Gibson (1965), but later designated as a new member of the Sulphur Mountain Formation.
Lithology: Cyclical alternation of greyish to rusty broom weathering carbonaceous-argillaceous,

dolomitic, calcareous quartz siltstone, silty limestone and shale. Locally intercalated beds of very fine
grained dolomitic quartz sandstone and sandy to silty dolostone are present. Between the Athabasca
and Bow Rivers the member is characterized by light grey weathering, porous dolostone called the
Mackenzie Dolomite Lentil. South of Bow River, at Picklejar and Burns creeks the Vega Member is
capped by similar light grey weathering, silty to sandy dolostone and dolomitic sandstone. The facies,
although resembling the Mackenzie Dolomite occurs stratigraphically higher in the Vega Siltstone
Member.
Thickness and Distribution: The Vega Siltstone Member is recognized throughout the Rocky Mountain
Foothills and front ranges between the United States border and the Pine River area of northeastern
British Columbia. The Vega Siltstone Member ranges in measured thickness from a minimum of 49 m
(161 ft) on Wildhay River, near Rock Lake, Alberta to a maximum of 363 m (1191 ft) on Forsyth Creek
in southeastern British Columbia (Gibson 1968, 1974).
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is abruptly overlain in most areas of the Rocky Mountain front
ranges north of Bow River by recessive weathering, dark grey dolomitic siltstone to silty dolostone of
the Whistler Member, which commonly is characterized by a thin unit, 5 to 15 cm (2 to 6 in) thick of
phosphate pebble conglomerate at base. In some areas of the Alberta Foothills between the
Athabasca and Bow rivers the Whistler is absent and the Vega Member is overlain by siltstone and
dolostone of the Llama Member. At some localities south of Bow River the Vega Siltstone Member is
disconformably overlain by black shale of the Jurassic Fernie Formation. The Vega Siltstone Member
is gradationally underlain by recessive weathering, carbonaceous siltstone of the Phroso Siltstone
Member. In the Pine-Smoky River area of northeastern British Columbia and west-central Alberta the
Vega Siltstone and underlying Phroso Siltstone Members interdigitate through several metres, lacking
a well defined contact. Accordingly the two members are combined and called the Vega-Phroso
Siltstone Member. The member is equivalent to the lower two thirds of the Toad Formation, or the
upper two thirds of the subsurface Montney Formation in the foothills and plains of northeastern British
Columbia.
References: Gibson, D.W., 1965, 1968, 1969, 1975; Manko, 1960.
DWG
Upper Cretaceous
Verdigris Member (Foremost Formation)
Author: Slipper, S E. and Hunter, H.M., 1931.
Type Locality: Not designated, but best exposed at three localities in Verdigris Coulee, northwest of
Milk River, Alberta
Lithology: Light grey buff weathering, medium grained, massive salt-and-pepper sandstone
Thickness and Distribution: The Verdigris Member varies from zero to 18.3 m (60 ft) in thickness,
generally thickening south and southwest of the type locality. The member is absent at Lethbridge and
west of Medicine Hat.
Relationship to Other Units: The Verdigris is the basal member of the regressive, brackish water
Foremost Formation. It grades downward into dark brown, marine Pakowki shales and is overlain by
the McKay coal horizon of the Foremost Formation.
References: Crockford, 1949; Powers, 1931; Russell and Landes, 1940; Slipper and Hunter, 1931.

Upper Cretaceous
Vermillion Member (Bearpaw Formation) (Invalid)
Author: Evans, J.K., 1961 (unpub.); Meyboom, P., 1966.
Type Locality: Vermilion Hill, Saskatchewan.
Lithology: Shale, silty in parts, bentonitic bands.
Thickness and Distribution: 76 m (250 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Vermilion Member does not meet the criteria required for recognition
as a formal unit. It was first casually mentioned in a publication by Meyboom (1966, p. 8), the name
having been derived from an unpublished thesis by Evans. However, the name was applied to a unit
that had already received an informal name in a publication by Folinsbee et al. (1965, p. 167), who
labelled it “Aquadell”. The name Aquadell Clay Member was later formally conferred upon it by
Caldwell (1968). The name “Vermilion member” is considered invalid, in spite of the fact that it has
appeared in several publications besides those cited, e.g., van Everdingen, (1966, 1967, 1968),
Meyboom et al., (1966), Meyboom, (1967); in the last of these references the name has been applied
to an underlying sandstone member that now has the formal designation “Cruikshank Sandstone
Member” (vide Caldwell, 1968). The Vermilion Member under discussion is not to be confused with the
Vermilion River Beds (Kirk, 1930) of Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba (Vermilion River
Formation of Caldwell, et al., 1978), which has been replaced by the Morden, Niobrara and part of the
Pierre Formations, nor with the Fort Vermilion Member of the Slave Point Formation (Devonian).
References: Caldwell, 1968; Evans, 1961; Folinsbe et al., 1965; Kirk, 1930; McNeil and Caldwell,
1981; Meyboom, 1966, 1967; Meyboom et al., 1966; van Everdingen, 1966, 1967, 1968.
PFM
Upper Cretaceous (Turonian-Campanian)
Vermilion River Formation
Type Locality: Exposures along the Vermilion River, in the central part of Twp. 23 Rge. 20WPM,
Manitoba. (A dam has been erected on the Vermilion River in the type area high water now makes the
exposures inaccessible. See Wickenden (1945) or McNeil and Caldwell (1981) for illustrations and
descriptions of the type beds.)
History: McNeil and Caldwell (1981) have proposed that the name Vermilion River be abandoned in
favor of raising its Morden and Boyne members to formational status, referred to as the Morden Shale
and Niobrara Formation respectively and assigning its Pembina Member to the Pierre Shale.
Lithology: Greyish black shale; chalk-speckled, olive-black calcareous shale; and buff weathering
chalky shale or marlstone. The basal Morden Member consists of uniform greyish black to black shale,
with rare thin bentonite beds. Large septarian concretions are characteristic, and lenses of quartzose
silt and sand mark the uppermost beds in the area of Pembina Mountain. The overlying Boyne
Member consists of olive-black chalk-speckled shale and an upper chalky shale or marlstone; both
contain minor beds of greyish black, noncalcareous shale and thin bentonite beds. The lowest few
metres of the Boyne Shale contain lenses of silt or sand in the Pembina Mountain area. The upper
chalky lithotype is developed prominently in Pembina Mountain, but disappears northwestward toward
Riding Mountain and reappears to the far northwest in the Pasquia Hills. In Riding Mountain the
Gammon Ferruginous Member, consisting of greyish black chunky shale with numerous ferruginous
concretions lies between the Boyne and Pembina Members (Bannatyne, 1970; McNeil and Caldwell,
1981). The Pembina Member is a greyish black shale distinguished by as many as 30 yellowish grey
weathering bentonite beds.
Thickness and Distribution: The Vermilion River Formation is exposed along the Manitoba escarpment
and extends into the subsurface of southeastern Saskatchewan. It is 130 m (426 ft) thick at Pembina
Mountain in southern Manitoba, but only 35 m (115 ft) in the Pasquia Hills of east-central
Saskatchewan. The northwestward decrease in thickness is due primarily to a gradual thinning of the
Morden Shale and a marked decrease in thickness of the Boyne Member north of Pembina Mountain
due to the virtual disappearance of the upper chalky shale facies.
Relationship to Other Units: The Vermillion River rests with sharp and unconformable contact on the
Favel Formation. McNeil and Caldwell (1981) have shown that the upper contact with the Millwood
Member of the Riding Mountain Formation (now within the Pierre Shale) is sharp and disconformable
in the Pembina Mountain area, but sharp and probably paraconformable to the northwest. The
Vermilion River correlates westward in Saskatchewan with the “unnamed” and “first (upper) white-
speckled” shale units of the upper Colorado Group and the lower two-thirds of the Lea Park Formation
of the Montana Group. To the south, in North Dakota the formation correlates with the Blue Hill Shale
Member and the Carlile Shale. The Niobrara Formation and the Gammon Ferruginous and Pembina
members of the Pierre Shale.
References: Bannatyne, 1970; Kirk, 1930; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; Wickenden, 1945
DHM; LLP
Victoria Member
(Judith River Formation) (Abandoned)
Author: Allan, J .A., 1919, p. 12c.
Type Locality: Victoria Rapids on the North Saskatchewan River, in Twp. 55, Rge. 16W4M, Alberta.
History: Introduced as a formation name by Allan (1919) for the middle unit of the Belly River series in
the North Saskatchewan River. Reduced to member status by Shaw and Harding (1949) in their Belly
River Formation. Abandoned by McLean (1971) when correlation showed the type section to be
equivalent to the Birch Lake sandstone of Slipper (1919) The sandstone unit to which the name was
applied by Shaw and Harding (1949) remains an unnamed member of the Judith River Formation
(McLean, 1971, p. 37).
Lithology: Allan (1919) describer the Victoria Member as a massive bed of yellowish sand. It includes
“...fine- to medium-grained sandstone and brownish grey, carbonaceous silty shale with local thin coal
seams”. (Shaw and Harding, 1949).
Thickness and Distribution: Allan (1919) indicated a thickness of 28.8, m (95 ft) for the type section.
Shaw and Harding (1954) indicated a range from 28.8 m (95 ft) to a zero depositional edge.
Recognized as far west as Twp. 26, Rge. 6W4M to Twp. 58, Rge. 17W4M; eastward from near the
Saskatchewan border to about Twp 34, Rge. 18W3M in Saskatchewan (see Shaw and Harding, 1949,
Fig. 1; McLean, 1971, Fig. 16).
Relationship to Other Units: Transitional with the underlying unnamed shale unit (formerly Shandro),
abrupt contact with overlying Vanesti Tongue. To the west becomes part of the undifferentiated Judith
River Formation where overlying and underlying shales pinch out. To the east thins to a depositional
edge in the Lea Park Formation.
References: Allan, 1919; McLean, 1969, 1971; Shaw and Harding, 1949,1954.
JRM
Viking Chert (Viking Formation, Colorado Group)
Author: Not known.
Type Locality: None designated. The Viking Chert is the basal reservoir unit of the Viking Formation in
the Smiley-Dewar, North Hoosier and North Eureka production locales of west-central Saskatchewan.
The discovery well for the Viking Chert pool of the Smiley-Dewar field is the Canada Southern Dewar
6-14-31-26W3M well.
Lithology: Conglomerate, interbedded with pebbly mudstone and pebbly, fine to coarse grained
sandstone. The deposit displays crude, irregular layering which is commonly discontinuous in places.
Chert is the principal detrital component of the coarse sand and pebbles.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit termed the Viking Chert occurs as irregular lenses at the base of
the Viking Formation in the Dodsland-Hoosier production trend of west-central Saskatchewan Similar
lithologies form the basal deposits of the Viking Formation at other fields of the same trend, notably at
the Avon Hill, Milton and Whiteside fields. The thickness of the Viking Chert is generally less than 1.4
m (4.6 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The contact with underlying sandy mudstones and shales of the Joli Fou
Formation is sharp and disconformable. The contact with overlying shaly sandstones of the Viking
Formation is gradational. The chert-pebble conglomerates for the most part are the basal deposits of a
series of clinobeds, bounded by bentonite layers and dominated by coarsening upward arrangements
of lithologies. However, insofar as the Smiley-Dewar and North Eureka occurrences of the Viking
Chert are coincident with deeply incised valleys at the sub-Mesozoic unconformity, control of the
distribution of these coarse grained deposits by antecedent valley forms seems probable.
References: Jones, 1961a, 1961b; Reasoner and Hunt, 1954a, 1954b; Simpson, 1975, 1979d.
FS
Viking Conglomerate
Author: Not known.
Type Locality: Not designated. The unit is the productive part of the Viking Formation at the Wayne-
Rosedale gas field in southeastern Alberta. The discovery well is the Mobil et al. Wayne 11-11-27-
20W4M well.
Lithology: Conglomerate and pebbly sandstone in which chert pebbles are the principal coarse Casts.
Thickness and Distribution: The Viking Conglomerate attains a maximum thickness of 2.4 m (8 ft) in
the Wayne-Rosedale field; the average thickness is 1 m (3 ft). The unit appears to be restricted to this
production locale.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is overlain conformably by mudstones and shales of the Big
River Formation. It rests conformably on sandstones of the Viking Formation and grades laterally into
Big River shales and mudstones.
References: Fonteyne, 1969.
FS
Viking Formation (Colorado Group)
Author: Dowling, D.B. et al., 1919.
Type Locality: No type section designated. The name is that of the producing unit of the Viking-Kinsella
field, located near Viking, Alberta.
Lithology: Relatively well washed and variably shady fine to coarse grained sandstone, with
subordinate conglomerate and pebbly sandstone. The well washed sandstones are characteristically
composed of tabular cross-laminae, but ripple-drift, sinusoidal and trough types and horizontal
laminae also occur. The shady sandstones include both bioturbated deposits several metres thick,
with variable proportions of mudstone as discontinuous partings and sequences made up of thin,
graded sandstones and siltstones, regularly alternating in vertical succession with thin mudstones and
shales. Varicolored chert and reworked relict, nodular phosphorite and concretionary siderite and
noteworthy coarse components of the conglomerates, the identity of which is frequently obscured by a
dark, brown-black patina. Phosphoritized wood and coalified plant fragments are locally common. The
mudstones and shales are dark grey and noncalcareous. Bentonites and concretionary layers of
siderite are also present.
The principal lithologies form multi-storey arrangements of sandstone bodies, characterized by

