The high-grade gneisses in the south-west of Dove Bugt: an old gneiss complex in a deep part of the Caledonides of North-East Greenland

Abstract

The complex range of orthogneisses has been subdivided on the basis of field characteristics into an old polyphase group, grey phlebitic gneisses, younger varieties of pink granitic gneisses that occur principally as extensive sheets, mixed orthogneisses with schlieric facies and undifferentiated gneisses with dioritic facies. Mafic sheets, now amphibolites, were emplaced at various stages in the evolution of the gneisses. Enclaves and sheets of supracrustal rocks include paragneisses, graphitic schists, marble, amphibolite and stratiform gabbroic complexes with anorthosite. Nappes with curvilinear hinge lines and belts of mylonite developed in high amphibolite conditions after emplacement of the sheets of pink granitic rocks (now variably deformed gneisses) into the old orthogneisses and supracrustal rocks. Principal displacements in the mylonites were shallow and N-directed. The nappes and mylonites were deformed by upright-inclined folds with north-westerly vergence. The nappes, mylonites and north-westerly verging folds are presumed to be Caledonian. N- and S-directed extensions indicated by small-scale ductile structures younger than the regional folding suggest that longitudinal collapse predominated in this part of the Caledonian belt in the south-west of Dove Bugt.