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This Kain is f ilnwd at th« reduction ratio ch«cli*d bolow / Co documont oot fiim4 au taux da rMuetion indiquA ei-dasaou«. lOx 14x 18x 22x 26x 30x 7 12x 16x 20x 24x 28x 32x Th« copy «lm«d h«r« has bMn raproducad thwiiu to ttM e«n«re«itv of: National Library of Canada L'axampiaira film* fut raproduit s'ic* * !• g4n4rosit* da: Bibliothiqaa nationala du Canada Tha imaflaa appaaring hara ara tha bart quality poaaibia conaidaring ttia condition and lagibillty of tha original eopy and in kaaplng with tho filming eontraet apaeif icationa. Original eopiaa in printod papar eovara ara filmad baginning «with tha front covar and anding on tha iaat paga with a printod or illuatratad ""P'*** aion. or tha back covor whan appropriata. All othar original eopiaa ara filmad baginning on tha flrat paga with a printad or illuatratad ««"P^* aion. and anding on tha Iaat paga with a printad or illuatratad impraaaion. Tha Iaat racordad frama on aach •"•eroflcha ahall contain tha avmbol -♦ •"'••"'"B ^S°):; TINUEO"). or tha tymbol ▼ (moaning two I. whiehavar appliaa. Mapa. plataa. charts, ate. may ba filmad at dlHarant raduction ratios. Thosa too ••'8« «> »• antiraly includad in ona axposura ara filmad baginning in tha uppar laft hand cornar. laft to right and top to bonom. as many framaa as raquirad. Tha following diagrams lllustrata tha mathod: Laa imagaa suivantas ont «t« raproduitas avac la plus grand soin. eompta tanu da la condition at da la nattat* da I'aaamplaira film*, at an eonf ormM avae laa eonditiona du eontrat da fUmaga. Laa anamplairaa originaua dont la eouvartura an papiar aat imprimaa sont fllmOs tt commoncant par la pramiar plat at 1% tarminant soit par la darniOra paga qui eomporta una amprainta d'imprassion ou d'iUustration, soit par la sacond plat, salon la cas. Toua las autras aaamplairas originaua sont filmOs an comman9ant par la pramiOra paga qui eomporta una amprainta d'impraaaion ou d'illuatration at an tarminant par la darni«ra paga qui eomporta uno tolla amprainta. Un daa symbolas suivants apparaltra sur la 4wni*f imaga da chaqua microficha. salon la eaa: la symbola ^-m' signifia "A SUIVRE". la symbolo ▼ signiflo "PIN". Las cartaa. planchas. tablaaux. ate. pauvant «tra film«s A daa taux da r«duction diffirants. Lorsqua la document ast trop grand pour *tra raproduit an un saul clichO. il ast film* A partir da I'angia supOriaur gaucha. da gaueha * droita. at da haut 1% bas. an pranant la nombra d'imagaa nOcaaaaira. Las diagrammas suiwants illustrant la mOtfioda. 1 2 3 •WOOCOPT RBOIUTION TBT CHART (ANSI ond ISO TEST CHART No. 2) Li 178 |S0 "^ l» 1^ If 1^ 12.0 i 11.8 1.6 A '653 Eosl Mom Slre»l RothMler. N«. York 1450 u-181 A. "Geology of Blairmore map-area, Alberta;" Idem, Sun; Rept., 1911. pp. 192-200. I > . "Blairmore map area. Alberta;" Idem, Sum. Kept., 1912, p. 234, map only. Mackenzie, J. D.— " Southfork coal area, Oldman river. Alberta;" Idem. Sum. Rept., 1912, pp. 235-246. McLeam, F. H.— "The Cretaceous sections on the Crowsnest river west of the Blairmore sheet, Alberta;" Idem, Sum. Rept., 1914, pp. 62-63. Palhser, Capt.— " Explorations in British North America; " 2 vols.. London, 1860. Slipper, S. E.— "The Sheep River map-area. Alberta;" Geol. Surv., Can.. Sum. Rept., 1914, pp. 53-54. Stewart, J. S.— "The foothills west of the Porcupine hills, Alberta;" Idem, Sum. Rept., 1914, pp. 54-55. CHAPTER II. GENERAL CHARACTER OF THE DISTRICT. LOCATION AND MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. f hP lUlf^rii ^«f * '"*^'n tljis report extends in a northwest direction from mm.nf nin- A?L^°""'^*?:'y ^"^ ''J^"?- ^^ ""^^^ ^'^"K ^^e foot of the Rocicy mountains. At the southern end it lies east of west longitude 114 degrees and at the north extends on both sides of this meridian. I u r1®u^°J? '^ crossed in an east-west direction by the Crows Nest anwil''^ *^ ^""^^r ^"''^^ '^^^'^y- The Cardston branch of the same \uZZaT^^\^''''^u^^^^'^^ *? "'^ southeastern part, and the Calgary S^n or Hrgh'Sver ""'•*^"^«* P^'* f^«™ ^^e towns of Claresholm, The C'rows Nest line was built in 1897-1898 and provided direct Si sTater '^'*^™ ^'""'''^''' '°"**''™ ^"*''^ Columbia, and the ^nr;P^^'■f"''^ 'illl^L^.'?" Lethbridgc to Cardston was built as far as Spring Coulee m 1900-1901; some time later a narrow-gauge line (3-foot gauge was bmlt from Spring ("oulee to Cardston and was reconstrucSd as a standard-gauge Ime in 1905. „ '^¥ Calgarj' Macleod line was opened for traffic in 1902 and provides connexion with Edmonton and northern Alberta and with the m.in line of the Canadian Pacific railway at Calgary. From the railway lines, wagon roads or trails ramify into practically every part of the area. With the settling of the country and the gridual confined ?n*/"h""^''T n*^' *^' '^"'\"? ?'^ ^^'"^ ^^"^^^ and travel is now confined to the road allowances, which in places become deeply cut up (luring wet weather. ^ TOPOGRAPHY. RELIEF. " Ipv^l'^'^Tif 1? t* '*^- 1'"'"''''* '-'.'"t"des Stands about 3,500 feet above sea- level. The higher ridges attain elevations of 6,000 feet and over in a few places and some of the mountains which border the west rise abruptly ;.mhav,^pnt ° f \^ '■''■ '^> '"'^'t^'l'' P^^* ^ he area looks Hke a gfeat tS^n^^? ■ 'i^*^ P'^^'^f' ?''^' ^^^ *h^ exception of a small strip close to mLT ^ ' ■'''!,^ 'r''-i °i '^^ *° ^^ ^^^*- The northern part, which may be convemently divided into an eastern or Porcupine Hills section and a western or Foothills belt, has a relief of 800 to 1,500 feS! DK.\1NAGE. rise i?^fh!^i!!.i'.'^^" ^^T%^ ^y numerous swift-flowing streams which So\ ? u "^o^Pta'ns and flow to Hudson bay by way of the South Saskatchewan. Most of them are tributary to Belly river, though a few in the north reach the Bow through Highwood river St. Mary River Baain. St. Mary river, an important tributary of Belly river, heads in northern Montana on the eastern slope of the Rocky mountains. Starting from Blackfeet glacier, it receives numerous affluents from several smaller glaciers. These streams unite within a short distance of their source, and flow mto Lpper St. Mary lake and thence into Lower St. Mary lake The river flows from this lake at an eK wition of 1,460 feet above mean seu- ^vel, and takes a northerly course through the foothills to the International Boundary- from the boundary it flows northeast through a rolling country, finally emptying into Belly river near Lethbridge. The upper part of the basin receives a fairly large precipitation, mostlv in the form of snow, and is forested; but the lower and larger part has a small precipi- tation and is totally devoid of trees. The Alberta Hailway and Irrigation Company has water rights on this river in Canada and has constructer year lUin 000 91 1-33 I9IS. 00 80 1 35 lot re Quit \n 1 28 ported 0-92 2 96 7« 31 1-47 8-92 nor availab 4 43 207 292 tracp 1-88 1 29 6 7 3-40 49 8-7 1 73 009 17-7 000 4-7 Snow 15 17 783 19IA ■Precipitation Nov. and Dec., 1002 le. 407 ■la a fi to 1 iaeb ol nk. hweuM the diatiMtloa betwew now ud rata i* not made; 10 iaeha of now Mac eoMidmd eqaal Lyndon. Jan. 000 10-70 000 12-45 000 1390 000 1200 000 5-2 Feb. 053 000 1-30 1 16 00 2-81 1 36 6 08 1911— Rain — Snow 1912- Rain Snow 1913-Rain .Snow 1914- Rain Snow 1915-Rain Snow March, April, November, and December, 1915, not' 000 14- 10 000 4-70 00 13-50 OOO 900 0-00 5 3 Mar. 00 5 50 00 9 10 00 14 30 06 13-50 .\vr 0-00 16-50 0-87 2-20 80 1-40 2 SO 000 May 80 6-21 June 3-76 11-70 July 0-24 000 7-73 3-53 6-40 4-33 .\ug 6 29 0-00 2-00 3 06 2 si 071 Sept. 677 0-00 2-12 0-96 i'32 2-46 6-0 reported nor available. Oct. 26 3-50 2-45 2-10 0-21 13 00 0-73 22 SO Nov. 56 8-SO 0-00 10-20 0-00 7-60 00 24-40 Dec 000 5 60 00 5-10 00 5-20 00 600 Total for year 14-98 64-20 19-28 45 90 16 00 70 90 12 38 87-40 Maycroft. Jan. Feb. Mar. .\pr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec Total for year. 1911-Rain Snow 00 25-5 000 7-3 0-00 19-3 0-26 12-0 0-00 91 nd Dec 000 13-S 00 60 0-09 5-4 0-02 4-3 0-00 lo-g ember 25 2 000 4-8 000 13-2 0-13 23-2 0-00 0-74 1915, 15 11-0 1-21 00 027 3-2 1-62 2-68 8-2 110 1-42 1-61 4-08 2 41 70 1-08 2-7 0-66 0-0 1-65 0-0 1-90 15 3 61 12-7 19 5-7 .M 17-2 1.33 3-6 02 19 51 15-7 41 9 1 004 22 7 0-00 7-2 00 4-6 00 1-7 000 6-8 12-72 96 4 12 89 53 8 11 02 60 9 12 07 86 2 1912— Rain Snow 295 4-44 0-99 1913— Rain Snow 1 90 3 3 1 21 2-65 2 13 2-82 1914— Rain Snow 2-85 0-81 2-94 1915— Rain Snow 095 05 not rep 4-14 6-32 3-75 2 60 November a orted nor a railab le. Monthly Precipitation in Incht: (Conclutlrtl.) Lundhntk. 1915 ToUl prenipito- tatuHi Jan. Feb. 73 Mar. I 43 Apr. §7 M«> fuiw July S 12 « 83 4.54 Au,. I 32 Hvpl M Oct I'M Vov !)«<■ T.)»iU (or year. finrhrr rmlt. Aii«.. lg«»-I)er., 1914. Avenw) minfoll AvorBRe Hnowfall AvenMce pro'ipi- Ution 1»I9 Total precipita- tion 00 7 1 71 000 O-ll 8-8 H-l 88 IM 1. 73 0'«2 I 24 .M 8 8 1-49 3 20| 3 02 2 711 2 01 3 02 1-80 3-37 302 2-71 7-88 401 201 1 24 1 87 1-4 1 10 17 07 8'4 1 81 1 27 91 2 31 1 60 0-3.1 001 14 41 52 « 3 4 3.5 1-2 19 70 27 54 CaUirrK. — - Jan. Feb. Mar. .Apr. Vfay Juno July Aug. >tal for Mir. ^'JRICllLTl'RE. wel Buitcd, iw rattle and hown could rustle a good livina on the rancet during the entire w nter. In recent yearn, however, a number of SZ Hteaderi. have settled in the dmtriet and the fencing n of the hoSicHteS hel^rHi^n^'f'; ''''»'"*';»"'d ^h- «r" '""«"' "" r. FLORA. ♦»v. •*'*f'*"K^ "° Pa't of the area rises above timber-line, it contains only two sections of forest that are worthy of mention; these are: (1) the ilTnuT^ hills, and (2) an area adjacent to (JIacier National park, Mon ana. w hich has recent^ been made part of the VVaterton Lakes park-a forest and game reserve. The principal trees in the area are: Engelmann spruce white spruce, douglas fir, lodgepole pine, balsam poplar, and cottonwool. The Engelmann spruce, one of the chief timber trees, is found on northern exposures and along river bottoms. It grows to a height of 130 leet and attains a maximum diameter of 42 inches. Dougla.s fir grows mostly in small groves on southern xposures and only on the lower slopes Some of the trees have diameters of 30 inches and rise to heights of 90 feet. Lodgepole pine, found mostly on northern exposures, rarelv exceeds talirnd'straiir''''" ""'' ^^ ^''* '" ^"'^^''' '" '"'"'" •^*""'''' '* K^"^^ '"'y Balsam poplar and cottonwood are mostly small in siz(>: thev are found principally along the river bottoms. « r.I!l* (""'^^'"K ^■'ff pt^relating to the height of the timber-line is from IntE ' I^wight, of the Forestry Branch, Department of the "The influence of altitude on the tree growth of the ea.st slope of the Kocky moun ains IS due more to topographv, in its effect on the depth and moisture of the soil, than to variations of atmospheric conditions, either of temperature or rainfall, which are usually extremely important factors in tree distribution in mountainous regions. The latter factors here limit the range only of minor species. The two main species, spruce and pine ^rf/.l°™^w ^ be found occurring at any position between timber-line and the bottoms of the lowest valleys. The main valleys even within moderate distances of the continental divide lie between 4,000 and 5,(H)0 i^Lr^ ■i'u *"»'''*'•-''"« >s usually 7,000 feet high. It is the steepmss coupled with exposure to storms that limits the tree growth and if 8uffici..nt protection and soil is afforded, practically all of the main species will grow to the highest elevations." 'Forest conditio™ in the Rocky Mountain. For«t r«erv6. For«.ry BrMch. Dept. o( the Interior. Bull 33. 10 ttect dao occur on nnc o( tha biiher iX. TkTrM^IyS' *"'^ FAUNA. countr^. irequeni excuwioiw into the neighlwuring foothill The mountain and forest mammaUincludp- >«« »»i»^ -i«^ tain Bheep and Boats couMr lvn» «vr*I>» * -i , ?■"' *o've«. deer, moun- .quirrel., and cKuSSr Th^e^Cii°^^^^^ ^*^"' .P°'^upine., imps tered ry it tain thill >un- nes, >pea ling pine It ocf'Upii'M a CHAPTKR in. PHYSIOGRAPHY. RKC'.IONAL PIIYSKMiHAPHY. aiCNEKAL rKATt-RKH. Western All.crta may \w hnnuUy .N,.piirat«'.l into four main phynio- Rraphic divmions. threr of whi'' Uockies for pracvically their entire length (Plate III B). They form a distinct topographic feature, though they gradually merge into the plains to the east. The mountains generally rise abruptly from the foothills, bu* in a few places the two are so nearly alike in height that they can be distinguished mainlv by the lack of soil and vegetatior on the limestones and quartzite.^ forming the front range. PLAINS. The plains are a continuation of the Great Plains which extend west- ward with a gradual ascent from the valley of Red river and lake Winnipeg to the foothills of the Rockies. The western plains are rolling in character and owe their general topographical uniformity to base-levelling supple- mented by glacial accumulations. 57186—2 .