Hjem
Institutt for geovitenskap
Masterprosjekt - Ressurser

Post-Caledonian topographic and structural evolution of the Nordfjord region in Western Norway: Insights from Apatite Fission Track thermochronology and structural mapping

Structural evolution Caledonides
Foto/ill.:
Joachim Jacobs, UiB

Hovedinnhold

Prosjektbeskrivelse / Project description
This project aims to study the post-Caledonian topographical and structural evolution of western Norway with a focus on the Nordfjord region. There is still a dissent on how the high relief of the Western Norwegian mountain chain has formed. Is the relief a remnant of the Caledonian orogeny or has the region been almost completely eroded after the Caledonian orogeny and uplifted due to later tectonic processes? 

The project will use both lab and fieldwork to investigate the problem. Lab work will apply Apatite Fission Track (AFT) thermochronology to gain insights into the temporal classification and extent of uplift and erosion of the region. Fieldwork will be carried out in the Nordfjord region and will include mapping and analysing structural relationships to understand whether tectonic uplift and fault activity have taken place after the Caledonian orogeny and to embed the AFT samples in the tectonic context. Furthermore, comparison and differentiation of the post-Caledonian brittle deformation from the Caledonian ductile deformation will be included in the study. 
Supplementary, Calcite U/Pb ages from faults will be considered for the interpretation and explained by investigation of respective fault activities and structural relationships.

Proposed course plan during the master's degree (60 ECTS):
GEOV302 Data analysis in earth science (10 cp)
GEOV345 Regional geologic excursion to Western Norway (5 cp)
GEOV252 Field Course in Geological Mapping (10 cp)
GEOV362 Integrated tectonics and sedimentology field course (5 cp)
GEOV300 Selected Topics in Geoscience (5 cp)
GEOV341 Thermochronology and Tectonics (5 cp)
GEOV251 Advanced Structural Geology (10 cp)
GEO-3106 Tectonics (10 cp, Tromsø)

Field- lab- og analysis
Fieldwork: Nordfjord, brittle structural framework
Fission-track analyses of selected samples from the Nordfjord region in association with the PhD project of Åse Hestnes