(Mac) Olugbemi Amurawaiye HBSc thesis abstract

The Paleoproterozoic Rove Formation of Northwestern Ontario is part of the Animikie Group.  The Animikie basin derived clastic sediments from eruptive activities of the surrounding volcanoes.  These clastic sediments accumulated in the basin from at approximately 1880 to 1870 Ma.  This accumulation of clastic sediments became the Rove Formation.  The Rove Formation consists mainly of interbedded shale and sandstone layers.  Shale is the dominant rock type.  About 70% of the Rove Formation is made up of organic shale.  The organic content of the shale indicates that the basin, at one time, was petroliferous - the hydrocarbon contents are now degraded. 

Three main lithofacies were defined based on sediment types - sandstone lithofacies, shale lithofacies, and volcanic ash lithofacies.  The sandstone lithofacies is made up of massive sandstone, normal-graded sandstone, reverse-graded sandstone, parallel-stratified sandstone, and cross-stratified sandstone members.  Sediment sizes of the sandstone lithofacies vary from coarse to fine-grained sand, and average thickness of stratification is about 5 mm.  The shale lithofacies includes massive shale and parallel-stratified shale.  Some of the parallel-stratified shale layers were fissile.  The average thickness of stratification for the shale lithofacies is about 5 mm.  The volcanic ash lithofacies is made up of parallel-stratified ash (average thickness = 5 mm).  Volcanic ash is also dispersed and intermixed with sand and mud.

The depositional setting of the Rove Formation is a submarine ramp system.  The movement of coarse sediments into the deeper parts of the Animikie basin was mainly through the action of low and high-density turbidity currents, while fair-weather and storm-generated currents dominated depositional activity at the edge of the basin.  The basin accumulated mud and ash particles during tranquil periods.