Geological mapping

Geological maps at the 1:100,000 scale is the fundamental map series. This scale presents geological data sufficiently detailed to allow for geological interpretations, evaluation of mineralization potential, geohazard assessment and land management.

Geological mapping at 1:100,000 scale in a country the size of Greenland is a demanding task and the remoteness of many regions and the climate makes the mapping an expensive undertaking too.

The first map sheet at this scale was published in 1967 and since then substantial proportions of West Greenland and central East Greenland have been covered.

Geology does not change over a few decades, but new data is generated and tools for the geologists are improved or invented so there will be a need for revision of existing map sheets after some time. This has become evident in NW Greenland, north of Uummannaq. Four revised map sheets are here planned for publication in 2019 and two more map sheets are planned for publication in 2021/2022.

The map presents the coverage of 1:100,000 geological maps of Greenland.

The map present the coverage of 1:100,000 map sheets in NW Greenland, with the revised maps shown in yellow (planned publication in 2019) and the two new map sheets completing this stretch of coast to be published in 2021/2022 shown in green. Solid red are recent digitial maps, orange are vectorized but older maps and blank are unchanged (not digitized) map sheets.

3D-photogrammetry is a key tool in geological mapping. In West Greenland more than 2000 meters high mountains were exhumed during the Neogene due to the post-glacial uplift and cut by deep fjord systems. The steep cliffs and the Km-scale continuous outcrops represent a natural laboratory for structural geology and geological mapping of Palaeoproterozoic metamorphic rocks.