NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Sahtu Settlement Area

Tags: physical sciences, geology, fossils, paleoenvironment, geological timeline

Objective(s): The research for this summer has two aims: 1) The Pacific Ocean is known to have existed for several hundred million years but the order of events that led to its opening is controversial. Geological evidence in the Mackenzie Mountains suggests that the Pacific had started to form by 780 million years ago, but the geological evidence also suggests that its opening was complex. For several years, the this research group has studied sedimentary rocks in the Mackenzie Mountains that date from the time of the Pacific's formation. As a result, we can reconstruct the events of its opening in areas where that process was simple. This summer the study will focus on what happened in areas where its opening was more complex, focusing on a unit of rock called the Backbone Ranges Formation and 2) The world's oldest known animal fossils were found in the Mackenzie Mountains in the late 1980's by scientists from our research group. They were found in a unit of rock called the Twitya Formation and are several hundred million years old. This summer the researcher will study these rocks to learn in what environment they were deposited. This will tell us about the lifestyles & environmental preferences of these important fossils.

Project Description: The research has two aims: 1) to examine the unit of rock called the Backbone Ranges Formation and 2) to examine the unit of rock known as the Twitya Formation which are several hundred million years old. Members of the field party will be transported to base camp by helicopter. Base-camp moves will also be done by helicopter. All ground work is to be done on foot. Data is collected through photography of rock outcrops, measurement of stratigraphic sections using a Jacob's Staff (measuring pole), and following of key stratigraphic surfaces. Rock samples are obtained either from free-lying float or from outcrop by means of a geological hammer. Between 100-300 matchbox- to fist-sized rock samples will be collected for later study at Queen's University. Some of our camps will be shared with Dr. Guy Narbonne's field party. We will provide all relevant local groups with a summary report of the final results of our research so that local groups can incorporate this information in tourism strategies.