Kaskapau Formation

Kaskapau Formation
Stratigraphic range: Turonian-Coniacian
~
Kaskapau Shale
TypeGeological formation
Unit ofSmoky River Group
Sub-unitsDoe Creek, Pouce Coupe, Wartenbe, Tuskoola
UnderliesBad Heart & Cardium Formations
OverliesDunvegan Formation
Thicknessup to 900 meters (3,000 ft)
Lithology
PrimaryCarbonaceous shale
OtherSandstone tongues and lenticles, volcanic ash
Location
Coordinates55°55′N 118°38′W / 55.917°N 118.633°W / 55.917; -118.633 (Kaskapau Formation)
RegionWestern Canadian Sedimentary Basin
CountryCanada
Type section
Named forKaskapau Ricer
Named byMcLearn
Year defined1926

The Kaskapau Formation is a geological formation in North America whose strata date back to the Late Cretaceous.

The name derives from kaskapahtew (ᑲᐢᑲᐸᐦᑌᐤ), the Cree word for "smoky". It was first described on the banks of the Smoky River, close to the confluence with the Puskwaskau River by F.H. McLearn in 1926.