ARTICLE IN PRESS
Marine and Petroleum Geology 25 (2008) 235–253
www.elsevier.com/locate/marpetgeo
Nearshore Mesozoic basins off Nordland, Norway:
Structure, age and sedimentary environment
Reidulv Bøea,, Morten Smelrora, Børre Davidsena, Olav Walderhaugb
a
Geological Survey of Norway, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
b
Statoil ASA, 4035 Stavanger, Norway
Received 13 March 2007; received in revised form 6 June 2007; accepted 6 July 2007
Abstract
Seismic data acquisition along the Nordland coast (Norway) has resulted in the discovery of two downfaulted sedimentary basins of
Mesozoic age in an area of Precambrian–Lower Palaeozoic metamorphic rocks. The Stabbfjorden Basin (informal name) west of Meløya
has a sedimentary rock succession that is up to 800 m thick, while the Lyngværfjorden Basin (informal name) northeast of Træna is at
least 350 m deep. Microfossil dating of ice-transported erratic blocks thought to be eroded from these basins and found on nearby
skerries range in age from Barremian to Triassic. The majority of the samples are of Middle-Late Jurassic age. The sedimentary blocks
comprise conglomerates, sandstones, siltstones and mudstones, and frequently contain shells and coal fragments. Lithofacies analyses
show that they reflect shallow marine deposition, but it is possible that the oldest samples were deposited in a continental environment.
The lithofacies reflect the well-known tectonic phases and sea-level changes that have been reported for the Middle Jurassic–Early
Cretaceous in the Nordland offshore region. Vitrinite reflectance measurements show that organic material in the samples can be
classified as immature, and the newly discovered basins have no hydrocarbon exploration potential.
r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Norwegian Sea; Mesozoic; Nearshore; Fault basin; Erratic block
1. Introduction
Over the past 30 years or so, Mesozoic rocks and fault
basins have been extensively mapped in fjords and the
coastal zone of southern and central Norway, and in parts
of northern Norway (e.g. Oftedahl, 1975; Dalland, 1981;
Holtedahl, 1988; Bøe and Bjerkli, 1989; Bøe, 1991; Bøe
et al., 1992; Fossen et al., 1997; Bøe and Skilbrei, 1998;
Davidsen et al., 2001; Sommaruga and Bøe, 2002). Age
estimates of the Mesozoic rock successions are mainly
based on dating of glacially eroded erratic blocks found on
nearby islands and skerries. On land, Mesozoic rocks are
only found on Andøya in northern Norway.
The area of Norway that has gained least attention is the
Nordland coast, between Vikna and Vestfjorden (Fig. 1).
This area has not been opened for hydrocarbon exploration, and large open sea areas have never before been
Corresponding author. Tel.: +47 73904000; fax: +47 73921620.
E-mail address: reidulv.boe@ngu.no (R. Bøe).
0264-8172/$ - see front matter r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2007.07.004
mapped by reflection seismic methods, e.g. between Vikna
and Vega. The landward boundary of Mesozoic rocks is
commonly uncertain, and it has not been known if
Mesozoic basins occur between islands and skerries landward of this boundary.
The region between Træna and Bodø is of special interest
as it is at a junction between the Trøndelag Platform to the
south, the Vestfjorden Basin to the north and the
Norwegian mainland to the east. From previous work
(Gustavson and Gjelle, 1991; Gustavson and Blystad,
1995), it was known that the geology of this area is
complicated, and the age and structure of the sedimentary
rock successions have not been properly established. Bugge
et al. (2002) documented a thick Permo-Triassic succession
in boreholes south of Træna. It was thus considered
possible that sedimentary rocks could occur also in
Trænfjorden, immediately east of Træna.
In this contribution, we present results of work undertaken in the period 1998–2005 in the Træna and Meløya
areas (Fig. 1). Results of seismic profiling and erratic block
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Fig. 1. Overview map showing the Norwegian shelf between Trondheim and Andøya. The locations of Figs. 2, 3 and 5 are shown.
sampling have been used to outline structural and
stratigraphic evolution.
2. Methods
Seismic surveys were carried out with NGU’s reasearch
vessel FF Seisma in 1998, 2002 and 2003 (Bøe et al., 2003,
2005). Altogether, 89 single channel seismic lines with a
total length of 960 km were acquired from Vikna in the
south (65 1N) to Gildeskål in the north (671100 N) (Figs. 1
and 2). The majority of the lines were planned perpendicular to the assumed strike direction of sedimentary strata.
A 40 in3 sleevegun fired every 3.5 s (7–9 m horizontal
separation between each shot point at 4.5 knots) was used
as acoustic source. This was deployed together with a
Geopulse boomer, and the two signal sources were run
sequentially. The reflected signals were recorded by a
Benthos streamer. Marine magnetic data were acquired
along seismic profiles with a GSM 19 Overhauser proton
magnetometer.
The seismic data exhibit a maximum penetration of
0.2–0.3 s TWT (seconds two-way travel time) into the
Mesozoic sedimentary successions. Assuming a seismic
velocity of 3500 m/s in these rocks, that corresponds to a
penetration of 350–525 m.
Calculation of bedding orientation of the Mesozoic
strata (at the crossing points of seismic lines) was also done
assuming a sound velocity of 3500 m/s.
Searches for erratic sedimentary blocks were conducted
on islands and skerries seaward of the fault basins in
Ternholmfjorden–Stabbfjorden and Lyngværfjorden–
Trænfjorden according to the assumed late glacial icetransport direction (e.g. Olsen, 2002). A total of 87 erratic
sedimentary blocks were collected of which 40 were dated/
attempted dated using acid-resistant microfossils (palynomorphs). No samples were found on visited islands in the
Vikna–Vega area (Fig. 1).
Petrographic thin-sections were made from five blocks of
sedimentary rock collected on the islands Rorstabben and
Grønna (Fig. 2). The thin-sections were examined with a
petrographic microscope and point-counted with three
hundred points per thin-section.
