Die jungpaläozoischen Sedimente von süd Scoresby Land (Ostgrönland, 71½°N) mit besonderer berücksichtigung der kontinentale Sedimente

Abstract

South Scoresby Land contains the southernmost outcrops of young paleozoic sedimentary rocks of East Greenland. The investigated sedimentary area is separated from the Caledonian crystalline of the Staunings Alper on the west, by great north- south running normal faults. Very thick, often vivid red colored  conglomeratic arkoses are overlain by marine deposits of 250-300 m thickness, mainly of organic reef origin. The boundary is marked by an angular unconformity and a red basal conglomerate of 30 meters thickness. Within the continental deposits two formations could be distinguished: The Bj0rnbos Corner formation of probably more than 1000 m thickness contains quartzite and granite pebbles, whereas the Gurreholmsdal formation yields granite and gneiss, but no quartzite pebbles. The Bj0rnbos Corner formation is separated from the other continental deposits by an important fault and is supposed to be of older age, probably Carboniferous.

The Gurreholmsdal formation rests with a nonconformity on Caledonian gneisses. In single profiles arkoses and conglomerates of the Gurreholmsdal formation exceed 600 m thickness. The whole sequence is estimated to reach a thickness in the magnitude of 2000 m. Spores in a sample from the lower third of the Gurreholmsdal formation are consistent with a Lower Permian age.

The intense normal faulting and the horst and graben structure of the sedimentary area are thought to be the result of a still active strong uplift tendency of the Staunings Alper crystalline and a stretching caused by the subsiding of the deep paleozoic and mesozoic sedimentary basin of the Ja meson Land in the east, South Scoresby Land acting as a hinge zone. There can be distinguished between intrapermian and postpermian faulting and erosion.