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Significance of paleosurfaces in interpreting the paleogeographic and stratigraphic evolution of the late Paleozoic Paspébiac graben, a recently identified basin in the southern Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec, Canada

Pierre Jutras^,1 and Gilbert Prichonnet^,2

¹ Department of Geology, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3C3, Canada
² GEOTERAP, Département des Sciences de la Terre et de l'Atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3P8, Canada

The remote-sensing study of an exhumed upper Paleozoic surface in the southern Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec has provided indirect evidence for the presence of a previously unidentified post-Acadian (post–Middle Devonian orogeny) graben-fill unit. Subsequent work on stratigraphic sections in that area confirms that the graben-fill unit, the new Saint-Jules Formation, is indeed petrographically distinct and older than previously documented upper Paleozoic strata in that area, which were collectively assigned to the Viséan (Upper Mississippian) Bonaventure Formation. Paleogeo-graphic reconstruction from sedimentary facies, paleocurrent, and provenance studies concurs with the geometric detail that was provided by the preliminary geomorphic study. The present paper therefore presents the case study of an upper Paleozoic stratigraphic unit that was first inferred by geomorphic constraints prior to being recognized in the field through the study of stratigraphic sections. The study underlines the stratigraphic relevance of analyzing exhumed paleosurfaces at the margins of ancient sedimentary basins.

Key Words: exhumed paleosurfaces • Saint-Jules Formation • upper Paleozoic stratigraphy • structural geomorphology • paleogeographic reconstruction • Paspébiac graben

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