Geology of the Inner Shelf West of North Cape, Norway
Geology of the inner shelf west of North Cape, Norway TORE O. VORREN, YNGVE KRISTOFFERSEN & KARIN ANDREASSEN Vorren, T. 0., Kristoffersen, Y. & Andreassen, K.: Geology of the inner shelf west of North Cape, Norway. Norsk Geologisk Tidsskrift, Vol. 66, pp. 99-105. Oslo 1986. ISSN 0029-196X. An escarpment parallel to the coast off West Finnmark marks the boundary between the Scandina vian landmass of crystalline rocks and the overlying sedimentary succession offshore. Seaward-dip ping sedimentary rocks subcrop at an erosional unconformity which in turn is overlain by horizontally stratified sediment layers. The seaward dip of the sedimentary rocks is probably due to Cenozoic up lift of the landmass. The uplift was predominantly flexural but there is indication of concomitant ex tensional faulting. The erosional unconformity is probably a polycyclic and polygenetic erosional sur face initiated at the mid-Oligocene lowstand of the sea leve!. Three deltas up to 30 km wide, of sup posed glaciomarine origin, are located at the escarpment. The deltas must have been deposited by continental ice-sheet before the last Late Weichselian readvance onto the shelf. T. O. Vorren & K. Andreassen, University of Tromsø, Institute of Biology and Geology, P. O. Box 3085, Guleng, N-9001 Tromsø, Norway. Y. Kristoffersen, University of Bergen, Seismological Observatory, A/legt. 41, N-5()()(} Bergen, Nor way. The aim of the study is to elucidate: (l) the na ing variously dipping stratified sedimentary rock ture of the boundary between the crystalline below from an overlying horizontal unit with a basement and the overlying sedimentary rocks, more complex and discontinuous seismic reflec and its importance for the Cenozoic uplift of the tion character (Dekko 1975, Bugge & Rokoen landmass; (2) the origin and age of the upper re gen 1976, Lien 1976, Bugge et al.
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