Greenland from Archaean to Quaternary, Descriptive text to the 1995 Geological Map of Greenland 1:2 500 000, 2nd edition
The geological development of Greenland spans a period of nearly 4 Ga, from Eoarchaean to the Quaternary. Greenland is the largest island on Earth with a total area of 2 166 000 km2, but only c. 410 000 km2 are exposed bedrock, the remaining part being covered by a major ice sheet (the Inland Ice) r...
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Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland
2009
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:03d99b3cea1f4784842e1ec1d72bb414 2023-05-15T16:03:38+02:00 Greenland from Archaean to Quaternary, Descriptive text to the 1995 Geological Map of Greenland 1:2 500 000, 2nd edition Kalsbeek, Feiko Higgins, A.K. Henriksen, Niels Pulvertaft, T. Christopher R. 2009-11-01T00:00:00Z https://doaj.org/article/03d99b3cea1f4784842e1ec1d72bb414 EN eng Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland http://www.geus.dk/publications/bull/nr18/nr18_p001-126.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1604-8156 1604-8156 https://doaj.org/article/03d99b3cea1f4784842e1ec1d72bb414 Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland Bulletin, Vol 18, Pp 1-126 (2009) Archaean Caledonides Cenozoic economic geology geological map Greenland ice sheet Mesozoic offshore orogenic belts Palaeozoic petroleum Phanerozoic Proterozoic sedimentary basins Geology QE1-996.5 Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 article 2009 ftdoajarticles 2022-12-31T03:34:06Z The geological development of Greenland spans a period of nearly 4 Ga, from Eoarchaean to the Quaternary. Greenland is the largest island on Earth with a total area of 2 166 000 km2, but only c. 410 000 km2 are exposed bedrock, the remaining part being covered by a major ice sheet (the Inland Ice) reaching over 3 km in thickness. The adjacent offshore areas underlain by continental crust have an area of c. 825 000 km2. Greenland is dominated by crystalline rocks of the Precambrian shield, which formed during a succession of Archaean and Palaeoproterozoic orogenic events and stabilised as a part of the Laurentian shield about 1600 Ma ago. The shield area can be divided into three distinct types of basement provinces: (1) Archaean rocks (3200–2600 Ma old, with local older units up to >3800Ma) that were almost unaffected by Proterozoic or later orogenic activity; (2) Archaean terrains reworked during the Palaeoproterozoic around 1900–1750 Ma ago; and (3) terrains mainly composed of juvenile Palaeoproterozoic rocks (2000–1750 Ma in age).Subsequent geological developments mainly took place along the margins of the shield. During the Proterozoic and throughout the Phanerozoic major sedimentary basins formed, notably in North and North-East Greenland, in which sedimentary successions locally reaching 18 km in thickness were deposited. Palaeozoic orogenic activity affected parts of these successions in the Ellesmerian fold belt of North Greenland and the East Greenland Caledonides; the latter also incorporates reworked Precambrian crystalline basement complexes. Late Palaeozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary basins developed along the continent–ocean margins in North, East and West Greenland and are now preserved both onshore and offshore. Their development was closely related to continental break-up with formation of rift basins. Initial rifting in East Greenland in latest Devonian to earliest Carboniferous time and succeeding phases culminated with the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean in the late Paleocene. Sea-floor ... Article in Journal/Newspaper East Greenland Greenland Ice Sheet North Atlantic North Greenland Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland Bulletin Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Greenland |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Archaean Caledonides Cenozoic economic geology geological map Greenland ice sheet Mesozoic offshore orogenic belts Palaeozoic petroleum Phanerozoic Proterozoic sedimentary basins Geology QE1-996.5 Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 |
spellingShingle |
Archaean Caledonides Cenozoic economic geology geological map Greenland ice sheet Mesozoic offshore orogenic belts Palaeozoic petroleum Phanerozoic Proterozoic sedimentary basins Geology QE1-996.5 Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 Kalsbeek, Feiko Higgins, A.K. Henriksen, Niels Pulvertaft, T. Christopher R. Greenland from Archaean to Quaternary, Descriptive text to the 1995 Geological Map of Greenland 1:2 500 000, 2nd edition |