dominance of coarsening upward sequences in southeastern Alberta and southwestern
Saskatchewan, but displaying prominent fining upward sequences in southeastern Saskatchewan.
The composite sandstone successions are replaced northward and eastward by solitary sandstone
sequences. Composite sandstone sequences of western locations are frequently further subdivided
into discrete sandstone units alphabetically designated A through D in order of increasing age. At
some petroleum production locales the Viking succession has been subdivided into members, for
example, the Provost and underlying Hamilton Lake Sandstones at the Provost gas field in
southeastern Alberta, and the Merrington, St. Eloi, Crystal, Hoosier and Smiley Clinobeds, listed in
order of increasing age, which occur in the Dodsland-Hoosier production trend in west-central
Saskatchewan. In the Wainwright-Westlock production trend of east-central Alberta upper, main and
lower Viking Sandstone units are distinguished. Conglomeratic units within the Viking Formation carry
separate names at particular production locales, for example, the Viking Conglomerate of the Wayne-
Rosedale gas field in southeastern Alberta and the Viking Chert of the Dodsland-Hoosier trend in
west-central Saskatchewan
Thickness and Distribution: The unit occurs in central and eastern Alberta and adjacent west-central
Saskatchewan, as shell as in southeastern and east-central Saskatchewan. The maximum thickness
in the west is in the order of 50 m (164 ft) in eastern Alberta; in southeastern Saskatchewan it is about
40 m (131 ft) The unit thins gradually to the north and east and pinches out in central Saskatchewan
and along the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border.
Relationship to Other Units: The western occurrence of the Viking Formation forms the thin distal part
of the northeastward thinning Bow Island-Viking coarse siliciclastic wedge. Thus in southwestern
Saskatchewan and southern Alberta the Viking Formation is replaced by a thicker sequence of
sandstones and interbedded mudstones and shales referable to the Bow Island formation. The Viking
Formation of southeastern and east-central Saskatchewan, on the other hand appears to display
lithological affinities to the Newcastle Formation of North Dakota. The unit displays gradational contact
with the mudstones of the overlying Big River Formation. However, in some locations unconformable
relations with the underlying Joli Fou Formation can be demonstrated. The eastern Viking succession
appears to be at a stratigraphically higher level within the lower Colorado succession than the western
Viking sequence. The Ashville Sand is the approximately equivalent unit in Southern Manitoba,
whereas the corresponding sequence in northeastern Alberta is termed the Pelican Sandstone. The
Flotten Lake Sand is an approximately equivalent succession which thickens northeastwards in west-
central Saskatchewan.
References. Dowling et al., 1919; Evans, 1970; Gammell, 1955; Gillard and White, 1970; Jones,
1961a, b; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; Price, 1963; Reasoner and Hunt, 1954a, b; Rudkin, 1964;
Simpson, 1975, 1979a, b, d; Simpson and O’Connell, 1979; Tizzard and Lerbekmo. 1975.
FS
Upper Cretaceous
Vimy Member
(Blackstone Formation, Kaskapau Formation. Alberta Group)
Author: Stott, D.F.~ 1963.
Type Locality: Bighorn River, below its junction with the Littlehorn River and above Sunkay Creek in
the type section of the Blackstone Formation, Twp. 39, Rge. 17W5M, Alberta.
Lithology: Characterized by silver grey weathering calcareous shale, and yellow to buff weathering
beds of dense, argillaceous, dolomitic limestone. The silt content decreases towards the eastern edge
of the foothills, shale becomes more fissile and thin limestones become more numerous. A
widespread bentonitic layer occurs near the base. Includes sandstone beds south of Pine River in
Thickness and Distribution: Occurs throughout the foothills, extending from the International Boundary
into northeastern British Columbia. Varies in thickness from 184.4 m (605 ft) on the Bighorn River to
46.9 m (154 ft) south of Crowsnest Pass. Reaches a maximum of 274 m (899 ft) south of the Pine River
in northeastern British Columbia. Shale typical of the member occurs in the type section of the Smoky
Group on the lower Smoky River in Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies conformably on the Sunkay Member and conformably below the
Haven Member. The top of the member approximates the Second White Speckled Shale Marker of the
Colorado Shale in the plains. It is recognized as a member of the Kaskapau Formation north of the
Athabasca River.
Paleontology: Inoceramus labiastus Schlotheim occurs most abundantly in the lower part. Poor
impressions of the ammonite Watinoceras reesidei Warren also are characteristic contains a pelagic
foraminiferal assemblage of Hedbergella and Heterohelix which also occurs in the lower or Second
White Speckled Shale of the Colorado Group of the plains (Wall and Germundson, 1963).
References: Stott, 1963, 1967, Wall and Germundson, 1963.
DFS
Virden Member (Lodgepole Formation)
Type Locality: Chevron Virden 9-25-10-26WPM, near Virden, Manitoba, between 582.5 and 599.8 m
(1911 and 1968 ft).
History: The term replaces an informal field classification. The upper Virden corresponds to the “Virden
Crinoidal” of field usage, and the lower Virden corresponds to, in descending sequence the Sandhill
and First, Second, Third and Fourth Oolite Lentils (Berg, 1956).
Lithology: The Virden was subdivided by Stanton into two units. The lower Virden consists of an
alternating rhythmic or cyclic series of oolitic and/or bioclastic limestones (lentils) and shady
limestones. The intermittent shaly character terminates with development of a thicker bioclastic or
oolitic-bioclastic limestone which comprises the upper Virden. Extensive secondary alteration of
Virden beds is evident throughout much of the northern part of their area of occurrence, as a result of
leaching, dolomitization, silicification and anhydrite infilling and replacement associated with the pre-
Jurassic unconformity surface (Young and Greggs, 1975).
Thickness and Distribution: The total thickness of the Virden Member ranges from about 13.7 to 22.9 m
(45 to 75 ft), with the upper Virden ranging from 4.6 to 9.1 m (15 to 30 ft); a slight westward thinning is
indicated. The Virden Member can be delineated in Manitoba only in a rather narrow belt extending
west from the subcrop limit at the pre-Jurassic unconformity to approximately Rges. 25 to 27WPM. The
westward limit of occurrence is marked by an abrupt facies change to argillaceous limestone and
calcareous shale (the Cromer Shale facies of the Daly producing area). The unit can be traced along
strike into northern North Dakota.
Relationship to Other Units: The Virden conformably overlies the chalky, siliceous, partly bioclastic
limestones of the Scallion Member. It is conformably overlain by a comparable cyclical sequence of
argillaceous and oolitic/bioclastic limestones of the Whitewater Lake Member, except in the subcrop
belt, where it is overlain unconformably by red beds or evaporite of the Jurassic Amaranth Formation.
It passes laterally (westward) by facies change to a shale facies of the Lodgepole Formation. It is
correlative with the middle part of the Souris Valley Beds of Saskatchewan, and with the middle part of
the Lodgepole Formation of northern North Dakota.
References: Berg, 1956; McCabe, 1959; Milne and Nickoloff, 1955; Stanton, 1956; Young and Greggs,
1975.
HRM
Upper Cretaceous
Virgelle Member (Eagle Formation, Montana Group)
Author: Bowen, C.E, 1915.
Type Locality: The member is described from exposures along the Missouri River east of Virgelle in
northern Montana, in the type area of the Eagle Formation.
Lithology: The Virgelle sandstone is massive to thick bedded, and in some places highly cross-bedded
in the type area it is prevailingly of a white color and contains numerous small rusty concretions. South
of the type area the color is grey to light brown. It forms conspicuous ledges or hogback ridges
wherever exposed. The base of the member is drawn at the top of a thinly interbedded succession of
sandstone and shale. The Virgelle sandstone is overlain by the middle division of the Eagle
Formation, a dark colored shale containing several thin beds of coal (Bowen, 1915).
Thickness and Distribution: According to Stanton and Hatcher (1905) the White crossbedded
sandstone” is 30.4 m (100 ft) or more in thickness. The Virgelle sandstone is widely distributed in
north-central Montana and southern Alberta. East of Glacier Park the Virgelle Member attains
formational status and is 45.7 to 60.9 m (150 to 200 ft) thick (Rice and Cobban, 1977).
Relationship to Other Units: The Virgelle sandstone is the basal member of the Eagle Formation as
revised by Bowen (1915). It is also a conspicuous unit in the Milk River Formation that has been
mapped along the Milk River (Evans, 1931) and in the subsurface of southern Alberta (Tovell, 1956;
Myhr and Meijer Drees, 1976).
References: Bowen, 1915; Evans, 1931; Myhr and Meijer Drees, 1976; Rice and Cobban, 1977;
Stanton and Hatcher, 1905, Tovell, 1956.
NCMD
Upper Devonian
Virginia Hills Formation (Informal)
Author: Unknown.
Type Locality: Kaybob-Judy Creek-Virginia Hills oil producing area of central-northwest Alberta.
History: This name has been found useful by explorationists for mapping the calcareous shales and
argillaceous limestones enclosing the organic buildups of the Swan Hills Formation. It is the upper
Beaverhill Lake of Fong (1959, 1960) and the Waterways Formation of Leavitt and Fischbuch (1968).
IW
Quaternary
Vista Formation (Informal)
Author: Fenton, M.M., 1974, pi. 59.
Type Locality: “Circus Section” in NE/4 Lsd. 5, Sec. 8, Twp. 3, Rge. 5EPM, Manitoba.
Lithology: Unit consists basically of three members:
Top member: Fine to medium sand with a few silt layers, local gravel at base.
Middle member: Clayey silt with scattered rare pebbles, generally massive; dark grey where not
oxidized, otherwise greyish brown; contains abundant organic material including insects, plant
material, ostracods and molluscs; a pond and floodplain deposit.
Bottom member: Sand at base grading upward into sandy gravel, poorly bedded and commonly
contorted; generally oxidized; stones 37 to 50% crystallines (shield stones), rest mostly carbonates.
Thickness and Distribution: Generally 4 to 17 m (13 to 56 ft) thick; exposed locally along Roseau River
and found in boreholes elsewhere in southeastern Manitoba.
Relationship to Other Units: Recognized by position overlying the Tolstoi or Stuartburn formations and
underlying the Senkiw Formation; correlates with Roaring River Clay of Klassen and Delorme (1967).
Radiocarbon dates from middle member indicate the unit is older than Classical Wisconsin.
References: Fenton, 1974; Klassen and Delorme, 1967.
AMacSS
Vonda Member (Prairie Evaporate, Elk Point Group)
Author: Kendall, A.C., 1975, p. 64. Not formally defined.
Type Locality: Not specified.
History: Kendall (1975) provisionally gave the name “Vonda member” to the laminated anhydrite and
dolomite that overlies the calichified top of Winnipegosis banks (apparently confined to their northern
slopes). These beds are overlain by vadose pisolite and are considered to be of Prairie Evaporite age.
Reference: Kendall, 1975.
CED
Wabamun Group (Formation)
Author: Imperial Oil Ltd., Geological Staff, Western Division, 1950, p. 1810-1813.
Type Locality: The type section is in Anglo Canadian Wabamun Lake No. 1 well, in 5-10-51-4W5M,
Alberta, between 1748.0 and 1919.3 m (5735 and 6297 ft).
History: The Wabamun was originally described as the “D-1 zone” (and included the upper part of the
“anhydrite zone” in the Leduc field from the Imperial Leduc No. 3 well, in 10-26-50-26W4M (Layer et
al., 1949). Later the unit was named the Wabamun Formation (Imperial Oil Staff, 1950) and raised to
group status (Wonfor and Andrichuk, 1956).
Lithology: The group consists of dolomitic limestones and calcareous dolomites, with the limestones
predominating in the upper part of the formation and dolomites in the middle and lower parts.
Appreciable interbedded anhydrite occurs, which forms a prominent zone near the base of the
formation in some areas (Leduc field). In the Stettler area and southeastward halite maybe
interbedded with these anhydrites.
In a trend from Olds south to Okotoks interbedded anhydrite and dolomite occur in both the upper and
lower portion of the group, with the variably porous Crossfield Member dolomites occurring in
between. In northwestern Alberta the Wabamun is wholly limestone. Brecciation, secondary anhydrite
and calcite veining are common. At the upper contact with the Exshaw the limestone may be highly
pyritic.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness varies from zero to 240 m (787 ft). From the wedge-edge in
east-central Alberta, where it is truncated at the post-Paleozoic erosional surface the Wabamun
increases in thickness westward towards the foothills. It is present throughout the Alberta Plains
subsurface. The term has been used interchangeably with the Palliser Formation in foothills fields as
far south as Waterton.
Relationship to Other Units: in the Stettler area of Alberta the Wabamun was divided by Wonfor and
Andrichuk (1956) into the Big Valley and Stettler formations. The Wabamun Group rests on dolomitic
and anhydritic siltstones of the Graminia Formation of the Winterburn Group. In the western and
southern parts of the area, where erosion has not removed the Mississippian beds the Wabamun is
disconformably overlain by bituminous shales of the Exshaw Format on, elsewhere it is overlain by
sandstones and shales of the Lower Cretaceous Blairmore or Mannville Group.
The Wabamun is correlative with the middle part of the Three Forks Formation of Montana, with the
Palliser Formation of the Rocky Mountains, and with the Kotcho and Tetcho formations of the
northeastern British Columbia, which lose their identity westward into shales of the Besa River
Formation.
References: Andrichuk, 1960; Belyea, 1964: Imperial Oil Staff, 1950; Layer et al., 1949; Link, 1949;
Macqueen and Sandberg, 1970; Mound, 1967; Wonfor and Andrichuk, 1956.
LSE
Middle Devonian
Wabasca Member (Muskeg Formation)
Type Locality: Imperial Oil Buffalo River 4-32-85-23W4M, Alberta, between 1090 and 1131.7 m (3576
and 371 3 ft).
History: On the basis of widespread shaly or residual elastic markers Klingspor (1969) divided the
Telegraph, Mikkwa, Wabasca, Wolverine, Chipewyan, Mink and Bear. The five middle members
consist of “several repetitive cycles, each progressing vertically from a normal marine carbonate or
less concentrated evaporite to a higher order concentrates (p 935). In addition the proportion of
anhydrite increases northwestward and the proportion of halite increases southeastward.
Lithology: At the type section predominantly halite, varved with basal anhydrite. Anhydrite interbeds
appear and increase northwestwards. Halite in the Wabasca Member extends further northwest than
halite in succeeding members of the Muskeg Formation in northeastern Alberta.
Thickness and Distribution: Approximately 45 m (148 ft) thick. Present in northern Alberta from
southeast of the Rainbow Sub-basin to the Saskatchewan border.
Relationship to Other Units: The Wabasca Member overlies the Mikkwa Member in the La Crete Basin
and in areas to the southeast, but directly overlies the Keg River Formation to the northwest of La
Crete. It is overlain by the “Muskeg 40” marker bed, a thin shady unit grading eastward into a residual
clastic unit. The Wabasca loses its identity to the northwest into undifferentiated dolomites and
anhydrites of the Muskeg Formation, and to the southeast into the Prairie Evaporite (Klingspor, 1969).
In eastern Alberta the Prairie Evaporite, rather than the Muskeg Formation is recognized by many
workers (Grayston et al., 1964), and the Wabasca may be considered a member of the Prairie
Evaporite.
References: Klingspor, 1969; Bebout and Maiklem, 1973; Grayston et al., 1964.
PAM
Wabiskaw Member (Clearwater Formation)
Author: Badgley, RC., 1952.
Type Locality: Barnsdall West Wabiskaw No. 1 well (11-1-78-2W5M), 250 km (156 mi) north of
Edmonton, Alberta, between 528 and 563 m (1732 and 1847 ft).
History: Although Badgley (1952) defined the Wabiskaw Member, the term Wabiskaw member had
been referred to previously by the Alberta Petroleum and Natural Gas Conservation Board in its
Schedule of Wells Drilled for Oil and Gas in 1950.
Lithology: The Wabiskaw Member consists of one or more argillaceous, fine grained, well sorted,
glauconitic salt-and-pepper sands, with interbedded black fissile shales. This shale also commonly
separates it from the underlying McMurray Formation. Sands of the Wabiskaw Member can be
distinguished from the underlying McMurray Formation sands in that they contain glauconite pellets
and more than 10% chert. The Wabiskaw Member is saturated with bitumen in the western extension
of the Athabasca Oil Sands Deposit, where it forms the main reservoir [resources estimated at 5.4 x
109 m3 (37.3 x 109 bbl) by Alberta ERCB, 1976].
Thickness and Distribution: In the type well the Wabiskaw Member has a thickness of 35 m (115 ft). In
the general Fort McMurray area its thickness averages approximately 10 m (33 ft). It is not recognized
in central Alberta or in the Cold Lake area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Wabiskaw Member occurs at the base of the Clearwater Formation
and conformably overlies the McMurray Formation. It is correlated with the Bluesky Formation of the
northwest plains and the “glauconitic” sandstone of the basal upper Mannville in central Alberta. No
correlations have been established with the Mannville Group strata of the Lloydminster area, however
it is probably equivalent to part of the Cummings Member.
References: Alberta ERCB, 1976; Badgley, 1952; Carrigy, 1959, 1963.
JWK
Lower Cretaceous
Wainwright Sandstone (Sparky Formation
Lower Grand Rapids Formation, Mannville Group)
Type Locality: The Wainwright Sandstone is the main producing zone in the Wainwright oil field in Twp.
45, Rge. 6W4M, 6.4 km (4 mi) north of Wainwright, Alberta.
Lithology: The Wainwright sand is light grey very fine to fine grained, unconsolidated, usually
quartzose.
Thickness and Distribution: The sand varies from 1.5 to 3 m (5 to 15 ft) thick in the Wainwright
producing area and generally occurs as a single layer. It is apparently limited to the Wainwright area,
but a sand in a similar stratigraphic position is found in the Ribstone area.
Relationship to Other Units: The sand probably correlates to one of the several (up to four) sandstones
which comprise the Sparky Formation (Smith et al., 1984). It is found about 60 m (200 ft) below the top
of the Mannville Group. At Wainwright the Sparky is capped by an areally extensive coal up to 2 m (7
ft) thick.
References: Hume and Hage, 1941; Smith, van Hulten and Young, 1984.
PEP, AIB
Late Wisconsian
Walsh Drift
Author: Westgate, J.A. et al., 1972.
History: Westgate (1972) introduced the term Walsh Drift in a guidebook; his intent being to replace his
earlier Oldman Drift (Westgate, 1968). There is uncertainty regarding the use of this term. See Oldman
Drift.
References: Vreeken, 1986; Westgate, 1968; Westgate et al., 1972; Westgate and Evans, 1978.
RWK
Lower Cretaceous (Middle to Late Albian)
Walton Creek Member
(Boulder Creek Formation)
Author: Proposed by D.W. Gibson (in press, b) to include the coal bearing facies in the upper part of
the Boulder Creek Formation, overlying the massive sandstone and conglomerate at the base of the
formation.
Type Locality: Mount Spieker, NTS Bullmoose Creek (93P/3) map-area, northeastern British
Columbia.
Lithology: Includes a variable succession of resistant, nonmarine sandstone and conglomerate,

carbonaceous mudstone, siltstone and shale, with thin coal seams and a few paleosols.
Thickness and Distribution: The strata occur throughout the foothills of northeastern British Columbia
between Moberly River in the north and Kakwa River in the south. The member ranges in thickness
from a maximum of 124 m (407 ft) at Mount Chamberlain and Mount Reesor to a minimum of 15 m (49
ft) south of Moberly River.
Relationship to Other Units: The contact between the Walton Creek and the underlying Dokie Ridge
Member is abrupt and probably conformable. Throughout most of the foothills the contact between the
Walton Creek Member and overlying Hasler or Shaftesbury formation is abrupt, and locally may be
disconformable. Strata of the Walton Creek are homotaxially equivalent to the Paddy Member of the
Peace River Formation in the subsurface of the plains. South of Kakwa River equivalent strata may be
present in the upper part of the Gates Formation (Langenberg and McMechan, 1985).
Paleontology: The member is characterized by an angiosperm macroflora which marks a major

change from older flora (Stott, 1968, 1982). The member contains a microfloral assemblage, including
angiosperm pollen dated as Middle to Late Albian age.
References: Gibson, in press (b); Langenberg and McMechan, 1985; Stott, 1968,1982.
DFS
Lower Cretaceous
Wapella Sand (Informal)
Author: Kreis, K., 1985.
Type Locality: The name Wapella is informally applied to a basal Mannville sand (Dina), producing
since 1952 in the Wapella oil field of southeastern Saskatchewan. Discovery well is the Imperial-
Tidewater Wapella 9-3-1-14-1W2M.
Lithology: Fine drained, widely cemented, medium grey quartose sand (Hutt and Schmid, 1970).
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness ranges for 10 to 27 m (33 to 89 ft). The sand body is generally
restricted to the Wapella field, but is one of many such bodies occupying thalwegs of the pre-Dina
erosional system.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Jurassic, which also includes a number of unnamed
producing beds.
References: Hutt and Schmid, 1970, Kreis, 1985.
JEC
Upper Cretaceous
Wapiabi Formation (Alberta Group)
Author: Malloch, G.S., 1911.
Type Locality: Although Malloch measured a section on Wapiabi Creek, much of the formation is not
exposed there. Stott (1963, p. 18) outlined a type section on Thistle Creek, on the west flank of
syncline in Sec. 17, Twp. 44, Rge. 20W5M, Alberta.
Lithology: Dark grey to black marine shales, which in some parts contain abundant sideritic
concretions, minor siltstone, sandstone and limestone. Throughout most of the foothills a unit of fine
grained sandstone occurs near the top, i.e., the Chungo Member. The formation is divided into seven
members by the presence of concretions, calcareous shale and sandstone; from the base upwards
these are the Muskiki, Marshybank, Dowling, Thistle Hanson, Chungo and Nomad.
Thickness and Distribution: Extends along the foothills from the International Boundary to the Muskeg
River. Occurs along the front ranges and extends eastward beneath the plains. Thickness ranges from
640.1 m (2100 ft) at the type locality to 319 m (1046 ft) at the Highwood River and in the order of 487.7
m (1600 ft) near the Smoky River.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Cardium Formation conformably or with only slight
disconformity. The upper beds are gradational into the overlying Belly River Formation in the south
and the Brazeau Formation in the central foothills. The unit passes eastward into shales of the upper
Colorado Group and Lea Park Formation, to the north into the Puskwaskau, Bad Heart and Muskiki
formations.
Paleontology: Characterized by several zones of the ammonite Scaphites. The ammonites, generally
not abundant, are associated with species of Inoceramus. The zones range from latest Turonian to
Santonian, and the upper part of the formation is probably Campanian. Contains several foraminiferal
assemblages, including agglutinated fauna, a distinctive foraminiferal and ostracode unit, and a
pelagic microfauna of the upper or First White Speckled Shale of the Colorado Group of the plains
(Wall and Germundson, 1963).
References: Malloch, 1911; Stott, 1963; Wall and Germundson, 1963.
DFS
Upper Cretaceous
Wapiti Formation
Author: Dawson, G.M., 1881 .
Type Locality: Presumably along the lower part of Wapiti River and downstream along Smoky River in
Alberta.
Lithology: Medium to coarse grained, feldspathic, calcareous, buff weathering sandstone which is thin
bedded to massive. Some thin conglomerate and minor coal seams are present in the region of the
Liard River in northeastern British Columbia and District of Mackenzie.
Thickness and Distribution. Occurs on erosional remnants between the Beaver and Liard rivers in
northeastern British Columbia, on several small hills west of the Liard River and south of the
Kotaneelee River, and the Liard Syncline between the Liard and Petitot rivers in District of Mackenzie.
The upper beds are eroded, and the maximum thickness remaining is in the order of a few hundred
metres.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies gradationally on marine shales of the Kotaneelee Formation. The
upper surface is erosional.
Paleontology: No fossils have been reported. Coal and carbonaceous material is present.
References: Dawson, 1981; Hage, 1945; Stott, 1960.
DFS; DWM
Middle Cambrian
Wapta Member (Stephen Formation)
Type Locality: Immediately east of the Fossil Gully fault, south face of Mount Field, near Field, British
Columbia.
History: Fritz (1971) noted that the upper part of the “thick” (basinal) Stephen Formation resembled
lithologically the upper part of the “thin” (platformal) Stephen. McIlreath (1977a) noted evidence of
upward shallowing from the lower, deep water mudrocks of the “thick” Stephen. These observations
were embodied in division of the formation into two members by Aitken (in press).
Lithology: Shale and calcareous shale, mainly greenish grey and partly silty, alternating with beds and
units up to 15 m (49 ft) thick of various carbonate rocks. The original limestones, which are locally
dolomitized include skeletal, ooid and intraclast grainstone, packstone and wackestone, and thin
bedded pellet grainstone and calcisiltite that are generally quartz rich. Interbeds of quartz siltstone
occur near the top.
Thickness and Distribution: The Wapta Member is recognized as a division of the basing part of the
Stephen Formation, 164 m (341 ft) thick at its type section. It is at present known only from the vicinity
of Field, British Columbia, and its distribution is limited to the narrow strip of country between the
Cathedral Escarpment and the westward, down-dip disappearance of the member.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact, with the Amiskwi Member and the upper contact, with
the Eldon Formation are conformable and gradational. A part or all of the Wapta Member passes
eastward into the Waputik Member of the platformal succession.
Paleontology: The Wapta Member yields fossils of the upper Middle Cambrian Bathyuriscu-Elrathina
Zone.
References: Aitken, in press; Fritz, 1971; McIlreath, 1977a, 1977b.
JDA
Middle Cambrian
Waputik Member (Stephen Formation)
Author: Aitken, J.D, in press.
Type Locality: South slopes of Mount Bosworth, on the continental divide, above TransCanada
Highway.
History: The first division of the platformal Stephen Formation into two members was by Aitken (in
press, see also Aitken, 1989).
Lithology: Shale, limestone and siltstone, in most areas forming numerous mud-based, shallowing
upward cycles. The shales are largely green. Limestone types include ‘parted’ lime mudstone, ooid
and skeletal grainstone, intraformational conglomerates, in part hardgrounds, and oncoidal beds.
North of North Saskatchewan River and increasing northward are horizons of stromatolites and
thrombolites. The shale content is markedly greater than that of the Narao Member beneath.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type section, 56.4 m (185 ft). The Waputik Member belongs to the
platformal part of the Stephen Formation and is recognizable from the main ranges to the mountain
front, and from Mount Assiniboine in the south to the Jasper area in the north. It is recognizable in
those sections along the Kicking Horse Rim in which the Narao Member has merged with the
uppermost Cathedral Formation
Relationship to Other Units: The Waputik Member is in abrupt and possibly disconformable contact
with the underlying Narao Member and, locally the Cathedral Formation. Its upper contact with the
Eldon Formation is gradational and intertongued, becoming younger eastward. The member can be
recognized as the fourth recessive member of the Snake Indian Formation. It corresponds largely but
not exactly to the Wapta Member of the basinal Stephen Formation.
Paleontology: The Waputik Member yields abundant trilobites of the upper Middle Cambrian
Bathyuriscus-Elrathina Zone.
Reference: Aitken, 1989 and in press.
JDA
Wartenbe Sandstone (Kaskapau Formation, Smoky Group)
Author: Stelck, C.R., 1955, p. 272 applied the name to sandstone in the Kaskapau Formation, but
never formally defines it as a member.
Type Locality: No type locality was designated, but the sandstone is well developed at Wartenbe
Mountain, west of Murray River and south of Pine River, northeastern British Columbia.
Lithology: The Wartenbe Sandstone consists mainly of fine grained, massive sandstone with 4.6 m (15
ft) of interbedded conglomerate and sandstone at the top. The conglomerate is lenticular and grades
laterally into sandstone. The conglomerate consists of chert and quartzite pebbles embedded in a
sandy matrix (Stott, 1967, p. 23).
Thickness and Distribution: Attains a thickness of 33 to 36 m (110 to 120 ft) between Tuskoola
Mountain and Murray River. The sandstone extends southward west of Murray River to Flatbed Creek
and eastward to Coldstream Creek.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies in the upper middle part of the Kaskapau Formation beneath the
Cardium Formation. The Wartenbe sandstone was shown by Stelck and Wall (1955) and Stelck (1962,
p. 18) as tongues of the “Sukunka Member” (which has never been defined) in the upper part of the
Dunvegan Formation. Stott (1967, p. 24) pointed out that the sandstone occurs well above the
Dunvegan Formation in the area of the Sukunka and Pine rivers, but may be equivalent to some part
of the Dunvegan Formation north of Pine River.
Paleontology: No diagnostic fauna has been reported from the sandstone, but Stott (1967, p. 22)
suggested that it correlates with the Second White Specks Marker horizon of the plains.
References: Stelck, 1962; Stelck and Wall, 1955; Stott, 1967.
DFS
Wascana Creek Ash (Pearlette Tephra)
Type Locality: Exposure in west bank of Wascana Creek Valley, northwest of Regina, Saskatchewan,
in northeast corner of Sec. 29, Twp. 18, Rge. 21W2M.
History: Originally spelled Waskana Creek Ash (Christiansen, 1961).
Lithology: White volcanic ash of Pearlette type O, composed largely of glass shards.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) thick; known distribution limited to
less than 10 m (33 ft) along Wascana Creek and to an exposure in the Cottonwood Valley, about 300
m (984 ft) south of the northwest corner of Sec. 24, Twp. 18, Rge. 22W2M
Relationship to Other Units: “... in the reference section is associated with a lens of sand and clay
which is either a part of the Condie Till or of the lower Stratified Drift” (Christiansen, 1961, p. 34).
Associated with lake clay in the upper part of the Floral Formation; this clay conformably orderlies
sandy till of that formation and disconformably underlies the Battleford Formation Considered middle
Pleistocene in age, with an indicated fission-track age of between 0.6 and 0.7 million years.
References: Christiansen, 1961; Westgate et al., 1977.
EAC; AMacSS
Lower Cretaceous
Waseca Sand (Grand Rapids Formation, Mannville Group) (Informal)
Author: Husky Oil, 1949.
Type Locality: Husky Waseca #1, in Lsd. 6, Sec. 22, Twp. 49, Rge. 23W3M, Saskatchewan has a good
development of Waseca sand.
History: The sand has never been formally described, but the term Waseca is commonly used in the
Lloydminster area of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Lithology: The Waseca Sand is a fine to medium grained sandstone with laterally variable
composition. It ranges from a quartz arenite to a feldspathic litharenite. It is usually moderately well
sorted and moderately well rounded, but this varies within short distances.
Thickness and Distribution: The sand and associated silts and shales are about 25 m (80 ft) thick in
the Lloydminster area. The term Waseca is restricted to the area around Lloydminster, and south to
about Twp. 35.
Relationship to Other Units: The Waseca Sand is locally disconformable above the Sparky sand and is
usually found about 15 to 20 m (50 to 70 ft) below the top of the Mannville Group. The presence of a
sub-Waseca disconformity and the locally marked difference in composition between the Waseca and
Sparky sands suggest that the Waseca is the first sand of the Grand Rapids Formation. Putnam (1980)
suggested that the entire upper Mannville section above the Sparky Sand should be called Waseca
because of difficulties in correlating the individual sands on a regional basis.
References: Orr, Johnston and Manko, 1977; Putnam, 1980, 1982; Vigrass, 1977.
PEP, AIB
Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian ?)
Wasada Formation
Type Locality: No type section indicated, but the thickest section occurs in the general vicinity of
Waskada, Manitoba (Twp. 2, Rge. 25WPM). One of the thickest sections reported by Stott is in the
Souris Valley et al. McKague 27-2 well, in 2-27-1-27WPM, between 661.4 and 716.3 m (2170 and
2350 ft).
Lithology: The unit changes laterally and vertically within short distances. Shales predominate but
vary in color: green, bentonitic shales are common, and grey to black, slightly carbonaceous shales
also occur, as well as traces of red shale and ironstone. Thin beds and lenses of sandstone are
common, and are while, fine to very fine grained, calcareous, and commonly pyritic and glauconitic.
Thickness and Distribution: The Waskada occurs as an erosional wedge-edge; it is a subsurface unit
defined for southwestern Manitoba and does not extend to outcrop. It is present as far north as the
Virden area (vicinity of Twp. 12). Its maximum thickness in Manitoba is 57.9 m (190 ft); equivalent strata
in North Dakota attain a maximum thickness of about 90 m (295 ft). Waskada beds locally show share
changes in thickness due to deeply incised pre-Cretaceous channels that have locally eroded through
the Waskada into the underlying Melita Formation. The depth of channels is as much as 76 m (249 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is underlain conformably by variegated shales of the Melita
Formation, and is overlain with marked unconformity by coarse sands of the basal Cretaceous Swan
River (Blairmore) Formation, except along its northern edge, where the Swan River strata pinch out
and Waskada beds are directly overlain by grey shales of the Ashville Formation. It correlates with the
upper Vanguard Masefield Shale) of Saskatchewan, and with the Swift and possibly the Morrison
formations of North Dakota.
References: Bannatyne, 1970; Stott, 1955.
HRM
Waskahigan Member (Cardium Formation)
Author: Plint, A.G., Walker, R.G. and Bergman, K.M., 1986
Type Locality: West-central Alberta. Type section is in the Ipex Dennison Edson 10-30-52-17W5M
Well, between 1992.7 and 2001.9 m (6536 and 6566 ft).
Lithology: A coarsening upward sequence commencing with intensely bioturbated mudstone

