Geology and Ore 12, 2008

Minerals in Greenland

Minerals are an integrated part of the geological history. The variation and wealth of minerals in Greenland have been significant in rendering the country with its prominent place on the geological world map, shared with only very few other regions. In their widest context, minerals understandably attracted a great deal of attention from the first explorations in the early 1800s.

Introduction

Minerals and mineral resources have been identified as a cornerstone of Greenland’s economical development. Therefore many initiatives have been implemented to accelerate the establishment of the mineral industry. After 150 years of almost continuous mining, and following a brief break since 1990, Greenland now seems to be entering a new phase of mineral exploitation, with the opening of new mines: a gold mine in South Greenland in 2005 and an olivine mine in West Greenland in 2005.