; : t

QE681
ISJ.C '"7 ~
-1982 \ ..,

CIRCUM-PACIFIC JURASSIC RESEARCH GROUP

l.G.C.P . #171

a guidebook to the Fernie Formation

of
southern Alberta and British Columbia

LIBRARY

SEP 2 1 1982
CALGARY
lNST. SEDIMENTARY 5
PETROLEUM GEOLOGY

prepared by

Ru sse ll L. Hall
University of Calgary
and

Nicholas J. Stronach
Texaco Research Lab, Calgary

for the
FIRST FIELD CONFERENCE
CALGARY, ALBERTA
August 9- 14, 1982

",
•••
 ,

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I. INTRODUCTION: THE FERNIE FORMATION

History of the Name 1
Lithology 3
Relation to other Units 3
Palinspastic Restoration 3
Biostratigraphy 5
Sedimentary Facies
I Sedimentary Cyclicity
Paleogeography
5
8
10
Acknowledgements 10
I DESCRIPTION OF LITHOSTRATIGRAPHIC UNITS IN THE
FERNIE FORMATION
I Nordegg Member
Oxytoma Bed
11
11
Red Deer Member
I Poker Chip Shale
Lille Hember
11
11
12
Rock Creek Member 12
I Highwood Member
Pigeon Creek Hember
14
14
CorbuZa munda Beds 15

I GrYphaea . Bed
Grey Beds
Ribbon Cr eek Hember
15
16
16
Green Beds 17
I Passage Beds 18

PART II. ROAD LOG

I Day I (Rock Creek, Carbondale River)
Day 2 (Fordin g Riv er . Grassy Mountain)
19
20

I Day 3 (Bigho rn Creek, Wi llson Creek)

Day 4 (Ribbon Creek. Banff t r affic circle)
21
22

PART III . DESCRIPTION OF SECTIONS

Rock Creek 27
Carbondale River 30
Fording River 32
Grassy Mountain 35
Bighorn Creek 37
Willson Creek 40
Ribbon Creek 42
Banff t r affic circle 44

Bibliog r aphy 46
,..
Plates I - 10

i
2
2 46 02 4 6 8 1012

WA PIABI

CA RDI UM

LI VI NGSTONE
COLE MAN
BlAIRMORE DYSON lllOUNTA1N
BEAR CREEK AND
[THERINGTON CR
THRUSTS

'UNIT NOT
PRESENT

1-- --, , .,
BANff "
"
AL L FA UL T S IN FIVE MEDI UM SI ZE "" . "
MOOSE MOU NTAIN FAULTS EA CH 50
AREA TO 100 M IL E S LON G

l a o Fault preference versus stratigraphy

for Foothills and Front Ranges thrusts,
gi ving relative measure of tendency of ------.-
fault s to gather preferentiall y in ---.-
1b, ' Isopach map (in feet) for total
spec ifi c units (Dahl strom, 1970) Jurass i c (McCrossan and Glaister.

I
I

1c. Paleogeographic map, Lower and Middle

Ju rassic (162-195 m.y.) (Ziegler, 1969)

FIGURE 1.

I
 UA _Ii A&4

,
I 3

I Commonly- used subdivisions of the Fernie Formation which are

briefly discussed below are (from bottom to top, approxi mately) : Nordegg Membes
Oxytoma Bed , Red Deer Member, Poker Chip Shale, Lille Member. Rock
Creek Member. Pigeon Creek Member, CorbulA munda Beds, Gryphaea
I Bed , Grey Beds, Green B~ds, Passage Beds. Several intervals -in the
Fernie cannot be included in any of the above subd ivisions.
Whil e the type area for the Formation is around Fernie in south-
I east British Co lumbia, no specific locality was designated as a type
section ; in fact we know of no single section in which all units

•I
within the Fernie Formation are exposed .

Lithology

Predominantly brownish, medium- to dark-grey and black shales;

some massive with conchoidal fractu r e , ot hers laminated and highly
fractured, or papery; recessive . Interbedded units include dark
phosphatic sandstones and limestones and black cherty limestones in
I the lower parts ; resistant, well- bedded siltstones, sandstones and
black oolitic limestones, fossil shell accumulations and concretionary
bands in the middle parts; and in the upper parts glauconitic sands,

I concretionary bands and brown-weather ing siltstones and sandstones.

Relat i on to other units

I In more wester l y sections the Fernie Formation r ests disconformably

on Triassic units (Pardonet Formation in the north, Spray River Group
elsewhere); farther east it unconformably over lies Paleozoic units. A
I significant hiatus is indicated during which erosion of Triassic strata
occurred. The base of the Fernie Formation often consists of a chert/
phosphatic pebble conglomerate or a layer of shell debris . The oldest

I dated Fernie strata in central and southern parts of the Rockies are
of Sinemurian age, rocks belonging to the basal Hettangian stage being
unknown; recently, Hettangian ammonites from the lowermost Fernie have
been reported i n northeastern British Columbia (Tozer, 19 82).
11 The "Passage Beds" , representing the uppermost unit of the Fernie.
are overlain conformably by the Weary Ridge Member of the Morrissey
Formation (Kootenay Group) in southern a r eas ; Gib son (1977) has placed
this contact at the base of the first continuous sandstone devoid of the
interbedded siltstones and shales which typify th e underlying "Passage
beds" of the Fern i e Formation. A similar relationship exists between
the "Passage Beds" and overlying Nikanassin Formation in the Foothills
of central- northern Alberta and also in northeastern Br i tish Columbia
with the overl ying Monteith Formation (Minnes Gr oup).
Palinspastic Restoration
Because of the extent of eastwardly-directed t hr usting which has
occurred in the Foothil l s and Front Ranges of the Rocky Mountains, any
discussions of depositional envir onments , paleogeography and paleoecology '1
must involve reconstructions in which present-day outcrops a r e res t ored to
their approximate site of depos it ion farther west. Figure 2 shows such
a re;s toration (from Stronach, 1981) .
..". -..
4

I
.5
06 I
•
C a lg ar y .
•J
08
•
1. Rock Creek
•
•
07
2. Carbonda l e River
3. Ford i ng River

•
4. Grassy Mountain
5. Bighorn Creek
6. Wi 1150n Creek
7. Ri bbon Creek
8. Banff traffic circle

.3

.4
Blairmore • • 1

Fernie.
03 04 01

02

-- -CANADA
---- ---------"
U.S.A.

FIGURE 2
, Palinspastic map with present-day (. ) and pre- orogen i c (0) positi on s of
Fern i e local i ties and leading edges of major thrusts s uperimposed on
present- day posit i ons of towns and politica l boundaries . ~1od;f ; ed after
Ball y et al. (1966) and Stronach (1981) .

I
I 5

I Biostratigraphy
As noted by Frebold (1957). although the Fernie Formation spans
nearly all of Jurassic time , it represents an incomplete depositional

I record for the Period, in that faunas equivalent to many of the Standard
Zones of western Europe are missing . While more recent work by Frebold
and others has filled in many of th ese " faunal gaps" , quite a few Zones
are still not represented in the Fernie (Table I).
I One of the factors contributing to the apparent lack of faunas of
certain ages was the development, beginning in Late Bajocian time and
extending through at least the entire Bathonian , of an East Pacific realm

I in the ammonites , with the appearance OL many endemic genera. Thus it has
become necessary to establish local ammonite zonal schemes applicable to
western North American sequences; correlation with the European Standard

I Zones is still being worked out for many such l ocal zones.
Establishment of good ammonite faunal sequences and distributions in
f ormations such as the Fernie has also become important for comparisons
with coeval faunas on the accreted terrains which comprise most of the
I Cordillera farther west. As re cent ly demonstrated by Tipper (1981),
northward displacement of faunal boundaries and distributions within these
terrains can provide important s uppo rting evidence for their allochthonous

I or1g1ns . To achieve this, comparisons need to be made with faunas in the

cratonically-derived sequences, such as the Fernie , which have remained
in relatively fixed positions.

I Sedimentary Facies
Sediments of the Fernie Formation have often been dismissed as uniform
dark shale; however, in detail they show a wide range of sedimentary facies
I deposited in a number of settings . Much of the Fernie Fcrmation is composed
of fine-grained mudstones which lack the grain-size variation and conspicuous
sedimentary structures up on which interpretation of coarser, sandy facies is

I based. Consequently, investigation is necessarily of a more multidi sciplin -

ary nature . Macro - and micropaleontological data, along with measurements
of the organic carbon content of the sediment, proved to be the most useful

I additional r esources in this particular study and allowed the categorisation

of the sediments i n to eleven depositional facies (Plate II) .
The most sign ificant observed correla t ion is that between th e organic
carbon content of the sediment and the associated body and trace fo ssil
I assemblages. It is interpreted that the degree of oxygenation of the
bottom waters had a profound influence on the nature of the muddy sediments .
Mudstones can be classified as "anaerobic" , " dysaerobic " or "aerobic "

I (Rhoads and Mo r se, 1971) depending on the oxygen content of the water.
Anaerobic sediments show maximum preservation of organic carbon with
minimum biological activity . Fauna is mainly rest ri c t ed t o plankton, with
Bositra and Discinisca being the only benthic macrofossils , forms apparently
1 specialised t o this type of extreme environment . Aerobic conditions, on
· the other hand, led to a fully diverse benthic microfauna, preserved
burrows and local concentrations of shelly benthos. As a result of hi gh
1 biological activity, organic carbon contents are low and the shales are
light greenish-grey or brownish- grey in color . Dysaerobic sediments are
intermediat e in their organic carbon content and show macrofauna only

I rarely; microfauna is l ow in diversity and is re str icted to agglutinated

fora~!Qifera . In present-day oceans, the boundaries between these three
zones ar.e placed at 0 . 1 and l.Oml of oxygen per litre of water ; the se

I values may not have necessarily applied to Jurassic seas.

In general terms, the three- fold classification of mudstone facies

" is related to the depth of dep osit ion . Anaerobic sediments occur in the
 FERNIE AMMONITE FAUNAS FERNIE
STAGE ZONE UN I TS

TITHONIAN
H
r

Passage
KIMMERIDGI AN Beds
Buchia concentriaa, Amoeboceras
Pseudoco rdata
De c ipien s
Cau s tinigr ae ~reen Bed s
OXFORDIAN
Pli ca tilis
Cor da tum Cardioceras (Scarburgiceros) a lphaco!'datwn~
Mariae C. mountjoyi, Goliathiceras c f. CI'Qss'Wn" Cryphaea nebrascensis
ibbon
Cr eek
Lamber ti . Member
Athle t a
CALLOVIAN Corona tum
Ja son
Calloviense
Macrocephalus Im Zayoceras miettense
KepplePites cf . tychonis" Iniskini tea intermedius , prey Beds
Di scu s
Aspidoides
Rec t ecos tat um
BATHONIAN Morri ss ! ~arrenoceras henryi, W. imZayi, W. rierdonense J Cobbanites engleri pl'yphaea
Subcontrac t us P4rareineckeia shelikofana, Cobbanites talkeetnanus Bed
Progr acilis Paracephalites gLabrescens J P. hashimotoi, P. metastatu8 ~Ol'bula
Zigzag Cranocephalitea coatidensus pnmda Beds

Pa r kinson!
Garantiana
Subfurcat um Negaaphaeroaera8 rotundum~ Spiroceras orbignyi 3 stephanocerati ds ighwood
BAJOCI AN Humph r iesianum Chondroceraa obZatum, ·C. allani~ Stephanoceras itinaae~ TeZoceras Membe r
Sauzei cJ"iakmayi ; ArkelZoaeraa mclearni
Laeviuscula Rock Cr eek '
Ovalis Sonninia gracili8, S . modesta 3 ?Pe Zekodi tea, ?Wi tche llia
Member
Disci tes
-- '.~ -

- - - -
 STAGE ZONE FERNIE AMMONI TE FAUNAS FERNIE
UNITS

Con cavum
Murchi sonae
AALENIAN Sci ssum
Opalinum
,
<-
Levesque i
Thouar sense ?Granrnoceras
Variabilis Phymatoceras .. Haugiaaf f . navis .. H. aff . illustris .. 7Brodieia lPoke r
TOARCI AN ?Peronoceras
BHrons Chip
Fa!cife r Harpoceras exaratwn .. H. cf . f'alcifer .. DactyZioceras co17Ut1Wle,
Shale
Tenuicostatum Hildaites cf . serpintinum, Orthodactylites .. ?Whitbyiceras

Spina t um ed Deer
Margaritatus Amaltheu8 stokesi, A. d. gibbo8uS Member
PLIENSBACHIAN Davoei
I bex
J amesoni ,
Phricodocer as cf. taylori

Rar i cos tatum Eoderooceras, Gleviceras, ?Crucilobicerci.s

Oxynotum
Obtusum ?Epophioceras nnamed
SI NEMURIAN Turneri basal unit
Semicostatum Arnioceraa .. Arniotites
Bucklandi

Angulata
HETTANGIAN Liasicus
Planorbis PBiloceras CPanaphylloceras) calliphyllum
8
I
deepest water where a lack of wave or current induced circulation impedes
oxygen diffusion . However, they appear to occur in two distinct settings .
In the Poker Chip Shale. they form a widespread "blanket" facies (seen I
at Fording River , Rock Creek and Bighorn Creek in the extreme south and
north of the area) which passes very rapidly into the higher energy facies
of the Rock Creek Member. The contact is well exposed at Rock Creek itself.
In contrast, examples of organic enriched sed i ment higher in the sequence,
I
in the lower Highwood Member, are very localised in their distribution,
notably in the northwestern part of the area around the Kananaskis
Provincial Park . This facies also occurs to a limited extent in the
I
lower Highwood Member at Rock Creek. In both cases , the organic rich
sha l es are separated from , sands in the CorbuLa munda Beds by a thick ,
dysaerobic shale sequence . The Poker Chip Shale accumulated on a broad, I
shallow shelf, where circulation was damped at the edge, allowing the
development of stagnant conditions in the shelf interior (Hallam, 1967) .
In the Highwood Member , deposition took place in much deeper water and
oxygen depletion resulted from a gradual decline in circulation with
I
depth .
Sandstones occur in the Rock Creek Member, the lower Highwood
Member (at Willson Creek) , the Pigeon Creek Member and the upper Passage
I
Beds . In contrast to the Pigeon Creek Member and Passage Beds, which are
composed of episodically deposited, interbedded sands and shales , the
ear lier units consist of more massive , continuously 'reworked sands . I
Grading , partial Bouma sequences , or beds with a hummocky-cross stratified
base passing up int o a ripple laminated top , imply a storm or ~ediment
gravity flow o r igin for the sands of the Pigeon Creek Member and Passage
Beds . The Rock Creek Member and Highwood Member sandstones were possibly
1
sheets swept onto the shelf and reworked by tidal currents, although
locally bioturbation obscures original depositional structures in the
latter . No well-preserved exampl es of shoreline sands are to be found
in outcrop.

