The map of mineral occurrences is your shortcut to
get acquainted with some of the mineral occur-
rences in Greenland. The presentation combines
the geological map with knowledge of mineral
prospects and deposits gathered through more
than 150 years.
Geological observations in Greenland began with
the first scientific expeditions in the early 1800s.
Systematic geological mapping commenced in East
Greenland with Dr. Lauge Koch's expeditions
192658. In West Greenland the systematic map-
ping was conducted by the Geological Survey of
Greenland (now GEUS) in 1946. This survey was
initiated in West Greenland and has subsequently
been extended to all parts of Greenland. Coverage
is not yet complete.
History of Greenland economic geology
The history of Greenland economic geology dates back
to the beginning of colonial European influence.
Following the colonisation of Greenland in the mid-
1700s the colonists (by order of the Danish King) were
required to look for useful minerals. However, systema-
tic exploitation and mining activity was not initiated
until mid-1800. The early industrial activity in Greenland
was concentrated on the sparsely inhabited west coast.
The first traditional mining (non-fuel commodities) was
based on local knowledge of commodities proved to be
present in sufficient amounts, but soon led to wider
exploration and systematic prospecting as geological
knowledge accumulated. At the start of the Millennium
the activity covers most parts of Greenland, and the
exploration is continuing.
Map of known mineral
occurrences in Greenland
Greenland Mineral Resources
Fact Sheet No. 5
500 km
Nalunaq
Au
Niaqornaarsuk
Au
Amitsoq
Graphite
Ilímaussaq
U, Nb, Zr, Be, REE
Ivittuut
Cryolite
Taartoq
Au
Josva Mine
Cu
Grønnedal-Ika
Fe
Motzfeldt Sø
Ta, Nb
Sinarsuk
V, Ti
Kangerluluk
Au
Illorsuit
U
Fiskenæsset
Cr, Pt
Isukasia
Fe
Isua
Au
Ivisaartoq
W
Majuagaa
Diamond
Tasiusarsuaq
Olivine
Qaqqaarsuk
Nb, REE, P
Tasersuatsiaq
Ni, Pt
Sarfartoq
Nb, Ta
Storø
Au
Eqi
Au
Hammer Dal
Fe, Pt
Maarmorilik
Zn, Pb, Ag
Moriusaq
Ti
Washington Land
Zn, Pb, Ag
Inglefield Land
Fe
Ymer Ø
Sb, W, Au
Clavering Ø
Fe
Citronen Fjord
Zn, Pb
Qullissat
Coal
Nuussuaq
Coal
Saqqaq
Au
Itilliarsuk
Au, Fe
Akuliaruseq
Graphite
Isortuarsuk
Garnet
Kangaamiut
Olivine
Melville Bugt
Fe
Langø
Graphite
Navarana Fjord
Zn, Barite
Naternaq
Cu, Zn
Kangerlussuaq
Diamond
Blyklippen
Pb, Zn
Malmbjerg
Mo, W
Milne Land
Zr, REE, Ti
Flammefjeld
Mo
Kap Edvard Holm
Au, Pt
Ammassalik
Ni, Cu, Pt
Skærgaard
Au, Pd
Karstryggen
Celestite
I N L A N D I C E
Palaeogene basalts
Cretaceous Palaeogene sediments, Nuussuaq Basin in
West Greenland and Kangerlussuaq Basin in East Greenland
Carboniferous Palaeogene sediments,
Wandel Sea Basin in eastern North Greenland
Carboniferous Cretaceous sediments, North-East Greenland
Carboniferous Cretaceous sediments,
Jameson Land Basin in East Greenland
Devonian Basin of North-East Greenland
Shelf
Trough
Caledonian orogenic belt
Meso- to Neoproterozoic sediments and volcanic rocks
Palaeoproterozoic orogenic belts
Archaean craton
Intrusive complexes: Palaeogene in East Greenland,
Mesoproterozoic in South Greenland (Gardar Province)
Fault, thrust
Lower Palaeozoic sediments, North Greenland,
Franklinian Basin
Geology and selected mineral occurrences
GREENLAND
Chronology of Greenland mineral
occurences
Major events shown on the map include:
1845: Collecting of graphite at Langø (NWG)
1852: Discovery and mining of copper at Josva mine (SG)
1852: Mining in Frederik VII mine (SG)
1854: Mining of lead in Ivittuut mine (SG)
1856: Mining of cryolite began in Ivittuut mine (SG)
