Sedimentology and palynology of Cretaceous and Tertiary strata, southeast Baffin Island, Northwest Territories, Canada

Langille, Andrew Benjamin (1987) Sedimentology and palynology of Cretaceous and Tertiary strata, southeast Baffin Island, Northwest Territories, Canada. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The geologic history of sedimentary strata exposed off the southeast coast of Baffin Island on Quqaluit. Durban and Padloping islands is poorly understood. A model explaining the environments of deposition and age of these strata is a valuable contribution towards the construction of the geologic history of this region, both in terms of plate tectonics and hydrocarbon exploration. -- By using facies analyses, deposition at the onset of faulting took place in braided streams which was followed by deposition in backswamp regions of fluvial environments, meandering streams, and locally, distal alluvial fans. Volcaniclastic facies are also represented at the upper contact of strata with volcanic basaltic breccia. -- Two miospore assemblages consisting of: Assemblage 1 (dominated by bisaccate pollen, and contains specimen(s) of Distaltriangulisporites perplexus (Singh) Singh, Foveogleicheniidites confossus (Hedlund) Burger, Lycopodiacidites canaliculatus Singh and Cedripites canadensis Pocock among others and woody and coaly debris) and Assemblage 2 (containing specimens of Trivestibulopollenites betuloides Pflug and Pesavis tagluensis Elsik and Jansonius among others and dinoflagelates) are dated as Aptian to latest Albian and Late Paleocene-Eocene, respectively. Dating using paleobotany is supportive of these ages. Assemblage 1 occurs in Durban Island strata, and in strata located below the first volcanic ash and debris flow on Padloping and Quqaluit islands, respectively. Assemblage 2 occurs in strata located in and above the first volcanic ash on Padloping Island and in strata located above the debris flow on Quqaluit Island. -- The vegetation in this small fault-bounded basin appears to be that of a conifer dominated forest. High percentages of bisaccate pollen in the meandering stream complex may indicate a vegetation preference with fluvial style, however, hydrodynamic conditions played an important role in pollen distribution. -- Thermally immature, wood and coal dominate the organic matter in these beds. Therefore, these strata, given a sufficient geothermal history, may source gas and minor liquid hydrocarbons offshore. -- The depositional model indicates that the timing of either initial rifting or crustal attenuation between Greenland and North America was Early Cretaceous. -- KEY WORDS: Sedimentology; Palynology; Facies; Fluvial; Hydrocarbons; Baffin Island; Cretaceous.

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