Unit Name: Funeral Formation
Unit Type: Lithostratigraphic
Rank: Formation
Status: Formal
Usage: Currently in use
Age Interval: Eifelian (397.5 - 391.8 ma)
Age Justification: Some well preserved brachiopods (ea. Artypa operanta, Schuchertella adoreta, Spinatrypa, Warrenella kirki).
Province/Territory: Northwest Territories
Originator: Douglas and Norris, 1961.
Type Locality:
Type section is in the northeastern part of the Virginia Falls map-area (95F) east of Tundra Ridge (61°52'N, 124°50'W).
Distribution:
The type section is 778 m (2,550 ft) thick. The Funeral Formation is restricted to the southern and central parts of the Mackenzie Mountains and does not extend eastward of 123°30'W where it thins and disappears. Northward it thins progressively to 397 m (1,300 ft) in the Root River map-area (95K) and to 168 m (550 ft) in the Dahadinni map-area (95 N).
Locality Data:
Thickness(m): Typical 778.
Lithology:
At the type section the thick lower part consists of dark grey to black, platy, calcareous shale and mudstone interbedded with black, silty to argillaceous, pale buff weathering, recessive limestone. The thinner upper part is divided into an underlying resistant buff weathering, thin-bedded bioclastic and argillaceous limestone with black shale partings and an overlying black calcareous shale and blocky mudstone with some bioclastic limestone interbeds.
Relationship:
The Funeral overlies the Arnica and Grizzly Bear formations and underlies the Headless, Landry and Natla formations. It may be regarded as a tongue of the Road River shales that passes eastward to the Manetoe and Landry formations. The Funeral shale tongue is also thought to pass eastward into the upper part of the Arnica Formation but recent work may discount this possibility. Westward towards the Selwyn Basin the Funeral shale merges With the Road River Formation.
Other Citations:
Chatterton, 1978; Douglas and Norris, 1960b, 1963; Gabrielse et al., 1965; Law, 1971; Noble and Ferguson, 1971.
References:
Chatterton, B.D.E., 1978. Aspects of late Early and Middle Devonian conodont biostratigraphy of western and northwestern Canada; in, Western and Arctic Canadian biostratigraphy, Stelck, C.R. and Chatterton, B.D.E. (Eds.); Geological Association of Canada, P.S. Warren biostratigraphy symposium Western and Arctic Canadian biostratigraphy, Edmonton, AB, (May 19, 1976) (Conference), Special Paper 18, pp. 161-231.
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.
Douglas, R.J.W. and Norris, D.K., 1961. Camsell Bend and Root River map-areas, Northwest Territories; Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 61-13, 36 p.
Douglas, R.J.W. and Norris, D.K., 1963. Dahadinni River and Wrigley map-areas, District of Mackenzie, Northwest Territories; Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 62-33, 34 p.
Gabrielse, H., Roddick, J.A., and Blusson, S. L., 1965. Flat River, Glacier Lake and Wrigley Lake, District of Mackenzie and Yukon Territory, 95E, 95L and 95M (Report and Maps 35-1964, 36-1964, and 37-1964); Geological Survey of Canada, Paper 64-52, 30 p. + Preliminary Map 35-1964, Geology, Flat River, Yukon Territory - District of Mackenzie, Scale 1:253 440 or 1 inch to 4 miles, Preliminary Map 36-1964, Geology, Glacier Lake, District of Mackenzie, Scale 1:253 440 or 1 inch to 4 miles, and Preliminary Map 37-1964, Geology, Wrigley Lake, District of Mackenzie, Scale 1:253 440 or 1 inch to 4 miles.
Law, James, 1971. Regional Devonian geology and oil and gas possibilities, upper Mackenzie River area; Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (CSPG), Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, vol. 19, no. 2 (June), pp. 437-484.
Noble, J.P.A. and Ferguson, R.D., 1971. Facies and faunal relations at edge of early mid-Devonian carbonate shelf, south Nahanni River area, N.W.T.; Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (CSPG), Bulletin of Canadian Petroleum Geology, vol. 19, no. 3 (September), pp. 570-588.
Source: CSPG Lexicon of Canadian Stratigraphy, Volume 2, Yukon Territory and District of Mackenzie; L.V. Hills, E.V. Sangster and L.B. Suneby (editor)
Contributor: L.V. Hills; D.W. Morrow
Entry Reviewed: Yes
Name Set: Lithostratigraphic Lexicon
LastChange: 01 Dec 2010