Jurassic syn-rift sedimentation on a seawards-tilted fault block, Traill Ø, North-East Greenland

• Published in: Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) Bulletin
• Main Authors: Vosgerau, Henrik, Alsen, Peter, Carr, Ian D, Therkelsen, Jens, Stemmerik, Lars, Surlyk, Finn
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) 2004
• Subjects: Bjørnedal Block; Jurassic; North-East Greenland; palaeocurrents; rifting; Traill Ø; Greenland; Tilting; Vælddal; East Greenland; Traill ø
• Online Access: https://geusbulletin.org/index.php/geusb/article/view/4800; https://doi.org/10.34194/geusb.v5.4800

Middle–Late Jurassic rifting in East Greenland was marked by westwards tilting of wide fault blocks bounded by major N–S-trending east-dipping synthetic faults. The syn-rift successions thicken westwards towards the faults and shallow marine sandstones show mainly southwards axial transport directions. An exception to this general pattern is found in south-east Traill Ø, which constitutes the E-tilted Bjørnedal Block, which is bounded to the west by the westwards-dipping antithetic Vælddal Fault. The stratigraphic development of the Jurassic succession on this block shows important differences to the adjacent areas reflecting a different tectonic development. Shallow marine sand seems initially to have filled accommodation space of the immediately adjacent block to the west. This block subsequently acted as a bypass area and much of the sediment was spilled eastwards onto the hangingwall of the east-dipping Bjørnedal Block. The succession on the Bjørnedal Block shows an eastwards proximal–distal decrease in sandstone– mudstone ratio, reflecting increasing water depth and progressive under-filling of the subbasin towards the east in agreement with the dip direction of the fault block. The transverse, mainly south-eastwards palaeocurrents, the eastwards increase in water depths and decrease in sandstone–mudstone ratio on the Bjørnedal Block are at variance with the standard picture of west-tilted blocks with southwards-directed palaeocurrents and decrease in grain size. Earlier palaeogeographic reconstructions have to be modified to account for the east-dipping hangingwall and different stratigraphic development of the area. The sea was thus open towards the east and there is no direct indication of a barrier or shoal east of Traill Ø.