Metallic mineral deposits in the Nordic countries

The Nordic countries, including Greenland, have a long tradition in mining. Documented mining dates back to the 8th century AD. Today this region is the most important metallic mining district of the European Union. Metals are produced from active mines in all countries except Iceland and related industries are thriving in all countries.
Important ore deposit types include： volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits （Cu, Zn, Pb, Au, Ag）, orogenic gold deposits （Au）, layered intrusions （Ni, PGE, Ti±V）, intrusive hosted Cu-Au, apatite-Fe deposits, Cr- and anorthosite hosted Ti deposits. Besides these well- documented deposits, new kinds of deposits are being explored, e.g., iron oxide-copper-gold （IOCG）, shale-hosted Ni-Zn-Cu and different types of uranium deposits.     

High‐resolution diatom δ18O records,from the last 150 years,reflecting changes in amount of winter precipitation in two sub‐Arctic high‐altitude lakes in the Swedish Scandes

Waters from high‐altitude alpine lakes are mainly recharged by meteoric water. Because of seasonal variations in precipitation and temperature and relatively short hydraulic residence times, most high‐altitude lakes have lake water isotopic compositions (δ¹⁸O_lake) that fluctuate due to seasonality in water balance processes. Input from snowmelt, in particular, has a significant role in determining lake water δ¹⁸O. Here we compare two high‐resolution δ¹⁸O_diatom records from lake sediments in the Swedish Scandes with instrumental data from the last century obtained from nearby meteorological stations. The time period AD 1900–1990 is characterised by an increase in winter precipitation and high winter/summer precipitation ratios and this is recorded in δ¹⁸O_diatom as decreasing trends. Lowest δ¹⁸O_diatom values and highest amount of winter precipitation are found around AD 1990 when the winter North Atlantic Oscillation index was above +2. We conclude that for the last 150 a the main factor affecting the δ¹⁸O_diatom signal in these sub‐Arctic high‐altitude lakes with short residence times has been changes in amount of winter precipitation and that δ¹⁸O_diatom derived from high‐altitude lakes in the Swedish Scandes can be used as a winter precipitation proxy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The recession of the Inland Ice margin during the Holocene climatic optimum in the Jakobshavn Isfjord area of West Greenland

Recent subsurface mapping of parts of the Greenland Inland Ice margin in the region of Jakobshavn Isbræ indicates that the fjord system in the period of at least 2700–4700 calendar yr B.P. was more ice free than at present, and that the front of the glacier was at least 15 km behind the present position. The ¹⁴C-dating of subfossils brought to the present ice margin fit with the climatic records from ice cores and confirm the favourable conditions for Greenland's first settlers, the Sarqaq people, who arrived in the region about 400 yr ago to find hunting grounds 10–20% larger than the present.     

Heavy minerals in stream sediments,Southwest Norway

As part of a regional prospecting programme, 600 panned stream sediment concentrates from 1000 km² have been examined for scheelite (CaWO₄) using ultraviolet light. The mineralogical compositions of the heavy mineral concentrates were determined and related to bedrock geology. The results of the investigation are presented on maps showing the distribution of scheelite, magnetite, and ilmenite. Follow-up work resulted in the discovery of nine new tungsten occurrences. Magnetite dominates in areas of acid rocks, and ilmenite in areas of basic rocks. The areal distribution of hornblende and hypersthene reflects the metamorphic grades.     

Oxygen isotope and palaeotemperature records from six Greenland ice‐core stations: Camp Century,Dye‐3, GRIP,GISP2, Renland and NorthGRIP

Oxygen isotope variations spanning the last glacial cycle and the Holocene derived from ice‐core records for six sites in Greenland (Camp Century, Dye‐3, GRIP, GISP2, Renland and NorthGRIP) show strong similarities. This suggests that the dominant influence on oxygen isotope variations reflected in the ice‐sheet records was regional climatic change. Differences in detail between the records probably reflect the effects of basal deformation in the ice as well as geographical gradients in atmospheric isotope ratios. Palaeotemperature estimates have been obtained from the records using three approaches: (i) inferences based on the measured relationship between mean annual δ¹⁸O of snow and of mean annual surface temperature over Greenland; (ii) modelled inversion of the borehole temperature profile constrained either by the dated isotopic profile, or (iii) by using Monte Carlo simulation techniques. The third of these approaches was adopted to reconstruct Holocene temperature variations for the Dye 3 and GRIP temperature profiles, which yields remarkably compatible results. A new record of Holocene isotope variations obtained from the NorthGRIP ice‐core matches the GRIP short‐term isotope record, and also shows similar long‐term trends to the Dye‐3 and GRIP inverted temperature data. The NorthGRIP isotope record reflects: (i) a generally stronger isotopic signal than is found in the GRIP record; (ii) several short‐lived temperature fluctuations during the first 1500 yr of the Holocene; (iii) a marked cold event at ca. 8.2 ka (the ‘8.2 ka event’); (iv) optimum temperatures for the Holocene between ca. 8.6 and 4.3 ka, a signal that is 0.6‰ stronger than for the GRIP profile; (v) a clear signal for the Little Ice Age; and (vi) a clear signal of climate warming during the last century. These data suggest that the NorthGRIP stable isotope record responded in a sensitive manner to temperature fluctuations during the Holocene. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structural changes in the FeAl2O4–FeCr2O4 solid solution series and their consequences on natural Cr-bearing spinels

The influence of Al–Cr substitution on the spinel structure was studied in synthetic single crystals belonging to the FeCr₂O₄–FeAl₂O₄ series produced by flux growth at 1,000–1,300 °C in controlled atmosphere. Samples were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, electron microprobe analyses and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Crystals of sufficient size and quality for single-crystal X-ray diffraction were obtained in the ranges Chr_0–0.45 and Chr_70–100 but not for intermediate compositions, possibly due to a reduced stability in this range. The increase in chromite component leads to an increase in the cell edge from 8.1534 (6) to 8.3672 (1) Å and a decrease in the u parameter from 0.2645 (2) to 0.2628 (1). Chemical analyses show that Fe²⁺ is very close to 1 apfu (0.994–1.007), Al is in the range 0.0793–1.981 apfu, Cr between 0 and 1.925 apfu. In some cases, Fe³⁺ is present in amounts up to 0.031 apfu. Spinels with intermediate Cr content (Chr component between 40 and 60) are strongly zoned with Cr-rich cores and Cr-poor rims. Mössbauer analyses on powdered spinels of the runs from which single crystal has been used for X-ray structural data show values of Fe³⁺/Fe_tot consistently larger than that calculated by EMPA on single crystals, presumably due to chemical variation between single crystals from the same runs. The synthesis runs ended at a temperature of 1,000 °C, but it is possible that cation ordering continued in the Cr-poor samples towards lower temperatures, possibly down to 700 °C.     

Aggregatstabilitetsanalyse

Madsen, Henrik, 1975: Aggregatstabilitetsanalyse. Geografisk Tidsskrift 74: 70–78. København, juni 1, 1975.

A method to describe the stability and size distribution of soil aggregates by dry sifting. The profit and disadvantages of the method are discussed. A methematical adaption is given and further the influence of humus on the soil aggregates is discussed, as well as the possibility of the method for giving significant values in relation to soil erosion.