«12 LOCAL PHYSIOGRAPHY. FOOTHILLS. but WV r*eVe?a7°SLt^^^^^^^^^ ^i^ and faulted, sedimentary formations and dTffer cor^i.l J„n '""''''^belong to severa erosion. The general forms resultinrfml?K'' '" ^^^'' resistance to long strike ridges with parallel vaS inThih'"" ''';?""" '^'^ « ^^^os of ridges are parallel with the base 5 th»^^ ^ ''"^" '*''^«'n« fl«^- The smaller sinuosities. In a few Dlaro/f h """»*••»,'"«. •'ven following their the general elevation Sf tKfc i^/^^/^^^ "v^^ bu[ Most of the ridees hdvp c+„„^ "UKcs is & 2uo to 5,000 feet. The steeper slope^Tual?;'^tot3tesr„^i"'"r.t*«'^ ^ 3« ^•''«'--- the rocks. The difference in hSht of t ho °n ^ *•*' *^ ^^'^^'''y diP« of relative hardness or resistance of thn. • "'''^^*' "^ ^"^ m^'nlv to the buttes are clearly syncirnalTn structure ^^'"^ '''''' «"'' ^°™^ «f ♦he high dissected th^rfoSeS/'l' a few 7*"'^' ^f^* «^ ^''^ ^-t^i'l^ and has with the drainage 3 caus"ed small nl?"r' ^ ;"'''•*' ^'^^ris has inter erel m the uplands -tireV d^e™? "nTr^slrnl"'" '""^ °^ ^^^^ P""^' ward direS: eSn^ tt i^^'e? StSr' ?r '" ^ «--' -*' These transverse valleys are 3 lvelon?rnd .^n ''''T, "' ^^^^ ''^"s''^^- they are narrower where they cross rlKnf ^"'' .S^n^aJ'.v wide, although valleys, on the other hand are vervr ? ^'^^^ ^P""^' ^^"^ longitudinal sharply defined by the paJaHe rid'? Tl fsl" '^i '^' ^^^''''"^ ^'^'^^ very small and in s, me cTserinteSttI • *'l''"' ^^^^ ^'•«'" ^^em ari longtudinal valleys are of c^^n ?derX^fnJf"h'^^V''^^ .^°™'' "^ ^^ese continuity across several divX« K^f ^ • '**"'' remarkable for their 11 A an/B). The W^eit^ [ am^ rex^^^^^^ transverse streams (mte Castlcrivers, overmuch of fhpiV '« ^"-^a are courses, flow over till and reach bedrock on^uh.^^^^^^^^^ ™"''* °^ ♦'^eir ders impinges on the side of the o Id vaJev fori^S *^'' '^''^'"^ '" "« ™^an. few places it has left the old channKn7floSZ^^^^^^ ^"^ ^'^7^' '" * The valley is so narrow where snmo^f A now s through a narrow rock gorge. room for a buried channd aTdT s SaK^ r^ff ^^ been over-deepened on the UDstreL Sn f 1 '** ''* ^h**-'^ ^'^^^''^ it has Along Oldman, Cro^vsnS^Ssf ^^^ ^^"^J' Sla.iers. marked terraces form a consnici.n,T« fl ^ ^. "t'^'"'' ''^""ge streams, well occur at three differ^nJ KrorCro^yn^^^^^^ ? '^' ''"^>''': ^^^^ ^^^ace" there are as many as five on Oldman river 'f' T^ '* ^f ^^^^^^t that succession of steps rising from the bed of Z'r" " ^''^'^^Vh^'y are like a being nearly always abrupt a^dtl'etrLd orVatZrT '''^'' ?'^"-' '^' "«« ..acial grave, or till. T^^SlSS^^^^^^S^^l^ -^^J ^-^ wjth 13 wLrtht o"eurs"''t£r:i2° 'r^ ^ t^^^'* ^^ con.siderabIe thickness, ifuere inis oocurs, the surhcial deposits were noted nf i.no «,.;«♦ +,. the din«' "^''""^ 'm'''""''''' ^^'' '■"'''^ ^"'■f'l^^ i« also seeS to he flat and JS The b?vpmn/77vf "^''TP V'. *^^ ''^^'^ °f ^'^'^ '>*''1« tbit are expose? Ll.lt ^ ^ f *^''''" ''r^'" ''''^"''' ••^'■<' ''imposed of eomparativelv rSant PORCUPINE HILLS. Tr,il..7ir/Y''"^i?i''. •''"*' ^'■"P" '^■^*"»' '" a continuous upland about 20 SutSti os" ?;'"-» "V- northward to Highwood river.'a distanced fvS f , ]■ A. ^^ '*'*<''■" Ijoundary is marked by a loneitudinal vdlev Im ''" '^' '''""'"' '^"""^"^>- "^ **>^ '"tensely folded stS of tSJ f K» 3^*' ^'"•'' ')'^"r t^'^ •'southern end of the range rise about 2 000 feet above the plains and al.out 1,500 feet above the valley strXhing a one heir western base and attain elevations of 6,000 feet at a few plt«. 1 he rocks underlying the Porcupine hills are the youngest in the re^inn "d soTbanl' "Tr\"^,^^"n«"r ''''' ^''"^>' shai"?nSte natinffi ti?« t \ ; ^i^'' *?'"' "'""^^ *^« '*'''« of a wide synclinal, the beds at the western edge dipping east at angles of from 10 to 5 cleerees i, 1 fe;fpe!;«£"™'"' ""* ""*" ^'*- ^^^^'^ "^ hori^ontdi; or'SipSVf"^ part aSlmvi-'" "'^" ^'■^''"""'^^ ^he region in 1882, describes the hills in uvfinV, ll " '-^^ "i^ numerous small streams. The great valevs which even the most insignificant of these streams have excavate(I Jve evidence of an erosive activity at one time, far exceedhig anvthiny wh Lh ■s now going on. The grassy slopes which nearlj al t£ vaUeys^presin^ at the present day show how small the denudation in progress R ^ emend of ilT.vT '^'■'""?*^f ""^ l^"" ^"JK'^ ^^ ^^^^ ""'"'^ ""'• ««"th in conse- quence of the difference of elevation of the country ea.st and west of them Ml? f"r"*' *° ''^'' *^? ^''''- ^'•'^^■''J '^--oarflv tVefr siSrifeomposS of t^« '^f;f ;n rmnants of a wide plateau with an ea.stward inclinatbn greater delation ?H ^ '""f '''^ "f'"" ^'^""''^ '^"^'- ^t a somewhat fhVhfl . " scattered trees begin to occur, but it is only on some of the h'gherwcstern points that any areas of continuous woodland occur '' several fl..tfnnl^ *" Poreupine hills hurriedly examined by the writer, several fiat-topped areas of small extent were noticed at different elevations In every case ooked into, the flat surface was formed by the out crop" 'f practically horizontal bands of sandstone. Neither here nor n the Shi N iv.u!^""'' fPP"'''" *° ''"• ""-r a'^'^o'-'lance of summit levels, and if a ba e- evelled surface ever existed at the higher elevations it would appea t., have been entirely destroyed. " .' '" *'■" '■';"'■>■' "I-" ">»" high SC Thor" Willis with hiT^M-tf / . •*^"' remnants have been c.rrolate.l l.v VALLEYS. . The rolling jjlains arc drained l)v Waterton Bellv ind ^t \f..r,. nvers and their tributaries. These streams rise in\he mounHins .'ind ^n S I^SSSiSsSSiSsH occupjmg the old valley though not the old channel. On the other hanc( 'Idem, p. II C •Willis. B.. Bull. Gool. Soo. Am., ml 13. p. 329. 15 small valleys that were tributary to the main courses were probahlv in many cases completely filled and after the retreat of the ice the change in topography forced the drainage to follow new courses. Walerton River. A 9n()^ff r'^!")/''H'''.*^'' 1""""^ 5'/ ^^''».t'^^'-ton river, has an altitude of about 4,2(M) feet at the International Boundary. The river from its source to its confluence with Belly river has an average fall of about 2.-i f.rt per mile. fin i .?u*'*/^-"?''f "^ 1^^ ''""■■***'' ^Vatorton river flows in a vnllev deeply filled with glacial deposits, and bedrock is exposed at onlv a few plac<4 where the current is directed against the side of the old vrdlev. Farther down stream the river is confined to a rock gorge and continues in this Kind of channel beyond the boundary of the area. Belly River. »h..^f r-!i'r\ "'Tr !!!'' I"t"nrtional B.uindary at an . .vntion of about 4,b.-,0 feet and for the next .^0 miles of its course has a fall ot about f II tT ■■ ^/'"'■u '"' '•""^•'^'■y the stream flows in a wide, flat-bottomed valley of typical I -shaped, glacial form. In this part of its course the river is held up in ponds for considerable stretches and the bottom lands are wet and boggy About 8 miles north of the boundarv the river enters a rock gorge, and beyond swings from side to side across the old valley btretches of post-glacial rock gorge alternate with drift-filled sections which expose no bedrock and probably represent the old preglacial channel. St. Mary River. u ?*: '}I^7 "^■^'" crosses the International Boundary at an e'evation of about 4,150 feet and falls at the rate of about 25 feet a mile along the pa?t • of Its course within the area studied. The channel is cut deeply below the general surface of the valley. The west bank, though it ha.s\nan7flat terrace- Ike stretches, is generally hilly. The east bank shows a piateau- hke surface extending to the edge of a gorge .-th almost vertical walls and in places about 2(X) feet deep. Tributary Valleys. ;«f rT^ '""P' °f ^^r '''■'^^'^'' an important tributary of St. Mary river, IS for the most part a dee,, notch cut in a plateau-like surface, the approaches to the stream being generally very steep. The stream for much of its course is confined to a ruck gorge and the difference in width between the top and bot om of the valley is small. In places the stream has l>een oTTT" °? '"'''' '^r'*'*r""t "^^"' •" ''^''^ it has cut water gaps. Sa^'dsfon'^lriffir'" ""' ''"" " '" '^ "^" ^'°"* ' "'••^^ '''"'^ and fnuL^I7^' f t"l*"*a'-y ?[ Waterton river, heads in the mountain front Sp flif h ^r "r* n '■''"^^* '•°""''" *°„t'^'^ "''"'■ «n th*" ^"y it crosses a w de, flat-bottomed valley running parallel to the mountain front and filled SM f^of^f'h^"*^ boulders. In the valley the stream sinks beneath the surface of the gravel for a short distance and is lo.st. It emerE.->s by several 16 ?fitsTrL'rj*5aV^^^^^^^^^^^^ -til about stone, 200 feet deip, and jSs the river at ^rade Thf '• " «°'"«? '? ^'*"^- examples of post-glacial Korire-cuttin Jin VhF Ju" '^ ''"'' °^ **>« best c<.nscqu,.„tly wide P„r much, ,f H J *','"'"', """'"''' ""'' ""> '««•"'" i' L'o'if ""-' ""■' >■«'" " -' - ?.™5 tt ?.^;"S„?Kr..Sd SUMMARY. foothTltVnte'/ag'roXh^^oS'nro^^^^ '"? ^^^''VP'- h'"« -^ t'.o from the Porcupine hShiistSnro'^.U.T ^'"""^ ''"'^""^^ '* ^^^^ differs similar to those of the fooJhiUs '"' *^' '■°'''' ""'' «*'-"*'t"r« being strucTurVrnl Z^^ot^t^l^luTlir 'r'''^? 1"^^^-^-* °^ rivers as a wide terrace Thp infprfl , • '^*' '^-^**'"''^ ''ack from the There may be more than one bpSfj^ ^ '" ^""'''•"^ '°«' «nd rounded, highest Jd moTwidely develo^^^ I^"* - remnants representing the BlackS penepkin ^'^^ ^''* '^'"'"^ ^^« strictTyVul'?£r*u?pe*r':o;t;%'nt°"i?-^^ ?'"-«'^^-' -"^>- '"^ the lower courses if weTncludeTpart «> the 1 I?%\" ^ ?.'"'^'"'*^ ^^>' f"'' plains which in places extend b^ckwif? ! "^ ^J', *''? ''■'^*'' terrace-like stream divide. Tr^Zler^detLuot^^^^^^ V" ^^^^ Plams was due to greater initial uplift. western part of the Great SUPERFICIAL DEPOSITS AND GLACIATION. GENERAL STATEMENT. types'TmSitrandfoSenTar *A co"*"V''«'"" ^"^. ^'^^ "^ *-« ">'-" should include all o soShwestln MhJ^^'^^7!r 1^^^ ^^ ^''^ glaciation tana. The .laeial^^ottr^^rntai:^^^^^^^^^ ?„«■;,«{ ^^"'V follows ,s mamly a summary of the literature on'^tib^hlle ^f'Cgeorogy* MOUNTAIN GLACIATION. Pre-Wisconsin Stage. 'Dawion. O. M.. Bull. Geol. Soe. Am., vol. 7, pp. 31-66. 17 if«i'f ^"*'"''l l^^'''' !'" ^'"" ^''P"''*^ correlated and included under this name may not be contemporaneous. In Montana, however, the earl est 3«fp nn^Mh" •^"^1?"'^ isolated from similar material depo.Sed at a later date, and this pre-\V isconsm drift has been traced into Canada. It mav therefore, be opportune to describe this first. ^' Distribution. In the region of Glacier National n.irk, Montana the earliest record of mountain glaciation occurs on.several h gh, flat "pned wJfph t ^'•«t'"''^"":t --"^ks. These are cappe.l by de,>«.its 5f klac al dr ft reSnH "'^ u ' '^ ^''I?oK'-«Pj»'' '^''ition^ and surlicial n.od.fication is regarded as much older than the drift in the intervening vallo .s It wlnstocen?'T and later sho;i-n by Alden^ to be glacial. The drift in the vaUeCs irSde 1 as being practually coincident with the Wisconsin stage oV continent a glaciation h.nce the name pre- Wisconsin for the older drift. The oSal extent of thi older drift is not known, but outliers of it are found 30 to 40 miles from the mountain front. It has been recognize* only on the remnants of the Blackfoot peneplain. In these places the Seal and tomographic rela ions are such as to render the diffeVentiation unquestion- fntrnatn^aJBlVlarT '^ '" '""'""^ "" ^''^ "^"'"'^^ "^ ^'^'^ "Farther nortli the high-level tracts were probably larirelv dinnf^' TXV^f '""' °J *^^ ''^'^y glaciation, and they have now wholly disappeared This being the case, it is to be expected that with incrlvS on which°7h?^'"1 ''■"'" '^: '■'"''^'^r- »'"^ '^' ••''*•« «f lowland to higldand rncreased."» '^ ''' ™«"ntain drift was deposited must have gradually h.pH? *"/f' ^'" "-^ ',*^ I^eposits. "Between Belly river on the west and the heads of Lee creek on the east, a high ridge, which may be designated as Belly river ridge extends northward to a point 5 or 6 miles acrosftS boundary. At he abrupt north end this stands about 1,300 S ^blye u\ ""IX^^ "'■ ^'^""^ ^'^^0 feet above sea-level. This ridge is caDned «^th about 100 feet of glacial drift, which is exposed in siverllp ace'Tn t^ ps Ihlf tI'^'^a^'^I ^"^ *^" underlying Cretaceous or Tertiarv clays and shale^. The drift is composed of angular to subangular (and some well rounded) pebbles and boulders up to 5 feet in length, repJesentTng the Ckci^ Iv'"''' ''i 'r^ ^''°™ '^' mountains, embedded in a Matrix of day Glacially scored stones are not abundant, but search resulted in findine numerous well striated pebbles of greenish argillite. In the upper part there are almost no pieces of limestone, though these arc plentiffl lower down. Eviden ly such have been removed by solution, 'ind ledge^ of tilhte outcropping 10 to 15 feet below the top of the section shmv the bTwaters'''"'"*'''^" ''^' '^'^ '*"'""'" ^^''bonate carried down by percolat- in JlLH'^^k* ^''■■''iu "^ thf.samc character as that found in 1911, 8 to 10 miles farther south on this same ridge, west of Chief mounta n at Current, Boulder, Samt Mary, and other ridges near the mountain front with simuar topographic relations, so that it is evident th.it there is7iere anoUier remnant of the nre-Wisconsin glacial drift."* A &• W- r ■ ^H-^'?