This book is a handy guide book to the fascinating
geology of South Greenland which houses some
world-famous mineral localities. It focuses on the
description of the main geological features of the
region and of localities and is planned as a handy guide
book to be used in the field. The Geological Guide -
South Greenland describes the geology of the region
along the long fjord Tunulliarfik from Narsarsuaq at the
head of the fjord to Narsaq, which is located where the
fjord changes name to Skovfjord, and further on to
Qaqortoq at the mouth of the fjord. The geology of the
region is very interesting. 1200 million years ago, this
part of Greenland was the site of volcanic activity. The
volcanic cones and most of the lavas have been removed
by erosion. Thus, Tunulliarfik and the neighbouring
fjords and valleys offer unique opportunities for
studies of the geological processes which took place at
depth beneath the volcanoes. Furthermore, some of these
volcanic "root zones" are outstanding in the world in
their richness in rare rocks and minerals. One of the
rare minerals is the red tugtupite which has become a
popular gemstone and is a sort of ambassador for the
region. The area includes the Ilímaussaq complex, which
is one of the world's most fascinating igneous complexes
because of its extreme enrichment in rare elements
expressed in more than two hundred and twenty-five
different minerals and in unique multi-coloured rocks.
Thirty minerals were first discovered and described in
the complex and twelve are unique to it. Narsarsuaq
airport is the gateway to a mountainous region dissected
by valleys and fjords which give access to a variety of
landscapes and provide rich opportunities for a broad
spectrum of tourist activities such as hiking, fishing,
climbing and visiting towns and settlements and sites of
historical or naturalistic interests such as the sites
of some of the most important Norse settlements:
Brattahlid, Gardar and Hvalsey which can be visited from
Narsarsuaq and Qaqortoq. This book presents an
introduction to the geology of the region and describes
localities of particular geological interest. Many of
the described localities are within walking distance
from Narsarsuaq, Qassiarsuk, Igaliku and Narsaq, but
most localities can only be reached by boat, since no
roads or trains connect the towns. The book is designed
as a handy field guide, it is in A5 format, the cover is
plastic laminated, the 132 pages lacquered. It is thus
prepared for use in the field. There are many
topographic and geological maps and colour photos of
practically all described localities. The target group
is the people living in the region and visitors who
would like to know more about the geology of the region
or become fascinated by its mountains, glaciers,
multi-coloured rocks and minerals. Therefore, it has
been endeavoured to use a minimum of technical terms,
those used are explained at the end of the book which
also brings a list of supplementary literature. Four of
the contributors have studied the geology of the region
covered by the book for more than 50 years, Henning
Sørensen, the editor of the book, since 1946, Anker
Weidick since 1950, and Henry Emeleus and Brian Upton
since 1955. Karsten Secher and Tom Andersen are also
experienced investigators of this region.
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