Flume Formation

{{Infobox rockunit

| name = Flume Formation

| image =

| caption =

| type = Formation

| period = Frasnian

| age = {{Fossil range|Frasnian}}

| prilithology = Dolomite

| otherlithology = Chert, limestone

| namedfor =

| namedby = P.E. Raymond

| year_ts = 1930Raymond, P.E. 1930. The Paleozoic Formations in Jasper Park, Alberta. American Journal of Science, 5th series, vol. 20, p. 289-300

| region = {{flag|Alberta}}

| country = {{flag|Canada}}

| coordinates = {{coord|53|10|N|117|55|W|name=Flume Formation|display=inline,title}}

| paleocoordinates = {{coord|13.0|S|44.1|W|display=inline}}

| unitof = Fairholme Group

| subunits =

| underlies = Cairn Formation

| overlies = Cambrian or Ordovician formations, or Yahatinda Formation

| thickness = Up to {{convert|125|m|ft|abbr=on}}

| extent = Western Canada Sedimentary Basin

| area =

| map = {{Location map+ | Canada#Alberta

| relief = 1

| width = 250

| float = center

| places =

{{Location map~ | Canada#Alberta

| lat_deg = 53.16

| lon_deg = -117.9

| mark = Gold pog.svg

| marksize = 10

}}

| map_caption =

}}

The Flume Formation is a geologic formation in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin in Alberta, Canada. It was deposited as an extensive carbonate platform along the western edge of the basin during Late Devonian (Frasnian) time and the reefs of the Cairn Formation subsequently developed on it.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ags.gov.ab.ca/publications/wcsb_atlas/a_ch12/ch_12.html|title=The Geological Atlas of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin, Chapter 12: Devonian Woodbend-Winterburn strata of the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin|author=Mossop, G.D. and Shetsen, I., (compilers), Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists and Alberta Geological Survey|year=1994|accessdate=2014-10-17|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018110640/http://www.ags.gov.ab.ca/publications/wcsb_atlas/a_ch12/ch_12.html|archivedate=2014-10-18}}Glass, D.J. (editor) 1997. Lexicon of Canadian Stratigraphy, vol. 4, Western Canada including eastern British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba, p. 466-467. Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, Calgary, 1423 p. on CD-ROM. {{ISBN|0-920230-23-7}}.

Lithology

The Flume Formation was deposited as limestone, but it was strongly dolomitized during diagenesis, and it now consists primarily of dark grey, medium-to thick-bedded, fine to medium crystalline dolomite. It includes abundant dark grey chert nodules and stringers, as well as scattered stromatoporoids and Amphipora. It is distinguished from the overlying Cairn Formation by its higher chert content and lower fossil content. In areas where it is overlain by Cairn Formation reefs the Flume may be classified as the lower member of the Cairn Formation, but where the Cairn is absent the Flume has formation rank.

Thickness and distribution

The Flume Formation reaches thicknesses of up to {{convert|125|m|ft|abbr=on}}. It has been exposed by thrust faulting in the main and front ranges of the Canadian Rockies in a belt extending from the Kakwa Lakes area in northeastern British Columbia to south of the Bow River in Alberta.

Relationship to other units

The Flume Formation rests unconformably on formations of late Cambrian to Ordovician age or, in parts of the mountains and foothills, on the Middle Devonian Yahatinda Formation. It is conformably overlain by the reefs of the Cairn Formation, or where they are absent, by the Southesk Formation. It is equivalent in part to the upper Beaverhill Lake Group farther to the east.{{cite web |last1=Alberta Geological Survey |title=Alberta Table of Formations, May 2019 |url=https://ags.aer.ca/document/INF/Table_of_Formations_2019.pdf |publisher=Alberta Energy Regulator |accessdate=24 March 2020}}

Fossil content

The formation has provided fossils of:[https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayStrata?geological_group=&formation=Flume&group_formation_member=Flume Flume Formation] at Fossilworks.org

;Brachiopods

;Corals

;Flora