Earth Sciences Report 1965-02

Surficial Geology of the Cypress Hills Area, Alberta

Authors: Research Council of Alberta; West, E.W.

Executive Summary

The surficial deposits of the Cypress Hills area consist predominantly of till, mainly in the form of ground moraine, hummocky disintegration moraine and end moraine. Glaciofluvial deposits of sand and gravel, in the form of outwash plains, kames, eskers, drumlins and terraces along meltwater channels, occur chiefly in the southeastern part of the map area. Extensive glacio-lacustrine deposits, consisting of sand with minor amounts of gravel, are confined to Glacial Lake Pakowki Basin and Glacial Lake Wild Horse Basin. Loess occurs on top of the unglaciated Cypress Hills Plateau. Aeolian sand is found immediately east of Lake Pakowki, and gravelly to silty alluvium is present in all postglacial valleys.

Place Keywords: 72e; alberta; cypress hills

Theme Keywords: channels; cypress hills plateau; drumlins; eskers; glacial lake pakowki basin; glacial lake wild horse basin; glaciofluvial; glaciolacustrine; gravel; kames; meltwater; moraines; outwash plains; pakowki formation; sand; surficial; terrace; till; wild horse