}^ ^7.' vol. &. pp 687-70S. 18 tWaAId«i and Stebinger, Idem, p. 570. ^Calhoun, F. H. H., U. S. Geol. Surv.. Prof. Paper No. 50, map. PI. I. 10 outwash gravels. Large erratics were observed near the Livingstone range in the valley of Oitlman river. It is probable that b"8» 'es ihe .o , e deposits there are stratified sands and silts laid down in lakes du« 'o damming of the streams by moraines, but in C'anada *hese have not been differentiated from similar deposits due to damming of the streams by the continental ice-sheet. Land Fornm. Under this head are included spurs, I'-shaped vallcvs, hanging valleys, and lakes. Spurs. These are lateral moraines of the valley glaciers antl run off from the base of the mountains at right angles. They occur all along the eastern base of the Clarke range. U-shaped Valleys. Waterton river and lielly river near the mountains ar., pical U-shaped valleys with wide. Hat i)t)ttoms that have apparently been overdeepened and then filled with debris. Belly river near the International Boundary shows some ponded stretches, but the bedrock is not seen. Waterton Uiver valley near the mountains is also debris- filled and has a lake outside the mountains which is proi)ablv due in p-irt to overdeepening. Hanging Valleys. Th«' best example of a hanging valley observed by the writer was Cameron falls where Cameron i)r()()k empties into Wat«Ttoii lake. On the uppc-r courses of Belly and Waterton rivers some of the small tributaries join the main stream by a series of small cascades cut in bedrock. Lakes. Waterton lake, which falls for the most part outside of our area, is the only example of a rock basin seen by the writer. It is typical of the lakes of this class, being elongate and narrow and also walled'in by high mountains. Several, small, shallow ponds occur in the foothills anil are apparently due to blocking of drainage channels by glacial ilebris. Age and Correlation. This last mountain glaciatilju is referred to the Wisconsin stage because there is no evidence that any considerable interval elapsed between the exposure of the mountain drift on the recession of the fronts of the mountain glaciers, and the deposits of the overlying drift of the continental ice-sheet. The amount of erosion to which thetwo drift sheets have been subjected is about the same, sO far as field study has shown. The northeastern drift which overlaps that from the mountains is generally regarded as belonging to the Wisconsin stage on account of the youthfulness of the morainal topography, and the unmodified character of the drift, hence the reason for referring the unilerlying mountain drift to the same Wisconsin stage. CONTINENTAL r,LACI.\TION. Distribution. Drift of the Keewatin ice-sheet extends almost to the base of the Clarke range in southwestern Alberta. Farther north the Porcupine hills formed an effectual barrier to the direct westward movement of this ice- sheet, but it apparently reached to the west of the Porcupine hills by a circuitous route, for a few small boulders of crystalline rocks have bi-en observed in the valley of Oldman river. The' western limit of eastern erratics was marked on the map accompanying Dawson's report of 1882- 1884'. Later work by Dawson and McConnell^ seems to show that 'Dan-Bon, G. M., Geol. Surv.. Can., Kept, of Prog , 1882-1884, map. 'Dawson. G. M., Bid!. Geol. Hoc. Am , vol 7. i> M. ao etiji'pJorr:'^^ T "' V^'^ -«- - the boulder falling a \iit\e «hortViMo <£, Jorth bu't \Z^ "^!**^ forcupines and in places considerahly to the wrat ^* scattered erratics occur Character of the Drift. .edi Je^i'rVcrJerivlirmlt^^^^^^ ?^ '"ountain origin, The crystalline erratics represent a ir^t' t^- 1 ™"trix of sand and clay and syenites predominate. '^SrlssoffLffn?^^^^ 1 '■''':^'' ''"^ f^'^^^^ been denved from the underlyinrrocks of fS • '"''*^r"'' "PP^ars to have a consequence the colour chaXKm nuL*^ T™^^'?t« vicinity and as 18 unstratified and on account oHtsm^ place to place. In general the drift in river-cliffs into pri^aT and'cTumn^r t^" " '' '"^"''"*'>' '^^"tK Land Forma. DawSa"^^"^^ *" *»>« '-- -''-»' the Keewatin drift has produced. of th7Sy mouma'r."' ''"trmor? ot?'"*'^' ''/''''''' to glaciers of glaciers are particulariy absent in t^kontir^ "'•''''''^?"':^' '^^ the work Porcupme hills. The highest and fiJthest ShI 'f f 1? V /''" ^«°thills and by raorames, and moraines, kames and IsK^ ^***^i"^t^'"^"otm tions, entirely wanting." ' °" ^^'''^" ^^^' ^'th the above excep- there is a well-defined ground morame wWh /*il'" **"? terminal ridge above sea-level. Between the BeUv and 5 li/t th'« Point, is 4,163 felt dn t ,s m places attentuatedT^ ice-sheet h^^k'^'.-'T' t^e edge of the and surrounded but did not cover anTrrVtSr^^ *''''' 11 ^'T the northeast m an irregular line between the Jwo rivers Th^'^'Sf""*^'"^ "^^''^ trend above St. Mary river. Their totT and «^L J? '^ u'"' ^'^ «^0"t 800 feet summit are covered with quartzitp otl^T \' ^''""t 400 feet from the crystaline boulders chara?te?is?[c'^f^hTdrt^f 1r t.^'*'^ *PP«« the Small lakes dot the surface and the toDoLranhl ■ u^^^ Keewatin ice-sheet. "From the top of one of f h!;.!^ n I ?^ '^ hummocky and irregular, covered by the noXasLrn 5r ft can 1*-|' 'k«^/ ^^' ^"^t the country covered by the mountain St by the nuTS .^^distinguished from that the north many small bodies of Jot!.^ u"' 'ts lakes and ponds. To nearer the mountains. Se 'e' afe but f eT^ tLT"' ^^^^ '^'^' ««"t»i! were eroding and not depositing, and asTVeJlf "."r' "0"°tain glaciers sions were formed, so that the line of Rh„nH V i .^"t few morainal depres- /. '^ W^^ northeastern d?t The""talf K^'"^''^^x?PP''«'^i'°^tely Lee_creek shows well developed kettles " ''^*'^^''" ^^"^ "^er and •Calhoun, F. H. H, op. cit. p. 23. 21 FollowinR rloscly the bane of the mountains and northward to Pincher Crock village, the terminal nutraine i« marked by nags and swells in the topography with ntimerous immls and marshy traets. Age and Correlation. Two distinct drift sheets from the Kecwatin eentre have l)een recog- nized near Lethhritlge, Alberta, and also near the Sweet (Irass hills in northern Montana.' At other points farther west in Alberta two glacial deposits of northeastern origin are suspected to have occurred. The most westerly .section which suggests this is described by Alden and Stebinger* as occurring on t)ldman river near Brocket ; another section described by Calhoun' occurs on St. Mary river about 2 miles north of the boundary. It is generally believed, however, that it is the uppermost boulder clay of the i)lains that extends farthest west. It has already been intimated that this upper boulder clay is of Wisconsin age. This correlation is ba.sed on the unmodified character of the till and the youthfulness of the morainal topography, which is comparable only to the morainal belt of the Wis- consin drift in the Mi.s.souri and Mississippi valleys. INTERKELATIONS AND SIM-MAKY. Dawson's diagrammatic section* of the glacial deposits from Leth- bridge to the base of the Rocky mountains along the valley of Oldman river is as follows, beginning with the lowermost deposits: A— (Albertan stage). Western boulder clay passing to the eastward into Suskat- ohewan gravels. B — "Lower" boulder riay. (Kt-ewatin glacier.) C — Interglaeial deposits. D — "Upper" boulder clay. (Kecwatin glacier.) E — Tcrraees and drift on the Porcupine hillp. The a.ssumption that the same gravels which underlie the lowermost Kecwatin drift-B- pass westward into boulder clay, is regarded by Alden and Stebinger* as not proved. Their opinion is that the so-called Saskat- chewan gravels may be in part preglacial, in part pre-Wisconsin and of the same age as the gravels capping the remnants of the Blackfoot pene- plain, and in part interglaeial derived from erosion of the latter gravels. The summary of the above writers has already been quoted. Dawson suggested the correlation of the lower boulder claj-B-with the " Kansan formation." According to Alden and Stebinger :• "The name Kansan was at that time applied to the till-sheet under- lying the Aftonian interglaeial beds, and this sub-Aftonian till was regarded as the oldest known deposit of the Keewatin glacier. Believing that the drift of the Cordilleran glaciers, which he had correlated with the gravels underlying the lower boulder clay of the continental glacier, was older than this early till of the Keewatin ice-sheet, and should have a distinct name , he proposed the name ' Albertan. ' 'Allien and Stebinger, op. cit., pp. S71-S72. 'Alden and Stebinger, Idem, p. K3. •Calhoun, F. H. II., op. cit., p. 49. *Dawaon, G. M., op. cit., p. 4a. 'Alden and Stebinger, op. cit., p. .570. *Alden and Stebinger, Idem, pp. 5«4-5«3. r the moun- 23 CHAPTER IV. STRATIGRAPHY. OEXEHAL STATEMENT. Thp rocks within th«« area «lcMTil«'fl belong to thr Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. They arc ail sc.limrntary in origin and an> niontlv of Lower and Upper Cretareous age. The different formations follow dne another with apparent conformity and indini. :|S. pi T. Table of Formations. Geological tinip Quaternary Tertiary? Upper Cretaceous Ix)wer Cretaceous' UiM'cnt I*!ei-^to('ene Korcnf? Montana group C^olorado group Dakota group Fijrmations Alluviiiiii Ciiariul drift Porcupine Hills Willow ( reek St. Mary Uiver Hearpaw Belly Uiver Benton Blairmore Kootenay u Correlotion Table. f'leUceoun Alfwrla finnip and formation Alluvium Alluvium f'liwial drift Knntinc Willow Crvok S' Mnry River f ilaoial drift Porrupino Hilln n lllt)W ( 'fM-lt Horwthief Mnndhtone 1 l'pp«>rCret»o«»u!i 'Ix.wfr( rcu,.oou«| Kootenai 'SUbiiW. E.. uTs. 0«l. S„v . Bull KI-K. Kootcnay 25 Tabulated Dticrijtiion of Formationt Oeeurring in tkit A rta. ParkMl Quatcnwry Tertiary? Formatioa I'PJXT Cretaceous Ix)wer Cretaceous Poirupioe Hilli Willow Crmk 8t. Mary River Bearpaw Belly River Benton Blairniore Kootenay ThirliBMa in (mI. At north- At wect KMithea«t 0-100 2,S00l ISOOi .1,flOO± 750 i 3,000 ± 2,000 ± 2,0001 600± 0-200 Kntirely eroded soot l.«00± Character of the nxkii. aoo± l,600± 1.300± Not definitely recoKniied Covertil l)y younicpr furniBtions Tilsria! cnivel, boul- ilerclay. Han-mnrl(ril KandxtoneM. < oal at ba»c. .Mainly con- tinental. Dark grey clay-nhale with limontune lon- rietionn. Mari Liicht itrey landKtone and thick-lus land plunts. Ferns, cy- cads, and conifers. KOOTENAY FORMATION.' DISTRIBUTION. ^^I,.^°°*®"*y ^"'■'""*'*>" occurs along the western border of the area only. Ihere, the upper beds ot the formation are found abutting against the younger Benton and Belly River formations, the sequence l)eing broken by a fault with upthrow on the west side. Along this fault-line between Lrowsnest river and Pincher creek, the Kootenay, capped by basal beds of the overlying Blairmore formation, rises above the adjacent country to the east, forming a prominent ridge. In this part of its outcrop the formation fa Is within the areas studied by Leach and Mackenzie (see Bibliography). autW dt3^MS,'S'■?H,^ii^°?'*"^ .■'■' 'I* '"""*'*' »^*" •■" •^^^"^ «• »"*«* » "■•'o™ »«h that of the 36 „( ,J^° Kootcnay outcropa on Olclman rivrr also, wlipre about 1(10 r™i LITHOLOGIC CHARACTER AND THICKNESS the top of the forma ion, and many of the shales weather ruiv The !oal t il thc-kness of the formation in the foothills is GOO to 7oO feet with the eoal Ix'ds confined to the upper 300 feet nnrnf[vl.^'''T''^*'''v'f '''''■' ''''^'■'''"•' variati.ms in thickness within com- Sr-In .'ll/'''*"r''' ^'"-""gJ^^^t its geographic distribution Tn tht f. t \ ^''fa«<^s. however, the greatest thicknesses are at the west !n t.![!Tnr stitrLii^r '""'^^ ^~"-^' '^^^^^-^^^ ^^'"-^ '^- -tS AGE AND CORRELATION. fron/'Jhis'foSa^ron^i^'r"''' ^'''^^ ^^^^ ^T" I''^"*^ »»^^'^ '>^*^n '^""ected iroiu tnih lormation within recent years, J)ut are not vet determined ..o /" ^^^i,^n^''- ^'- J^iiYson made collections in the vicinity of Coal on the' North R^' rf'T. ^"'''^ ^"'"'"^'"' '^"'^ «!«« -it Canmore and studied bv si I wn^ Oldman river, Alberta. These collections were foHo vs The nD ^™"; rh°«^ conclusions may be summed up as tollmvs. Ihe plants consist of ferns, cycads, and conifers, some of them ■D.WWI1. Sir /. W.. Tru,. Roy. Soc.. Cm.. 1888. vol. Ill, ««. 4, pp. 1-22. 27 identical with or closely allied to those of the Jurassic of the Amur country m northern Siberia and others similarly related to tha^e of the Tower Cretaceous of Greenland described by Heer. Dawson concludes that thn plants appear to correspond to the oldest Lower Cretaceous floras known in Europe Asia, and the Kome formation of central-western cSlaSd . 1 ?u^^rK '" discussing the flora of the Kootenay in the Grea Falls Similar plant wvro colloctcu rom the Kootenav bv Cairnes' in th.. Moose Mountain l-tHct, AII„>rt,:, and were examined fi- Dr! Penhallow Fossils were c ;!!trTPd from t lis formation by Malloch' in the BiRhorn coal basin Alberta. il.t:.c . mMsted of both plants and animals and wore m?HT'1 ^^ Knowlton and Stanton. The faunal remains o™?ur near the Xnl „. . f J^'^^Vr/^''' «'^''«'-dinR to Stanton, "The most surprUng thing about them is that they appear to be marine, whereas the KoEten"? has always been considered a freshwater formation." From his con- clusions it IS, there ore, learned that the Kootenay is at least in parHf brackish-water origin and lad down along the margin of an oZlapping ocean From the palaontological evidence there is some doubt aS to whether part of the formation should be a.ssigned to the bo torn of the Lower Cretaceous or the top of the Jurassic. The most comprehensive discussion of the flora of the Kootenav formation IS that given by Berry in his article on the Lower (Vetaco?ms asfSw:' ^'^'' ^ '°™'''"'^ "'' "^ '^' ^""-'-^ and concludes " '^^^ Kootanie flora of Montana and British Columbia is an extensive one, consisting of 86 nominal species of which at least 20 are present in ?n^t pT''' ^""^ «^veral others are closely related to species which occur m the Potomac. Six of these are forms which do not range above the frSfh^K 'T^* •' '" *^u "^'*- No characteristic Patapsco species is know^ from the Kootanie nor have any dicotyledons l)eon discovered. . There are also present a large number of Kome species (Greenland) and ".several from the Barremian of Europe, so that the Kootanie cannot be consid.