Editing Belcher Islands (section)

=== General geology ===
The geologic units of the Belcher Group, which forms the Belcher Islands, were deposited during the [[Paleoproterozoic]]. Combined with other Paleoproterozoic units that occur along the edge of the [[Superior craton|Superior Craton]], the Belcher Group forms part of the [[Circum-Superior Belt]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Baragar |first1=W.R.A. |last2=Scoates |first2=R.F.J. |chapter=The Circum-Superior Belt: A Proterozoic Plate Margin?|date=1981|title=Developments in Precambrian Geology|pages=297–330|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=978-0-444-41910-1 |doi=10.1016/s0166-2635(08)70017-3}}</ref>

From youngest to oldest, the Belcher Group is composed of:<ref name=":0">{{Cite report|last=Jackson|first=G D|date=1960|title=Belcher Islands, Northwest Territories 33m, 34d, and E|doi=10.4095/101205|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite report|last=Jackson|first=G D|date=2013|title=Geology, Belcher Islands, Nunavut|doi=10.4095/292434|doi-access=free}}</ref>

* Loaf Formation ([[molasse]])
* Omarolluk Formation ([[flysch]])
* Flaherty Formation ([[flood basalt]])
* Kipalu Formation ([[Banded iron formation|iron formation]])
* Mukpollo Formation ([[sandstone]])
* Rowatt Formation ([[Shallow water marine environment|shallow water carbonate]])
* Laddie Formation (deep marine [[Red beds|red bed]])
* Costello Formation (carbonate slope deposit)
* Mavor Formation ([[stromatolite]] [[Reef|reef complex]])
* Tukarak Formation ([[Shallow water marine environment|shallow water carbonate]])
* Fairweather Formation ([[Shallow water marine environment|shallow water carbonate]])
* Eskimo Formation ([[flood basalt]])
* Kasegalik Formation ([[sabkha]])

The oldest part of the Belcher Group, the Kasegalik Formation, was deposited between 2.0185 and 2.0154 billion years ago.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last1=Hodgskiss|first1=Malcolm S. W.|last2=Dagnaud|first2=Olivia M. J.|last3=Frost|first3=Jamie L.|last4=Halverson|first4=Galen P.|last5=Schmitz|first5=Mark D.|last6=Swanson-Hysell|first6=Nicholas L.|last7=Sperling|first7=Erik A.|date=2019-08-15|title=New insights on the Orosirian carbon cycle, early Cyanobacteria, and the assembly of Laurentia from the Paleoproterozoic Belcher Group|url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X19302936|journal=Earth and Planetary Science Letters|language=en|volume=520|pages=141–152|doi=10.1016/j.epsl.2019.05.023|bibcode=2019E&PSL.520..141H|s2cid=197578328|issn=0012-821X}}</ref> The Kasegalik Formation also contains the oldest unambiguous [[Cyanobacteria]] microfossils.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hofmann|first=H. J.|date=1976|title=Precambrian Microflora, Belcher Islands, Canada: Significance and Systematics|journal=Journal of Paleontology|volume=50|issue=6|pages=1040–1073|jstor=1303547|issn=0022-3360}}</ref> Much of the  Belcher Group strata were deposited under intertidal to shallow-water conditions, although the Mavor Formation formed a platform margin stromatolite reef complex,<ref name=":3">{{Cite report|last1=Ricketts|first1=B D|last2=Donaldson|first2=J A|date=1981|title=Sedimentary History of the Belcher Group of Hudson Bay|doi=10.4095/109371|doi-access=free}}</ref> and the overlying Costello and Laddie formations represent slope and deep basin deposits, respectively.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> The Kipalu Formation, deposited approximately 1.88 billion years ago, is notable for being a granular [[Banded iron formation|iron formation]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> The Flaherty Formation basalt that composes much of the Belcher Islands was deposited between 1.87 and 1.854 billion years ago,<ref name=":2" /> with the overlying Omarolluk and Loaf formations being deposited from 1.854 billion years ago until sometime after 1.83 billion years ago.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Corrigan|first1=David|last2=van Rooyen|first2=Deanne|last3=Wodicka|first3=Natasha|date=April 2021|title=Indenter tectonics in the Canadian Shield: A case study for Paleoproterozoic lower crust exhumation, orocline development, and lateral extrusion|journal=Precambrian Research|volume=355|page=106083|doi=10.1016/j.precamres.2020.106083|bibcode=2021PreR..355j6083C|s2cid=233524866|issn=0301-9268}}</ref>