containing poorly sorted medium sand and granules, passing upward into relatively mud-free coarse
sand and granular conglomerate.
Thickness and Distribution: 9.2 m (30 ft) thick at the type section; varies from zero to 11 m (36 ft). Forms
northwest-southeast trending, elongate bodies several kilometres or tens of kilometres long and a few
kilometres wide”.
Relationship to Other Units: Underlain by the Bickerdike Member of the Cardium Formation with a
sharp, erosive contact. Overlain by the Hornbeck Member of the Cardium. The unit thins to the east into
a veneer of pebbles separating the Bickerdike and Hornbeck members, and to the west is represented
by a pebble bed overlying an erosive surface within the Kakwa Members
Lexicon Committee
Waterfowl Formation
Author: Greggs, R.G., 1962; Aitken, J.D. and Greggs, R.G;., 1967.
Type Locality: Originally proposed on Mount Murchison, but later referred to the southern slopes of
Sullivan Peak, near Glacier Lake, in Band National Park, Alberta. This is the location of Walcott’s
original Arctomys Formation, which included the Waterfowl in its upper units.
History: The Waterfowl coincides with the upper part (1a) of Walcott’s type Arctomys, and is continuous
with the type section of the Arctomys.
Lithology: The Waterfowl Formation consists of cliff forming, dense carbonate, generally limestone, but
containing dolomite units in the front ranges. Calcareous siltstones and occasional fine grained
sandstones are also present.
Thickness and Distribution: The Waterfowl is 166 m (544 ft) thick at the type locality and thickens
westward to over 183 m (600 ft) at Mount Whiterose. At Tangle Ridge 138 m (453 ft) of Waterfowl beds
are present. To the north the Waterfowl becomes indistinguishable from the Lyell Formation and forms
the lower part of the Lynx Group.
Relationship to Other Units: The base of the Waterfowl is gradational with shales of the underlying
Arctomys Formation; the contact is taken at the highest occurrence of brightly colored shale. The upper
contact is placed at the abrupt-change from thick bedded carbonates to shales and interbedded
siltstones of the Sullivan Formation; the succession appears to be conformable .
Paleontology: The sparse faunal data, generally of fragmental trilobite material from me upper
Waterfowl is consistently of basal Dresbachian (lowermost Upper Cambrian). No faunal information is
as yet available for the lower part of the formation, it is possible that the Middle-Upper Cambrian
boundary may be present therein.
References: Aitken and Greggs, 1967: Greggs, 1962; Walcott, 1920.
RGG
Middle Proterozoic
Waterton Formation (Purcell Supergroup)
Author. Daly, R.A., 1912, p. 50-56.
Type Locality: Cameron Falls, Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta; 49°03’N, 113°55’W.
History: The Waterton was originally included within the basal part of the Altyn Formation by Willis
(1902). The dolomites comprising the upper part were separated from the Altyn Formation and named
Waterton Formation by Daly (1912). Lower units occurring in other fault slices were recognized by
Douglas (1952). A complete, unfaulted sequence including still lower units has been recognized in the
northwestern Clark Range by Fermor and Price (1983).
Lithology: Silty and argillaceous, massive bedded, sometimes nodular or banded and streaked grey
greenish grey and red limestone and dolomite, and dark grey to green, thin bedded, laminated argillite.
Changes markedly from a varicolored limestone and dolomite sequence in the eastern Clark Range to
a grey, argillaceous dolomite and limestone sequence in the central Clark Range.
Thickness and Distribution: Partial sections of the Waterton Formation occur in the hanging wall of the
Lewis Thrust at Waterton Lakes and Castle River (Douglas, 1952; Norris, 1959). Complete sections
occur only in the northwestern Clark Range, where the formation is 247 m (810 ft) thick (Fermor and
Price, 1983). It probably is somewhat thinner toward the east and northeast.
Relationship to Other Units: The Waterton is underlain conformably with gradational contact by an
unnamed dark grey carbonate and argillite unit and is overlain conformably, with gradational contact
by argillite of the lower part of the Altyn Formation. It grades laterally in the southwestern Clark Range
into an unnamed unit of thinly bedded, finely laminated, rusty weathering argillite that resembles parts
of the Aldridge Formation (Fermor and Price, 1983).
References: Daffy 1912; Douglas, 1952; Fenton and Fenton, 1937; Fermor and Price, 1983; Norris,
1969; Price, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1965; Ross, 1959.
PRF, RAP
Middle to Upper Devonian (Givetian to Frasnian)
Waterways Formation
(Beaverhill Lake Group)
Type Locality: The banks of the Clearwater and Athabasca rivers at their confluence, near Fort
McMurray and Waterways in northeastern Alberta. Standard Subsurface Reference Section: Bear
Biltmore No. 1 well, in Lsd. 7, Sec. 11, Twp. 87, Rge. 17W4M, between 299 and 513 m (981 and 1682
ft).
History: Crickmay (1957) divided the Waterways Formation into five Members: Firebag, Calmut
(Calumet), Christina, Moberly and Mildred; in 1963 Norris designated the Bear Biltmore No. 1 well as
the standard reference section for the Waterways Formation. Murray (1965) proposed that the off-reef
shales of the upper Beaverhill Lake Unit (Fong 1959, 1960) in the Swan Hills area of west-central
Alberta be referred to as the Waterways Formation because of their greater similarity to that type
section than to the Beaverhill Lake type section. Leavitt and Fischbuch (1968) formalized the
nomenclature in the Swan Hills area by raising the Beaverhill Lake to group status, comprising the
Fort Vermilion, Swan Hills and Waterways Formations.
Lithology: In the Fort McMurray area the Waterways Formation consists of a sequence of 9 greenish
grey to olive-green and brownish grey calcareous shales and argillaceous limestones a alternating
with fine to crypto-grained and, in places highly fossiliferous limestones. The formation is rich in fossil
content, which is dominated by brachiopods, corals and ostracods.
The Firebag Member at the base, an olive-green shaly unit is overlain by the Calmut Member, a
medium grey-brown, thinly bedded limestone unit. The Christina Member consists mainly of greenish
grey and buff argillaceous limestones and shales. The overlying Moberly Member is mostly limestone,
medium grey weathering to a light orange-brown, argillaceous and fossiliferous, and the uppermost
Mildred Member is a green-grey and buff argillaceous limestone unit with some shale.
Thickness and Distribution: The Waterways Formation is about 213 m (700 ft) thick in the McMurray
area, 120 to 150 m (400 to 500 ft) in the Sturgeon-Mitsue area and 6 to 230 m (20 to 750 ft) in the
Swan Hills area. It is a basin filling, open-marine transgressive sequence. The formation is widespread
from central to northern Alberta. It is partially eroded in the subcrop areas of eastern Alberta and
limited by the Beaverhill Lake carbonate shelves of southern and western Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: The Waterways Formation in its type area overlies disconformably the
Livock River Formation, a thin limestone unit of late Middle Devonian age considered to be a Slave
Point equivalent and is overlain conformably by the light colored limestones of the Cooking Lake
Formation of Upper Devonian age, i.e., the basal unit of the Woodbend Group. In west-central Alberta
the Waterways Formation encloses organic buildups of the Swan Hills Formation. Equivalents are: the
Beaverhill Lake Formation of central and northern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia; parts of
the lower Hay River and upper Horn River formations of the southwestern Northwest Territories; Flume
Formation (in part) of the Rocky Mountains of west-central Alberta; and, approximately the Souris
River Formation of south-central Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba.
References: Belyea, 1952; Braun, 1967; Crickmay, 1957; Fischbuch, 1968; Fong, 1959, 1960;
Hemphill, Smith and Szabo, 1970; Jansa and Fischbuch, 1974; Leavitt and Fischbuch, 1968; Norris,
1963; Sheasby, 1971; Uyeno, 1967, Warren, 1933.
IW
Jurassic to Triassic
Watrous Formation
Author: Milner, R.L. and Thomas, G. E., 1954.
Type Locality: South-central Saskatchewan. Type well is the Tidewater Davidson Crown No. 1, in Lsd.
13, Sec. 4, Twp. 27, Rge. 28W2M, between 755 and 837 m (2476 and 2744 ft)
Lithology: Comprises a lower and an upper member. The lower member is typified by red shales and
mudstones, frequently variegated with green, and thinly and irregularly interbedded with patches and
blebs of laminated anhydrite and anhydrite inclusions. Basal beds across southern Saskatchewan are
commonly marked by sandstones, conglomerates and, locally by brecciated cherty anhydrite, white,
light grey and massive, interbedded with buff, earthy microcrystalline dolomite and grey shale; both
are interrupted by veinlets of anhydrite. The upper member, a bed of massive anhydrite several metres
thick laps over the lower units along the edge of the Watrous area of distribution.
Thickness and Distribution: Although defined as one formation, there is by usage a tendency to
separate the lower argillaceous member from the anhydritic upper. Both units are distributed across
southern Saskatchewan south of 52°N, from the Manitoba border westward to 109°W. The lower
member infills irregularities on the sub Mesozoic erosional surface and thus varies abruptly in
thickness by about 30 m (98 ft). Combined thickness (both units) range from 110 m (361 ft) along the
border with North Dakota to zero at the erosional edge.
Relationship to Other Units. The Watrous Formation is synonymous with the Amaranth Formation of
Manitoba (Stott, 1955). Because the lack of fossils uncertainty exists as to the age of the lower
member. The outward and upward expansion of marine facies in the Jurassic suggests that the lower
member of Watrous Formation represents the beginning of the Jurassic marine transgression.
However, on the basis of regional correlation it appears to be a northward extension of the Triassic
Spearfish Formation of North Dakota. The upper member is correlated with the lower part of the
Jurassic Nesson Formation.
References: Barchyn, 1982; Francis, 1956; Milner and Thomas, 1954; Stott, 1955.
JEC
Middle Devonian
Watt Mountain Formation
Author: Law, J ., 1955, p. 1951 -1954.
Type Locality: California Steen River 2-22-117-5W6M, 32 km (20 mi) north of Zama Lake, Alberta,
between 1357 and 1376 m (4452 and 4513 ft). The entire section was cored.
Lithology: The Watt Mountain Formation consists of red and green shales, sandstones, limestone
breccia, anhydrite, dolomite and limestone. The sandstones are coarse grained and arkosic near the
Peace River Arch and the West Alberta Ridge, and become fine grained and texturally and
mineralogically more mature into the basin.
Thickness and Distribution: The formation is 19 m (61 ft) thick in the type well. The maximum thickness
north of the Peace River Arch is 74.4 m (244 ft). To the north the sandstones form a wedge which thins
away from the arch and pinches out in a distance of 130 km (80 mi) in the Nipisi area southeast of the
arch the Watt Mountain is up to 29 m (95 ft) thick.
The sandstones thin and pinch out to the south and east of the Peace River Arch and east of the West
Alberta Ridge. Beyond the pinchout of the sandstones the Watt Mountain consists largely of green
shale, limestone breccia, anhydrite and dolomite that is present widely in Alberta, northeastern British
Columbia and Southern District of Mackenzie.
Relationship to Other Units: The Watt Mountain Formation was considered by Law (1955) to be the
uppermost unit of the Elk Point Group. In central to northern Alberta the Watt Mountain overlies the
Muskeg Formation. In most places the contact is sharp and unconformable.
In northern Alberta and the southern District of Mackenzie the Watt Mountain sharply over lies the
Sulphur Point Formation. The Watt Mountain is conformably overlain by the Fort Vermilion Member of
the Slave Point Formation. Crawford (1972) postulated a partial correlation between lower parts of the
Slave Point Formation and uppermost green shales of the Watt Mountain Formation near the Peace
River Arch. The Watt Mountain is stratigraphically equivalent to the First Red Beds in Saskatchewan.
References: Belyea, 1971; Crawford, 1972; Kramers and Lerbekmo, 1967; Law, 1955; Rottenfusser
and Oliver, 1977.
BR; JWK, GDM

