F. J. Alcock — The Athabaska Series. 25 



Aet. Ill— The Athabaska Series; by F. J. Alcock/ 

 Geological Survey of Canada. 



In the northern interior portion of Canada are fonnd 

 several large and many smaller areas covered by a sand- 

 stone formation which has been described by a nnmber of 

 members of the Geological Survey of Canada. In two 

 seasons work in northern Alberta and Saskatchewan the 

 writer was able to secure some additional information 

 regarding this interesting series. 



.Discovery. 



In 1888 Mr. R. G-. McConnell 2 made a traverse along 

 the south shore of Lake Athabaska from the mouth of 

 the Athabaska river as far eastward as Point William. 

 At several places he found outcrops of a granular sili- 

 ceous sandstone to which he gave the name Athabaska 

 sandstone. No fossils were found in it, nor its contact 

 with other formations observed, but from its general 

 character and position he placed it in the Cambrian. 



In 1892 Mr. D. B. Dowling, 3 acting as assistant to Mr. 

 J. B. Tyrrell, made a reconnaissance survey of the south 

 shore of Lake Athabaska and found that the sandstone 

 extends along the whole southern coast of the lake, with a 

 few outcrops on the shore itself, and forms an escarp- 

 ment to the south. The formation was traced as far 

 eastward as Wollaston lake. Its southern limit was not 

 determined. 



In his exploration journeys in 1893 and 1894 on the 

 Doobaunt, Kazan and Ferguson rivers, Mr. J. B. Tyrrell 4 

 found many small areas of a red altered f eldspathic sand- 

 stone or arkose which he correlated with the Athabaska 

 sandstone of McConnell. In places it passes into a 

 coarse conglomerate and in other places is represented 

 by red arkose. 



1 With the permission of the Director of the Geological Survey of Canada. 



2 McConnell, R. G. : Report on a portion of the district of Athabaska, 

 Geol. Surv. Canada, Part D, Ann. Rept., vol. 5, 1889-90-91, page 51. 



3 Tyrrell, J. B. : Report on the country between Athabaska Lake and 

 Churchill River, Geol. Surv. Canada, Part D, Ann. Report, vol. 7. 



4 Tyrrell, J. B. : Report on the Doobaunt, Kazan and Ferguson Rivers, 

 and the North-West Coast of Hudson Bay, Geol. Surv. Canada, Part F, 

 Ann. Report, vol. 9, 1896. 



