The Trout River Formation is a

stratigraphical Stratigraphy is a branch of geology concerned with the study of rock layers (strata) and layering (stratification). It is primarily used in the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks. Stratigraphy has three related subfields: lithostrat ...

unit of

Late Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic era, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the Silurian, million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Carboniferous, Mya. It is named after Devon, England, whe ...

age Age or AGE may refer to: Time and its effects * Age, the amount of time someone or something has been alive or has existed ** East Asian age reckoning, an Asian system of marking age starting at 1 * Ageing or aging, the process of becoming olde ...

in the

Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin The Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) underlies of Western Canada including southwestern Manitoba, southern Saskatchewan, Alberta, northeastern British Columbia and the southwest corner of the Northwest Territories. This vast sedimentary ...

. It takes the name from the Trout River, and was first described on the banks of the river, upstream from the Mackenzie River, by C.H. Crickmay in 1953.Crickmay, C.H., 1957. Elucidation of some Western Canada Devonian Formations; published by the author, Imperial Oil Limited, Calgary, Alberta, 14 p.

Lithology

The Trout River Formation is composed bedded

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...

(top), silty limestone and

shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especia ...

(middle), silty limestone and calcareous

siltstone Siltstone, also known as aleurolite, is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed mostly of silt. It is a form of mudrock with a low clay mineral content, which can be distinguished from shale by its lack of fissility.Blatt ''et al.'' 1980, ...

(base).

Brachiopod Brachiopods (), phylum Brachiopoda, are a phylum of trochozoan animals that have hard "valves" (shells) on the upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left and right arrangement in bivalve molluscs. Brachiopod valves are hinged at the rear end, ...

and

coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secre ...

paleo-fauna can be found in outcrops.

Distribution

The Trout River Formation reaches a maximum thickness of . It occurs in the

District of Mackenzie The District of Mackenzie was a regional administrative district of Canada's Northwest Territories. The district consisted of the portion of the Northwest Territories directly north of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan on Canada's m ...

in outcrop and dips south into the Fort Nelson area in north-eastern

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

Relationship to other units

The Trout River Formation is conformably overlain by the

Tetcho Formation The Tetcho Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Famennian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. It takes the name from Tetcho Lake, and was first described in the ''Imperial Island River No. 1'' well (located south of Trout Lake by ...

and disconformably overlays the Kakisa Formation. In its western extent, it overlies and grades into the

Fort Simpson Formation The Fort Simpson Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Devonian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. It takes the name from the settlement of Fort Simpson, and was first described in well Briggs Turkey Lake No. 1 (located south-east ...

. It is equivalent to the

Sassenach Formation The Sassenach Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Late Devonian (early Famennian) age. It is present on the western edge of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in the Rocky Mountains and foothills of Alberta. It consists primarily of mudston ...

in the central

Alberta Rockies Alberta's Rockies comprise the Canadian Rockies, Canadian Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada. On the southwestern part of the Provinces and territories of Canada, province along the British Columbia border, the List of regions of Canada, region co ...

, with the

Graminia Formation The Winterburn Group is a stratigraphical unit of Frasnian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. It takes the name from Winterburn area located west of Edmonton, and was first described in well ''P.A. Pyrcz No. 1'' by Imperial Oil Lim ...

central Alberta Central Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. Central Alberta is the most densely populated rural area in the province. Agriculture and energy are important to the area's economy. Geography Central Alberta is bordere ...

, the

Crowfoot Formation The Crowfoot Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Frasnian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. It takes the name from Crowfoot Creek, a tributary of the Bow River and was first described in the ''Royalite Crowfoot No. 2'' well, lo ...

southern Alberta Southern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. In 2004, the region's population was approximately 272,017.Torquay Formation The Three Forks Group is a stratigraphical unit of Famennian age in the Williston Basin. It takes the name from the city of Three Forks, Montana, and was first described in outcrop near the city by A.C. Peale in 1893 (for the Three Forks Shale ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North ...

and Lyleton Formation in

Manitoba , image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg , map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada , Label_map = yes , coordinates = , capital = Win ...

References

{{Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, Northwest_Plains=yes, Fort_Nelson=yes Geologic formations of British Columbia Geologic formations of the Northwest Territories Devonian British Columbia Devonian Northwest Territories Limestone formations of Canada Shale formations Siltstone formations