>red younger than the Patuxent-Arundel of Maryland and it may be in part slightly older, although the two were at least partly contemporaneoJs/^ BLAIRMORE FORMATION. „n I^*' B'airmore formation in the Crowsnest region, has been provision- aJly described as Dakota. The name Blairmore was given bv- the a"e nifh^; 5:T *1^ T' "'*''^ ""* **''" P'-^'iminary map of the Blairmore area, although Its application was not exactly defined. i.Ur '^t'' ^"™^*'«? consists of a series of sedimentary rocks lying immedia- tely above the Kooteiiay formation, the basal member being a thick cherty conglomerate. The top of the series in the area from which the nam^ was_derived is formed by the base of the Crowsnest volcanics. Outside &6.'b« Gt-I. ^^^i^-^^^r^ "«"• "- '»'-»'■ JMalloch. a S Geol. .Surv., Can.. Mem. 9-K, pp. 43-44 .57186—3 28 inio?hfh.'!»'*'M' n'? '°!f"' *^? **'P.*'^ ^^^ Blairmore formation passes into the base of the Colorado marine shale or Benton formation. r«J«l+T — '''^ mcludes Dawson's Mill Creek series,' but the Mill Creek section ,s incomplete, the seouence in descending order being broken by a fault at the old Mountain mill. "* "fonen DISTRIBUTION. in fh^^ranl^io^^p "^ i^^ Blairmore formation would include all the strata fonnrl 3 1 ^*".?''''^'^l**'^* ^^' ^^^"^ described as Dakota, and it is found ov-rlymg the Kootenay in practically all places where the latter occu^. It seems probable also that the formation is equivalent to part of the Kootenay of northwestern Montana. ^ >.», V"^ Blairmore formation is found only in the western half of the area here described where it extends along the eastern edge of the fault Wocks It occurs as ridges between Crowsnest river and Pincher creek also in the northern part of the area between Willow creek and Pekisko creek The formation was not recognized in the southern part of the area but it is quite possible that it may outcrop in the strip that has been repres'^nted on the maps as geologically undifferentiated. represented LITHOLOOY AND THICKNESS. formJf^nn^k^'I'A/^^/i.'"''"'^''""^'"^?^ ^?™'"« *^« b»«al ™^mber of the formation is the best horizon marker in the foothills. It is very per- sistent and has been used as a guide from Castle river northward to the ?n?,T:i^'*''*KM ^ °^/u^''".* ^20 miles. The conglomerate is made up of well matt ^TKn^h^hl^'tf''' T^'*"' ^"Jf^ ^'''T^ '^'''' ''' ^^ ^ hard siliceous f?nm i*t Jii -P K^'^' ^^Z^ ^''''" "^^'^ '°''*^^ '^nd »••« «f even size, averaging Ik^^ ° li inches m dian. ter. The bed averages, from 6 to 10 feet iS Knot ^nfvT^ '"f'^"'- ^° ^"* '" ^^^'''- The contact with the underlying Kootenay formation is conformable and in most places the conglomerati Bla^moreT."^t°"' " W^ ^"^ '^"^^^''^ ^^^ '" '^' eLternTartTthl Blairmore area, horizontally also. The conglomerate in places is 50 feet above the uppermost coal seam of the underlying Kootenay firmat on and in other places it practically forms the roof of the seam '°™''^>«°' Rlnir^Tf ^^ '^''*'°"^ °u ^^"^ ?la''-more formation are found'in the adjacent Blairmore map-area, wheie it ,s compo :ed of greenish grey and brown sandstones interstratified with thick-bedded, sandy shales. Irregullr lenticular beds of conglomerate, some of which are very coarse arf also present, and near the bottom of the formation there is a^Sstent bed of limestone which carries a small, freshwater snail fauna Leachs who measured four complete sections in the Blairmore area & fee?."''"'''' *^''^"''' °^ '^' ^°"°"*''^" *° ^' 2,865leet anTthe leS; In the area m-pped the best sections are exposed on the Crows Nest railway east of Burmis, on Castle river, and on Mill creek. The MUl shale aSr«'\°''' ^^'k'J* ^'^ ^''^ "^ *^" "PP^"" ^^d^ overiain by BenTon shale, and may be roughly summarized as follows: »LeMh, W. W., Geol. Surv., Can., Sum. Rept., I81I, pp. l(»-l6«. 29 1. Benton dark marine shales. ***' 2. Interstratified, grey sandstone and green, blue-grey, and reddish shales 300 3. (icy sandstone containing coaly matter and plant fragments, mostly large stems jq 4. Orey sandstones interstratified with vari-coloured shales, thick- bedded and arenaceous 400 5. Hard, fine-grained sandstone, weathers brown. .. 100 6. Light grey sandstone and thick, irregularlv-bedded clay shaics, some very hgjit grey in colour " 200 Fault contact. ^»ii'^*'^,®^'^V°" °° Castle river, which is about 2 miles north of that on Mill creek, shows about 200 feet more at the base jf the formation, verv largely thm-bedded sandstones and shales. They are the most evenlv- bedded deposits seen in the formation and contain scattered plant remains and what appear to be worm tubes. The section on Crowsnest river shows an aggregate thickness of 3.000 feet of westerly dippmg sandstones and shales that have been referred to the Blairmore formation. A considerable part of this thickness is without doubt due to the duplication of beds by faulting and overturned folding, although the top of the formation with the overlying Benton shales is exposed only once in the section. The exposure is in a railway cutting and shows fully the passage from irre^'ularly-bedded Blairmore shales J?u" rPguJarly-bedded, fissile Benton shales which carry marine fossils The difficulty experienced in measuring the true thickness lies in the lack of horizon markers, sandstones and shales of similar lithological appear- ance recurring throughout. The shales of the Blairmore formation occur in beds about a foot thick which weavner to a crumbly mass. They show a variety of colours including red and brown, which in some cases are only surface stains, but greenish shades '- dominate. The shales are usually arenaceous, but in places are quil > -ous. Many of the calcareous beds are concretionary in structure. The sandst ^eds vary in thickness from 1 foot to 10 feet and in many cases show minute crossbedding. In colour they are greenish grey, weathering in places to a pale brown. On the whole they are fine- grained and argillaceous. In the northern part of the area where exposures are few, a conglomerate bed occurs near the top of the formation. This is oniv a local piiase, however, as the bed ranges from a true conglomerate 3 feet thick to a conglomerate sandstone with a few pebbles, within a distance of a few hundred feet. The pebbles are mostly small in size and range up to three- quarters of an i-"h in diameter. They are largely quartz of various colours, white, t ., and black being common. AGE AND COrRELATION. The age of .le formation and its correlation with the Blairmore formation to the west are based on its stratigraphical position immediately beneath the Benton shales, supplemented by the evidence of fossil plantis collected by G. M. Dawson on Mill creek, from strata which he referred 57187-3J 30 n„» ^'l* Mill Creek series. These fossils were identified by Sir J VV Dawson' who found them to resemble very closely those of the bakota group as described by Lesquereux and th^e of the Atanl and Patoo? ihZ^^T'^^ Greenland as described by Heer. The liVt of specL Sven shows the flora to be composed largely of dicotyledons. From Dawson's descnpt.pn of the location and the writer's personal knowTdge oft he abori)!) tn%^.n Tt^^f '^^\^H Pl«>?t J^raains were collected f?omhe3s about 300 to 350 feet from the top of the formation, i.e., l)eneath the base of the Benton shales. A flora representing the same hor zon and deser K vranicf» "''" ^'■°'" "^ '^"' '*^""* ^^ ^''' '•'''«^- the S?owsn2 • .k^^*°^^* »l*" ^•^*'^ * '•** °^ a flora of Dakota age which he eathered m the Moose Mountain district. garnered During the summer of 1915 AIcLeam* made colWtinn« fmm ♦!.;<. rr rpeVm'fira^T^^t- "^.^ m ine upper JUU feet, and extremely rare be bw. From the foreiroimr it tTat tLToVer 40itit"1lr'?'"^'-^ '^^^f ™^^«'«' beseems toTnX'ate tnat the upper 400 feet of the formation at least s of Dakota age Whet her down wh:ch greatly increased the transporting po'^er of th™tream^ and * eTs tTn?nl'^' conglomerate to the up^rmolt coal seam o? the KooteSav s^ems to imply previous erosion of the Kootenav formafion Tt i. V^^f known with certainty whether the uppermost3 bed fn ?Se Wenav h?t I ^'/u'*"^'^ continuous seam or different seams at different pSs^ but from field observation and the known continuity of the "oalblds "t is «nH tt^Hh^ ?^* /* '•' ^ f '"^'" continuous seam within the BlaLore arei and that the basal conglomerate has a variable position above T tS variation in the position of the conglomerate with respect to the coal hS ZnfhT'TK"^ the underlying Kootenay and inSes thatVhere is a tte "erief Sow' ^""«'°™^^^*^' ^''"^^^^^ '* ^PP^ars to be conformable oS The conglomerate ot the base of the Blairmore formation with a distinctly Lower Cretaceous flora below it and a distinctly U "per SetlJeous flora above ,t, though at some distance above, makes a verV strong argu! ment in avour of placing the large break at this point. The conglomerl^e IS so distinctive that it can be easily separated in hand specimerffom other conglomerate, which occur in the region. Its persisteTe forT20 miles along the strike, and its sudden appearance after ^period character? ized by deposition of shale and coal, all suggest that it mfrks a time when a considerable change in physical conditions took place. Fur hSmore the on y marked change in the lithology between the horizons carnS distinct Lower Cretaceous fl-^ras on the one hand and Upper Cretaceiu? floras on the other is found at the horizon of the congbmerate The apparent conformability of the conglomerate with the sanSone below! 1d«^' r'ii "'r^' ■^.'T ""?. '^ Can., vol IH, «c. 4, pp. 1-22 *McL«m, F. H., Geol. Surv., Can.. Sum. Kept. 1915, p. 112. 31 which is seemiiiRly of Kootenay age, and its gradation into it in places may be due to the local absence of conglomerate. In all events, the pebbles were not derived from the Kootenay formation. It is true that the conglomerate at the base of the Blairmore formation appears to be conformable with the underlying Kootenay in many places, but, as has been pointed out, it occupies a variable position with rcpect to the uppermost coal bed. Gentle warping may have caused local erosion and oosition immediately prior to Blairmore time. Later, with uplift on til. ..'est, coarse deposits of true Blairmore type v^re l/rought in. That this uplift did not affect the basin of deposition except in a minor degree is evident from the fact that the pebbles of the basal conglomerate do not include material of the underlying Kootenay formation, but confomitfa^nd Ltt a SJiS^^^^^ arenaceous shaleHto the*d„k thinZwH^T '*"'' F^^n thiek-bedded, At the top the shales aIternlfiw?;r?K'*V.'l"i''L«'"*'°^^ ^^n*"" ^Jiales 100 feet, the sanltoL SrSjulllv hr^"'^'^"^ sandstones for about andthe^halebanriessfSeS »nfiH?iiiTl"^ ""^ thicker to sandstones of the Sll^STrVrmation'"^ ''' ''"'* «'"^^ ^^^ ^»*''«'^ river^chaZelsJtuTII m;;*X'tVundt°n*°"ti%r°^^^ ''J^'^ •*'-« t^e in many of the doDression/ THp f^li^ • ^?<^"^»**> *•?? superficial deposits partialLctions are weU exposed *^ '' ** '**"'* "'* °^ '°^**'«"« ^^^e Location. Belly river. 13 miles north of the 49th parallel. Pine creek, IJ miles from Waterton river. Upper courses of Dr>wood river and Yar- row creek. Mill creek, lower 4 miles of its course. Crowsnest river. Oldman river. Part of formation exposed. "'"laniTne^*- " ^^'^ " --'^^^ Uppe.- 200 feet, with overlying sandstones. Upper part, several hundred feet. ^^"c^^fet"' '''*'"*' sections, one ahnost Three different partial sections, upper contact shown in an anticline; l6^r contact shown in a syncline. About 1,500 feet of lipper part with large Itonw" "^erlying Belly River sani- 1,100 feet underlain and overlain bv sandstones. ^ AGE AND CORRELATION. locaM"^\'°r.t't'S'±Hi°*''^ from thta formation .t several shale, o,' Montana'*' Se^fSTnJmr .Ktwfngntt..^*™^" Willow creek near Dick's ranch, sec. 30. tp. 14, range 2, W 5th mer. Baculiles asper B. gracilis Scaphites ventrieosus Prinotrophis cf. woolgari Inoceramiis labiattia Inoceramus deformis Ottrea congesta Pteria neh-ascana Anomia sp. undet. Tessarolax hiteii Carrftum pauperctdum » 8t«d«d UHl compared. The identifiction. ^thm veriHed by Dr StaotS. '••"om' Muaeum were . ong the ieposits s where 33 This extends the range of Pteria nebraacana down into the Colorado group; previously it has only been described from the Montana group. In some cases the horizon from which fossils were collected is definitely known, with reference to the top or bottom of the formation: Horiion — lowermost 75 feet. Baeulileg atper Tegsarolax hiltii Inoeeromus gp. undet. Horiion^about 350 feet from base of the formation. Iruteeramtu labiatua (t) Prinotropii cf . wolMch and Mackeuie, Geol. Surv., Can., Sum. Kept. 1812, pp. 234-247. •Cainie., D. D., Gepl. Surv.. Can.. Pub. No. 908, alM Mem M. ISTT^' 'a, „• °*°'- .^""- *^"' • A"" Rep'-' l^W, vol. II. pp. 128-129 E. «Malloeli, O. 8., op. cit., pp. 37-38. 34 LITHOLOGY AND THICKNESS. irregu arly-bedded sHaIp Vinl^f, • i ■ * ^considerable amount of places. CoalsJalro? uraf S^efaThnir* "'^^'"^ "^^ '°"»d at u few crowSr;r ?h^:rar:r^ni 'zr'r^^- ^^*-- «'«*-" -^ vertically and horizontallv in ,TnJu °""*' K^^de into sandstones both «prink.i/, of smaTS"eU SL^rarndsTot"^ "^^'^ « *^- .ands?oU''''?