Sedimentary Cyclicity
Sedimentary facies are not distributed at random but are ar r anged
in five cycles, during eac~ of which a gradual shallowing of depositional 1
conditions took place . In genera l terms , anaerobic mudstones pass up
into aerobic mudstones and sandstones . Each cycle r epresents a gradual
regression ; the transgressive phases are marked by a cessation or a
slowing of sedimentation . Thus, each cycle top consists of a condensed
bed (facies K) which shows faunal concentrat ion relative to the rest of
the sequence and early diagenetic modifications, notably phosphate or
berthierine formation and early calcite cementation . Sedimentar y facies
deepen abruptly at the base of the overlying cycle . Cyclicity can be
attributed to sudden eustatic sea level rises and/or increments of.
subsidence with sediment progradation in the intervening " s tillstand" .
Cycle I encompasses the Poker Chip Shale and the Rock Creek Member .
A pebbly phosphate bed with bivalve and belemnite moulds can be seen '
at its top at Rock Creek. Cycle 2 i s thin and consists of a complex of
facies at the base of the Highwood Member. It culminates in the regional
faunal concentration of the Bajocian Limestone . The rest of the Highwood
Member passes up into shallow water sediment of the Corbula munda Beds
to form the third sedimentary cycle . It is in this transition that the
f ull r ange of anaerobic to aerobic conditions is represented, best seen
in che area of Kananaskis Park . In the south, cycle 3 is terminated
by the Gryphaea Bed , similar to the Bajocian Limestone at the top of
Cycle 2; to the north, however, the cycle ' s top cannot be recognised
in the Pigeon Creek Member (e.g. at Ribbon Creek), nor to the southwest
in the Grey Beds (e.g. at Fording River). Cycle 4 consists of the
- - --- ---------
rACIES !.I ntOI.OGY 'v.CllOrAt~A mCRO(ALO:;A ORG. C SEDIMEKTAR\' STRUCnrnr. DErO~lTiOSM. tNVIRO~"IE:NT
..,
. ,
•
I~
Dark guy-bhc k
<
0-
Drs_nle- r lch
shalea dhy ahllu.
hdlohd .
Sparse .,,~. I"';'" Pl · ~Y-"·r.,ry duvall"
Rat. II l'azln.l t. &l1,
BaBin o r _he l! .. lth \ 0"
ci r eul.tlnn. An ae r obic Poker Chip S 'T~~:~r ,
Lo" "r HI"h""od II
~
0
""c. calcaucua 'ou... I ~:rt o f Ribbon

H
H • Rutrlcted
ahd n
Dens~_ 8 r~: , aU oy
. hd ... .
hl_nite.
~"
AR~lutlnned
fo r ..., • • La" I'· ';'-' cluva~ • Disul muddy s hdf - ?110" • .
Dy ner-obl e
Upper H1~hvood
Pa n of Ribbon Cr uk
or slderltlc " diversi t y. l1nobe r.
"oncretions
"•
00
0
, Ullht grey Ll~ht ~r .. y - grey A~,lut1nn.d
I"'· " Iluddy .hd f. Dyuuoble Cray Be d.
~' ''". .
uttricted .tl ey aha l ••. f eu • • . LOw
"". I ,." 1 :;;;;
slldu
I>,',. elle . dl"ut1ty.

,,
'd
~

0". 1 ' '"." ." ' ,,

I D~~k grey -guy
,Uty , h.l u. , I;;;;'
I' ·H. I~UddY ~~el f. V. r hbly B~ u l Hlgtr...:.od l1e.. b"r

"
0
,
U ... nlt lc. Local
bentonlU.I .

'"
00
Cr un·brawn
.hale a
Lith . 8ftr,re"n· IIdelllnilu
brown 'luI l e~. ahe l: OyHer. f<>U_<~IBt I'·'~'·'
Sh.lu blot urb.ad .
Conc retloM bond.
Inuddy
I pRrt
ahe;:~~~erobIC. Pr oxl_al Corbul. _ undo Beds

•p. InaTbed. o f
hu l, . od nnd .
Nuculid l
Vene r Id .
dhe ... l t y . S. nd. ,,, .. Ilel
,
., . " ept a t o ....· '.eneut ed .
turr ent • .
~.
0 , ln t e rbedd.d Paull,,\ 8,,1"lInl ..,.
I',';',' ~.ndl . rlpplt IShelf or 11 ope . " ept by no .. • I'I"eon Cu" k Hnober
for •• ' :~~~lIt I ~i::~·t ed o r .edillen t ~ ..vlty
"•
~
t r ey nnds . nd
• hale.
o f jlu y Hn e .
I :~ ~~: tone .nd
shal e • .
dive r .!n • I::,;' ... h. " . , " . Aerobic.

'"" , Interbedded
b r Olom u nd .
P.. alld
of brOlom f lne _ ed
None
f" ...... . I'" I::'" . d,,,_ "-,,->.,,•.
1
. curr,n.. · ;~~ -
P.... ~ e Bed .

•'"n a nd I hd u nnd .. on. and dl ve ra1<y. n dl .. " nt "uvHy flo" • .

0 ". s U ty .halu.

I ,"' _b" !S~ndy

00 II erey sandstone Thinly bedded
fine quor u on I'''' Non.
Ig:~;' , he! f r....,rked by hldal Rock Cruk He mber

s andstone . """
,
I" ,-" E ..
Bloturb~ted Light &"~y fin e 1'00oe Agglutlnn.d Sandy shelf wi th low e oernl Bua! Hi ~h...,od H_bn.
nnd ..one
! sl1tstone • . "'Occ .
fo ...... Lo ..
dlverd.y. ,
, ,
udl.. entn l on uu . Aerob i c. 018[11 Rock Cruk
11~ ,.bcr

, Cu"n
and , t lt s tones
Berth1trln.. ~ r l.ch
und l t onel Ind
Bele.. nl ... s
C... r op"".
1'l Inor
aulutin.ted
I,·'·" She lf p. rtl.lly s t . rv ed o f
sedillent. lIyunoblc · . uob!c.
Cree n Bed s

I h.lu. Bivalves f ora. , .

I ~!!~:

K Cond .m Ud. ~h"ll

concen trat ion s
DeM e Ihelly

..,
llllcs ton". Local
Diverse
...lluICI O
hu na .
Unknown
,
1'·'=""
~
Sh,,1f U l rv"d of udlJol! nt
.11o " ln~ prolific hund
colon h' t lon Ind .Arl y
::::>::.':~
10

•
•
Ribbon Creek Member and the Green Beds and is best seen in the so utheast
of the a r ea at Carbondale River . The Green Beds are an anomalously
thick , although sparsely fossiliferous , berthierine- rich, condensed

•,
unit . The Passage Beds make up Cycle 5 , consisting of a thick, regressive
sequence of sands and shales which culminates in the shore line facies
at the base of the overlying Kootenay Group .

( Paleogeography
During the early Jurassic, sediment was swept from the southeast
across a shallow shelf t o form the Poker Chip Shale and Rock Creek
Member . During deposition of the Bajocian Limestone, however, the
northwestern part of the area was deepened substantially and a marked
distinction between shelf (CorbuLa munda Beds) and basin (upper High-
wood Member) arose in Cycle 3 . Sediment input was still largely from the
southeast . During the l ater part of Cycle 3 two westerly sediment
influxes were initiated by the first phases of uplift in what is now
south-central British Columbia : the Grey Beds in the southwest of the
area and the Pigeon Creek Member in the northwest. Thus , quartzarenites
characterise the Rock Creek Member, de r ived from mature sour ce areas
on low-lying l and to the east, whereas sands more variable in composition
occur in the later units. Chert and possibly metamorphic and volcanic
clasts have been recognised. Basin infilling by the Passage Beds took
place largely from the south and southwest (Hamblin and Walker, 1979) .

Acknowledgements
Gratitude is expresse~ ,to Michele Braun for assisting with some
of the typing and Rick Larush for assistance with the illustrations.
R. G. Blackadar, Geological Survey of Canada , Ottawa, gave permissi?n
to re-publish photographs from G.S.C. publications and provided some
copies free of charge. Part of the costs of this guidebook were
provided from a Conference Grant from the University of Calgary .
 11
I
I DESCRIPTION OF LITHOSTRATIGRAPHIC UNITS

IN THE FERNIE FORMATION

I
1. Nordegg Member. Sinemurian. This unit is not further discussed
I as it will not be seen on this fleldtrip .

2. Oxytoma bed. Sinemurian . This unit i s not further discussed as

I 3.
it will not be seen on this fieldtrip .

Red Deer Member. Pliensbachian.

I Author : H. Frebolrl , 1969 .

Type Lo cality : Above t he falls on Bighorn Creek, north of the Red
Deer River , Ya-Ha - Tinda Ranch . Locality 5 of this fieldtrip.
I Lithology : Predominantly dark grey to black shal e with thin , platy,
dark grey to black limestones , 1-2 em thick and containing

I rich bivalve faunas at a few hor izons.

Thickness and Distribution: Only known immeaiately to north and south
of Red Deer River; between 7 and 8 . 2 m thick in Bighorn and
I Wigmo r e Creeks . Yields distinct i ve fauna of ammonites
(Amaltheus) ~ belemnites and bivalves with some crinoid and
fish r emains .

I Relation to other Uni ts: Overlies several units of differing age: at

Limestone Mountain , the Oxytoma Bed (Lower Sinemurian); in
Bighorn Creek, beds with Lower Sinemurian arietitid ammonites ;

I in Wigmore Creek, shales of Upper Sinemurian age . The contact

with the overlying Poker Chip Shale is nowhere exposed.

Fauna and Age: AmaltheuB Btoke8i~ A. cf . gibbosus~ other smoo th

I amaltheids , aptychi , Atl'aatites cf. wittei J bivalves , crinoids
and fish remains. Late Pliensba~hian, zone of Amaltheus
margari tatus .
I 4. Poker Chip Shale . Toarcian .

I Author: J. Spivak , 1949 .

Type Locality: Based on wells in the Tur ner Valley a r ea .

Lithology : Black , fissile , calcareous shales weathering to thin, papery

sheets . Thin, hard, cemented units with abundant impressions
of ammoni tes (Harpoc.e ras ~ Daaty l iocera;) J b ivaI ves (Bosi tra)
I and inarticulate brachi opods . Quartz crystal aggregates and
small pyrite cubes at some horizons .

I Thickness and Distribution : Although a

crop throughout the Foothills
northeas tern and sout heastern
recessive unit , occurs in out-
and Front Ranges of Alberta ,
British Columbia. Total thick-
ness varies from a minimum of 10- 11 m at Rock Creek near Frank
I
I
12
•
•
and Canyon Creek, Moose Mountain area up to 38 m in Morris
Creek and Fiddle River north of Ja sper . I dentif ied in the
subs ur face of the eastern Foothills wher e it is said t o

.'
r ange in t hickness from 1 . 8 to 14 . 4 m; pinches o ut eastwar d
in southern Alberta by onlap ove ~ Mississippian carbona t es .

Relation to other Units : Rests conformably on older Pliensbachian or

Sinemurian st rat a of the basal Fernie (Fo r ding River, Bighorn
Creek) or forms the basal unit of the Fer ni e , resting directly
and un conforma bly on Tr iassic or Paleozoic sediments (Morris
•
•
Cr eek and Fiddle River in Jasper Park a nd Canyon Cr eek in
Moose Mouritain area). This unit is not a l ateral equivalent of
the Nordegg Member as sugges t ed by Spivak (1949 ) .

Fauna and Age : Barpoaeras cf. exaratum, Daatylioaeras aff . commune,

?Phymatoceras , Baugia, ?Grammoceras, Phlyseogrammoceras, Bolcobelus,
Bositra, ap tychi. Early , Middle and Late Toarcian all part- •
ia lly r ep resented.

•
•
5. Lille Member ?Bajocian

Author: F . H. McLearn, 1927 .

Type Locality : Foot of the southern slope of Gr assy Mountain, 7km north
of Blairmore; g rid r eference 861051, Blairmore 1 : 50 ,000 t opo-
graphic sheet. 82 G/9 . Locality 4 of this fieldtrip .
•
Lithology : Bed of calcareous grit and coquina, comprised l argely of
bival ve she lls ; especially abundant are immature specimens of
oysters . •
Thickness and Distribution : 2 . 25 m thick at Grassy Mountain , the sole
locality f r om which t hi s horizon has been r eported .
•
Relation to o ther units : At Grassy Mountain r ests conformably on unfoss-
iliferous , platy, gr ey - black siltstone ( ?Rock Creek Member );
•
•
upper contact unknown.

Fauna and Age: The bivalves Chlamys mcaonnelli, Grypr.aea and Ostrea; no
ammonites have been r ecovered from the unit and its ass umed

6.
Bajocian age is based on s tratigraphic position a l one .

Rock Creek Membe r

Author :
Lower Baj ocian .

P. S . Wa rren , 1934.
•III
•III
Type Locality : Headwate r s of Rock Creek on the east slope of Livingstone
Range , about 6 km due north - east of Frank ; grid r efer ence 918994 ,
Blairmore 1 : 50,000 topog r aphic sheet , 82 G/9 .

History : Warren ( 1934) pr oposed the name Rock Creek Member fo r a marker
horizon of calcareous sandstone . 1 . S- 9 . lm thick whi ch was be t ween
15 and 45m above the base of the Fern i e . Later in the same paper,
Warren refers to a ri ch and dis tin ct i ve fauna with Baj ocian
ammonites (Teloceras, Stephanoceras, Sterrmatoceras, Chondroc.e ras)
and biva lve s , which ha s since been known as the "Teloceras .fauna" ,
occu rring in the Rock Creek Member. I n fact, at the type l ocalit y
on Rock Creek, ammonites r epresenting the so-called "Teloceras fauna"
..I .

