NarssÂrssuk

Thanks to O.V.Petersen for informations from his articles and to J.P.Frisch and especially Richard Schoeler, Kopenhagen, for specimens and informations.

The Igaliko nepheline syenite complex covers about 450 km², adjactent to the inland ice, the Tunulliarfik fjord and the Igaliku fjord. It consists of four major intrusions and several smaller stocks. Layering and lamination are common, the mineralogy is rather simple. Nearly all syenites (mostly foyaite) here are nepheline bearing.

Narssârssuk (or Narsarsuk, as it was formerly called in Danish) is a smaller pegmatite in the western part of the Igferfigssalik center, obviously related to a porphyritic microsyenite intrusion. There is a large number of pegmatite pockets - centimeters to more than a meter in diameter. A typical feature of Narssârssuk is an unusually high percentage of silicates and carbonates. In regard of the somewhat more limited number of minerals there seems to be quite a percentage of origonal descriptions.

As you know, I visited the locality in 2001 - fantastic - you sit practically on a dump of weathered syenite pegmatite amd just pick up piece after piece, hardly any hammering required. How fantastic must be the specimens, that still slumber deep down ! However, Narsarsuk will soon be protected. So if you want to collect there - hurry ! Oh yes, and do some exercising - it's a terrible climb up and even worse down !

The view from the ridge is absolutely fantastic - this one is towards Narsarsuaq, ato the right there is the glacier producing all the nice icebergs. Hey, and half the rocks in front are interesting (well, at least some of them).

Mineral list: (bold = type locality)

Aegirine/Acmite

Aenigmatite

Albite

Analcime

Ancylite-(Ce)

Arfvedsonite

Ashcroftine-(Y)

Astrophyllite

Barylite

Bastnaesite-(Ce)

Biotite

Calcite

Catapleiite

Cerussite

Cordylite-(Ce)

Elpidite

Epididymite

Epidote

Eudialyte

Eudidymite

Ferrohornblende

Fluorapatite (and F.-(Y))

Fluorite

Galena

Gaidonnayite

Goethite

Gonnardite

Graphite

Hematite

Hemimorphite

Ilmenite

Leifite

Lepidocrocite

Leucophanite

Leucosphenite

Lorenzenite

Magnetite

Microcline

Microlite

Narsarsukite

Natrolite

Neptunite

Nordstrandite

Orthoclase

Polylithionite

Pyrochlore

Pyrolusite

Quartz

Rhodochrosite

Riebeckite ( and var. Crocidolite)

Roentgenite-(Ce)

Smithsonite

Soda-orthoclase

Sphalerite

Spodiophyllite

Synchysite-(Ce)

Taenolite

Tetranatrolite

Xenotime-(Y)

Zircon

Just about 500 m from the main Narsarsuk locality is the Nanna Pegmatite

This is just a small outcrop, but already the co-type locality for micheelsenite and yielding the world's best nafertisite.

Mineral list: (bold = type locality)

Aegirine/Acmite

Astrophyllite

Analcime

Calcioancylite-(Ce)

Catapleiite

Fluorite

Galena

Gibbsite

Leucophanite

Micheelsenite

Microcline

Nafertisite

Natrolite

Orthoclase

Polylithionite

Sodalite

Todorokite

North Motzfeldt Centre

New literature describes a further Igaliko locality: the North Motzfeldt Centre. It is an intrusive igneous centre within the Igaliko complex, consisting of two major units. Rocks are peralkaline nepheline syenites. The minral list so far is short:

Mineral list:

lavenite

pyrochlore

rinkite-mosandrite

&Suggested reading:

Petersen,O.V., K.Secher: The minerals of Greenland, Mineralogical Record, 24(1993), 2, pp.37-47

McDonald, AM et al.: Micheelsenite, (Ca,Y)(3)Al(PO3OH,CO3)(CO3)(OH)(6)*12H(2)O, a new mineral from Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada and teh Nanna pegmatite, Narsaarsuup Qaava, South Greenland. NEUES JAHRBUCH FÜR MINERALOGIE-MONATSHEFTE, 8(2001), 337-351

Petersen, OV et al.: Nafertisite from the Nanna pegmatite, Narsaarsuup Qaava, South Greenland. NEUES JAHRBUCH FUER MINERALOGIE - MONATSHEFTE, 7(1999), 303-310

Finch, AA et al.: The petrology and petrogenesis of the North Motzfeldt Centre, Gardar Province, South Greenland. MINERALOGICAL MAGAZINE, 65(2001), 759-774

Back to Greenland page, back to .main page