NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Tags: physical sciences, geology, fossils, paleontology, stratigraphy, rock

Objective(s): To make more closely spaced fossil collections and describe the various taxa formally, and in turn reconstruct the sedimentary environment as it evolved through time.

Project Description: Sedimentary rocks of Cambrian age (~500 million years old) are the oldest Phanerozoic strata in the Mackenzie River valley region and record the spread of a shallow sea over much older strata. The approximate age of these rocks is known via trilobite fossils based on reconnaissance collections made in the 1960s and 2010s. The purpose of the project is to make more closely spaced fossil collections and describe the various taxa formally, and in turn reconstruct the sedimentary environment as it evolved through time. The anticipated geological field work involves measuring stratigraphic thickness with a metre-stick or hiking pole with graduations marked, and careful fossil collecting on a bed-by-bed basis. The latter is accomplished by breaking up resistant blocks of sedimentary rock with a geological hammer in order to crack-out fossil fragments. With shales like most of the Mount Cap Formation, the typical method is to remove blocks and split them open with either a geological hammer or a flat tool like a stiff trowel or similar in order to separate the thin layers without damaging the specimens. All of this is essentially non-intrusive and does not scar the outcrop. Specimens are wrapped in newspaper and brought back to the lab where they are further prepared and photographed. Samples of limestone are collected and processed in the laboratory with acetic acid digestion in case there are resistant microfossils such as small silicified trilobites. The most appropriate way would seem to be provide electronic and printed copies of the final MSc thesis and journal article(s) for the Historical Center in Norman Wells. This is quite specialized research but some of the fossils are very photogenic. Depending on the style of publication, perhaps the article(s) could be hardbound for durability. The MSc student will also prepare a poster-style presentation at a high school level and send it to the Historical Center. This will explain the Cambrian geology in the nearby mountains and illustrate some of the stratigraphic sections and fossils. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from July 17, 2019 to August 17, 2019.