PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF LITHOSTRATIGRAPHIC REVISION OF THE GIPSDALEN AND TEMPELFJORDEN GROUPS (UPPER PALEOZOIC) OF BRØGGERHALVØYA, NW SPITSBERGEN, SVALBARD

Late Palaeozoic strata of Svalbard consist of Billefjorden (Mississippian), Gipsdalen (Pennsylvanian-Early Permian), Tempelfjorden (Early to Late Permian) groups. They occur along the Cenozoic West Spitsbergen Fold Belt, central and northeastern Spitsbergen, and southwestern Nordaustlandet and have been interpreted to be deposited in the tectonic troughs and highs trending north-south or northwest-southeast, in which different stratigraphic schemes have been developed. Recent expeditions to the central and northeastern part of Svalbard detailed the stratigraphy and depositional environments of the Late Palaeozoic strata. The equivalent of the western part, especially Brøggerhavøya, received less attention partly because the Late Palaeozoic strata here experienced significant structural deformation in the Cenozoic, which resulted in dissected and repeated sedimentary sections. There are only handful sedimentological and palaeontological works done in this area. This presentation delivers results of geological expedition to the Brøggerhavøya by Korea Polar Research Institute, aiming setting-up a basic stratigraphic framework of the Late Palaeozoic environments of the area. The youngest date (423 Ma) of the detrital zircon ages from the lowermost Brøggertinden Formation provides the first isotopic age constrain of this area. The detailed re-measuring of the major sections resulted in clearer recognition of formation boundaries between Scheteligfjellet and Wordiekammen formations. Presence of laterally extensive Palaeoaplysina buildup was suggested as a new scheme for dividing Mørebreen and Tyrrellfjellet members, especially when the marker unit (Brucebyen Beds) is absent. The Vøringer Member, the lowermost unit of the Permian Kapp Starostin Formation which consists of limestone with abundant brachiopod fauna, was first discovered in the studied area. These results with incorporation of upcoming fusulinid biostratigraphy will be used to construct a stratigraphic frame of the Brøggerhalvøya and will provide tool for correlation to the other areas. It will help understand depositional environments of the north western part of the Svalbard and their controlling factors in the wider context.