„:7el%tTtLToTr-„^' '^"'•'\'S7 '" ^^-^ ^^an the ness, but gencralfyXrnate with the"/ 'y/'"^« 50 feet or more in thick- to 2 feet thick. ^?ratifi?atioi is S^lHo^ h"'' "'J'^'^' ['•°" * '^^ •"'"'>«'« «PP«-ar at the surfaceTriorelv^Sre^f^ '^^^ l^^ ^^d«' ^*»'«h fracnents on weathering or on be^nr^fLiTl*"'^ [*" ''P'*'"* '"t" ^^all drill cores from sonVedeSth showed fL"'"" u^ * hammer. Diamond solid and firm when first taken mTthntln'*'?* character the shales being being disturbed FosSs are rare' anH W ^'"^ ''*^' ^^"'"« "P^^ without gastropods. Many of Ihe shSles are fiX P'"«««'-^«*^ ^re mainly small although in the vicinity of the coauL^! .V*'''^ *"^. «''!«° >" •^"•o"''. bonaceous in places. **™^ ^^^^ """^ ^"'te dark and car- deveiort4\ippl^^^^^^^^ Z "'""^^'y cross-bedded, others show well water UtroKrs^datei^n^'^^^^ "---« ^t. Mary outcrops, and a microSJSnic stnH^nfT '^ \''l^^^ ^^^"^ "P"""* *" isolated forma.ons failed toT:3\;X:^773!^^^^^^^ ^^^ *- ie.t I?" he' foSSn tnT't^herf ^onW '? '"^'^ ^'•«" *»>« '«-- ^'^ horuon, show a reSkawf simtefv tn ^^ °^S"^«*'°? »' ^^e eiact descriptions may b" summarized Il^J °"^ ^"°*''^'"- ^'^^ microscopic orthocla.seandj)fagioelas™"rd"DaJ biotS^^^ component grams-quartz. I?rain). apatite (induded in quartz) Thfe ^"" occasional average percentajtes of the r^Intti„ ;« ♦ " i ' ^""^ ^''°''"' cement— calcite . • minerlls 5; aSi size of tie ZS^^ ^'''^^P^^ 30, othe; 0-2.5 . ..'in finesf specimens oS;;,t'^ ^^""^""^ — «* «P-™-s interlockinHeli: .^nd JifferrcTsidlrnS '""Pr' °^ ^ greatLJS of within comparatveir^hort distances S^ '° ^¥'"^^*"/ ^^^^ t^^'^-kness was observed. The tSness on oidmnn """P'^*^ undisturbed section __^ "*^ '""*'"^«*' on Oldman river IS estimated at about b««lS^.5'l?.'^iTSKS",„°;™''i?S,'-" '^™- "'-'«. or B.,.y River and St. Mary rock, ... »d« th. 35 3,000 feet and thins toward the north and south. On Crowsnest river, where a complete though badly disturbed section is present, the thickness is estimated at 2,500 feet. On St. Mary river near the 49th parallel the thickness cannot be much over 1,600 feet. AOE AND CORRELATION. The Belly River formation as here described includes all the strata which overlie the marine shales of the Benton and underlie the marine shales of the Bearpaw formation. The separation in the field is not c'fficult, as the Belly River differs both litholoKically and in the fossils from the enclosing Benton and Bearjjaw formations. The stratigraphic position of the Lclly River formation fixes its age within comparatively narrow limits. Fossils on the whole are scarce and poorly preserved in this formation; those collected by the writer were mostly unios and small freshwater gastropods. A few limb bones of a dinosaur and some leaf impressions which resemble those of a modern deciduous tree were also obtained. These fossils have not been studied and it is doubtful if there is anything of a distinctive character in them. The evidence of the fossils and the character of the strata show the formation to be wholly or mainly of continental origin. Near Crowsnest lake McLearn' has detected in the lower 300 feet beds containing a fauna which he regards as brackish-water forms. The Belly River formation as here defined is equivalent to the Virgelle sandstone and Two Medicine formation of northwestern Montana described by Stebinger*. This opinion vas confirmed by a personal interview which the writer had with Mr. Stebinger. Farther east along the International Boundary, the Belly River series is equivalent to the Judith River, Claggett, and Eagle of the north-central Montana section.* Within the area dealt with in this report the Belly River group is a lithological unit of es.sentially continental deposits, in which so far as our present knowledge of the region goes, no subdivisions can be made owing to the rarity of diagnostic fossils. Cairnes* has attempted to correlate the rocks in the disturbed belt with Stanton and Hatcher's section of the Montana group as 'f>veloped along the Missouri river. This correlation by Cairnes has been frequently quoted, but recently its accuracy has been questioned by Stebinger* and later by Sinclair.* Hf)w far west in southern Alberta, the Eagle and Claggett, marine, subdivisions of the Pierre arc distinguishable is not exactly known, but they have not been recognized in the southern part of the disturbed belt and presumably are represented in that region by continental deposits. No mention is made of Eagle or Claggett by Leach^ or by Mackenzie' in describing the Allison formation of the Crowsnest region, the equivalent of the Belly River formation. The B elly Ri"er and its relation to overlying and underlying formations ■MelMUii, F. H., Geol. Surv., Can.. Sum. Rept. 19M, pp. 62-«3. •Stebinjer, E., U. S. Geol. Surv., Bull. «21-K; and Prof. Paper 90 C, pp. «I-«7. •Dowling, D B., "Structural geolocy of the Alberta oil fields," Bull. Can. Min. ln«t., March 1915, p. IM, and Trana. Can. Min. Inst, 1915. p. 182. Dowling, D. B., "Cretaceous soa in Alberta," Trans. Roy. Soc. Can. •CalrnM, D. D., op. cit., 1915. vol. IX. sec. 4, pp. 34-.19. >Stebin(er, E.. U. S. Geol. Surv., Prol. Paper 90 G, p. M. •Sinclair, /.H., Geol. Soc. Am., Prelim, list of papers with abstracts. Dm., 1915, p. 27. w J**. • * • ^'^ ''"'■• *"■" ■ ^"'"- "'^' • ""• PP- '92-200, also Twelfth Inter. Geol, Cong , Guide Book •Mackeniie, J. D., Oonl. .lurv , Can , Sam Hept , !014, pp 4<;-47. 36 BEARPAW FORMATION. DISTRIBUTION. Rporr,»«,=Kfi ' • * , Moose Mountain d strict Cairnes< reDortpH theseTales to ;r'"^p'^« * ^'"^ •»*"»« f«««i'«- The evidencTfor .^sffng in th m of l1 V , f 'P*'^ '^"' *° ':^«*. ^«'y '*^«^»y «° the occurfeicf species UtZJ.lJT^'T''c^ ^^^'"''^ *"^ '«"« ^"during Montan?an te&-,Sf:&; rj-B^-- ^- «^»- "«. vol. r. P. « B. Dowli.*. D, B., T™». Roy. Soc. C«.. IMS. vol. IX. mo. 4, pp. 3^0. •7 those of the lower member, the ClagKett. In Montana it U railed the Bearpaw ithale. The name u Kcneraily retained in All>erta instead of the Pierre- Foxhill; but for Satikatohewan there iit a poMsibility (in weli-nectionN esperially) that the two diviMions of the Pierre may not be recoRnized owing to the lack of shallow-water depositH which elsewhere i««>parate them. The uxe of the term Bearpaw which is distinctive may find favour for distinguishing these shales throughout All>erta. They are well exposed on either side of the broad anticline which shows exposures of Belly lliviT rocks in southern All)erta. The margin of this sea was well within the foothills of the country near the 49th parallel; but within the present mountains it is not thought that any of the deposits of this period remain from which to infer the original extent. Marine fossils occur in the Bearpaw in the section on Oldman river, bat on Highwood river the formation is mostly of dark sandy shales with considerable carlwnaceous filaments laetween the beds and having a coal seam at the base. This possibly indicates an approach here to shallow water and an eastward l)end in the shore-line. Whether the area so affected formed a large delta of which this is the southern part is problematical; but it may be remarked that in the North Saskatchewan section these shales arc not definitely recognized below the Edmonton outcrops, while the same can be said of the exposures on the upper Atbabaska. The reference to these beds in the discussion of the Smoky River shales was in connexion with the finding of Inoceramua altua at the summit of Table mountain an^' was merely an intimation that salt water deposition occurred in that locality after the deposition of the Wapiti sandstone;:. The northern extension of the Pierre sea is not known. Exposures in the !acKenzie valley and elsewhere in the north show marine beds similar in fossil content and api>earance to the Benton shales, but above these, sandstone beds of Tertiary age. There is, therefore, a probability that the Pierre sea advanced from the south and did not cover the northern portion of the continent. The beds at the summit of Table mountain on Pine river may indicate possibly the extreme northwestern limit of this advance. " In the foothills north of the Bow river it is not definitely known that marine deposits of the upper Pierre are to be found. This may indicate land areas there during this last westward swing of the sea coast. The deposits in these localities being of continental formation may show by unconformities the land surfaces of this period, or land areas in proximity to sea-level may be marked by a carbonaceous zone indicating the former rich vegetation. The division between the continental formations of the Belly River group and those of the succeeding Edmonton may be difficult to define in the foothills beyond the western limit of the Upper Pierre sea." LITHOLOGY AND THICKNESS. The Bearpaw formation is composed essentially of dark clay shales holding calcareous concretions. Some of the concretions are quite large and in many of them fossils are found forming the nucleus. Disk-shaped forms which have collected around large ammonites are common. On Lee creek a limestone band -ibout 1 foot thick was observed about 200 feet above the base of the formation, and the section on Oldman river shows three lenses of massive buff coloured sandstone, one of these sandstone beds being niiuutely cross-bedded. S8 typical dark clay -haff ind maJL^S^i S iJr.Mnt^^ 'f 'V'^'"" '^' honson 18 rpprpwnted bv an ult-M.-*; - J j aiwnt and the Bearpaw and thin coal s^mn cLbinati^ oi.™ ( ■•'V^"*«?«T' »r-n«ceou« shile., Belly River and Z lowS part o? the «♦ M*"' °i*'"' ''P^' P-^ «' the foMMiJH of a dit .o.tic chaiiffhavi befn f^*„^l?T '°"°«*'»1- ^'° a» our present knowledge of H goel JhialJriJ. nf lil *^'" "°?"' ""^ "" '" BtoneH of the Bellv River flirrn.H^nKlij.u^'^^** '7'"« between Hand- tion al>ove mi^t be iSdeTifehh^ X ^*- -^"'y «'^" ^«™*- tion boundarl™ are extrmeirarb trail iiT^ The«e forma- A brief description of the So! on Pp^i.1 **"* H"!!**' T"** "' **>'" «f«- Summary Rejiort for 191 4« " ^''^"'^° "**'•' •"« »»<^n Pven in the BearJaranTtTeVima'tiorwhic; "!,'>?'«'5i*:f' . di-tinction l.etween the from the sandifonro? thrLn^RivPr ^^ 'S'" "l"''!''- T'''* 'change Bearpaw i« completed in a , on ^5o"K:t\hiTo^^^^^^^ TL't?'">°' *''•' wst seen on I.,ee ereelf anA «« r»i i "^'^."••*^* y' 1C8«. Ine transition is Belly RiveMomS gTve i^et'thiTbiddi^"' '^' """^"^T'^ "^ *»>" these in turn to thin-beddeH pI«v oK„i k iT^°"* arenaceous shales, and No comp ote undSr^l ;L1*''!A°;^7 "" "'^ ^''''^P"^ f«««i"«. the entire thickness houiTonTvn^^^^^^ *«" "^served, but and Crowsnest rivew 3 o„ Le? r?^ ' TjT'^'^"'' " P'^u"^"* "" ^'^""n due allowance for repetitbn ">v ^rum^fin J "^ !Pf .'^"™ thickness, making about 700 feet. '^*^P^^"'°" '^^ crumpling and folding, is estimated to be AGE AND CORRELATION. withTt'&™;i!;\r'?n'tr'rj;d'no"rt^^^^^^ \r *'>'^'' ^«"«'*^- *» therefore, welf up in the Montana gJoTp^^^'^™ ^^'°"*'""' ''"^ P'-'^^-" it. ing whTcfhat'Seli'd'entiSed?" ''"'" ^''^ ^"™'^^'- '-'"'•- ♦»- follow- Cyprina ovata Avicula Lingutformit Ituxtramui sagerutia Modiola, sp. undet. Baeulitet compressut PUuenticerat uhitefieldx ST. MARY RIVER FORMATION. DISTRIBUTION. distuTbe'd^belt^XrT hJ 0X00^0^ """^ ""'-^ '"^ '^' r^^'" P^^ of the north, this ridge-making aSlutv of t^- Prominent .strike ridges. In the the country wLJ^ft outc?Ss iLlLost aT^V^'Ik' '"'*' pronounced and disturbed area the formation fsr^nelfp A ^" tlie southern part of the generally it occurs in a s?nSe ronZ!. . .^ ^"'*'"*^ '*"'' ^"'^ing, but width. ^'"*'^ continuous strip of comparatively uniform 30 The MeriM to which the name St. ' iary Miver Im>«U wa« npplird by Dawson in limitpd in its dii*tribution to Mouthprn AUH'rta, win-re it urcurn on both limlw of a synolini'. the wimtrrn nnd more conipn'HWHi limb fiitiinK within the area dc>Hrril)«>(i in thin report. The Hynplinc is ronipHrativi'ly narrow at the Muuth, but l)epomPH more open toward the north where the oa«t limb a«Hume« a more gentle dip, caiwinK the outerop on that wide to widen aecordinKly. ThiH outcrop runs north from the International Boundary, closely following the meridian of 113 degreen went longitude. Beyond this region, rocks which probably iM'long to the St. Mary Hiver formation were found by Dawson in the Uockv mountains, near the head- waters of Oldman and HighwcMwl rivers'. To the nf)rth, In-ds occupying the stratigraphical position of the St. Mary River formation generally go by the name of Edmonton beds. At the northern edge of the area described the stratigraphical limitn of th«' St. Mary River formation are hanl to define, as lithological differ- ences in the strata are not great and no fossils of diagnostic value have l)een fouml. From Oldman river the formation was traced by pra<'tir-ally continuous exposures northward to Highwoml river, where beils of the series generally known as the Edmonton are identical with the lower part of the St. Mary River formation. The Edmonton occurs also in the Moomc Mountain district* and on the Red Deer, Battle, and North Saskatchewan rivers where the formation was originally described by Tyrrell'. Thi- Edmonton is also mapped by Dowling* running northwestward in Alberta in two broad l)elts which coalesce in the vicinity of Athabaska river. LITHOLOGV AND THICKNESS. The St. Mary River formation is mainly comtmsed of highly calcareous, light grey sandstones, with smaller amounts of sandy shales. The section varies considerably from place to place, but in general the lower part is more shaly and calcareous than the upper and everywhere contains coal seam^ and oyster beds. The sandstones are all fine-grained; in a few (»f the beds small pieces of foal and of shale are found, but no conglomerates have been observed. I'ine cross-l)edding and ripple-marks are common in these sandstones, in fact, all that has been said of the Belly River sand- stones might be said of these. The shales also are irregularly-l>e(lde(l like those of the Belly River formation, but are in less amount and some of the beds are calcareous and concretionary. The coal, which occurs only in the lower part of the formation, is good domestic fuel, but is badly 'e«t in thick- lain bv oyrter bSr The un^r^^^^^^ '" ^^^'^' *'«° "°**«'- shale for about SfAT ffip Jp VTi *^ ^^ pegular beds of clay and near Kimball. The comDlete thinkniaJ^* Jl *■ *''^**'®": *"."