Updates to the Bedrock Topography and Stratigraphic Modelling of Materials above Bedrock in the South Athabasca Oil Sands Region, northeast Alberta

Beneath the Stony Mountain Upland in the South Athabasca Oil Sands region lies a complex network of deep preglacial valleys, buried under hundreds of meters of glacial, lacustrine, and fluvial deposits. To the north, across the adjacent lowland, narrow, deep subglacial channels—lacking surface expression—are concealed beneath glacial sediments. 

The characteristics of the sediments in these buried paleovalleys and channels are critical to the region’s hydrogeology. Recent efforts by the Alberta Geological Survey (AGS) have focused on refining bedrock topographic models to elucidate preglacial morphology and locate subglacially eroded channels. Additionally, stratigraphic units above the bedrock unconformity have been identified and mapped to determine their thickness and spatial distribution. Key data sources include oil and gas geophysical logs, water well lithologs, and industry reports, supplemented by core examinations where available to enhance lithological interpretation.