Detailed multibeam bathymetry was used for studying
ice movement directions and source areas for erratic blocks
transported by glaciers. In addition, 50 m swath bathymetry grids were combined with a 50 m grid covering
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237
Fig. 2. Seismic lines and sampling localities in the Træna–Meløya area. Yellow dots: localities with finds of erratic sedimentary blocks of Mesozoic age.
Red dots: localities without finds of erratic sedimentary blocks of Mesozoic age. See Fig. 1 for location.
Norway’s onshore and offshore to study regional structures and erosional/depositional features.
3. Stratigraphy
3.1. Stabbfjorden Basin
In Ternholmfjorden and Stabbfjorden northwest of
Meløya, sedimentary rocks occur over a 28 km long
stretch, from the small island Moholmen, in the southwest,
to north of Støttvær, in the northeast (Fig. 3). A 3–10 km
wide area of basement rocks separates the sedimentary
rocks, informally named the Stabbfjorden Basin, from the
sedimentary rocks in the Vestfjorden Basin. The Stabbfjorden Basin reaches a maximum width of ca. 6 km
between Flatværet/Varkgård and Kallsholmen (southernmost of the Ternholman islands). In the southwest, the
Stabbfjorden Basin terminates in two wedge-shaped
structures. A small area of sedimentary rocks occurs
between the wedges, and a similar occurrence is found
east of Kallsholmen.
In addition to a detailed mapping of the Stabbfjorden
Basin, the nature and position of the southeastern
boundary of the Vestfjorden Basin is revised (Fig. 3). The
remapping has shown that between Valvær and Grønna
there are depositional contacts with slightly undulating
trends. It is possible that sedimentary strata extend
eastwards between Ternholman and Grønna. It is also
possible that such rocks may occur west of Kallsholmen,
between the Stabbfjorden Basin and the Vestfjorden Basin,
but the seismic data do not allow certain identification.
The thickness of Quaternary deposits on top of the
Stabbfjorden Basin varies from zero to more than 100 m.
The greatest thicknesses occur along the margins of
Vestfjorden, and locally in the deeper parts of Ternholmfjorden, Stabbfjorden and Valværfjorden (Figs. 2 and 3).
In Stabbfjorden, the character of the seismic signals
locally allows subdivision of the sedimentary succession
into several units. The lowermost unit, which occurs with a
primary, depositional unconformity on top of the basement (Fig. 4a), is well stratified with strong, low amplitude
reflectors that are laterally persistent. In the upper part of
this unit, a prograding interval with reflectors showing
downlap towards the northwest occurs (Figs. 4a and b).
The next unit is relatively homogeneous, with weak, highamplitude, laterally persistent reflectors. In its lower part,
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Fig. 3. Geological interpretations, seismic lines and 50 m bathymetry grid in the Stabbfjorden–Ternholmfjorden area. Note the NE–SW ice-marginal delta extending from NE of Grønna to Valvær
(approximateley the boundary between yellow and green colors, 120–130 m depth). See Fig. 1 for location of the survey area.
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239
Fig. 4. (a) Part of seismic line NGU0207010 from Stabbfjorden. (b) Part of seismic line NGU0207007 from Ternholmfjorden/Stabbfjorden. Note the
prograding interval, between the orange lines, with reflectors downlapping (red arrows) towards the northwest. Also note that the downlapping reflectors
terminate beneath reflectors subparallel to the orange lines towards the SE. The prograding interval was probably deposited in a shallow-marine
environment during progradation of a coastline or a delta. Also note the homogeneous interval, without clear reflectors, between the uppermost orange
refelector and the blue reflector. These sediments were probably deposited after a transgression towards the southeast. See Fig. 3 for location of the
seismic lines.
reflectors onlap the underlying wedge in a southeasterly
direction. The uppermost unit again has strong, low
amplitude reflectors, but they are less laterally persistent
and parallel than in the lowermost unit.
The sedimentary succession in Stabbfjorden can be
traced into Ternholmfjorden, where it is cut by several
faults (see below), which makes it hard to follow units
laterally. The succession reaches a thickness of more than
400 m in Ternholmfjorden and as much as 800 m in
Stabbfjorden. It is possible, however, that sedimentary
rocks also occur at deeper levels in Ternholmfjorden.
Commercial seismic data would be needed to determine
this.
3.2. Lyngværfjorden Basin and Træna area
The NNE-trending Lyngværfjorden Basin is about
12 km long and 3 km wide (Fig. 5). The southernmost
termination of the basin is poorly defined by the seismic
data. The sedimentary succession reaches a thickness of at
least 350 m in the northern part of the basin, while in the
south it is less than 200 m. However, one seismic line
indicates that there are inclined strata also at deeper levels,
below an angular unconformity. If this interpretation is
correct, several hundred meters of older sedimentary rocks
may occur below the uppermost succession.
The character of the seismic signals does not allow
subdivision of the upper sedimentary succession in the
Lyngværfjorden Basin. This can partly be related to a steep
dip of the layering and complex structuring (see below), but
may also reflect coarse-grained and poorly layered
sediments, giving rise to discontinuous reflectors. A welllayered succession is, however, displayed in some seismic
sections (Fig. 6).
Triassic rocks occur in an up to 6 km-wide zone along
the coast northwest of Lyngværfjorden (Rokoengen et al.,
1988). Lower-Middle Jurassic rocks occur northwest of this
and Triassic rocks are locally exposed between the Jurassic
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Fig. 5. Geological interpretations, seismic lines and 50 m bathymetry grid in the Træna and Lyngværfjorden areas. See Fig. 1 for location of the survey
area.
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241
Fig. 6. Part of seismic line NGU0304014 from Lyngværfjorden. Note dipping reflectors showing presence of sedimentary rocks below seabed. See Fig. 5
for location of the seismic line.
deposits due to faulting along NE–SW trends. A predominant NE–SW fault direction in the Triassic succession
offshore is also apparent in our seismic data. It is possible
that the Triassic rocks can be traced into Lyngværfjorden
northeast of Træna, but this interpretation is uncertain.