* aPPearance to be aV.out 1,600 feet thickness of the formation is here estimated considemWe' 7o7d'ingTd''fluftini'' '^'^^'Tv. "/ «^?"«'«^ «°d show thisstream.about 100 feet ofVhfi ^^" the Leavitt coal mine on succession: * °' ^''^ lowermost beds show the following Belly River sandstone. ^««t Fault contact. Alternating dark and light greenish shaleii u . ;a Sandstone with many ptant'^eST ''^"^ *? sandy shale, carbonaceous ^ Coal 1 Sandy shale full of shells of Ortrwi 2 Sandstone, light grey, cross-bedded.'. ^2 Bearpaw shales not exposed ^ On Belly river the formation is poorly pxDosec Atnnpi.«i«+ i. the passage from sandstones of St. Mary rKS a^e f n f ifn n ' ''°'^uT' IS almost entirely exnosed anH f>.o tw*- r A *° *°.^ Bearpaw shales former "Kr:;t\X:a'r?hXe'^ ""^ badlyTofded sSn of this members and is^rpYa^e^t^ri^'lzterth^^^^ is on'^Sn" Firm "Jr^Sr'Zl good exposure of this formation and the top andTottom ar^e'^n"? fee„"'""' ""' "''^"* ^''"^ '''' '« ^^own the ^P^rar^^^^^^^^^ only c..edTy7o°dV„7,'„d°hum'„f '"in"''''''; "k"?^' ™""P'«*«' ^W compli- and is overia ta W a co^ SL ^f ,S Im.^'' »,P'««.»My,at the bSse thickne,, of ,he dZZl he',Ti»°'eS?e5 rf?£j"fj^.""*"'"- ™« 41 FETROORAPHIC DESCRIPTION. •• ^""o™ *•»« section on 01dm -n river a suite of rock specimens was collected from the St. Mary River and Belly River formations. The specimens represent the harder and more resistant beds only, and were collectea at points where there could be no question as to their strati- graphical position or the formation to which they belonged. Those from the St. Mary River formation represent beds at more or less equally spaced intervals throughout the formation. Those from the Belly River formation which are described here for comparison, represent the lower 1,000 feet' Thm sections of these specimens were examined and a condensed descrin- tion IS given in the following table. Rocks of the St. Mary River Formation Clastic material Cement Slide Mineral composition Character of grains Alteration of feldspars. Amount Kind No. Essential Accessory Dominant Rock Quatti Feld- spars Less than Size: diam. Shape mass % % % 2% in mm. 13 65 30 Biotite chlorite muscovite 005 Subangular Much Calcite 40 12 75 25 Biotite lircon muscovite 007 Subangular to round Much Calcite SO 11 55 40 Apatite lircon tourmaline biotite chlorite muscovite 14 Angular Much Calcite and clay Calcite 45 10 60 35 Zircon apatite tourmaline biotite chlorite 010 .Angular to subangular Much Calcite and clay Calcite 30 9 58 40 Biotite lircon muscovite chlorite 015 Subangular Much ( 'alcite 10 8 70 28 Biotite 007 Angular Slight Calcite 60 7 60 35 Biotite chlorite muscovite 013 Subangular Much Calcite 10 6 6.; 30 Biotite muscovite chlorite apatite 012 Subangular Much Calcite 10 S 80 20 Biotite 10 Rounded to subangular Much Calcite 40 4 80 20 Chlorite tircon biotite apatite tourmaline 010 Subangular Much Clay and calcite Calcite 20 3 70 25 Biotite apatite 10 Angular to subangular About half the grains Calcite 25 2 80 20 Biotite 005 Subangular About half the Calcite 60 1 80 20 Negligible 005 Subangular grains Half Calcite 60 • ^""T" specimens are arranged in the tables to conform with the relative position of the beds in the formation, that is, No. I represents a bed near the base of the formation, No. 13 a bed near the top. The percentages given are per cents by volume, obtained by the Rosiwal traverse methml, 42 Rocks of the Belly River Formation. Clastic material Cement Slide Mineral composition Character of grains 1 No. EssenUal i Accessory Dominant Alteration of feldspars. Amount Kind Rock Feld- 1 Les., Site' I mass Quart! % spars % than 2% diara. in mm Shape % 23 70 25 Biotite chlorite 10 Angular. Slight Calcite 20 muscovite 1 23 70 25 Biotite chlorite apatite Oil Subangular Slight Calcite 60 21 20 65 30 Biotite Biotite 0-2C Angular to subangular Subangular Slight Clay and calcite Calcite 10 chlorite muscovit' 1 19 60 35 Biotite chlorite 10 Subangular .Much ( alcite 60 muscovite xircon 18 70 28 Biotite 005 Subangular About half the Calcite 75 zircon grams 17 55 40 Biotite nhlorite muscovite 012 Angular to subangular Much Clay and calcite Calcite 15 iircon 16 60 35 ( I Biotite 000 chlorite nuscovite iircon Angular Slight Calcite 45 15 60 ^ aS"° "'^ Subangular Considerable Calcite 10 14 70 " fh& ""■' «°r'*'^ to AW half the Calcite ™vite ""bangular grains 20 ,nH SiI'b-""'' t"" ■"??' '°'°"''' 'P""*- ■'''•« "»ks ol 'he St. Mary River zt Surf^iTy^it'Sinff""* °°' ""' """■'^ ''°'' -"" "i- j„ ^?' ""!«>!'»"> .of til" clMtic material In some cases is due to uosl- 2at'o°?,''eSoT' ""' *" '^™ *°" "° »«'"■• '""«» «-^» r°e'aeta1S"obsirdT„fh'e''?^r ""'" '"" ^'°^™ '"«"-'» »"s'h3i r..ni-^*'''/?''u^"^\^ ^'^ r^^ '''*^*'^ material, the cross-bedding and eeneral that tLn^l'S^'"'*'/ °' ™^°^ ''^^^"^^^ ••"'^•^^ «'^ antagonistfc to theTdea Thi ?^ ^ *%*!u* now occurs is original and deposited as a limestone I^erX'l^lSLt'i:^^^^. ''- ^' ''^^ *^- -- ^'- -^^rrci verv\'hinim'on„*lnf/"*' l^'^^t^'-^d ^^L^^tie grains are separated by a very thm film of calcite, m other places the separation is not complete. 43 This suggests that the final breaking up of many of these grains may have been due to the force of crystallization of calcite deposited from sdutiSns which penetrated incipient fractures. ^"luuons . F'^sh feldspar of both soda and potash varieties is indiscriminately mixed with badly weathered grains of the same minerals in ma" y of the sections. This wou d suggest that most of the weathering has been pre- &K- Yf^°**'p"'' '\^^' '^''"''^'' "" composition of the .peclmL onrBe%Riii7fjirtiSi™^ "^""^ *" ^•'^^•"'^"•^•^ ^'^^ ^-™ *»>- AGE AND CORRELATION. .^uJ}"" ^t' ^^"l River formation overlies the Bearpaw without any evidence of a break, the shales passing gradually upward into sandstones, some of which are so highly calcareous as to be practically limestones Within the lowermost 100 feet there is always at least one bed composed largely of oyster shells with other brackish-water fossils in lesser amounts The following species have been identified from this zone: Oatrea glabra ()' subtrigonaha Corbtcula occidentalis, Anomia perstrigosa, and Meldnia wyarmngenm Of these the first three species are found in the BeHv River, Judith River, Fox Hills, and Lance formations; and the last two species are usually listed as Laramie. Throughout the rest of the forma- tion unios and freshwater gastropods are common and at one locality a concretionary bed rich in plant remains contains s. .ne fairly well preserved fossil leaves. As no fossils of a diagnostic character have been identified the age of the formation is inferred from its stratigrapbical position above the marine Bearpaw shales. In Canada the St. Mary River formation is generally placed in the Upper Cretaceous, but the separation of it from the overlying Willow Creek formation, which is considered io be Tertiary 18 made on lithological grounds chiefly because of the characteristic red colour of the latter formation. G* nP^ St. Mary River formation as here described is equivalent to the St. Mary River and Horsethief sandstone of northwestern Montana It uMi -f ^u° ^^ sandstone band which Dawson' correlated with the '' Fox Hills. The Fox Hills sandstone of Daw.son, which has been named Horsethief sandstone by Stebinger' in the adjacent part of Montana has not heen separated from the overlying sandy series in the disturbed belt. Ihel-ox fulls and St. Mary River formations are a lithological unit and If separated, the stratigrapbical boundary would be extremely vague as the thickness of the sandstones at the ba.se, which hold brackish-water fossils, IS- variable, and would require considerable detail work to deter- mine, on the various river sections. In the northern part of the area examined the top of the St Mary Kiver formation is also hard to define and here Dawson found himself unable to carry out the subdivisions of the Laramie which he had made in the south. His remarks are as follows:' i"? 'iirM?'" *^^ existence in the southern part of the district of the ^veil marked Willow Creek horizon, the separation of the Porcupine Hills series from^the lower part of the Laramie (St. xMary River beds) would be ■DawwMi, G M , Geol Surv., Can , Ropt of ProR,. 1882-ISM. pp. 114-115 C 57186-4 44 impoasible and it has not been attempted to carry out on the map the sub- division of the Laramie in the northern part of the district " o«„ oSS^n?*! **?!?• °^*^®x write' corroborates the above statement and can add httle or nothing to it. In the northern part of Map 17l2:therefore This Z h^h^J?'''^V^* ^*- ^'^ »?** y°""f «' beds is In arb tra^ffi nf ♦tl ?« jLtl?*!° S*w^*° cpiespond as nearly as possible to the hJrison f™!,lZf"°^V?** ''^. *»' **»« WUIow Creek seriS/the most noT-therW exposure of which is seen in township 14. uo»vueriy The Edmonton formation, which is often correlated with the St Marv f^Lrof 'thp*"^?' M^ to Tyrrell's definition.' equivalent To thriower7W ^et of the St. Mary River formation. The substitution of the name s^triSS? °or/ectf''' ^'- ^"'^ ^'" '°™*"°° •" *^« »«"*^ ^^' therlfore'l'SSt WILLOW CREEK FORMATION. The series of rocks to which this name is applied was first recoimizoH at the mouth of Willow creek near what is now th? town S MTcleS^*^The foi! STd^Vn'ritr**""' '°"^^^'' "^ *° ^« «-° - St. Ma^^Twal'r! resulW foSoInK^ compose this series are not very resistant and the resulting topography is smooth and rounded. In some places where the fomaUon is covered its presence may be detected by tSer^ colour of DISTRIBUTION. ♦K. 3® ^i"**'^ Creek formation is found only in southern Alberta and the adjacent part of Montana. Within the «iea examined it ocWs at BouSv" InTi' '*5? running northwestward from the liteSSnS the ?eS to fh« L^ft":? P*'* *••? formation loses its identity and in wftl^tfr^it • north beds occupying the stratigraphic position of the Willow Creek series are included in the Paskapoo formation. LITHOLOGT AND THICKNESS. stonP^ Anri"n«i?*t®^ u'^'^^'T '^ <'o°iP08ed of clays, shales, soft sand- stone, and a little thm-bedded limestone. The format on as a whole has feaCrThlf 'f^''^ ''°'°"' ''^''^ .'« P^'^'^P^ its most characteristtJ feature. This colour ^sumes various shades of purple, maroon, and broW^ The sandstones are fine-grained, calcareous, and thin-bedded: theyTe SsleTZnl "'*i ***' *°P- ^l" limestones are arenaceous and usu«3fy assume a purple colour on weathering. The clays and shales are also JofdltT Tironirf^^'' '^^^'^^' 4 '" ^'^'^ ajSar qu?teTnct° WM tlAvprJn ^ place where a well exposed section of the formation was traversed was on Oldman river, and Olin creek a small tnhntftr^ which flows westward from the Porcupine hi^ The b^e onhe formaS |8seen on the river in a steep cutbank.^ One hundred fS of uncoSoSed 'Tynell, J. B., op. cit., p. IJ7 E. 46 ™,rj?**' """V*" *^5* *'?^« °°^y *° occasional thin, hard bed overlie with T&7^ri^TiVmirT'''T. °^ *^« S»- Mary RTverTrt«tT?i « „!.«l^£f P» .X ® " "ow Creek formation s seen on Olin c-eek whpr^ LS«°^Thcf&*T °' «?d«h a°d brownish arer^ceous daVs and M the ton ofThP fnJ^!r ' sandstone become more numerous and thicker Iff fi^ w-lf P^ *"?** ,**** dividmg line at the top is vainie. The thickneM «„i«!k"*'' °^ OWman river the formation was not eloselv examined m rrS^t / "*'*°° °^ "'*^°^ ^°'^'°8 *°d faulting was studied and th^WUlow Creek ^rmation occurs only along the eastern edge of the distG^bed S river1s"riienLT0Mfeef i??l!"^ ^""^ ^?>"^« '° ^^'^ ^^''^^^ °° Old-^an W^^'cA^^or'^'' ^* ^'^^^ *^"^' '^' not^se^Jar^aSTrmT AGE AND CORBELATION. and oilfbSTnSf ''•^°™''*'^° is generally considered as early Tertiary h» hfJfJ^ V^ . °® "* ^^- 1° Canada this determination aooears to wer^Thl!Sl!J't' T. «t™«Krapl»ic relations of the formatiin No Lsils fm f°^h^Sr^^o S' ^^Z '° '^^^'^l' ^* I^»^««° reports finding a lew ir^nwater molluscs and a single chelonian'. So far aa iht> iirri^o, beTfromTheTt M^iT'^^'t^r' ^T^^ f o? separVSg Thif s'er^ ^^ oeas irom the bt. Mary River below or the Porcupine Hills series above. ♦v,» '^A-^ Willow Creek formation is recognized as a stratiffranhic unit in boLf rTenoS t {!°^'^^««*«™ Montana where frtgSs'ofTos U The nature oMhJ jL?f ''°""??'y fo"°d in the beds of the formation. f«™„+- ® • *°® '°i??'* material is not mentioned and the age of the formation is given as Eocene hut is questioned'. ^ the WnKw rrS/*"^^' /•"''''^ '^*?'''^ °.^^"Py *^« stratigraphic position of iKSr?dtocr?n"ar' ' "''' " *'' '^"''^^^^ ""'^ ^'"'^^ '^ •Stebiater, E., U. 6. Owl. Barr.. Bull. Ml-K. p. 1«. 