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Kayak adventure in King Oscar Fjord, Amazing geology and beautiful
plants and lichens Gail Ferris www.nkhorizons.com/1993NEGreenlandKingOscarFjord.htm |
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This
journey started from Akureyri |
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our
flight route from |
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We
were limited to 40 lbs each. We used
double Kleppers I brought my own double Aerius II because I wanted to be sure
it was in proper condition.
Kleppers are not just seaworthy and tough but they are the lightest, most portable folding kayaks with the capacity to carry a full compliment of camping gear, food and supplies. |
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Geology in this area is very interesting we start out in sedimentary rock.
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We were in Franz Joseph Land and the view across the way was of sediment layers showing these incredible color layers
93
August 10th, Franz Joseph Land who could believe we would see
purple over grayish white that has been eroding for ages |
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93 August 10th, Franz Joseph Land I think this is Sillamanite but it is a mystery to me and below is a chip off this rock this is a wonderful area hard to believe I found this on Day 1. |
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93 August 10th, Franz Joseph Land I
found this piece of rock lying unweathered on a north facing slope I guess that
it is Sillamanite with zinc that is causing this purple coloration. Sillamanite is a secondary type of
metamorphism this looks like a geode. |
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93
August 10th, Franz Joseph Land even on this small scale where
these rocks are only a few inches in size I found these very interesting
colors to these metamorphosed rocks |
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this is our general route on the first three days |
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I
could not resist taking this close up photo of a varnished rock, I do not
know how many years it has taken to form this coating but it is something
amazing to see. This is a very dry
area. |
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93 August 10th, Franz Joseph Land I very carefully took this photo just to show how drought and wind tolerant this Lesquricula arctica is. To see this in a line drawing is nothing compared to this plant in the wild. The seed pods are one of its most distinguishing characteristics. |
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this
is terribly out of focus but these are an assemblage of micro rock lichens,
the brown one is Licidea silacea athe tiny yellow is Rizocarpon geographicum nd
the blue white is Leucanora chloroleprosa |
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another greatly magnified photo of some very tiny rock lichens showing their amazing range in color. This is considered to be a Cambro-ordivican geological layer Aspicilia coesiocinerea, Xanthoria sp., |
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August 10, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Franz Josef Land
some more crustose lichens, Lecananora chloroleprosa |
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August 10, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Franz Josef Land
very charming combination of Umbilaricia decussate, and crustose orange lichen, Xanthoria with yellow, brown and white Endocarpon pusillium, lichens |
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August 11, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Franz Josef Land
assorted bergs over there and here we are just setting out on our first day paddling you can see one of our Klepper paddles |
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August 11, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Franz Josef Land
this is what is left of the icebergs and ice that had been floating around |
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August 11, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Franz Josef land Here is a close up of a berg that has been melting and shifting its center of gravity as it has been breaking up, the question is where is the next center of gravity going to be? |
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August 12, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Franz Josef Land the next morning and it has snowed over night. The level of these clouds shows the altitude of the dew point shown by the fog indicating the temperature at some an altitude |
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August 12, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Franz Josef Land Oh I guess that it is getting foggy and some rain is coming we have decided not to go any further and just camp out here. We have only just made a few miles but we would rather paddle in the sunshine so that we can see things. |
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a
day later we have made it to |
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precambrian limestone, silt and
sandstone injected with hematite and iron and a sand granite deposit in front
in upper |
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August 12, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Franz Josef
Land I thought this was very interesting. Here we have a piece of metamorphosed sandstone and on top I have put a conglomerate of sandstone or maybe hematite combined with injected minerals probably feldspar and limonite metamorphosed together |
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There they are again, those little creatures, plovers, running back and forth on the beach snatching up bits brought in by the waves |
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August 12, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Franz Josef
Land a wonderful assortment of mudstone, sedimentary, hornblende, biotite, metamorphosed feldspathic and quartzitic rocks |
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Carbonaceous Precambrian coal strata with limestone |
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this was one of those amusing moments when we found a tiny waterfall that was flowing from coal strata above |
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a group of female brown Common eiders with chicks you can always detect them because the adults are always calling the chicks with soft clucking calls to guide and keep them together |
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out of focus but it is lichens again crustose lichens on feldspar Xanthoria with Pannaria hookeri |
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You
cannot see it in this photo because the Narwhal that is coming down |
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Some
more crustose lichens, Xanthoria and Lepraria neglecta |
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Cetraria cucullata and Parmelia omphalodes |
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metamorphosed
minerals Gambro Ordovican
dike |
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crustose lichens Rhizocarpon inarense |
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our
evening campsite showing the eerie glow of the icecap above |
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Now
we have made it around into |
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I
found this plant, Cerastrum alpinum, is
only 2 inches tall with thick hairy leaves |
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August 14, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Eleonor Ø
Blomster bay I
looked inside the remains of house walls and happened to find tucked among
the protection of the stones this fern, Cystopteris fragilis. |
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August 15, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Eleonor Ø,
Blomster Bay Draba subcapitata the smallest most intricate flower I have ever seen it is in the mustard or crucifera family and is hard to believe. It is nestled among Cassiopie tetragonia a wonderful plant for instantly making good hot
cooking fires because it is full of resins that ignite with just a match and
burns very hot. |
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1993
August 15 on Ymers Island NE Greenland Yumers Island
backdrop horizon |
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1993
August 15 on |
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1993
August 15 on |
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August 16, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Blomster bugt A cold
Bumblebee this is a sort of vague photo but this opportunity allowed me to
take such a close up photo because the bumblebee was not going anywhere. Bumblebees are the only bee that can fly in