Almost 100 m of Quaternary deposits occur offshore and in
the southwestern parts of Lyngværfjorden. The seismic
resolution is poor below the Quaternary.
Southern Trænfjorden and the area southwest of Træna
were mapped in 1992 (IKU, 1995; Bugge et al., 2002), and a
750 m-thick, Upper Permian–Lower Triassic fully marine
succession of sandstones, coarse-grained turbidites, shales
and reworked sabkha sediments was cored 12 km southwest of Træna (Fig. 5). IKU’s seismic interpretation shows
Triassic sediments also in southern Trænfjorden.
Our mapping has confirmed the presence of a sedimentary basin trending north-northeastwards in southern
Trænfjorden (Fig. 5). The basin is fault-bounded on both
sides, but its termination towards the north–northeast,
3 km southeast of Austholmen, is probably a depositional
contact. Sedimentary rocks farther northeast in Trænfjorden were not observed, but the coverage of the presently
available data set is too sparse to be conclusive.
3.3. Age, lithofacies and source areas of erratic sedimentary
blocks
Dating of erratic blocks was done by studying their
content of palynomorphs, i.e. pollen, spores and dinoflagellate cysts. Cores from the continental shelf are
commonly dated by this method because palynomorphs
are usually numerous, they are degradation-resistent, and
their stratigraphic distribution is well documented (Vigran
and Thusu, 1975; Birkelund et al., 1978; Riding and
Thomas, 1992; Hardenbol et al., 1998). Detailed results of
the microfossil analyses are given in Bøe et al. (2005), while
interpreted ages are presented in Table 1. The dated
samples range in age from Barremian to Triassic although
the majority are of Middle-Late Jurassic age.
The erratic sedimentary blocks comprise conglomerates,
sandstones, siltstones and mudstones (Table 1). Sandstones
and mudstones predominate. The samples are generally
rich in carbonate, and many contain coal fragments and
shells/shell fragments. Based on color, texture, structure
and age, the erratic blocks are divided into 13 lithofacies
(Table 1, Fig. 7).
In the Stabbfjorden area, the upper part of the
Quaternary succession is locally fluted by moving glaciers,
and a late glacial sediment transport direction towards the
northwest is evident. This trend is especially clear north of
Varkgård in Stabbfjorden, and west of Kallsholmen in
Ternholmfjorden (Figs. 3 and 8). Southeast of Rorstabben,
lineations indicate a more northerly movement. The
direction of glacial lineations is consistent with transport
of the erratic sedimentary blocks on Kallsholmen from
Ternholmfjorden (Stabbfjorden Basin), and with derivation of the erratic blocks on Rorstabben from the
Stabbfjorden Basin southeast of Rorstabben.
The beach ridge at Grønna, at the margin of Vestfjorden,
comprises reworked morainal material. From multibeam
bathymetry it is evident that it occurs at the outermost part
of a major, glacial debris lobe derived from the Svartisen
glacier in the southeast (Figs. 2 and 3). Bathymetric
features such as glacial lineations show that the lobe postdates the SW-moving Vestfjorden ice stream (Ottesen et al.,
2005). The Mesozoic erratic blocks at Grønna are thus
most likely derived from the Stabbfjorden Basin, to the
southeast, and not from the Vestfjorden Basin.
In the Lyngværfjorden area, glacial lineations and flutes
point to a glacier movement direction towards the
west–northwest (Fig. 8). Erratic sedimentary blocks were
not found on the small skerries north–northwest of the
Lyngværfjorden Basin. On Selvær and Torvvær (Fig. 2),
however, blocks of Middle-Late Jurassic and Triassic age
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Table 1
Lithofacies and age (interpreted from microfossils) of erratic sedimentary
blocks
Facies
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Description
Age
Gray, stratified, poorly sorted
conglomerate with shells and coal
fragments
Dark gray, massive to vaguely bedded,
well-sorted medium sandstone
Light gray, massive, well-sorted mudstone
Gray–very dark gray, massive, well-sorted
mudstone and siltstone with shells and coal
fragments
Dark gray, massive, well-sorted very fine to
fine sandstone with shells and coal
fragments
Light (brownish) gray, massive and (cross-)
laminated, well-sorted siltstone with shells
Dark gray, poorly sorted, massive and
bedded/cross-bedded, pebbly, medium to
very coarse sandstone with shells and coal
fragments
Light (yellowish) gray to gray, massive to
weakly stratified, moderately to wellsorted, medium to very coarse sandstone
with shells and coal fragments
Light gray, stratified, bioclastic mediumgrained sandstone
Light gray–gray, massive and (cross-)
laminated very fine–fine sandstone with
shells and coal fragments
Yellowish gray, moderately sorted,
bioclastic medium-grained sandstone with
intraformational silt clasts and shells
Yellow, poorly sorted, bioturbated (roots),
medium-coarse sandstone with shells, coal
fragments, terrestrial palynomorphs and
fungal remains
Light yellowish brown, massive, wellsorted, fine-medium sandstone
Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous
Late Jurassic
Middle and Late
Jurassic
Undefined MiddleLate Jurassic
Undefined MiddleLate Jurassic
Middle and Late
Jurassic
Undefined MiddleLate Jurassic
Middle Jurassic
Triassic
Not determined
Not determined
occur. This could indicate that such rocks are present in
central Trænfjorden although we have not been able to
identify them during our seismic investigations (see above).
It is possible that local glacier tongues may have been
directed towards the southwest, and that erratics on the
Træna islands may have been eroded from the Lyngværfjorden Basin.
4. Thin section petrography
Three of the examined thin-sections are from Bajocian–
Callovian blocks of pervasively calcite-cemented sandstone
(Fig. 9, Table 2). Grain sizes are fine, medium and very
coarse respectively, and all samples are poorly sorted. The
sandstones are quartz-rich with moderate to high Kfeldspar contents, and also contain minor volumes of
plagioclase. Mica content is highly variable with one
sample containing a maximum of almost 30% mica, mostly
brown biotite. A few plant fragments, brachiopod frag-
ments and glauconitic grains are also present together with
trace amounts of heavy minerals. The heavy mineral suite
comprises zircon, tourmaline, rutile, garnet, staurolite,
kyanite, sphene, opaque iron–titanium oxides, and in one
case possibly epidote. Diagenetic cements other than calcite
are restricted to traces of siderite, possibly traces of
dolomite, variable amounts of pyrite, minor K-feldspar
overgrowths in one sample, and traces of iron oxide from
recent weathering. Porosities are practically zero because of
the extensive calcite cementation. No evidence for grain
contact dissolution is found.
