Kaskapau Formation | |
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Stratigraphic range: Turonian-Coniacian ~ | |
Kaskapau Shale | |
Type | Geological formation |
Unit of | Smoky River Group |
Sub-units | Doe Creek, Pouce Coupe, Wartenbe, Tuskoola |
Underlies | Bad Heart & Cardium Formations |
Overlies | Dunvegan Formation |
Thickness | up to 900 meters (3,000 ft) |
Lithology | |
Primary | Carbonaceous shale |
Other | Sandstone tongues and lenticles, volcanic ash |
Location | |
Coordinates | 55°55′N118°38′W / 55.917°N 118.633°W |
Region | Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin |
Country | ![]() |
Type section | |
Named for | Kaskapau Ricer |
Named by | McLearn |
Year defined | 1926 |
The Kaskapau Formation is a geological formation in North America whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous.
The name derives from kaskapahtew (ᑲᐢᑲᐸᐦᑌᐤ), the Cree word for "smoky". [1] It was first described on the banks of the Smoky River, close to the confluence with the Puskwaskau River by F.H. McLearn in 1926. [2]
The formation is 170 meters (560 ft) thick in the Peace River and Smoky River area, and thickens up to 900 meters (3,000 ft) [3] in the foothills of the Northern Rocky Mountains in British Columbia. It is exposed along the Peace River near Dunvegan, as well as in the Smoky River area.
The formation is part of the Smoky River Group, and is conformably overlain by the Bad Heart Formation in the western area, and unconformably by the Cardium Formation in the Pouce Coupe River area. It is conformable underlain by the Dunvegan Formation. [3]
The Kaskapau Formation is equivalent to the Colorado Group shale in central Alberta. It is equivalent to the upper Blackstone Formation, the Cardium Formation, and the Muskiki Formation in the Canadian Rockies foothills in western Alberta.
The Kaskapau Formation is represented mostly by dark grey shale, with sandstone tongues and lentils at the base (Doe Creek Member, Pouce Coupe Member). Thin volcanic ash layers may occur in the British Columbia foothills.
Oyster fossils are encountered at the base of the formation, and Inoceramus fragments (such as I. labiatus) are found throughout the entire stack. Ammonites are also present in the sand beds, genus encountered include Dunveganoceras and Watinoceras in the lower part and Scaphites in the upper part. Microfauna include benthonic (and fewer planktonic) foraminifera. An indeterminate hadrosaurid and a possible nodosaurid are known from Quality Creek. [4]
The Wapiti Formation is a geological formation of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in northwestern Alberta, and northeastern British Columbia, Canada. Its deposition spanned the time interval from the lower Campanian through to the upper Maastrichtian, between approximately 80 and 68 Ma. It was named by G.M. Dawson in 1881, presumably for exposures along the lower part of the Wapiti River and downstream along the Smoky River in Alberta.
The Cadomin Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Early Cretaceous age in the western part of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. It is extends from southeastern British Columbia through western Alberta to northeastern British Columbia, and it contains significant reservoirs of natural gas in some areas. It was named after the mining town of Cadomin, which is an acronym of "Canadian Dominion Mining".
Gething Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. It is present in northeastern British Columbia and western Alberta, and includes economically important coal deposits.
The Montney Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Lower Triassic age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in British Columbia and Alberta.
The Cardium Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Late Cretaceous age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. It takes the name from the fossilized heart-shaped cockle shells in the family Cardiidae present. It was first described along the Bow River banks by James Hector in 1895. It is present throughout western Alberta and in northeastern British Columbia, and it is a major source of petroleum and natural gas.
Bullhead Group is a stratigraphic unit of Lower Cretaceous age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin of northeastern British Columbia and western Alberta. It was first defined by F.H. McLearn in 1918 as the Bullhead Mountain Formation, but later was upgraded to group status. It consists of the Cadomin and Gething Formations, although some early workers included the Bluesky Formation and others in the group.
The Fort St. John Group is a stratigraphic unit of Lower Cretaceous age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. It takes the name from the city of Fort St. John, British Columbia and was first defined by George Mercer Dawson in 1881.
The Spirit River Formation is a stratigraphical unit of middle Albian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
The Peace River Formation is a stratigraphical unit of middle Albian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
The Smoky Group is a stratigraphical unit of Late Cretaceous age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
The Dunvegan Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Cenomanian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
The Schooler Creek Group is a stratigraphic unit of Middle to Late Triassic age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. It is present in northeastern British Columbia. It was named for Schooler Creek, a left tributary of Williston Lake, and was first described in two oil wells northwest of Fort St. John, by F.H. McLearn in 1921. Exposures along Williston Lake serve as a type locality in outcrop.
Colorado is a geologic name applied to certain rocks of Cretaceous age in the North America, particularly in the western Great Plains. This name was originally applied to classify a group of specific marine formations of shale and chalk known for their importance in Eastern Colorado. The surface outcrop of this group produces distinctive landforms bordering the Great Plains and it is a significant feature of the subsurface of the Denver Basin and the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. These formations record important sequences of the Western Interior Seaway, and as the geology of this seaway was studied, this name came to be used in states beyond Colorado, but was later replaced in several of these states with more localized names.
The Alberta Group is a stratigraphical unit of Cenomanian to early Campanian age in the Lewis overthrust in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
The Muskiki Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Late Cretaceous age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
The Doig Formation is a geologic formation of middle Triassic age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. It takes the name from Doig River, a tributary of the Beatton River, and was first described in the Texaco N.F.A. Buick Creek No. 7 well by J.H. Armitage in 1962..
The Minnes Group, originally named the Minnes Formation, is a geologic unit of latest Jurassic to earliest Cretaceous age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. It is present in the northern foothills of the Canadian Rockies and the adjacent plains in northeastern British Columbia and west-central Alberta. Its strata include natural gas reservoirs and minor coal deposits. Fossil dinosaur tracks have been described from one of its formations.
The Monteith Formation is a geologic formation of Early Cretaceous (Valanginian) age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin that consists primarily of sandstone. It is present in the northern foothills of the Canadian Rockies and the adjacent plains in northeastern British Columbia and west-central Alberta.
The Boulder Creek Formation is a geologic formation in northeastern British Columbia. It was named for a tributary to Commotion Creek in the Pine Pass area by E.M. Spieker in 1921. At one time considered to be a member of the Commotion Formation, it was elevated to formation status by D.F. Stott in 1982.
The geology of Alberta encompasses parts of the Canadian Rockies and thick sedimentary sequences, bearing coal, oil and natural gas, atop complex Precambrian crystalline basement rock.