Modelled Surfaces of Pliocene to Quaternary Units in the South Athabasca Oil Sands (SAOS) Region (gridded data, ASCII format)

This dataset comprises modelled elevation surfaces of Pliocene to Quaternary sediment units in the South Athabasca Oil Sands (SAOS) region in northeastern Alberta. The basal Pliocene to Quaternary unit in the region is the Empress Formation, which has been subdivided into Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, and undifferentiated. Above this unit, or directly on bedrock if Empress Formation is not present, is the Bronson Formation, then the Muriel Lake, Bonnyville, and Ethel Lake formations. The undifferentiated Empress Formation and units 1 and 2 are thought to be extensive regional aquifers. The Muriel Lake and Ethel Lake formations may locally act as aquifers, depending on the grain size of the material. Above these formations are the Marie Creek, Sand River, and Grand Centre formations, which were not mapped as part of this study.

Erratum (Jan 16, 2023): The modelled elevation surface of the undifferentiated Empress Formation in the eastern part of the SAOS region was inadvertently omitted from the original publication release. The gridded data for this surface have been added to the updated publication.