Unit Name: Ross Creek Formation
Unit Type: Lithostratigraphic
Rank: Formation
Status: Formal
Usage: Currently in use
Age Interval: ? late Sakmarian - Artinskian (294.6 - 275.6 ma)
Age Justification: Rather sparse faunas of brachiopods, corals, bryozoa and fusulinaceans (McGugan, 1983) indicate a Late Wolfcampian to Early Leonardian Age. Relatively abundant conodont faunas indicate a Late Sakmarian to Late Artinskian age range (Henderson and McGugan, 1986; Henderson, 1989).
Province/Territory: British Columbia
Originator: McGugan, A. and Rapson, J.E., 1963b, p. 56.
Type Locality:
Telford Creek Ridge, Elk Valley, southeastern British Columbia, (Sec. 20, McGugan et al., 1964; Sec. 66, McGugan, 1963).
Distribution:
Maximum development of 143 m (469 ft) only in Telford Creek area, southeastern British Columbia (McGugan, 1963), but thin, incomplete sections in the Fernie area beneath the Ranger Canyon Formation at Mount Broadwood, Lizard Range, Mount Fernie, Iron Creek Fenster, Mount Proctor, Mount Hosmer, Sulphur Creek Ridge, (Secs. 4, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, McGugan et al., 1964) are correlative with the Ross Creek Formation and the type Johnston Canyon Formation. Fossiliferous limestones overlying the Johnston Canyon Formation in the south-central Rockies at Panther River, Mount McConnell, Mount Malloch, (McGugan et aI., 1964, Sect. 77, 82, 86) and Carbon Creek (McGugan, 1967, Sec. 145A) are homotaxial with the type Telford Formation (Henderson and McGugan, 1986). Absent in the foothills subsurface and other sections north of the type area.
Lithology:
Basal Unit: (lower Ross Creek Formation of Henderson, 1989 and Henderson et al., in press) Interbedded silty limestones and calcareous, phosphatic and dolomitic siltstones, interbedded cherts, etc. and, locally a basal pebble bed. Middle unit: (middle and upper units correlate with upper Ross Creek Formation of Henderson, 1989 and Henderson et al., in press) Interbedded cherts, cherty and arenaceous limestones, chert nodules with organic detritus. Upper unit: Phosphates, calcareous siltstones, thin brachiopod coquinas, intraformational conglomerates, quartz sandstone and zebra cherts near top. Biostromal unit with corals, brachiopods in basal unit at one locality in the Telford Plate (MacRae and McGugan, 1977).
Relationship:
At the type section, with basal pebble bed disconformably underlain by the Telford Formation. Disconformably overlain by the Ranger Canyon Formation with basal phosphatic conglomerate. Homotaxial strata in the Panther River area are also overlain by Ranger Canyon Formation.
Other Citations:
Henderson, 1989; Henderson et al., in press; Henderson and McGugan, 1983, 1985, 1986; MacRae and McGugan, 1977; McGugan, 1963, 1967, 1983; McGugan and Rapson, 1963a, 1963b; McGugan et al., 1964.
References:
McGugan, A, and Rapson, J.E., 1963b. Permo-Carboniferous stratigraphy between Banff and Jasper, Alberta; Bull. Can. Petrol. Geol., vol. 11, pp. 150-160.
Source: CSPG Lexicon of Canadian Stratigraphy, Volume 4, western Canada, including eastern British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba; D.J. Glass (editor)
Contributor: C.M. Henderson; A. McGugan
Entry Reviewed: Yes
Name Set: Lithostratigraphic Lexicon
LastChange: 23 Dec 2008