- Rundle Group
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Rundle Group
Stratigraphic range: Middle to Late Mississippian
The massive limestone beds form outcrops at the top of Mount RundleType Geological formation Sub-units Debolt, Shunda, Pekisko, Mount Head, Livingstone, Turner Valley, Prophet Underlies Fernie Formation, Belloy Formation Overlies Banff Formation Thickness up to 741 metres (2,430 ft)[1] Lithology Primary Limestone Other Chert Location Named for Mount Rundle Named by R.J.W. Douglas, 1953 Coordinates 51°07′49″N 115°28′40″W / 51.13020°N 115.47765°WCoordinates: 51°07′49″N 115°28′40″W / 51.13020°N 115.47765°W Region Alberta,
British Columbia
Country Canada
The Rundle Group is a stratigraphical unit of Mississippian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
It takes the name from Mount Rundle (itself taking the name from Robert Terrill Rundle), and was first described in outcrops at the northern side of the mountain in Banff National Park by R.J.W. Douglas in 1953.[2]
Contents
Lithology
The Rundle Group consists of massive limestone interbedded with dark argillaceous limestone. Chert nodules are observed in the shaley beds, and crinoids and brachiopods are observed in the clean massive beds.[1] Dolimitization is observed in the Elkton Member of the Turner Valley Formation.
Distribution
The Rundle Group reaches a maximum thickness of 741 feet (230 m) at Tunnel Mountain. It thins out toward east and north and is completely eroded or absent in east central and only the lower part occurs in southern Alberta.[1]
Relationship to other units
The Rundle Group is disconformably overlain by the Rocky Mountain Formation in the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies and by the Fernie Formation in the foothills and by Cretaceous beds in the prairies. It conformably overlies the Banff Formation.[1]
The Rundle Group can be correlated with the Mission Canyon Formation in southern Saskatchewan, northeastern Montana and North Dakota.
Subdivisions
The Rundle Group comprises the Mount Head Formation and Livingstone Formation in the Rocky Mountains; by the Turner Valley Formation, Shunda Formation and Pekisko Formation in the foothills and plains. It is equivalent to the Debolt Formation and Prophet Formation in north-eastern British Columbia and west-northern Alberta.[1] Debolt, Shunda and Pekisko Formations are staked in the Fort Nelson area.
Canadian Rockies
Sub-unit Age Lithology Max.
ThicknessReference Mount Head Formation Visean Wileman Member - silty dolomite
Baril Member - ooid grainstone, dolomite
Salter Member - dolomite, boundstone and wackestone, ooid grainstone, anhydritechert
Loomis Member - massive grainstone
Marston Member - microcrystalline dolomite, boundstone, breccia, ooid limestone, shale, marlstone
Opal Member - grainstone, subordinate marlstone, chert packstone and wackestone, shale, marlstone, breccia
Carnarvon Member - wackestone to packstone, shale interbeds7.6 m (20 ft)
39 m (130 ft)
67 m (220 ft)
101 m (330 ft)
68 m (220 ft)
161 m (530 ft)
90 m (300 ft)[3] Livingstone Formation Tournaisian to Visean crinoidal limestone, massive limestone, thin argillaceous limestone beds, dolomite 452 m (1,480 ft) [4] Foothills and plains
Sub-unit Age Lithology Max.
ThicknessReference Turner Valley Formation Visean crinoidal limestone and crystalline dolomite; two porous intervals are separated by a middle tight unit; diagenetically dolomitized in west southern Alberta; Lower porous zone is defined as Elkton Member 110 m (360 ft) [5] Shunda Formation Tournaisian to Visean argillaceous limestone and dolomite, siltstone, sandstone, shale, breccia, anhydrite 122 m (400 ft) [6] Pekisko Formation Tournaisian Upper Pekisko - lithographic limestone
Lower Pekisko - massive crinoidal limestone134 m (440 ft) [7] Deep basin
Sub-unit Age Lithology Max.
ThicknessReference Debolt Formation Meramecian Upper Debolt - crystalline dolomite, anhydrite, micritic limestone
Lower Debolt - cherty bioclastic (crinoidal) limestone, argillaceous in the north366 m (1,200 ft) [8] Prophet Formation middle Tournaisian to late Visean chert, skeletal to ooid limestone, shale, marlstone, dolostone 760 m (2,490 ft) [9] References
- ^ a b c d e Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Rundle Group". http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:013065. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
- ^ Douglas, R.J.W., 1953b. Carboniferous stratigraphy in the southern Foothills of Alberta; Alberta Soc. Petrol. Geol., 3rd Ann. Field Conf. Guidebook, p. 66-88.
- ^ Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Mount Head Formation". http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:010227. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
- ^ Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Livingstone Formation". http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:008601. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
- ^ Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Turner Valley Formation". http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:015517. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
- ^ Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Shunda Formation". http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:013726. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
- ^ Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Pekisko Formation". http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:011645. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
- ^ Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Debolt Formation". http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:003842. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
- ^ Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Prophet Formation". http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:012238. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin Hydrocarbon history Depositional Regions Southern Alberta · Central Alberta · Northwestern Alberta Plains · South-central Canadian Rockies foothills · North-east Plains · North-central foothills · Liard River · Fort Nelson · Northern Rocky Mountains · Fort St. John · Saskatchewan · Western ManitobaNorthwest Plains Paskapoo FM · Scollard FM · Wapiti GRP · Smoky GRP (Puskwaskau FM · Badheart FM · Muskiki FM · Cardium FM · Kaskapau FM · Pouce Coupe MBR · Doe Creek MBR) · Dunvegan FM · Fort St. John GRP (Shaftesbury FM · Peace River FM · Spirit River FM) · Bullhead GRP (Bluesky FM · Gething FM · Cadomin FM) · Nikanassin FM · Fernie GRP (Rock Creek MBR · Poker Chip Shale · Nordegg MBR) · Schooler Creek GRP (Baldonnel FM · Charlie Lake FM · Halfway FM) · Doig FM · Montney FM · Belloy FM · Stoddart GRP (Taylor Flat FM · Kiskatinaw FM · Golata FM) · Rundle GRP (Debolt FM · Shunda FM · Pekisko FM) · Banff FM · Exshaw FM · Wabamun FM · Trout River FM · Kakisa FM · Redknife FM (Jean Marie MBR) · Woodbend GRP (Irteton FM · Fort Simpson FM · Leduc FM) · Beaverhill Lake GRP (Waterways FM · Swan Hills FM · Fort Vermilion FM) · Elk Point GRP (Watt Mountain FM · Gillwood MBR · Presqu’ile FM · Sulphur Point FM · Pine Point FM · Muskeg FM · Zama MBR · Black Shale · Keg River FM · Rainbow MBR · Chinchaga FM · Cold Lake FM · Ernestina FM · Basal Red Beds · Granite Wash) · Canadian ShieldSouthern Alberta Plains Cypress Hills FM · Porcupine Hills FM · Ravenscrag FM · Edmonton GRP · Belly River GRP · Oldman FM · Foremost FM · Pakowki FM · Milk River FM · Colorado GRP · Mannville GRP · Ellis GRP (Swift FM · Rierdon FM · Sawtooth FM) · Rundle GRP · Banff FM · Exshaw FM · Bakken FM · Wabamun FM · Crowfoot FM · Nisku FM · Ireton FM · Leduc FM · Cooking Lake FM · Beaverhill Lake GRP · Elk Point GRP · Canadian ShieldCategories:- Stratigraphy of Alberta
- Stratigraphy of British Columbia
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