Map of known mineral occurrences in

Geology and selected mineral occurrences The main geological divisions on the geo-

Citronen Fjord Navarana Fjord

▲ Zn, Pb logical map cover periods from Archaean to Zn, Barite ▲ Palaeogene and are summarised in the map

Washington Land ▲

▲ legend.

Zn, Pb, Ag ▲

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▲ Chronology of Greenland mineral ▲

▲ ▲ occurences Inglefield Land

Fe ■ ■

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■ Major events shown on the map include:

Moriusaq ■

Ti ■ ■

■ 1845: Collecting of graphite at Langø (NWG) ▲

▲ 1852: Discovery and mining of copper at Josva mine (SG) Greenland Mineral Resources

GREENLAND ▲

Melville Bugt ▲ 1852: Mining in Frederik VII mine (SG) Fe ■ ■ 1854: Mining of lead in mine (SG)

■ ■ 1856: Mining of cryolite began in Ivittuut mine (SG)

■ INLAND ICE ■ Clavering Ø ■ ■ 1893: Discovery of zirconium in Kringlerne (SG)

■ Fe

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■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■ ■ 1903: Discovery of graphite at Akuliaruseq (WG)

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■ Ymer Ø

■ Sb, W, Au

■ 1905: Reopening of the Josva copper mine (SG) ■

■ ■ Blyklippen ■

■ Langø ■ Pb, Zn 1915: Opening of graphite mine in Amitsoq (SG)

■

Graphite ■ ■ Malmbjerg

■ 1933: Mining of pyrite in (EG)

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■ Mo, W

▲ ▲

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▲ Karstryggen 1936: Quarrying of marble in Maarmorilik (WG) ▲ Maarmorilik Celestite

■ ■ 1951: Discovery of iron at Grønnedal-Ika (SG) Hammer Dal ■

■ Zn, Pb, Ag ■ ■ Milne Land

Fe, Pt ■ ▲

▲ Zr, REE, Ti

■ ▲ ▲

■ 1954: Discovery of molybdenum in Malmbjerg (EG) ▲ ▲ ■ Au Coal Itilliarsuk 1955: Discovery of uranium in Kvanefjeld (SG) Au, Fe Coal Eqi 1956: Mining initiated of lead/zinc near Mestersvig (EG) Au Akuliaruseq 1964: Discovery of chromium in (WG) Flammefjeld Skærgaard Graphite Naternaq Mo Au, Pd Cu, Zn 1965: Discovery of the iron deposit at Isua (WG) Fact Sheet No. 5 Isortuarsuk Garnet Kap Edvard Holm ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ 1968: Discovery of REE and phosphorous at Qaqqarsuk (WG) ▲ Au, Pt Tasersuatsiaq ▲ ▲ ▲ Ni, Pt Sarfartoq 1972: Discovery of gold in Taartoq (SG) Nb, Ta Ammassalik Olivine Ni, Cu, Pt 500 km 1973: Mining began of lead/zinc at Black Angel Mine (WG) Diamond Qaqqaarsuk ▲

▲ ▲ 1973: Discovery of placer diamonds in Sarfartoq (WG) Nb, REE, P Isukasia ▲ Majuagaa Fe Palaeogene basalts Diamond Isua 1977: Discovery of niobium in Sarfartoq (WG) Au Cretaceous–Palaeogene sediments, Nuussuaq Basin in Tasiusarsuaq West Greenland and Kangerlussuaq Basin in East Greenland 1979: Test mining of uranium in Kvanefjeld (SG) Olivine Ivisaartoq Carboniferous–Palaeogene sediments, W Wandel Sea Basin in eastern North Greenland Storø Sinarsuk 1979: Discovery of tungsten and antimony at Ymer Island (EG) Au Carboniferous–Cretaceous sediments, North-East Greenland V, Ti Fiskenæsset Carboniferous–Cretaceous sediments, 1980: Discovery of tantanlum at Motzfeldt Lake (SG) Cr, Pt Jameson Land Basin in East Greenland Devonian Basin of North-East Greenland 1982: Discovery of tungsten and gold in Fjord (WG) Taartoq Motzfeldt Sø Au Shelf 1984: Discovery of zinc/barium in Navarana fjord (NG) Ta, Nb Lower Palaeozoic sediments, North Greenland, Ivittuut Franklinian Basin Trough 1985: Discovery of gold in area (WG) Cryolite Kangerluluk Grønnedal-Ika Au Meso- to Neoproterozoic sediments and volcanic rocks 1986: Discovery of gold and PGE's in Skaergaard (EG) Fe Caledonian orogenic belt Josva Mine Illorsuit 1992: Discovery of primary gold at Nalunaq (SG) Ilímaussaq Cu U U, Nb, Zr, Be, REE Palaeoproterozoic orogenic belts 1993: Discovery of zinc at Citronen Fjord (NG) Amitsoq Nalunaq Au Archaean craton Graphite Au 1995: Find of in-situ diamonds near (WG) Intrusive complexes: Palaeogene in East Greenland, Mesoproterozoic in South Greenland (Gardar Province) 1995: Small-scale production of olivine at Evighedsfjord (WG)

▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ Fault, thrust 1996: Discovery of gold at Kangerluluk (SEG) 2003: Establishing of gold mine at Nalunaq (SG)

The map of mineral occurrences is your shortcut to History of Greenland economic geology get acquainted with some of the mineral occur- The history of Greenland economic geology dates back rences in Greenland. The presentation combines to the beginning of colonial European influence. the geological map with knowledge of mineral Following the colonisation of Greenland in the mid- prospects and deposits gathered through more 1700s the colonists (by order of the Danish King) were than 150 years. required to look for useful minerals. However, systema- tic exploitation and mining activity was not initiated Geological observations in Greenland began with until mid-1800. The early industrial activity in Greenland the first scientific expeditions in the early 1800s. was concentrated on the sparsely inhabited west coast. Systematic geological mapping commenced in East The first traditional mining (non-fuel commodities) was Greenland with Dr. Lauge Koch's expeditions based on local knowledge of commodities proved to be 1926–58. In West Greenland the systematic map- present in sufficient amounts, but soon led to wider ping was conducted by the Geological Survey of exploration and systematic prospecting as geological Greenland (now GEUS) in 1946. This survey was knowledge accumulated. At the start of the Millennium initiated in West Greenland and has subsequently the activity covers most parts of Greenland, and the been extended to all parts of Greenland. Coverage exploration is continuing. is not yet complete. EXPLORATION AND MINING IN GREENLAND Lead-zinc prospects in Palaeozoic basins

Citronen Fjord Navarana Fjord

▲ Zn, Pb The map with combined information about geolo- Zn, Barite ▲ gy and known mineral resources may, together with similar maps displaying exploration geoche-

Washington Land

▲ ▲

Zn, Pb, Ag ▲

▲ mistry and various geophysical data, be of invalu- Greenland Resources A/S

▲ ▲

■ ▲ ■■ ■ ▲ able help to the explorationists. Vandsøvej 5 ■ ▲ ■

▲

■ ▲

▲ P. O. Box 821 DK-3900 Nuuk

■

■ Clavering Ø ■ Greenland Prospects in ■ Map details of selected regions

■ Fe

■

■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■ Caledonian ■

■

■ ■ Ymer Ø As examples of specialised information derived Tel: (+299) 32 79 13

■ Sb, W, Au

and younger ■ ■ from the map, a series of enlarged sections are Fax.: (+299) 32 79 14

■ ■ Blyklippen ■

■ terranes ■ Pb, Zn presented here under the themes: E-mail: [email protected] ■

■

■ Malmbjerg

■ Internet: www.resources.gl

■ • Mineral occurrences in Archaean cratons

■ Mo, W

■ Karstryggen • Gold and base metals in Palaeoproterozoic settings Celestite

■ Milne Land • Mineral commodities of the Mesoproterozoic Zr, REE, Ti in South Greenland • Prospects in Caledonian and younger terranes Greenland Mineral Resources Magmatic deposits • Lead-zinc prospects in Palaeozoic basins in Palaeogene Flammefjeld Skærgaard Mo Au, Pd • Magmatic deposits in Palaeogene intrusions intrusions Kap Edvard Holm • Industrial minerals in the West Greenland Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum Au, Pt basement (BMP) Government of Greenland Concluding remarks P.O. Box 930 DK-3900 Nuuk Maarmorilik Gold and base metals Combination of this information in one map Zn, Pb, Ag Greenland ■ in Palaeoproterozoic Saqqaq makes it apparent where to look for specific min-

