Outcrops of the La Loche, Contact Rapids, and Keg River Formations (Devonian) on the Clearwater River: Alberta (NTS 74D/9) and Saskatchewan (NTS 74C/12)
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ERCB/AGS Open File Report 2012-20 Outcrops of the La Loche, Contact Rapids, and Keg River Formations (Devonian) on the Clearwater River: Alberta (NTS 74D/9) and Saskatchewan (NTS 74C/12) ERCB/AGS Open File Report 2012-20 Outcrops of the La Loche, Contact Rapids, and Keg River Formations (Devonian) on the Clearwater River: Alberta (NTS 74D/9) and Saskatchewan (NTS 74C/12) C.L. Schneider, M. Grobe, and F.J. Hein Energy Resources Conservation Board Alberta Geological Survey February 2013 ©Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Alberta, 2013 ISBN 978-1-4601-0089-9 Energy Resources Conservation Board/Alberta Geological Survey (ERCB/AGS) and its employees and contractors make no warranty, guarantee or representation, express or implied, or assume any legal liability regarding the correctness, accuracy, completeness or reliability of this publication. Any software supplied with this publication is subject to its licence conditions. Any references to proprietary software in the documentation, and/or any use of proprietary data formats in this release, do not constitute endorsement by ERCB/AGS of any manufacturer's product. If you use information from this publication in other publications or presentations, please acknowledge the ERCB/AGS. We recommend the following reference format: Schneider, C.L., Grobe, M. and Hein, F.J. (2013): Outcrops of the La Loche, Contact Rapids, and Keg River formations (Elk Point Group, Devonian) on the Clearwater River: Alberta (NTS 74D/9) and Saskatchewan (NTS 74C/12); Energy Resources Conservation Board, ERCB/AGS Open File Report 2012-20, 36 p. Published February 2013 by: Energy Resources Conservation Board Alberta Geological Survey 4th Floor, Twin Atria Building 4999 – 98th Avenue Edmonton, AB T6B 2X3 Canada Tel: 780.422.1927 Fax: 780.422.1918 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.ags.gov.ab.ca ERCB/AGS Open File Report 2012-20 (February 2013) • iii Contents Acknowledgements......................................................................................................................................vi Abstract.......................................................................................................................................................vii 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................1 2 Previous Investigation of Outcrops ........................................................................................................4 2.1 La Loche Formation......................................................................................................................4 2.2 Contact Rapids Formation.............................................................................................................4 2.3 Keg River Formation.....................................................................................................................5 3 Current Investigations of the Clearwater River Outcrops: La Loche, Contact Rapids, and Keg River Formations..............................................................................................................................................6 3.1 La Loche Formation, Contact Rapids, Clearwater River (Saskatchewan)....................................7 3.1.1 Locality Description and Access .......................................................................................7 3.1.2 Stratigraphy .......................................................................................................................7 3.1.3 Fossils................................................................................................................................7 3.1.4 Paleoenvironmental Interpretation ....................................................................................7 3.2 Contact Rapids and Keg River Formations, Contact Rapids, Clearwater River (Saskatchewan)11 3.2.1 Locality Description and Access .....................................................................................11 3.2.2 Stratigraphy .....................................................................................................................11 3.2.3 Fossils..............................................................................................................................11 3.2.4 Paleoenvironmental Interpretation ..................................................................................11 3.3 Keg River Formation, Contact Rapids, Clearwater River (Saskatchewan).................................14 3.3.1 Locality Description and Access .....................................................................................14 3.3.2 Stratigraphy .....................................................................................................................14 3.3.3 Fossils..............................................................................................................................14 3.3.4 Paleoenvironmental Interpretation ..................................................................................14 3.4 Keg River Formation, Whitemud Falls, Clearwater River..........................................................20 3.4.1 Locality Description and Access .....................................................................................20 3.4.2 Stratigraphy .....................................................................................................................20 3.4.3 Fossils..............................................................................................................................21 3.4.4 Paleoenvironmental Interpretation ..................................................................................21 3.5 Keg River Formation, Cascade Rapids, Clearwater River ..........................................................28 3.5.1 Locality Description and Access .....................................................................................28 3.5.2 Stratigraphy .....................................................................................................................28 3.5.3 Fossils and Allochems.....................................................................................................28 3.5.4 Paleoenvironmental Interpretation ..................................................................................29 4 Summary ..............................................................................................................................................34 5 References ............................................................................................................................................35 Appendix: Key to Stratigraphic Sections....................................................................................................36 Figures Figure 1. Map of Elk Point Group localities in this report along the Clearwater River................................2 Figure 2. Stratigraphic chart for the Elk Point Group of northeastern Alberta.............................................3 Figure 3. Map of outcrop at Contact Rapids on the Clearwater River in Saskatchewan. .............................8 Figure 4. Outcrop of the La Loche Formation (station 2), observed from the helicopter.............................8 Figure 5. Stratigraphic section of the La Loche Formation at the upper falls of Cascade Rapids, Clearwater River, Saskatchewan (station 1)...............................................................................9 Figure 6. Unit 2 sandstone of the La Loche Formation at the upper falls, Contact Rapids, Clearwater River, Saskatchewan (station 1). ..............................................................................................10 Figure 7. Contact Rapids Formation at Contact Rapids, Clearwater River, Saskatchewan (station 3). .....12 ERCB/AGS Open File Report 2012-20 (February 2013) • iv Figure 8. Stratigraphic column of the Contact Rapids and Keg River formations from Contact Rapids, Clearwater River, Saskatchewan (station 3).............................................................................13 Figure 9. Keg River Formation outcrop at Contact Rapids, Clearwater River, Saskatchewan (station 4)..................................................................................................................................15 Figure 10. Keg River Formation outcrop at Contact Rapids, Clearwater River, Saskatchewan (station 5)..................................................................................................................................15 Figure 11. Keg River Formation at Contact Rapids, Clearwater River, Saskatchewan (station 4). ...........16 Figure 12. Unit 1 of the Keg River Formation at Contact Rapids, Clearwater River, Saskatchewan (station 4)..................................................................................................................................17 Figure 13. Units 2 and 3 of the Keg River Formation at Contact Rapids, Clearwater River, Saskatchewan (station 4). .........................................................................................................18 Figure 14. Chert nodules from unit 3 of the Keg River Formation at Contact Rapids, Clearwater River, Saskatchewan (station 4). ..............................................................................................19 Figure 15. Keg River Formation outcrop on an island in Whitemud Falls, Clearwater River, Alberta......22 Figure 16. Stratigraphic column of the Keg River Formation at Whitemud