SEDIMENTARY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SPRAY RIVER GROUP OF WEST-CENTRAL ALBERTA

• Author / Creator

  Nordheimer, David Campbell

• Triassic lithologies in west-central Alberta are divided into the Sulphur Mountain Formation and Whitehorse Formation of the Spray River Group. The Sulphur Mountain Formation is subdivided into three members: the Vega-Phroso Siltstone, Whistler, and Llama members. The Whitehorse Formation is subdivided into three members: the Starlight Evaporite, Brewster Limestone, and Winnifred members. Analysis of six outcrops in the Willmore Wilderness Park for this study suggests that the Whitehorse Formation was emplaced in an overall progradational system with occasional regressive transgressive deposition.

  From outcrop analysis five facies associations (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) were developed based on fifteen identified facies. The five associations relate to offshore deposits (1), offshore to shoreface (2), ephemeral/lacustrine supratidal (3), aeolian sabkha depositional environments (4), and offshore turbidite deposits (5). Ichnological, biostratigraphic, and chemostratigraphic analyses of outcrop samples were used in delineating the Sulphur Mountain Formation and Whitehorse Formation of the Spray River Group.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • SPRAY
  • SEDIMENTARY
  • TRIASSIC
  • Rivers
  • ALBERTA
  • GROUP

• Graduation date

  Spring 2012

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3307F

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.