Weary Ridge Member (Morrissey Formation)
Type Locality: At the north end of Weary Ridge, between Aldridge and Weary Creeks on the east side
of the upper Elk River valley, southeastern British Columbia. NTS 82J/7E, Mount Head.
History: Originally included as part of the “Basal Sandstone” of the Kootenay Formation (Cairnes,
1914; Rose, 1917). Interpreted by some as part of the “Passage Beds’ of the Fernie Formation (Beach,
1943; Norris, 1959; Jansa, 1972, and others). Recently referred to as ‘Unit B’ of the Basal Sandstone
member of the Kootenay Format on by Gibson (1977).
Lithology: Orange-brown to brownish grey weathering, medium to medium dark grey very fine to
coarse grained quartz-chert sandstone. Strata slightly ferruginous, commonly argillaceous-
carbonaceous and locally calcareous or dolomitic. Because of the ferruginous-argillaceous
carbonaceous and carbonate content of the sandstone it is commonly less well indurated, more
porous, and less resistant to weathering than the overlying sandstone of the Moose Mountain Member.
Thickness and Distribution: Weary Ridge strata are recognized throughout the Rocky Mountain
Foothills and parts of the eastern front ranges of southwestern Alberta and southeastern British
Columbia between the United States border and the headwaters of the Red Deer River near Band
National Park. The unit ranges in measured thickness from a minimum of 5 m (16 ft) at Grassy
Mountain and Mount Allan, near Blairmore and Canmore, Alberta respectively, to a maximum of 55 m
(180 ft) at Greenhills Range near Elkford, southeastern British Columbia (Gibson 1979, 1985).
Relationship to Other Units: The contact of the Weary Ridge Member with the underlying ‘Passage
Beds’ of the Fernie Formation is conformable and abrupt, and placed at the base of the first continuous
occurrence of sandstone devoid of interbeds of siltstone, mudstone or shale typical of the upper Fernie
Formation. The contact with the overlying Moose Mountain Member is conformable and generally
abrupt; it is placed at the level where more argillaceous-ferruginous, commonly finer grained, more
recessive, orange-brown to brownish grey weathering sandstone of the Weary Ridge contrasts with
less argillaceous, ferruginous and carbonaceous but coarser grained, more resistant and darker grey
weathering sandstone of the Moose Mountain Member. Exposures of the Weary Ridge Member grade
laterally into strata of the lower Nikanassin Formation near the headwaters of the Red Deer River. The
Weary Ridge Member may be equivalent to part of the “Brown Sand” of the subsurface in the Alberta
Foothills near Turner Valley, Alberta (Gibson, 1979, 1985). Its relationship to strata of the Morrison
Formation of Montana is uncertain (Gibson, 1985).
References: Beach, 1943; Cairnes, 1914; Gibson, 1977, 1979, 1985; Jansa, 1972; Norris, 1959.
DWG
Middle Cambrian
Weed Member (Mount Whyte Formation)
Type Locality: Western slopes of Mount Weed, above the Banff-Jasper Highway, Alberta.
History: The Weed Member was recognized informally by Hockley (1973) as the basal, bioturbated,
argillaceous quartz siltstone n ember of the Mount Whyte Formation, and later formalized by Aitken (in
press; see also Aitken, 1989)
Lithology: Resistant, green, burrowed, argillaceous quartz siltstone; near the top, one or more medium
beds of colitic and/or conglomeratic limestone.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness of the Weed Member varies irregularly from a maximum of 93 m
(305 ft) at Castle Mountain to zero over the Kicking Horse Rim. It is present eastward from the rim into
the subsurface of the western plains and from the Lake Louise region northward to the Jasper and
Mount Robson areas, where it is a member of the Snake Indian and Chetang Formations respectively
(Aitken, in press). The Weed Member does not occur west of the Kicking Horse Rim as a member of
the Mount Whyte-equivalent Naiset Formation .
Relationship to Other Units: The Weed Member is a distinctive basal member of the Mount Whyte
Formation, and thus rests on the Peyto Formation or quartzites of the Gog Group at a sub-Middle
Cambrian unconformity. It is overlain conformably at a diachronous contact by shale and limestone of
the Chephren Member. It can be recognized as a basal or near-basal unit of the Snake Indian (“green
quartz siltstone member”, Mountjoy and Aitken, 1978) and Chetang formations. Locally the Weed
Member makes up the entire Mount Whyte Formation.
In the western part of its extent the Weed Member is entirely within the basal Middle Cambrian
Plagiura-Poliella Zone, but its upper part at least becomes younger eastward into the Albertella Zone
(Aitken, in press).
References: Aitken, in press and 1989; Hockley, 1973; Mountjoy and Aitken, 1978.
JDA
Quaternary
Wellsch Valley Tephra
Author: Stalker, AMacS. and Churcher, C.S., 1972.
Type Locality: Wellsch Valley Site, about 50 km (31 mi) north of Swift Current, Saskatchewan in SE/4
Sec. 4, Twp. 20, Rge. 14W3M (approximately 50°39’50”N, 107°52’30”W).
History: Unit generally referred to as the Wellsch Valley Tephra, but as yet not formally named.
Lithology: Tephra contains hornblende, hypersthene, biotite, plagioclase feldspar, apatite, zircon and
iron-titanium oxides; its glass has a rhyolitic composition.
Thickness and Distribution: To date known only from type locality where it has been reworked into
discontinuous lentils up to 15 cm (6 in) thick.
Relationship to Other Units: At the type locality occurs within an alluvial and lacustrine sequence
consisting chiefly of sands and silts: a till sheet lies 1 m (3 ft) above the tephra.
Distribution unknown, but lithology suggests derivation from a Cordilleran source rather than from the
Yellowstone volcanic province. The tephra has a reversed polarity (Foster and Stalker, 1976) and a
glass fission-track age of about 700000 years (Westgate et al., 1978). Abundant vertebrate fossils
recovered from the enclosing material indicate a somewhat greater age (Stalker and Churcher, 1972).
References: Foster and Stalker, 1976; Stalker and Churcher, 1972; Westgate et al., 1978.
JAW; NWR, AMacSS

Westerdale Member (Ireton Formation, Woodbend Group)
Facies term used in the Harmattan-Elkton area (Twps. 30 to 35, Rges. 1 to 6W5M) for thick, dark grey
and brown deep water limestones comprising the middle and lower Ireton Formation above partial
Leduc buildups or the Cooking Lake or Duvernay formations. This slightly argillaceous limestone
facies was first encountered in Shell Westerdale No. 1 well (10-4-34-4W5M) between 3098 m (10165
ft) and 3274 m (10742 ft), where core was taken in the upper part of the unit and several drillstem tests
recovered mud with traces of gas and oil. Another useful reference well is Great Plains Canadian
Superior et al. Elkton 6-22-31-4W5M, since the Ireton-Westerdale contact is cored there as well as at
least 20 m (66 ft) of the Westerdale, which occurs between 3406 m (11174 ft) and ?3532 m (11588 ft).
The proximity of large reef complexes and enclosed nature of the Westerdale-bearing basins indicates
the probable origin of the Westerdale facies from hemipelagic sedimentation of shelf-derived fine
carbonates augmented by in-situ deeper water fauna. In outcropping Fairholme Group rocks of the
front ranges this facies is analogous to the basin-filling carbonate mudstones of the North Burnt
Timber and Scalp Creek embayments (Workum and Hedinger, 1988) and to Dooge’s (1966) informal
Ram Member dolomite at the Cripple Creek margin (Eliuk, 1988).
References: Dooge, 1966; Eliuk, 1988; Workum and Hedinger, 1988.
LSE
Westgate Member (Ashville Formation)
Type Locality: Along the Little Woody River, on the north flank of the Porcupine Hills of Manitoba. The
composite type section is located south of National Mills, Manitoba, in Secs. 22 and 23, Twp. 46, Rge.
29WPM.
Lithology: Non-calcareous shale. The Westgate Member is a fairly uniform sequence of dark grey
shales, with rare bentonite seams and subordinate interbeds of silty shale marked by fine grained
quartzose sand in lenses and burrows.
Thickness and Distribution: The Westgate is recognized in eastern Saskatchewan and southern
Manitoba, occurring in outcrop along the Manitoba escarpment from the Pasquia Hills of east-central
Saskatchewan to Riding Mountain, Manitoba. In this area the member forms a wedge, thickest at 23 to
30 m (75 to 98 ft) in the northwest and thinnest, about 8 m (26 ft) in the southeast.
Relationship to Other Units: The contacts of the Westgate are conformable; the lower may be
gradational or sharp with the Newcastle Sandstone Member (previously the informal Ashville sand),
and the upper is sharp with the distinctive Belle Fourche shale, which contains fish fragments and
lenses of fine grained sand near the contact (base of Fish-scale marker beds) The Westgate is the
homotaxial equivalent to the siliceous Mowry Shale of eastern Montana and Wyoming or its facies
equivalents in the Dakota Formation of south Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. As the Mowry Shale is
traced northeastwards its silica content decreases until the siliceous shale is replaced by the uniform
sequence of soft shale which constitutes the Westgate Member in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The
Westgate can be traced directly through the subsurface of western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta
into the lower Colorado Group, where its equivalents between the Viking Sandstone and the base of
the Fish-scale marker beds have been referred to as lower part of the Big River Formation (Simpson,
1975).
References: Hansen, 1955; McGookey et al., 1972; McNeil and Caldwell, 1981; Price, 1963; Simpson,
1975.
DHM; LLP
Middle or Upper Ordovician
Whiskey Trail Member (Beaverfoot Formation)
Author: Norford, B.S., 1969, p. 29-32, 33, 86.
Type Locality: Carbonate Creek 151°10.5’N, 116°44’W), southeastern British Columbia; within the type
section of the Beaverfoot Formation (q.v.).
Lithology: Recessive, thinly bedded quartz sandstones (mostly dolomitic), arenaceous dolomites,
echinoderm-debris dolomites, argillaceous dolomites and olive grey mudstones.
Thickness and Distribution: Widely distributed at the base of the Beaverfoot Formation in the Rocky
Mountains of the Fernie, Kananaskis Lakes, Golden, Lardeau and Brazeau map areas (82G, J, K, N;
83C) of southwestern Alberta and southeastern British Columbia, but absent in parts of the
westernmost Rockies and in the Purcell Mountains where the Beaverfoot Formation oversteps the
Mount Wilson quartzite. Minimum thickness observed 1.2 m (4 ft), maximum 33 m (107 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Apparently conformable contacts with Mount Wilson quartzite below and
with the main part of the Beaverfoot Formation above.
Paleontology: Undescribed bryozoans, gastropods, corals, conodonts, echinoderms, brachiopods and

very rare graptolite debris.
Reference: Norford, 1969.
BSN
Middle Triassic (Anisian)
Whistler Member (Sulphur Mountain Formation)
Type Locality: On the southwest limb of the prominent anticline near the headwaters of Whistler Creek,
a tributary of Sulphur River, west-central Alberta. SE/4 Sec. 11, Twp. 54, Rge. 8W6M. Hardscrabble
Creek NTS 83E/11E.
History: First described as a distinct lithofacies of the Sulphur Mountain Formation by Manko (1960)
and called the “Black Shale Member”. The name and member contacts were adopted by Gibson
(1965), who later designated the facies as a normal member of the Sulphur Mountain Formation.
Lithology: Recessive, generally shaky weathering dark grey to black, carbonaceous, pyritiferous,
slightly phosphatic, silty dolostone and dolomitic quartz siltstone. Thin to indistinctly bedded and
characteristically contains thin regular to slightly crenulated light grey laminations. Siltstone as
lenticular to nodular inhalations which locally are very calcareous. Base characterized at many
localities by phosphatic sandstone and/or phosphatic pebble conglomerate, the latter composed of
very irregular to elongate, angular to well rounded pebbles of cellophane up to 2.5 cm (1 in) in
diameter and up to 10 cm (4 in) long. The Whistler Member forms a distinctive marker in the Sulphur
Mountain Formation because of its dark grey and recessive weathering character, and contained
grains and pebbles of cellophane.
Thickness and Distribution: The unit is confined mainly to the Rocky Mountain front ranges between
Bow and Pine rivers, Alberta and northeastern British Columbia, but also occurs in the Foothills and
part of the plains area. It is not recognized south of Bow River, with exception of Spray River Gorge,
nor in the Alberta Foothills between Athabasca and Bow rivers because of easterly syndepositional
thinning and probable facies change to lithologies of the Llama Member. The member ranges in
measured thickness from a minimum of 4 m (13 ft) on Mount Greenock, Jasper National Park to a
maximum of 85 m (279 ft) at Watson Peak, near Burnt River, northeastern British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: The Whistler is abruptly underlain by resistant, rusty brown weathering
siltstone of the Vega Siltstone Member. It is overlain abruptly in most areas by resistant weathering
massive siltstone and silty dolostone of the Llama Member. In some areas the contact is gradational
and placed at the base of an interval where more resistant, paler grey weathering and thicker bedded
siltstone of the Llama forms the predominant lithology. The Whistler Member loses its distinctive
recessive weathering character in exposures north of the Pine River, northeastern British Columbia.
The contact between the Montney and overlying Doig formations in the subsurface Peace River Plains
is equivalent to the base of the Whistler Member and corresponds to a marked increase or reflection
trace on gamma ray neutron log records. The Whistler is equivalent to the lower part of the Doig, and
part of the Toad formations of the plains and foothills of northeastern British Columbia.
References: Gibson, D.W., 1968, 1974; Manko, 1960.
DWG
White Bear Marker Beds/Member
(Prairie Evaporite, Elk Point Group)
Author: Hotter, M.E., 1969, p. 22; Worsley, N., and Fuzesy, A., 1978, p. 380. Not formally defined.
Type Locality: Tidewater Pan-American White Bear Crown 5-15-10-2W2M, in Saskatchewan, between
1781.6 and 1788.6 m (5845 and 5868 ft).
History: Designated as Zone B by Harding and Gorrell (1967). Holter (1969) noted that this zone is an
important stratigraphic marker which he referred to as the White Bear Marker Beds. He considered that
their generally poor development did not warrant member status. Worsley and Fuzesy (1978)
considered that, since the development of these beds in southeastern Saskatchewan is comparable to
the other three potash members the White Bear could be elevated to member status. However, the
White Bear has not been formally defined as a member
Lithology: Interbedded sylvite and halite, with local carnallite.
Thickness and Distribution: Maximum of 7 m (23 ft) in southeastern Saskatchewan. The western limit
extends from near Esterhazy southwestward into North Dakota.
Relationship to Other Units: Occurs between the Esterhazy and Belle Plaine members of the Prairie
Evaporite and separated from them by zones of halite.
References: Harding and Gorrell, 1967, Hotter, 1969; Worsley and Fuzesy, 1978.
CED; KRM
Whitehorse Formation (Spray River Group)
Author: Warren, P.S., 1945; emended by Irish, E.J.W., 1965.
Type Locality: Designated by Best (1958) at the confluence of Drummond and Whitehorse Creeks, 2
km (1.3 mi) upstream from the mouth of Whitehorse Creek and McLeod River, approximately 5 km (3
mi) south of Cadomin, Alberta. NTS 83C/14, Mountain Park.
History: Originally named the Whitehorse Member of the Spray River Formation by Warren (1945);
subsequently raised to formation status by Irish (1955) in the Adams Lookout area of west-central
Alberta.
Lithology: Light weathering, variegated, locally sandy limestone and dolostone, with small amounts of
calcareous and dolomitic sandstone, and solution or intraformational breccia. Locally lenticular
gypsum-anhydrite beds occur in the lower pare of the formation in units up to 60 m (197 ft) thick;
divisible into 3 members which, in ascending order are the Starlight Evaporite (which includes the
Olympus Sandstone lentil), Brewster Limestone and Winnifred (Gibson, 1968).
Thickness and Distribution: The Whitehorse Formation is present in the Rocky Mountain Foothills and
eastern front ranges between the United States border and the Sukunka River area of northeastern
British Columbia. Its thickness ranges from zero in the eastern foothills of Alberta to 500 m (1640 ft) in
the eastern front ranges of jasper National Park (Gibson, 1968).
Relationship to Other Units: The Whitehorse is disconformably overlain by dark grey carbonaceous
shale and limestone of the Jurassic Fernie Formation, and conformably and transitionally underlain by
medium grey to brown siltstone and silty to sandy dolostone of the Llama Member of the Sulphur
Mountain Formation. The formation correlates with the Charlie Lake, Ludington, Baldonnel and,
possibly part of the lower Pardonet formations of the surface and subsurface Schooler Creek Group in
References: Best, 1958; Gibson, 1968; Irish, 1955; Warren, 1945.
DWG
Upper Devonian
Whitelaw Member (Wabamun Formation)
m (4105 and 4300 ft).
Lithology: The basal portion of the Whitelaw is grey brown to buff, often laminated limestone. Initially
transgressive, the Whitelaw shallows upward into strongly bioturbated skeletal Wackestones with a
characteristic mottled appearance. Shoaling pelletoidal grainstone beds are minor.
Thickness and Distribution: The thickness ranges from zero to 100 m (328 ft) in north central Alberta.
The Whitelaw nearly completely covers the Peace River Arch but is also quite it silty in that area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Whitelaw rests conformably or the Dixonville Member and is overlain
conformably by the Normandville Member of the Wabamun Formation it is correlated with the lower
part of the Crossfield Member in south-central Alberta.
References: Eliuk and Hunter, 1987; Halbertsma, 1990; Halbertsma and Meijer Drees, 1987; Styan,
1984.
HLH
Whitemouth Lake Formation
Type Locality: A borehole in Lsd. 5, Sec. 16, Twp. 3, Rge. 13EPS Manitoba. Reference sections are
boreholes in Lsd. 7, Sec. 1, Twp. 3, Rge. 6EPM and in Lsd. 13, Sec. 14, Twp. 5, Rge. 16EPM.
Lithology: Till containing about 48% sand, 22% silt and 30% clay, with a high carbonate content in
which dolomite typically exceeds calcite, distinguished from other tills in region by low sand and high
clay contents.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness ranges up to 18 m (59 ft). Found discontinuously in