"
I 13

I are found in large, calcareous concretions in dark, rusty weathering

shales of the Highwood Member some 15m above the calcareous sand-
stone. Quartz siltstones which Bre equivalent to the Rock Creek
I Member (as originally defined by Wa~ren) occur at a number of
localities: Daisy Creek summit , Livingstone Gap, Sheep River and
Fording River . In each case , the "Teloceras fauna" occurs some

I distance above and not within the siltstone unit . The name "Rock
Creek Member " has subsequently been used for a sequence of dark
grey, rusty weathering shales with concretions and beds of sandy

I shales or dark limestones which contains the abundant bivalves ,

ammonites and belemnites of the "TeZocel'as fauna" (Frebold, 1957).
More recently (Frebold, 1976) , the term was further expanded to
include a calcareous sandstone with Sonninia along with grey to
I greyish-brown, rusty weathering shales with concretions immediately
underlying the sandstone . As thus defined , it would include all
Fernie strata lying between the Poker Chip Shale (Toarcian) and
I the Grey Beds (Bathonian) and which have yielded faunas of Bajocian
age . Thus. the Rock Creek Member. initially defined as a lithc-
stratigraphic marker horizon. has been expanded to include a

I diversity of lithologies and is defined on the basis of contained

ammonite faunas. i.e. it has become a biostratigraphic unit . It
is suggested that the term should be used as originally applied ,
and the following des~riptions are fo r that unit .
I ~Lithology : Resistant grey to grey-brown , quartzose siltstones and sandstones;
quartz grains sub rounded to subangular , with calcite cement, some-

I times poikilotopic, which increases in amount towards the base of

the unit. Parallel-bedded, with individual beds averaging Scm in
thickness, becoming thicker (lOcm) and coarser upwards . Wavy
lamination is common and represents the only internal structure .
I The top of the Rock Creek Member is marked by two beds of coarser
sandstone with pebbles , small phosphatic pellets, oxidised pyritic
masses and poorly preserved bivalves. Farther north at Livingstone
I Gap and Sheep River this unit is more platy bedded and silty, with
individual beds averaging 3 em .

I Thickness and Distribution : This unit forms a cliff in the headwaters of

Rock Creek 22m in height; it thins northwards (19m at Livingstone
Gap, 4m on Sheep River) and westwards (S . 2m in Lodgepole Creek
area, O.25m on Fording Ri ver).
I Relation to other Units : Gradational contact with sha l es of the underlying
Poker Chip Shale ; usually abrupt change to dark shales of over-
I lying Highwood Member .

Fauna and Age ; Sonninia ~ Pleuromya; Early Bajocian . Much farther north in

I the Cadomin-Jasper area, sandston2s with abundant bivalves ,

belemnites and annnonites of the TlTeloce1"Qs fauna" have been
correlated with the Rock Creek Member ; if such a correlation is
accepted , then the Rock Creek Member in the nort hern Foothils and
I Front Ranges is younger than around the type locality .

I
I
14

7. Highwood Member .

Author :
Bajocian - ?Bathonian .

N. J . Stronach, 1981.

Type Locality : Wilkinson Creek, Highwood Range area .

•
•

Lithology: Dark grey , rusty weathering shales with chippy or conchoidal •

cleavage; black, papery and organic-r ich in part . Near the base
of the member are some dark gr ey, bioturbated sands . Characteristic
interbeds consist of bands of calcareous concretions , bentonites.
belemnites concentrated in a r usty . gypsiferous and goethitic matrix
and the Bajoc i an limestone, an i mportant marker horizon .

Thickness and Distribution : Occurs throughout the outcrop belt of the Fernie,
ranging f r om 17m in Canyon Cre ek to 157m in Wilkinson Creek .

Relation to other Units : Sharp contact with the underly.ing sands of the Rock
Creek Member , but where this Member is absent it r ests direc t ly on
the shales of the Poker Chip Shale . Upper contact usually gradationa l
•
•
to the overlying green-brown shale of the Pigeon Creek Member or the
Corbuta munda Beds .
Fauna and Age : Belemnites at many leve ls, with a rich bivalve - ammonite fauna
in the Bajocian Limestone : Chondroceras obZatum~ C. aZUxni ,
Stephanoceras itinsae belon g to the Zone of Chondroeeras oblatum
which i s latest Early Bajocian .
•
8. Pigeon Creek Member. ?Bathonian .

•
•
Author: M. B. B. Crockf ord. 1949 .

Type Locality : Headwaters of Pigeon Creek in tributary flowing down no rth-east

face of Mt . Allan; grid reference 271498 , Canmore 1:50,000 topog-
raphic sheet, 82 0/3 E.

Lithology : Regularly interbedded hard, grey calcareous s i ltstones and grey

•
•
shales ; light brown to pale grey weathering surfaces . Si ltstone
beds usually lacking internal structure except towards top of unit
where they show some lamination ; individual beds 0 . I - O.4m thick,.
becoming thicker towards top of unit. I ntercalated shales finely
laminated . This unit as a whole provides a r eSis t ant , well-exposed
ma rker horizon which usually forms small cliffs and waterfalls in
st r eam sections .

Thickness and Distribution : At the type section i n Pigeon Cr eek, 44m , thinning
t o t he south in Evans-Thomas Creek where i t is 20- 25m thick .Known
•
~
I

only as far south as Highwood Pass and northwards t o Cascade Valley .

Relation t o other Units : Conformably overl i es dark grey shales of Highwood

Member ; overl a in, probab l y conformably, by dark shales of the
Ribbon Creek Member .
"
Fauna a nd Age: No ammonites or other faunal elements have been r ecovered from
this unit. Its stratigraphic pOS i tion and pres umed equivalence to
the Grey Beds wou l d suggest a Bathonian a ge .
I 15

I 9. CorbuLa munda Beds. Bathonian .

Author: F. H. McLearn , 1929 .

I Type Locality: South slope of Grassy Mountain , approximately 7km north of
Blairmore; grid reference 861051, Blairmore 1 : 50 , 000 t opographic

I sheet , 82 G/9. Locality 4 of this fieldtrip.

Lithology : Brownish-gr ey , silty shales with green hue; interbeds of coq uin a
and fine-grained, hard, c al careous sandstones up to 45cm thick;
I abundant bivalves and some ammonite s . Bored and reworked concretions .

Thickness and Distribution : 30m thick at the type l ocal ity with fOSSilifer ous ,
I hard , ca l careous bands only in upper 21m .
Alberta .
Restricted to southwest e rn

I Relation to other Uni t s : In pa r t a l ateral equivalent of the Grey Beds .

Capped by the Gryphaea Bed j underlain by grey shales of the
Highwood Membe r .

I Fauna and Age : Paraaephalites glabresaens ~ P. metastatu.s .. P. hashimotoi and

bivalves belonging t o the Zone of PCU'Qcephalites glabrescens of
Early Bathonian age .
I 10. Gryphaea Bed .
4
Bathonian .

I Author : F . H. McLearn , 1929.

Type Locality : Best exposed in several r oadc ut s on the south slope of Grassy
Mountain app r oximately 7km north of Blairmo rej grid referen ce 861051,
I Blairmore 1 : 50 , 000 topographic s heet , 82 G/9. Lo cality 4 of this trip.

Lithology : Coquina consisting largely of va l ves of Gryphaea impressimarginata

I but contain i ng many othe r bivalves which are also common in the
underlying Corbula munda Bed s , some ammonites , belemnites.

I Thickness and Distr i bution: 1. 2m thick, with sharp upper and lower surfaces.
Known only i n the Blairmore area (Gra ssy Mountain , Carbondal e River ,
Daisy Creek and Rock Creek) .

I Rela tion to other Units : Represent s the uppermost fossiliferous horizon of

the Corbula munda Bed s and i s conformably overlain by s hale s of the
Grey Beds , of which it i s cons ide r ed to be, in part, laterally
I eq uivalent .

Fauna a nd Age : Warrenoaeras henryi ~ W. imlayi .. W. rierdOnense .. Kepplerites spp . ,

I Cobbanites engleri ~ Gryphaea impressimarginata and many other

biva l ves (refer to Plate 10). Thi s fauna define s the Zone of
Warrenoceras henryi which has been equated with the Zones of Warren-
oaeras aodyense and Kepplerites aostidensus from the U. S . wes tern
I int erior wh i ch are of mid - Bathonian age .

I
I
 --- --------------------------------

16

•
11. Grey Beds. Bathonian .
•
•
Author : H. Frebold. 1957 .

Type Locality: Alexander Creek , Brit ish Columbia , approximately Skm no r th

of Highway 3. This locality is now difficult of access; another
exposure is that on the northwest bank of Fording River, 20km
north of Sparwood, B. C. ; grid reference 541296 , Tornado Mountain
1:50 , 000 topographic sheet . 82 G/lS .
•
Lithology : Med i um grey, blocky to conchoidal - ~racturing.
sometimes with greenish tint , calcareous and sil ty.
non-bedded shales ,
In other areas ,
•
•
darker and laminated, with conc retions, especially near the top .

Thickness and Distribution : 68.6m at Alexander Creek, 48m on Fording River ,

32m at Rock Lake north of Jasper . In the Blairmore region the
Grey Beds a r e in part replaced laterally by the Corbula munda
Beds and the Gryphaea Bed . Farther north in sections on Evans-
Thomas, Ribbon and Pigeon Creeks and in Cascade River valley, the
•
•
well-bedded siltstones of the Pigeon Creek Member are believed t o
be lateral equivalents of the Grey Beds .

•
Relation to other Units : Lower boundary gradational to darker, ~ore laminated
and often rusty weathering shales of the Highwood Member. Overla in
conformably , but with sharp lithological change, by the green,
bert hierine sands of the Green Beds; this boundary repr esents a
significant hiatus in deposition probably corresponding t o most of
the Callovian stage.
•
•
Fauna and Age : Paracephalites glabrescens ~ P. hashimotoi~ Cobbanites cf .
C. taZkeetnanus ~Parareineckeia cf. P . shelikofana~ Warrenoceras spp .
and Kepplerites cf . K. tychonis have been found in the Grey Beds

•
at various l ocalities in southe rn Alberta and B.C . This fauna
r epresents part of the Early and also Late Bathonian . Farther north
near Jasper , Kepplerites mclearni and Warrenoceras spp. have been
collected from strata cor r elated with the Grey Beds . I f such a

•
l
correlation is valid " then the Grey Beds range through the entire
Bathonian and perhaps into the Lower Callovian with the presence of
ImZayoceras miettense , a zonal index which is an endemic form not yet
found in association with other ammonites , but occurring in strata
above the Zone of Kepplerites mcZearni.

12 . Ribbon Cr eek Member . ?Oxfordian

Author : N. J . Stronach, 1981 .

Type Locality : Ribbon Creek, gr id reference 294436, Spray Lakes Reservoir

1 : 50 , 000 t opographic sheet , 82 J/ 14; neither the base nor the top
of the unit is exposed here.

Lithology: Dark gr ey , silty, clayey, shales with lar ge (1m diameter), orange
weathering s ideritic concretions; in the south , th ese concretions
are lacking and there a r e bentonite horizon s in the lower parts of
the section .

Thickness and Distribution : Occurs throughout most of the outcrop belt of the
 17 •
I
I Fernie in sou t hern Albe rta. Ranges in th ickness from about 18m
at Grassy Mountain and Daisy Cr ee k in the south to S7m farther north
in Pigeon Creek , near Banff .

I Relation to o ther Units : In the south the Ribbon Creek Member is overlain b y
t he Green Beds, but els ewhere it grades upward s into the Passage
Beds by the gradual in coming of thin , s ilt y s trin ge rs . Abruptly
I overlies eit her the Gryphaea Bed or , farther north , the Pigeon
Creek Member .

I Fauna and Age : At the Banff traffic ci r cle sec tion, Frebold (1962) recorded
"Turbo " ferniensis f r om dark shales now correlated with this Membe r.
which indicates an Oxfordian age . Near Jasper, dark shales with

I large concretions which are partly interbedded wi th, and also ove rlie,
several beds of gr een , glaucon iti c sand , have yielded Oxfordian
fossils: Cardiaceras ~ Buahia concentrica . The st raigraphy of this
a r ea is not yet c l ea rly understood (Frebold et aZ . ~ 1959).
I 13. Green Beds. Oxfordian .

I Author : F . H. McLea rn , . 1927 .

Type LQcality : McLearn introduced thi s term in a general descr i ption of the

I Fernie sequence in the Blairmore a r ea with no mention of a specific

l ocali t y . In t his area the Green Beds are best seen i n st rat igr aphi c
s uccess i on and most eas ily accessible on the north bank of Carbonda le
Rive r near its junction with Webb Creek , approx imately l5km south
I of Bellpvue ; grid ~eference 894814, Beaver Min es 1 : 50 , 000 to po -
graphic s heet. 82 G/8 . Locality 2 of this fieldt r ip .

I Lithology : Da r k green t o b right g reen , berthi erine ("chamos ite") sandstone

or siltstone with irregu lar int e r beds of purplish-grey siltstone
and grey , ca l careous concretions which weather yellow- brown .

I Thickness and Distribu tion: Known t hroughout the Foothills and Front Ranges
from the international bo rd er t o the Peace River area in the sub -
surface where it forms an excellent marker hori zon l.5- 9.lm thick .
I On Carbondale River 15.8m t hick, t hinning northward and westward .
Unknown in outcrop throughou t most of southern Albe rta , but occurs
again at Willson Cr eek (Localit y 6 of this fie ld t r ip) and far t he r
I north ne a r Jaspe r .

Relation t o othe r Un it s : Overlie conformably ei the r the Gr ey Beds or

I the Ribbon Creek Membe r in the south; underlying units farther

north not clearly defined . In most o~tc rcip s ec t ions overlain
abruptly and conformab l y by the grey shales and sil t y stringers
of the Pa ss age Beds.
I Fauna and Ag e : Usua lly characterised by abundant , large belemnites , fossil
wood.. "Turba n f errniensis and Buchia concentrica ~ and have been
I ~:'
pla ced in the Oxfordian . In the section on Rocky River , east of
Ja spe r , seve ral green , glauconi tic units with interbedded gr ey
. shales have yielded Cardioceras (ScarbwogiaerasJ alphacorda:twn ..

I Cardioceras mountjoyi.. Goliathiaeras cf. crassum and Gryphaea

neorascensis (Early Oxfo rdian) and Buahia concentrica (Late
Oxfordian or Early Kimmer.idgian ) .

I .......... ... 39 .....

18

14 . Passage Beds _ ?Kimmeridgian . I

Author: F . H. McLearn. 1927.

