Tectonics of the Ålen area, central Norway

TR Number
Date
1988
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Abstract

Investigation of primary features preserved within the Tremadocian - Lower Ordovician Fundsj∅ Group indicate that the succession accumulated in a deepwater environment. The ca. 4-5 km thick Fundsj∅ Group exposed in the Ålen area is dominated by thin-bedded, terrigenous clastic metasediments which exhibit gradational contacts with mafic dominated bi-modal volcanics. Blastoporphyritic to blasto-ophitic diabase sills (0.5 - 3 m thick) compose ca. 20 - 30% of the metavolcanic Hersj∅ and Reitan Formations, and were emplaced as shallow intrusive units contemporaneous with volcanic activity. Localized preservation of relict coarse pyroclastic textured rocks and cIast-within-clast fragments attest to the occasional occurrence of phreatomagmatic explosions. Very thin-bedded, fine-grained amphibolite which exhibits mm scale planar parallel Iaminae and non-erosive contacts suggest deposition by marine fallout. Primary features preserved within the terrigenous clastic Gudå, Kjurudal, and Slågrov Formations indicate deposition by turbidity currents throughout the succession.

A new stratigraphic correlation between the Dictyonema schist of the Nordaunevol locality, with the Kjurudal Fm. of this paper is proposed based on recent detailed mapping in the Ålen and southeast Haltdalen area. This correlation suggests that the Fundsj∅ Group is largely of Tremodocian - Lower Ordovician age.

The lithofacies contained within the oldest (Gudå Fm.) to youngest (Slågrov Fm.) formations in the Fundsj∅ Group suggest that this succession represents an accumulation of syn-rift to post-rift sediments deposited oceanward of the hinge zone of the Baltoscandian continent.

Description
Keywords
Citation
Collections