Mount Hawk Formation

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Mount Hawk Formation
Stratigraphic range: late Frasnian
Type Formation
Unit of Fairholme Group
Underlies Sassenach Formation, Alexo Formation, or Southesk Formation
Overlies Perdrix Formation or Borsato Formation
ThicknessUp to about 200 m (650 feet) [1]
Lithology
Primary Limestone
Other Shale, mudstone
Location
Coordinates 53°10′00″N117°55′00″W / 53.16667°N 117.91667°W / 53.16667; -117.91667 (Mount Hawk Formation)
RegionFlag of Alberta.svg  Alberta
CountryFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Type section
Named for Hawk Mountain
Named byR. de Wit and D.J. McLaren, 1950. [2]

The Mount Hawk Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Late Devonian (late Frasnian) age. It is present on the western edge of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in the Rocky Mountains and foothills of Alberta. It consists primarily of limestone and mudstone, and was named for Hawk Mountain in Jasper National Park by R. de Wit and D.J. McLaren in 1950. [1] [2]

Contents

The Mount Hawk Formation is fossiliferous and preserves remains of marine animals such as Syringopora and other corals, and brachiopods. [1]

Lithology and deposition

The Mount Hawk Formation was deposited in a marine basin surrounding the carbonate buildups (reefs) of the Southesk Formation. It can be divided into two informal units. The lower unit consists of thin-bedded argillaceous limestone interbedded with calcareous shale. It grades into the upper unit, which consists of thin- to medium-bedded limestone with minor thin interbeds of argillaceous limestone. [1]

Distribution and thickness

The Mount Hawk Formation is recognized in the Rocky Mountains and foothills of Alberta from the Canada-United States border northward to at least the Smoky River area of west-central Alberta, a distance of more than 650 km (400 mi). It ranges in thickness from about 65 to 200 m (210 to 655 ft). [1]

Relationship to other units

The upper and lower boundaries of the Mount Hawk Formation were redefined several times after the formation was first described in 1950. [1] [3] The formation conformably overlies the Perdrix Formation or, in the Crows Nest Pass area, the Borsato Formation. It is overlain by Sassenach Formation. It is laterally equivalent to the reefal carbonate rocks of the Southesk Formation, and in some areas it interfingers with or is overlain by the Southesk. [1] [4]

See also

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The Simla Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Late Devonian age. It is present on the western edge of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in the Rocky Mountains and foothills of west-central Alberta and east-central British Columbia. It consists primarily of carbonate rocks and siltstone, and was named for Mount Simla in northern Jasper National Park by D. J. McLaren and E. W. Mountjoy in 1962.

The Southesk Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Late Devonian age. It is present on the western edge of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in the Rocky Mountains and foothills of Alberta and southeastern British Columbia. It was named for the Southesk River in Jasper National Park by D.J. McLaren in 1955.

The Beaverfoot Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Late Ordovician to Early Silurian (Llandovery) age. It is present on the western edge of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and Alberta, and the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia. It consists of carbonate rocks, and was named for the Beaverfoot Range at Pedley Pass southeast of Golden, British Columbia by L.D. Burling in 1922.

The Fairholme Group is a stratigraphic unit of Late Devonian (Frasnian) age. It is present on the western edge of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in the Rocky Mountains and foothills of Alberta and British Columbia. It was named for the Fairholme Range near Exshaw in the Canadian Rockies by H.H. Beach in 1943.

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The Beattie Peaks Formation is a geologic formation of Early Cretaceous (Valanginian) age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin that consists primarily of marine mudstone. It is present in the northern foothills of the Canadian Rockies and the adjacent plains in northeastern British Columbia.

The Monach 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.

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The Sassenach Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Late Devonian age. It is present on the western edge of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in the Rocky Mountains and foothills of Alberta. It consists primarily of mudstone, siltstone, and silty carbonate rocks, and was named for Mount Sassenach in Jasper National Park by D. J. McLaren and E. W. Mountjoy in 1962.

The Maligne Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Late Devonian (Frasnian) age. It is present on the western edge of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in the Rocky Mountains and foothills of Alberta and British Columbia. It consists primarily of argillaceous limestone and calcareous mudstone, and was named for the Maligne River in Jasper National Park by P.W. Taylor in 1957.

The Borsato Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Late Devonian (Frasnian) age. It is present on the western edge of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in the southern Rocky Mountains of Alberta and British Columbia. It consists of dolomite and was named for Mount Borsato in the Flathead Range near North Kootenay Pass by R.A. Price in 1965.

The Hollebeke Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Late Devonian (Frasnian) age. It is present on the western edge of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in the southern Rocky Mountains of Alberta and British Columbia. It consists of carbonate rocks, and was named for Mount Hollebeke in the Flathead Range near North Kootenay Pass by R.A. Price in 1965.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Glass, D.J. (editor) 1997. Lexicon of Canadian Stratigraphy, vol. 4, Western Canada including eastern British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba, p. 819-821. Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, Calgary, 1423 p. on CD-ROM. ISBN   0-920230-23-7.
  2. 1 2 de Wit, R. and McLaren, D.J. 1950. Devonian sections in the Rocky Mountains between Crowsnest Pass and Jasper, Alberta. Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 50-23.
  3. ↑ McLaren, D.J. 1955. Devonian formations of the Alberta Rocky Mountains between the Bow and Athabasca rivers. Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin 35.
  4. ↑ Alberta Geological Survey. "Alberta Table of Formations, May 2019" (PDF). Alberta Energy Regulator. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
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