NEW PHYSIOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY OF GREENLAND 6i 



Of these I shall first consider the large fiords along the north 

 coast of Greenland. Most of them cut right through the Caledonian 

 folds and may be traced far into the country as deep canyons in 

 the sediments and farther on as pronounced depressions far into the 

 inland ice (Fig. 5) . The fact that even the folded range has been cut 

 through in numerous places favors the theory that these fiords origi- 

 nated long before the glacial period. Petermann Fiord and Sherard 

 Osborne Fiord are both good types of such sedimentary fiords (Fig. 7). 



Fig. 7 



Fig. 8 



A quite different type of fiords is found in the large ice-free 

 area between Egedesminde and Godhavn. These fiords may 

 suitably be called fracture fiords, having originated by the cleavage 

 of the gneiss along its planes of fracture. The best examples are 

 found in the fiords round Holstensborg. The formation of these 

 fiords has been studied by Karnerup/ and it is to be regretted that 

 a work of such genius is only accessible in Danish. 



The last type is given in Fig. 8. It is seen that large fiords are 

 chiefly found in three places, viz. : round the south point of Green- 



^ Meddel. om Gronland, Bd. II. 



