Conodont Sequence Biostratigraphy of the Lower Triassic Montney Formation

Abstract Conodonts have proven to be excellent index fossils to study the subsurface Montney Formation given their small size and regular occurrence in most marine facies. Twenty uppermost Permian to Lower Triassic conodont biozones are summarized and the sequence biostratigraphic framework provides a template demonstrating the correlation potential of the Montney Formation in the Peace River Basin from west-central Alberta to east-central British Columbia. The Montney Formation, which includes three 3rd order depositional sequences that are also recognized globally, naturally subdivides into Lower (Griesbachian-Dienerian; Induan), Middle (Smithian; lower Olenekian), and Upper Montney (Spathian; upper Olenekian). The Early Triassic is 4.8 m.y. in duration, but up to 200 k.y. of the latest Permian are included within the basal Montney. The ages of biozones and sequences are interpolated, but there is still considerable uncertainty in the ages for all levels, but for the base-Induan and base-Anisian.