Type Locality: Blairmore area . Probably the best exposed and most easily
I
accessible section is that just east of the Banff traf fic circle
on Highway 1; grid r eference 027740, Banff 1 : 50,000 topographic
sheet , 82 0/4 E. Locality 8 of this fieldtrip .
I
Lithology:Lower part dark grey sha l es fracturing into small blocky to
splinte r y f r agments; elongated , yellow- brown weathering concretions I
often present . Thin (60cm) sil ty bands, weather in g brown in color ,
occur higher in the section producing a r egularly banded or
ribboned appearance . The abundance and thickness of these silts t ones
I
increase upwards through the section . and they co nsist of coarser ,
sandier sediment. They exhibit parallel laminati on, hummocky and
ripple cross- lamination, bioturbation, sale marks and plant debris .
I
Thickness and Distribution : The Passage Beds crop out in mos t sec tions of
the Fernie Formation in the Foothills of Alberta and north-easte r n
B. C. and form t he uppermost unit of this Formation . They range
up to 185m in thickness .
I
Relation to other Units : Conformably overlie the Green Beds where these are
present , with abrupt changes in color and rock type ; elsewhere
J
they overlie Grey Beds . In southern Alberta and B.C . t he Passage
Beds grade up into the Kootenay Group (basal Weary Ridge Member)
and Gibson (1979) has placed the contact at the base of the first
continuous sandstone devoid of the interbedded shales and siltstones
I
which a re typical of the PaSsage Beds.

Fauna and Age : No dateable macrofauna has been recovered from t he Passage
I
Beds but from the stratigraphic position of the uni t, between
Oxfordian Green Beds and t he basal Kootenay which has produced
s pecimens of Titanites oaaidentaZis of Portlandian age , the Passage
I
Beds are usually assigned a Kimmeridgian age .
I
~

I
I

•
 19
I CIRCUM-PAC IF IC JURASSIC RESEARCH GROUP FIELD CONFERENCE
FERNI E FORMATION
I PART II. RDAD LOG

I DAY 1

Dista nce On Highway 2 proceed south trom CaLgary to junction with Highway 3
I km
(cumulative)
just west of Fort Macleod
this point .
(161 km) ; distance measurements begin trom

I 0.0 Turn right (west) onto Highway 3 . Proceed through Peigan Indian
Reservation at fu>oaket" r.1ith Oldman River and Porcupine Bills to the
right (north) .
I 70.5 TUrn right (north) onto North Burmis Road (gravel) . Gently folded
Cretaceous sediments on the right, Livingstone Range on left . At 77 . 5 km
I pass Milvain Ranch on the left; permission required for acceS8 to Rock
Creek section .

79.0 Turn left through gate onto trail leading past gas plant; continue
I westward up Rock Cr eek (several gates and care needed on some sections
and creek crossings) . Park vehicles at top of steep descent to croBsing
of Rock Creek~ approximately 4 Jon along trail; walk up hill westward
I to reach exposed Fernie section in creek to your right .
LOCALITY 1. Rock Creek secti on , Ferni e Formati on
Descri ption of sect i on begins page
I
Return to Highway 3.
I 95.5 TUrn right (west) onto Highway 3 and proceed to village of Bellevue .

104 . 8 TUrn left (south) onto road leading to Hillcrest Mines ~ cross
I Crowsnest River and continue straight through village (trailer park on
the right) .

I 108 .6 1ttke right fork onto gravel road through Texas gate immediately
after passing Falls Creek greenhouses on the left . Continue south on
this road towcz.rds Lynx Creek Recreational area . In roadcuts along the
descent down the eastern side of Webb Creek valley are various exposures
I of the Fernie Formation~ many strongly defor,med (includes Gl'yphaea bed~
Bathonian grey s hales ~ Green Beds and Passage Beds) . At foot of hill
the road swings sharply toward the west (right) to follow north bank of
I Carbondale River.

123.0 PaI'k on track Zeading into abandoned gravel pit on right .

I LOCALITY 2. Carbondal e River section, Fern i e Formation
Descri pt i on of sect i on beg ins page
I 141. 2
,.
Return to Highway 3 at Bellevue .

141. 2 TuPn Zeft (weBt) onto HigJ.,Jay 3

I 142.3 General interest stop at scene of Frank Slide

Continue west to BLairmore; end of road log f or day 1

I
20
DAY 2
•
Di st ance
km
(cumulative )
9. 0
Travel west on Highway 3 from Blairmore~ passing through town
of Coleman . Distance measurements begin from centre of BZairmore .

PulZ of! on right side of road to ' view Crowsnest Mountain klippe
to the north . Lewis Thrust has placed Devono- Mississippian rocks on
•
Upper cretaceous .
15. 8 Cross trace of Lewis Thrust .

20 . 8 Summit of Crowsnest Pa88~ which marks the Alberta- British Columbia

border . "Discovered" by Palliser Expedition in 1860.
flows west into the Pacific Ocean~
From here water
north- east into Hudson ' s Bay .
•
•
25.0 Just after crossing bridge over Carbon Creek ~ small outcrops of
basal Fernie Formation (Sinemurian) on either side of road.

37. 5 Turn right (north) onto road to Elk VaUey and Elkford; strip mine I
workings of B. C. Coal to north. and south of road are in Kootenay Formation . '
(Lower Cretaceous and uppermost Jurassic) . Cross Elk River .

•
43. 0 T- intersection; turn left onto Elkford road .

56.6 TUrn right (east) onto road leading to Line Creek mine of Crowsnest

•
Resources . Immediately after crossing bridge over Elk River, turn left
onto gravel forestry road .
Immediately after crossing bridge over Fording River~ turn right

•
59.4
onto narrow track leading up steep incline and following north/west
bank of Fording River; proceed approximately 2.3 km along this track
to second cleared area . Lower Fernie section exposed at base of very

•
steep bank to the right (Toarcian) While Bajocian- Bathonian strata are
exposed in next meander downstream .

•Ii
LOCALITY 3. Fording Ri ver secti on, Ferni e Formati on
Descript ion of section begin s page
Return to Blairmore .

123 . 4 In Blairmore, turn left (north) at the traffic lights onto 29th
St~eet, .cro~s bridge over Crowsnest River~ then follow gravel road up
sl~ght ~ncltne to left~ through gate onto old mine property . Bear left
around abandoned mine buildings and coal dwnps ~ then curve sharply to

132. 9
right and follow main track up hill with more abandoned buildings in trees
to right . Continue on this road to the foot of Grassy Mountain .
FOur-way intersection of tracks; turn left and follow up hill around .
sharp curve to the right and park at junction with next small track
"
leading off to the left (133 .6 km)

LOCALITY

,~"
4. Grassy Mountain section, Ferni e Formation
Descri pt ion of sect i on begins page
Return to Highway ;3 at Blairmore, then to Calgary . End of road log
•
for day 2 .
I DAY 3
21

Distance Travel west on Highway lA from Calgary to Cochrane . ~oceed

I km
(cumulative)
straight through town; at intersection with Highway 22 keep stpaight
ahead on Highway lA . Distance measurements begin from this point .

I 13.0 TUrn right (north) onto Nordegg Forestry Trunk Road3 Route 940 3
just after passing gas plant on the left .

94.4 Mountain Air e Lodge and bridge over Red Deer River.
I 94.5 TUrn left (west) onto narrow road leading to Ya - Ha Tinda ranch .

I 97 . 7 Take left fork .

11 4.5 Gate into Ya - Ha Tinda ranch .
I 117 . 2 Bridge over Bighorn Creek; park vehicles here and follow trail
up east side of creek along gorge to base of Bighorn Falls (cut into

I Triassic Sulphur Mountain Formation of the Spray River Group) . Ascend

trail to top of falls and beginning of Fernie section .
LOCALITY 5. Bighorn Creek sect i on. Fernie Format ion
I Description of section begi ns page
Return to Route 940 at the Red Deer R~ver crossing .
I 139.9 TUrn left (no r th) onto Route 940 and proceed with care .

165. 9 TUrn left onto road leading to Shell gas plant .

I 171.7 Immediately a~er hairpin bend to the left~ park at bottom of hill
and descend into valley of Willson Creek; cross where convenient and
I pr oceed downstream to large exposure of grey shales .
LOCALITY 6. Will son Creek section. Fernie Formation
I Description of section begins page
Return to Route 940 and then to Calgary . End of road log for
'"'Y 3.
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
 22
I
DAY 4

Distance Travel west on Higmxz.y 1 from . Calgary toward Banff. Distance

km measurements begin from bridge over the Bow River on Highway 1 on the
(cumulative ) western outskirts of Calgary . I
44. 5 Descend onto Morley Flats where depositional features such as
drumlin8~ eskers and kame terraces are visible . I
63 . 0 TUrn of! south onto Kananaskis Forestry Trunk road (Route 40)
85 .6 TUrn right (west) onto road leading to Ribbon creek Recreational I
area and follow to parking lot just beyond Youth Hostel (approximately
l.6 km) . Follow trail up north side of Ribbon Creek from the parking
lot through Triassic Sulphur Mountain FOP!mation of Spray River Group
to Bajocian limestone of the Fernie Formation .
I
LOCALITY 7. Ri bbon Creek secti on, Fern; e Format; on
Description of secti on begi ns page
I
Retu:rn to Hig'hway 1 .
I
111.4 Turn left (west) onto Highway 1 and proceed toward Banff.

120.9 General interest stop to view McConnell Thrust and Mount Yamnuska .
148:2
160
River .
Enter Banff National Park
Park on right hand side of road just before bridge over Cascade I
LOCALITY 8. Banff traffic c ircl e section, Fernie Formation
Descri ption of section begins Eage
I
NO HAMM ERS AT THI S OUTCROP PEASE
Return to Calgary; end of road log for day 4.

. \r ...

,
I 23

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ALBERTA
,
,
I COLUMBIA
\
~, 1. Rock Creek

I ,\
2 . Carbondale River
3 . Fording River
4 . Grassy Mountain
I <
,
I
J
•
5.
6.
Bighorn Creek
Willson Creek
3 [' I 7. Ribbon Creek
I .",
• 8. Banff Traffic Circle
,I 10 0
I , I I I
10 2 0 3 0 4 0
I I !
!.,.
I J kilo ....

I
I
I FIGuaE 3. General locality m~p

I
24

LOCALITY 1. Rock Creek, Alberta. Grid LOCALITY 2. Carbondale River, Alberta. •

Reference 918994, Blairmore 1:50,000 tapa Grid References: (a) 897813 and (b) 893814,
sheet, 82 G/9 . Beaver Mines 1:50,000 tapa sheet, 82 G/8 .

LOCALITY 3. Fording River, British Columbia. LOCALITy 4. Grassy Mountain, Alberta.

Grid References: (a) 543297, (b) 543297 and Grid Reference 862052, Blairmore 1:50,000
(c) 540295, Tornado Mountain 1:50,000 tapa tapa sheet, 82 G/9.
sheet, 82 G/15.
FIGURE 4. Detailed locality maps
 . .25
I
I H

I
R NC H

I
I
I
I
I
LOCALITY 5. Bighorn Creek, Alberta. Grid LOCALITY 6. Willson Creek, Alberta. Grid
I References: <aJ OOB330, (bJ 010333 and
(cJ 016336, Barrier Mountain 1:50,000 tapa
sheet, B2 0/12.
Reference 171418, Limestone Mountain
1:50,000 tapa sheet, 82 0/14.

I
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
LOCAL ITY 7. Ribbon Creek, Alberta. Grid LOCALITY B. Banff traffic circle, Alberta.
I Reference 298437, Spray Lakes Reservoir
1:50,000 tapa sheet, 82 J/14.
Grid References 029737 to 035733, Banff
1:50,000 tapa sheet, 82 0/4.
FIGURE 4 (cont ' d)
I
I 27

I CIRCUM-PACIFIC JURASSIC RESEARCH GROUP FIELD CONFERENCE

I PART III. DESCRIPTION OF SECTIONS

I DAY 1, LOCALITY 1. ROCK CREEK , ALBERTA

(Fig . 5a ,b; P 1.1a - c)

I Introduction: The geology of the Fernie Formation at this locality

i s quite complex structurally and has been described in detail by
,
Hall and Stbnach (1981). Nearly all of the usually r ecognized units
I within the Fernie Formation crop out in the head of Rock Creek on the
eastern flank of the Livingstone Range in southwestern Alberta . The
area lies ahove (west of) the Livingstone thrust and is overthrust
I from the west by the Rocky Mountain Formation (Carboniferous), which
forms the Livingstone Range. The Jurassic rocks occur in a broad ,
southward-plunging anticline wi t h a tight , over turned syncline in
the footwall beneath t he overthrust Carboniferous strata . The
I regional geology has been d.epicted by Norris (1955).

Stratigr aphy : The l owest unit within the Fernie at this locality is
I a fossiliferous sandstone, with coarse shelly debris and bone f r ag -
~ents, which forms the core of the an ti clinal structure . Above this
are the typical paper y black shales of the Poker Chip Shale with
abundant Bositra and Harpoceras (Toarcian). The main anticlinal
structure is clearly outlined by the resistant, fine sandsto~e con-
stituting the Rock Creek Member sensu stricto ; this is the type lo-
cality of this unit as defined by by Warren (1934). Next comes a
I continuous sequence of dark grey and brown shales with concretiona r y
bands and some cemented siltstone beds , over 50 m thick, and in which
are found several f ossil horizons yielding Bajoc i an faunas . In the
I southern part of the area are isolated outcrops representing several
units in the upper Fernie : the Grey Beds (with i mpressions of Keppler-
itea cf . K. tyahonis of late Bathonian age , PlateS) , the Gryphaea Bed
I (Bathonian), the Gr een Beds (Oxfordian), and the Passage Beds, which
form the top of the Fernie.
A detailed section through t he middle parts of the Fernie at Rock
Creek is shown in Fig . bb ; it was measured on the south bank of Rock
I Creek.
Near the base of the section is the Rock Creek Member sensu ~tric­
~ , a fine-grained quart z arenite with irregular, wispy cross lamina-

I tion . It is parallel-bedded with two beds near the top, each 0 . 6 -

0.7 m thick, characterized by a well- developed cal c ite cement and phos-
phatic and pyritic g r ains; the t opmost part becomes shaly and is poorly

I consolidated . This resistant unit forms a c liff about 22 m high imme-

diately north of Rock Creek . (Plate 1). Some poorly preserved Pleuromya
and a faint impression of a keeled ammonite with gently falcoid ribbing
(Plate 5) are the only fossils known from this locality.
Immediately above the sandstones of the Rock Creek Member are
blocky .~ grey - brown sha l es with s light rusty coloring on weathered sur-
faces, representing the Highwood Member . Twelve metres above the~
 •
2B

•
dark grey shales with i nterbeds of si l t •
•
PASSAGE BEDS
and very fine sand, lO-20mm thick

• GREEN BEDS
at top green berthierine sand, interbedded
purple s ilts; irregular platy cl eavage and
calcareous concretions
_--::-:-::-:=--::-:-::-:-c-_-=b..:.
RIBBON CREEK
? OXFORDIAN
e l ow, lig ht blue- grey, spli ntery sha l es
dark grey, pl aty sha l es, Boeitm, KeppZeritee .
• •

