| Kaskapau Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range:Turonian-Coniacian ~90–86 Ma | |
 Kaskapau Shale | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Smoky River Group |
| Sub-units | Doe Creek,Pouce Coupe,Wartenbe,Tuskoola |
| Underlies | Bad Heart &Cardium Formations |
| Overlies | Dunvegan Formation |
| Thickness | up to 900 meters (3,000 ft) |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Carbonaceousshale |
| Other | Sandstone tongues and lenticles,volcanic ash |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 55°55′N118°38′W / 55.917°N 118.633°W /55.917; -118.633 (Kaskapau Formation) |
| Region | Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin |
| Country |  Canada |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Kaskapau Ricer |
| Named by | McLearn |
| Year defined | 1926 |
TheKaskapau Formation is a geologicalformation in North America whose strata date back to theLate Cretaceous.
The name derives fromkaskapahtew (ᑲᐢᑲᐸᐦᑌᐤ), theCree word for "smoky".[1] It was first described on the banks of theSmoky River, close to the confluence with thePuskwaskau River by F.H. McLearn in 1926.[2]
The formation is 170 meters (560 ft) thick in thePeace River andSmoky River area, and thickens up to 900 meters (3,000 ft)[3] in the foothills of theNorthern Rocky Mountains inBritish Columbia. It is exposed along the Peace River nearDunvegan, as well as in the Smoky River area.
The formation is part of theSmoky River Group, and is conformably overlain by theBad Heart Formation in the western area, andunconformably by theCardium Formation in thePouce Coupe River area. It is conformable underlain by theDunvegan Formation.[3]
The Kaskapau Formation is equivalent to theColorado Group shale incentral Alberta. It is equivalent to the upperBlackstone Formation, theCardium Formation, and theMuskiki Formation in theCanadian Rockies foothills in westernAlberta.
The Kaskapau Formation is represented mostly by dark greyshale, withsandstone tongues and lentils at the base (Doe Creek Member,Pouce Coupe Member). Thinvolcanic ash layers may occur in the British Columbia foothills.
Oyster fossils are encountered at the base of the formation, andInoceramus fragments (such asI. labiatus) are found throughout the entire stack.Ammonites are also present in the sand beds, genus encountered includeDunveganoceras andWatinoceras in the lower part andScaphites in the upper part. Microfauna includebenthonic (and fewerplanktonic)foraminifera. An indeterminate hadrosaurid and a possible nodosaurid are known from Quality Creek.[4]