5 August 2002.

(Narsarsuaq)

A boat from Blue Ice took us to the starting point for our hike.

Narssârssuk is a smaller (syenite) pegmatite in the western part of the Igferfigssalik centre, related to a porphyritic microsyenite intrusion. A few hundred meters away is the Nanna Pegmatite (Narsaarsuup Qaava).

Icebergs forming a semicircle around a moraine under water (to the south of Narsarsuaq). Photo taken on our way up to stop 1.

In the morning we went ashore where the arrow is and walked up to stop 1 and 2 (pegmatites) and back in the afternoon. Stop 1 and 2 are both about 300 m above sea level. They are at the foot of the highest summit in the area, namely the mountain Illerfissalik (Burfjeld in Danish)(outside the map area - to the right/east of the 2 stops)

Looking towards the west along the Eriksfjord. Narsaq is somewhere behind the Nunasarnaq. (with Nunasarnaq Formation 350 m). To the right (above Eriksfjord) The Eriksfjord Formation with the Ilimmaasaq above ca.in the middle.

Qooqqut.

Igaliko Fjord and Igaliko Settlement seen from stop 2. Igaliko is a settlement in the ancient see of Gardar. The ‘Gardar’ igneous province derives its name from the Diocese of Gardar.

The Igaliko nepheline syenite complex (Gardar province intrusions) covers an area of about 45 km2 between the fjords of Igaliko and Tunnulliarfiq (Eriksfjord) to the west and the inland ice in the east.

The syenite complex has four clearly separated intrusion centres and is one of the largest of its sort in the world. The mineral composition is generally simple with alkali feldspar and alkali nepheline as the main minerals, but in places the mineral composition has been changed through assimilation of host rocks.

The relatively small outcrops of the Narssârssuk and Nana pegmatites (stop 1 and 2) lie in the middle of the youngest syenite group.

Leifite. Coin diameter = 23 mm. Narssârssuk is the type locality for this mineral that was described in 1915 and named after Leif the Lucky, son of Eric the Red, the discoverer of Greenland.

Nafertisite. Coin diameter = 28 mm.

Nafertisite. The Nanna Pegmatite is indeed yielding the world's best nafertisite.

Heading back. (Photo by Roger baker)