The Geology of Svalbard to Svalbard Colleagues
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The Geology of Svalbard To Svalbard Colleagues Geological Society Memoirs Series Editor A. J. FLEET View of Ny-.&lesund settlement seen from the west with three mountain peaks, Tre Kroner, in the distance. The peaks are capped by Carboniferous strata unconformably resting on Early Devonian rocks. They are 30 km distant from the buildings, being foreshortened by the telephoto lens. The glacier from which they emerge as nunataks extends about 15 km nearer. The remaining 15 km just visible is the eastern, inner part of Kongsfjorden. To the right in the foreground is a raised, insulated and heated utiliduct supplying water from a small lake. Photo M. J. Hambrey, CSE 1962 (SP.941e). View WSW from the old road quay at Ny Alesund, with Scheteligf]ellet in the centre right formed mainly of Carboniferous and Permian strata. Typical low cloud is creeping half way up the mountain from the right. The middle foreshortened low tundra with snow is characteristic raised beach or strandflat topography. The cliffs in the foreground usually about 5-10 m high form the coastline of the shallow bay, Thiisbukta, where in somewhat deeper water motorboats have a sheltered anchorage. The ice in the foreground is 'bay ice', which forms each winter and melts in the early summer. After a hard winter (probably in June) this bay ice is grounded in shallow water at low tide. In a few days it would disintegrate and drift away with tide. Photo M. J. Hambrey (SP631). The Geology of Svalbard By W. BRIAN HARLAND (University of Cambridge, UK) Assisted by LESTER M. ANDERSON and DAOUD MANASRAH (CASP, UK) With contributions by NICHOLAS J. BUTTERFIELD (University of Cambridge, UK) ANTHONY CHALLINOR (deceased formerly University of Cambridge, UK) PAUL A. DOUBLEDAY (CASP, UK) EVELYN K. DOWDESWELL (University of Aberystwyth, UK) JULIAN A. DOWDESWELL (University of Aberystwyth, UK) ISOBEL GEDDES (CASP, UK) SIMON R. A. KELLY (CASP, UK) EDA L. LESK (CASP, UK) ANTHONY M. SPENCER (Statoil, Norway) CLARE F. STEPHENS (CASP, UK) Memoir 17 1997 Published by The Geological Society London THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY The Society was founded in 1807 as The Geological Society of London and is the oldest geological society in the world. It received its Royal Charter in 1825 for the purpose of 'investigating the mineral structure of the Earth'. The Society is Britain's national society for geology with a membership of around 8000. It has countrywide coverage and approximately 1000 members reside overseas. The Society is responsible for all aspects of the geological sciences including professional matters. The Society has its own publishing house, which produces the Society's international journals, books and maps, and which acts as the European distributor for publications of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, SEPM and the Geological Society of America. Fellowship is open to those holding a recognized honours degree in geology or cognate subject and who have at least two years' relevant postgraduate experience, or who have not less than six years' relevant experience in geology or a cognate subject. A Fellow who has not less than five years' relevant postgraduate experience in the practice of geology may apply for validation and, subject to approval, may be able to use the designatory letters C Geol (Chartered Geologist). Further information about the Society is available from the Membership Manager, The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1V 0JU, UK. The Society is a Registered Charity, No. 210161. 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(03) 3255-3497 Printed by Alden Press, Osney Mead, Fax (03) 3255-3495) Oxford OX2 0EF, UK Contents List of figures ix 5.4 Northeastern Spitsbergen, Wilhelmoya and ..