Ishbel Group

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title: "Ishbel Group" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["geologic-groups-of-british-columbia", "geologic-groups-of-the-northwest-territories", "geologic-groups-of-alberta", "permian-northern-paleotemperate-deposits", "permian-british-columbia", "permian-alberta", "limestone-groups-of-canada", "dolomite-formations-of-canada", "sandstone-groups-of-canada", "chert-groups", "siltstone-groups"] description: "Stratigraphic unit of Permian age in Canada" topic_path: "philosophy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishbel_Group" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Stratigraphic unit of Permian age in Canada ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox rockunit"]

Field	Value
name	Ishbel Group
image	Johnston cascade.JPG
imagesize	180px
caption	Calcareous siltstone exposed along the Johnston Creek west of Banff
type	Group
age
period	Permian
prilithology	Limestone, dolomite, sandstone
otherlithology	Chert, siltstone
namedfor	Mount Ishbel
namedby	A. McGugan
year_ts	1963
region	Alberta, British Columbia
country	Canada
underlies	Spray River Group
overlies	Tunnel Mountain Formation, Kananaskis Formation
thickness	Up to about 425 m
extent	Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin
::

| name = Ishbel Group | image = Johnston cascade.JPG | imagesize = 180px | caption = Calcareous siltstone exposed along the Johnston Creek west of Banff | type = Group | age = | period = Permian | prilithology = Limestone, dolomite, sandstone | otherlithology = Chert, siltstone | namedfor = Mount Ishbel | namedby = A. McGugan | year_ts = 1963 | region = Alberta, British Columbia | country = Canada | coordinates = | unitof = | subunits = | underlies = Spray River Group | overlies = Tunnel Mountain Formation, Kananaskis Formation | thickness = Up to about 425 m | extent = Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin | area = | map = | map_caption =

The Ishbel Group is a stratigraphic unit of Permian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. It is present in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta and British Columbia. First defined by A. McGugan in 1963, it is named for Mount Ishbel of the Sawback Range in Banff National Park, and parts of the group were first described in the vicinity of the mountain at Ranger Canyon and Johnston Canyon.

Lithology

The Ishbel Group is composed of carbonate rocks (limestone and dolomite) and sandstone, with minor chert and siltstone. |url=http://cgkn1.cgkn.net/weblex/weblex_litho_detail_e.pl?00053:007039 |title=Ishbel Group |author=Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units |access-date=2010-01-01

Paleontology

Among the fossils that have been found in the Ishbel Group are corals, bryozoa, crinoids, and conodonts,

Distribution

The Ishbel Group reaches a maximum thickness of up to about 425 metres (1400 ft). It is present in the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies as far north as the Peace River.

Subdivisions

::data[format=table] | Sub-unit | Age | Lithology | Max. Thickness | Reference | |---|---|---|---|---| | Kindle Formation | Asselian to early Artinskian | siltstone, shale | 200 m | | | Belloy Formation | Permian | limestone, dolomite, and sandstone | 274 m | | | Fantasque Formation | Permian | spicular chert, shale, and siltstone | 55 m | | | Mowitch Formation | Roadian to Wordian | sandstone with gypsum | 76 m | | | Ranger Canyon Formation | Roadian to Wordian | dark chert, silicified sandstone, evaporite minerals | 30 m | | | Ross Creek Formation | late Sakmarian to Artinskian | shaly siltstone, calcareous siltstone, silty carbonate, phosphatic coquinas | 143 m | | | Telford Formation | Asselian to Sakmarian | sandy limestone and dolomite | 259 m | | | Johnston Canyon Formation | late Sakmarian to Artinskian | phosphatic siltstone, calcareous siltstone, and silty limestone and dolomite | 57 m | | | Belcourt Formation | Asselian to Sakmarian | silty dolomite with chert | 130 m | | ::

Relationship to other units

The Ishbel Group is disnconformably overlain by the Spray River Group and unconformably overlies the Tunnel Mountain Formation and the Kananaskis Formation. It is partly equivalent to the Phosphoria Formation of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah.

References

References

1. McGugan, A., 1963. A Permian brachiopod and fusulinid fauna from Elk Valley, British Columbia, Canada. [[Journal of Paleontology]], v. 37, p. 621-627.
2. Glass, D.J. (editor) 1997. Lexicon of Canadian Stratigraphy, vol. 4, Western Canada including eastern British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba. Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, Calgary, 1423 p. on CD-ROM. {{ISBN. 0-920230-23-7.
3. Journal of Paleontology. "Biostratigraphy and faunas of the Permian Ishbel Group, Canadian Rocky Mountains".
4. [[Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units]]. (January 2026). "Kindle Formation".
5. [[Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units]]. "Belloy Formation".
6. [[Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units]]. (January 2026). "Fantasque Formation".
7. [[Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units]]. (January 2026). "Mowitch Formation".
8. [[Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units]]. (January 2026). "Ranger Canyon Formation".
9. [[Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units]]. (January 2026). "Ross Creek Formation".
10. [[Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units]]. "Telford Formation".
11. [[Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units]]. (January 2026). "Johnston Canyon Formation".
12. [[Lexicon of Canadian Geologic Units]]. (January 2026). "Belcourt Formation".

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