Tungsten in the Godthåb area, West Greenland

Abstract

The tungsten mineral scheelite has not previously been reported from the Godthåb area in West Greenland. The first indications of its presence were found in heavy mineral concentrates from a stream on Storø in Godthåbsfjord. Exploration for scheelite in Greenland is difficult. A systematic stream-sediment programme cannot be undertaken before mid-June because many of the streams are frozen or covered with snow until then. Examination in ultra-violet light must be carried out in darkness so scheelite cannot be looked for before the end of August because of the midnight sun and the work must be finished by early September when snow covers the ground. A minor difficulty in this context is the abundance of lichens with bluish white fluorescence which cover the rock surfaces. The following report is based on field observations only. Laboratory work was limited to X-ray identification ofscheelite in two heavy mineral concentrates and in two rock samples.