One thin-section was made from a boulder of Volgian
sandstone found on Rorstabben. The Volgian sandstone
sample is poorly sorted, coarse-grained, pervasively calcitecemented and quartz-rich (Fig. 10, Table 2). K-feldspar
content is moderate, and minor to trace amounts of
plagioclase, muscovite, brown biotite and heavy minerals
are present. Observed heavy minerals are restricted to
zircon, tourmaline and sphene. A few percent of brachiopod fragments are also present. Other than calcite,
diagenetic cements are limited to a few K-feldspar overgrowths, traces of pyrite, and some iron oxide staining due
to recent weathering. No porosity is present due to the
calcite cementation.
One thin-section was prepared from a Barremian erratic
from Grønna. This sample is poorly sorted, very coarse to
conglomeratic and pervasively calcite-cemented sandstone
(Fig. 11). Quartz is the dominant detrital mineral, although
K-feldspar content is very high (Table 2). Minor volumes
of plagioclase, muscovite, brown biotite and schistose to
phyllitic rock fragments are also present. A substantial part
of the K-feldspar occurs within granitic rock fragments
together with quartz and in some cases minor plagioclase,
muscovite or biotite. Additional grains include trace
amounts of brachiopod fragments, plant fragments,
chlorite, glauconitic clasts and the heavy minerals zircon,
rutile, garnet and staurolite. Diagenetic minerals other
than calcite are limited to traces of kaolinite cement.
Porosity is practically zero because of the extensive calcite
cementation.
5. Stratigraphic correlation and interpretation
5.1. Stabbfjorden Basin
The oldest dated samples in the Stabbfjorden area are of
Middle Jurassic age. These comprise sandstone and
siltstone (lithofacies 5–10), with numerous marine microand macrofossils and coal fragments. We interpret the
lowermost, stratified unit in the Stabbfjorden Basin to
represent marine sediments deposited on a shallow shelf in
Middle Jurassic times. The sedimentation may have been
interrupted by pulses of coastal and/or continental deposition. Proximity to such an environment is suggested by the
high number of coal fragments in many of the shallow
marine sediment samples. The northwestward prograding
sequence in the upper part of the unit probably reflects
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Fig. 7. Photographs of erratic blocks showing examples of lithofacies 1–13. See Table 2 for description of lithofacies and ages. The pictures are
approximately 4 8 and 4 4 cm of the samples.
building out of a coastline or a delta system during a
relative sea-level fall.
The prograding sequence is transgressed by a middle
unit, which we interpret to be deposited in a marine
environment following a relative sea-level rise. We interpret
this homogeneous unit, with weak, continuous, high-
amplitude reflectors to represent mainly fine-grained
sediments (lithofacies 4–9) deposited in late Middle
Jurassic–Early Late Jurassic times.
The uppermost unit in the Stabbfjorden Basin was
probably deposited in a shallow-marine, near-coast environment in the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous, following a
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Fig. 8. Ice transport directions superimposed on regional bathymetry in the Træna–Stabbfjorden area. Blue arrows: directions derived from swath
bathymetry; white arrows: directions derived from regional bathymetry.
Fig. 9. Micrograph of poorly sorted, medium-grained subarkosic to arkosic sandstone of Bathonian to Callovian age. White grains are quartz; white
grains with abundant small brown specks are K-feldspar; the elongate brown grain to the left is a biotite flake. All pores are filled by calcite cement.
Sample Rorstabben 12.
relative sea-level fall. This unit is probably represented by
sandstones of Volgian–Ryazanian (lithofacies 8) and Early
Cretaceous age (lithofacies 2). A mudstone sample of
Valanginian–Hauterivan age from Grønna (lithofacies 3) is
probably also derived from the Stabbfjorden Basin (uppermost part of the succession). The conglomerates of
lithofacies 1 possibly reflect faulting and rejuvenation of
the hinterland in the Barremian.
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Table 2
Modal analyses of thin sections of erratic sedimentary blocks
Sample
Age
Rorstabben 3
?Bajoc.–?Callov.
Rorstabben 5
Volgian
Rorstabben 12
Bathon.–Callov.
Grønna 1
Barremian
Grønna 18
(upper) Bathon.
Quartz clasts
K-feldspar clasts
Plagioclase clasts
Muscovite clasts
Biotite clasts
Chlorite clasts
Heavy minerals
Plant fragments
Clay clasts
Glauconitic clasts
Schist/phyllite clasts
Brachiopod fragments
Detrital clay matrix
K-feldspar overgrowths
Authigenic kaolin
Siderite cement
Calcite cement
Pyrite cement
Hematite cement
Porosity, primary
Porosity, dissolution
Grain size (mm)
Sorting (mm)
19.3
2.3
0.3
2.3
25.7
–
0.3
0.7
0.3
trace
–
1.3
trace
–
–
–
47.0
0.3
trace
–
–
0.210
0.132
46.7
10.7
0.3
0.7
1.3
–
trace
–
0.7
–
–
2.0
–
0.3
–
–
37.0
0.3
trace
–
–
0.756
0.771
40.0
17.3
0.3
3.7
2.7
trace
0.3
–
0.3
trace
–
–
–
1.7
–
trace
32.7
trace
0.7
0.3
–
0.333
0.127
38.0
19.0
3.0
2.3
1.3
trace
0.3
trace
–
trace
1.3
trace
–
–
0.7
–
33.7
–
–
–
0.3
1.733
1.492
25.0
7.7
2.7
1.3
2.0
–
0.3
3.0
0.3
3.7
–
trace
1.3
–
–
2.3
43.0
7.3
–
–
–
1.037
1.103
Grain size is the average long axis measurement for 30 grains per thin-section. Sorting is the standard deviation of these measurements.
