Unit Name: Blue Fiord Formation
Unit Type: Lithostratigraphic
Rank: Formation
Status: Formal
Usage: Currently in use
Age Interval: Early Devonian - Middle Devonian (416 - 385.3 ma)
Province/Territory: Northwest Territories; Nunavut
Originator: McLaren, 1959; formally defined by McLaren, 1963a.
Type Locality:
10 km east-northeast of the head of Bird Fiord, Ellesmere Island.
Distribution:
Occurs over a wide area of the Arctic; has been recognized on central and southern Ellesmere Island, Grinnell Peninsula, Cornwallis Island, eastern and northwestern Bathurst Island, eastern Melville Island, Banks Island and Victoria Island. The formation thickens towards the axis of the Franklinian Geosyncline and recorded thickness range between 45 m and 1,375 m.
Locality Data:
Thickness(m): Minimum 45, Maximum 1375.
Lithology:
Mainly interbedded pelletoidal and skeletal limestone. Dolomite is relatively uncommon and is present in the southern and easternmost exposures. Calcareous shale occurs in the lower portion of the formation at some localities. Limestone textures range from mudstone to grainstone and porosity is very low to nonexistent. Dolomites are generally microcrystalline with poor to fair pinpoint and vuggy porosity. A wide variety of open marine fossils occur within the formation. Biohermal carbonate build-ups have been recognized at the type section, on the Princess Royal islands and on Cameron Island.
Relationship:
On Ellesmere Island the Blue Fiord conformably overlies the Vendom Fiord, Eids or Goose Fiord Formation and is conformably overlain by the Strathcona Fiord or Bird Fiord Formation. On Grinnell Peninsula, Cornwallis Island, and eastern Bathurst Island, the Blue Fiord conformably overlies the Disappointment Bay Formation and is conformably overlain by the Bird Fiord Formation. On eastern Melville and Banks Islands the formation conformably overlies unnamed carbonates and is conformably overlain by the Cape de Bray or Kitson Formation. The Blue Fiord Formation is laterally equivalent to black shale strata placed variously in the Eids, Cape Phillips, Kitson or Ibbett Bay Formations.
History:
Description of the formation first appeared in print in 1962 (Thorsteinsson and Tozer, 1962); the 'original description' by McLaren was delayed in publication until 1963 (McLaren, 1963a).
Remark:
First Published: Geological Survey of Canada Maps 20, 21-1959.
References:
McLaren, D.J., 1959. The role of fossils in defining rock units with examples from the Devonian of Western and Arctic Canada. American Journal of Science, volume 257, pages 734-751.
McLaren, D.J., 1963a. Southwestern Ellesmere Island between Goose Fiord and Bjorne Peninsula. in Fortier, Y.O., Geology of the north-central part of the Arctic Archipelago, Northwest Territories (Operation Franklin): Geological Survey Memoir 320, pages 310-338
Thorsteinsson, R. and Tozer, E.T., 1962. Banks, Victoria, and Stefansson Islands, Arctic Archipelago: Geological Survey of Canada, Memoir 330, 85 p.
Source: CSPG Lexicon of Canadian Stratigraphy, Volume 1, Arctic Archigelage (District of Franklin); R.L. Christie, A.F. Embry, G.A. Van Dyck (editor)
Contributor: A.F. Embry; K. Dewing; G.E. McCune
Entry Reviewed: Yes
Name Set: Lithostratigraphic Lexicon
LastChange: 29 Sep 2010