MEMBER cf. tyohonie LATE BATHONIAN

--G~ry =p7h~ae~a-"B~EnD-~g~re'Y ca lcareous. fossi liferous , concretionary.
BATHONIAN

•
•
(disturbed, covered interva l )

•
•II
•
50
•
(see deta iled, enlarged section, Figure 5h )
•
---] •
0
f/ " .
. l,o:'
•..
m =====J calcareous , phosphatic sand with poorl y
preserved bivalves, gastropods , vertebrate
bones ? SINEMURIAN
FIGU RE 5a Stratigra ph i c section , Rock Creek
 - - -- ---- - - -- -- - - -

29

I light grey-brown sha l es with blu ish

wea t hering; conchoidal cl eavage becoming
I Cor bula rrrunda
BEDS
platy upwa rd s with l Omm silty stri ngers ;
Cobbanites ? BATHONIAN

I _____________________ l arge, ye llow-weathering siderit i c

concret i ons
I
I nucu lid bi va l ves
- fish

I - Spirocer as 3 Megasphaeroceras , stephano-

I HIGHWOOD MEMBER
cerati ds, Bositra, Retr oceramus
dark grey t o brownish shales, limonitic.
platy-blocky cleavage at base and to p;
more platy-papery cleavage im midd l e
LATE EARLY AND EARLY LATE BAJOCI AN

I o
• - Retroaeramus, Lios t r ea

I • Bajoci an Li mestone - stephanoceratids, belemnites,

o
Rhi zocorallium, Chondrites
I
I 10 •• v

I ..~
li ght grey- grey. calcareous. phosphatic
sandstones , parallel bedded, lOO-200mm
ROCK CREEK MEMBER beds. Becomes phosphatic-limonitic
near top with Pleuromya
20

JO
dark grey sha les, papery-platy
cleavage, occas i ona l calcareous beds
POKER CHI P SHALE and concreti ons . Abu ndant Bositra~
Harpoceras

" FIGURE 5b Detailed stratigraphic secti on, Rock Creek

Creek Member occur numerous gr ey , dense , cal careo us concretion s up
to 40 em in diameter and bearing poorly preserved impressions of
•
large stephanoceras; belemnites, small procerithiid gastropods,
and Inoceramus a r e also fai rly common at this leve l . It is clear

..
at thi s locality that ammonites repres entin g the l ate ear l y Bajocian
zone of Chondroceras obZatwn (or the "Teloceras fauna " of various
authors) occur well above the Rock Creek Member ~ stri cto (Plate Ib).
Above thi s concretionary ho ri zon the shales be come darker and
mor e platy, with occasional har der . cal car eous- cemented, flaggy
beds about 10 em thick. From one s uch bed 25 m ahove th e top of the
Rock Creek Member comes the l a t e Bajocian fauna r epres enting the
zone of Megasphaeroaeras rotundum (Plate lb). In addition t o the
zonal index, it includes Bpiroaeras cf. S . orbignyi3 s tephanoce r at id s ,
a few bivalves (Bositra3 inoceramids), belemnites and possible
ammonite jaH structures, all preserved as flattened impressions .
A similar hard band 3 m highe r in the sect i on has yielded impressions
of s t ephanocera tids , bivalves, and a small, comple t e specimen of a
primitive Leptolepid fi sh (M.V . Wilson , personal communication,
19 82). Further excavation by Mark Wilson this summe r has produced
abund an t fish r emains as well a s additional spiroceras and other
ammonite and inoceramid fragments . A diverse microfauna of radio-

.-
larians, ost r acods and for aros has also been r ecover ed from this
part of the section inc luding Haplophragmoides 3 Verneuilinoides
(agglutinated), Marginulinopsis 3 Astacolus 3 Dentalina 3 Trocihammina 3
Nodosaria 3 Lenticulina and aitharina . Toward th e top of the sec tion
are two horiz ons of large (80 em), orange-weathering s i de ritic
concr et i ons; from a calcareous concre tion 46 m above the top of
the Rock Creek Member sensu stricto comes the fragmentary specimen
of Cobbanites cf . C. talkeetnanus of l atest Bajocian or earl y
II
Ba thoni an age. He r e the surrounding mudstones are li ghter in
color with a bluish tint on weathered s urfaces and the re a r e occa-
sional thin (10 - 20 mm) , silty stringers . This part of the section
represents the Corbuta munda Beds. •.-
DAY 1, LOCALITY 2 CARBONDALE RIVER, ALBERTA
(Fig. 6 ; P lo l d,e ) .-
i
Introduction : Th i s exp os ure of the Fe rnie Formation a long the north
bank of the Carb ondale Rive r i s on the nose and limbs of a major,
southward- plunging anticline. While the Gryphaea Bed, Ribbon Cr eek

•
Member, Green Beds and Passage Beds are all presen t in this section ,
they a r e intensely deformed by sma ll drag f olds and repeated by
several thrust faults .

Stratigraphy: The lowest unit exposed is the Bathonian Gryphaea Bed

which occur s here in a small anticlinal structure plunging southward
into the creek (Plate l eI) . It con tai ns abundant specimens of Gryphaea
impressimarginata and belemnites.
,
Farther upstream, beyond a disturbed zone in gr ey shales , i s
an apparently continuous sequence through dark s hales of the Ribbon
Creek Member which have yielded abundant specimens of th e agglutinated
foram Haplophragmoides . Above a r e light gr ey , bluish to greenish,
r 31

I
I
I
I
I dark grey sha l es with platy cl eavage;
in terbeds of si ltstone and very fine
50 PASSAGE BEDS sandstone, l O- 15mm thick
I = ~~,
='- ."+ C:, If; - - - - - - - -green,
I---L, <J -
berthieri ne sands with calcar-
I "-I ~~ eOU5 concretl. ons up to 0 . 3m in d lameter;
alterna t ing purpl e, s ilty shales .
·

I -- GREEN BEDS Be 1emn i tes, "Turbo /I fernien8is ~ Buahia

aoncentrica OXFORDIAN
li ght blue -grey shale , calcareous, with
sp li ntery cl eavage; l arge calcareous
___________~c~o~n~cretions
I o-i---1
m RIBBON CREEK dark grey to blue - grey shale. concho idal
MEMBER cleavage, ca l careous concretions .
I Gryphaea BED
Inoceramids
grey, ca l careous, fossiliferous s i l t stone
and fine sandstone; bel emnites, Gr yphaea
I impr e88i marginata BATHONIAN

I
I
I
I .~
,'
I FIGURE 6 "1"
"," Strat i graphic sect i on, Carbondale River.
-
32

splintery shales with large calcareous concretions grading upward

into dark green, berthierine-rich, friab l e sands of the Green beds .
Yellow-brown weathering calcareous concretions and purple silty
shales occur as interbeds . These beds have Yielded Buchia aoncentrica,
( Plate 8j ,k) , the gastropod "Turbo " ferniensis, belemnites and abundant
Haplophragmoides . The Passage beds here overli e the Green beds with
sharp contact , marked by a distinct color change to grey shales with
platy c l eavage and thin , silty to sandy interbeds appear . Immediately
upstream the Passage Beds are deformed by a series of folds (Plate I e ).
Farther upstream, at the mouth of Webb Creek which enters from the
north, is a repetition of the Gr een beds containing many large belem-
nites and wood fragments .

DAY 2, LOCALITY 3 . FORDING RIVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

(Fig. 7a, 7b; PI. If- h, 2a )

Introduction : The Fernie Formation cr ops out along both banks of the
Fording River , upstream and downstream from the mou th of Line Creek .
The best, and most easily accessibl e , sect ions are on the west bank,
o
where the Fernie occurs in very broad folds whose limbs dip at 10 or
l ess . Parts of these sect ions have been discussed in several publica-
tions by Fr ebold (1957, 1963, 1969 , 1976).

Stratigraphy: Basal Fernie strata (Sinemurian) here r est conformably

on the Spray River Group sil t stones of Triassic age; this exposure was
made at the entr ance to an old phosphate prospect (Plate I g) which is
now mostly covered . Frebold (196 9 ). reported that the lowermost Jurassic

•..
consisted of a 2m thick phosphatic unit topped by a thin concretionary
limestone. From this came many poorly pr eserved arie tit id s , incl uding
Arnioceras, gastropods and bivalves (especially PZeuromya) . It was
correlated with the uppe r part of the Bucklandi and l ower part of the
Semicostatum Zones of the Lowe r Sinemurian . The Upper Sinemurian
Densinodulum Subzone is here represented by approximately 2. 4 m of
al t ernating shales and ca l careous be ds which have yielded one poorl y

•
preserved eoderoceratid, with Atractites at the top.
In the r iver bank nearby, the main sec t ion begins in the Poker Chip
Shale of early Toarcian age ; no strata of Pliensbachian age are known

•
and the cont act with the underlying Sinemurian strata is now covered .
Along the west bank of the river approximately 9 m of almost flat
lying, dark gr ey, soft shales of t he Poker Chip Shale are continuously
exposed (Plate I f) . They have platy to papery c l eavage with some
flaggy , calcareous layers and have yield ed nume r ous flattened impres-
sions of Harpoceras , ?OrthodactyZites, Dacty Zioceras , Phymatoceratinae
(i ncluding Haugia) and Bositra at various horizons (Plate 5a- c). No
detailed faunal succession has been worked ou t , but both Lower and
Middle Toarci an str ata appear to be represented . These shales have
also y ield ed abundant specimens of t he radiolarian Eucyrtidium, the
agglutinated forams Haplophragmoides , AmnodisCU8 and FlabeZlcurunina.,
as wel~ . as the calcareous forms NodOsaria and LinguZina .
Th~: .overlying Rock Cr eek Member is r epresented by a gradual
coarsening upwards , with development of a more flaggy cleavage . It is
topped by a · lim~nitic bed rich in belemnites. Frebo ld (1976) reporte d
Sonninia sp. from s ilts tone s in t h is unit (Plate Ih). It is believed
•.-
,

.-
.\
I 33

I
I
I
I 50

I 6 li ght grey t o grey shal es with platy and

concho i da l cleavage; ca l careous bands ,
I 5
<2>
GREY BEDS O. 2- 0.6m th i ck, yellow-brown weathering ·
?Lil"loetia
4 Cobbanites cf. taZkeetnanu.s ~ Pca>ar'eineckeia
<2>
I 3
2
o ,-,~l cf . BheZikofana~ nuculid bival ves
?EARLY BATHONIAN
0 1
I
I Corbu'La rrrunda
-- BEDS
I HIGHWOOO MEMBER
I 50
,
I BAJOC IAN LII,IESTONE
(see enlargement in FI GURE 11)
,- ROCK CREE K MEMBERj
I POKER CH IP SHALE
I phosphat i c si ltstones , sha les, ool itic and
o+--
m
ca l careous; Arnioceras, At;ractites, plesio-
saur vertebrae SINEMURIAN
I SPRAY RIVER GROUP bedded sil tstones TRIASS IC

I
"
FIGURE 7a Strat i graphic secti on, Fording Ri ver
I
I
34
•
•
40
o

•
Cor bul a munda
BEDS
l ight grey-brown, calcareous sha l es with
bluish weathering surfaces, irregu l ar pl aty
cleavage; occas i onal large, calcareous
concretions
•
30
0
C1"anooephalites cf. oostidensus
EARLY BATHONIAN
"•
0

,
"•
•
dark grey. papery to pl aty sha le s, often
20 HIGHWOOD MEMBER ye ll ow-weathering. f ine sand. Bentonites up
to 50mm thick, be l emnite bands and calcareous

•
0
concreti ons up to 2m long
6 Bajocian Li mestone
DO 6 <0 <J Stephanooeras ~ oysters in calcareous con c ret i O ~.'
l atest EARLY BAJDC IAh

10
!
6

,
1
6 ----------------------d7a-c
r k grey, calcareous , platy , becoming flaggy III
6 ,;f! upwards; limonitic, be l emn ite -ri ch bed at top L.

ROCK CREEK MEMBER Sonninia (1) EARLY BAJOCIA~

.-'
o
m

dark grey, pl aty to papery shal e, with flaggy, . -

POKER CH IP SHALE calcareuus l ayers;
?OrthodaotyZite8 ~
Harpooeras~ Daotyliooeras~
Haugia., Bositl'a
I .,
EARLY AND MIDDLE TOARCIAN

FIGURE 7b Detai l ed stratigraph i c secti on, Fording Ri ver •

 ------------

I 35

I to represent an offshore, deeper water facies of the Rock Creek

Member seen at its type locality farther east (LOCALITY 1).

I The succeeding Highwood Member is 25 m tbick, consisting of

dark grey shales with papery to platy cleavage, often yellow-
weathering and with thin interbeds of limonitic, bentonitic or belem-
nite-rich character. Near the middle of the section some large
I calcareous concretions enclose poorly preserved Stephanoceras (Zone
of Chondroeeras oblatum~ late Early Bajocian), while near the top a
single fragment of Granocephalites costidensus (Early Bathonian) has
I been found (Plate 7a). Othe r specimens were co l lected from l oose
concretions at the base of the slope . The radiolarians Eucyrtidium
and Spumellina are fairly common, as is Haplophragmoides.

I . There is a sharp color change from grey to light grey-brown

shales with bluish weathering surfaces at the base of th e corbuZa
munda Beds ; no ammonites have been found in this unit but it carries
a rich microfauna. Agglutinated forams include Haplophragmoides ,
I Ammobaculites, Lituotuba, Reophax and Trochammina while the cal-
careous genera LentimtUna, MarginuUnopsis, Astacolus Citharina
• •
and Dental~na are present.
I Approximately 40 m of Grey Beds are exposed in the west bank of
the next meander downstream; unfortunate ly this part of the section
cannot be re l ated stratigraphically to the Sinemurian - Lower Bathonian

I part of the sec tion described above from just upstream. The Grey Beds
here consist of dark to light grey shales with platy, blocky and
conchoidal fra cture. At fairly regular intervals (4 - 6 m apart)
throughout these shales there are thin, resi stan t, brown weathering ,
I calcareous beds (numbered 1 t o 6 up section; Plate 2a). Along a band
only 10 em thick in the grey shales between resistant beds 3 and 4
occur tiny, pyritized nuc1eii of Cobbanites cf. talkeetnanus and
I Parareineckeia cf. shelikofana (Plate 7a,c,e . f) which indicate a
probable Early Bathonian age (Hall. in prep., Imlay, 1980) . Frebo1d
(196 3) also reported Warrenoceras in this section. Microfaunal
elements recovered f rom the se beds include EUcyr tidium, Haplophragmoides,
I Ammobaculites, Ammodiscus and Marginulinopsis . From an undetermined
locality near the Fording River bridge Frebold (1963) also recorded
Paracephalites glabrescens . and P. hashimotoi from the Grey Beds ind i -
I cating the presence of Lower Bathonian strata .

