Joli Fou Formation

The Joli Fou Formation is a middle Albian stratigraphic unit of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, extending from the Rocky Mountain Foothills to south-central Saskatchewan. Named for Joli Fou Rapids on the Athabasca River, it was first described by R.T.D. Wickenden in 1949 from an outcrop downstream. The formation consists chiefly of dark grey, non-calcareous shale with minor sandstone lenses, while central Saskatchewan also contains interbedded glauconitic sandstone and mudstone. About 33 meters thick at its type section and up to 61 meters in southern Saskatchewan, it is the oldest formation in the Colorado Group and was renamed from Pelican Shale to avoid confusion with overlying Pelican Sandstone beds.

Alberta · Canada