Fig. 10. Micrograph of coarse-grained, poorly sorted subarkosic sandstone of Volgian age. White grains are quartz and in some cases K-feldspar,
a brownish brachiopod fragment is present in the upper right corner. All pores are filled by calcite cement. Sample Rorstabben 5.
Palaeogeographical maps for the Middle Jurassic show
the Stabbfjorden area located close to the boundary
between coastal/shallow-marine conditions, with deposi-
tion of predominantly sandstones in the north, and
shallow-marine conditions, with deposition of more finegrained sediments in the Helgeland Basin, in the south
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Fig. 11. Micrograph of very coarse-grained, poorly sorted arkosic sandstone of Barremian age. White grains are quartz and feldspar, K-feldspar
typically contains brownish specks, and a plagioclase grain to the upper right contains parallel cleavage traces. All pores are filled by calcite cement.
Sample Grønna 1.
(Fig. 12). Brekke et al. (2001) interpreted the source areas
for these sediments to be uplifted domes in southern
Norway, in the present Møre and Vøring Basins, and
between northern Norway (Troms/Finnmark) and Greenland. This is a speculative model as the palaeogeography
depends very much on how tightly one closes the
Norwegian-Greenland Sea. In principle, one can place
Norway very close to Greenland without violating existing
reconstruction constraints, removing the need for a landmass in the middle. However, domes may have been an
early expression of the volcanic activity and rifting to come
later in the Jurassic, Cretaceous and Tertiary, and the
connection between the ocean areas in the Norwegian Sea
and the ocean areas farther north may have been closed
due to doming, in the Middle Jurassic. This has also been
suggested by other authors, e.g. Dalland (1981), Larsen
(1987), Doré (1992), Brekke et al. (1999) and Brekke
(2000). The interpretation is supported by data from
Andøya, which show that in the Bajocian–Bathonian, a
delta was supplied with sediments from the west, north and
east (Dalland, 1981). Further southwest, in Vesterålen,
shallow marine deposits from the Bathonian–Callovian
occur in the Sortlandsundet Basin (Davidsen et al., 2001).
These can be correlated both in age and depositional
environment with the deposits in the Stabbfjorden
Basin. Shallow-marine deposition possibly also prevailed
in the Vestfjorden area, between Sortlandsundet and
Stabbfjorden.
In 1960, belemnites of Jurassic–Cretaceous age were
found on land close to the Svartisen glacier (Grønlie, 1973).
Fig. 12. Palaeogeographic reconstruction for the Middle Jurassic (Bajocian). According to this map, the Træna area was located in a more
basinal position than Stabbfjorden, in the Middle Jurassic. Modified from
Brekke et al. (2001) and Johannesen and Nøttvedt (2006).
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247
Fig. 13. Generalized time and lithostratigraphic section from the Halten Terrace to the Trænabanken area (modified from Blystad et al. (1995). The
interpreted stratigraphic distribution of samples from the Stabbfjorden and Lyngværfjorden basins are shown in gray. Dots indicate sand and
conglomerate.
The fossils were found in moraine deposits in front of
Østerdalsisen (Fig. 2), but it has been claimed that they
were also found in rock outcrops. The exact locality of the
finds was never reported. Grønlie (1973) concluded that if
Østerdalsisen eroded the fossils, there is a possibility that
rocks of Jurassic–Cretaceous age may occur beneath larger
parts of Svartisen. In addition, Grønlie (1973) referred to
the late commissioner of mines K.L. Bøckman in Nordland, who claimed that Mesozoic belemnites and ammonites were found during construction works in Glomfjord,
east of the Stabbfjorden Basin, in 1909. If these reports are
correct, it implies that Jurassic and possibly Cretaceous
sediments were deposited far eastwards in Nordland and
possibly into Sweden. Also Brekke et al. (2001) suggested
that there was a connection between the Norwegian Sea
and the Barents Sea via an open seaway eastwards and
northwards through Sweden and Finland, in the Middle
Jurassic (Fig. 12).
The Middle Jurassic deposits in the Stabbfjorden Basin
can be correlated in age and depositional environment with
similar shallow marine and coastal deposits farther south
along the coasts of Nordland and Mid-Norway (Bugge
et al., 1984; Bøe and Bjerkli, 1989; Bøe, 1991; Smelror et
al., 1994; Gustavson and Bugge, 1995; Bøe and Skilbrei,
1998; Sommaruga and Bøe, 2002). Erratic blocks and drill
cores show that these sediments comprise alternating
shallow-marine, coastal and continental deposits, and that
they are generally coarse grained. Several of the authors
have correlated the Middle Jurassic deposits along the
coast with the Garn Formation (Bajocian–Bathonian) in
the Haltenbanken area (Fig. 13). This formation was
deposited by prograding braided delta lobes, and deltafront and delta-top facies with active fluvial and waveinfluenced processes are recognized (Dalland et al., 1988).
The composition of the three Middle Jurassic samples
from Rorstabben and Grønna are quite similar to the
composition of the Middle Jurassic Garn and Ile Formations in the Halten and Dønna Terraces (Figs. 1 and 13),
although K-feldspar contents are somewhat higher than
what is normal in the Garn and Ile Formations. The heavy
mineral suites in the Garn and Ile Formations also
typically include monazite and some spinels and apatite,
although the limited number of thin-sections available
from the Stabbfjorden Basin makes comparison of the
heavy mineral suites difficult.
It is possible that the prograding interval in the upper
part of unit 1 in the Stabbfjorden Basin (and possibly also
the underlying succession) can be correlated with the Garn
Formation, whereas the sediments in the lower part of unit
2 can be correlated with the fine-grained Melke Formation
(Bajocian–Oxfordian) in the Norwegian Sea (Fig. 13). It
should be noted, however, that the Garn Formation is
absent in the Trænabanken area (Fig. 8) (Dalland et al.,
1988), and that it may be discontinuously developed along
the palaeo-coastline.