I DAY 2, LOCALITY 4. GRASSY MOUNTAIN, ALBERTA

(Fig . 8 . Pl. 2b,2 c )
•
I Introduction: On the south slope of Grassy Mountain several units
from the middle and upper parts of the Fernie Formation crop out in
short exposures along a number of disused roads leading to the old
I coal s trip mines in the overlying Kootenay Group (Plate 2c) . On this
trip we will only examine one sec tion which exposes the upper parts of
th e CorbuZa munda Beds and the Gryphaea Bed (Plate 2b).

Strati~raphy: At the junction with a sideroad leading off to the wes t

from the ~ain road up Grassy Mountain, at C on Plate 2c, are exposed
several thin, calcareous beds in grey shales with a green-brown hue.
These belong to the CorbuZa munda Beds and the upp e r 10.5 m represent
36

•
Gryphaea BED
Warrenoceras spp ., Cobbanites
engler i 3 Gryphaea impre88Umargina ~
grey, ca l careous , fos s iliferous
s iltstone ; diverse fauna restric-
•
~

ted to l ower a. 8m of unit

EARLY OR MIODLE BATHONIAN'"

o.
o. grey- brawn-green shales with platy III
cleavage; i nterbedded shell y si lt-~
o. 0
stones -fine sandstones, calcareous,
o. " a. 3m thick beds . Paraaephalites ~
00-
• spp. in upper l O.5m
j
0 • EARLY BATHONIA

•
G

'" ! •

• grey -green-brown shales, conchoida

• 0 =~ to platy cleavage , with l Ocm
diameter concretions, calcareous
• (3l;i~ V- and some bored, rotated .
10

•
• COl'bu Za munda
• BEDS

•
0
•
•
o.
•
•
JO
0'" t
~ ;;: • jru
0
I
grey-green -brown shales wi th 0.3 - •
'"
0
O.6m thick beds of she l ly, cal ca r-
eous silts t one and fine sandstone
'0 <:.-:

.,
•• 0

• ~

~ •

o •
..
•
FIGURE 8 Detailed strat i graphic sections, Grassy Hounta i n
•1$
 37
I
the type locality of the Zone of Raraeephalites g~bre8cen8 (Plate
I 7g, i) . which was original ly placed in the very late Bathonian or
early Callovian (Frebold, 1963) , but is now regarded as Early Bath-
onian (Imlay . 1980b). being equivalent to ·t he Zone of Parucephalites

I sawtoothensis in the upper Sawtooth Formation of the U. S. western

interior . Difficulties arise in accuratel y dating this and other
zones because so fa r they contain only endemic forms be l onging to

I a separate faunal province .

The agglutinated foram genera Haplophragmoides~ Ammobaculites~
Saccammina and Ammodiscus have been obtained f r om this part of the
section, with such calcareous forms as A 8tacolus ~ Dentalina, Len-
I tiaulina, Marginulinopsis, Nodosaria, Lagena and VaginuZinopsis .
At the top of this shale sequence, after a short cove r ed inter-
val, is an outcrop of t he Gryphoea bed , here a coquina rich in bi-
I valves (Plate 11) which marks t he termination of depositional cycle
3 . It has also yielded quite a diverse ammonite fauna: Warreno-
ceras nenryi (Plate 7h) , W. imZayi~ W. rierdonen8e ~ KeppZerites spp .

I (Plate Bb), Cobbanites engZeri (Plate Ba), LiZZoetia imZayi and

XenocephaZites cf. bearpawensis (Frebold, 1.957, 1963) . This fauna
characterises the Zone of Warrenoceras henryi which is now given
a mid - Bathonian age (Imlay, 1980b) . The bivalves of t he Gryphaea
I bed represent an epifaunal, byssate community (Stronach ' s (1981)
Assemblage II) with a tr ophic nucleus domi nated by :
Qxytoma (2B-56%) byssate, non-siphonate, suspension feeder
I Gryphaea (15-20%) reclin i ng, non-siphonate, suspension feeder
Entolium (14 - 18%) r eclining, non- siphonate, suspension feeder
-Frotocardia (15%) shallow infaunal, s i phonate , suspension feede r

I Upwards through the Gryphaea Bed at this locality there is an

inc r easing proportion of o.xytoma and the addition of Frotocardia to
the trophic nucleus, so t hat the community becomes more distal in
character as in outcrops f urther north. This is regarded as replace-
I ment of a high stress community by a low stress one, in response to
deepening of the water during the t ransg r ession marking the onset of
cyc l e 4 (Stronach , 1981) . Other bivalves present include Modiolus ~
I Liostrea~ Fronoella~ Pleuromya and !1;yophoreZLa .
Frebold (1963) r eported the Late Bathonian Kepplerites aff . K
tychonis(Plate 8e) about 6 m above the Gryphaea Bed on Grassy Moun-

I tain and it has recently been found at a similar stra ti graphic level
at Rock Cr eek (Plate 8g) .

DAY 3, LOCALITY 5 BIGHORN CREEK, ALBERTA

(Fig . 9a,b; pl . 2d , e; 3a- c)
I Introduction: Bighorn Falls are formed over the resis t ant silts t ones
of t he Tr i assic Sulphur Mountain Formation (Spr ay River Group) . Up-
stream, the lower and middle par ts of the Fernie are exposed along
bo t h sides of the Creek i n a very broad syncline and have been very
l it t le d isturbed.

St r atigr aphy : Lying disconformably on the unfossil iferous. well

bedded ~ calcareous siltstones of t he Triassic is an 8 cm thick ,
gr ey- black, shel ly bed which contains large bivalves , smooth pleur o-
I tomariid gastropods, some rhynchonellid br achiopods and whorl frag-
men t s of arietitid ammoni t es (Plate 2d) . This bed has been correlated

I
 •..
m
38 55

Highwood M ember
• Shale, IIrey_ brown , . of t , pl .. ty
•

•
50
•
•
Shoo "' , gr.y. w!.;t l.h wuthering

45 0Q""C::>C .. _

--.
•
Shle. ~.Y
sn.1., , •• I, lan l , ,ed-brown
?L Bajocian
40

Shale, grey to blac k , soh . linil. to

blocky ' bJight yellow to dark ,ed-
•
•
brOWtl "'"th,rlng

35

30
Silts tone, grey . celc a.eolls
Poker Chi p Sha le
•
Shale . dark II'.Y. 110ft. dark brown
wnlhe, ing , p lely to II&pery

•
25
I-=----~ i
H. rpo ce ,., .". ,alUm, Declylioc . r••
L To",elen
•
20
•
•
co"...d
---'R"e:'d"Oee r Member

~.
DK l ylioc er • •
Shale , g.ey to bllck . celcereou a:

•
platy to pap..-), . Interbeds of
rlll, tanl , Ii.,. black .il' I IGna
15 Amell".u" a ' oIenl, A. ?, ibb ollu,
AI,ac,".' c t, . m.1
U. F'1 ie nsbac lli.n

•
•
5

L. S inemu,i .. n
Siltstone , g.ay to black . calcara .... l :
•
o~
• - - :._ _ _ _-;;:'.:ri:'~ly and highly fo ni /iter-ou,, : A. iel il ide
Spray River Gro up

•
Slttttone, eoarae. r.ti,tant
Tria..i.c

FIGU RE 9. ·Deta il ed strati grap hi e sect ion , Bi gho rn Creek

•
 . c_ .
39

D
I
I
I
I
m

I 20
?Grey Beds

I 15

I
I
Shale . grey : grey_b'Dwn we athering:
10 • blocky
•
1Jo$/,, _, rhynchone lfids : "alce,,,,,,,,
shal e

I • In{skirt/I., ,,/, I. In l.,mH;us

?Eu,yceph.litinae U. Bathonian
5
•
• Sh.le , black , pape'y

I
o .l=o=====" -- Shale . black . platey

FIGURE 9b Detailed stratigraphic section, Bi gho rn Creek

I ,~ ..

I
40

with the Bu ~klandi-Semicostatum Zones (Frebold, 1969) of the Lower

inemarian and is followed by a covered interval of about 8 m.
Upstream in the bed of Bighorn Creek and on the east bank (Plate
2e). a r e outc r ops of h.ard, black, platy limestones and yellow-brown
weathering, calcareous siltstones of th~ Red - Deer Member (Frebold,
1969) . Approximately 3 . 7m above the base of the member is a bed
packed with crushed bivalve she ll s _ Amaltheus stokesi has been col-
lected from the lower beds which have been co rr elated with t he Late
Pliensbachian Margaritatus Zone ; aptychi and fish f r agments also
occur. In black pla t y shales 9.3 m above the base of the member
(Plate 2e), a very large dactylioceratid was found and these may
r epresent t he lowest beds of the overlying Poker Chip Shale .
In cutbanks of the next two meanders upstream, on the west
and east sides of the creek r espectively , are excellent exposures of
the Toarcian Poker Chip Shale (Plate 3a). Once again, the detailed
paleontology and biostratigraphy of this part of the sequence have
not been clearly established . Harpoceras~ DactyZioceras~ PhZyseo-

•..
grammo ceras~ Brodieia?~ Whitbyiceras and HiZdaites cf . &serpenti-
formis have all been r ecorded·, all as completely flattened impressions.
accompanied by bivalves , fish scales and rare belemni t es . The Poker
Chip Shale on the east bank is approximately 10 m thick, consis ting
of the typical dark grey to b l ack, silty shales with platy and papery
cleavage and occasional hard, cemented bands. These grade upwards
into the grey shales of the Highwood Member which is 4t least 20 m
thick (Plate 3a). These shales are sof t, with characteristic yellow
and red-brown weathering and thin interbeds of calcarerous concretions
{up to 1 m long and 23 cm thick) , smaller black phosphatic nodules
•
•
and pebbles, badly weathered belemnites and rosettes and blades of
gypsum. Near the top of the sequence are four whitish-orange, thin,
soft clay bands. probably bentonitic. No ammonites have been found

•
in this part of the section; it is presumed to correlate with the
top of the Lower Bajocian which is nearly always characterised by
interbedded belemnite-rich horizons and yellow clay layers within
red-brown weathering, grey shales. Note that there is no develop-
ment of the sandy facies of the Rock Creek Member in this area .
In the cutbank of the next meander up s tream on the east bank is
a shale cliff (Plate 3c) , f r om which f r agments of Bathonian ammonites
•
•
have been recovered. At water level is a band rich in belemnites
(Plate 3b) . The black, platy a~d papery shales have some thin yellow-
red-brown weathering bands; the second of these is 5.5 m above the
belemnite bed . Another 1 m above this is the horizon which has
yielded fragments identified as Iniskinites cf . intermedius (Plate
8i); also present are fragments of various ?Eurycephalitinae
Bositra and other bivalves. All occur as completely flattened
•
•
impressions. Another I m above this fossiliferous layer are three
hard, calcareous beds with shaly partings containing Bositra and
small rhynchonellid brachiopods. Grey, blOCkY shales continue to

•
the top of the exposure, with three interbedded or ange- brown clay
bands.

DAY 3 t;"LOCALITY 6 WILLSQN CREEK, ALBERTA

(Fig. 10 : Pl. 3d-f)

Int roduction : Middle and upper parts of the Fer nie and part of the
overlying Kootenay are b rou ght to the surface by a southeastward
 - - - - - - -- -

r m
..", ,
Passage Beds
shale. dark grey. hard.
41

45
I ....". with minor brownish
siltstone stringers.
? Odordian

I 40
Green Beds
sandstone. dark green.
soft. with brown nod-

I siltstones
. grey. resistant,
yellow-weathering
Shale. dark grey, silty

I 35
with siltstone dykes.
bioturbation

I Cobbsniles , Iniskiniles,
Keppferiles cr. K .lychonis

I 30 3 Siltst one . calcareous

U. Bathonian
Shale, dark grey. h"rd ,
splintery

I
25
I • 2 Siltstone. calcareous,
yellow-weathering

I 20
Shale, da rk grey_brown,
splintery, platy at top

I • 1 Siltstone, calc areous,

yellow- weat he ring

I 15
Shale. grey. splintery to
blocky

• = • - .- •
I ~ ~

Shale. dark grey. soft .

abundant yellDw

I 10
weathering

I --
~~-

~
Shales. ceme nted and
concretionary: rusty
brown and yellow wea _
thering . ?ChondrocereS
5
~
l. Bajocian

..-..... •• Shale . grey with yellow

~
weathering . soft

~kCreek Member
0 Sandstone. mottled grey

I
and yellow. massive :
black pebbles at top

I FIGUR E 10 Detail ed strati graphi c sec '~i on, Will son Creek
.J
-
42

plunging anticline along a steep cutbank on the north side of Willson

Creek. just north of the Shell gas plant.
•
Stratigraphy: At the base of this section is a yellow-brown weather-
ing hard unbedded sandstone with small. blac~, phosphatic pebbles which
probably represents the Rock Creek Member.
Above this basal sand is a sequence of black. dark grey and brown-
ish shales with platy to blocky cleavage and in the lower parts, red-
brown weathered surfaces. Throughout this sequence, approximately
38 m 1n thickness, is a series of thin interbeds made up variously

•
of calcareous concretions, white to orange-yellow, sticky, bento-
nitic clays and belemnites (Plate 3d) . One of the latter. 6 . 5 m
above the basal sand is a spectacular "belemnite battefield" up to
0.6 m thick (Plate 3f). Several fragments of ?Chondroceras from this
part of the section again indicate a late Early Bajocian age. Careful
tracing of most of these distinctive interbeds indicates the presenc e
of many minor contortions in these strata. Also present are three
•
conspicuous, resistant, yellow-brown weathering, calcareous beds,
0.3-0.5 m thick which provide good markers (Plate 3e) ; these occur
at 17m, 23 . 6m and 30m above the basal sand . In blocky siltstones
•
•
immediately overlying the uppermost of these markers, very poorly
preserved, squashed and f r agmented ammonites have been collected .
They include KeppZerites cf.tychonis, K.epplerites sp.,Cobbanites sp.

•
and Iniskinitea sp . (Plate 8d,f ,h) suggesting a Late Bathonian age
(Imlay. 1980).
About 8.5 m above this horizon in an exposure of typical Green
Beds lithology: soft, friable, dark green sands with brown-weather-
ing siltstone , presumed to be of Oxfordian age. Above are grey to
brown, platy shales with thin siltstone stringers appearing after
1.5m; these coarsen and thicken upwards app r oaching the base of the
•
•
Kootenay .

