Reconnaissance geochemical mapping of Kronprins Christian Land and Mylius Erichsen Land (79°40' to 81°20'N, 14° to 28°W), eastern North Greenland

Geochemical sampling of stream sediment and water collected at a density of 1 sample per ~ 66 km² has been carried out over the northernmost parts of the Caledonian fold belt and its foreland in eastern North Greenland. The <0.1 mm fractions of the sediment samples were analysed by X-ray fluorescence, instrumental neutron activation and inductively coupled plasma emission techniques, and are reported for 37 major and trace elements together with conductivity and fluoride contents of stream water samples. The element distributions largely reflect compositions of drained bedrock lithologies, except for a 30-40 km wide belt along the margin of the Inland Ice characterised by low, flat topography and very high SiO₂ contents in the stream silt samples. The fine-grained sediment in this belt is dominated by quartz sand and silt deposited on the platform by Quaternary to recent glacio-fluvial and aeolian processes. The high content of exotic clastic quartz depresses the true geochemical signature of the underlying lithologies. The element distribution patterns suggest possibilities for Cr and Ni mineralisation associated with voluminous Middle Proterozoic basic igneous rocks in parts of their outcrop area and base metal enriched Late Proterozoic shales in Caledonian nappes in the northeastern parts of the investigated region.