Type Locality:

West flank of Kotaneelee Range, about 2.4 km (1.5 mi) north of Etanda Lakes, at the divide between headwaters of Jackfish and Kotaneelee rivers. Map 95C, 60°50' N, 124°24'W.

Distribution:

Type section has a thickness of 702 m (2,302 ft), but base of formation is not exposed and is undefined either lithologically or faunally.

Lithology:

Dominantly black shales with interbedded siltstones, minor sandstones and limestones.

Relationship:

The Etanda is clearly in part a westward shale equivalent of the Flett Formation (and as such, of the Prophet Formation of B.C. and Rundle Formation of Alberta). Harker (1963) shows it also to contain (p. 3) equivalents of the Clausen and Yohin formations, but goes on to state (p. 17) that this cannot be demonstrated from surface exposures examined. The Etanda Formation is included in the upper part of Douglas and Norris (1959) map unit 4 and again as the upper part of their (1960b) map unit 29; the implication would appear to be that the Etanda per se is not mappable. Harker (1963) implies but does not state that the Etanda is exclusively Mississippian in age. His discussion and mapping of Douglas and Norris (1959, 1960) show that it is part of a lithologically homogeneous shale unit ranging well down into the Middle Devonian. As such, it could be considered a synonym for the Besa River Formation of Kidd (1962, 1963).

Other Citations:

Pelzer, 1966.

References:

Douglas, R.J.W. and Norris, D.K., 1959. Fort Liard and La Biche map-areas, Northwest Territories and Yukon; Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 59-6, 23 p.

Douglas, R.J.W. and Norris, D.K., 1960b. Virginia Falls and Sibbeston Lake map-areas, Northwest Territories (95F and 95G); Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 60-19, 26 p.

Harker, P., 1961. Summary account of Carboniferous and Permian formations, southwestern District of Mackenzie; Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 61-1, 9 p.

Harker, P., 1963. Carboniferous and Permian rocks, southwestern District of Mackenzie; Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin 95, 91 p.

Kidd, F.A., 1962. The Besa River Formation: Edmonton Geological Society, Guidebook, Fourth Annual Field Conference, pp. 97-101.

Kidd, F.A., 1963. The Besa River Formation: Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, vol. 11, no. 4, pp. 369-372.

Pelzer, E.E., 1966. Mineralogy, geochemistry, and stratigraphy of the Besa River Shale, British Columbia; Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (CSPG), Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, vol. 14, no. 2 (June), pp. 273-321.