76 MARION EXPEDITION TO DAVIS STRAIT AND BAFFIN BAY 



partially made up of sediments up to 1,000 meters thick, consisting largely of 

 sandstones and sliales. If limestones are present here, they form at any rate, 

 only quite subordinate beds and are highly arenaceous. As far as I remember, 

 limestone is not mentioned in the literature concerning this region. The age of 

 the sediments is late Cretaceous to lower Tertiary (mostly Senonian, Paleocene, 

 and Eocene, with plant beds). 



Along the stretch between Cape York and the Humboldt Glacier we find 

 sediments more than 1,000 meters thick, consisting of conglomerates and sand- 

 stone, greywacke, and dolomite (Thule formation, age late pre-Cambrian ) , 

 but it is characteristic of this formation that it contains no limestone what- 

 ever, only dolomite. On Inglefield Land south of Humbolt Glacier we find 

 in two places within the sandstone series of the Thule formation, thin beds 

 with traces of lime, but here the Thule formation is overlain by 2O0 to 300 

 meters of limestone (age lower Middle Cambrian and Ozarkian). 



North of Humboldt Glacier, the greater part of Washington Land and the 

 southern part of Hall Land consist of limestone (age Cambrian up to and 

 including Silurian) ; the thickness is at least 800 meters. 



On crossing to Baflin Land, which I do not know personally, we find around 

 the southern lakes west of Frobisher Bay extensive, but probably very thin 

 beds of limestone, presumably of Ordovician age. The Danish " Godthaab " 

 expedition in 1928 went ashore for a few hours on the east coast of Baflin 

 Land, as far as I remember in about 67° North latitude, and from this place 

 brought back some few sediments, which, as far as I recollect, consisted mostly 

 of shales, but also, I think, contained some limestone. In the northern part 

 of Baffin Land sediments likewise occur, chiefly sandstone (Tertiary), and 

 farther toward the interior of Lancaster Sound we find the old localities with 

 Ordovician and Silurian limestone. North Devon is very little known, but 

 on the west side sediments probably occur. As is well known, Schey found 

 limestone, representing several of the Paleozoic formations, in Jones Sound. 



As you will see, it seems quite impossible that the limestone on the bottom 

 of Davis Strait has come from west Greenland. A transport of limestone from 

 Kane Basin during the maximum of the glacial epoch is not quite improbable. 

 There is no doubt that the entire eastern part of Kane Basin has been built 

 up of Cambrian and Ozarkian intraformational limestone, and that these for- 

 mations, because of their softness, have been removed by erosion. On Carey 

 Islands in Smith Sound, which are exclusively made up of gneiss, I have 

 found loose blocks of dolomite, but they must have been transported by 

 glaciers or icebergs. 



As to conditions along the west side of Bafl5n Bay and Davis Strait I must 

 speak with the greatest caution. It is possible that the older Paleozoic beds 

 formerly may have had a far wider distribution on Baflin Land, fi'om which 

 they have been removed and during Pleistocene time transported by glaciers 

 into Davis Strait. Recently, however, it has been pointed out, no doubt rightly, 

 by an Indian geologist, that as a rule glaciers do not carr.v morainic material 

 very far. In this connection we may consider the formation of the Newfound- 

 land Banks. It seems not easy to explain that the material of which the New- 

 foundland Banks consist was transported by icebergs all the way from Disko 

 Bay. Experience seems to show that icebergs rather soon discharge the mo- 

 rainic material they ma.v contain. Usually morainic debris occi;rs either on 

 top of the bergs or in the form of very marked stripes in the bergs. These 

 bands naturally form weak points, and when warmed by the sun appear as 

 furrows and cause the bergs to split along these stripes. 



It is doubtless quite right that morainic material is not transported very 

 far by icebergs. But there may be other explanations. I do not know how it 

 sounds in American ears that Baflin Bay might represent a subsided area, in 

 other words that the area of Baflin Bay has once been a land area. In Stratig- 

 raphy of Greenland I have pointed out that in my opinion there are slight indi- 

 cations of a geosyncline in the present area of Davis Strait. In this connection 

 I may mention the rather deeply subsided late Algonkian sediments both near 

 Cape Farewell and in the Cape York district, as well as possibly in the vicinity 

 of Disko Bay. But the development of the geosyncline in Davis Strait seems 

 not to have continued. 



I am afraid it will be very diflicult to explain the presence of these large 

 quantities of pure limestone on the bottom of Davis Strait. That they should 



