Establishing a Provenance Framework for Sandstones in the Greenland–Norway Rift from the Composition of Moraine/Outwash Sediments

Abstract

The crystalline basement and Caledonian orogenic belt of East Greenland between 70 and 78° N are divided into five source regions on the basis of heavy mineral assemblages, mineral geochemistry, and isotopic age data from 42 modern moraine/outwash samples. The sand types generated by the five source regions can be recognized in the Mesozoic sedimentary rocks of Mid-Norway, and are named, from south to north, MN7 (Gåseland), MN4i (Milne Land–Renland), MN2ii (Hinks Land–Suess Land), MN2iii (Payer Land–Dronning Louise Land), and MN6 (Germania Land). These provide a framework for interpreting the provenance of Greenland–Norway rift sedimentary deposits. The provenance characteristics of Liverpool Land have also been defined, but whether this relatively small region merits a separate provenance status is unclear. Provenance links can be made by comparing the source region sand types with the composition of onshore and offshore sediments from previous studies. Triassic sandstones of the Nordland Ridge and the far south of the Møre Basin, along with Jurassic sandstones of the Heidrun Field in the Haltenbanken area, were derived from the MN4i source region. The provenance of Cretaceous sandstones in East Greenland can be linked to the MN2ii source region. The source of Turonian sandstones on Traill Ø can be pinpointed by zircon U–Pb ages to the Neoproterozoic Lyell Land Group of the Franz Josef Allochthon. Cretaceous sandstones in the Vøring and Møre basins were derived from the MN2iii and MN4i source regions. In addition, some of the Cenomanian–Campanian sedimentary rocks of East Greenland and Mid-Norway contain Permian–Cretaceous-aged zircon grains that are absent from the moraine/outwash samples. The most likely source of these zircon grains is the circum-Arctic region, implying the existence of a long-lived axial drainage system that entered the Greenland–Norway rift from the north.

Keywords

• provenance
• heavy minerals
• East Greenland