In the Late Jurassic, areas subjected to rifting subsided.
At the same time there was a sea-level rise. This caused
deposition of steadily more fine-grained sediments in
shallow-marine and deep-marine environments farther
offshore. Organic-rich clays (Spekk Formation) (Fig. 13)
were deposited over large parts of the mid-Norwegian
margin, but have not been found in the Stabbfjorden area.
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R. Bøe et al. / Marine and Petroleum Geology 25 (2008) 235–253
Fig. 14. Palaeogeographic reconstruction for the Late Jurassic (Oxfordian–Kimmeridgian). According to this map, the Træna area was located
slightly farther offshore than Stabbfjorden in the Late Jurassic. Modified
from Brekke et al. (2001) and Nøttvedt and Johannesen (2006).
The occurrence of very dark grey siltstones and mudstones
of Early Oxfordian to Early Volgian age (lithofacies 4)
suggests that Stabbfjorden was a deposition area for
shallow marine, fine-grained, clay-rich and carbonaceous
sediments in the Late Jurassic, as also suggested by Brekke
et al. (2001) (Fig. 14). The coarse clastics of Volgian to
Early Ryazanian age (lithofacies 8) may reflect a sea-level
fall in the Volgian (Dalland et al., 1988). This, along with
crustal movements, caused coarse-grained sediments to be
deposited on submarine fans along fault blocks, and
coastal progradation with deposition of coarse-grained
material in shallow-marine and deltaic settings.
The Ternholmfjorden/Stabbfjorden area may have
experienced rapid lateral shifts in depositional environment. Brekke et al. (2001) indicated a zone of coastal/
shallow-marine deposition east of the Stabbfjorden Basin,
along the border of Fennoscandia (Fig. 14). To the
southwest, the northeastern part of the Nordland Ridge
experienced subaerial erosion, and crustal movements
probably caused changing depositional environments along
the ridge. One example is the shallow marine sanddominated Rogn Formation, which has a restricted
distribution both in space and time (Fig. 13).
The Ryazanian low-stand was followed by a renewed
sea-level rise to an intermediate maximum in the Barremian
(Brekke et al., 2001). The Early Neocomian was still
dominated by emergent structural highs and platform
areas, and the Ryazanian erosional unconformity on top of
the carbonaceous marine shales is widespread (Vollset and
Doré, 1984; Dalland et al., 1988; Surlyk, 1990; Smelror
et al., 1998, 2001). In Ryazanian through Hauterivan times,
deep basinal areas continued to develop by subsidence
along the rift axis, e.g. the Vøring Basin. Shallow basins
within the platform areas, such as the Helgeland Basin
(Fig. 1), accumulated lime-rich open marine mudstones
and shales (Brekke et al., 2001). A carbonaceous mudstone
of Valanginian–Hauterivan age from Grønna (Table 1,
Fig. 7) may be representative for the sediments deposited
during this time interval, but we are not able to identify
seismic units of Cretaceous age in the seismic data.
The increasing sea-level that led to widespread shale and
marl deposition in platform areas and in starved distal
deeps was interrupted by a sea-level drop in the Barremian
(Brekke et al., 2001). This gave time to renewed delta
progradation from the transgressed land areas, e.g. the
Wealden paralics in southern England (Doré, 1991),
the Nordelva Member on Andøya (Dalland, 1981) and the
Helvetiafjellet Formation on Svalbard (Nemec et al., 1988)
before a new pulse of regional transgression continued into
the Aptian. Two conglomerate samples of Barremian age
from Grønna and Rorstabben (Table 1, Fig. 7) are
interpreted to reflect the sea-level drop. The investigated
Barremian sample from Grønna (Table 2) is similar in
texture and composition to the Lower to Upper Cretaceous
Lange Formation in well 6610/3-1R located 100 km west of
the Stabbfjorden Basin although the Lange Formation tends
to have a higher ratio of plagioclase to K-feldspar.
5.2. Lyngværfjorden Basin and Træna area
Samples from Træna range in age from Early Oxfordian
to Triassic. The sedimentary facies of the Middle-Upper
Jurassic samples suggest a depositional environment
similar to that in the Stabbfjorden Basin (marginalmarine/shallow-marine conditions).
A Middle Permian tectonic event led to establishment of
a seaway southward between Greenland and Norway from
the Barents Sea (Doré, 1991). Following this event, there
was a change from continental to marine conditions off
Mid-Norway. A 750 m-thick succession of Upper Permian–Lower Triassic (Ufimian–Griesbachian) marine clastic sediments has been drilled south of Træna (Bugge et al.,
2002). Another marine transgression from the north
occurred in the Ladinian–Carnian (Jacobsen and van
Veen, 1984). Triassic bioclastic sandstone found on Selvær
(Table 1, lithofacies 11) was probably deposited during one
of these transgressions. The sample probably derives from
the seabed of Trænfjorden or Lyngværfjorden. Two other
samples from Selvær may be Triassic as well, but their age
could not be determined from microfossils. One sample did
not contain identifiable palynomorphs, whereas the other
contained abundant fungal remains of terrestrial origin
(Table 1, lithofacies 12 and 13). Provided that these two
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samples are Triassic, the eastern part of Trænfjorden/
southern Lyngværfjorden may have been in a continental
setting during their deposition. The source for the
Permian–Triassic sediments in the Træna area was
probably Upper Devonian–Lower Permian sandstones to
the east (Bugge et al., 2002).
6. Structural development
The sedimentary strata in Stabbfjorden/Ternholmfjorden occur in a downfaulted basin with boundaries defined
by normal faults and primary depositional contacts
(Fig. 3). In the southwest, the basin is cut by several faults
and is structurally complex. The northeastern part is a
simple half graben.
Two major faults define the southeastern boundary of
the Stabbfjorden Basin. The southwesternmost fault is ca.
8 km long, and passes Moholmen at a distance of 600 m.
