The upper Precambrian-Lower Cambrian Chapel Island Formation consists of medium- and fine-grained siliciclastics and minor limestones that record the early evolution of shelly fossils and complex trace fossils. Deposition of these Avalonian sediments occurred in a variety of shelf environments. Temporal and spatial changes in the conditions of sedimentation during the deposition of this sequence resulted in a wide spectrum of sedimentary and biogenic structures.

Facies transitional with underlying terrestrial and shallow-marine red beds were deposited in foreshore and upper-shoreface settings under tidal influence and display tidal channels, shrinkage cracks (desiccation and synaersis), abundant current ripples (bimodal-bipolar current distribution), and phosphatic nodules.

Sandstones and siltstones deposited in shoreface to outer-shelf settings contain evidence of storm and wave reworking. Features present include: gutter casts, thin granule lag zones, phosphate nodules, slump-fold zones, hummocky cross-stratified beds, and thin to medium-grained sandstones with sharp bases and gradational tops, wave-rippled upper surfaces, climbing wave ripple laminations, and draping laminations. These features indicate deposition on a storm- and wave-dominated shelf with locally variable topography. Thick massive siltstone beds and pebbly mudstones are interpreted as debris flows formed on a gentle slope.

Red and green mudstones, nodular limestones, and medium to thick (up to 60 cm) limestones were deposited during periods of low siliciclastic input. The limestone beds--micrites to packed biomicrites--contain oncolitic and planar stromatolites, sheet-crack cavities (containing the oldest known coelobiontic fauna), iron-manganese encrusted surfaces, authigenic barite, mudcracks, intraformational and extraformational conglomerate layers, and small channels. These are interpreted as intertidal and supratidal deposits.

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