Abstract: Most chert-pebble conglomerate units within the Late Jurassic to mid-Cretaceous Tantalus Formation were deposited in shallow, deep and meandering gravel-bed rivers. However, the presence of largescale angle of repose foresets of large- to small-pebble conglomerate, with distinct down-slope termination in laminated mudrocks, indicates that at least some >5 m foresets were formed by episodic flood-controlled progradation of a small river-dominated lobate delta. Architectural analysis of exposures at the Whitehorse Coal deposit, 26 km south-southwest of Whitehorse, indicates periodic rapid progradation into a small lake that was at least 6 m deep. Thinning and downlap of some foreset units indicate shifting location of topset distributary channels. Down-slope transition of gravel foresets into thin sub-horizontal beds of massive and graded sandstone and pebbly sandstone suggests that the foresets were inertia-dominated. Deformation of bottomset beds is directly related to foreset progradation over under-compacted lacustrine clays.

Authors: Long, D.G.F. and Lowey, G.M.

Keywords: Sedimentology, Surficial Geology

NTS Mapsheet(s): 105D, 105E, 105L, 115H, 115I

Citation: Long, D.G.F. and Lowey, G.M., 2006. Anatomy of a late Jurassic Gilbert-type delta in basal strata of the Tantalus Formation, Whitehorse Trough, Yukon. In: Yukon Exploration and Geology 2005, Emond, D.S., Bradshaw, G.D., Lewis, L.L., and Weston, L.H. (eds.), Yukon Geological Survey, p. 195-205.

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