History of exploration and geology in the Nares Strait region

Exploration in the Nares Strait region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was connected with the seaway's position as a principal route of geographic discovery. Few of the early expeditions were directed towards obtaining data for the young science of geology. At the turn of the century,...

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Published in:Meddelelser om Grønland. Geoscience
Main Authors: Dawes, Peter R., L. Christie, Robert
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: The Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland /Danish Polar Center 1982
Subjects:
Online Access:https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_geosci/article/view/141023
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spelling ftsbaarhusojs:oai:ojs.tidsskrift.dk:article/141023 2024-01-28T10:04:10+01:00 History of exploration and geology in the Nares Strait region Dawes, Peter R. L. Christie, Robert 1982-06-10 application/pdf https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_geosci/article/view/141023 eng eng The Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland /Danish Polar Center https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_geosci/article/view/141023/184924 https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_geosci/article/view/141023 Meddelelser om Grønland. Geoscience; Vol. 8 (1982): Meddelelser om Grønland. Geoscience; 19-36 Meddelelser om Grønland. Geoscience; Årg. 8 (1982): Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience; 19-36 1600-4590 0106-1046 10.7146/moggeosci.v8i info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 1982 ftsbaarhusojs https://doi.org/10.7146/moggeosci.v8i 2024-01-03T23:59:20Z Exploration in the Nares Strait region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was connected with the seaway's position as a principal route of geographic discovery. Few of the early expeditions were directed towards obtaining data for the young science of geology. At the turn of the century, with the passing of the main era of geographical discovery, including the race for the North Pole and the establishment of Greenland's insularity, geological understanding of the region advanced rapidly and geologists more or less became 'standard' members of expeditions to this part of the Arctic. Systematic geological studies in the Nares Strait region began when Lauge Koch mapped the Greenland side of the Strait in the period 1916-23; such investigations on the Canadian side by the Geological Survey of Canada took place in the 1950s and later. Early private expeditions and later work by university and petroleum and mineral enterprises have also contributed many geological data, as have several 'military operations' centred on Thule Air Base in Greenland. Regional geological mapping in Greenland was renewed by the Geological Survey of Greenland in the 1970s and continues today. Cooperative Danish-Canadian projects, initiated by "Operation Grant Land" in 1965-66 in northern Nares Strait, have aimed at coordinating field studies in order to better assess correlation of stratigraphy and structure across the Strait. Greenland and Nares Strait held important positions in the early ideas about the horizontal mass movements of the continents, and both Frank B. Taylor and Alfred Wegener featured the narrow linear channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland in their respective theories of continental drift. These two creative theorists built on the immense global knowledge assembled by Eduard Suess, who published one of the earliest appraisals of the region. Early geological maps of the Nares Strait region by Bailey Willis and Lauge Koch were used by Wegener in support of his theory of continental drift. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Ellesmere Island Greenland Nares strait North Pole Thule Air Thule Air Base Thule Aarhus University: OJS at The State and University Library Arctic Ellesmere Island Canada Greenland North Pole Nares ENVELOPE(158.167,158.167,-81.450,-81.450) Willis ENVELOPE(159.450,159.450,-79.367,-79.367) Thule Air Base ENVELOPE(-68.703,-68.703,76.531,76.531) Meddelelser om Grønland. Geoscience 8
institution Open Polar
collection Aarhus University: OJS at The State and University Library
op_collection_id ftsbaarhusojs
language English
description Exploration in the Nares Strait region in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was connected with the seaway's position as a principal route of geographic discovery. Few of the early expeditions were directed towards obtaining data for the young science of geology. At the turn of the century, with the passing of the main era of geographical discovery, including the race for the North Pole and the establishment of Greenland's insularity, geological understanding of the region advanced rapidly and geologists more or less became 'standard' members of expeditions to this part of the Arctic. Systematic geological studies in the Nares Strait region began when Lauge Koch mapped the Greenland side of the Strait in the period 1916-23; such investigations on the Canadian side by the Geological Survey of Canada took place in the 1950s and later. Early private expeditions and later work by university and petroleum and mineral enterprises have also contributed many geological data, as have several 'military operations' centred on Thule Air Base in Greenland. Regional geological mapping in Greenland was renewed by the Geological Survey of Greenland in the 1970s and continues today. Cooperative Danish-Canadian projects, initiated by "Operation Grant Land" in 1965-66 in northern Nares Strait, have aimed at coordinating field studies in order to better assess correlation of stratigraphy and structure across the Strait. Greenland and Nares Strait held important positions in the early ideas about the horizontal mass movements of the continents, and both Frank B. Taylor and Alfred Wegener featured the narrow linear channel between Ellesmere Island and Greenland in their respective theories of continental drift. These two creative theorists built on the immense global knowledge assembled by Eduard Suess, who published one of the earliest appraisals of the region. Early geological maps of the Nares Strait region by Bailey Willis and Lauge Koch were used by Wegener in support of his theory of continental drift.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Dawes, Peter R.
L. Christie, Robert
spellingShingle Dawes, Peter R.
L. Christie, Robert
History of exploration and geology in the Nares Strait region
author_facet Dawes, Peter R.
L. Christie, Robert
author_sort Dawes, Peter R.
title History of exploration and geology in the Nares Strait region
title_short History of exploration and geology in the Nares Strait region
title_full History of exploration and geology in the Nares Strait region
title_fullStr History of exploration and geology in the Nares Strait region
title_full_unstemmed History of exploration and geology in the Nares Strait region
title_sort history of exploration and geology in the nares strait region
publisher The Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland /Danish Polar Center
publishDate 1982
url https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_geosci/article/view/141023
long_lat ENVELOPE(158.167,158.167,-81.450,-81.450)
ENVELOPE(159.450,159.450,-79.367,-79.367)
ENVELOPE(-68.703,-68.703,76.531,76.531)
geographic Arctic
Ellesmere Island
Canada
Greenland
North Pole
Nares
Willis
Thule Air Base
geographic_facet Arctic
Ellesmere Island
Canada
Greenland
North Pole
Nares
Willis
Thule Air Base
genre Arctic
Ellesmere Island
Greenland
Nares strait
North Pole
Thule Air
Thule Air Base
Thule
genre_facet Arctic
Ellesmere Island
Greenland
Nares strait
North Pole
Thule Air
Thule Air Base
Thule
op_source Meddelelser om Grønland. Geoscience; Vol. 8 (1982): Meddelelser om Grønland. Geoscience; 19-36
Meddelelser om Grønland. Geoscience; Årg. 8 (1982): Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience; 19-36
1600-4590
0106-1046
10.7146/moggeosci.v8i
op_relation https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_geosci/article/view/141023/184924
https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_geosci/article/view/141023
op_doi https://doi.org/10.7146/moggeosci.v8i
container_title Meddelelser om Grønland. Geoscience
container_volume 8
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