57186-41 46 PORCUPINE HILLS FORMATION. DISTRIBUTION. , "^^^ Pofcupine HiUh formation is found only in the Porcupine hills Z°Z "^ ♦L '* '^"'''^ '*^ °'"?f • ^* '^ *'>«^ youngest series of beds occurring within the area under consideration. In the south the beds have been nSw^^ ^^l'*'' ^r^'i 1° *i^ ""l'^ °^ ^^^ '"•«^ **>« Paskapoo formation probably includes all of the Porcupine Hills formation. The Paskapoo nnrtJfiffJ/ centre of a broad syncline and its outcrop is continuous northward from the Porcupine hills to Athabaska river'. LITHOLOOY AND THICKNESS. The Porcupine Hills formation is composed mainly of sandstones with lesser amounts of interbedded, greyish, shaly clays. The sandstones are generally fine-grained and light grey in colour. No conglomerates were observed, bu» a conglomeratic sandstone bed with a few small pebbles 7^ Tl^i "K?""^ ^?u- ^^u ^^^^ ^^^ ^'^"'^ "PP^*"" *o be highly calt^areous and frequently weather a brown colour. The lower beds in many places ft.VkniT' RT';''''^ 'f.y^'-^ r *»>« weathered edge. The greatest observed thickness of this formation where it has been least eroded is about 2,500 feet. AGE AND CORHELATION. So far as observed this formation rather lacks fossils. The only remains seen by the writer were unios and gastropods, and the only fossils from this series of rocks noted by Dawson are a few plants'. The little evidence obtained indicates freshwater deposition. In age the formation is usually considered early Tertiary and probably Eocene, based entirely on the stratigraphic relations. The "Laramie group" of Dawson (St. Marv River Willow Creek, and Porcupine Hills formations) appears as a con- formable series, suggesting more or less continuous deposition and there- Jore, a close relation in age. > "^'^ The entire j?roup was involved in the "Laramide" or post-Laramie revolution which is generally thought to have ended early in Eocene time. 'Dowling, D. B., Oeol. Surv., Can., Mem. S3, Map iU A 'Dawaon, G. M., op. cit., p. 113 C. 47 CHAPTER V. STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY. INTRODUCTION. The rocks occurrinR at the surface in this area, except the superficial boulder-clays and gravels, were deposited below or near sea-level in practicaUy horizontal layers. Some of these strata are to-day, however over 6,000 feet above the sea, and the original horizontal attitude of the beds IS seen only at the east. Elsewhere the beds are tilted and stand at various angles up to vertical, exposing the edges. This disturbed condition of the strata was produced by a horizontal' thrust which was the result of internal stresses within the earth's crust. Epeirogenic movements, those great contmental warpings, subsequent to this deformation are largely responsible, however, for the present elevation of the beds so high above the sea. A* The generalized structure shown in the geologic sections, accompanying Map 1712, IS for the most part based on actual observation of surface exposu/es. This is best seen where the rivers have cut gorges across the strike of the rocks, exhibiting an almost continuous stretch of rock outcrop. The entire area m'ift be thought of as the much disturbed and broken eastern limb of ^a anticlinorium with the crest represented by Livingstone range. Livingstone range lies just to the west of the Porcu- pine hills, but Its southern end is 40 miles north of the boundary, where the hard Palaozoic limestones and quartzites, here bowed into an anticline plunge southward and are covered by Cretaceous and Jurassic beds. The general trend of the outcrops is northwest, the strike being nearly parallel with the base of the mountains. STRUCTURAL PROVINCES. The area may be divided into two structural units based on the amount of deformation to which the rocks have been subjected. These are: (1) the Porcupine hills; (2) the disturbed belt proper. PORCUPINE HILLS. The Porcupine hills occupy the centre of a broad syncline which extends along the eastern edge of the disturbed belt . This syncline appears to be continuous from the International Boundary to Athabaska river a distance of about 400 miles. The fold is asymmetric, the western limb liavmg a steeper dip than the eastern one. The beds have a maximum dip of 15 degrees to 20 degrees at the west, flatten rapidly toward the east, and are practically horizontal in the eastern part of the area. 48 OI8TVRBCO BSLT. General Featuret. westward dS«"^i.^nrf.T' " '^'^»^^"i'^ by a predominance of 20dr»r*.^- tf^n 7 '^ °^ ** "^^^^^""^ *° 80 degrees are common. Dipg of .l;!f ^ *°£? ^?^I.^ "»y be considered comparatively lentle ffori foTdhig^'piitS^Iv'^ai^^^^^^^ '"''* '" * """^^ '^' ^'^'"^ ^y overturned Trend o/ Uie Rocks. ^ The regularity of the northwest trend of the rocks is hrnkpn hv ♦«,„ ml^«!„- 50 degrees to 60 degrees west of north. This general trend is Kd North^of rr'"'*^ 1 ^'•°^«r* "^«'' ^J^"« the'^secoSd S s mf-Sl „■ ^ J of Crowsnest river the strike is about 15 deirrecs west of north and gradually swings to about 5 degrees west nf nnfTh t« ♦V- Classification and Description of Folds. r^o^J}^ 'olds are of various sizes, forms, and attitudes, and for the most ?. ^iT^"^^*"'''''- ...^'¥««d as to form and attitude and Usted accordS^ oien foldsTv^ert^ur^^^^ 'T""'*' ^^^^.^^-^ ^' separated into: s3 Zn foidt' rnTbS'uSiVorrt^s^^^ '"^''°^^ ^'^•^«' "->-= ^*"-^ to an^r«ea?5enKff.?''f "" "i'"""" «?""8«tions that do not extend 10 any great depth, affect only one formation at the surface and cannot be traced any distance from the river gorges. Several of' these small rive ai'dwl^'^^-^*- ^{Vu ^'^^^ ««nd!tones ma^ seen on St Ma?y n 11 Waterton river at the eastern edge of the disturbed belt ^ Overturned Folds. Overturned folds that can be observed are small and cannot be traced any distance at the surface back from the river ^^^^^ fvr, ^' uv^'^'^' ^'*i''^'^ ^''''^«- These are narrow, unsymm?tricai we^Umro? tlfe 3lf "* '«P'» 40 •WiUi.. B Bull. Geol. Soi. Am:,^"!!: ^J3l-^J43 Uamon, G, M.. Geol. Surv.. Can., Ann. Sipt. I88S. vol. I. pp. 6«-«7 B. <1 PROBABLE CAUSE OF GENTLE DIPS L\ CRETACEOUS STRATA NEAR THE MOUNTAINS. '*^''"^" A notable structural feature in the gentle t\\p of the Cretareoux strata in the vicinity of the Clarke range. A strip 6 to 8 miles wide stretches along the foot of the mountains, and is characterized bv broad undulations and fentle dip«, whereas the same rocks immediately to the east are intensely folded and faulted. The rocks of the Lewis series superposed upon the Cretaceous probably originally extended some distance east of their present outcrop and have JMPen since removed bv erosion. It seems possible that the break along the overthrust fault-plane took place h^fore any great amount of folding in the Cretaceous strata had l»een accomplished. Once the break was formed, the pressure would be relieved by movement along the fault- plane. In this way the Cretaceous strata may have been overridden bv older rocks for 6 t^ 8 miles east of the Clarke range. This superposing oi a great load of older rocks on the Cretaceous made the latter competent to withstand subsequent stresses. When the friction along the thrust- plane became too great, the compressive stresses were transmitted to the Cretaceous strata farther east, where relief was obtained by intense folding and faulting of those rocks without a supporting rapping or load. At the same time the stresses were probably in part relipveic time followed by: (6) erosion ! ..tmental uplift in Pliocene time: 1. tocene continental ice-sheets from "" iins. JURASSIC PERIOD. inthJSj^arSldlsJrtKr^ *°) b««^- were depkited in a sea which had a hnrl«l JL, ""'^'u*'^"- ^^"^ "*»«'•«» conneetld with the n"rthtfpa^ffic^'n7Ami;rat ''"" "" ^'"''^^'^ up of mofc IndSfnl; Tf^wT"" °»?^''"d is almost altogether made tfatthewate^^'i^J^ntlh^oiTfthT^^^^^^^^ LOWER CRETACEOUS. sea w?r: retcS^^gSetijpi"^^ ^'^'^^ "^ '^^ ^--ic the Kootenay, lies coSmlbTroTtKuJirbeds"' SchoS/^^'ft"' this movement with the disturbance which h^t fil P. ^^7^^'^' correlates Britii,h Columbia. The uolift HpvpE? k -^ ^"'"''f" ""^"^^ '° eastern Columbia region effectualfvLrrwfijT^ * barrier in the eastern British time covered tLSXin/i^Vf^^^^^^^^^ "^.^''^ '^^^^ ''' Cretaceous Pacific region. *°'* foothills from connexiv n with the fa^^^tftir^cS^^^^^^^^ 'SchoSeld, 8. J., G«oI. Sunr., Cm.. Mem. 76. p. »7. 53 UPPER CRETACEOUS. BLAIRMORK STAGE. thp f n~, r*A'""* apparently exUted to the west at the beginniiiK of Sfni Pi^lf- 7*'"'^"A Pf"^- ^>* e'evation of this land m^, taking place in late Lower Cretaceous time, was probably during one of those clSrnf'.T-:!^ continental warping, whic^ ho offen occJr towardAt^ close of a period. The evidence of the elevation is seen in the persiHtcnt trterUH^fiu'' "tk- ^^' ^r ^'^ *»>«. Upper Cretaceous sed.meits ?n the dsturbed belt. This conglomerate s apparently derived from thp Purcell range 60 to 76 mik^ west of the area examinS^ Thc'conglXrate n places ,s 60 feet above the uppermost coal seam, whereas in other places rt practically forms the roof of the seam. Its pe«i.tence and uniformity Suth dirmion.'" * ""'" ^ '°' " distance of 120 miles in a no^h^ BENTON OR COOjORADOAN STAGE. v„^?"r'"'^ ' ""'^ ^PP^"" Cretaceous time the si-a again began to invade North Amoriea, spreading from the g ilf of M^xico^ntil it metKcd with NoitTA'."" ^'"™ *he Arctic. This was the Coloradoan sea, wE'split he North American contim :.t into two unsubmerge and H larR. r eastern one. In the Rocky Mountain region the sea was JuSs^n^f^lv'^TCdtv^gt^^^^^^^^^ '"''•"•^ ^•^^-''»''^'- -^ ^^^ ^-'- BELLY RIVER STAGE. wifJ^!iSI!^T^•°* °/I^* Cretaceous geosyncline did not keep pace with (..e sedimentation at the west, and the Bent -n sea withdrew from thi^ rf'gion During the Belly River stage which followed, there were many fluctuations m this downwarping and filling up of the .r-a. At tim.-. the continental deposits were built up so as to force the shon -line a cor-. ' ruble distance eastward. Then downwarping would set in and the sain spread westward. This fluctuation in the comparative k^ A „l , , ,ul ..^♦•"^ th}8 V'^'Vty/^!''**'^ '° ^ ^^''''^s of interleaving ot marine an.l continental deposits to the east of the foothills. Then ., no e .Jenc t.. fnrlTJ .iu 1°*^^° T T'" ''"''"•'^ continuously what is noNv the dis- turbed iMelt, before the Bearpaw stage. That the .ea was clo^-e ]n is Kl!r/°f vJ^nT^'J-"™ r^^ occurrence of bra-lii-h-w ler molluscs m .ome beds of the Belly River formation at the west h..J}^ sediments deposited during Belly Ri. -r ,me have frequentlv been described a.s lake deposits, but the probabiuP is thai thev were laid down upon the broad flood-plains of river, ar sea level. It is inevTtable that great ponded stretches existed under su^^h couditions, but that lakes of any considerable depth occupied the reKior. is inghly improbable Evidence which favours a fluvial or flood-plam d. nosition is foun.l in the following: (1) The presence of dinosaurs, land- habiting reptiles. (2) Numerous plant remains, impressions of leaves. 4e. s an' T."" '" TERTIARY (?) WILLOW CREEK STAGE. ^n£=;fe'4r^i!iir4^^^^^^^ 55 been continuous During this time broad rivers with low gradients meandered over the wide flood-plains and near the sea were probabfv sniU *^H »H """V distnbutari^. The channels were shifted by iKS erosfon and alternate erosion and deposition in the same place followed one TmS fLl?I"i'"'^}^:u°\^ intervals. As more material was carried rnXom the higher lands the basin gradually settled and the rate of settlinir w^ apparently about equal to the rate of deposition. ^ " . ..I."*" sedimentation which took place during the Willow Creek stftco IS distinguished by the red colour of the deposits "^ PORCUPINE HILLS STARK. The thange which occurred at the end of the Willow Creek staae not aUn^n'M"!f t^ ^^ 'l^^^'^P'"^"* of a red colour in the sedrments but also enabled the streams to transport somewhat coarser material. >hint K ^!i"T*'u"? "»t*'';'^alations of crossbedded sandstones and irregular thick-bedded shales and shaly clays, together with the presence though rare of freshwater molluscs and a few plant remains, are perhaps suffiSt to show the general continental character of the deposition af tSftiS LARAMIDE REVOLUTION. The whole region was folded and faulted after the laving down of the Porcupme Hills format on. This is the deformation generallv kno^Vas the Laramide Hevolution," and the structures produced at thS time ha?e Se^alUf thi'r'' 'J^^^'r '" ^^' ''"'^'°« °' '^' «-•'>' mount' ns' fi, ?• , * *"^ T'^^ '" "" ""^K'^n were affected bv this deformation the disturbance postdates the youngest deposits of the PorcuS S formation. The Porcupine Hills formation is c(,rrelated with the Paskapoo of'trfaJirfn ?r '^' '^'"' «t'atigraphic position and occurs to fhe sS ?L Po i! " ^^^ "*"?! synchnal basin. On the basis of contained foss Is the Paskapoo IS considered to be the equivalent of the Fort Union of Montana. This then dates the Laramide disturbance as post-Fort Union. EOCENE. Deposits of later date than the Laramide Revolution, in the disturbed prlr;Sirg^SeS^ '''"'' ''''■ """"« ^--- *'-' '^^ -«'•>" - OLIGOCENE. The Oligocene is recorded in the Cypress Hills region of southern Canada about 200 miles oast of the Rockies' where it is^fomnlt a e, glomerate beds of this age cap all the more elevated parts o the unl, n Is over an area 15 miles wide by about 140 miles long. The linear extnSn of these deposi s is m a northea.st direction. The pebbles of Ee eo d m- erates are nearly always composed of hard quartzil^e and varv in size fr mn TITJtf "tk''"^ ® 'T^'-' '" '^'^"'''''' t»>""«'^ the usuafsi^e is /rom 2 to 4 inches These conglomerates are unconformable on the Laramie and Eocen? JiW ' ''" ^''"""' ™'''-''"'' "" '"onsiderable erosion TiSng 'McCooaell, R. G., Cn>\. .Surv., Can., Ann. Kept. isSJ. vol. 1, pp. .in-.1i, «K-7o c. 56 II deposited their loads of seSment ^ ' "^ *^*" momentum, and moCBNB AND PUOCSNK. PLEISTOCENE. ICE AGE. -osS™ X'z a; r.r^sra/;';rt!;fp-»s ss?' " "- 67 * j^® f?