The Mississippian rocks of Mount Head area in the southern foothills of Alberta are included in the standard formations of the Alberta Rocky Mountains--the Banff, Rundle, and Rocky Mountain formations. The succession differs in several respects from that of the type region at Banff, these variations being, in part, of economic interest.

The Banff formation is Kinderhookian in age. The Rundle formation is raised to group status to include three formations, the Livingstone, Mount Head, and Etherington. The Livingstone formation, of Osagean age, is divided into two members, Pekisko and Turner Valley, and the latter into the following groups of beds--Banner, Dark Limestone, Lower Porous, Middle Hard, and Upper Porous beds. The Mount Head formation of Meramecian age contains the following members--Wileman, Baril, Salter, Loomis, Marston, and Carnarvon. The Etherington formation, Chesterian in age, is divided into three parts. Only a few feet of strata are assigned to the Rocky Mountain formation which may be of Pennsylvanian or Permian age.

The Mississippian succession throughout the southern foothills of Alberta resembles that of the Mount Head area. Its division into several formations and members permits detailed correlation and study of the lateral variations of the beds.