Petrology of Tertiary Lavas from the Western Kangerdlugssuaq Area, East Greenland

J. J. Fawcett, J. Gittins, J. C. Rucklidge and C. K. Brooks
Department of Geology, University of Toronto, Toronto M5S 1A1, Canada
Institute for Petrologi, Kobenhavns Universitet, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350, Kobenhavns K. Denmark

Abstract: Whole-rock, minor element, rare earth, and electron microprobe data are presented for basaltic lavas from the western Kangerdlugssuaq area of East Greenland. Samples were obtained from Professor W. A. Deer's 1936 collection at Triangular Nunataks and Gardiner Plateau, and additional material obtained by sampling moraines on the surface of Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier. Both undersaturated and tholeiitic lavas are present at the Triangular Nunatak locality but the glacier suite is dominantly tholeiitic. The tholeiitic suite is less evolved than tholeiites from the Scoresby Sund area. Undersaturated lavas show enrichment in light rare earth elements and tholeiitic lavas show fiat chondrite-normalized patterns. Tholeiites from the Gardiner Plateau show no Eu anomaly but others show a slight negative Eu anomaly. Chemical data and considerations of regional geology are consistent with Cox's (1980) model of flood basalt vulcanism.

Mineralogical Magazine; 1982 v. 45; no. 337; p. 211-218; DOI: 10.1180/minmag.1982.045.337.24
© 1982, The Mineralogical Society
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