The Structure of Brøggerhalvøya, Spitsbergen

Abstract

AbstractBrøggerhalvøya is situated on the north-west coast of the island of Vestspitsbergen. It is shown to contain a fold and overthrust complex of Tertiary age. Large northerly movement of Pre-Cambrian rocks, previously metamorphosed in the Caledonian diastrophism, occurred over deformed but unmetamorphosed Permo-Carboniferous and Tertiary rocks on a major curved over-thrust. The structure is complicated by rapid plunge variations and subsidiary faulting. The existence of a large klippe is demonstrated and the formation of curved thrust surfaces is discussed.A brief summary of the stratigraphy is given and its important relationship to the structure discussed. A new lithostratigraphical scheme of nomenclature is proposed.