southeastern Manitoba to the south and southeast of Lake Winnipeg.
Relationship to Other Units: Apparently overlies the Roseau Formation or else clay, either exposed at
surface or overlain by the Marchand Formation; contacts sharp Radiocarbon dates indicate a late
Classical Wisconsin age for the unit.
References: Teller and Fenton, 1980.
AMacSS
Whitemud Formation
Author: Davis, N.B., 1918, p. 9.
Type Locality: Kupsch, W.O. (1956); Dempster’s clay pit northwest of Eastend, Saskatchewan, in Lsd.
3, Sec. 6, Twp. 7, Rge. 21W3M.
History: Considered part of the Eocene (Fort Union) by Davis (1918). McLearn (1929) postulated that,
in the area of Eastend, Saskatchewan there was the “Whitemud in the strict sense...” which was of
Lance or pre-Lance age, and that in the area around Willowbunch, Saskatchewan there was the
Whitemud zone which was Palaeocene and should be designated as the “... buff or third division of the
Ravenscrag...”. Later he designated the Palaeocene “Whitemud” as the “Willowbunch Member of the
Ravenscrag Formation” (McLearn, 1930). The definitions of the boundaries of the Whitemud Formation
have changed through time; Fraser et al. (1935) recognized four zones in the Whitemud Formation, but
Furnival (1946) renamed the uppermost of these zones the Battle Formation.
In south-central Alberta equivalents of the Whitemud Formation have been designated as: the lower
part of the Kneehills Tuff Zone (Allan and Sanderson, 1945); the lower part of Member D of the
Edmonton Formation (Ower, 1960); and the Whitemud Member of the Edmonton Formation
(Srivastava, 1968). Irish (1968, 1970) raised the status of the Whitemud of south-central Alberta to that
of a formation and part of the renamed Edmonton Group.
Lithology: in southwestern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta McLearn et al. (1935) described
four distinct lithologic zones in the Whitemud, but Furnival (1946) assigned the uppermost zone to the
Battle Formation. The Whitemud Formation now is divided into three zones: a lower, grey to white,
feldspathic, kaolinitic, medium to fine grained sand with crossbedding; a middle zone of brown, fissile,
carbonaceous shale, grey shaly silts and clay, with thin lignite beds and brown or grey kaolinitic
sandstones; and an uppermost zone of white kaolinitic clay, grey mauve, and purple clays and silts,
with white, kaolinitic sandy clays in places. In the Red Deer River-Oldman River area of Alberta this
three-fold subdivision is not recognizable and the formation consists of white weathering, light grey
argillaceous sand with cross-bedding, interbedded with white to cream weathering, silty and sandy
clay.
Thickness and Distribution: Traceable through southern Saskatchewan, southeastern Alberta and
south-central Alberta. In southern Saskatchewan the total thickness varies from 23 m (75 ft) in the
Eastend area to 4 m (13 ft) at Beechy, but the decrease is not uniform; northeast and southeast of
Eastend the thickness has been reduced, or the formation has been removed altogether by erosion
prior to deposition of the Frenchman Formation (Kupsch, 1956). In the Alberta part of the Cypress Hills
the Whitemud is 8 m (26 ft) thick, but in the Oldman-Athabasca River region, where only one zone of
the Whitemud is present, and where the lower contact is hard to define the thickness is from 2 m to 6 m
(7 to 20 ft) (Irish, 1970). In the subsurface of Saskatchewan clearly identifiable Whitemud Formation
has been recognized only in holes close to known areas of Whitemud outcrop (Whitaker et al., 1978).
Relationship to Other Units: In Saskatchewan and the Cypress Hills region of Alberta the Whitemud
Formation conformably overlies yellowish sands of the Eastend with gradational contact. In southern
Saskatchewan the lowermost zone of the Whitemud grades laterally into the upper part of the Eastend
Formation (Kupsch, 1956). In the Drumheller region the lower contact is apparently conformable and
gradational with grey and greenish grey shales of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation. On Oldman
River the Whitemud overlies conformably grey green shale of the St. Mary River Formation. In
southern Saskatchewan and the Cypress Hills of Alberta the Whitemud is overlain with a sharp
contact by the Battle or Frenchman formations. Normally the contact with the purple clay of the Battle
Formation is quite distinct and considered to be conformable, but Kupsch (1956) suggested that, in at
least some parts of southern Saskatchewan the contact is a disconformity. Where overlain by the
Frenchman Formation the contact clearly is unconformable. In western and south-central Alberta the
Whitemud is overlain abruptly, and presumably conformably by the Battle Formation, or has suffered
erosional truncation or even removal before deposition of sands of the Palaeocene Paskapoo
Formation.
As part of the “Kneehills Tuft Zone” (Irish and Havard, 1968) the Whitemud Formation can be traced
over most or southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. It has been correlated with the Colgate sandstone
(Fox Hills) of Montana and North Dakota, but Whitaker et al. (1978) question this correlation because
of differences in type of clay minerals.
Paleontology: The Whitemud Formation has yielded abundant coprolites and casts of vertebrate
intestines (Broughton et al., 1978; Broughton, 1981).
References: Allan and Sanderson, 1945; Broughton, 1981: Broughton et al., 1978; Davis, 1918; Fraser
et al., 1935; Furnival, 1946; Irish, 1968, 1970; Irish and Havard, 1968; Kupsch, 1956: McLearn 1929,
1930 McLearn et al., 1935; Ower, 1960; Srivastava, 1968; Whitaker et al., 1978.
HEH
Whitemud Member (Edmonton Group) (Disused)
Type Locality: High on the eastern bank of the Red Deer River, about 8 km (5 mi) west of Scollard
(112°50’W; 51°56’N), Alberta, in Twp. 34, Rge. 21W4M.
Lithology: White, bentonitic, shaly sandstones.
Thickness and Distribution: 5 to 6 m (16 to 20 ft) thick in the Red Deer River valleys in the Scollard
area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Whitemud Member is equivalent to the Whitemud Formation of the
Edmonton Group sensu Irish (1970) and Gibson (1977). In the Scollard area it overlies the coal seam
at the top of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation and underlies the Blackmud Member or Battle
Formation sensu Irish (1970) and Gibson (1977). The unit is now recognized as part of the Whitemud
Formation of the Edmonton Group (Irish, 1970; Gibson, 1977).
Paleontology: Fresh water fern megaspores and glochidia of Azolla and Ghoshispora occur in this
interval (Srivastava, 1968).
References: Gibson, 1977; Irish, 1970; Srivastava, 1968.
SKS
Whiteshell Formation
Author: Teller, J.T. and Fenton, M.M., 1980, p. 27; Keatinge, P.R.G., 1975, P. 24.
Type Locality: Borehole in Lsd. 14, Sec. 23, Twp. 14, Rge. 10EPM, Manitoba. Additional reference
sections given as boreholes in Lsd. 1, Sec. 4, Twp. 5, Rge. 14EPM and in Lsd. 2, Sec. 16, Twp. 9, Rge.
12EPM.
History: Keatinge named this unit informally in a M.Sc. thesis and gave the type locality as a borehole
on north side of Provincial Highway No. 4, in Lsd. 16, Sec. 3, Twp. 10, Rge. 13EPM. Though not so
stated, it is here assumed that the Whiteshell Formation of Keatinge and of Teller and Fenton are the
same unit. The following description is mostly from Teller and Fenton.
Lithology: Stony till, stones mostly from Shield, with about 68% sand, 26% silt and 6% clay; low
carbonate content.
Thickness and Distribution: Generally thin and discontinuous; at the type locality of Keatinge about 1
m (3 ft) thick. Found southeast of Winnipeg.
Relationship to Other Units: Topmost till in southeast Manitoba northeast of Winnipeg River, but
commonly overlain by sand or organic material, and in places further west by the Whitemouth Lake
and Marchand formations; generally overlies sand or rests directly on Shield rock. The Whiteshell is an
eastern, lateral facies of the Senkiw Formation, with the boundary arbitrarily drawn, but where the
carbonate content of the <0.074 mm fraction is 20%. Correlates with the lower part of the Belair Drift of
McPherson et al. (1971).
The unit represents the first Classical Wisconsin advance in the area; deposited about 24000
radiocarbon years ago by ice flowing southwestward from the Precambrian Shield.
References: Keatinge, 1975; McPherson et al., 1971; Moran et al., 1976; Teller and Fenton, 1980.
AMacSS
Upper Cretaceous (Turonian, Santonian - ?Early Campanian)
White Speckled Shale
Colorado Group
Author: Not known.
Lithology: Calcareous shale and mudstone, with intercalated shaly chalk and skeletal calcarenite, as
well as subordinate bentonite, accumulation of fish-skeletal debris concretionary layers of calcite and
siderite, and nodular phosphorite. The calcareous shale and mudstone are regularly laminated and
incorporate white, light grey and light bluish grey flakes composed of coccolithic debris up to several
millimetres in diameter and light grey chalk laminae. The argillaceous deposits are variably
bituminous. Skeletal calcarenites occur as graded layers, ranging in thickness from a few millimetres
to several centimetres and composed of disaggregated Inoceramus prisms and foraminiferal tests.
Thickness and Distribution: In central Saskatchewan a single White Speckled Shale replaces the First
(upper) and Second (lower) White Speckled Shale units and intervening non-calcareous shale
(unnamed) encountered farther south. The maximum thickness of the unit is in the order of 30 m (98 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The single White Speckled Shale is correlative with the upper Colorado
succession which characterizes other parts of the northern Great Plains region. Typically the First
White Speckled Shale accounts for the uppermost 24 m (79 ft) and the Second White Speckled Shale,
upon which it Tests unconformably is represented in the basal 6 m (20 ft) or less. The White Speckled
Shale is overlain disconformably by shales of the Lea Park Formation and rests with very low angle
angular unconformity on the noncalcareous shale of the Big River Formation.
References: Caldwell et al., 1978; Jeletzky, 1971; Price and Ball, 1971; Simpson, 1975; Wickenden,
1945.
FS
Whitewater Lake Member
(Lodgepole Formation, Madison Group)
Type Locality: Upper unit defined in the California Standard Whitewater 16-17-3-21WPM weld in
southwestern Manitoba, between 762.6 and 774.5 m (2502 and 2541 ft). Lower unit defined in
California Standard Whitewater 10-17-3-21WPM, between 775.7 and 787.9 m (2545 and 2585 ft).
History: Stanton (1956) proposed a formal stratigraphic subdivision to replace informal field
terminology (upper Dolomite and Anhydrite Unit; Milne and Nickoloff, 1955).
Lithology: The Whitewater Lake was subdivided by Stanton (1956) into a lower and upper unit. The
lower unit consists of colitic, fossil fragmental limestone, interbedded with maroon to greyish
calcareous shale or argillaceous limestone. In the Virden area the basal shale had been referred to as
the “Virden Shale”. The upper Whitewater Lake is a relatively nonargillaceous unit of oolitic, bioclastic
limestone. Extensive dolomitization and anhydrite emplacement related to the pre-Jurassic
unconformity surface have greatly modified the Whitewater Lake beds throughout the northern part of
their area of occurrence.
Thickness and Distribution: In the type locality the Whitewater Lake Member is 24 m (78.7 ft) thick, the
lower unit measuring 12.2 m (40 ft) and the upper 11.8 m (38.7 ft). The member shows a general
westward thinning, although precise correlations are uncertain. The correlatable extent of the unit is
limited by facies change. It represents a basin margin facies that can be accurately defined only as far
west as Rges. 25 to 27WPM. It can be traced south along depositional strike into northern North
Dakota, and north to approximately Twp. 16.
Relationship to Other Units: The Whitewater Lake conformably overlies crinoidal lime stones of the
Virden Member, and is conformably overlain by reddish to purplish grey fossil-fragmental limestones
and argillaceous limestones of the upper Lodgepole referred to as the Flossie Lake Member (McCabe,
1963). Along its eastern subcrop edge it is overlain unit unconformably by Jurassic Amaranth red beds
to the south and evaporites to the north. The unit correlates with the middle portion of the Souris Valley
Beds of Saskatchewan and with the middle portion of the Lodgepole formation of North Dakota.
References: Berg, 1956: McCabe, 1959, 1963; Milne and Nickoloff, 1955, Stanton, 1956, 1958.
HRM
Whitkow Member (Prairie Evaporite, Elk Point Group)
Author: Jordan, S.P., 1967. Formally defined by Reinson, G.E. and Wardlaw, N.C., 1972, p. 310, 318.
Type Locality: Tidewater Bryce Lake Cr. No. 1, in 1-14-25-16W2M, Saskatchewan, between 1370.7
and 1458.8 m (4497 and 4786 ft).
History: Jordan (1967) chose the Shell Rio Tinto Whitkow No. 1 well (Lsd. 4-30-46-13W3M) as the type
well for his Whitkow Formation. The interval was not formally defined but was estimated from original
well logs to be between 963.5 and 1000.0 m (3161 and 3281 ft). In 1969 Hotter defined all strata
between the Winnipegosis and Damson Bay formations as “Prairie Formation”, hence, formal
definition by Reinson and Wardlaw (1972) necessitated the lowering of Jordan’s Whitkow “formation”
to “member” status, because the Whitkow comprises part of the Prairie Formation.
Lithology: Halite and anhydrite.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness varies greatly from zero to 89 m (292 ft). The Whitkow Member
is confined to interbank areas of Winnipegosis carbonates, hence the zero edge is probably
depositional and there was not uniform blanketing of the Winnipegosis Formation by the evaporites.
The result is widespread occurrence of the Whitkow Member in the southern part of the Elk Point
Basin, but many local areas where the member is absent.
Relationship to Other Units. The contact with the underlying strata of the Winnipegosis (Ratner
Member) is conformable and clearly defined in those areas where the Ratner consists of carbonate.
However, where the upper Ratner is locally anhydrite the boundary is difficult to detect. Generally the
Whitkow anhydrite is less organic-rich and deformed than the underlying Ratner anhydrite. The upper
boundary of the Whitkow with the Shell take Member is apparent where Shell Lake anhydrite lies on
Whitkow salt. However, adjacent to carbonate banks, where the Whitkow Member is anhydrite no
distinction is possible and the term “undifferentiated Shell Lake-Whitkow anhydrite” is used. These
combined beds comprise the “lower Prairie Evaporite” of Reinson and Wardlaw (1972), and most of
the “Lower Salt” of Hotter (1969).
Regionally, the Whitkow corresponds to part of the lowest cycle of the Muskeg Formation in Alberta
and probably part of the Presqu’ile Formation (Klingspor, 1969).
References: Hotter, 1969; Jordan, 1967; Kendall, 1975; Klingspor, 1969, Reinson and Wardlaw, 1972;
Wardlaw and Reinson, 1971.
CED, KRM
(Quaternary)
Whoop up Formation (Informal)
Author: Vernon, P., 1962, p. 16.
Type Locality: On St. Mary River, about 17 km (10.6 mi) above its junction with the Oldman River, in the
SE/4 Sec. 23, Twp. 7, Rge. 22W4M, Alberta.
History: Name introduced in M.Sc. thesis, not described elsewhere; in little use since introduction.
Lithology: Consists of three till members, as follows, with the letters of Vernon’s till sheet classification
included:
Lowest member (till D): light brown or buff with light, bluish grey patches; hard, compact, columnar and
tends to form near vertical cliff faces.
Middle member (till E): dark tan with blue-grey patches; hard and compact though less so than till D;
lacks columnar structure; slumps readily and forms receding cliff faces.
Top member (till F): dark brown to golden tan; weak and typically oxidized
All the till is of Laurentide origin and contains Shield material. In places till D grades into till E, but
generally contacts between the members are marked by thin deposits of sand and silt.
Thickness and Distribution: Bottom member 1 to 8 m (3 to 26 ft), middle member 4 to 13 m (13 to 43 ft)
and top member 1 to 6 m (3 to 20 ft) thick. Widespread in southern Alberta, but the top member is
found only east of Lethbridge.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Expanse Formation or alluvium, exposed at surface or
overlain by glacial lake or wind deposits. Corresponds to upper Boulder Clay of Dawson (1895) and to
the Buffalo Lake and perhaps Brocket tills. Deposited by last laurentide glaciers to reach southern
Alberta, probably all its constituent tills are of Wisconsin age.
References: Dawson, 1895; Vernon, 1962.
AMacSS
Wigwam Formation (Galton Series) (Abandoned)
Author: Daly, R.A., 191 2; p. 103-104 .
Type Locality: At the headwaters of Wigwam River at and adjacent to the International Boundary;
49°00’N, 114°48’W.
History: Daly established the Wigwam Formation to accommodate strata that he erroneously
concluded conformably overlie his MacDonald Formation and conformably underlie the Siyeh
Formation. Johns et al. (1970) showed that Daly’s Wigwam Formation is synonymous with his Phillips
Formation in the type area, and probably includes both Phillips strata and older rocks at the one other
locality where it is shown on his map.
References: Daly, 1912, 1913b; Johns et al., 1963.
RAP
Upper Triassic
Wilder Member (Charlie Lake Formation, Schooler Creek Group)
Author: Ramsay, T.B., British Columbia Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.
Type Locality: Woods et al. Wilder 6-22-83-20W6M, northeastern British Columbia, between 1177.7
and 1179.6 m (3864 and 3870 ft).
Lithology: Light brown, quartzose, fine to medium grained, well sorted dolomitic sandstone.
Thickness and Distribution: 2 m (7 ft) thick; only occurs in the western part of the Peace River Block,
British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: Lies 2 m (7 ft) below the Bear Flat Member and 4 m (13 ft) above the
Pingel Member of the Charlie Lake Formation.
JWR
Wildhorn Member
Author. Stott, D.F., 1982.
Type Locality: North bank of Scatter River, near its junction with the Liard River, northeastern British
Columbia.
Lithology: Dark grey to black silty mudstone containing reddish brown weathering sideritic concretions.
Silt content increases upward, with thin beds of argillaceous siltstone and sandstone at the top.
Thickness and Distribution: Occurs in the Liard region between Garbutt Creek to the south and
Fantasque Lake in Yukon. Has thickness of 146 m (479 hi) at Scatter River.
Relationship to Other Units: The basal mudstone is gradational into the underlying sequence of
interbedded sandstone, siltstone and mudstone of the Bulwell Member. The upper beds grade into a
similar overlying sequence included in the Tussock Member Where the Tussock and Bulwell are not
recognizable the equivalent units are included in the Buckinghorse shale.
Paleontology: Contains a few ammonites and Inoceramus of Early to Middle Albian age.
DFS
Wildhorse Drift
Lithology: Mostly Laurentide till, with 50 to 85% of its stones consisting of dolomites and limestones;
also includes minor glacio-fluvial and glacio-lacustrine deposits.
Thickness and Distribution: Generally less than 15 m (49 ft) thick, locally reaches nearly 30 m (98 ft);
found in the Alberta Cypress Hills to elevations of 1230 m (4034 ft) in southern and eastern parts of
the Foremost-Cypress Hills map-area, and in Montana; may also be present on the north side of Milk
River Ridge.
Relationship to Other Units: Not stated, but would appear to overlie Elkwater Drift or Cypress Hills
Formation; exposed over much of the Cypress Hills, but farther north apparently overlain by Pakowki
drift.
Westgate (p. 99) considered the unit to be of Wisconsin age. Its recognition is based chiefly on
geomorphological features, rather than on characteristics seen in sections, and so correlation with
units elsewhere is difficult. Westgate 11968, p. 651 considered this a “morphostratigraphic” unit rather
than a “rock-stratigraphic” one. In 1972 (p. 50) he suggested this name be replaced by “Green Lake
drift”.
AMacSS
Lower Carboniferous (Lower Visean, V1)
Wileman Member (Mount Head Formation)
Author: Douglas, R.J.W., 1953, 1958.
Type Locality: East side of ridge immediately north of Highwood River and highway 541; 1.9 km (1.2
mi) northwest of mouth of Cataract Creek; 50°23’42”N, 114°36’20”W; NTS 82J/7, southern Highwood
Lithology: The recessive, thin to medium bedded Wileman Member, the lower member of the Mount
Head Formation is chiefly yellowish brown weathering, sparsely fossiliferous, silty, microcrystalline
dolostone, with locally abundant small to medium scale crossbedding and paleochannels. Siltstone,
sandstone, anhydrite nodules and beds, solution-collapse breccias and flat-pebble conglomerate are
commonly present (Douglas, 1958; Macqueen and Bamber, 1968; Macqueen et al., 1972). Peloid-
skeletal grainstone and wackestone predominate near the southwestern depositional limit of the
member and beds of greenish grey to pale red shale and marlstone are common in the northwest.
Thickness and Distribution: The Wileman, lying mainly in the eastern Rocky Mountain front ranges and
the foothills is widely distributed from southeastern British Colombia to about 51°45’N in southwestern
Alberta. From 51°45’N to 53°30’N the Mount Head Formation has not been divided into members and
the Wileman may not be developed. Farther northwest strata provisionally assigned to the Wileman
extend from 53°30’N in western Alberta to the Narraway River region of east-central British Columbia
(Richards et al., in press; Sandy et al., in press).
The southern Wileman, 7.6 m (25 ft) thick at its stratotype ranges in thickness from 7.6 m (25 ft) in the
east to 25 m (82 ft) in the west. In the northwest it ranges from 9.8 m (32 ft) in the east to 22.7 m (75 ft)
in the west.
Relationship to Other Units: The Wileman overlies the Turner Valley Formation in the northeast and the
Livingstone Formation in the southwest. The abrupt basal contact is locally a minor subaerial
unconformity. At its southwestern depositional limit the Wileman grades into bryozoan-pelmatozoan
limestone of the Livingstone. The member is abruptly and commonly disconformably overlain by the
Baril Member of the Mount Head (Macqueen and Bamber, 1968; Richards et al., in press) . Mesozoic
deposits overlie the Wileman northeast of the erosional edge of the Basil.
1972; Richards et al., in press; Sando, Bamber and Richards, in press.
BCR
Upper Ordovician (Richmondian)
Williams Member (Stony Mountain Formation)
Author: Smith, D.L., 1963.
Type Locality: Partly exposed in pit in the northwest portion of Stonewall Quarry Stonewall, Manitoba
(SE/4 36-13-1EPM), near Williams Station on the C.P. rail line. Suggested reference core section is
Manitoba Mineral Resources Division core hole M-1-69, between 2.7 and 9.1 m (9 and 29.8 ft), drilled
at the Stonewall Quarry.
History: Originally included by Baillie (1951) as basal argillaceous beds of the Stonewall Formation,
but subsequently (1952) placed as uppermost beds of the Gunton Member of the Stony Mountain
Formation. Because of the distinctive lithology Smith (1963) re-defined the Gunton Member and raised
the upper argillaceous beds to member rank as the Williams Member.
Lithology: Dolomite, moderately to high argillaceous, silty and sandy, with coarse, well rounded,
frosted and pitted quartz sand grains abundant towards base; yellowish grey to reddish grey, medium
to thin bedded, in places faintly laminated to cross-bedded and conglomeratic.
Thickness and Distribution: At the type locality 5.9 m (17.3 ft) thick. The unit is recessive, so almost no
other outcrops are known except for thin exposures in the Fisher Branch area. The name is applied
only in the outcrop belt of the southwestern Manitoba, but subsurface data suggest a relative
uniformity in thickness and lithology, with a general westward decrease in coarse clastic content.
Evaporite beds (Gunton Anhydrite of Kendall, 1976) occur in this interval in basinal areas of
Saskatchewan. The Williams Member comprises the argillaceous marker beds defining the top of the
Stony Mountain Formation throughout the subsurface of the Williston Basin area of southwestern
Manitoba and southern Saskatchewan. Cowan (1971) and Kendall (1974) indicated that the member
may be locally absent.
Relationship to Other Units: According to Smith (1963) the contact with the underlying buff nodular
dolomite of the Gunton Member of the Stony Mountain Formation is sharply gradational but apparently
conformable, and the contact with the light tan-grey, very finely crystalline dolomite of the overlying
Stonewall Formation is sharp and probably disconformable. In Saskatchewan Kendall (1976) included
the upper part of the Williams argillaceous beds in the Stonewall Formation and indicated that these
beds pass conformably into the overlying Stonewall dolomites, but are unconformable with the
underlying lower Williams(?) or Gunton beds. The Williams Member comprises the upper part of the
Gunton Member, as the latter term is commonly used in the subsurface of Saskatchewan and North
Dakota.
References: Baillie, 1951, 1952; Brindle, 1960; Cowan, 1971; Kendall, 1976; Smith, 1963.
HRM
Mississippian
Willmar Evaporite (Frobisher-Alida Beds) (Informal)
Author: Cow, L.B., 1964.
History: An informal term employed by Cow (1964) to refer to an anhydrite at the base of the Willmar
lime. At its thickest it is about 6 m (20 ft) thick. It is a mixture of cryptocrystalline and microcrystalline
dolomite and rather structureless anhydrite. Its main significance is that it forms the seat seal for the
petroleum reservoir in the lowest part of the Willmar Lime.
Relationship to Other Units: The evaporite has a limited distribution in the Willmar area, but is thought
to be equivalent to an evaporite occupying a similar stratigraphic position in the
Workman-Elmore-Sherwood areas
DMK
Mississippian
Willmar Lime (Frobisher-Alida Beds) (Informal)
Author: Gow, L.B., 1964.
Type Locality: The term was applied informally to a limestone interval in the upper part of the
Frobisher-Alida beds. No type section was designated, but Gow used the Francana Imperial East
Willmar 6-35-5-3W2M well in southeastern Saskatchewan to illustrate its stratigraphic position.
Lithology: The Willmar Lime consists of two limestone intervals separated by a thin argillaceous
dolomite. Both limestone units contain some lime mudstone or wackestone, but are dominated by
oolitic-pisolitic grainstones and packstones.
Thickness and Distribution: The author’s intent appears to have been to limit recognition of the unit to
the Willmar area and its distribution beyond that area was not attempted. Average thickness of the unit
is 30 m (98 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Gow (1964) considered the interval to be equivalent to the pay section in
the Workman-Elmore-Sherwood areas. It basically lies within what can be considered as the Frobisher
portion of the Frobisher-Alida Beds.
DMK
Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene
Willow Creek Formation
Type Locality: None designated by Dawson (1883), but in 1884 (p. 78C) he mentioned that these beds
were first recognized at the mouth of Willow Creek and on the neighbouring part of the Oldman River
in southwestern Alberta. Williams and Dyer (1930, p. 59) recorded the best exposures on the Oldman
River east of Fort MacLeod, in the northern part of Twps. 9 and 10, Rge. 25W4M. Farther west, in the
Alberta Foothills belt on the Oldman River in Secs. 5 and 6, Twp. 10, Rge. 1W5M Douglas (1950, p. 45)
described an almost complete section of the lower part of the formation.
Lithology: Alternating varicolored shales with calcareous concretions, and soft, light grey sandstones.
Douglas (op. cit.) divided the formation into five zones, or members as they later became known, which
are listed below in ascending order. Zone A: 163 m 1536 ft), green, grey and purple shales with
interbedded sandstones, most of which are grey, fine grained, massively bedded and cross-bedded;
limestone concretions. Zone B: 75 m 1246 ft), green, red and mottled green and red shales and soft
grey sandstones. Zone C: 4.5 to 9 m (15 to 30 ft), grey, coarse grained, cross-bedded conglomeratic
sandstone. Zone D: similar lithology to Zone B. Zone E: sandstones which are thicker, coarser and
harder than those below and shales which change gradationally to darker and harder rocks with fewer
calcareous concretions and red beds. Zones D and E comprise about 579 m (1900 ft) of strata.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness varies dependent on position relative to the axis of the Alberta
Syncline. Carrigy (1971, p. 11) reported 1006 m (3300 ft) from a well drilled near the axis; Tozer (1956,
p. 21) calculated 1260 m (4135 ft) for the outcrop on Castle River on the west side, and Russell
(1932b, p. 140) computed 366 m (1200 ft) from exposures along the Oldman River on the east limb of
the syncline. This nonmarine formation extends northward from Glacier County, northwestern Montana
to about Twp. 15 in the Nanton area, Alberta, and westward fro from the Sweetgrass Arch to the
foothills 5 belt. Tozer (1956, p. 22) commented that beds of Willow Creek type are present on Little Bow
River below the conglomerate correlated with the basal Paskapoo by Bell (1949, p. 12) and above this
conglomerate on Mosquito Creek, 8 km (5 mi) southeast of Nanton. Carrigy’s (1971, p. 11)
interpretation of the subsurface data is that the Willow Creek Formation occupies a distinct structural
basin, separated by a sill or platform in the Calgary-Bow River area from the more northerly and larger
structural basin occupied by the Paskapoo Formation. He further noted, however that the change in
lithofacies from Willow Creek to Paskapoo aspect seems to take place south of the structural divide,
being evident in outcrops near Nanton.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower boundary with the St. Mary River Formation is transitional and
conformable in the foothills belt on the west limb of the Alberta Syncline, but Russell (1965) suggested
this contain may be erosional on the east side of the syncline. On the Oldman River Dozer (1952,
1956), recognized the equivalent to the Battle Formation, including the Kneehills Buff at the top of the
St. Mary River Formation and underhung the Willow Creek Formation. The upper contact with the
Porcupine Hills Formation appears to be transitional and conformable due to similarity in lithology
above and below the assumed boundary However, Douglas (1950, p. 44) indicated that the
relationship between the Willow Creek and Porcupine Hills Formations in the Callum Creek and
Langford Creek map-areas in the southern Alberta Foothills is that of an erosional unconformity, and
this interpretation was said by Carrigy (1971, p. 11) to be supposed by geophysical and drilling data
cited by Bossort (1957). The lower part (Maastrichtian) of the Willow Creek Formation (members A, B,
C and most of D) is correlative with the upper part of the Edmonton Group, i.e., the lower part of the
Scollard Formation (sensu Gibson, 1977), in the central Alberta Plains, in part to the upper pare of the
Brazeau Formation of the foothills land to pan of informal Coalspur beds), the Frenchman Formation
(sense Furnival, 1946) of the Cypress Hills area in southeastern Alberta and southwestern
Saskatchewan and the Lance and equivalent Hell Creek formations in the northwestern United States
The upper part (Paleocene) of the Willow Creek Formation (upper beds of member D and all of
member E) is correlative with the upper pan of the Scollard Formation and the lower part of the
Paskapoo Formation (sensu Gibson, 1977) in the central Alberta Plains; the Ravenscrag Formation in
the Cypress Hills area and the Fort Union Formation in the northwestern United States, based on
distinctive molluscan fauna in common.
Paleontology: Fossil fresh water mollusks have been found at various levels within the formation.
Tozer (1956) recognized two distinctive faunas, a lower of probable Cretaceous age, and an upper of
Paleocene affinities. Dinosaur bones have been found in the lower part of the formation in Alberta
(Tozer, 1956, p. 25) and Montana (Russell, 1968).
References: Bell, 1949; Bossort, 1957; Carrigy, 1971; Dawson, 1883, 1884; Douglas, 1950; Furnival,
1946; Gibson, 1977; Russell, 1932b, 1965, 1968; Dozer, 1956; Williams and Dyer, 1930.
JHW; LSR, PAM

