Kaskapau Formation

Kaskapau Formation
Stratigraphic range: Turonian-Coniacian
~90–86 Ma
Kaskapau Shale
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofSmoky River Group
Sub-unitsDoe Creek, Pouce Coupe, Wartenbe, Tuskoola
UnderliesBad Heart & Cardium Formations
OverliesDunvegan Formation
Thicknessup to 900 meters (3,000 ft)
Lithology
PrimaryCarbonaceous shale
OtherSandstone tongues and lenticles, volcanic ash
Location
Coordinates55°55′N 118°38′W / 55.917°N 118.633°W / 55.917; -118.633 (Kaskapau Formation)
RegionWestern Canadian Sedimentary Basin
Country Canada
Type section
Named forKaskapau Ricer
Named byMcLearn
Year defined1926

The Kaskapau Formation is a geological formation in North America whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous.

The name derives from kaskapahtew (ᑲᐢᑲᐸᐦᑌᐤ), the Cree word for "smoky".[1] It was first described on the banks of the Smoky River, close to the confluence with the Puskwaskau River by F.H. McLearn in 1926.[2]

  1. ^ Cree Dictionary. "Kaskapahtew". Retrieved 2010-03-17.
  2. ^ McLearn, F.H., 1926. "New species from the Coloradoan of lower Smoky and lower Peace rivers, Alberta"; Geological Survey of Canada, Summary Report 1926, Part B, pp. 117-127.