The Foraminiferal Laboratory at GSC Calgary processes sedimentary rocks for foraminifera and other microfossils using mechanical and chemical methods to break down the rock matrix. Foraminifera and other microfossils are used by paleontologists/biostratigraphers to determine:

• geological age
• stratigraphic correlation
• paleoenvironment, paleoecology, and paleogeography
• thermal maturity and burial diagenesis

Equipment

• laboratory equipment for the disaggregation of sedimentary rocks, including crushing apparatus, sieves, oscillating hot plates, fume hoods
• binocular microscopes and computer software are used for data description and data management
• chemicals used include Quaternary O (a specialized detergent or surface active agent), hydrogen peroxide, and sodium hydroxide

Clients

• GSC geologists
• Contractors
• Provincial government and university collaborators
• Technical trainees

Paleontology services