Vol. 57 | 2024

Lithostratigraphy of the Portfjeld Group (Ediacaran – lowermost Cambrian) of North Greenland

RESEARCH ARTICLE
Published October 11, 2024
Jon R Ineson
+
John S Peel
+
Sebastian Willman
+
Elias J Rugen
+
Martin Sønderholm
+
Peter Frykman
+
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Published October 11, 2024
View of mountain side with Portfjeld Group exposed
Abstract
Funding
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References
Keywords

Neoproterozoic, Slusen Formation, Glaciologelv Formation, carbonate ramp, karst

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Copyright (c) 2024 Jon R Ineson, John S Peel, Sebastian Willman, Elias J Rugen, Martin Sønderholm, Peter Frykman

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

GEUS Bulletin is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal published by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS). This article is distributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence, permitting free redistribution and reproduction for any purpose, even commercial, provided proper citation of the original work. Author(s) retain copyright over the article contents. Read the full open access policy.

Abstract

The Portfjeld Formation, as originally defined, is the lowermost lithostratigraphic unit of the mainly Lower Palaeozoic Franklinian Basin in southern Peary Land, central North Greenland. The unit crops out semi-continuously from Valdemar Glückstadt Land to Nordenskiöld Fjord but is also recognised locally in northern parts of Peary Land and Wulff Land (western North Greenland). Regionally, it provides a key record of the early, pre-break-up history of the basin. The type succession in southern Peary Land has thus been the focus of recent biostratigraphical, sedimentological and geochemical study. This has demonstrated the composite nature of the unit, a lower interval (c. 190 m thick) of carbonate ramp deposits of Neoproterozoic (late Ediacaran) age being overlain at a karstic unconformity by a shallow marine, mixed carbonate–siliciclastic interval (c. 100 m thick) of probable earliest Cambrian age. Lithostratigraphic revision of this succession is presented here. The Portfjeld Formation throughout North Greenland is elevated to the rank of group, and two new formations are defined in this group in southern Peary Land and immediately adjacent areas: the Ediacaran carbonate-dominated unit is referred to the Slusen Formation, the upper mixed siliciclastic–carbonate unit to the Glaciologelv Formation.

Keywords

Neoproterozoic, Slusen Formation, Glaciologelv Formation, carbonate ramp, karst

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Jon R Ineson, John S Peel, Sebastian Willman, Elias J Rugen, Martin Sønderholm, Peter Frykman

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

GEUS Bulletin is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal published by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS). This article is distributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence, permitting free redistribution and reproduction for any purpose, even commercial, provided proper citation of the original work. Author(s) retain copyright over the article contents. Read the full open access policy.

Funding

Funding for fieldwork in 2006 was supported by the Danish Natural Science Research Council (FNU Jr. nr. 272-05-0293).

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