Mineral Focus: South East Greenland

The Archaean of South-East Greenland is a part of the North Atlantic craton and encompasses vast areas of agmatitic gneiss and alkaline intrusions in the Skjoldungen Alkaline Province. Alkaline rocks are otherwise absent from the North Atlantic craton in Greenland and many other Archaean cratons elsewhere. The geology has been reinterpreted based on new field data, petrology, and whole rock geochemistry gathered during the 2009 field season of the mineral resource assessment programme – MRAPSEG. The Archaean rocks are rimmed by two Proterozoic orogens. The field study has outlined the basic regional geology as the probable host for mineral occurrences such as orthomagmatic Ni-PGE-Au, lode-gold, IOCG, and intrusion-related REE types (Fact Sheet #23).

As part of the Mineral Resource Assessment Project in South East Greenland 2009-2010 (MRAPSEG 2009-2010) sediment samples and surface water samples were collected for geochemical analysis.

This is the first regional geochemical dataset from South East Greenland and it will enable the exploration and mining industry to begin their assessment of this largely unexplored part of the Archaean craton. MRAPSEG 2009-2010 is financed by Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum.

The sample media for the sediment samples were fine-fraction stream sediments, preferably taken at first or second order streams. The sample medium was dominantly fine-fraction stream sediments. In areas without drainage systems, sediments from glacial overburden (consolidated or fresh) and cliff-scree sediments were collected. The sediments have been sieved and split in the laboratories at GEUS and the fine-fraction material (<0.1 mm) is being analysed for 62 different elements at Activation Laboratories Ltd., Canada.

The data from the 2009 programme was released April 1, 2010. These data can be obtained by normal enquires to Bo Møller Stensgaard, GEUS – This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The BMP and the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) present the latest steam sediment data from SE-Greenland at the ‘Greenland Day’ at PDAC and the 2010 field campaign data will be released at this event.