the arctic only because they are able to warm their muscles. |
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August 16, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Blomster Bugt clouds
in and out the mountains distant I saw this and thought it was quite
interesting to see clouds in the foreground and clear open sunlight over the
mountains in the center |
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fog blows in daily dew point change Blomster Bugt I
watched this fog blow into this bay as if on schedule in the late afternoon |
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general overview from The
ditches are remnants of |
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August 16, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Cytopeteris fragilis Blomster bugt |
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August 16, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Blomster bugt Cystopteris
fragilis fern |
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This innocent moment for me turned out to be a touchy deal. I was just out for an exploratory walk when I spotted this lone Muskox bull I
quickly changed direction to go hide out of sight only to find that the Musk
ox too had also left I Then heard the fleeing creature clattering over the
exfoliated sheets of slate. I looked
out from around the stone to find that the muskox had indeed fled in the
opposite direction, much to my relief. Nobody wants to be chased by a fast moving
musk ox. |
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August 16, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Blomster bugt Rhodendron lapponnicum in the center and to the left Mountain avens
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August 16, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Blomster Bugt Blue
dolomite with pink feldspar injected |
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Leucanora geophola |
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August 16, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Blomster Bugt Devonian
sediments as metamorphosed sand ripples that looked like they had just been
made yesterday |
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Just
a wonderful picture of this Saxifragia aizoides in Blomster Bugt |
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August 16, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Blomster Bugt Rumex acetosella
this is in the well known Dock family, the leaves
are edible, very sour and very high in vitamin A |
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August 16, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Blomster Bugt Woodsia ilvensis a tiny fern as you can see by the presence of the willow above
and to the right side of the plant cluster |
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August 16, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Blomster bugt upended
sedimentary strata south of Blomster bugt |
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very
interesting find for strata that has been metamorphosed, moved and remixed
then remetamorphosed I think it is limestone
impregnated with iron |
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the
view the opposite side has steeper cliffs |
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this is a conglomeration that I put together of lichens that are growing on limestone Parmelia omphalodes and Pannaria hookeri |
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the
one and only photo micrograph I took there |
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this
is hard to believe the tree with rounded serrated edges is a birch tree very
amazing to find birch at 73 N |
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white caps starting off Kirkenes caused by sun angel and air circulation in the late afternoon we have moved down past the peninsula on the left |
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August 19, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Kirkenes area, now it is starting to freeze up as
pans of ice are floating by. |
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August 19, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Kirkenes metamorphosed
gneiss, quartz, feldspar and hornblends who
would believe this |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord sculpture
in Lichens, Cetraria islandica |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord more sculpture in lichens, Bryocaulon divergens |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Erigeron humilis the flower is sitting
on top of the leaves to reduce exposure to the wind not
the hairy thick leaves typical of any arctic drought resistant plant |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Draba crassifolia another in the crucifera/mustard family and it is only 3 inches tall one
of the most universal plants in the |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord here is one of those tiny lichens that only a camera with a macro lens can capture Crustose lichen Problastenia terricola |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord ice
showing daily behind us was the famous landmark called Strindberg alps now we are able to see the outside from here we are just a few miles from Mestervig We
had to get out of there soon because this skim ice is deadly for progress. |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Crustose lichen, Ranodina archaea |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Umbilaricia
lyngei |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Marine fossils, mixed shells |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord a group of pebbles showing everything imaginable from fossils, hornblende, feldspar, dolomite, biotite to quartz with many multi-metamorphosed sedimentary type I
took this photo with water covering them so the colors would show well |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Red
Knots dining together on the tundra |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Eiders
in flight |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord, Strindberg Alps these
mountains are on the east side of Independence Fjord and I am to the west on
King Oscar Fjord some upended strata |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord these mountains have never seen any
glaciation! |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord an arctic butterfly some
type of Skipper |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Arctic
Fritillary |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Armeria maritima |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Diapensia laponica |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord fossil stomatolites
with quartz hornblende in front. |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord ice
showing at night |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Ice
is coming in see the thin skim on the surface |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Leprocaulon subalbicans
and Parmelia omphalodes |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Xanthoria
elegans |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Physconia
detersa |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Umbilarica
rigida |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Parmelia
alpicola on quartz |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Coelocaulon muricatum and Leprocaulon
subalbicans |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Leprocaulon subalbicans |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord Bryoria
nitidula |
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August 25, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Independence
Fjord metamorphosed
sediments of limestone, siltstone
infused with iron and other minerals |
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Red
Knots at Mestervig |
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September 1st, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Mestervig frost
on Minuartia |
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September 1st, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Mestervig frost
on some willows, Salix herbacea, |
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September 1st, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Mestervig now
it is cold at night ice is starting to form anywhere these are some ice stars |
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September 1st, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Mestervig we
got off the water just in time |
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September 1st, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Mestervig How
we escaped |
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September 1st, 1993 Kong Oscar Fjord, Mestervig no
we did not go here these are the Strindberg alps an unglaciated
part of greenland |
