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The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

Williston Basin Symposium

Abstract

NDGS/SKGS-AAPG

Fourth International Williston Basin Symposium, October 5, 1982 (SP6)

Pages 29 - 42

DEPOSITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS AND DIAGENESIS OF THE SILURIAN INTERLAKE FORMATION WILLISTON BASIN, WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA

CHARLES LoBUE, Department of Geology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202

ABSTRACT

The Interlake Formation is a succession of Silurian dolostone and limestone beds in the Williston Basin. Lower Interlake rocks are dominated by supratidal and intertidal lithofacies which are characterized by felted anydrite nodules, laminated and non-laminated dolostones, hypersaline oolites and laminar or columnar stromatolites. Middle Interlake rocks are typified by subtidal lithologies characterized by fossiliferous wackestones which may contain brachiopods, gastropods, pelmatozoan fragments, tabulate and rugose corals and stromatoporoids. Upper Interlake rocks are generally absent due to extended erosion during Late Silurian-Early Devonian times. Where present, the intertidal and supratidal upper Interlake rocks are characterized by peloidal, in-traclastic wackestone/packstones and grainstones which locally contain gastropods as well as fenestral peloidal wackestones. Well-developed karst, caliche and lateritic soil zones occur throughout the section indicating periodic subaerial exposure.

The Interlake Formation represents two transgressive-regressive sequences containing a wide variety of shallow water to subaerial environments. The depositional systems active during Interlake time were very dynamic, resulting in extreme vertical variations of lithofacies.

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