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New occurrence of magnesites in Prins Karls Forland, Svalbard Cover

New occurrence of magnesites in Prins Karls Forland, Svalbard

Mineralogia
Volume 56 (2025): Issue 1 (January 2025)
By: Grzegorz Ziemniak,  Maciej Manecki and  Laura Lis  
Open Access
|Dec 2025

Figures & Tables

Figure 1.

(A) Simplified map of Svalbard. Outlined box shows the location of Figure 1b; (B) Geological map of central Prins Karls Foreland (after Dallmann, 2015). Fig. 2a marked with red rectangle.
(A) Simplified map of Svalbard. Outlined box shows the location of Figure 1b; (B) Geological map of central Prins Karls Foreland (after Dallmann, 2015). Fig. 2a marked with red rectangle.

Figure 2.

(A) Satellite image of the sampling area. Example of carbonate vein rich in siderite marked with yellow arrow. (toposvalbard.no) (B) Outcrop of magnesite in contact with surrounding black marbles and phyllites marked with red dotted line. (C) Close up image of the magnesite outcrop with visible bands of black metachert (marked by arrow). Note multiple dolomite veins crosscutting the vertical foliation within magnesite.
(A) Satellite image of the sampling area. Example of carbonate vein rich in siderite marked with yellow arrow. (toposvalbard.no) (B) Outcrop of magnesite in contact with surrounding black marbles and phyllites marked with red dotted line. (C) Close up image of the magnesite outcrop with visible bands of black metachert (marked by arrow). Note multiple dolomite veins crosscutting the vertical foliation within magnesite.

Figure 3.

(A) Photograph of a sample of the metacarbonate with cherts. Cherts are preserved as horizontal black discontinuous bands and smaller nodules within microcrystalline metacarbonate matrix (B) Mineral composition of the metacarbonate rock based on the XRD pattern.
(A) Photograph of a sample of the metacarbonate with cherts. Cherts are preserved as horizontal black discontinuous bands and smaller nodules within microcrystalline metacarbonate matrix (B) Mineral composition of the metacarbonate rock based on the XRD pattern.

Figure 4.

(A, B) Microphotographs of laminated magnesite rock around a small chert nodule in the centre (red arrow). A stylolite (yellow arrow) oblique to foliation and crosscut by a dolomitic vein is apparent (optical microscopy, A—1N, B—NX). (C) Foliation deflected around chert nodule marked with red arrow (D). Euhedral dolomite crystals embedded in finely crystalline silica of the chert (optical microscopy, NX). (E) Subhedral, zoned magnesites embedded in chert quartz matrix (SEM/BSE image). (F) First generation of dolomitic veins with albite and muscovite present.
(A, B) Microphotographs of laminated magnesite rock around a small chert nodule in the centre (red arrow). A stylolite (yellow arrow) oblique to foliation and crosscut by a dolomitic vein is apparent (optical microscopy, A—1N, B—NX). (C) Foliation deflected around chert nodule marked with red arrow (D). Euhedral dolomite crystals embedded in finely crystalline silica of the chert (optical microscopy, NX). (E) Subhedral, zoned magnesites embedded in chert quartz matrix (SEM/BSE image). (F) First generation of dolomitic veins with albite and muscovite present.

Figure 5.

(A) Aggregates of detritus with biogenic structures (red arrows) (optical microscopy, 1N). (B) Framboidal pyrite embedded in chert. (SEM/BSE image).
(A) Aggregates of detritus with biogenic structures (red arrows) (optical microscopy, 1N). (B) Framboidal pyrite embedded in chert. (SEM/BSE image).

Figure 6.

(A) Second generation dolomite veins (red arrows) crosscutting the first generation albite veins (yellow arrows; optical microscopy, NX). (B) BSE image of the reaction rim around the magnesite grain manifested by elevated Fe content in dolomite (white arrow).
(A) Second generation dolomite veins (red arrows) crosscutting the first generation albite veins (yellow arrows; optical microscopy, NX). (B) BSE image of the reaction rim around the magnesite grain manifested by elevated Fe content in dolomite (white arrow).

Figure 7.

Raman spectrum of carbonaceous matter (top) and its deconvolution (bottom); R2—coefficient of determination, SE, F—area. SE, standard error.
Raman spectrum of carbonaceous matter (top) and its deconvolution (bottom); R2—coefficient of determination, SE, F—area. SE, standard error.

Carbonaceous matter Raman bands positions after decomposition (FWHM)_

BANDCENTREINTENSITYFWHM
D41244.618381
D11349.414280
D31531.219144
G1593.07344
D21615.26333

Representative elemental composition of magnesite rim and core (semi-quantitative SEM/EDS analysis normalized to 100%)_

COMPONENTCORERIM
wt%mol%wt%mol%
CO252515251
MgO47494448
Fe2O310.241
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mipo-2025-0010 | Journal eISSN: 1899-8526 | Journal ISSN: 1899-8291
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Language: English
Page range: 94 - 102
Submitted on: Sep 26, 2025
|
Accepted on: Nov 29, 2025
|
Published on: Dec 31, 2025
Published by: Mineralogical Society of Poland
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 1 issue per year
Keywords:
Regional geology of Svalbard,
Raman geothermometry,
Metacarbonates,
Metacherts,
Microfossils in cherts
Related subjects:
Geosciences,
Geophysics,
Geosciences, other

© 2025 Grzegorz Ziemniak, Maciej Manecki, Laura Lis, published by Mineralogical Society of Poland
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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