Belly River Group

Belly River Formation
Belly River Formation
Stratigraphic range: Santonian to Campanian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Belly River beds exposed along the Oldman River
Type	Group
Underlies	Bearpaw Formation
Overlies	Wapiabi Formation
Thickness	up to 1,300 metres (4,270 ft)
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone, Shale
Other	Conglomerate, Coal, Bentonite
Location
Coordinates	49°37′54″N 112°52′31″W / 49.63161°N 112.87537°W
Region	Alberta
Country	Canada
Type section
Named for	Belly River
Named by	George Mercer Dawson, 1883

The Belly River Group is a stratigraphical unit of Late Cretaceous age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.

It takes the name from the Belly River, a tributary of the Oldman River in southern Alberta, and was first described in outcrop on the banks of the Oldman River (at the time considered part of the Belly River) and Bow River by George Mercer Dawson in 1883.^[2]

Lithology

The Belly River Group is composed of very fine grained sandstone with coarse grained beds and minor bentonite, coal, green shale, and concretionary beds.^[1]

Hydrocarbon production

Gas is produced from the Belly River Group in the Deep Basin, in west-central Alberta and in the Canadian Rockies foothills.

Paleofauna

Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.^[3]

Dinosaurs reported from the Belly River Group
Genus	Species	Location	Stratigraphic position	Material	Description	Images
Montanoceratops^[3]	Indeterminate^[3]					Montanoceratops

Distribution

The Belly River Group reaches a maximum thickness of 1,300 metres (4,270 ft) in its western reaches, and thins out eastward to about 350 metres (1,150 ft) in the Canadian Plains. It is found throughout southern Alberta, and as far east as eastern Saskatchewan. From south to north, it is present from the United States border to the Wapiti River region, south of the Peace River Country.^[1]

Relationship to other units

The Belly River Group is conformably overlain by the Bearpaw Formation and gradually overlies the Wapiabi Formation, the Colorado Group shale or the Lea Park Formation shale.^[1]

It is equivalent to the Milk River Formation and Pakowki Formation. The Belly River has group status in the Canadian Rockies foothills and is replaced by the Oldman Formation (Judith River Formation in Montana) and Foremost Formation in southern Alberta.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Belly River Formation". Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
^ Dawson, G.M., 1883. Preliminary report on the geology of the Bow and Belly river region, Northwest Territory, with special reference to the coal deposits. Geological Survey of Canada, Report of Progress for 1880-81-82, Part B.
^ ^a ^b ^c Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Cretaceous, North America)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 574-588. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.

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[lexicon-1] Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units. "Belly River Formation". Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2009-03-01.

[2] Dawson, G.M., 1883. Preliminary report on the geology of the Bow and Belly river region, Northwest Territory, with special reference to the coal deposits. Geological Survey of Canada, Report of Progress for 1880-81-82, Part B.

[cretaceousdistribution-3] Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Cretaceous, North America)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 574-588. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.

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v t e Western Canada Sedimentary Basin
Hydrocarbon history	Oil sands and heavy oil Frontier exploration and development Natural gas liquids Natural gas
Depositional regions	Southern Alberta Central Alberta Northwestern Alberta Plains South-central Canadian Rockies foothills North-east Plains North-central foothills Liard River Fort Nelson Northern Rocky Mountains Fort St. John Saskatchewan Western Manitoba
Northeastern plains	Bearpaw FM Belly River GRP Lea Park FM La Biche GRP Viking FM Joli Fou FM Colony SS Mannville GRP McLaren MBR Grand Rapids FM Waseca SS Sparky SS Gen. Petr. SS Clearwater FM Rex SS Lloydminster SS Wabiskaw MBR Cummings MBR McMurray FM Dina MBR Banff FM Exshaw FM Wabamun FM Winterburn FM Woodbend GRP Grosmont FM Irteton FM Cooking Lake FM Beaverhill Lake GRP Elk Point GRP Canadian Shield
Central Alberta	Paskapoo FM Scollard FM Edmonton GRP Battle FM Whitemud MBR Horseshoe Canyon FM Bearpaw FM Belly River GRP Ribstone Creek MBR Victoria MBR Brosseau MBR Lea Park FM Colorado GRP Cardium FM Mannville GRP Glauconitic Sandstone Ostracod Beds Sunburst Member Taber Member Detrital Beds Fernie GRP Rock Creek MBR Nordegg MBR Rundle GRP Mount Head FM Elkton MBR Shunda FM Pekisko FM Banff FM Exshaw FM Canadian Shield
Southern Alberta plains	Cypress Hills FM Porcupine Hills FM Ravenscrag FM Edmonton GRP Belly River GRP Oldman FM Foremost FM Pakowki FM Milk River FM Colorado GRP Mannville GRP Ellis GRP Swift FM Rierdon FM Sawtooth FM Rundle GRP Banff FM Exshaw FM Bakken FM Wabamun FM Crowfoot FM Nisku FM Ireton FM Leduc FM Cooking Lake FM Beaverhill Lake GRP Elk Point GRP Canadian Shield
Canadian Rockies	Paskapoo FM Brazeau GRP St Mary FM Belly River FM Alberta GRP Wapiabi FM Cardium FM Blackstone FM Blairmore GRP Cadomin FM Kootenay GRP Fernie GRP Spray River GRP Whitehorse MBR Sulphur Mt MBR Ishbel FM Kananaskis FM Tunnel Mt FM Rundle GRP Etherington FM Mt Head FM Livingstone FM Banff FM Exshaw FM Wabamun FM Palliser FM Alexo FM Fairholme GRP Southesk FM Cairn FM Flume FM Skoki FM Outram FM Lynx FM Arctomys FM Pika FM Eldon FM Stephen FM Cathedral FM Mt Whyte FM Gog GRP Miette FM Canadian Shield