Cardium Formation
| Cardium Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Upper Cretaceous | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Alberta Group |
| Sub-units | Sturrock Member, Leyland Member, Cardinal Member, Kiska Member, Moosehound Member, Ram Member. |
| Underlies | Wapiabi Formation |
| Overlies | Blackstone Formation |
| Thickness | 22 metres (70 ft) to 109 metres (360 ft)[1] |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Sandstone |
| Other | Shale |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 52°37′30″N 116°0′30″W / 52.62500°N 116.00833°W |
| Region | W Alberta, NE British Columbia |
| Country |  Canada |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Cardium shells |
| Named by | James Hector, 1895[2] |
The Cardium Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Upper Cretaceous age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
It takes the name from <name origin>, and was first described in <well or outcrop> by <author> [3].
Lithology
The Cardium Formation is primarily represented by marine sandstone, with massive sandstone beds separated by shale. The formation is sub-divided into the following members from top to base: Sturrock Member (sandstone), Leyland Member (shale), Cardinal Member(sandstone), Kiska Member (shale), Moosehound Member (shale) and Ram Member(sandstone). In central Alberta, the formation is divided into the Pembina River Member and Cardium Zone.
Oil/gas production
gas is produced from the Cardium Formation in the Atahabasca River area in western Alberta, and oil is produced in central Alberta in the Pembina River area.
Distribution
The Cardium Formation extends south-north from the Canada-United Stares border to north-eastern british Columbia near Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and west-east from the Canadian Rockies foothills to the prairie plains of southern and central Alberta. Eastwards, the sandstone grades to shale.[1]
Relationship to other units
The Cardium Formation is conformably overlain by the Wapiabi Formation and underlain by the Blackstone Formation. The formation is partly equivalent to the Kaskapau Formation.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Cardium Formation". Retrieved 2009-02-07.
- ^ as reported in Whiteaves, J.F. 1895, Some of the Cretaceous fossils collected during Captain Palliser's explorations in British North America in 1857-60. Proc. and Trans., Roy. Soc. Can., 2nd Ser., vol. 1, pp. 110.
- ^ Reference
 | This geology article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |