410 Frof. Nordensliibld — Expedition fo Greenland. 



]}art}j to more southern forms. As the collection of materials for 

 forming a judgment relative to the changes in the climate of the 

 polar regions was one of the principal objects of the purely scientific 

 part of our expedition, it was natural that we should T^ay especial 

 attention to these circumstances. 



Older glaciaP fossils occur in N. G-reenland in two different forma- 

 tions, namely, either imbedded in clay (the layers south of Waigat), 

 or else at Pattorfik in a somewhat hardened basalt sand in course of 

 transformation to basalt tufa. The material of the clay-beds has 

 evidently been deposited by the glacier rivers whose muddy water 

 everywhere bursts out from under the inland ice, but in general the 

 deposits are sea-formations, i.e. they have been deposited under the 

 level of the sea, which proves that these regions, in the course of 

 the present glacial period, have been elevated at least 100 feet. The 

 Danes, on the other hand, who have long resided in Greenland, 

 declare most decidedly that a depression is now taking place in most 

 parts of the country. Herr iCinar Hansen, who has for 19 years 

 lived in the colony of Omenak, says that even in that short period 

 he has clearly seen this ; and it is still more evident when we com- 

 pare the present sea-level with the statements left by Herr Hansen's 

 predecessor relative to its height 60 years ago. The situation of the 

 blubber house at Fredrickshaab, as well as many other observations 

 in South Greenland, shows the same. At Godhavn, in Disko, on the 

 contrary, a rise is .said to be taking place. It would be an important 

 service if these circumstances, to which attention has been called by 

 Pingel, Brown, and others, were fully investigated by an accurate 

 and critical collection of all data relating to. the subject ; as also by 

 fixing proper bench-marks in appropriate spots among the skerries 

 along the coast of Greenland. 



Just as the glacial clay at the present time, covered, with muddy 

 water, is poorly supplied with animal life, so also do these clay layers 

 deposited, in ancient times present but a scanty variety of fossils. 

 In the clay-beds at Auleitsiviksfjord, for example, we could only 

 find a few shells of Saxicava arctica, and in the deep clay-beds of 

 Sarpiursak we at first sought in vain for any remains of animal life. 

 These were, on the contrary, very numerous on the sea- shore itself, 

 partly shells of bivalves still united, inclosing and often inclosed 

 in a hardened mixture of sand and. clay, accordingly genuine fossils, 

 partly flat, often ringshaped claystones, containing remains of Fish, 

 Ophiuree, Crustacese, etc. That fossils should be found there in great 

 numbers is easily understood, for the sea is constantly washing away 

 again a clay bank of 60 feet high, and. in this process of course larger 



1 Of course one finds in many places, at about the level of the sea, modern deposits, 

 with sub-fossil shells, identical with forms now living. From these formations those 

 of which we are now speaking differ, by the great age of these latter, and a very 

 different type of the shell-remains found therein. This is especially the case 

 with the shell-deposits at Pattorfik, which appear to me to belong to the earliest part 

 of the glacial period of Greenland. A very considerable but lately formed bank of 

 shell-earth, with bones of Whales and Walruses alternating with beds of sea-Aveed, 

 occurs at Saitok, at the mouth of Disko-fjord. Unfortunately we had only time 

 to investigate it cursorily. 



