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Juha Köykkä - Oulu

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Res Terrae, Ser. A 32, J. <strong>Köykkä</strong>, Sedimentology of the Mesoproterozoic Telemark basin-fills, South Norway: implications for<br />

sedimentation processes, depositional environments and tectonic evolution<br />

Paper V<br />

Paper V describes and interprets the fracture zone and basal breccias that are asso-<br />

ciated with the sub-Svinsaga unconformity (Fig. 4). The study focuses on the mount<br />

Svafjell and Brattefjell areas, and the work was mainly carried out in 2005 (Fig. 3).<br />

The sub-Svinsaga unconformity is the most significant regional unconformity within<br />

the Telemark supracrustal rocks, and it separates the package into the Vestfjorddalen<br />

Supergroup and an overlying succession of early Sveconorwegian units. The isotopic<br />

datings show that a depositional hiatus of at least 170 Ma is associated with this un-<br />

conformity. The unconformities and associated deposits record valuable information<br />

about the paleoclimate and paleosedimentology, and this information is the main con-<br />

tribution of the Paper V. Paper V proves that the origin of the sub-Svinsaga unconfor-<br />

mity is probably associated with periglacial cold-climate processes and environments.<br />

Paleoweathering can provide valuable information about the formation of different<br />

rocks units and the paleoclimatic conditions during their deposition. Thus, frost wea-<br />

thering is a fundamental geomorphic process operating in periglacial environments.<br />

Periglacial refers to the non-glacial processes, conditions, and landforms associated<br />

with cold-climates. In general, descriptions of Mesoproterozoic deposits ascribed to a<br />

periglacial cold-climate are rare. This rarity is possibly due to the deposits of that age<br />

being affected by diverse tectonic and metamorphic processes and, later, weathering<br />

and erosion. This can make the recognition of any typical periglacial cold-climate in-<br />

dicators, like sand wedges, frost-shattered blocks, or frost fractures, difficult or even<br />

impossible. However, it is probable that ancient periglacial and glacial deposits were<br />

produced by similar processes to those operating and observed in the Phanerozoic rock<br />

record (e.g., Eriksson et al., 1998, 2004). Thus, the recognition of cold-climate perig-<br />

lacial features from Precambrian deposits should be based on an assemblage of indica-<br />

tors and detailed lithofacies analyses.<br />

Paper V concludes that the irregular features of the fractures, fracture patterns, mi-<br />

crofractures, shattered quartz arenite clasts, and mudstone fills indicate that periglacial<br />

alteration processes played an important role in the genesis of the fracture system as-<br />

sociated with the sub-Svinsaga unconformity. The characteristics of the fracture zone<br />

indicate rapid freezing and volumetric expansion. The role of frost shattering is also<br />

supported by the fracture zone passing upward to the in situ breccia zone and then to a<br />

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