1893: Discovery of zirconium in Kringlerne (SG)
1903: Discovery of graphite at Akuliaruseq (WG)
1905: Reopening of the Josva copper mine (SG)
1915: Opening of graphite mine in Amitsoq (SG)
1933: Mining of pyrite in Clavering Island (EG)
1936: Quarrying of marble in Maarmorilik (WG)
1951: Discovery of iron at Grønnedal-Ika (SG)
1954: Discovery of molybdenum in Malmbjerg (EG)
1955: Discovery of uranium in Kvanefjeld (SG)
1956: Mining initiated of lead/zinc near Mestersvig (EG)
1964: Discovery of chromium in Qeqertarsuatsiaat (WG)
1965: Discovery of the iron deposit at Isua (WG)
1968: Discovery of REE and phosphorous at Qaqqarsuk (WG)
1972: Discovery of gold in Taartoq (SG)
1973: Mining began of lead/zinc at Black Angel Mine (WG)
1973: Discovery of placer diamonds in Sarfartoq (WG)
1977: Discovery of niobium in Sarfartoq (WG)
1979: Test mining of uranium in Kvanefjeld (SG)
1979: Discovery of tungsten and antimony at Ymer Island (EG)
1980: Discovery of tantanlum at Motzfeldt Lake (SG)
1982: Discovery of tungsten and gold in Nuuk Fjord (WG)
1984: Discovery of zinc/barium in Navarana fjord (NG)
1985: Discovery of gold in Disko Bay area (WG)
1986: Discovery of gold and PGE's in Skaergaard (EG)
1992: Discovery of primary gold at Nalunaq (SG)
1993: Discovery of zinc at Citronen Fjord (NG)
1995: Find of in-situ diamonds near Maniitsoq (WG)
1995: Small-scale production of olivine at Evighedsfjord (WG)
1996: Discovery of gold at Kangerluluk (SEG)
2003: Establishing of gold mine at Nalunaq (SG)
The main geological divisions on the geo-
logical map cover periods from Archaean to
Palaeogene and are summarised in the map
legend.
The map with combined information about geolo-
gy and known mineral resources may, together
with similar maps displaying exploration geoche-
mistry and various geophysical data, be of invalu-
able help to the explorationists.
Map details of selected regions
As examples of specialised information derived
from the map, a series of enlarged sections are
presented here under the themes:
· Mineral occurrences in Archaean cratons
· Gold and base metals in Palaeoproterozoic settings
· Mineral commodities of the Mesoproterozoic
in South Greenland
· Prospects in Caledonian and younger terranes
· Lead-zinc prospects in Palaeozoic basins
· Magmatic deposits in Palaeogene intrusions
· Industrial minerals in the West Greenland
basement
Concluding remarks
Combination of this information in one map
makes it apparent where to look for specific min-
erals, both as single commodities, in selected geo-
logical environments or among known mineralisa-
tion types.
The map of selected mineral occurrences is incorporated
in the information material and is available from the
GEUS homepage.
Greenland Resources A/S
Vandsøvej 5
P.O. Box 821
DK-3900 Nuuk
Greenland
Tel: (+299) 32 79 13
Fax.: (+299) 32 79 14
E-mail: gras@greennet.gl
Internet: www.resources.gl
Geological Survey of Denmark
and Greenland (GEUS)
Øster Voldgade 10
DK-1350 Copenhagen K
Denmark
Tel: (+45) 38 14 20 00
Fax.: (+45) 38 14 20 50
E-mail: geus@geus.dk
Internet: www.geus.dk
Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum
(BMP)
Government of Greenland
P.O. Box 930
DK-3900 Nuuk
Greenland
Tel: (+299) 34 68 00
Fax.: (+299) 32 43 02
E-mail: bmp@gh.gl
Internet: www.bmp.gl
Greenland Mineral Resources
Author: K.Secher
Editor: K.Secher
Layout: GEUS, Grafisk
© GEUS 2003
Key references
Harpøth, O., Pedersen, J.L., Schønwandt, H.K. & Thomassen,
B. 1986: The mineral occurrences of central East Greenland.
Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience 17, 139 pp.