topic_facet |
Archaean Caledonides Cenozoic economic geology geological map Greenland ice sheet Mesozoic offshore orogenic belts Palaeozoic petroleum Phanerozoic Proterozoic sedimentary basins Geology QE1-996.5 Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 |
description |
The geological development of Greenland spans a period of nearly 4 Ga, from Eoarchaean to the Quaternary. Greenland is the largest island on Earth with a total area of 2 166 000 km2, but only c. 410 000 km2 are exposed bedrock, the remaining part being covered by a major ice sheet (the Inland Ice) reaching over 3 km in thickness. The adjacent offshore areas underlain by continental crust have an area of c. 825 000 km2. Greenland is dominated by crystalline rocks of the Precambrian shield, which formed during a succession of Archaean and Palaeoproterozoic orogenic events and stabilised as a part of the Laurentian shield about 1600 Ma ago. The shield area can be divided into three distinct types of basement provinces: (1) Archaean rocks (3200–2600 Ma old, with local older units up to >3800Ma) that were almost unaffected by Proterozoic or later orogenic activity; (2) Archaean terrains reworked during the Palaeoproterozoic around 1900–1750 Ma ago; and (3) terrains mainly composed of juvenile Palaeoproterozoic rocks (2000–1750 Ma in age).Subsequent geological developments mainly took place along the margins of the shield. During the Proterozoic and throughout the Phanerozoic major sedimentary basins formed, notably in North and North-East Greenland, in which sedimentary successions locally reaching 18 km in thickness were deposited. Palaeozoic orogenic activity affected parts of these successions in the Ellesmerian fold belt of North Greenland and the East Greenland Caledonides; the latter also incorporates reworked Precambrian crystalline basement complexes. Late Palaeozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary basins developed along the continent–ocean margins in North, East and West Greenland and are now preserved both onshore and offshore. Their development was closely related to continental break-up with formation of rift basins. Initial rifting in East Greenland in latest Devonian to earliest Carboniferous time and succeeding phases culminated with the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean in the late Paleocene. Sea-floor ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kalsbeek, Feiko Higgins, A.K. Henriksen, Niels Pulvertaft, T. Christopher R. |
author_facet |
Kalsbeek, Feiko Higgins, A.K. Henriksen, Niels Pulvertaft, T. Christopher R. |
author_sort |
Kalsbeek, Feiko |
title |
Greenland from Archaean to Quaternary, Descriptive text to the 1995 Geological Map of Greenland 1:2 500 000, 2nd edition |
title_short |
Greenland from Archaean to Quaternary, Descriptive text to the 1995 Geological Map of Greenland 1:2 500 000, 2nd edition |
title_full |
Greenland from Archaean to Quaternary, Descriptive text to the 1995 Geological Map of Greenland 1:2 500 000, 2nd edition |
title_fullStr |
Greenland from Archaean to Quaternary, Descriptive text to the 1995 Geological Map of Greenland 1:2 500 000, 2nd edition |
title_full_unstemmed |
Greenland from Archaean to Quaternary, Descriptive text to the 1995 Geological Map of Greenland 1:2 500 000, 2nd edition |
title_sort |
greenland from archaean to quaternary, descriptive text to the 1995 geological map of greenland 1:2 500 000, 2nd edition |
publisher |
Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
https://doaj.org/article/03d99b3cea1f4784842e1ec1d72bb414 |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
East Greenland Greenland Ice Sheet North Atlantic North Greenland Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland Bulletin |
genre_facet |
East Greenland Greenland Ice Sheet North Atlantic North Greenland Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland Bulletin |
op_source |
Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland Bulletin, Vol 18, Pp 1-126 (2009) |
op_relation |
http://www.geus.dk/publications/bull/nr18/nr18_p001-126.pdf https://doaj.org/toc/1604-8156 1604-8156 https://doaj.org/article/03d99b3cea1f4784842e1ec1d72bb414 |
_version_ |
1766399337574694912 |