GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF DENMARK AND GREENLAND BULLETIN 18 2009 Greenland from Archaean to Quaternary Descriptive text to the 1995 Geological map of Greenland, 1:2 500 000. 2nd edition Niels Henriksen, A.K. Higgins, Feiko Kalsbeek and T. Christopher R. Pulvertaft GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF DENMARK AND GREENLAND MINISTRY OF CLIMATE AND ENERGY Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland Bulletin 18 Keywords Archaean, Caledonides, Cenozoic, economic geology, geological map, Greenland, ice sheet, Mesozoic, offshore, orogenic belts, Palaeozoic, petroleum, Phanerozoic, Proterozoic, sedimentary basins. Cover illustration The cover design depicts mountains of the East Greenland Caledonian fold belt. The view, west of Mestersvig (located on map, page 4), is north over Bersærkerbræ and the northern part of the Stauning Alper to Kong Oscar Fjord with Traill Ø in the right backgro- und. The mountains up to 1800 m high are of the Neoproterozoic Eleonore Bay Supergroup. To the right: first author Niels Henriksen, for many years head of geological mapping at GGU/GEUS, and participant in field work in Greenland for more than 45 years. Frontispiece: facing page Major Caledonian syncline involving reactivated Archaean basement gneisses containing amphibolite bands. Overlying rusty coloured Mesoproterozoic metasediments (Krummedal supracrustal sequence) just visible in tight core of the fold. The intensity of deformation in the syncline clearly increases towards the core, where the basement gneisses become more strongly foliated. Some of the amphibolite bands were derived from cross-cutting basic intrusions, which are still discernable in the less severely deformed parts of the Archaean basement (Fig. 17, p. 31). The height of the section is c. 2000 m. South-west of innermost Nordvestfjord / Kangersik Kiatteq (c. 71°30´N), Scoresby Sund region, central East Greenland. Chief editor of this series: Adam A. Garde Editorial board of this series: John A. Korstgård, Geological Institute, University of Aarhus; Minik Rosing, Geological Museum, University of Copenhagen; Finn Surlyk, Department of Geography and Geology, University of Copenhagen Scientific editor: Adam A. Garde Editorial secretaries: Jane Holst and Esben W. Glendal Referees: C.R.L. Friend (UK), Gordon N. Oakey (Canada) and Henrik Stendal (Greenland) Illustrations: Eva Melskens, Helle Zetterwall, Lis Duegaard and Jette Halskov Digital photographic work: Benny M. Schark Graphic production: Annabeth Andersen Printers: Rosendahls - Schultz Grafisk, Albertslund, Denmark Manuscript submitted: 29 May, 2009 Final version approved: 8 October 2009 Printed: 27 November 2009 ISBN 987-87-7871-258-5 ISSN 1604-8156 Citation of the name of this series It is recommended that the name of this series is cited in full, viz. Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland Bulletin. If abbreviation of this volume is necessary, the following form is suggested: Geol. Surv. Den. Green. Bull. 18, 126 pp. Available from Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark Phone: +45 38 14 20 00, fax: +45 38 14 20 50, e-mail: [email protected] or at www.geus.dk/publications/bull © De Nationale Geologiske Undersøgelser for Danmark og Grønland (GEUS), 2009 For the full text of the GEUS copyright clause, please refer to www.geus.dk/publications/bull Arctic Ocean Ellesmere Geographical subdivisions of Greenland Island Peary Station Nord 80° Land used by the Survey Canada Map showing the Survey’s geographical subdivisions of Greenland, it tra central S es western both onshore and offshore, used in this bulletin. Thus Nares Strait, ar eastern N North the seaway separating Greenland from Ellesmere Island, Canada, borders North-West Greenland and western North Greenland. However, application of these subdivisions has not been rigorously Pituffik / Thule Air Base 76° applied in all parts of the text in order to avoid unwieldy phrases. It should also be noted that ‘West Greenland’ and ‘East Greenland’ Melville Bugt are used both as shown on the map (each with two subdivisions, viz. North- West North - East central and southern) and for the entire western and eastern sides of Daneborg Greenland. In this broader sense, West Greenland covers the four west- Inland Ice ern subdivisions, viz. North-West, central West, southern West and Upernavik 72° South-West Greenland whereas East Greenland covers the four east- ern subdivisions, viz. North-East, central East, southern East and Mestersvig South-East Greenland. Svartenhuk Halvø central Scoresby The subdivisions are used throughout the text and also in the Sund Disko cent ral East Legend explanation (pp. 110–112) and Index (pp. 117 –126). Disko West Bugt t s y K Aasiaat 68° lle southern vi se East os Bl Sisimiut Kangerlussuaq South - southern Iceland East Tasiilaq / West 64° Ammassalik Nuuk North Atlantic South - West Ocean Ivittuut 60° Qaqortoq 400 km South 52° 44° Kap Farvel 36° 28° Editorial note This bulletin is a revised 2nd edition of the descriptive text to the 200 new references to cited papers, to give the reader a possibility to Geological map of Greenland 1:2 500 000. The description was follow up on new data and details in agreement with modern inter- first published in 2000 as Geology of Greenland Survey Bulletin pretations. 