Henriksen, N., Higgins, A.K., Kalsbeek, F. & Pulvertaft, T.C.R.
2000: Greenland from Archaean to Quaternary. Descriptive
text to the Geological map of Greenland, 1:2 500 000.
Geology of Greenland Survey Bulletin 185, 93 pp.
Nielsen, T.F.D. 2002: Palaeogene intrusions and magmatic com-
plexes in East Greenland, 66° to 75°N, Danmarks og Grønlands
Geologiske Undersøgelse Rapport 2002/113, 249 pp.
Rasmussen, T.M., Thorning, L., Stemp, R.W., Jørgensen, M.S.
& Schjøth, F.: AEM Greenland 1994-1998 - summary report.
Copenhagen: Danmarks og Grønlands Geologiske
Undersøgelse Rapport 2001/58, 46 pp. + 1 CD-ROM.
Steenfelt, A. 2001: Geochemical atlas of Greenland West
and South Greenland, Danmarks og Grønlands Geologiske
Undersøgelse Rapport 2001/46, 40 pp.
Steenfelt, A., Nielsen, T.F.D. & Stendal, H. 2000: Mineral ressource
potential of South Greenland: review of new digital data
sets, Danmarks og Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse
Rapport 2000/50, 47 pp.
Stendal,H. (ed.) 2000: Exploration in Greenland: discoveries of
the 1990s. Transactions of the Institution of Mining and
Metallurgy, section B, Applied earth science 109, 66 pp.
Stendal,H. (ed.) 2003: Precambrian supracrustal rocks and min-
eral occurences, Northeast Disko Bugt, Danmarks og Grønlands
Geologiske Undersøgelse Rapport 2003/24, 57 pp.
Washington Land
Zn, Pb, Ag
Citronen Fjord
Zn, Pb
Navarana Fjord
Zn, Barite
Ymer Ø
Sb, W, Au
Clavering Ø
Fe
Blyklippen
Pb, Zn
Malmbjerg
Mo, W
Milne Land
Zr, REE, Ti
Karstryggen
Celestite
Flammefjeld
Mo
Kap Edvard Holm
Au, Pt
Skærgaard
Au, Pd
Nalunaq
Au
Niaqornaarsuk
Au
Amitsoq
Graphite
Ilímaussaq
U, Nb, Zr, Be, REE
Ivittuut
Cryolite
Taartoq
Au
Josva Mine
Cu
Grønnedal-Ika
Fe
Motzfeldt Sø
Ta, Nb
Kangerluluk
Au
Illorsuit
U
Ivittuut
Cryolite
Grønnedal- Ika
Fe
Taartoq
Au
Motzfeldt Sø
Ta, Nb
Sinarsuk
V, Ti
Fiskenæsset
Cr, Pt
Isukasia
Fe
Isua
Au
Ivisaartoq
W
Majuagaa
Diamond
Tasiusarsuaq
Olivine
Qaqqaarsuk
Nb, REE, P
Tasersuatsiaq
Ni, Pt
Sarfartoq
Nb, Ta
Storø
Au
Garnet
Kangaamiut
Olivine
Kangerlussuaq
Diamond
Majuagaa
Diamond
Tasiusarsuaq
Olivine
Qaqqaarsuk
Nb, REE, P
Tasersuatsiaq
Ni, Pt
Akuliaruseq
Graphite
Isortuarsuk
Garnet
Kangaamiut
Olivine
Eqi
Au
Maarmorilik
Zn, Pb, Ag
Saqqaq
Au
Itilliarsuk
Au, Fe
Mineral occurrences
in Archaean cratons
Mineral commodities of the
Mesoproterozoic in South
Greenland
Industrial minerals in the
West Greenland basement
Prospects in
Caledonian
and younger
terranes
Lead-zinc prospects in Palaeozoic basins
Magmatic deposits
in Palaeogene
intrusions
Gold and base metals
in Palaeoproterozoic
settings
