Lithology, mineralogy, and geochemistry of glacial sediments overlying kimberlite at Smeaton, Saskatchewan

Quaternary glacial sediments over 100 m thick overlie interbedded Cretaceous shale and extrusive kimberlite debris at a site near Smeaton, Saskatchewan. These sediments consist of diamicts interpreted as till, with minor sand, silt, and clay interbeds. The uppermost sediments, 34.6 m thick, contain few kimberlite indicator minerals, but are rich in shield debris, thus resembling, in composition, northerly-derived till that occurs at surface throughout the region between the exposed shield and the North Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan rivers. Underlying sediments, 33.6 m thick, contain numerous kimberlite indicator minerals, and are carbonate rich to very carbonate rich, resembling in composition northeasterly to easterly derived surface till throughout the region south of the Saskatchewan River and east of The Missouri Coteau. The lowermost sediments, 32.2 m thick, contain few kimberlite indicator minerals, but contain both shield and carbonate erratics in intermediate amounts, and are thus of an approximately northeasterly derivation.