185 by Henriksen et al. 2000. The map, compiled by Escher & The 1:2 500 000 map presents a general overview of Green land ge - Pulvertaft in 1995 and printed the same year, accompanies the ology, but as a basis for this overview there also exists a wealth of more present description. detailed published maps. A set of 14 geological maps at scale 1:500 000 Since the first edition of this work was published, large amounts covers the onshore areas of the entire country and a special map at scale of new data have been acquired, especially in the offshore regions, in 1:1 000 000 covers onshore areas in North-East Greenland. In addition relation to mineral prospecting and in connection with general geo- to these maps more than 60 geological maps at 1:100 000 have been pub- logical research mainly in West Greenland. The present description lished, covering mainly areas in central and southern West Greenland. aims at providing an up dated overview of the geology of Greenland A wide range of special geological and geophysical maps has also been with reference to the enclosed geolo gical map from 1995 that in gen- published covering both onshore and offshore areas. Details of all these eral terms is still valid. The first edition included an extensive refer- publications can be obtained from the Survey’s website. ence list designed as a key to the most relevant sources for the For a catalogue of Greenland publications and data see: explanation of the Geological map of Greenland 1:2 500 000. In this www.geus.dk/publications/publ-uk.htm. This list will be updated at second edition the reference list has been expanded with more than intervals, when relevant new data become available. 4 Contents Abstract . 9 Preface . 11 Introduction. 12 Concept of the geological legend . 12 Topographic base . 13 Crystalline rocks older than 1600 Ma: the Greenland Precambrian shield . 14 Archaean craton . 15 Eoarchaean supracrustal rocks. 17 Eoarchaean (‘Amîtsoq’) gneisses . 18 Meso- and Neoarchaean supracrustal rocks. 19 Anorthositic rocks . 19 Meso- and Neoarchaean gneisses . 19 Intrusive rocks . 20 Palaeoproterozoic orogenic terrains. 21 Nagssugtoqidian orogen, West Greenland. 22 Supracrustal rocks. 23 Felsic and intermediate intrusions. 24 Nagssugtoqidian orogen in South-East Greenland . 24 Palaeoproterozoic plutonic rocks. 24 Rinkian fold belt. 25 Archaean and Palaeoproterozoic supracrustal rocks: Disko Bugt and Nuussuaq . 26 Gneisses and intrusions: Disko Bugt and Nuussuaq . 26 Palaeoproterozoic supracrustal rocks north of Nuussuaq: the Karrat Group . 26 Gneisses and intrusive rocks north of Nuussuaq . 27 North-West Greenland and the Inglefield orogenic belt . 27 Ketilidian orogen . 28 Palaeoproterozoic supracrustal rocks in the northern border zone . 28 Palaeoproterozoic granitoids and basic–intermediate intrusions, the Julianehåb batholith . 29 Metasedimentary rocks in the south-eastern part of the Ketilidian orogen . 30 The Ketilidian rapakivi suite. 30 Archaean–Palaeoproterozoic basement in the East Greenland Caledonian orogen. 31 Archaean–Palaeoproterozoic basement beneath the Inland Ice . 32 Proterozoic to Phanerozoic geological development after formation of the Precambrian shield 33 Palaeo- to Mesoproterozoic unfolded units . 33 Independence Fjord Group, North Greenland . 33 Zig-Zag Dal Basalt Formation, North Greenland . 33 Correlation with similar rocks in the northernmost part of the East Greenland Caledonides . 35 Gardar Province, South Greenland . 35 Early Neoproterozoic orogenic units reworked in the East Greenland Caledonian fold belt . 38 Supracrustal rocks. 38 Migmatites and granites . 39 Mesoproterozoic – early Neoproterozoic sedimentary basin in North-West Greenland and Ellesmere Island . 39 5 Thule Supergroup . 39 Neoproterozoic sedimentary basins in North, North-East and East Greenland. 40 Hagen Fjord Group, North Greenland. 40 Eleonore Bay Supergroup, East and North-East Greenland . 41 Tillite Group, East Greenland . 42 Sedimentary rocks of unknown age in the East Greenland Caledonides . 43 Carbonatites, kimberlites and associated rocks, West Greenland. 44 The Palaeozoic Franklinian Basin of North Greenland and Ellesmere Island . 45 Uppermost Neoproterozoic – Silurian in North Greenland . 45 Proterozoic–Silurian exotic