Eastend Formation

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Eastend Formation
Stratigraphic range: Maastrichtian
Type Geological formation
Underlies Frenchman Formation
Whitemud Formation
Overlies Bearpaw Formation
Thicknessup to 30 metres (100 ft) [1]
Lithology
Primary Sandstone
Other Shale
Location
Coordinates 49°30′17″N108°50′15″W / 49.50461°N 108.83756°W / 49.50461; -108.83756 (Eastend Formation)
Region WCSB
CountryFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Type section
Named for Eastend, Saskatchewan
Named byL.S. Russell, 1932

The Eastend Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Maastrichtian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. It takes its name from the town of Eastend, Saskatchewan, and was first described in outcrop around the settlement by L.S. Russell in 1932. [2] The type locality was later defined south-west of the town by W.O. Kupsch in 1956. [3]

Contents

Lithology

The Eastend Formation is composed lithic sandstone with volcanic grains, concretionary layers and green-grey shale beds. [1] Coal beds are found in southern Alberta.

Distribution

The Eastend Formation reaches a thickness of 30 metres (100 ft) near the town of Eastend. [1] It is eroded to the north and east, where the Frenchman Formation lies directly over the Bearpaw Formation.

Relationship to other units

The Eastend Formation is conformably overlain by the Whitemud Formation and gradually overlies the Bearpaw Formation. [1] In the Frenchman River valley, the Eastend Formation is erosionally overlain by the Frenchman Formation.

It is equivalent to St. Mary River Formation and Horseshoe Canyon Formation in southern Alberta, as well as the Fox Hills Formation in Montana and North Dakota.

Related Research Articles

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The Bearpaw Formation, also called the Bearpaw Shale, is a geologic formation of Late Cretaceous (Campanian) age. It outcrops in the U.S. state of Montana, as well as the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and was named for the Bear Paw Mountains in Montana. It includes a wide range of marine fossils, as well as the remains of a few dinosaurs. It is known for its fossil ammonites, some of which are mined in Alberta to produce the organic gemstone ammolite.

The Belly River Group is a stratigraphical unit of Late Cretaceous age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

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The Willow Creek Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Late Cretaceous to Early Paleocene age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin of southwestern Alberta. It was first described by George Mercer Dawson in 1883 along the Willow Creek, a tributary of the Oldman River. Williams and Dyer defined the type section in 1930 at the mouth of Willow Creek, east of Fort Macleod.

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The Alberta Group is a stratigraphical unit of Cenomanian to early Campanian age in the Lewis overthrust in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

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The Cypress Hills Formation is a stratigraphic unit of middle Eocene to early Miocene age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. It is named for the Cypress Hills of southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan and was first described from outcrops on the slopes of the Cypress Hills in 1930. It is known for preserving a wealth of vertebrate fossils.

The Gravelbourg Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Bajocian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

The Alexo Formation a stratigraphic unit of Late Devonian age. It is present on the western edge of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in the central Rocky Mountains and foothills of Alberta. The formation consists primarily of dolomite. It is locally fossiliferous and includes remains of marine animals such as brachiopods and conodonts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T.rex Discovery Centre</span>

The T.rex Discovery Centre is a natural history museum located in Eastend, Saskatchewan, Canada, and housed in a building designed by Stantec. The T.rex Discovery Centre was opened to the public in 2001, and was intended house a number of fossils, including the remains of a Tyrannosaurus nicknamed "Scotty" which was found nearby in 1991. Management of the T.rex Discovery Centre was assumed by the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in 2013.

The Battle Formation is a geologic formation of Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. It is present throughout much of the central Alberta plains, where it is an important stratigraphic marker in the nonmarine Upper Cretaceous sequence. It was formally named by G.M. Furnival in 1942 and given formation status by E.J.W. Irish in 1970.

The Whitemud Formation is a geologic formation of Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. it is present through the plains of southern Saskatchewan, southeastern Alberta and south-central Alberta. Named by N.B. Davis in 1918, the formation is characterized by white kaolinitic clay and is a source of high-quality refractory clay. The type locality has been designated as Dempster's clay pit northwest of Eastend, Saskatchewan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blood Reserve Formation</span> Geologic formation of Late Cretaceous age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin

The Blood Reserve Formation, also known as the Blood Reserve Sandstone, is a geologic formation of Late Cretaceous (Campanian) age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. It is present in southwestern Alberta, Canada, and was named for Blood Indian Reserve No. 148 by L.S. Russell in 1932. It is an aquifer and a source of fresh groundwater.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Formation" . Retrieved 2010-01-01.
  2. Russell, L.S., 1932. The Cretaceous-Tertiary transition of Alberta. Trans. Royal Society of Canada, Ser 3, v. 26, s. 4, p. 121-156.
  3. Kupsch, W.O., 1956. Frenchman Formation of eastern Cypress Hills, Saskatchewan, Canada. Geological Society of America Bull. v. 6a, p. 413-420.