The Quartet Lakes map area is underlain by rocks that range in age from Early Proterozoic to early Paleozoic. Stratified rocks include, from oldest to youngest, the Lower Proterozoic Fairchild Lake and Quartet groups (Wernecke Supergroup), the Middle to Late Proterozoic Tsezotene Formation, Katherine Group, and Little Dal Formation Mackenzie Mountains Supergroup), and the Cambrian Slats Creek Formation. Five igneous units are recognized, including the Early Proterozoic Bonnet Plume River Intrusions, the Middle Proterozoic Bear River dykes, the Late Proterozoic Tsezotene Sills, Late Proterozoic to Cambrian lamprophyre, and Late Proterozoic to early Paleozoic diorite. Older rocks (Wernecke Supergroup, Wernecke Breccia and Bonnet Plume River Intrusions) were thrust northward over the Mackenzie Mountains Supergroup along a portion of the Knorr Fault. This part of the fault may be a restraining bend in an otherwise dextral strike-slip system. Copper-golduranium mineral occurrences in the area include disseminated and vein mineralization associated with zones of Wernecke Breccia.