Wilrich Member (Spirit River Formation)
Type Locality: P.R.N.G. Wilrich No. 1 well, in Lsd. 15, Sec. 21, Twp. 80, Rge. 13W6M, Alberta, between
970 and 1088 m (3180 and 3568 ft). In the type section of the Spirit River Formation, in the Imperial
Spirit River No. 1 well in 12-20-78-6W6M it occurs between 1052 and 1162 m (3450 and 3810 ft).
Lithology: Dark grey shale, with some thin interbeds of silt and sand. Fish scales are common in the
shale and glauconite occurs in the sandstones. In the eastern part of the Peace River area the upper
half of the member contains a considerable amount of sandy material; the lower half is essentially dark
shale.
Thickness and Distribution: The member is 110 m (360 ft) thick in the type section in Imperial Spirit
River No. 1; in the Fort St. John area of British Columbia it is 154 m (505 ft) in thickness. Its distribution
is throughout Peace River area of Alberta and British Columbia.
Relationship to Other Units: The Wilrich is overlain and underlain transitionally and conformably by the
Father Member of the Spirit River Formation and by the Bluesky Formation respectively. The Wilrich
correlates with the Moosebar Shale which occurs in the Peace River Canyon and is recognized in the
Malcolm Creek Formation in the northern Alberta Foothills
It correlates with the Clearwater Shale of the lower Athabasca River area of northern Alberta. It
correlates in particular with the Cummings Member and some of the upper part of the Mannville
Formation of east-central Alberta, and possibly part of glauconitic and ostracode beds of that
formation
Paleontology: The Wilrich carries a calcareous, benthonic microfauna of the Marginulinopsis collinsi
subzone. Its microflora is pre-dicotyledonous. Entolium irenense is a common pelecypod in cores.
References: Alberta Study Group, 1954; Badgley, 1952; Caldwell et al., 1978; Singh, 1971; Wickenden,
1951.
CRS
Upper Proterozoic
Windermere Supergroup
Author: Walker, J.F. 1926.
Type Locality: Windermere map-area, southeastern British Columbia.
History: Originally named Windermere Series (Walker, 1926), later extended by Walker (1929) to
include the Hamill “Series”, Badshot Formation and Lardeau “Series” in the Lardeau west half map-
area, which are now known to be Paleozoic and are excluded from the unit. Reesor (1973) noted that
the succession consists of a group and a formation spanning the interval ~800 Ma to Early Cambrian
and used the term Windermere “System”. Gabrielse (1972) noted this usage is incorrect since “system”
in a time stratigraphic term; Young et al. (1973) therefore termed the succession Windermere
Supergroup.
Lithology: The assemblage is characterized by coarse, immature clastic deposits with accessory
mudrocks and carbonates, in marked contrast to the mature sediments of the underlying Purcell
Supergroup. The basal Toby Formation consists of diamictic or polymictic conglomerates containing
pebbles and boulders derived from the underlying Purcell Supergroup, and of interbeds of argillite and
sandstone. The overlying Horsethief Creek Group also includes conglomerates which are
compositionally immature (feldspathic wackes), but they are texturally more mature than the Toby:
better sorted, better rounded and finer grained, and they have a markedly higher proportion of quartz,
quartzite and feldspar clasts relative to argillite and dolomite clasts. Feldspathic wacke conglomerates
within the Horsethief Creek Group grade into sandstones composed of angular, coarse sand sized
quartz and feldspar, termed “grits” by many authors. Feldspathic grits and conglomerates characterize
the uppermost and lowermost units of the Horsethief Creek Group in the northern Purcell Mountains
and the Selkirk Mountains. The middle units comprise a lower pelitic and a middle carbonate division
that are of variable thickness and extent; the carbonate exhibits shallow water features such as oolites
and stromatolites.
Thickness and Distribution: The Windermere Supergroup occurs mainly in the Purcell Mountains, but
also as inliers in the western Rocky Mountains. It thickens northward and westward from a combined
depositional on lap/erosional limit in the western ranges of the Rocky Mountains south of Canal Flats,
British Columbia. 200+ m (656+ ft) of Horsethief Creek strata are exposed in the Stanford Range from
Invermere south to Canal Flats. In the Purcell Mountains, the thickness varies from 1000 to 2000 m
(3280 to 6560 ft) in the type area to 1000+ m (3280+ ft) in the Dogtooth Mountains, where the base of
the section is not exposed (Young et al., 1973). Lis and Price (1976) noted 9000 m (29520 ft) in the
southern Kootenay Arc and attributed the gross thickening to syndepositional tectonism associated
with the ancestral St. Mary Fault.
Relationship to Other Units: The Windermere unconformably overlies strata of the Purcell Supergroup
and is overlain by Cambrian rocks; the upper contact is gradational into the Hamill Group north of
51°N, but is unconformable south of 51°N, where the Cranbrook Formation oversteps the Horsethief
Creek Group and Toby Formation southward. Northwest of Invermere dolomites of the Cambrian
Jubilee Formation overstep the Cranbrook and Eager formations and unconformably overlie the
Horsethief Creek Group on the early Paleozoic ‘”Windermere High” (Reesor, 1973). The Windermere
Supergroup includes or is correlative with parts or all of the Miette Group of the northern main ranges;
the Corral Creek and Hector formations of the upper Bow Valley; the Toby, Irene and Three Sisters
formations of the southern Kootenay Arc, and the Kaza Group, Isaac, Cunningham and Yankee Belle
formations of the Cariboo Mountains.
References: Aalto, 1971; Evans, 1933; Gabrielse, 1972; Lis and Price, 1976; Reesor, 1973; Walker,
1926, 1929; Young et al., 1973.
WKF, RAP
Middle Cambrian
Windsor Mountain Formation
Author: Norris, D.K. and Price, R.A., 1966.
Type Locality: Windsor Mountain, 30 km (19 mi) southwest of Pincher Creek, Alberta; NTS 82 G/8E,
Beaver Mines.
Lithology: Medium and light grey medium crystalline, massive dolomite, with dark grey mottled with
light grey very fine crystalline limestone towards the base of the formation.
Thickness and Distribution: At its type section on the west flank of Windsor Mountain the formation is
68 m (222 ft) thick. This is the only reported measurement. The formation is confined to erosional
outliers in the Clark Range. It is absent in the Flathead Range along the Continental Divide and in
areas still farther west because of the pre-Middle Devonian erosion. The formation is coeval, at least in
part with the Damnation Formation (Deiss, 1939) in northwestern Montana.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact is conformable and gradational with the Elko Formation.
The upper contact is disconformable, with deep channeling marking an important stratigraphic hiatus
that spans the interval from late Middle Cambrian to Early or Middle Devonian.
Paleontology: Trilobites recovered 14 m (47 ft) above the base of the formation at the type section
belong to either the Glossopleura or Bathyuriscus-Elrathina faunizones of Middle Cambrian age.
References: Deiss, 1939; Hage, 1940; Fritz and Norris, 1965; Norris and Price, 1966.
DKN
Mississippian
Winlaw Evaporite (Frobisher-Alida Beds)
Author: Fuzesy, L.M., 1960.
Type Locality: Fuzesy (1960) specified the type section in the Imperial Winlaw 5-17-1-30WPM well, in
southeastern Saskatchewan, occupying the interval 1152.4 to 1159.7 m (3781 to 3805 ft),
Lithology: Consists of mainly brown, red, pink and opaque or translucent anhydrite, together with
evaporitic dolomite and dolomitic anhydrite.
Thickness and Distribution: According to Fuzesy (1960) the Winlaw Evaporite varies from 5 to 7 m (16
to 23 ft) thick. It is restricted to the extreme southeastern corner of Saskatchewan in Twp. 1 and 2,
Rges. 30 and 31 WPM.
Relationship to Other Units: The Winlaw Evaporite immediately overlies the Kisbey sandstone in
places, but elsewhere it is separated from it by about 1.2 to 1.5 m (4 to 5 ft) of thinly layered
argillaceous, dolomitic limestone or dolomite. It is separated from the younger Hastings Evaporite by
some 8 m (26 ft) of argillaceous, arenaceous and silty carbonates. It is equivalent to the lower part of
the Carievale Evaporite.
DMK
Winnifred Member (Whitehorse Formation)
Type Locality: Southeast side of Monoghan Creek (type sections Alberta, beginning at the first
prominent intermittent stream northeast of Dinosaur Pass. SW/4 Sec. 32, Twp. 52, Rge. 7W6M. NTS
83E/10W Adams Lookout.
History: First recognized and named ‘Dolomite-Sandstone facies’ by Best (1958) in the North
Saskatchewan-Athabasca rivers area of Alberta. The facies was recognized by Manko (1960) in the
Rock Lake area and named lower ‘Carbonate Member’ and upper ‘Red Bed Member’ of the
Whitehorse Formation. Later Gibson (1965) combined Manko’s two members into a single unit
tentatively termed the ‘Upper Carbonate Member’ of the Whitehorse Formation. The unit was
subsequently designated Winnifred Member in 1968.
Lithology: Medium to thick bedded, resistant, yellowish to medium dark grey weathering, sandy to silty
dolostone and limestone. Occasional intercalated beds of collapse or solution breccia, quartzose and
phosphate sandstone and siltstone. In the area of the type section the upper part of the member is
characterized by a recessive weathering “red bed” facies of dolomitic and calcareous siltstone and
sandstone and poorly indurated chalky limestone and solution breccia. Commonly the lower third of
the member is characterized by chert, quartz and calcite-filled vugs, and medium to dark grey chert
lenses and ovoid nodules in dense subconchoidal-fracturing dolostone.
Thickness and Distribution: The Winnifred Member is recognizable throughout the Rocky Mountain
Foothills and eastern front ranges between the Sukunka River of northeastern British Columbia and
the North Saskatchewan River of west-central Alberta. The member ranges in measured thickness
from 3 m (10 ft) near Rock Lake on Wildhay River to a maximum of 224 m (735 ft) at the type section
on Monoghan Creek. Thins to zero eastward owing to pre-Jurassic erosion.
Relationship to Other Units: The unit is disconformably overlain by dark grey to black carbonaceous
shale, siltstone and thin interbedded limestone of the Jurassic Fernie Formation, and conformably but
abruptly underlain in most areas by resistant, medium to dark grey weathering limestone and minor
dolostone of the Brewster Limestone Member. South of the Athabasca River the Winnifred Member is
gradationally underlain by recessive weathering buff, yellow, light grey to reddish brown weathering
carbonate, sandstone, siltstone and intraformational and/or solution breccia of the Starlight Evaporite
Member. The Winnifred Member is laterally equivalent to the upper Baldonnel, upper Ludington, and
possibly the lower part of the Pardonet formations of the surface and subsurface foothills and Peace
River Plains of northeastern British Columbia.
References: Best, 1958; Gibson, 1965, 1968; Manko, 1960.
DWG
Middle Ordovician
Winnipeg Formation
Type Locality: Outcrops on the islands and shores of the southern part of Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Lithology: The lower part of the formation consists of white to grey, clean, well sorted quartz
sandstone, with quartz grains characteristically well rounded and frosted There is rare mica,
occasional pyrite and weak cementation with calcite or kaolin. The upper part consists of greenish
waxy shales interbedded with thin grey sandstones and occasional siltstones
Thickness and Distribution: In the type area the formation is about 24 m (80 ft) thick basal sandstone
14 m (46 ft), upper shales and siltstones 10 m (33 ft). In Saskatchewan it reaches a thickness of 67 m
(220 ft) and in North Dakota, near the centre of the Williston Basin 98 m (321 ft).
The formation covers the western half of Manitoba and most of Saskatchewan south of the
Precambrian Shield, not quite extending to the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. It covers almost all of
North Dakota, extends into the northwestern part of South Dakota and the northeastern part of
Montana.
Relationship to Other Units: The Winnipeg rests unconformably on the Precambrian basement of
Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan, and unconformably on Deadwood strata everywhere else. It is
overlain by the Ordovician Red River Formation. The contact is sharp and probably disconformable.
References: Baillie, 1952; Carlson, 1960; Dowling, 1895; Genik, 1954; Paterson, 1971; Porter and
Fuller, 1959.
DFP
Winnipegosis Formation (Elk Point Group)
Type Locality: Outcrop along the shores of Lakes Winnipegosis and Manitoba.
History: Originally called ‘Winnipegosan” (Tyrrell, 1892), but as the adjectival suffix has a time
connotation it was changed to ‘Winnipegosis’.
Lithology: Carbonate banks resting upon “platform” carbonate which is commonly a mottled dolomite.
An argillaceous zone separates the two carbonate units. Laminated bituminous carbonates are
common and locally the upper part of the formation is anhydrite. Fossils are common in the carbonate
banks. In outcrop the banks are structureless masses of fossiliferous, yellowish grey dolomite with fair
to excellent porosity.
Thickness and Distribution: The “platform” carbonates have a fairly constant thickness of 13 m (43 ft).
The overlying banks are up to 100 m (328 ft) thick. The platform carbonates extend throughout the Elk
Point Basin, with numerous carbonate banks that result in considerable variation in the thickness of
the formation as a whole.
Relationship to Other Units: The Winnipegosis is divided into several formations in different areas by
different authors. Jones (1965) divided the formation into lower and upper Winnipegosis; Reinson and
Wardlaw (1972) added the Ratner Member to Jones’ terminology; Kendall (1975) provisionally
described the lower member in Saskatchewan as the Elm point Member and suggested that the
Ratner may be basal Prairie Evaporite; Fuzesy (1975, 1980) divided the Winnipegosis in southeastern
and northwestern Saskatchewan into the Maxim, Regway and Beaver members (not formally defined).
Equivalent strata in Alberta are those of the Keg River Formation.
References: Baillie, 1953, 1955; Fuzesy, 1975, 1960; Gendzwill, 1978; Halter, 1969; Jones, 1965;
Kendall, 1975; Klingspor, 1969; Perrin, 1982; Precht, 1986; Reinson and Wardlaw, 1972; Rosenthal,
1988; Shearman and Fuller, 1969; Tyrrell, 1892; Reinson, 1971.
CED; KRM
Winterburn Group
Type Locality: Type section is in the P.A. Pyrcz No 1, in 12-25-50-26W4M, Alberta, between 1467.6
and 1543.8 m (4815 and 5065 ft).
History: The term Winterburn was established to replace the terms Darling Silt, Red Bed and D-2
zones, the terms used in central Alberta after the discovery of the Leduc field in 1947. Originally
established as a formation of the Minnewanka Group (Geological Staff, Imperial Oil, 1950) it was
recommended for elevation to group status by Andrichuk and Wonfor (1954).
Lithology: At the type section the group consists of three formations, in ascending order the Nisku,
Calmar and Graminia. The Nisku is divisible in central Alberta into a lower, carbonate dominated silty
dolomite succession deposited in biostromal and restricted bank interior settings. The upper Nisku is a
bedded, evaporitic sequence that overlies the lower unit. Locally, especially near the Stettler area the
evaporitic upper phase comprises the majority of the Nisku Formation. To the west, towards the West
Pembina area the carbonate portion of the Nisku dominates, eventually passing into argillaceous
limestones and ‘pinnacle’ reefs along the east and southeast edge of the basin.
The Nisku is overlain by mottled red and green siltstones of the Calmar Formation, which are
succeeded by anhydrite, silty dolomites and siltstones of the Graminia Formation. To the south and
east these two units become indistinguishable, but west of the Rimbey Meadowbrook trend the
Calmar becomes increasingly argillaceous and the Graminia thickens where a carbonate member
(Blue Ridge) is developed within the formation.
Thickness and Distribution: The Winterburn Group is 76.2 m (250 ft) thick at the type section. To the
south and southeast the group thins to less than 60 m (197 ft), and locally may be less than 30 m (98
ft) thick where it overlies Leduc Formation carbonate complexes. To the east and northeast it has been
removed by truncation at the pre-Cretaceous unconformity. West of the Rimbey-Meadowbrook Leduc
reef trend the group thickens to 120 to 150 m (394 to 492 ft) as it passes into the adjacent Winterburn
shale basin. North and west it thins onto the Peace River Arch through onlap and is absent on the
higher parts. North and west of the Peace River Arch the Winterburn Group averages 70 to 100 m (230
to 328 ft) in thickness, thinning to zero as it passes into the Upper Devonian shale basin in
Relationship to Other Units: Throughout most of Alberta the Winterburn Group rests conformably upon
calcareous and dolomitic shales of the Ireton Formation (Woodbend Group). In northeastern Alberta it
lies conformably on the Ireton Formation as well as, locally on the Grosmont and Hondo formations. In
the area of the Peace River Arch it thins through onlap and interfingers with siliciclastic sediments
mantling the Precambrian basement. The Winterburn is overlain conformably by carbonates of the
Wabamun Group. In southern Alberta these are evaporitic, but pass further north into more carbonate-
rich sediments. To the east the Winterburn Group is absent due to erosional truncation at the pre-
Cretaceous unconformity. In Saskatchewan it has correlatives in the upper Birdbear and lower part of
the Three Forks Group. In Rocky Mountain outcrops it equates to the Grotto, Arcs and Ronde member
of the Southesk Formation, as well as the Alexo Formation. Further north, in northern Alberta and
northeastern British Columbia correlatives of the Winterburn Group include the Redknife and Kakisa
formations of the Grumbler Group.
References: Geological Staff, Imperial Oil Ltd., 1950; Andrichuk and Wonfor, 1954; Watts 1987.
FAS
Tertiary
Wintering Hills Gravels (Informal)
General Comment: A general term used by Craig (1956) and Stalker (1973, p. 11, 15, 17) for scattered
deposits of gravel and sand Capping parts of the Wintering Hills in Secs. 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29 and 35,
Twp. 26, Rge. 18W4M, Alberta. The deposits are thin and not extensive. They consist basically of hard
sandstones and quartzites probably brought in by the ancestral Bow River. They overlie the Paskapoo
Formation and are generally overlain by thin drift. The age of these deposits is not closely known, but
as they are lower in altitude than the Hand Hills Formation they are probably of Pliocene age.
References: Craig, 1956; Stalker, 1973.
AMacSS
Early Devonian
Wokkpash Formation
Author: Taylor, G.C., 1967; Taylor, G.C. and MacKenzie, W.S., 1970.
Type Locality: The type section is exposed in the bed of a small tributary stream entering Wokkpash
Creek From the east, about 16 km (10 mi) southeast of its junction with Racing River. Geographic co-
ordinates of the type section: 58°33’N, 124°54’W, northeastern British Columbia.
Lithology: A sequence of sandstone, dolomitic sandstone and argillaceous dolomite. The Wokkpash is
essentially an upper, regressive sand facies of the Muncho-McConnell cycle that west of its type area
passes laterally into solution collapse breccias. Both the sandstone and solution breccia facies are
characterized by a tan to yellow brown weathering color distinctive within the largely grey weathering
sequence of Silurian to Devonian carbonates.
Thickness and Distribution: The Wokkpash is recognized only in the Rocky Mountains of northeastern
British Columbia north of the Peace River. It is 51 m (167 ft) thick along the Mountain front south to
Redfern Lake, where last recognized, and thickens westerly from the type section to a maximum of
130 m (426 ft) near the headwaters of the Toad River. Gabrielse (1962) also recognized the unit in the
Rabbit River (94M) map-area (map-unit 7). Because of facies change the Wokkpash becomes
inseparable from the Muncho-McConnell west and south of this area.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies medium grey dolomites of the Muncho-McConnell
Formation and is unconformably overlain by light grey dolomites of the Stone Formation.
References: Gabrielse, 1962; Griffin, 1967; Taylor, 1967; Taylor and MacKenzie, 1970
GCT
Wolf Island Sediments
Type Locality: North bank of Oldman River north of Wolf Island, Alberta, in Lsd. 12, Sec. 20, Twp. 11,
Rge. 14W4M (approximately 49°55’30”N, 111°52’30”W).
History: Unit originally included by McConnell with his Saskatchewan C ravels.
Lithology: Lacustrine sands, silts and clays.
Thickness and Distribution: Found mostly within the preglacial valleys of southeastern Alberta At type
locality 3 m <10 ft) thick, but near the junction of the South Saskatchewan and Red Deer Rivers attains
46 m (151 ft) (McConnell, 1885).
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Saskatchewan Gravels and covered by glacial
drift (Westgate, 1965); or else corresponds to the upper part of the Saskatchewan Gravels (McConnell,
1885).
References McConnell, 1885; Westgate, 1965, 1968.
JAW; NWR, AMacSS