Northwest of Varkgard, there is a right-lateral, en-echelon
offset of ca. 1 km, and another fault continues northeastwards for more than 20 km (Fig. 3). The layering of the
sedimentary succession dips into the fault planes (towards
the southeast) at angles up to 211. The sedimentary
succession displays no signs of growth faulting. At the
offset between the two faults there is a depositional contact
where the layering of the succession dips up to 261 in
northerly and northwesterly directions.
South of Ternholman, the northwestern boundary of the
basin is defined by a ca. 9 km long, curved fault with downthrow towards the south. The fault passes Kallsholmen at a
distance of only 100–200 m. The layering in the sedimentary succession is almost horizontal along the fault, but a
weakly developed syncline can be traced for 2–3 km in
E-W-direction south of Kallsholmen.
The western boundary of the basin is a primary
unconformity. The basement appears to be relatively
shallow in central Ternholmfjorden, where an ENEtrending anticline with normal faults along its limbs has
been defined. East of Ternholman, the northwestern
boundary of the Stabbfjorden Basin is a primary unconformity. The contact between sedimentary rocks and
basement rocks is well expressed in the seismic data; at
Rorstabben the sedimentary rocks occur at a distance of
only 200 m from the skerries. Along the contact, the
sedimentary strata locally dip up to 371 towards the
southeast.
West of Ternholman, the southeastern boundary of the
Vestfjorden Basin is offset by several normal faults, and
synclines and anticlines occur in the sedimentary succession
(Fig. 3). A 2.5 km wide area of basement rocks separates
the Stabbfjorden Basin from the Vestfjorden Basin.
Between Grønna and Ternholman, sedimentary rocks
occur in an east-west-trending syncline, and a possible
continuation of the sedimentary rock succession is indicated towards the northeast (Fig. 3).
The structure of the Lyngværfjorden Basin is complex,
with sudden lateral changes of strike and dip and many
249
small faults displacing the layering. The southeastern and
northeastern boundaries of the basin are primary depositional contacts, where the bedding generally dips into the
basin at angles up to 151. A major fault defines the
northwestern/western boundary of the basin. Within the
basin, several small faults and synclines strike NE–SW.
A phase of extension, with the main movements lasting
from Late Oxfordian–Early Kimmeridgian until Ryazanian–Valanginian times, was initiated in the late Middle
Jurassic (Blystad et al., 1995; Færseth, 1996; Brekke et al.,
2001). Tectonic movements caused a marked rejuvenation
of the topography, and a complicated pattern of tectonic
highs and lows at various scales developed. One of the
highs is the Nordland Ridge, which reaches southwestwards from the Ternholman/Grønna area (Figs. 1 and 14).
It is probable that the boundary faults of the Stabbfjorden
Basin, the large faults northwest of Ternholman, and the
Grønna fault north of Grønna (Olesen et al., 2002), which
are all sub-parallel to the Nordland Ridge, originated
during this tectonic phase. We have found no evidence for
growth faulting in the successions in the Stabbfjorden and
Lyngværfjorden Basins. The strata are thus considered as
predominantly pre-rift, with downfaulting occurring after
deposition.
Træna is located south of the northeastward continuation of the Nordland Ridge (Figs. 1 and 13). Some of the
faults mapped by IKU (1995) in southern Trænfjorden
trend sub-parallel to the northeastward continuation of the
Ylvingen Fault Zone on the Trøndelag Platform. This fault
zone is of Late Jurassic to Early Cretacous age (Blystad et
al., 1995). In their seismic profiles, Bugge et al. (2002) show
that several of the NE-trending faults south of Træna were
active during deposition of the Upper Permian–Lower
Triassic succession there.
7. Hydrocarbon potential
The maturity of organic material was determined by
measuring vitrinite reflectance on representative samples
from Rorstabben, Grønna, Selvær and Kallsholmen. The
average maturity of the samples with highest confidence
level is ca. 0.35% Ro. Thus, the organic material is
classified as immature.
Maturity is dependent on time and temperature, whereas
temperature is dependent on depth and temperature
gradient. Maturity is not reversible, and thus expresses
maximum maturity reached by the rock sample during its
temperature and depth history. Without a maturity profile
of the stratigraphic section from where the samples
originate and knowledge of the temperature gradient in
the area, the burial history of the samples remains
unknown. However, if we compare with near-by areas on
the Mid-Norwegian shelf, a maturity of 0.35% Ro is
reached at ca. 2000 m. Organic matter maturation in erratic
blocks from Beitstadfjorden (Fig. 1) suggests a burial depth
from 1.8 to 2.3 km (Weisz, 1992). Similar burial depths are
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also inferred from Jurassic basins in Sortlandsundet
(Davidsen et al., 2001) and in Frohavet (Gran, 1990).
The average age of the samples with the most confident
measurements is ca. 160 million years (ranging from
150–170 million years). From the time of maximum burial,
the sedimentary rocks at the present seabed must have been
through a several million-year long period of uplift and
erosion, and it probably also took several million years for
the rocks to reach their maximum burial depth. This
implies that the effective time the rocks have been near
maximum burial depth has to be much shorter than 160
million years. A diagram published by Stach et al. (1982)
shows that a maximum temperature of 50 1C (1.4 km burial
depth with a temperature gradient of 35 1C/km) over an
effective time period of 6 million years is enough to reach a
maturity of 0.35% Ro. At a maximum temperature of
40 1C, this maturity will be reached within 10–12 million
years. At such low values for Ro as 0.35 there are many
uncertainties in the calculations, but the vitrinite reflectance data show that the strata have never been mature
enough to generate hydrocarbons.
