Blood Reserve Formation
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| Blood Reserve Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Campanian ~ | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Underlies | St. Mary River Formation |
| Overlies | Bearpaw Formation |
| Thickness | up to 30 metres (100 ft)[1] |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Sandstone |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 49°29′N 112°59′W / 49.48°N 112.99°W |
| Region | Alberta |
| Country | Canada |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Blood Indian Reserve No. 148 |
| Named by | L.S. Russell[2] |
| Year defined | 1932 |
  Blood Reserve Formation (Canada)  Blood Reserve Formation (Alberta) | |
The Blood Reserve Formation, also known as the Blood Reserve Sandstone, is a geologic formation of Late Cretaceous (Campanian) age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin.[3] It is present in southwestern Alberta, Canada, and was named for Blood Indian Reserve No. 148 by L.S. Russell in 1932.[2][1] It is an aquifer and a source of fresh groundwater.[4]
The Blood Reserve Formation consists of hard, cliff-forming, fine- to medium-grained sandstones. They range in colour from light grey to grey-buff on fresh surfaces, and weather to buff, yellow and greenish.[1] They are cemented by calcite and argillaceous minerals. Cross-bedding and irregular calcite concretions are common in the middle and upper portions.[4] Ophiomorpha burrows are common in the lower part.[4]
The Blood Reserve sandstones are interpreted as shoreline, barrier island and tidal inlet deposits.[1][4][5]
Thickness and distribution
The Blood Reserve Formation outcrops in a narrow belt that extends from the Canada–United States border where it is about 30 metres (100 ft) thick, to the Oldman River area where it is about 12 metres (40 ft) thick. It dips westward and is present in the subsurface west of the outcrop belt.[4]