NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Sahtu Settlement Area

Tags: physical sciences, geology, sedimentology, paleoenvironment, ocean chemistry, glacial deposits

Objective(s): The Mackenzie Mountains contain a rock unit called the Ice Brook Formation. This formation contains deposits of an ice age that happened more than 600 million years ago. These deposits lie beneath a unit a sedimentary rock called dolostone. Occurrences of glacial deposits with dolostone is typical of rocks of this age. The dolostone has characteristics suggesting that Earth's oceans had different chemistry than today. We want to understand why, and the Mackenzie Mountains is one of the best places in the world to study these special rocks. Our work at Silverberry and Stone Knife Rivers will be devoted to this. 2) For several years we have studies a rock unit called the Sheepbed Formation. Our studies found a major erosional surface roughly in the middle of this formation. Such erosional surfaces can form for a variety of reasons and help to correlate rock units between areas. We hope to learn how this surface formed and how it correlates throughout the Mackenzie's. To do so, we will share camps with Dr. R. MacNaughton's party at Shale Lake and in the South Nahanni and Brokenskull River country.

Project Description: This study looks at aspects of the earth's history. The Ice Brook Formation in the Mackenzie Mountains and the Sheepbed formation are rock units that will be studied. Members of the field party will be transported to base camps by helicopter and camp moves will be done by helicopter. Ground work is to be done on foot. Data is collected through photography of rock outcrops, measurement of stratigraphic sections, and the taking of matchbox- to fist-sized rock specimens by means of a geological hammer. Between 100-300 rock samples will be collected for study at Queen's University.