Cretaceous (Albian to Cenomanian) Strata of Eagle Plain, Yukon: Subsurface Foraminiferal Biostratigraphy, Regional Correlations and Paleoenvironments

The Eagle Plain, located in the northeastern Yukon Territory, Canada, forms a northern segment of the Cretaceous Western Interior Sea. Its preserved mid-Cretaceous strata (Whitestone River Formation and Eagle Plain Group) document an active structural regime and sea-level fluctuations. Recent paleontological evidence suggested that Albian to Cenomanian aged strata are preserved. This study compares subsurface foraminiferal assemblages from two wells with those in outcrop, reported in previous studies, and integrates both with well log signatures. The emerging biostratigraphic framework correlates well with the fauna observed in outcrops. Three biostratigraphic zones are observed, suggesting an Early to early Late Albian age for the Whitestone River Formation. The studied well localities represent slope to distal shelf, and more proximal shelf settings. The Whitestone River Formation documents Albian sea-level fluctuations correlated to the Polar Sea, Western Interior Sea and globally. The latest Albian disconformity is believed to occur in the Fishing Branch Formation.