DAY 4 , LOCALITY 7 RIBBON CREEK , ALBERTA

(Fig. ll)
•
Introduction: Although several members of the Fernie Forma tion
are exposed along the north bank of Ribbon Creek there are frequent,
thick covered intervals and some internal structural dislocations .
•
Stratigraphy: The underlying Sulphur Mountain Formation of the
Triassic Spray River Group is well exposed at an old quarry (now
l argely filled in) and the bank of Rlbbon Creek just beyond the park- •
ing lot west of the youth hostel .
Above a covered interval of approximately sam there is a small
outcrop of the Bajocian limestone and the enclosing shales of the
•
•
Highwood Member in the creek and adjacent to the trail. The
Bajocian limestone, here a . 75m thick, is a dark grey, resistant
limestone with phosphatic and kaolinitic ouids and rests on a thin

•
bentonite horizon . At its base is a layer with abundant be l emnites
and the whole unit has an abundant and diverse fauna of bivalves
and ammonites.
The .bivalve community is predominantly epifaunal, dominated
by:
EhtoZium 67% reclining. non-siphonate, suspension feeder
Liostrea 8% cemented, non-siphonate, suspension feeder
•
•
r 43

I
I
I PASSAGE BEDS
dark grey sha les with platy cleavage;
l O-20mm thick siltstones, micac~ous,
with plant fragments
I o
I RIBBON CREEK
dark grey shales with 1m d i am~t~r.
orange-brown weathering. siderit;c
MEMBER concretions
I
I
light grey shales with platy cleavage,
I PIGEON CREEK
MEMBER
si l tstone and fine sandstone interbeds,
locally calcareous

I
100
I
t
I poorly exposed dark grey-black
platy-papery shales with O.75m
HIGHWOOD MEMBER thick grey, oolitic l imestone with
I abundant belemnites, biva l ves and
Chondrocer(1S ob"latwn., C. aUani.,
Stephanoaeras i tinsae., Te loce_rall
I warreni. 1a tes t EARLY BAJOC IAN

I
o
m SPRAY RIVER TR IASSIC
GROUP
FIGURE 11 Stratigraphic section, Ribbon Creek
44

Astarte 5% shallow iofaunal , non-siphonate suspension feeder

Pronoella 5% shallow iofaunal, siphonate suspension feed er
The community belongs to assemblage I of Stronach (1981) . Other
bivalves present includ~ P leuromya~ MYophoreZZa~ Camptonectes"
Retroceramus , Idonearca, CucuZlaea and ~radia (Flates 9,10) .

The associated ammonite fauna belongs to the Zone of

Chondroceras oblatum (Hall and Westermann, 1980) which is correlated
with the middle and upper parts of the Humphriesianum Zone .
Chondroceras obZatwn, C. allani, Stephanoaeras itinsae c! and ~ S.
•
•
(stemmatoceras) dowlingi and Teloceras crickmayi have all been
collected in this bed .
This conspicuous unit , with its characteristic molluscan fauna,

•..
1s one of the most persistent horizons in the Fernie and provides
an invaluable marker horizon over a wide area and marks the top
of depos itional cycle 2.

•
DAY 4, LOCALITY 8 BANFF TRAFF I C CIRCLE , ALBERTA
(P1 3g, 3h)
Introduction: This locality is within Banff National Park so collecting

•
or the use of hammers on the .
outc r op a r e not permitted . Middle and upper parts of Fernie are
exposed in this section and along nearby parts of Cascade River .
On the hhghway the lowest unit seen is the Pigeon Creek Member.
while the top of the section has continuous exposure from the Passage
Beds into the overlying Kootenay. This whole section, which is over
380m thick, is part of. the overturned southwest limb of a syncline
•
•
in the footwall of the Rundle Thrust. The lower part of this section
is severely deformed . Mt . Rundle and Cascade Mountain are formed
by Paleozoic C2rbonates brought to the surface by the Rundle Thrust .

Stratigraphy: At the westermost end of the roadcut are interbedded

dark grey, resistant siltstones and grey shale~. r ep resenting the
Pigeon Creek Member . Feeding . traces , burrows, sale markings and •
some small bivalve impressions occur in th e sil t stones .
The succeeding Grey Beds here consist of deformed, dark grey,
splintery shales with thin siltstone. bands and some large , flattened
•
•
concret i ons f r om which Frebo l d (1962) r ecorded Warrenoceras sp . and
Kepplerites sp . indicating a mid-Bathonian age .
The following black shales have yielded specimens of "Turbo /I

•
ferniensis~ suggesting an Oxfordian age for this par t of the section
which would now be correlated with the Ribbon Creek Member.
After another zone of intensely deformed shales and fine sand-
stones comes a sequence of regularly alternating shales and resistant
f i ne sandstone beds, each up to O.5m thick. from which Amoeboceras
was recorded by Frebold (1962) .
In contrast to this lower part of the section just described,
•
•
the remainder seems to have suffer ed little deformation. It consists
of an anomalously thick section (perhaps 260m) of the Passage Beds,
with r y·thmically alternating grey-brown shales and brownish silts

•
and fine ·sands . Upwards through the sec t ion, the proportion, grain-
size and thickness of these sandstones increas e till the massive-
bedded brown weathe r ing sandstones marking the base of the Kootenay
are r eached . Throughout, the sandy beds are characterised by

•
 45
I
intense bioturbation, sol e markings, plant debris and current struc-
tures. Two fossil tree trunks are also present in the section . The
Passage Beds have recently been interpreted as turbidites generated
by storms (Hamblin and Walker, 1979), while the Kootenay r epresents
a north-easterly prograding beach and fluvial complex .
o
o

I
I
I
I

u
u
 -----------

I 47

BIBLIOGRAPHY

(for completeness , t his bibliography includes a few papers that are

not referred to in the text of the fieldtrip guide)

BALLY. A. W. et al . 1966 . Structure , seismic data and orogenic evolution

of the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains . Bulletin of Canadian Society
of Petroleum Geology ~ 14:337-381 .
I CROCKFORD, M. B. B. 1949 . Geology of the Ribbon Creek area , Alberta.
Research Council of Alberta> Report 52 , 67 p .

I DAHLSTROM, C. D. A. 1970 . Structural geology in the eastern margin of the

Canadian Rocky Mountains . Bulletin of Canadian Petroeum Geology,
18, 332-406 .

I FREBOLD. H. 1957. The Jurassic Fernie Group in the Canadian Rocky Mountains
and Foothills . Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 287, 197 p .
~'

1962. The Devonian-Jurass~c contact and the subdivision of the

I Fernie Group in the Banff area , Alberta. Geological Survey of Canada~
Paper 62-3, 19 p.
1963 . Ammonite faunas of the Upper Middle Jurassic beds of
I the Fernie Group in {oJestern Canada . Geological Survey of Canada~
Bulletin 93, 33 p .
1969 . Subdivision and facies of Lower Jurassic rocks in the
I southern Canadian Rocky Mountains and Foothills. Geological Association
of Canada~ Proceeding8~ 20 :76 - 89 .
1976 . The Toarcian and Lower Middle Bajocian beds and ammonites
I in the Fernie Group of southeastern Brit ish Columbia and parts of
Alberta . Geological Survey of Canada 3 Paper 75-39 , 33 p.
------>Ccc~ . et al . 1959 . The Oxfordian beds of the Jur assic Fernie Group , ~
Alberta and British Columbia . Geological Survey of Canada 3 Bulletin
53 , 47 p .
and TIPPER , H.W. 1970. Status of the Jurassic in the Canadian
Cordillera of British Columbia, Alberta and southern Yukon . Canadian
Journal of Earth Sciences ~ 7 :1-21.
GIBSON, D. W. 1977. Sedimentary facies in the Jura-Cretaceous Kootenay
Formation, Crowsnest Pass area, southwestern Alberta and southeastern
British Columbia. Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology ~ 25 : 767-791.
[ 1979. The Morrissey and Mist Mountain Formations - newly
defined lithostratigraphic units of the Jura- Cretaceous Kootenay
Group , Alberta and British Columbia . Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum

l Geology~ 27 :1 83-208 .

HALL , R. L. 1982 . Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) ammonites f r om the Fernie

Formation in the Canadian Rocky Mountains . (in preparation)
l - ---::-=-L· . and WESTERMANN.• G. E . G. 1980. Lower Bajocian (Jurassic)
cephalopod faunas f r om western Canada and proposed assemblage zones
for the Lower Bajocian of North America. Palaeontographica Amerieana ~
9, number 52 , 93 p .
___________ and STRONACH, N.J. 1981. rirst r ecord of Late Bajocian (Jurassic)
 I
48

•
ammonites in the Fernie Formation , Al berta .
of Earth Scienaes 3 18:919-925 .
Canadian Journal

HAMBLIN , A.P . and WALKER , R. C. 1979 . Storm-dominated shallow marine deposits!

The Fernie-Kootenay (Jurassic) transition, southern Rocky Mountains .
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences ~ 16 : 1673-1690.
•
HENDERSON, J . F . 1944 . Tay River map area, Alberta . Geological Survey of
Canada ~ Paper 44-26, 5 p .

•
IMLAY . R . W. 1980a . Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) ammonites from southern
Alaska. United States Geological Survey> Professional Paper 1091,
42 p .

•
1980b. Jurassic paleobiogeography of the conterminous United
States in its continental setting. United States Geological Survey ~
Professional Paper 1062 , 134 p .

•
LEACH, W. W. 1903 . The Balirmore-Frank coalfields . Geological Survey of
Canada~ Summary Report for 1902~ 169A-181A.
1912. Geology of the Blairmore map area, Alberta . Geological

•..
Survey of Canada ~ Summary Report for 19l1~
192-200 .
1914 . Blairmore map area, Alberta. Geological Survey of Canada,
Report for 19l2~ Map 107A , p . 234 .
MCCROSSAN , R. G. and GLAISTER, R.P . 1964 . Geological Hi story of Western Canada .
Alberta Society of Petroleum Geologists, Calgary .
MCEVOY , J . and LEACH, W. W. 1902 . Geological and topographic map of Crowsnest
coalfields , East Kootenay District, B. C. Geological Survey of Can.ada~
map 130A.
MCLEARN, F .B . 1927 . Some Canadian Jurassic faunas . Royal Society of Canada ~
TPansactions ~ series 3, sec tion 4 , 21 : 61 - 73 .
1929 . Stratigraphic paleonto l ogy , Blairmore region , Alberta .
National MUseum of Canada ~ Bulletin 58 , number 50 : 80-107 .

NORRIS, n.K. 1955 . Blairmore. Geological Survey of Canada, Preliminary

map 55-18 .
SPIVAK , J . 1949 . Jurassic sections in Foothills of Alberta and northeastern . "
Br itish Columbia. American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Bulletin
33 , 533- 546.
STRONACH, N.J. 1981. Sedimentology and paleoecology of a shale basin : the
Fernie Formation of t he southern Rocky Mountains , Canada . Unpublished
Ph . D. thesis ~ University of Calgary ~ 398 p .
TIPPER, H. W. 1981 . Offset of an Upper Pliensbachian geographic zonation in
the North American Cordillera by transcurrent movement. Canadian
Journal of Earth Sciences, 18 :1788- 1792.
TOZER, E.T. 1982 . Late Tr iassic (Upper Norian) and ear liest Jurassic
(Hettangian) rocks and ammonoid faunas, Halway River and Pine Pass
map areas , B.C. Geological Survey of Canada ~ Paper 82-1A : 385- 39l .
WARREN, P ....s . 1934 . Present sta tus of the Fernie Shale . American Journal
of Science~ 27:56-70 .
ZIEGLER, P . A. 1969 . The deve l opment of sedimentary basins in Western and
Arctic Canada. Alberta Society of Petroleum Geologists , Calgary .
 EXPLANATION OF PLATE 1

•
a. General northward view of Jurassic outcrops in headwaters of Rock Creek,
showing anticline in resistant sandstones of Rock Creek Member (Locality 1).
i lowermost Fernie consisting of dark, sandy coquina bed,{?S;nemurian) .

b.
ii - type section, Rock Creek Member (Lower Bajocian).

Southward view along plunging anticline at Rock Creek, with li mb of over-

•
turned syncline at top right causing repetition of Rock Creek Member (Lower
Bajocian) with Poker Chip Shale (Toarcian) above. From Hal l and Stronach
(1981).
•
; large calcareous concretion s with impressi ons of Stephanoceras 9 encl osed
in red-brown weathering shales of Highwood Member (Lower Bajocian).
•
•
i; - thin cemented bands in dark shales with spirocera8 ~ Megasphaeroceras 3

stephanoceratids and fish (Upper Bajocian).

iii- Bositra and Harpoaeras dark. papery shales of Poker Chip Shale
(Toarcian).
c. Type section of the Rock Creek Member. headwaters of Rock Creek. ~
d. Small, southward plunging anticline formed in Gryphaea Bed on Carbondale
River (Bathonian) at Locality 2.
•
•
e. Folded Passage Beds on Carbonda l e Ri ver.
f. West bank of Fording River. l ooking south at Localities 3a, 3b .
i
;i
papery, dark sha les of Poker Chip Sha l ewith Harpoceratids (Toarcian) .
resistant siltstones with Sonninia , distal part of Rock Creek
Member (Lower Bajocian). · •
iii shales with bentonitic clays and concretions bearing Stephanoceras
(upper Lower Bajocian) and, above, CranocephaZites aostidensus (Lower
Bathonian). •
g. Entrance to old phosphate mi ne at Fording River (Locality 3a) from Frebold
(1969).
A
B
- Lower Sinemurian phosphate bed above Triassic Spray River Group.
- Upper Sinemurian shales with limestone bands.
-•
•
C - Lower Toarcian Poker Chip Sha le
h. Fording River, Locality 3b, from Frebold, 1976.
T - Poker Chip Shale (Toarcian).
G
S
H
greyish -brown sha l es.
thin siltstone with Sonninia . Rock Creek Member (Lower Bajocian)
concretions with Stephanoaeras (upper Lower Bajocian) .
•
,
•
I
•
 PLA TI: 1

~ ,,
,
u
U
D
D
m

I
I
I
I
~
~
~
~
~
I
I
I
 ----------------------------------~

EXPLANATION OF PLATE 2

a. West bank of Fording River, Locality 3c.

i position of Cobbanites - Parureineckeia horizon in grey shales
between brown weathering calcareous bands 3 and 4.
b. Grassy Mountain, south slope, Locality 4.
i shales and cemented siltstone bands of upper Cor bula munda Beds;
type locality for the Lower to ?Middle Bathonian Zone of Paraaephalites
glabresoens (Frebo1d, 1963).
ii - Gryphaea Bed; type locality for the Middle Bathonian Zone of
Warrenoaeras henryi (Frebold, 1963).
c. Panoramic view of south slope of Grassy Mountain from Frebold (1963) showing
numerous outcrops of Fernie strata. The section s hown in Plate 2b (above) ; s
located immediately left (west) of C.
d. Bighorn Creek, Locality 5. Basal part of the Fernie Format i on res ting on the
well-bedded siltstones of the Sulphur Mountain Formation of the Spray River
Group (Triassic).
i coquina with bi valves, gastropods and Ar i etit i d ammonite fragments ~
•
(Lower Sinemurian).
i; platy~ s i lty s hales on west bank bel onging to the overlying Red Deer
Member (Upper Pliensbachian).
e. Bighorn Creek, same locality as in Plate 2d .
i Lower Sinemurian coquina bed.
•
ii

iii
Red Deer Member (type section) with AmaZtheus stokesi (Upper
Pliensbachian) .
black, platy shales on top of Red Deer Member which have yielded •
large Dactylioceratids.

