Cardium Formation
| Cardium Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: | |
Photomicrograph of drill cuttings from Cardium Formation sandstone. | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Alberta Group, Colorado Group, Smoky Group |
| Sub-units | Sturrock Member, Leyland Member, Cardinal Member, Kiska Member, Moosehound Member, Ram Member. |
| Underlies | Wapiabi Formation |
| Overlies | Blackstone Formation, Kaskapau Formation |
| Thickness | 22 metres (70 ft) to 109 metres (360 ft) |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Sandstone |
| Other | Shale |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 51°08′28″N 114°59′40″W / 51.14101°N 114.99446°W |
| Region | Western Alberta, and northeastern British Columbia |
| Country | Canada |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Cardium shells |
| Named by | James Hector, 1895 |
The Cardium Formation is a stratigraphic unit of Late Cretaceous age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. It takes the name from the fossilized heart-shaped cockle shells in the family Cardiidae (from Greek καρδίᾱ kardiā, "heart") present. It was first described along the Bow River banks by James Hector in 1895. It is present throughout western Alberta and in northeastern British Columbia, and it is a major source of petroleum and natural gas.