XXI.—Geology and Petrology of the Dolerites of Spitsbergen

Abstract

Within the group of islands which together comprise Spitsbergen outcrops of dolerite may be traced over an area of about 50,000 square miles. The area is doubled if the neighbouring dolerites and basalts of Franz Josef Land are included. Even so, this is but a part of a network widely spread over the north-western part of the Euro-Asiatic continental platform, and over adjoining circumpolar lands. The sill-swarms of Spitsbergen alone rival in extent any of approximately similar age in other parts of the world, such as those of South Africa, South America, India, Antarctica, or North Britain. They merit a great deal more attention than it has yet been possible for geologists to devote to them.