The types and volumes of diagenetic minerals present in
a sandstone sample may often aid in estimating the
temperatures the sample has been subjected too. However,
in the present case, filling of all pores by calcite cement has
prevented the precipitation of any later diagenetic phases in
the studied samples, making interpretation of temperature
history difficult. All the diagenetic cements present in the
samples, i.e. calcite, siderite, K-feldspar, kaolinite and
pyrite, are typically precipitated at shallow to moderate
burial depths on the Norwegian continental shelf. Burial to
depths of 1–1.5 km could therefore easily explain the
occurrence of these diagenetic cements. The fact that the
collected sandstone boulders are all carbonate-cemented,
suggests that the sandstones were not buried deeply enough
for quartz cementation to take place, and that samples
without carbonate cement therefore did not survive glacial
erosion. Quartz cementation starts at 70–80 1C on the
Norwegian continental shelf (Ehrenberg, 1990; Walderhaug, 1994), and it therefore seems unlikely that the
sediments of the Stabbfjorden Basin reached temperatures
higher than this.
From a correlation between offshore geology and
onshore morphological elements, analysis of weathering
surfaces, and apatite fission track analysis Riis (1996)
suggested that the enveloping summit level of Scandinavia
originated as a peneplain in the Jurassic. By Bajocian/
Bathonian times, the parts of mid Norway which were
exposed to erosion in the Triassic had been eroded down to
a peneplain close to sea-level, which was exposed to
weathering in a warm and humid climate. These results
seem to agree with fission track results (Rohrman et al.,
1995; Hendriks et al., 2007). While weathering may have
continued until the mid Creataceous in southern and
central Scandinavia and on structural highs offshore, the
coastal areas of Norway were buried by sediments during
the remaining part of the Jurassic and the Early Creatac-
eous. Maturity and diagenetic minerals in samples from
the Stabbfjorden Basin indicate less than 2 km burial.
A sediment thickness of 2 km in the Stabbfjorden area
might indicate that the strata continued far eastwards into
Sweden as suggested above.
Following burial, the sedimentary succession was uplifted and eroded. From the maps presented by Riis (1996)
it can be estimated that the Stabbfjorden area was uplifted
ca. 500 m in the Late Cretaceous and Paleogene and ca.
800 m in the Neogene (mainly Pliocene and Pleistocene).
Riis (1996) proposed that maximum burial of the basins in
Beitstadfjorden, Frohavet and Andøya occurred in the
Eocene, and that most of the erosion took place during the
Pliocene–Pleistocene glaciations. This model may also
apply for the Stabbfjorden Basin.
Shallow gas occurs in Quaternary mud along the
margins of Vestfjorden, northwest of Ternholman. Common features are blanking of the boomer data due to a high
content of free gas in the sediments, gas chimneys, and
enhanced/bright reflectors caused by trapping of gas
between sand, silt and clay layers (Fig. 15). Also pockmarks occur in this area. Shallow gas is most abundant in
the lowermost part of the Quaternary succession, immediately above the bedrock surface, and in most cases the gas
occurs above sedimentary bedrock. These observations
suggest that the gas is of thermogenic origin, and that it
originates from mature sedimentary strata in Vestfjorden.
Thermogenic gas may indicate leaking hydrocarbon
accumulations in the subsurface. Where gas occurs in
Quaternary sediments above basement rocks, it might have
migrated laterally along the bedrock–sediment interface
before rising into the Quaternary succession.
8. Conclusions
Seismic data acquisition and erratic block sampling
along the Nordland coast has resulted in the discovery of
two sedimentary basins of Mesozoic age:
The NE-trending Stabbfjorden Basin west of Meløya is
a 28 km long and 3–10 km-wide half graben with an up
to 800 m thick, dipping sedimentary succession. Two
faults, 8 km and 420 km long, occur along the southeastern boundary of the half graben. The northwestern
boundary is defined by a 9 km-long fault, while further
east, the northwestern boundary is a primary unconformity. The sedimentary rocks of the half graben locally
occur only 100–200 m from the nearest skerries.
The Lyngværfjorden Basin northeast of Træna is
elongated in NNE direction. Its length is about 12 km,
whereas its width is up to 3 km and depth possibly more
than 350 m. The structural pattern of the basin is
complex, with rapid lateral changes of strike and dip
and many small faults displacing the layering.
Ice-transported erratic blocks found on nearby islands
and skerries, along the transport direction of the lateglacial ice-streams, comprise conglomerates, sandstones,
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251
Fig. 15. Seismic profile NGU0304020 exhibiting shallow gas in stratified Quaternary sediments. Upper panel: boomer record, filtered at 600–3000 Hz, with
clear indications of shallow gas in the Quaternary succession. Lower panel: sleevegun record, filtered at 100–600 Hz, showing the presence of layered,
sedimentary bedrock below shallow gas occurrences. See Fig. 3 for location of the seismic line.
siltstones, and mudstones with numerous shells and coal
fragments. Microfossil analyses show that they range in
age from Barremian to Triassic, although the majority is
of Middle-Late Jurassic age. The majority of the
samples reflect shallow-marine conditions and the
lithofacies can be correlated with the well-known
tectonic phases and sea-level changes that have been
reported for the Middle Jurassic–Early Cretaceous
offshore Nordland. The strata show now signs of syndepositional faulting, and the successions are thus
interpreted as mainly pre-rift.
Thin-section analysis shows that the samples of Middle
Jurassic sandstone have a composition quite similar to
sandstones of the same age in the Halten-Dønna area,
although the erratic blocks often have higher feldspar
contents. Barremian sandstone from the Stabbfjorden
Basin has a composition and texture similar to the
Cretaceous Lange Formation in well 6610/3-1R 100 km
west of the Stabbfjorden Basin.
The maturity of organic material determined from
vitrinite reflectance shows that it can be classified as
immature. The diagenetic minerals in the sandstone
samples together with the lack of quartz-cementation is
also consistent with shallow burial (probably o2 km),
and it can be concluded that the Stabbfjorden and
Lyngværfjorden Basins have no exploration potential.
However, shallow gas in Quaternary mud along the
margin of the nearby Vestfjorden Basin is probably of
thermogenic origin.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank BP, Shell, Statoil and NGU for
financial support to the project ‘‘The recycling of an
orogen: provenance and routing of detritus from Norway
to the Mid-Norwegian margin’’ and for permission to
publish these results. Erik Lundin and Håkon Fossen are
thanked for constructive comments to the manuscript.
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