Deformation associated with gypsum karst in the Salt River Escarpment, northeastern Alberta

An escarpment formed by the carbonate Keg River and evaporitic Chinchaga formations of Middle Devonian age extends southwards from the Slave River 30 km west of Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. Newly described folds in the bedrock are due to hydration of the anhydrite to gypsum in the Chinchaga Fo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
Main Authors: Tsui, Po C., Cruden, David M.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1984
Subjects:
General Earth and Planetary Sciences
Northwest Territories
Fort Smith
Salt River
Keg River
Slave River
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e84-099
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e84-099
Description
Summary:An escarpment formed by the carbonate Keg River and evaporitic Chinchaga formations of Middle Devonian age extends southwards from the Slave River 30 km west of Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. Newly described folds in the bedrock are due to hydration of the anhydrite to gypsum in the Chinchaga Formation underlying the escarpment. Local groundwater flow has also dissolved subsurface cavities in the Chinchaga Formation. As these openings grew, the carbonates of the Keg River Formation subsided along stepped normal faults. Depressions within the fault blocks occurred where subsidence was concentrated along joints.

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