Wolf Lake Member (Nisku Formation)
Type Locality: Chevron-Norcen PL Brazeau 7-4-49-12W5M, Alberta, between 3062 and 3072 m
(10046 and 10080 ft). The lower 6 m (20 ft) are cored.
Lithology: Grey to grey-brown, slightly argillaceous and silty limestones, with thin beds grading to very
calcareous, argillaceous siltstones. Approximately the lower half is abundantly fossiliferous, with many
corals, tabular and some dendroid stromatoporoids, brachiopods, crinoids and other unidentified
types. Many fossils are algal encrusted, forming oncolites. The upper portion is less fossiliferous and
contains stromatolitic intervals interbedded with limestones with common fenestrae. Common
accessory minerals are dolomite, anhydrite, some pyrite and organic matter. The textures vary from
skeletal wackestones to fenestral mudstones to stromatolitic boundstones.
Thickness and Distribution: The member is present throughout the West Pembina area, where reefs
(Zeta Lake Member) of the Nisku Formation are present. In the type section well the member is 10 m
(33 ft) thick and thickens gradually to the northwest.
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies the Cynthia Member of the Nisku Formation. This
uppermost member of the Nisku Formation is overlain conformably by the Calmar Formation of the
Winterburn Group. The member is homotaxial with the uppermost portion of isolated reefs of the Zeta
Lake Member of the Nisku Formation in the West Pembina area and homotaxial with uppermost
portions of Nisku Formation massive carbonate shelf to the southeast. Replaced to the northwest by
undifferentiated shales of the Winterburn Group.
Reference: Exploration Staff, Chevron Standard Limited, 1979.
DAP; PAM
Middle Devonian
Wolverine Member (Muskeg Formation)
Type Locality: Pan American A1 Mikkwa 6-22-98-1W5M, northern Alberta, between 982.1 and 1021.1
m (3222 and 3350 ft).
History: on the basis of widespread shaly or residual elastic markers Klingspor (1969) divided the
Telegraph, Mikkwa, Wabasca, Wolverine, Chipewyan, Mink and Bear. The five middle members
consist of “several repetitive cycles, each progressing vertically from normal marine carbonate or less
concentrated evaporite to a higher order concentrate” (p. 935).
Lithology: At the type section alternating beds of varved halite and anhydrite; varves of chloritic-sulfatic
clay; basal anhydrite, banded, microcrystalline. To the northwest the proportion of anhydrite increases
and dolomite is present, and to the southeast the proportion of halite increases. The dolomite and
anhydrite in the Wolverine Member extends further south-east than the enclosing members of the
Muskeg Formation.
Thickness and Distribution: 40 m (131 ft); northeastern Alberta, from southeast of the Rainbow Sub-
basin to the Saskatchewan border.
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the “Muskeg 40”, an extensive shaly or residual clastic marker.
Overlain by the Chipewyan Member of the Muskeg Formation. Loses its identity to the northwest into
undifferentiated anhydrites and dolomites of the Muskeg Formation, and to the southeast loses its
identity into halites of the Prairie Evaporite. In eastern Alberta, where most workers recognize the
Prairie Evaporite rather than the Muskeg (Grayston et al., 1964), the Wolverine Member may be
considered a member of the Prairie Evaporite.
References: Grayston et al., 1964; Klingspor, 1969.
PAM
Wolverine Point Formation
Type Locality: Shore cliff exposure at Wolverine Point (NTS 74-I) on the south shore of Lake
Athabasca, 2 km (1.25 m) west of Archibald River, northwestern Saskatchewan.
Lithology: Interbedded cross-bedded and cross-laminated quartzose sandstone, siltstone and

mudstone, the last with ball and pillow and load pasted sedimentary structures. Sandstones
predominate in the eastern part of Athabasca Basin. Siltstones and mudstones form about 10% of the
formation and increase in frequency and thickness toward the top of the formation.
Thickness and Distribution: Conspicuous as flagstone benches around Lake Athabasca and along the
western sides of the Cree and Hunter Creek valleys. Thickness is 700 m (2296 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies the Manitou Falls Formation and, near its western edge the Fair
Point Formation. Underlies the Locker Lake Formation of the Athabasca Group.
JEC
Middle or Upper Ordovician
Wonah Quartzite (Obsolete)
Author: Walcott, C.D., 1924c, p. 14, 32, 49, 50.
Type Locality: Mount Sinclair (50°38.5’N, 115°55’W), southeastern British Columbia
History: Abandoned (Norford, 1969, p. 26-281 in favor of Mount Wilson Formation Walcott 1923, pi 464-
465).
References: Norford, 1969; Walcott, 1923, 1924c.
BSN
Woodbend Group
Type Locality: British American Pyrcz No. 1, in 12-25-50-26W4M, Alberta, between 1541.1 and 1891 m
(5056 and 6200 ft) .
Lithology: The Woodbend, in off-reef areas comprises three formations; in ascending order the
Cooking Lake, Duvernay and Ireton. The Cooking Lake and Duvernay constitute approximately the
lower half of the group.
The Cooking Lake Formation normally consists of 60 to 90 m (197 to 295 ft.) of limestone, locally
dolomitized, calcarenitic Commonly pelletoid) to micritic; it constitutes the platform upon which Leduc
reefs developed in many areas throughout Alberta. The Cooking Lake is locally inseparable from
overlying Leduc reefs where developed, and may thin by facies change to shale.
The Duvernay, averaging 50 to 60 m (164 to 197 ft) in thickness, but thinning to zero toward Leduc
reefs, and locally thickening to 135 m (443 ft) consists of dark brown to black, bituminous shale with
varying interbeds or lenses of grey shale, argillaceous limestones, marls or chalky limestone. Reef
detrital limestone or calcarenite [locally dolomitized, commonly fossiliferous (particularly
stromatoporoids)] are incorporated in increasing amounts toward Leduc reefs, and the Duvernay
pinches out on the lower flanks of the reefs.
The Ireton Formation ranges in thickness from just a few metres in southern Alberta to 200 m (656 ft)
in central Alberta and up to 450 m (1476 ft) in northwestern Alberta. It consists of a sequence of
greenish grey and grey shales, with interbeds of argillaceous limestone or micrite in the lower part.
The upper part commonly contains argillaceous dolomites and limestones, fine crystalline dolomites
and biomicrites that are quite fossiliferous. The Ireton Formation thins dramatically in response to
Leduc reef buildups - only the uppermost few metres may be present above maximum reef
developments.
Leduc reef buildups consist of generally massive, commonly porous limestones and dolomites, the
underlying Cooking Lake platform often being lithologically indistinguishable from the later reef rock.
Reef buildups range from) small low-relief mounds to areally-restricted high-relief “pinnacles” to atoll-
like forms, and to broad bank developments.
Thickness and Distribution: The Woodbend Group ranges from about 300 m (984 ft) in southern and
south-central Alberta to 700 m (2296 ft) in parts of northwestern Alberta. It is noticeably thicker in
areas of reef development relative to off-reef areas due, in part to differential compaction. The group is
recognized throughout Alberta and into eastern British Columbia and southern Saskatchewan and
Manitoba. The Birdbear and Duperow formations of northern Montana, southern Saskatchewan and
southwestern Manitoba, and the Fort Simpson and Muskwa formations of northeastern British
Columbia and southern Yukon include equivalents of the Woodbend Group. In the southern Northwest
Territories the group is represented by the Tathlina, Twin Falls and Hay River formations.
Relationship to Other Units: The Woodbend Group conformably overlies the Beaverhill Lake Group
and is conformably overlain by the Winterburn Group. It exhibits transgressive relationships in the
Peace River Arch area of northwestern Alberta and the Tathlina Arch area of the southwestern
Northwest Territories. The group is truncated by post-Paleozoic erosion in eastern and northeastern
Alberta, in south-central Saskatchewan and in southwestern Manitoba.
References: Andrichuk, 1958; Andrichuk and Wonfor, 1954; Belyea, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1964;
Belyea and McLaren, 1956; Geological Staff, Imperial Oil Limited, 1950, Kirks 1959; Taylor, 1957;
Wonfor and Andrichuk, 1953.
JMA; FAS, JW
Quaternary
Woodmore Formation (Informal)
Type Locality: Borehole near Woodmore, Manitoba, in Lsd. 9, Sec. 7, Twp. 3, Rge. 5EPM.
History: Name introduced in Ph.D. thesis, not defined elsewhere.
Lithology: Silty till, with about 61% carbonate in matrix; olive grey if unoxidized, greyish brown where
oxidized.
Thickness and Distribution: Thickness 3 m (10 ft) in outcrop, much greater in borehole exposed near
Roseau River and recognized in boreholes elsewhere in southeastern Manitoba
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies Rosa Formation or stratified drift; overlain by St. Malo Formation
or locally exposed. Age unknown, but older than Classical Wisconsin. Relationship to formal units
described by Teller and Fenton (1980) not stated.
References: Fenton, 1974; Moran et al., 19076; Teller and Fenton, 1980.
AMacSS
Middle or Late Miocene
Wood Mountain Beds
Author: Fraser, F.J. et al., 1935, p. 57.
Type Locality: Gravel pit on the high upland southwest of Willowbunch, Saskatchewan, in Sec. 14,
Twp. 5, Rge. 28W2M.
Lithology: Gravel, with some beds of sand; gravel mainly quartzites, but some cherts present; unit
typically unconsolidated, but locally cemented by calcium carbonate into a conglomerate; contains
scattered bones.
Thickness and Distribution: From about 1 to 15 m (3 to 49 ft) thick; unit probably underlies much of
Wood Mountain and Willowbunch uplands, and perhaps the upland south of Big Muddy Lake; also
found along Legare Coulee east of old Wood Mountain, in SE/4, Sec. 2, Twp. 2, Rge. 5W3M, and on
hills north and south of Rockglen, in Twps. 2 and 3, Rge. 30, and in Twp. 2, Rge. 29W2M.
Relationship to Other Units: Generally rests with erosional unconformity on the upper part of the
Ravenscrag Formation; either exposed to the surface or covered by thin drift. The vertebrate fauna
indicates a middle or late Miocene age for the unit (Russell, 1950, p. 57).
References: Fraser et al., 1935; Russell, 1950; Sternberg, 1924.
AMacSS
Upper Triassic (Norian)
Worsley (Tangent) Dolomite (Charlie Lake Formation)
Author: None.
Type Locality: PCP et al. Rycroft 6-17 in 6-1 7-77-5W6M, Alberta, between 1382.0 and 1385.0 m (4533
and 4543 ft) shows a typical development of this unit.
History: Referred originally to the uppermost Triassic dolomite reservoir zone in the Worsley field area
(Twp. 87, Rge. 6W6M) of west-central Alberta, where the Baldonnel and Pardonnet formations are
absent. May also be referred to as the Tangent Dolomite, which derives its name from the equivalent
zone in the Tangent field (Twp. 80, Rge. 24W5M).
Lithology: Normally consists of two basal, algal dolomite beds, each generally less than 2 m (7 ft)
thick, which are separated and capped by thin churned, grey-green silty shales. The succeeding
section where preserved is dolomitic and may contain an extremely fossiliferous coquina bed. This
facies has been observed locally in the Hamelin Creek area (Twp. 80, Rge. 7W6M). Close proximity of
the algal carbonates to the pre-Jurassic unconformity has resulted in extensive diagenetic alteration of
the carbonate facies. Excellent porosity and permeability characterize this unit.
Thickness and Distribution: Limited in occurrence mainly to west-central Alberta between Twps. 73
and 88W6M. Removed to south and east by pre-Jurassic erosion. Thickness is variable due to
erosional presentation, but averages 2 to 3 m (7 to 10 ft), up to 6 m (20 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: Conformably overlies a 4 to 5 m (13 to 16 ft) thick, grey-green churned
shale (Worsley shale). The Worsley dolomite and shale interval combined lie unconformably on
sediments ranging from upper Charlie Lake to Montney in age. Unconformably overlain by the basal
Jurassic Nordegg Formation. Undergoes facies transition westwards into uppermost Charlie Lake
Formation.
Reference: Podruski et al., 1988.
GH
Wymark Member
Author: Kent D.M., 1963, p. 14.
Type Locality: Tidewater Wymark Crown No. 1, in 8-10-14-14W3M, Saskatchewan, between 1652.9
and 1776.1 m (5423 and 5827 ft).
Lithology: Microcrystalline to cryptocrystalline pale limestone, with interbeds of dolomite, dolomitic

