Field descriptions of the Middle-Upper Devonian Canol Formation on Trail River, east Richardson Mountains, Yukon

The Middle–Upper Devonian Canol Formation is the focus of a new study by the Yukon Geological Survey in north Yukon. Fieldwork in summer 2013 involved locating, measuring, and sampling Canol Formation strata in the Richardson and northern Ogilvie mountains. In June, 229 m of Canol Formation strata were measured on the Trail River, eastern Richardson Mountains (NTS 106L/6). The Canol Formation at this location is entirely exposed, except for ~2 m at its upper contact with the overlying Imperial Formation. On Trail River, the Canol Formation is a resistant, silica-rich unit that is characterized by rhythmically bedded siliceous shale and chert comprising four lithofacies: 1) siliceous shale; 2) chert; 3) siliceous shale (>50%) and chert (10-50%); and 4) chert (>70%) and siliceous shale (10-30%). Siliceous shale is fissile, finely laminated in beds up to 10 cm thick, and may be either soft and recessive or hard and resistant. Chert exhibits conchoidal fracture and occurs in beds up to 16 cm thick. Both shale and chert are black in color on fresh surfaces, and weather grey to black, olive grey, brown with a distinct yellowish orange, dark red, and/or very minor apple-green weathering…

Publisher

Government of Yukon

Resources

3

Catalogue metadata updated

2026-08-26