go factsheet 19:go factsheet 1 1/9/09 12:38 pm page 1 map ...greenland mineral resources and...
TRANSCRIPT
Map of geological environmentsand selected mineral occurrences
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NalunaqAu
NiaqornaarsukAuAmitsoq
Graphite
IlímaussaqZr, Be, REE, Nb, U, Th
IvittuutCryolite
TaartoqAu
Kobberminebugt (‘Josva’)Cu
Grønnedal-IkaFe
Motzfeldt SøTa, Nb
SinarsukV, Ti
KangerlulukAu
IllorsuitU
StendalenCu, Ni, Ti
FiskenæssetCr, Pt, Ruby
IsukasiaFe
IsuaAu
IvisaartoqW
MajuagaaDiamond
SeqiOlivine
QaqqaarsukREE, Nb, P
SillisissanguitNi, Pt
AttuAu
SarfartoqNb, Ta
StorøAu
QussukAu
EqiAu
Hammer DalFe, Pt
Maarmorilik (‘Black Angel’)Zn, Pb, Ag
KarratAu, Cu, Zn
MoriusaqTi
Washington LandZn, Pb, Ag
Inglefield LandFe, Au
Ymer ØSb, W, Au
Clavering ØPb, Zn, “Au”
BrogetdalCu
Citronen FjordZn, Pb
QullissatCoal
NuussuaqCoal
Arveprinsen EjlandCu, Zn
IlukunnguaqNi, Pt
SaqqaqAu
Itilliarsuk, ItilliFe, Au, Cu, Co, Ni
EqalussuitGraphite
Melville BugtFe
LangøGraphite
Navarana FjordZn, Barite
NaternaqCu, Zn
KangerlussuaqDiamond
Mestersvig (‘Blyklippen’)Pb, Zn
MalmbjergMo, W
BredehornBarite
Milne LandZr, REE, Ti
Devon DalCu
FlammefjeldMo, Au, Ag
Kap Edvard HolmAu, Pt
TasiilaqNi, Cu, Pt
SkærgaardAu, Pd, Ti, V
KarstryggenCelestite
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Ice caps / Lakes
Quaternary rock Phanerozoic basins (<400Ma)
Lower Palaeozoic and Neoproterozoic basins
Mesoproterozoic basin
Palaeoproterozoic supracrustal rock
Archaean supracrustal rock
Palaeogene magmatic province
Proterozoic magmatic province
Caledonian magmatic province
Proterozoic basement
Reworked Archaean basement
Archaean basement
Fault, thrusts
s s
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GO factsheet 19:GO factsheet 1 1/9/09 12:38 PM Page 1
Greenland is geologically and geographicallyvery much related to northern Canada andScandinavia although recent political historyis mostly coupled with Europe. Greenland,the largest island in the world, covers2,175,600 km2. It is 1,250 km wide from eastto west and 2,675 km from north to south.The up to three kilometre thick Inland Ice cov-ers some 80% of Greenland; the ice-free zonearound the Inland Ice is up to 300 km wideand covers an area of ca. 410,000 km2 , which,by comparison, is more than Germany(357,000 km2).
The mineral occurrences in a region aredetermined by the geological environmentand the geological processes forming themineral accumulations. The environments area reflection of the geotectonic evolution andthus linked to global plate tectonic scenariosthrough time.
Geological environments
The geological environments are categorised andnamed according to their dynamic rock class asbeing infracrustal, supracrustal, magmatic or sedi-mentary.
Infracrustal rocks consist mainly of gneiss, tonaliticand granitic rocks of Archaean and Palaeo protero zoicages. Regions dominated by infra crustals in Green -land are southern West, North-West and South-East Greenland.
Supracrustal rocks are metamorphosed sedi-mentary and volcanic rocks formed at the surface ofthe earth. Through the geological processes, thesupra crustal rocks have become an integral part ofthe basement rocks, making 5–20% of the rockvolume.
Infracrustal and supracrustal rocks are collectivelycalled the basement. Major supracrustal domainsof Palaeoproterozoic age comprise the Karrat Groupin northern West Greenland and the Psammite andPelite zones in South Greenland. Major intrusivecomplexes of Paleoproterozoic age comprise thePrøven Granite and the Arfersiorfik intrusive suite incentral and southern West Green land, the Juliane håbbatholith in South Greenland and the Ammassalikintrusive complex in South-East Greenland.
Major intrusive and extrusive environments arefound within the Mesoproterozoic Gardar Provinceof South Greenland and younger events as theprovince of carbonatites and kimberlites of WestGreen land, and the Caledonian granites and alka-line granitoid intrusions of East Greenland. Theyoungest extrusive environments are the Palaeo -gene basaltic provinces of East and central WestGreenland.
Sedimentary environments encompass physical-ly and chemically derived minerals from sourcesrelated to the formation of basins. The sedimenta-ry basins are dominating in East and North Green -land geological history; the major sedimentarybasins are: the Mesoproterozic Thule Group,Krummedal succession and Independence FjordBasin, the Neoproterozic Eleonore Bay Supergroupand Phanerozoic sedimentary basins. Commoditieswithin this environment are dominated by basemetals and industrial minerals.
Concluding remarks
The mineral occurrences are tied to geologicalenvironments and geological processes formingthe mineral accumulations. The combination ofthis information in one map makes it apparentwhere to look for specific minerals, both as singlecommodities, in selected geological environmentsor among known mineralisation types.
Geological Survey of Denmark
and Greenland (GEUS)
Øster Voldgade 10
DK-1350 Copenhagen K
Denmark
Tel: (+45) 38 14 20 00
Fax.: (+45) 38 14 20 50
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.geus.dk
Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum
(BMP)
Government of Greenland
P.O. Box 930
DK-3900 Nuuk
Greenland
Tel: (+299) 34 68 00
Fax.: (+299) 32 43 02
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.bmp.gl
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39 Eqi
21 Storø
45 Saqqaq43 Itilli
35 Ataneq
24 Qussuk
38 Naternaq
19 Sinarsuk
26 Isuakasia
33 Eqalussuit
16 Sermiligaarsuk (Taartoq)
18 Qeqertarsuatsiaat/ Fiskenæsset
40 Anderson Showing
41 Itilliarsuk42 Itilliarsuk
23 Ivisaartoq
100 km
29-aug-2007
LegendLocality
all other values
Archaean supracrustal rock
Palaeoproterozoic supracrustal rock
52°WSupracrustal environmentWest Greenland
KMB
66°N
64°N
62°N
52°N 40°N
64°N
62°N
68°N
70°N
70°N
70°N
Close-up of the geological map with focus onsupracrustal rocks in South-West Greenland.
Authors
K. Secher, GEUS
Editor
K. Secher, GEUS
Layout
Carsten Egestal Thuesen, GEUS
Photographs
GEUS unless otherwise stated
Printed
January 2009 © GEUS
Printers
Schultz Grafisk
ISSN
1602-8171
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