mudstone, anhydrite and, locally halite which exhibit cyclic deposition. Three halite beds are
recognized: the Eatonia, Elrose and Dinsmore. Several sporomorph zones occur, notably in the middle
of the Wymark Member. The fauna are described in Wilson (1967) and Kent (1968a).
Thickness and Distribution: A maximum thickness of 177 m (581 ft) is present west of Kindersley,
Saskatchewan. There is a general eastward thinning of the member, which attains a local minimum of
56 m (184 ft) near Saskatoon. The regional thickness is commonly about 120 m 1394 ft). The erosional
zero edge of the Wymark Member runs southeastward from Lloydminster. South of this line the
member is present throughout the Williston Basin, although in Montana it loses its character
southward from the Missouri River.
Relationship to Other Units: The lower contact of the Wymark Member is at the top of argillaceous
carbonates comprising the Elstow Member. The upper contact is at the base of the lowest argillaceous
bed of the Seward Member. In western Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta the top of the Wymark
Member is coincident with the top of the Dinsmore Evaporite. With respect to the terminology of Wilson
(1956, 1967) the Wymark Member incorporates the strata from the top of the argillaceous bed below
the C2 marker up to the base of the argillaceous bed that occurs below the A marker. With respect to
subdivisions by Dunn (1975, Fig 7) it includes the upper part of unit 1, all of unit 2, and all but the
uppermost cycle of unit 3.
Equivalent strata in Alberta are the upper Cooking Lake, Duvernay and lower Leduc formations, most
of the Cairn Formation, and the Perdrix Formation. The member straddles the lower and upper
Duperow boundary that is recognized in the U.S. portion of the Williston Basin.
References: Dunn, 1975; Kent, 1963, 1968a; Wilson, 1956, 1967.
CED;KRM
Quaternary
Wymark Till
Author: Christiansen, E.A, 1959, p. 31.
Type Locality: An excavation about 10 km (6.25 mi) south of Wymark, Saskatchewan, in SW/4 Sec. 27,
Lithology: A clay loam to sandy clay loam till, generally not oxidized, calcareous, montmorillonitic,
plastic, and light greyish brown where oxidized and grey elsewhere.
Thickness and Distribution: In the Swift Current area from 1 to 18 m (3 to 59 ft) thick, being thickest in
buried valleys and thin on the Swig Current Plateau Found throughout the Swift Current area and also
in the Kindersley area (Christiansen, 1965).
Relationship to Other Units: Generally overlies bedrock. In the Swift Current area exposed south of the
Aikins Till, elsewhere underlies “lower stratified drift” and Aikins Till. In Kindersley area occurs beneath
the Prelate Ferry Paleosol and so would appear to correspond to the lower part of the Condie T II
(Christiansen, 1961) and to the Floral Formation (Westgate et al. 1977).
It is the oldest till in the Swift Current area; older than the Prelate Ferry Paleosol, but age not
determined. Name little used in recent years, but if the units directly Correlate with each other the
name Wymark Till would appear to have priority over Floral Formation; also if it corresponds to the
lower pan of the Condie Till it would have precedence over the Saner.
References: Christiansen, 1959,1961, 1965; Westgate et al., 1 977.
AMacSS
Precambrian (Hadrynian)
Wynd Formation (Miette Group)
Author: Charlesworth, H A.K., et al., 1967; p. 15.
Type Locality: in the Miette River valley west of Jasper, Alberta; 1.0 to 2 5 km (0.6 to 1.5 mi) east of
Minaga Creek railroad bridge; 52°52’N. 118°13’W, (lower member) northwest slope of Tekarra
Mountain, 52°51’N, 117°57’W, 10 km (6.1 mi) southeast of Jasper (upper member).
Lithology: The lower member, a coarse turbidite sequence, is divisible into lenticular slaty and sandy
units up to 150 m (492 ft) thick, consisting dominantly of slate and siltstone, and feldspathic (albite)
sandstone and conglomerate respectively; the upper member is a fine grained turbidite sequence
consisting of slate, argillite and siltstone; a prominent dolomite boulder conglomerate associated with
shady limestone occurs about 350 m (1148 ft) above the base of the upper member
Thickness and Distribution: 725 m (2378 ft) (lower member) and 500 m (1640 ft) (upper member);
outcrops common between Jasper and Tete Jaune Cache and for 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Jasper.
Relationship to Other Units: Part of the Miette Group; underlain apparently conformably be the Old Fort
Point Formation (Precambrian); overlain conformably or disconformably by the Gog Group (Lower
Cambrian)
Reference: Charlesworth et al., 1967.
GM
Yahatinda Formation
Author: Aitken, J.D., 1966a, p. 15-24.
Type Locality: The type section is the lens of red, channel-filling beds on the east face of Wapiti
Mountain, above Ya- Ha-Tinda Ranch, at 51°44’N, 115°12’W, Alberta.
History: Refer to Ghost River Formation
Lithology: Mainly dolomites of detrital origin; dolarenite, dolsiltite, conglomerate and breccia, with
subordinate quartz sandstone and sill stone The beds are vari-colored, mainly red. The upper part of
the formation nor-channel raciest is generally finer grained, less red in color and contains beds of
argillaceous, silty, very fine crystalline dolomite.
Thickness and Distribution: Because it was deposited on a surface of considerable topographic relief
the Yahatinda Formation varies rapidly and erratically in thickness and is absent at many pre-
Devonian and Devonian stratigraphic contacts. Maximum thickness is 265 m (870 ft), but more typical
thicknesses are less than 30 m (98 ft).
The formation outcrops discontinuously in the front ranges of the Rocky Mountains, from Sylvan Pass
near Kananaskis Lakes in the south to Brazeau River in the north, and possibly on Mount Wilson in
extreme southern Alberta.
Relationship to Other Units: Rests unconformably on strata ranging in age from Middle Cambrian to
Late Ordovician. The contact with overlying sub-Cairn evaporitic limestone breccias and limestone is
probably disconformable. The Yahatinda Formation was largely deposited on the west Alberta ridge; it
represents a fluvial to estuarine facies equivalent to the Cedared Formation west of the ridge, and to
some part of the Elk Point Group east of the ridge.
References: Aitken, 1966a; Greggs, McGregor and Rouse, 1962; McGregor, 1963.
JDA; DKN
Upper Ordovician
Yeoman Formation (Bighorn Group)
1958.
Type Locality: Shell Yeoman 6-32-8-16W2M well, in Saskatchewan, between 2450.0 and 2524 1 m
(8038 and 8281 ft).
History: Originally defined by the Saskatchewan Geological Society as the Yeoman Beds, a marker-
defined unit equivalent to the Lower Red River of Porter and Fuller (1958), with a type section
between 2440.8 and 2524.1 m (8008 and 8281 ft) in the Shell Yeoman 6-32 well. Kent (1960)
recognized the Yeoman as a stratigraphic member of the Red River Formation and re-defined the top
of the unit to coincide with the base of an overlying sequence of argillaceous carbonates; in the
Yeoman well the top of the type section was changed to 2450 m (8038 ft). Kendall (1976) raised the
unit to formation status.
Lithology: Predominantly light brown to tan, mottled, sparsely fossiliferous biomicrites, partially or
wholly dolomitized. In the central portion of the Williston Basin Yellowish to brownish grey burrowed,
mottled fossiliferous and bioclastic dolomitized mudstones and wackestones are present in the upper
portion of the formation .
Thickness and Distribution: Extends across the Williston Basin to erosional limits near the margins of
the basin. Maximum thickness of approximately 180 m (590 ft) is present in North Dakota.
Relationship to Other Units: Unconformably overlies the Deadwood Formation in the western portion
of the Williston Basin. Elsewhere it overlies the Winnipeg Formation with apparent disconformity. It is
conformably overlain by the Herald Formation. The Yeoman Formation correlates with the lower
portion of the Red River Formation (Dog Head, Cat Head and Selkirk members).
References: Kendall, 1976, 1985; Kent, 1960; McCabe, 1971; Porter and Fuller, 1958, 1959;
FMH
Upper Cretaceous
Young Creek Member (Bearpaw Formation)
Author: Lines, F.G., 1963, p. 220, 223 (Fig. 4).
Type Locality: on Battle River, in 5-20-39-11W4M, Alberta, downstream from but near the mouth of
Young Creek. What is now named Young Creek on NTS maps 73-D, Wainwright, 1:250,000 and 73D/5,
Alliance, 1:50,000 is in Twp. 38, Rge. 13W4M, about 10 km (6 mi) west of the Young Creek designated
on Geological Survey of Canada map 502A-Hardisty (Warren and Hume, 1939), to which Lines (op.
cit.) alluded.
Lithology: Argillaceous sandstone and shale. The sequence, in ascending order consists of a basal
12.2 m (40 ft) of dark grey shale and rare chert pebbles, about 17 m (55 ft) of argillaceous, bentonitic
sandstone capped by a bentonite seam, about 14 m (45 ft) of dark grey shale and 15 m (50 ft) of thin
bedded, argillaceous sandstone which is succeeded by dark grey shale at the top.
Thickness and Distribution: 67 m (220 ft) thick at type locality. Recognized in the surface and
subsurface of the Castor-Hand Hills area of south-central Alberta by the Author, who believed the
equivalent beds could be traced in the subsurface as far north as the Beaverhill Lake area in east-
central Alberta (Lines, 1963, Fig. 5).
Relationship to Other Units: Overlies, possibly with some disconformity as indicated by rare chert
pebbles, carbonaceous beds at the top of the Judith River (Belly River) Formation. The upper contact
with the Paintearth Creek Member may also be disconformable, as suggested by the presence of
chert pebbles at the base of the latter. Given and Wall (1971) equated the Young Creek Member with
most of the “lower shale unit” of the Bearpaw Formation in the Research Council of Alberta Castor
well. This unit equates with part of the Manyberries Member of the Cypress Hills, southeastern
Alberta.
The validity of this unit is questionable as it never was named or proposed as a member in the text by
Lines (1963), although it was designated as such on his Figures 3 and 4.
References: Given and Wall, 1971; Lines, 1963, Warren and Home, 1939
JHW; RAR
Z Marker (Woodbend Group)
Author: Maiklem, W.R., Davies. G.R. and Craig, J., 1972, Stoakes, F.A. and Wendte, J.C., 1987 further
defined the term and clarified its present usage.
Type Locality: None established or proposed, but a typical development may be seen on in the logs in
the 8-25-82-14W5M well at 1701.4 m (5582 ft)
History: The term originated in informal oil company usage and has been used to describe a distinctive
log marker within the thick Frasnian shale basin of west-central Alberta. Maiklem, Davies and Craig
(1972, Fig. 6) depicted it as equivalent to the top of the Grosmont Formation in central Alberta, but
correlated it as being within the Woodbend Group and occurring progressively down-section to the
west. With increased exploration drilling following the West Pembina Nisku discoveries in the mid-
seventies its stratigraphic relationships became more clear. It became apparent that the Nisku shelf
shaled out and that the Z marker equated to the base of the Nisku Formation in a basinal setting.
Stoakes (1980, Fig. 47) depicted this marker surface (but failed to name it) as separating Woodbend
shale from the Winterburn shale packages. Stoakes and Wendte (1987) and Stoakes (1987) better
defined its stratigraphic significance and the term is now widely accepted.
Lithology: The unit is defined primarily on log response. It shows a progressively “cleaner” file on
gamma ray logs, grading from underlying carbonate-rich shales of the Woodbend Group into burrow-
mottled, nodular lime mudstones. Depending upon bathymetric location this shoaling sequence may
span several metres. The marker surface itself is abrupt, with the gamma ray log showing a rapid right
deflection into carbonate-rich shales of the overlying Winterburn shale package.
Thickness and Distribution: The Z marker refers to a depositional surface and as such has measurable
thickness. It appears to represent a period of reduced or condensed sedimentation within the basin. It
is widely distributed throughout the Woodbend shale basin, and can be traced from the West Pembina
area of west-central Alberta westward to the Windfall-Simonette area and northward beyond the
culmination of the Peace River Arch, were it occurs at progressively lower elevations within the basin-
fill.
Relationship to Other Units: The Z marker forms the upper surface of the Woodbend basin-fill. It is
discernible only in basinal areas, where it appears to mark condensed sedimentation following a rapid
relative rise in sea level. In west-central Alberta it can be traced into the basal Lobstick Member
beneath the West Pembina Nisku reefal buildups. When traced westwards it down-laps until, in the
Windfall-Simonette area it abuts the middle of Leduc reefal buildups. It is inferred to reflect the
bathymetry of the basin following deposition of the Woodbend (Ireton) shale. Further north it can be
traced to even lower topographic levels as it “toes-out” onto the Slave Point carbonates of the Peace
River Arch (Stoakes, 1987, Fig. 16).
References: Maiklem, Davies and Craig, 1972; Stoakes, 1980, 1987; Stoakes and Wendte, 1987.
FAS
Zama Member
(Muskeg Formation, Upper Elk Point Group)
Author: McCamis, J.G. and Griffith, L.S., 1967, p. 434-467.
Type Locality: BA HB Zama North 16-19-116-4W6M, in northwestern Alberta, between 1453 and 1476
m (4768 and 4842 ft).
Lithology: The Zama Member consists of brown, often laminated, fine to medium crystalline sucrosic
dolomite. Intercrystalline and buggy porosity is common. Fauna in the bioclastic dolomite is generally
scarce and consists of gastropods, brachiopods, Amphipora and rare favositid corals. A 1 to 2 m (3 to
7 ft) thick argillaceous dolomite unit is often present 4 to 10 m (13 to 33 ft) below the top of the Zama
Member.
Thickness and Distribution: The Zama Member can be recognized from Twps 112 to 120 and from the
Meander sub-basin in the Steen River area to the Shekilie Barrier in the west. The thickness varies
from 15 to 24 m (49 to 79 ft).
Relationship to Other Units: The Zama Member disconformably overlies the lower anhydrite member
of the Muskeg Formation in off-reef and reef flank positions and disconformably overlies reef dolomites
and limestones of the upper Keg Reef Member of the Keg River Formation. It is conformably overlain
by anhydrites of the upper anhydrite member of the Muskeg Formation.
Reference: McCamis and Griffith, 1967.
SM
Zelena Formation
Type Locality: East side of Shell River Valleys near Zelena, Manitoba, in the NW/4 Sec. 17, Twp. 28,
Rge. 27WPM (approximately 51°24’N, 101°13’W.
History: Zelena silt was an informal name given by Klassen (1972, p. 19) to a silt bed underlying the
‘Lennard Till” on the Duck Mountain Upland. When re-examination of the deposits showed that the
overlying till was not Lennard the name Zelena Formation was introduced to include both the silt and
the overlying till, both of which might now be considered members of that formation.
Lithology: Till and intertill sediments. The typical till is yellowish to very dark greyish brown where
oxidized, and dark grey or olive grey where unoxidized. On uplands less indurated and siltier than till
of the Minnedosa Formation, generally stonier than till of the Arran Formation; the carbonate content of
silt fraction ranges between 26 and 36%. The intertill sediments are not described.
Thickness and Distribution. The till is typically 3 to 15 m (10 to 49 ft) thick, but locally exceeds 30 m (98
ft). Thickness of intertill sediments not stated, but at the type section the thickness of Zelena silt was
formally given as about 1 m (3 ft) (Klassen, 1972). Found over Riding and Duck Mountain uplands and
Valley River plain.
Relationship to Other Units: Forms the surface drift over Riding Mountain and Duck Mountain uplands,
where it overlies the Minnedosa Formation. Underlies the Arran Formation within the Valley River
plain. Correlated by Fenton (1974, p. 124) with the Belaire drift. Deposited during final stagnation of the
last Classical Wisconsin Laurentide ice-sheet on the Duck and Riding Mountain uplands of Manitoba.
References: Klassen, 1972, 1979; Fenton, 1974.
RWK; AMacSS
Zeta Lake Member (Nisku Formation)
Type Locality: Chevron Pembina 6-25-50-10W5M, Alberta, between 2537 and 2638 m (8324 and 8656
ft); completely cored. Reference section; Chevron Brazeau 3-27-48-12W5M, between 3006 and 3085
m (9860 and 10119 ft).
Lithology: In the type section grey-brown, very fossiliferous, reefoid, massive dolomite with variable
secondary vuggy porosity. In the reference section grey-brown very fossiliferous, massive limestone, in
part dolomitic, with some primary intra-organic porosity. In both sections there are minor amounts of
quartz silt and clay (?) in the matrix. The member contains abundant corals, with some encrusting
tabula stromatoporoids, abundant algal encrustions and varying amounts of brachiopods, crinoids and
mollusks. Fasciculate corals, commonly in growth position are dominant in the lower part of the Zeta
Lake. Secondary anhydrite, both as a replacement and as a cement is present in many intervals. The
dominant textures are framestones and boundstones with scone intervals of wackestone.
Thickness and Distribution: In the type section well the member is 101 m (332 ft) thick and in the
Reference section 79 m (259 ft) thick. This isolated reef member of the Nisku Formation occurs in
scattered localities of the West Pembina area.
Relationship to Other Units: The Zeta Lake Member reefs diachronously overlie the Lobstick Member
of the Nisku Formation, although they may locally extend throughout the entire Lobstick interval and
directly overlie conformably the Ireton Formation of the Woodbend Group. Developments of this
member are conformably overlain by the Calmar Formation. In the West Pembina area spatial
equivalents are, in ascending order the Lobstick, Bigoray, Cynthia and Wolf Lake members of the off-
reef Nisku Formation sequence.
Reference: Exploration Staff, Chevron Standard Limited, 1979.
DAF; PAM
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Lexicon of Canadian

Editor : D.J. Glass

Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists

1990 Calgary, Alberta

Electronically Published in Canada

Volume I - Arctic Archipelago (District of Franklin).

Volume 2 - Yukon-Mackenzie (Yukon Territory and District of Mackenzie).

Volume 3 - Western Cordillera (southwestern Yukon Territory and Western

Volume 4 - Western Canada (eastern British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan

Volume 5 - Central Canada (Ontario, Quebec, northern Saskatchewan and

Volume 6- Atlantic Region (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova

Del Bonita Gravels Peace Garden Member Sweetgrass Hills Dykes

Alexandra Member (Formation) Cooking Lake Formation Grotto Member

United States Canada

Garnet Range Formation does not extend to Canadian Border

References: Gibson, 1977, 1979, 1985; Hughes, 1978; Norris, 1959.

References: Aitken, 1975; Bell, 1966,1968; Taylor and Stott, 1973.

References: Christiansen, 1959, 1965; Greer and Christiansen, 1963.

Lithology: Fine grained marine siliciclastics, characterized by high radioactivity.

References: Pugh, 1971, 1973, 1975; van Hees, 1959, 1964.

Thickness: 1 to 2 m (3 to 7 ft) thick.

References: Hess, 1968; Torrie, 1973.

References: Meijer Drees and Myhr, 1981.

Type Locality: Near Kingsgate, southeastern British Columbia.

References: Jackson and Bourns, 1968.

Lithology: “Homogeneous, fine-grained, quartzose sandstone” (Green et al., 1970).

References: Green, 1972; Green et al., 1970.

Reference: Fuzesy, 1960.

References: Mudge, 1972; Sando and Dutro, 1962.

Type Locality: McGillivray Ridge, near Blairmore, southwestern Alberta.

References: Leach, 1912; Mackenzie, 1914; Stewart, 1916.

A.S.P.G. Lexicon, 1960

Paleontology: Crinoids, brachiopods, stomatoporoids, corrals, Amphipora, ostracods.

GKW, DWM, PAM, SM

References: Aitken, in press; Fritz, 1971; McIlreath, 1977a, 1977b.

Lithology: Clast supported conglomerate or pebbly sandstone or pebbly mudstone.

References: Fenton and Fenton, 1931, 1937; Ross, 1959.

Reference: Allan and Sanderson, 1945.

A.S.P.G. Lexicon, 1960

Paleontology: Amphiporids, colonial corals brachiopods, crinoids, (Gasterocoma bicaula), faunas

DWM; LVH, PAM

References: Klassen, 1979.

Type Locality: None designated.

Thickness and Distribution: Of widespread distribution in the subsurface of southern Manitoba.

Lithology: Calcareous shale. The Assiniboine Member is an olive-black calcareous, chalkspeckled,

Type Locality: Northern Saskatchewan. No type section designated.

Lithology: Composed predominantly of bedded and cross-bedded quartzose sandstone units, a

References: Christopher, 1974, 1984b.

Lithology: Varicolored anhydrite, evaporitic dolomite and dolomitic anhydrite.

Reference: Fuzesy, 1960

References: Gleddie, 1949; McLearn, 1919,1926; Rutherford, 1930.

Lithology: Grey, crystalline, occasionally siliceous limestone, banded to massive.

Reference: Walker and Bancroft, 1929.

Type Locality: Sparwood-Michel area, southeastern British Columbia.

Lithology: Bituminous coal.

References: Douglas, 1953; Douglas and Harker, 1956.

References: Coveney, 1960; Glaister, 1959; Hamilton, 1966; Hawryszko, 1969

Thickness and Distribution: “700 ft.” (214 m)

Reference: Michener, 1934.

Reference: Chetin, 1960.

Type Locality: None designated.

References: Crickmay, 1954; Moore, in press; Sherwin, 1962.

On page 32 Boydell suggested an “Early Wisconsin” age for the unit.