Trout River Formation

The Trout River Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Late Devonian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

Trout River Formation Stratigraphic range: Late Devonian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Underlies	Tetcho Formation
Overlies	Kakisa Formation Fort Simpson Formation
Thickness	up to 91 metres (300 ft)[1]
Lithology
Primary	Limestone
Other	Shale, siltstone
Location
Coordinates	61.22°N 119.90°W
Region	Northwest Territories  British Columbia
Country	Canada
Type section
Named for	Trout River
Named by	C.H. Crickmay, 1953

It takes the name from the Trout River, and was first described on the banks of the river, 35 kilometres (22 mi) upstream from the Mackenzie River, by C.H. Crickmay in 1953.[2][3]

Lithology

The Trout River Formation is composed bedded limestone (top), silty limestone and shale (middle), silty limestone and calcareous siltstone (base). [1]

Brachiopod and coral paleo-fauna can be found in outcrops.

Distribution

The Trout River Formation reaches a maximum thickness of 91 metres (300 ft).[1] It occurs in the District of Mackenzie in outcrop and dips south into the Fort Nelson area in north-eastern British Columbia.

Relationship to other units

The Trout River Formation is conformably overlain by the Tetcho Formation and disconformably overlays the Kakisa Formation.[1] In its western extent, it overlies and grades into the Fort Simpson Formation.

It is equivalent to the Sassenach Formation in the central Alberta Rockies, with the Graminia Formation in central Alberta, the Crowfoot Formation in southern Alberta, the Torquay Formation in Saskatchewan and Lyleton Formation in Manitoba.

References

1. Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Trout River Formation". Retrieved 2009-03-01.
2. Crickmay, C.H., 1953. New Spiriferidae from the Devonian of western Canada. Pub. by author, Imperial Oil Limited, Calgary, 11p.
3. Crickmay, C.H., 1957. Elucidation of some Western Canada Devonian Formations; published by the author, Imperial Oil Limited, Calgary, Alberta, 14 p.