The map sheet, QAANAAQ, is the third in a planned series of six maps that will collectively provide high-resolution geological coverage of the region between 76–78°N’. The series is based on decades of geological fieldwork and research and has been updated using modern GIS techniques and the latest geological knowledge.
“The map brings together a very long research history into a coherent and accessible geological framework and significantly improves our understanding of the region’s geological evolution,” says Thomas Find Kokfelt, Senior Researcher at GEUS.
The Qaanaaq area is dominated by younger sedimentary and volcanic rocks formed in connection with the geological period known as Proterozoic continental rifting but also contains some of Greenland’s oldest rocks. The map is relevant as fundamental research, for our understanding of Arctic geology, and for assessments of the region’s mineral resource potentials.
The geological map QAANAAQ is available for free download at:
https://doi.org/10.22008/FK2/BCPTAU
A key geological region in the Arctic
The new geological map QAANAAQ covers the settlement of Qaanaaq and immediate area to the south (77°00’–77°30’ N). The area is characterised by exceptionally complex and well-preserved geology spanning from the Archean to the Late Proterozoic, representing nearly 2.5 billion years of Earth history.
The oldest rocks are dominated by crystalline basement gneisses that have undergone multiple phases of deformation and metamorphism. These rocks preserve remnants of earlier sedimentary basins that were strongly reworked during major orogenic events around 2.5 billion years ago.
The Thule Basin and continental rifting
The geology of the area tells the story of how the Arctic came to be how it is. Overlying the basement are the distinctive Late Proterozoic sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Thule Basin, which formed during continental rifting approximately 1.4 billion years ago. The basin contains fluvial and shallow-marine sedimentary successions as well as basaltic volcanic rocks.
These deposits are preserved within fault-bounded blocks formed during regional extensional tectonics that affected large parts of the Arctic. The basin thus provides important insights into the processes associated with continental break-up.
Volcanism plays a central role in the basin’s evolution. Neoproterozoic basaltic sills of the Steensby Land sill complex and the Thule dyke swarm are linked to the Franklin Large Igneous Province, which formed around 670 million years ago and has well-documented counterparts in the Canadian Arctic.
Mineral resources
The Thule region hosts occurrences of copper, ilmenite and iron-rich sulphides, as well as potential for gold and other types of mineralisation. Extensive magnetite belts can be traced for more than 400 km and are comparable to similar deposits on Baffin Island, Canada.
As such, the geological map is relevant not only for academic research but also for understanding the region’s mineral potential and its broader tectonic and metallogenic framework.
For more information on mineral resources in Greenland, visit this overview: https://eng.geus.dk/about/news/news-archive/2026/january/greenland-minerals-overview
Built on decades of fieldwork
Creating geological maps takes time. The geological interpretation presented in the QAANAAQ map is based primarily on fieldwork conducted by Peter R. Dawes during the 1970s, later complemented by aerial photograph interpretation and additional field investigations. The final map production was carried out by geologists and GIS specialists at GEUS, with continuous input and quality control by Peter R. Dawes.
When completed, the combined six maps in the 1:100 000 series will provide the most detailed geological representation to date of Northwest Greenland.