•
•
•
•
•
,.
•
•
~
I
PLATE 2
~
D

n
U
U
U .'.

r
l
[
U

U
D

IJ

J
- - --.- ~~~~~~~~~~~~--:-

EXPLANATION OF PLATE 3

a. Bighorn Creek. upstream from part of section shown in Plate 2e.

•
; black, platy sha l es of the Poker Chip Sha l e containing numerous
flattened, but wel l preserved, specimens of Daat~lioce ra8 3 Harpocera83
Bositra 3 Inoceramids and aptychi (Lower Toarcian).
i; red-brown weathering. grey, si l ty sha l es of the Highwood Member with
benton i tic clay bands, "abundant belemn i tes and gypsum, (? Lower Bajocian).
Locality 4b.
b. Upper surface of belemnite bed at river le ve l i n the secti on shown in Plate
3c, Bighorn Creek, Local i ty 3c.
c. Bigho rn Creek, Locality 3e, on east bank and upstream from the section shown
i n Pl ate 3a .
i bel emnite bed (see Pl ate 3b).
;i pos i tion of thin zone yie ldi ng flattened, fragmenta l I niskinites and
Eurycephalitinae.
d. IHllson Creek, Locality 6.
i massive, yellow-brown weathering sandstone with black, phosphatic .pebbles;
probab ly Rock Creek Member.
ii , top surface of "belemnite batt l efi e ld " with ?Chonilroceras (? Lower
Bajoc i an) . •
iii
iv
Green Beds (?Oxford i an) .
Passage Beds . .t·
•
e. Willson Creek; en l argement of part of Pl ate 3d showing marker beds of yellow-
brown wea therin g. ca l careous s iltstones (numbered 1. 2 and 3) .
•
•
i belemnite battlefield.
ii horizon immediately above Bed 3 yi eld i ng fragments of Kepplerites cf.
tychonis~ KeppZeri tes sp .• CobbaniteB sp . • and Ini s kini tes sp. (Upper

•
Bathonian) .
f. Top surface of Lower Bajocian "be l emnite battlefield at Wi ll son Creek (shown
tl

i n Plates 3d , 3e) .
g. Banff traffi c circle . Locality 8. Partial section from Frebold. 1962. showi ng
part of the Passage Beds with interbedded shales and bioturbated sil tstones .
•
•
h. Banff traffic circle, Local ity 8. Partial secti on from Frebold, 1962.
P. - Grey Beds (Bathonian)

•
B - black shales with "Turbo " fern:iensis (Oxfordian)
C sha l es and sand stones with Amoeboaeras (U pper Oxfordian - Kimmeridgian)

•
•
•
 PLAT
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 - ----------------- - - - - - - -

EXPLANATION OF PLATE 4
(all figures xl unless otherwise . i ndicated)

a. Amaltheus sp. indet. aff. A. gibbosus (Schlothe i m). Bighorn Creek ,

Upper Pliensbachian . From Frebold (1969), Plate 1, fi9. 12.
b. Amaltheus sp. indet. Bighorn Creek, Upper Pliensbachian . From Frebold

•
(1969), Plate 1, fig. 11.
c. DactyZioceras (Orthoda c tylites) sp . Bighorn Creek, Lower Toarcian,

•
Exaratum Subzone. From Frebold (1976), Plate 4, fig. 1.
d. DactyZioceras (Orthodactyli tes) sp . Bighorn Creek , Lower Toarcian,
Exaratum Subzone. From Frebold (1976), Pl ate 4, fig. 2.
e. Harpoceras exaratum (Young and Bird). Bi ghorn Creek, Lower Toarcian ,
Exaratum Subzone . . From Frebo1d (1976) , PLate 5, fi g. 1.
•
f. Harpoceras cf. H. falcifer (Sowerby).
Falcifer Subzone.
Bighorn Creek, Lower Toarcian,
From Frebold (1976), Plate 5, fig. 2.
•
g. Brodieia ? sp.
Plate 6, fig. 3.
Bighorn Creek , t~idd l e Toarc ia n. From Frebold (1976) ,

•
h. Brodieia ? sp .
Plate 7, fig . 6.
Bi ghorn Cr eek, Mi ddl e Toarcian . From Frebold (1976) ,

•
•
;. Whitbyiceras? sp. Bighorn 'Creek, Lower Toarcian, Falc ifer Subzone.
From Frebold (1976) , Plate 5, fi g. 3. . .

•I
j. Hi ldai tes cf. H. serpentiformis Buckman. Bighorn Creek, Lower Toarcian,
Fa l ci fer Subzone. From Frebold (1976), Plate 5, fi g. 4.
k. Hildaites cf. B. serpentiformis Buckman. Bighorn Creek, Lower Toarcian,
Fa l ci fer Subzone . From Frebold (1976), Plate 5, fig. 5.

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
 PLATE 4
.
- ---
-. ..........-.- .

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EXPLANATION OF PLATE 5 I
(a ll figures xl unless otherwise i ndicated)

•
•
a. Hildaites sp. nov. ? fording River, Lower Toarcian, Falcifer Subzone .
From Frebold (1976) , Plate 7, f i g. 1.

•
b. Haugia sp. fordi ng River, ~1iddle Toarcian, Variabilis Zone. From Frebold
(1976). Pl ate 7, fig. 9.
c. Haugia sp. Fording River, Midd l e Toarcian, Var;abi1is Zone. From Frebold

d.

e.
(1976 ), Plate 7, fig. 8.
Sonninia gracilis (Whiteaves).
"$owerbyi II Zone.
Lake Minnewanka area, Lower Bajocian,
From Frebold (1976), Plate 8, fig. 2.
unidentifi ed ammonite from top of Rock Creek Member at its type locality.
•I
Rock Creek.
f. Stephanoceras itinsae (McLearn ) 9.
Ribbon Creek, Lower Bajocian, Zone of
Chondroaeras obZatwn (= middle to upper Humphriesianum Zone). From Frebold
I
(1957), Plate 23 , fig . lao
g. stephanoceras itinsae (McLearn) Q . Inner whorls of same specimen as in I
•I
f. above . From Frebold (1957), Plate 23, fig. lb .

I
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 PLATE 5
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 EXPLANATION OF PLATE 6

(all figures xl unless otherwise indicated)

a. Stephanoaeras (Stemmatoce rasJ dOwZingi (McLearn). Ribbon Creek, Lower

Bajocian, Zone of Chondroeeras obZatwn (= midd l e and upper Humphries ian um
Zone). From Frebold (1957), Plate 24, fig. l a.
•
b. Chondroceras oblatum (Whiteaves) ~. Ribbon Creek , Lower Bajocian, Zone
of Chondroceras obl.a:twn (= midd le and upper Humphr;esianum Zone) . From
Hall and Westermann (1980), Plate 14, fig. 6a.

c, d. Stephanoceras itinsae (Mc Learn) OW. Ribbon Creek , Lower Bajocian, Zone
of Chondroceras obZatum (= middle and upper Humphr;esianum Zone), From
•I
Hall and Westermann (1980), PLate 8 , fig. 7a, b.

e. Megasphaeroceras cf. M. rotundum Imlay. Rock Creek, Upper Bajocian, Zone

I
of Me~a8phaerocera8 rotundum (= Subfurcatum Zone). From Hal' and Stronach

f.
(1981), Plate 1, fi9. 2a.
Spir oceras cf. S . orbignyi (Baug;er and Sauze). Rock Creek, Upper Bajocian,
I
Zone of Megasphaer oeer as rotundum (= Subfurcatum Zone). From Hall and
~ Stronach (1981), Plate 1, fig . l a . I
g, h.Stephanoceratidae gen. et sp. indet. Rock Creek, Upper Bajocian, Zone of
Megasl?haeroceras ro,t undwn (= Subfurcatum Zone). From Ha11 and Stronach
(1981), Plate 1,fi gs. Sf, e.
I
.,
i. Cobbanites cf. C. taZkeetnanus Imlay.
and Stronach (1981), Plate 1, fig. 3.
Rock Creek, ?Bathonian. From Hall
I
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,
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..
IT
PLATE 6
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 I
EXPLANATION OF PLATE 7 I
(a ll f igures xl un l ess otherwi se indicated)
I
a, b. CranocephaZites cf. c. costidensus Imlay. Fording River, Lower Bathonian,
Zone of CranoaephaZites costidensus (= Zigzag Zone). From Hall (1982).
I
c, d. Parareineckeia cf . P. sheZikofana (Imlay) . Fording River, Bathonian .

e , f.
From Hall (1982). x 2.
Cobbanites cf . c. taZkeetnanus Imlay . Fording River, Bathonian. From
I
Hall (1982) . x 2.
g. ParacephaZites gZabrescens Buckman. Grassy Mounta i n, Lower Bathonian,
I
Zone of ParacephaZit es gZabr escens . From Frebo1d (1963), Pl ate 2,
fig. 3a.

Warrenoceras henryi (Meek and Hayden). Grassy Mountain, Lower or Middle

I
h.
Bathonian, Zone of Warrenoceras henryi . From Frebo1d (1963), Pl ate 6,
fig. 1. I
i. ParacephaZites hashimotoi Frebold. Adanac mine road, Lower Bathonian?
From Frebo1d (1957), Pl ate 38, fig. 1e . I
I
i' .

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r PLATE 7

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EXPLANATION OF PLATE 8
r~
(a ll figures xl unless otherwi se i ndicated) II
a. Cobbanites engleri (Frebold).
Zone of Warrenoae r a s henryi .
Grassy Mountain. Lower or ~1iddle Bathonian ,
From Frebold (1957) , Pl ate 40, fi9. lao I
b. Kepplerite s sp .
Warrenoceras henryi .
Adanac mine road. Lower or Middle Bathonian, Zone of
From Frebold (1963), Plate 9, fig. 2. I
c. Cryphaea impressimarginata McLearn. Adanac mi ne road, Lower or Middle
Bathonian, Zone of Warr enoceras henryi . From Frebold (1957) , Plate 40 ,
fig. 3.
•
d. Kepplerites sp . Willson Creek, Upper Bathonian. From Hal l (1982) .
•
•
e. Kepplerites aff. K. tychonis Ravn. Grassy Moun tain, Upper Bathonian .
From Frebo ld (1963), Plate 9, fig . 3.
f. KeppZerites cf. K. tychonis Ravn . Hillson Creek, Upper Bathonian.

g.
,
From Ha ll (1982).
Kepplerites cf. K. tychoni s Ravn . Rock Creek , Upper Bathonian. From
•
•
Ha ll (1982) .
h. . Iniskinites cf . I . intermedius (Imlay) . Wi ll son .Creek, Mi dd l e or Upper

•J
Ba thonian. From Hall (1982) .
i . Iniski nites cf. I . inter.mediuR (Imlay) . Bighorn Creek, Middle or Upper
Bathonian. From Hall (1 982).
j, k. Buahia aonoentriaa (Sowerby ). Ca rbondale River. Oxfordian. From
Frebold (1957), Plate 38, figs. 4a, b.

J
J
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 - - - - - - - - -- - --

r PLATE 8

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EXPLANATION OF PLATE 9 1.
•II
(al l figures shown xl )

1. PZeur omya burnsi Warren r.V.

2. Pleuromya simplex Warren r.V.
3. Platymya r oakymontana Imlay r.v .
Pleuromya burnsi Warren l.v.
4.
5. Pleuromya simplex Warren l. v.
fJ
6. Procerithiwn s p.
7. Thracia convexa Warren r. v. 11
8. Thracia dubia Warren r. v.
9. Quenstedtia ferniens is Warren r.Y . II
10. Quenstedtia f erniensis Warren r.v.
11. PronoelZa ?cinnabarens is (Stanton) r.v.
12. Cucullaea e longata Warren r.v.
13. CucuUaea eZongata Warren r. v.
14. Cucullaea elongata ~Jarren r.v.
15. Grammatodon haguei (Meek) r . v.
16 . Pronoella cinnabarens is (Stanton) r. v. ' 'i i
17. Entolium parviaur e Warren
18 . Astarte ?pac kar di \,h i te 1. v. II
19 . MYophorella ex . gr . M. aawsoni (Wh i teaves) r.v.
20. Idonearca r ockymontana (Warren) r.v .
1. v.
'I
21. PZagiostoma alber t ense Warren

Benthi c macrofauna from the Bajoci an Limestone . 1- 16 are spec; es

I
common in the infaunal assemblage III, while 17- 21 are species common
in the Entolium- dominated assemblage I.
I
r.v. = r i ght valve
l.v. = left valve
I
(from Stronach, 1981)
1
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PLATE 9 .
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 EXPLANATION OF PLATE 10
(a ll figures shown xl )

l. Retroeeramus ferniensis (Wa r ren) l. v.

2. Liostrea strigeZicuZa (White) l ower va l ve I
3. Liostrea strigeZieula (White) lower va l ve
4.
5.
Camptone ctes albertensis Warren
Oxytoma blai~oren8i8 McLearn
l. v.
1. Y.
I
6.
7.
Modiolus rosii McLearn
Entolium leachi McLearn
l .v.
I
EntoZium Zeachi McLearn
8.
9. ~otoaardia schuaherti McLearn r.Y . I
10. cluster of Gryphaea impres8imarginata i n li fe pos i tion;
l ower va l ves visibl e . I
Benthic macrofauna from the Bajocian Li mestone and the Gryphaea Bed .
1-4 are species common in t he byssate epifaunally- domi nated assembl age IV
of the Bajocian limestone; 5-1 0 are species common in t he Gryphaea Bed
(assemblage II).
I
r.v. = r i ght va l ve
l. v. = left valve
(from Stronach, 1981)

I
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•