■ ■ Au settings Itilliarsuk erals, both as single commodities, in selected geo- Tel: (+299) 34 68 00 Au, Fe Eqi logical environments or among known mineralisa- Fax.: (+299) 32 43 02 Au tion types. E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.bmp.gl

Akuliaruseq Graphite The map of selected mineral occurrences is incorporated Isortuarsuk Industrial minerals in the in the information material and is available from the Garnet

▲ Tasersuatsiaq ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ West Greenland basement GEUS homepage. Ni, Pt Kangaamiut Olivine Key references Qaqqaarsuk Nb, REE, P Harpøth, O., Pedersen, J.L., Schønwandt, H.K. & Thomassen, Majuagaa Diamond B. 1986: The mineral occurrences of central East Greenland. Tasiusarsuaq Olivine Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 17, 139 pp. Henriksen, N., Higgins, A.K., Kalsbeek, F. & Pulvertaft, T.C.R. Geological Survey of Garnet ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ Tasersuatsiaq ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ 2000: Greenland from Archaean to Quaternary. Descriptive and Greenland (GEUS) Ni, Pt Sarfartoq text to the Geological map of Greenland, 1:2 500 000. Øster Voldgade 10 Kangaamiut Nb, Ta Mineral occurrences Olivine DK-1350 Copenhagen K Kangerlussuaq in Archaean cratons Geology of Greenland Survey Bulletin 185, 93 pp. Qaqqaarsuk Diamond Denmark Nb, REE, P Isukasia Nielsen, T.F.D. 2002: Palaeogene intrusions and magmatic com- Majuagaa Fe Diamond Isua plexes in East Greenland, 66˚ to 75˚N, Danmarks og Grønlands Au Tel: (+45) 38 14 20 00 Tasiusarsuaq Geologiske Undersøgelse Rapport 2002/113, 249 pp. Olivine Ivisaartoq Fax.: (+45) 38 14 20 50 W Storø Rasmussen, T.M., Thorning, L., Stemp, R.W., Jørgensen, M.S. Sinarsuk E-mail: [email protected] Au V, Ti & Schjøth, F.: AEM Greenland 1994-1998 - summary report. Fiskenæsset Internet: www.geus.dk Cr, Pt Grønnedal- Ika Fe Copenhagen: Danmarks og Grønlands Geologiske Taartoq Undersøgelse Rapport 2001/58, 46 pp. + 1 CD-ROM. Au Motzfeldt Sø Ta, Nb Steenfelt, A. 2001: Geochemical atlas of Greenland – West Ivittuut Cryolite and South Greenland, Danmarks og Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse Rapport 2001/46, 40 pp. Taartoq Motzfeldt Sø Steenfelt, A., Nielsen, T.F.D. & Stendal, H. 2000: Mineral ressource Au Ivittuut Ta, Nb Cryolite potential of South Greenland: review of new digital data Grønnedal-Ika Kangerluluk Au sets, Danmarks og Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse Fe Ilímaussaq U, Nb, Zr, Be, REE Illorsuit Rapport 2000/50, 47 pp. Josva Mine U Cu Amitsoq Nalunaq Niaqornaarsuk Stendal,H. (ed.) 2000: Exploration in Greenland: discoveries of Graphite Au Au the 1990s. Transactions of the Institution of Mining and Mineral commodities of the Metallurgy, section B, Applied earth science 109, 66 pp. Author: K.Secher Editor: K.Secher Stendal,H. (ed.) 2003: Precambrian supracrustal rocks and min- Mesoproterozoic in South Layout: GEUS, Grafisk Greenland eral occurences, Northeast Disko Bugt, Danmarks og Grønlands © GEUS 2003 Geologiske Undersøgelse Rapport 2003/24, 57 pp.