150 FRIDTJOF NANSFN. M.-N. KI. 



South of I l();;l)r,'ila'n, ami far oui lo s<a, in ahout 65" 12' X. l-at. and 

 I 1" I"". Lon,!4-., is an isolalc-(| plaicau with the small island-j^roup Sklinna 

 which is huill U]; of -granite. 'The islands arc- soinc-what scattered as is 

 <^cncrall\- the case on j^M"anitc plateaus, hut on the outer s'juthwestern, 

 western, .and northwestern side of the islands tlie surface of the plateau 

 is very le\el. foiminj;- a horizontal plane sf^me few metres below the sea- 

 surface with a shariilx defined outer ed.s^e and very steep outer side 

 slopes descendin^j;- abruptly to depths of uKjre than 300 metres. This is more 

 like the typical features of plateaus of mica-schist or lirnestone. But on 

 the inner side of the islands, towards northeast, cast, southeast, and south, 

 the plateau has a more typical slopin«^- i^Tanite surface, with ^^-reater depths 

 and with no definite horizontal plane, and no sharply marked edge. 



d"he i^lateau of Hnrta, east of Sklinna, in about 65° 12'X.Lat. and 

 1 1" 25' JL. Lonj^-., is Iniilt up of g-abbro containing a great deal of carbo- 

 nate of lime. Tts submergefl surface is extremely level forming a hori- 

 zontal plane a few metres below the sea-surface with a very sharply 

 defined c(\<f;Q at tlie same depth, and with a great number of low small 

 islands, skerries, and rocks scattered over its whole area. 



7\s was mentioned on p. 128, the island-group of X'ikten built up of 

 granite, and extending far into the open sea, is surrounded on its outer 

 sides by broad submerged platform, exhibiting an almost horizontal 

 plane only a few metres below the sea-surface, with no appreciable 

 seaward slope, and with a sharply defined outer edge at about the same 

 depth, or at least at depths less than 10 metres. The surface of this 

 plateau is, however, less level and more dissected by clianncls and depres- 

 sions than the very level surface of c. g. the Hysvær Plateau l)uilt up of 

 mica-schist. 



As a result of the above cursory investigation (jf the relation between 

 the surface topography of the submerged plateaus and their geological 

 structure we may establish the following general rules: 



The typical plateaus built uj) of granite (and also of gneiss) have an 

 uneven surface, the islands on them are Iving scattered, tlieir surfaces are 

 much dissected by channels and depressions, and their depths vary much 

 and are often comparatively great. Their surfaces slope outwards, with 

 no well-marked edge, and often the sea outside is not very deep and has 

 an outward sloping bottom, wdth no very deep cliannels or hollows, and 

 there is no very sharp difference between the sloping bottom of the 

 shallow parts of this sea and the submerged plateaus of the strandfiat. 



The typical plateaus built up of mica-scliist or limestone (or similar 

 less resistant rocks) have a very different surface topography. The is- 

 lands on them are flat and lying close together, onlv separated bv narrow 

 and shallow sounds. The submerged surface is very level with small 

 depths, forming a horizontal plane near present sea-level or only some 

 few metres below it, and the outer edges are sharply defined at about 