^^ °' *^" «'«** °»»«« o' "ce. which spread from thp Piwt w.. fT**li*f ** J'*" i""^. *o «"* "^^^ channeb in the drift In mSt JZs t^S;.?«*^*"P'f!°*^ ^^% '"T^" distribution of the glwiS drift of the SS^^'nT^ "r P.'"**"*'*^ numerous small kettle fakes aSd mishy tracts. The poor development of the drainage in this rerion wherethe debrL VSSfficW%*"'^'^*'"*J^*^ '^' ^««»» characterTthe glacial ffSol *°"* °' ^^^ "''^""y °' ^'^^ '«"* K^e** continental ■ ii CHAPTER VII. ECONOMIC GEOLOGY. COAL. Coal of the Kootenay Formation. The Kootenay formation is persistently coal-bearinjr throuirhniit ita whole extent m the Rocky Mountain region. The roJkf oulcron at the surface only at the western edge of the area mapped, the fSrmatbnvne "v RoiT^'° '"■'"' ''"^"'^ ^^ Mackenzie, and lLm andXe reeentl"* Coal of the Belly River Formation. whip J^fL^*""^! ^'''^^ fprmation is coal-bearing at two horizons, at one of w hich the coal is persistent over a large area. The lower of these two Hon t'hTf '»""^«°« ''"""'" ^''°."* ^^ f^^* *b«^« the base of the forma- tion that 18, above th.e upper, dark, marine, Benton shales. The up^?r ttTrr/rSrUw "hX.^'" ^^^* "^ *'« ^«™^*'-' '™-^'-'y S--';^ The beds at the lower horizon are coal-bearing from Oldman river to Crowsnest river. They contain only one workablf seam, Tsodated with carbonaceous shales and sandstone showing thin coaly streaks The ^oa bed IS very irregular in thickness and feathers out in places In a sSt tunnel on p Idman river the seam shows a change in thickness from 2 fplf to 6 feet within a distance of 50 feet. The coal bei at thfs pCec" showl pinches and swells which have been caused apparentirby the uneou^l distribution of the compressive forces to which the beds hlVbVn X?ted Jnl J r'"^ " ^ 'f * ?^ '°''*''"^*' '^*»'''"« ^^^ «^ams at this horizon have been opened by prospect pits or trenches. ^^^^^°^- Thickness. SE. ' sec. 31, tp. 10, range 2, west .5th mer f *^' - NE. i sec. 19, tp. 10, range 2, west .5th mer ::;;:; ; .Average 3 tf 4, SW. i sec. 31, tp. 8, range 2, west .5th mer """^ ^J'" ^E. J sec. 6, tp. 8, range 2, west 5th mer "'*?*' The upper beds are more persistently coal-bearing than the lower- Exposures of his part of the formation, showing at least one coal seam^f workable thickness, were observed in the valley of Oldman ri?er in the iwh"w w' r^? m' ^Z- ^"S- ^^-.T K^' ■ '>»2. W. 235-246. 59 northern part of the aroa and in the banks of Watorton river in the southern part, boutheast of the exposure on Waterton river, in township 4 the coal apparently pmclfr^ out as it wa^ not oh.served on Lee creek nor on St. Mary river where the Belly River formation is well exposed and shows no coal Ledn. As the coal beds are at ihe same horizon as those at Lethbridee and vicinity It seems very likely that the seams are continuous eastward from the disturbed belt. In the Porcupine hills, along the middle of the synciine they are deeply buried beneath younger rocks. The following is a list of localities at which work has h»>en done at this horizon: ^"'•'♦''on- Thicknrw. Oldman River— *'*«'■ HE. i sec, 22, tp. 10, ranp.> 2, west .5th mer I Crowmust river to Lumlhru-k— NE. } we. 26, tp. 7, range 2, west 5th mpr f Dato^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Tf i" fi' f "'^ ^"""'^ '" '^''"''''^ 'Dowlmg, D B., Cicul Surv , Can , 1114. Men, .55 61 and faulted a« they are in the greater part of the disturbed belt are unfavour- able for the accumulatjon of large quantities of oil. The results of boring operations so far in this region tend to confirm the above statement There are so many unknown factors to be taken into consideration, however that It would be hazardous to state dogmatically that oil may not be found m commercial quantities in these rocks. For example, although a lieht oi requires a covering of impervious shale to prevent its escape a heavy oil containing much bitumen may collect where there is a monoclinal structure in the rocks, as the bitumen left behind bv the evaporation of the lighter constituents seals up the exposed end of the oil-bearing .stratum Ihe mo.st favourable structures ob-served are found in the belt of rocks affected by gentle and open folding, which lies along the east base ot the Clarke range m the southwe.stern part of the di-sturbed area. SHALE. Shales suitable for the manufacture of common brick arc of widespread occurrence m practically all of the formations within the area. Several of these shale beds have been reported on by Ries and Keele.' Their tests •showed that though generally suitable for the manufacture of common brick no sample was of a sufficirntly high grade for the manufacture of nre-brick or vitrified wares. Four additional samples of shales occurring in the St. Marv River formation were submitted to the Minos Branch and the following report upon them was made by Joseph Keele, chief of the ceramic division. .u Jl{' *"'"^" ^''*'"™ "^*^^- ''•'<■• *' tP- 5' range 29, west 4th mer., southern Alberta. Lab. \o. 377, Field Xo. 1. Light grev, hard shale. This material contains enough lime to cause it to effervesce on appli- cation of acid. W hen ground and mixed with water, it has only medium plasticity, being rather sht.rt in texture. Its drying qualities are probablv good, and the shrinkages are low in drying and burning. This .shale burns to a light red colour and porous bodv at lower tem- peratures, but tends to turn to a buff or brown colour at the higher tempera- t^ures. It IS easily fusible and will show effects of overfiring at 2,000 degrees Uses: Common building brick. Lab. \o. 378, Field Xo. 2. (Jrey shale rather soft and crumbling When ground and mixed with the right amount of water thi.^ shale tornis a very plastic mass which is rather stiff in working. Moulded shape* made from this shale dry very slowly and have a tendencv to crack. The shrinkage on drying is large, but within working limits. ' It burns to a fine red colour and steel hard, dense body at about 1 900 tlcgrees F. Uses: On account of its poor drying qualities this shale is not recom- mended for the manufacture of wet moulded clay products, but might be used for making building brick by the dry press process. Lab. .Vo. 379, Field Xo. 3. Light grey, hard, non-calcareous shale. 1 his material has good plasticity and working qualities in the wet state, and the drying shrinkage is not unduly high. It requires to be dried 'Rk-. H.. a=J K!.t-!;,. J . C.f-A Surv , Cxi . I?i2, Mc=i 21 E. slowly, otherwise it will crack. On burning to about 1.900 di-Brees F it becomes deep red in colour and steel hard. It is easily fSe. * ' '* 1I118 matenal is very similar in its properties to No 378 and liko it would make dry pressed bricks of fine deepVed colour ' * lump^'f n^odu es. ^^T'Kfcari: h&r^i^'Vnrsr^y^r^^^^^^^^^ Summary of Teats. nf tJ}^ 1^"! '^'"P'^' °" "^^'S^ ^^^ ^^^^'^ W"e ''a"'Pd to a conclusion fuse at fairly low temperatures and do not approach the requiroments of Vwn semi-refractory clays. They are not suitable fo? The mSacture of b?c'So"vSer ''''" '^°«^ °' ^'^"«^"^'- '« - -«» t'Ertt^e'sir; wire'^ufhS^,l*^i/^'^K/\*'^'.'"'«l'* ^ "^^"^ ^«' the manufacture of rid^^^^^^^ b^^;ets?"« ''"^"^'- "' ^•'^ -^^^-^ ^haleltuTdTotblyX^eti?^^^^^^^ ^- these 68 Plate II. A. V iew iicwss viilley of Willow cnvk along strike of rocks. (Page 18.) B. Longitudinal valley at west base of Porcupine hills. (Page 18.) 57I8S 64 Platk III. A. Water-gap on Lee creek about 8 miles above Cardston. (Page 21.) 3. Foothills in township 8, north of Crowsnest rivor. (Page 17.) « Platb IV. Small fold in sandstones of the Belly River formation on Lee creek. (Page 54.) PtATB V. A. Overturned fold in mrenaeeoiw ahaJM of Kootenay formation cm Oldman river. (Page M.) B. Faulted aandatones of St. Mary River formation on Lee creelc. (Page 64.) •7 INDEX. A. Faob. ArknuwInlgRiitiU i Anirultiirr ARMTta lUilirity and Irrigiition ('^mmiiy AlherttMi AHm, W. C .■.,■.■.'.■.■.'.■ n {y AlliMMt fornwlicm IM, B. Bwrrll, J lipuriiuw ftmnatMin . IMIy river wtnsc. fommliuii . 5, IVnitxHi formsticm. •toal. . . . ruckiitif. ?T. Bmy. E. Biblkicrapliy BUekioot ppncpUin . Bkirmorp coal area . . " formation . " NtH|p> MlakUloii, ('aplain. . Howen, ('. !■' Hraicau rommtian. . . H, G. Caimm, D. D -27 •«! caUweii .:..::.:.:'.:;:::;;;; ■ • Cakary Maclrad branch Calhoun, F. H. H 'i 18 20 Cameron, A. E '.■..'.'.'.'.......'..,.."., ' ' ' ('anadian Pacific railway .■....'..'...'.....'.. Cardston branch, Canadian Pacific railway Caatle river Cenosoic ChiWerhose, 8. A '■'■'..'.'■'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. Clarke range ('limaVc 26, 30, M, 30, 39. .VI, Coal " seams, localil ice ^^ Colorado group ..'...'.'. "" "' Culdradoan stage Concretions 2W Correlation. . '..'..'.'.'.'.'.'..'. '21, 26. 2fl, '32. 35. 38, 43, 45', luhle Creta<'e<)iw " lower " upper .'.[...'....... Crows Nest branch 4 Crowsnest river .■'.'.......................... .2 " volcanics o?" Cypress hills '..'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'"'",''.''.''_'[ S71M-« ft Itt 'Jl 3a 1 m ^t 13 Xi m 12 at A3 27 2 17 2tt 37 A3 1 3b 33 H 4 21 1 4 4 441 23 1 U U m :w 5:{ 37 46 24 23 r>2 ,w 2S 4(1 3U l^j-i 68 D«ly, R. A 9 ft " nge *' Daw|wn,o.v' • • •■' ^ ' ^ i ' ^ ' ^ ^ ^ ^ ! ! ! ! 1 '. ri/U/ie/isiw;*!, M •• " oa in Dips. Discharge data, table of. Disturbed belt. 36, 30 51 DowUng, D. B ■> •jii D/aina« ^' **' Drift, i^Aracter of Drill c(m!S Drywood river Dwight, T. W .■.■.■.■.■.'.'.■.■ 48 60 4 20 34 1ft U Ednutntoii be 10 Fault* Fauna Femic shales. Flora Folds Foothills Formations occurring in area, tabulated *""»'•« 20, 36; ai; 3^; 34; 35; 38; 43; 4«, II, G. Ciax Cionlogical histofv, summary of ' Geology, economic " structural , Glacial debris " drift " gravel :,[[[ Glaciation " continental " mountain Glacier National park, Mont^ina Gould, L.W.... Grand Trimk Parific railway Great Plains Hector, Dr H. Ice anp I. Indian Farm creek Jurassic J. " period 14. 40 10 28 48 12 25 53 m 52 58 47 12 17 12 IS 10 16 17 1 36 11 56 40 26 53 09 K«I..,J P*o«- Keowatin ice-«hi', J.8. O. Oil. OMman river ■ „; ■ ^ Oligocene •*. 21 , 38, 40 Olin creek » *5 • 46 Paraffin . I'askapoo fonnation '*" I'ekisko 4t> " fault " FVnhallow, Ur '.'..'.'.'.'. •''•" Petrography 27 Physiography, local 41 " regional 12 Pincher Creek • • ' • Pincher creek ... ^ 40 n Paor. Pine nrM>k j j PUiM ' II " rolling J4 Meistocftne 17 ^ Pliocene 'aft Pckcupine hilk 13 ^j " Hillii formation 4A " stage ^ Pre-Cambrian 23 Precipitation, monthly 7 Previous work I Pr»'-Wi»ron(iin 16 R. Relief ^ Ri«i, H ..'....'...'.'.'.'..'.'."..". 6J Rocky mountaino j j Rose. B ,.....'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. 58 Rowe fault 50 • S. 8t. Mary river 5 j_r, 21 St . Miiry River fonimtion -lu „ „ I "•'* <^ml 59 " " nirk.s of 41 " oltlgo ra s " coal, Blairmoro 20 " Crowsnest river 29 " glacial (lepoHits .>i Mill Creek '..'..'.'.'.].'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'..'.'.'. 2ft " Ol'Iman river 37 " Pekisko creek [................. 3s " St. Marj' River formation .I") 40 " Biiperfirial depoHits 22 " Willow Creek formation 45 Shale ' n't Slipper, S. E 2 Southfork coal area 2fi Spurs . ' '. ,n Stanton, T. W 1 ~ Stebinger, E 6" i»' •» Stratigraphy **' ' ' 23 Summary of tests, shale < g2 Superficial deposits .« T. Table of format ions 23 Tenipcniture reconls, Pincher Creek Ji Terraces 12 Tertiary '.'.'..'.'.'. ra To|M)graphy Two Medicine river la Tyrrell, J. B '■'''■'' '■'■'.'.'.''.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'. .'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.]'.'.'.'.'.'.[ 33 71 V. VbIWh. hanging. . tributiu-y . U-«haped . Paoe. 14 Itt 15 19 Water righU Waterton Mills " river WiUig, B Willow Creek formation. •v " «"«■ Wueonain n H «, 1ft, 40 14, i7. 23, SO 44 54 18 2-1=^ .\J MKiocopr RBOurriON tbt chart (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) ^ /APPLIED IN/HGE In 16S3 Eost Moin Street RochMttr. N«w York 14609 USA (716) 482 - OJOO - Phont (7t6) 288 - 5989 - Tan ••■^ "ION, f,1 LEGEND T2 I PorriijiiMt. HilU TERTIARY K4 '-r-^^' >P.O| -i^V f 4 Dfpartutnit uf jHlncs i VI, N .L, , .ijf fir. • V ,Ni-:;f_s GEOLOGICAL SURVEY iMIUMliflUl OUTLINE MAP LE(}E?n> TZ I TCRTIAdV Piirriipinai Hilla Tl ahtiir I K6 ' S! Miti-r Rivt-r UPPER CRtTACtOOS" K4- KS LOWER CRETACEOUS "^ JURASSIC BeiLtoii SvuiWoLh K6-TI ni||iiw< rtn-k.untlivi«1 i1<^i. Cn*t«rroua ,1 uidivid r il Pab»H>zr^ .iiiMlivid«Hl . — ^^ r' 1 FaiUt ^ -4| 4 .--n--i-;i-4-!i* "•bfr ^ ^ I ! """til -tU. r V-j K4 I! "il \ K3 ^1. (utTC 5» J I wn in Ute -e,ti,ma hy ,n-»i,,,l lin.^, pmhably ,iip wrjtt . TSult TaxOt CO Vmrrill. tir,Mr„f,l,.r „,„/ ,/„,.," h, .,,..,/,/ s„„„ THE FOOTHILLS OF SOU '<» *n-4it*ni''4tn ^p*tn 1 ,*/»•«!. »!/• /»!■ ./.VV/, •!,,,/./ , rfM MMfei Piibti<-a.-.r. |;»|4.