Our Work in Horseshoe Canyon

In the Summer of 2022, I was fortunate enough to join my students, professors and others in the field to help capture the paleoenvironment, sequence stratigraphy, and species that inhabited Southern Alberta in the Upper Cretaceous Belly River Group.

Because of this study, I was given a plethora of skills that I would strongly appreciate in the future.

Interpreting The Geology

Through the Summer, I spent my time shadowing a Sedimentary Geologist and Paleontologist to interpret the Cretaceous Belly River Group (~77-75 Ma).

This helped increase my geological awareness in my environment.

Each and every layer down to the smallest bedding is helpful in determining the specific environment that can help deduct the paleoenvironment in the past, the types of minerals that can be spotted, and much more!

Sampling the Land

One of the tasks I was given was sampling and logging over 100 metres of the study area in intervals of 25-50cm!

Sampling a large portion of the region taught me the importance of following the proper QA/QC guidelines to ensure everything can be studied properly in the lab and the environment can remain in the proper condition for future studies and environments.

Through my work, was then able to properly identify rocks and minerals, geologically date the land more accurately, find any mineral or resource exposure, find any microfossils, and study the environmental changes through time.

Studying the Past

Another part of my work as a geological field assistant included recording every part of the outcrop that I was in charge of studying. Every 25-50cm (depending on the importance of the area) I would take a sample of the outcrop and measure the outcrop for Potassium, Uranium, Thorium, and Gamma radiating off the layer of rock.

Through this, we were able to more clearly define the layers of interest and help future studies in analyzing the layers in this region!

Fossil Identification

One of the most interesting parts of my work as a geological field assistant was being able to shadow one of the paleontologists on site.

Aaron Van Der Reest is an outstanding Paleontologist who is responsible for naming a new species of dinosaurs in Alberta.

So, naturally, as a first-year geology major with little paleontology experience, I was quite excited to learn more about the fossils in the Cretaceous.

In helping Aaron, we were able to find new fossils in Horseshoe Canyon! I aided in carving, plastering and carrying up a Hadrasour hip bone at the bottom of a canyon; and through this experience, I learned much more about naming fauna.