Post-conference excursion, June 14-17, 2008
The post-symposium excursion will start on Saturday morning, June 14 from the Hotel Riekonlinna, Saariselkä, and finish at the Rovaniemi airport on Tuesday, June 17 at 13:00. The excursion fee is 300 EUR and it covers field guide, bus transportations, hotel accomodations in double rooms and meals. On the excursion you will get acquainted with the central Lapland geology and nature, and visit several reflective structures imaged along the FIRE and HIRE profiles in Lapland. The excursion stops will introduce you to the major Palaeoproterozoic formations of Central Lapland, such as the Lapland Granulite Complex (LGC), Vuotso Metamorphic Complex (VMC), and the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt (CLGB). We will mostly follow the FIRE 4, 4A and 4B transects (FIRE book in pdf form, 154 Mb). The greenstone belt is currently an active exploration area due to its high potential of economic gold deposits, and one of the excursion stops is the recently opened Kittilä gold mine. The excursion will not be physically very demanding, but good water-proof shoes and rain clothing makes it surely much more enjoyable. We can accept up to 30 participants on the excursion.
Preliminary excursion program
Excursion start: Hotel Riekonlinna, Saariselkä, Saturday, June 14, 2008, 10:00 hours
First Day, Saturday, June 14: Saariselkä-Inari-Pokka-Inari
Stops:
1. |
Sovintovaara, Inari: Views over Lake Inari |
2. |
Solojärvi, Inari. Banded granulite of the LGC. |
3. |
Hirvassalmi, Inari. Light granulite of the LGC. |
4. |
Haipanpalo, Inari. Contact zone between quartzitic metasediments of the VMC and granulites of the overthrusted LGC. FIRE CMP 14310. |
5. |
Repojoki, Inari. Quartz-feldspar gneiss, amphibolite and hornblende gneiss of the VMC. FIRE CMP 14090. |
Accomodation and dinner in Inari
Second day, Sunday, June 15:
Start at 9:00, Inari-Sirkka (Levi)
Stops:
6. |
Pokka, Kittilä. Mafic metavolcanic rocks of the Kittilä Group, CLGB. |
7. |
Outaperttunen, Pokka. Cherts, mafic and acid volcanic rocks of the Kittilä Group, CLGB. FIRE CMP 11920. |
8. |
Sirkka, Immeljärvi. Sheared and cataclastic quartzite in the vicinity of the Sirkka Shear Zone, one of the main Au controlling structures in Central Lapland. |
9. |
Linkupalo volcano park. A geological sight comprising several outcrops with a variety of volcanic rock types (pillow lavas, mafic and acid volcanics, etc.) of the Kittilä Group, CLGB. We will walk through the 1.5 km long trail. |
Accomodation and dinner in Sirkka (Levi)
Third day, Monday, June 16:
Start at 9:00, driving Sirkka-Suurikuusikko (Kittilä Mine)-Kumputunturi-Sirkka
Stops:
10.
. |
Kittilä Mine. The Kittilä mine in Suurikuusikko is currently being developed by Agnico-Eagle Ltd. The deposit is the largest known Au resource in northern Europe with at least 2 million ounces of Au. The deposit is controlled by the N-S oriented 25 km long subvertical Kiistala Shear Zone branching off from the Sirkka Shear Zone. Genetically, the deposit is interpreted as an orogenic Au deposit, and its age is 1.89-1.82 Ga. Au is present mostly in mafic volcanics in disseminated sulphides with Au grades exceeding 5 g/ton. The Suurikuusikko deposit and surroundings were also covered by HIRE reflection surveys in 2008. More information on gold deposits in Finland can be found in this publication (33Mb) of the Geological Survey of Finland. |
11. |
Kumputunturi conglomerate. Metasediments of the Kumputunturi formation (ca. 1.8 Ga) and erosional stone-fields of Quaternary-Cenozoic age. |
12. |
Optional: Climbing up the Levi mountain (or take the ski lift), with views over western Lapland and the Sirkka Shear Zone. The Levi mountain consists of erosion resistant quartzite and therefore it rises about 400 m above its surroundings. |
Accomodation and dinner in Sirkka
Fourth day, Monday, June 17:
Start at 9:00, driving Sirkka-Rovaniemi, airport, arriving at latest at 13:00.
Stops:
13. |
Optional touristic stop: Santa Claus Village, Rovaniemi. Meet him in person and cross the Arctic Circle again! |
14. |
Optional geological stop: Rovaniemi airport. Migmatitic gneisses and granites of the Central Lapland Granitoid Complex. |
End of excursion