~ List of tables Xln Hinlopenstretet 77 List of photographs Xln 5.5 Southwestern Nordaustlandet 80 Preface XV 5.6 Kong Karls Land (with S. R. A. Kelly) 83 Acknowledgements xvii 5.7 Barentsoya, Edgeoya and Tusenoyane 86 Participants ixx 5.8 Hopen 91 Conventions xxi 5.9 Correlation of four exploratory wells: Edgeoya and Hopen 93 PART 1 Introduction CHAPTER 6 NORTHERN NORDAUSTLANDET 96 6.1 Early work 96 CHAPTER 1 SVALBARD 6.2 Stratal succession 96 1.1 Geographical names 3 6.3 Subjacent metamorphic complex 104 1.2 Topography and bathymetry 7 6.4 Late tectonic plutons 105 1.3 The physical environment 8 6.5 Minor igneous bodies 106 1.4 The biota 10 6.6 Summary of isotopic ages 106 1.5 Political history 11 6.7 Structure of Nordaustlandet 107 1.6 The Spitsbergen Treaty 11 6.8 The Lomonosov Ridge in relation to Nordaustlandet 108 1.7 Settlements 13 1.8 Official publications 13 CHAPTER 7 NORTHEASTERN SPITSBERGEN 110 CHAPTER 2 OUTLINE HISTORY OF GEOLOGICAL 7.1 Geological frame 110 RESEARCH 16 7.2 Younger (cover) rocks 112 2.1 Early exploration 16 7.3 Post-Permian deformation 112 2.2 1858 to 1920 16 7.4 Ny Friesland plutons 112 2.3 1920 to 1945 18 7.5 The Hecla Hoek Complex: the continuing debate 113 2.4 1946 to 1960 19 7.6 Hinlopenstretet Supergroup 116 2.5 1960 to 1975 20 7.7 Lomfj orden Supergroup 118 2.6 1975 onwards 21 7.8 Stubendorffbreen Supergroup: succession 121 7.9 Stubendorffbreen Supergroup: genesis 125 7.10 The Hecla Hoek Complex: mid-Paleozoic structure CHAPTER 3 SVALBARD'S GEOLOGICAL FRAME 23 and metamorphism 128 3.1 The space frame: Svalbard's structural frame 23 3.2 The time frame 25 3.3 The rock frame 29 CHAPTER 8 NORTHWESTERN SPITSBERGEN 132 3.4 Tectonostratigraphic sequences 31 8.1 Cenozoic volcanic rocks of the Woodfjorden area 133 3.5 Geotectonic interpretations 37 8.2 Mesozoic, Permian and Carboniferous cover 134 8.3 Liefde Bay Supergroup (Devonian) 135 8.4 The 'crystalline' rocks of Northwestern Spitsbergen 142 8.5 Structure 145 PART 2 Regional descriptions 8.6 Offshore geology (with P.A. Doubleday) 152 CHAPTER 4 THE CENTRAL BASIN 47 4.1 Geological frame 47 CHAPTER 9 CENTRAL WESTERN SPITSBERGEN 154 4.2 Van Mijenfjorden Group (Paleogene) 48 9.1 Paleogene strata 154 4.3 Adventdalen Group (Cretaceous-Jurassic) 9.2 Mesozoic strata of Oscar II Land 158 (by S. R. A. Kelly) 52 9.3 Late Paleozoic strata of Oscar II Land 159 4.4 Kapp Toscana and Sassendalen Groups 9.4 Early Paleozoic rocks 162 (Liassic-Triassic) (with I. Geddes) 59 9.5 Proterozoic strata of Oscar II Land 165 4.5 Biinsow Land Supergroup (Permian-Carboniferous) 63 9.6 Pre-Carboniferous rocks of Prins Karls Forland 166 4.6 Tempelfjorden Group (Permian) with I. Geddes & 9.7 Structure of Oscar II Land (with P. A. Doubleday) 168 P.A. Doubleday 63 9.8 Structure of Prins Karls Forland 171 4.7 Gipsdalen Group (Permian-Carboniferous) with 9.9 Structure of Forlandsundet Basin I. Geddes & P. A. Doubleday 66 (with P. A. Doubleday) 175 4.8 Billefjorden Group (Early Carboniferous) with I. Geddes 9.10 A tectonic interpretation of the West Spitsbergen & P. A. Doubleday 71 Orogen: northern segment 177 4.9 Structure and development of Central Basin 73 CHAPTER 5 EASTERN SVALBARD PLATFORM 75 CHAPTER 10 SOUTHWESTERN AND SOUTHERN SPITSBERGEN 179 5.1 Platform strata 75 5.2 Igneous rocks 76 10.1 Paleogene strata 180 5.3 Submarine outcrops 76 10.2 Mesozoic strata in southwest Sorkapp Land 182 vi CONTENTS 10.3 Permian and Carboniferous strata of southern CHAPTER 16 DEVONIAN HISTORY 289 Spitsbergen 183 16.1 Devonian time scale and correlation 289 10.4 Devonian strata 187 16.2 Devonian succession 291 10.5 Proterozoic strata of western Nordenski61d Land 188 16.3 Devonian biotas 291 10.6 Proterozoic strata of western Nathorst and 16.4 ?Silurian and Devonian sedimentation 296 northwestern Wedel Jarlsberg Lands 189 16.5 Devonian tectonics 299 10.7 Early Paleozoic and Proterozoic strata of 16.6 The question of sinistral Paleozoic strike-slip southwestern Wedel Jarlsberg Land 191 faulting, transpression and transtension 303 10.8 Early Paleozoic and Proterozoic strata of 16.7 Sequence of events through Devonian time 306 Sorkapp Land 197 16.8 A Lomonosov conjecture 309 10.9 Pre-Devonian correlation through southwest Spitsbergen 199 10.10 Structure of western Nordenski61d Land 200 CHAPTER 17 CARBONIFEROUS-PERMIAN 10.11 Structure of western Nathorst Land 201 HISTORY 310 10.12 Structure of Wedel Jarlsberg Land (with P.