Qaanaaq 2001: mineral exploration reconnaissance in North-West Greenland

Abstract

NOTE: This article was published in a former series of GEUS Bulletin. Please use the original series name when citing this article, for example:
 Thomassen, B., Dawes, P. R., Steenfelt, A., & Krebs, J. D. (2002). Qaanaaq 2001: mineral exploration reconnaissance in North-West Greenland. Geology of Greenland Survey Bulletin, 191, 133-143. https://doi.org/10.34194/ggub.v191.5141
 _______________
 Project Qaanaaq 2001, involving one season’s field work, was set up to investigate the mineral occurrences and potential of North-West Greenland between Olrik Fjord and Kap Alexander (77°10´N – 78°10´N; Fig. 1). Organised by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) and the Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum (BMP), Government of Greenland, the project is mainly funded by the latter and has the overall goal of attracting the interest of the mining industry to the region. The investigated region – herein referred to as the Qaanaaq region – comprises 4300 km2 of ice-free land centred on Qaanaaq, the administrative capital of Qaanaap (Thule) municipality. Much of the region is characterised by a 500–800 m high plateau capped by local ice caps and intersected by fjords and glaciers. High dissected terrain occurs in Northumberland Ø and in the hinterland of Prudhoe Land where nunataks are common along the margin of the Inland Ice.

Explanatory notes to the Geological map of Greenland, 1:500 000, Humboldt Gletscher, Sheet 6

“…The Survey project Qaanaaq 2001 -regional mineral exploration and geochemical sampling -reached as far north as Foulke Fjord (see Fig. 4; Steenfelt et al 2002;Thomassen et al 2002a). Recent publications deal with the thermal history of Smith Sound based on fission track dating (Hansen et al 2004), and the crustal evolution of the Palaeoproterozoic Inglefield mobile belt based mainly on SHRIMP U-Pb zircon dating (Nutman et al 2004).…”

Explanatory notes to the Geological map of Greenland, 1:500 000, Thule, Sheet 5

“…Laurent, samples were collected in the Thule region for various analytical procedures, including palaeomagnetism and fission track dating (Jackson et al 2003;Grist & Zentilli 2004). With Qaanaaq 2001, the Survey continued its mineral potential assessment of North-West Greenland and embarked on systematic drainage sampling covering the northern part of the map sheet (north of Olrik Fjord), as well as one specific area in southern Steensby Land (Steenfelt 2002;Steenfelt et al 2002;Thomassen et al 2002a, b). In 2003, the most promising mineral and geochemical anomalies were checked in the field (Thomassen & Krebs 2004) and, in preparation for a sequel mineral resource project covering southern part of the map sheet, a Landsat study was directed at pin-pointing mineral exploration targets (Krebs et al 2003).…”

“…For example, project Qaanaaq 2001 (see above) provided an opportunity to revisit inland areas of Prudhoe Land and the area around Inglefield Bredning and Olrik Fjord, otherwise only seen on widely-spaced helicopter traverses in the 1970s. As noted in Thomassen et al (2002a), the information so gained led to adjustments of map unit distribution some of which are depicted on fig. 1 of that account.…”

“…Sheared, dark gneiss, reddened and rubbly weathered at the unconformity, are overlain by pale sandstone, basaltic rocks and redbeds (with a basic sill) that can be referred to the Nares Strait Group, with at least the Northumberland, Cape Combermere and Barden Bugt Formations present. The Scarlet Heart Fault must link up with the fault shown on the map sheet on the northwest coast of Bowdoin Fjord that strikes westwards under the ice cap (for fault positions, see Thomassen et al 2002a, fig. 1).…”

“…Prudhoe Land supracrustal complex: additional lithologies. In addition to the rock types mentioned in the map legend, marble and ultramafic rocks were discovered in the succession in 2001 (Thomassen et al 2002a). Where seen on the ground -in the outcrops east of Bowdoin Fjord and north-west of Morris Jesup Gletscher -marble and associated calc-silicate rocks are subordinate rock types occurring sporadically as thin beds interleaved with paragneiss (ps), quartzite (qz) and amphibolite (a) (see Fig.…”