Gorman Creek Formation
| Gorman Creek Formation Stratigraphic range: Early Cretaceous (Valanginian) |
|
|---|---|
| Type | Formation |
| Underlies | Cadomin Formation |
| Overlies | Monteith Formation |
| Thickness | maximum 1,200 m (3,940 ft) |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Sandstone |
| Other | Siltstone, mudstone, coal |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 54°09′30″N 120°03′00″W / 54.1583°N 120.05°WCoordinates: 54°09′30″N 120°03′00″W / 54.1583°N 120.05°W |
| Region |
 British Columbia Alberta
|
| Country |
 Canada
|
| Type section | |
| Named for | Gorman Creek |
| Named by | D.F. Stott, 1981 |
The Gorman Creek Formation is a geologic formation of Early Cretaceous (Valanginian) age in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin that consists primarily of nonmarine sediments. It is present in the northern foothills of the Canadian Rockies and the adjacent plains in northeastern British Columbia. Plant fossils and dinosaur tracks have been described from its strata.
The Gorman Creek Formation consists of repetitive successions of argillaceous sandstone, siltstone, coaly mudstone, and coal beds. Beds of conglomeratic sandstone are present in some areas, particularly in the upper part of the formation .
The Gorman Creek Formation was deposited in primarily nonmarine environments adjacent to the Western Interior Seaway. Depositional settings include deltaic, coastal plain, floodplain, and swamp environments.
A variety of plant fossils, palynomorph and microfossils have been described from the Gorman Creek Formation, and dinosaur trackways are present on bedding surfaces near the Narraway River:
"More than 200 fossil footprints are preserved in at least 8 trackways... The majority of the footprints were made by small theropods, but the most dramatic trackway was made by a large biped whose feet were more than a half meter in length."
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Wikipedia