Rutile-bearing eclogites in Western Norway.

Abstract

The eclogite province of W.Norway is subdivided into 8 geographic regions. The three southernmost of these regions - Holsnøy, Dalsfjord and Førdefjord, are surrounded by large areas without known eclogites, while the regions from Nord-fjord and northwards form parts of a large eclogite province. The rutile content is generally 1-2%; 3-4% rutile or more occur within some eclogites in the Holsnøy (Hordaland), Dalsfjord and Førdefjord (both Sogn and Fjordane) regions. Occurrences of high-Ti eclogites are less common, but not absent, in the northern regions.The investigations in 1992 and even more in 1993 were focused on the Dalsfjord and Førdefjord regions which were considered to have the best potential for economic rutile deposit. The investigations in the northern regions in W.Norway (1992) have given significant additional information, but have not revealed rutile mineralizations of economic interest comparable to those known from the Førdefjord and Dalsfjord regions. Because of the need to obtain economically interesting data quickly, continued investigations in the northern regions were postponed, and practically all energy was focused on the Dalsfjord region in 1993, with the main objects at Saurdal and Orkheia in the Fjaler and Hyllestad commune, respectively.This report summarizes available geologic information concerning rutile in eclogites in W.Norway. It also includes information (not confidential when open-file reports are referred to) additional to that obtained with DuPont's participation.