The Jurassic Fernie group in the Canadian Rocky Mountains and foothills

208 Pages·1957·16.512 MB·English

by  Frebold H.

CANADA
DEPARTMENT OF MINES AND TECHNICAL SURVEYS
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA
MEMOIR 287
THE JURASSIC FERNIE GROUP
IN THE
CANADIAN ROCKY MOUNTAINS
AND FOOTHILLS
By
Hans Frebold
EDMOND CLOUTIER, C.M.G., O.A., D.S.P.
QUEEN'S PRINTER AND CONTROLLER OF STATIONERY
OTTAWA, 1957
Price $2.75 No. 2531
CANADA
DEPARTMENT OF MINES AND TECHNICAL SURVEYS
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA
MEMOIR 287
THE JURASSIC FERNIE GROUP
IN THE
CANADIAN ROCKY MOUNTAINS
AND FOOTHILLS
By
Hans Frebold
Issued March, 1957
EDMOND CLOUTIER, C.M.G., O.A., D.S.P.
QUEEN'S PRINTER AND CONTROLLER OF STATIONERY
OTTAWA, 19S7
Price, $2.75 No. 2531
3,500—1957—894
CONTENTS
PAGE
Preface vii
CHAPTER I
Introduction 1
Summary of conclusions 2
CHAPTER II
Regional stratigraphy and palœogeography S
The lower Fernie 5
Sinemurian 7
Toarcian 9
The middle Fernie 12
Middle Bajocian 13
Bathonian 1&
The upper Fernie 18
Lower Callovian 19
Lower Oxfordian 27
Upper Oxfordian, Kimmeridgian, and Lower Portlandian.. 32
Upper Portlandian 35
Remarks on Correlation Chart 36
General palaeogeographic conclusions 37
Previous views 37
Jurozephyria 39
The Rocky Mountain Trough 41
The Fernie Sea 42
Plains of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba 43
CHAPTER III
Systematic description of index fossils 45
Ammonoidea 45
Genus Arnioceras Hyatt 45
Genus Coeloceras Hyatt 46
iii
iv
CHAPTER III—Continued
PAGE
Genus Dactylioceras Hyatt 46
Genus Harpoceras Waagen em. Haug 47
Genus Hammatoceras Hyatt em. Haug 47
Genus Sonninia Bayle 47
Genus Stephanoceras Waagen 49
Genus Stemmatoceras Mascke 50
Genus Teloceras Mascke 51
Genus Zemistephanus McLearn 52
Genus Chondroceras Mascke 53
Genus Oppelia Waagen 54
Genus Lilloettia Crickmay 56
Remarks on Miccocephalites, Meiacephalites, and
Paracephaliles Buckman 57
Genus Xenocephalites Spath 58
Genus Arcticoceras Spath 59
Genus Cadoceras Fischer 60
Genus Cardioceras Neumayr et Uhlig 62
Genus Kepplerites Neumayr 63
Genus Procerites Siemiradzki 65
"Genus" Titanites Buckman 66
Pelecypoda 67
Oxytoma cygnipes Phillips 67
Aucella ex gr. bronni Rouiller 68
Gastropoda 68
"Turbo" ferniensis n. sp 68
CHAPTER IV
Description of sections 69
CHAPTER V
References 97
Index of fossils 195
ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
Plate I. Lower Jurassic shale on the Fernie-Cranbrook road
6 8 miles south of the bridge in Fernie 107
II. A. Nordegg member; Cadomin railway section 108
B. Lower Jurassic overlying Triassic 1-5 miles west of
Snake Indian River bridge . 108
III. A. Lower Jurassic in Snake Indian Valley Ill
B. Base of Lower Jurassic on the Adanac strip mine road 111
IV. Part of Fernie group in the Cadomin railway section 112
V. Jurassic sequence in Canyon Creek, Moose Mountain
area 115
VI. A. Lower Jurassic sandstones and Lille member; old rail-
way section, south slope of Grassy Mountain 116
B. Fernie group at Livingstone Gap 116
VII. A. Lower and Middle Jurassic, Snake Indian Valley.... 119
B. Lower and Middle Jurassic, Line Creek, Fording River
area 119
VIII. Middle Bajocian Rock Creek member, Fiddle Creek. 120
IX. A. Lower Callovian Gryphaea bed, south slope of Grassy
Mountain 123
B. Upper part of Lower Callovian Corbula munda beds,
south slope of Grassy Mountain 123
X. Upper Jurassic at Daisy Creek Summit 124
XI. A. Fernie group in Alexander Creek 127
B. Lower Callovian Grey beds, Cascade River section
below Bankhead 127
XII. A. Lower Callovian Grey beds, Cascade River section ... 128
B. Lower Callovian Grey beds in Ribbon Creek 128
v
VI
PAGE
XIII. A. Upper Jurassic beds on road from Cadomin to
Mountain Park 131
B. Upper Jurassic beds, Shale Banks, Snake Indian River 131
XIV-XLIV. Illustrations of fossils 132-193
Figure 1. Jurassic localities in Western and Northern Canada.. viii, ix
2. Jurassic localities in the Rocky Mountains and Alberta
Foothills x, xi
Columnar sections showing subdivision and facies
development of the Jurassic in the Canadian
Rocky Mountains and Foothills In pocket
4. Age, subdivision, and correlations of the Fernie group " "
5. Map illustrating regions of marine deposition in
Western and Northern Canada during Jurassic
time 38
PREFACE
The Fernie group, a belt of strata following the Foothills and eastern
parts of the Roçky Mountains, has been studied in some detail and is
known to be of Jurassic age. This report embodies a comprehensive
study of the group along its entire range and includes a detailed systematic
description of its index fauna.
As a result of this study much information has been gained on the
nature, history, and extent of the Jurassic sea and conditions preceding
and following deposition of these strata. This information is of great
importance in the search for oil.
Although the report deals primarily with the Fernie group, other
Jurassic formations to the west are discussed briefly, resulting in con-
siderable modification of previous ideas on the extent of the Jurassic sea
in that direction.
GEORGE HANSON,
Director, Geological Survey of Canada
OTTAWA, October 25, 1955
vii
viii
FIGURE 1.
ix
FIGURE 1. Jurassic localities in Western and Northern Canada. 1, Northwest coast,
Vancouver Island; la, Parson Bay; 2, Queen Charlotte Islands; 3, Southwest Hope
map-area; 4, Harrison Lake area; 5, Ashcroft area; 6, Tyaughton Lake area; 7,
: Whitesail area; 8, Hazelton area; 9, McConnell, Takla, Manson Creek, Fort Fraser
areas; 10, Groundhog area; 11, Lower Stikine and Western Iskut areas; 12, Taku
River area; 13, Dease Lake area, Cassiar District; 14, Salmo area; 15, Southern
! Yukon; 15a, Arctic-Coast; 16, Prince Patrick Island; 17, Cameron Island; 18, Axel
Heiberg Island; 19, Southern plains of Alberta; 20, Southern plains of Saskatchewan;
21, Southern plains of Manitoba. Fernie group localities are shown by ruled pattern.
(See Figure 2.)
x
FIGURE 1.