Earth Sciences Report 1967-04

Surficial Geology of the Wainwright Area (East Half), Alberta

Authors: Research Council of Alberta; Bayrock, L.A.

Executive Summary

The Wainwright area lies within the east-central Alberta Plains, a relatively flat, glaciated area underlain by gentle dipping detrital strata of Late Cretaceous age. In most parts of the area, bedrock is overlain by till, as ground or hummocky moraine, the most common type of surficial deposit. Till, in turn, is overlain in many places by glaciofluvial and lacustrine deposits, aeolian sands, and thin patches of recent alluvial and lacustrine sediments. Examination of the glacial deposits and landforms suggest that they originated from large-scale downwasting and stagnation of the Keewatin ice-sheet, which advanced over the area during Pleistocene time. The glacial deposits are believed to be of Wisconsin age.

Place Keywords: 73d; alberta; wainwright

Theme Keywords: alluvial fans; alluvial terrace; bedrock; channels; colluvium; eskers; glaciofluvial; glaciolacustrine; gravel; kames; keewatin; lacustrine; meltwater; moraines; outwash; sand; scarps; surficial; till