On the Hafslo Lake and the Solvorn Valley (Norway)

Abstract

T he district dealt with in the present communication is situated in the North Bergenhus Amt, in Western Norway. It lies north of the main part of the Sogne Fjord and west of its innermost branch, the Lyster Fjord. An account of the locality, under the heading ‘Lysterfjorden og Hafslo’ will be found in the admirable paper by Dr. Reusch entitled ‘Nogle Bidrag til Forstaaelsen af hvorledes Norges dale og fjelde er blevne til’ which is provided with a summary in English. A geological map of Southern Norway by Dr. K. O. Björlykke will be found in his work ‘Det centrale Norges Fjeldbygning;’ and another geological map, on a larger scale, which takes in the present district, has been published by Dr. Reusch. The map which I give (fig. 1, p. 20) is merely a sketch-map, founded on the Topographical Map of Norway, Sheet 29 B (Sogndal), with the geology sketched in from the above-mentioned geological maps. If we look at Dr. Björlykke's map, we shall see a great mass of igneous rock marked at the head of the Sogne Fjord with a diagonal boundary running north-east and south-west. Along this boundary there is a narrow belt of Silurian and associated strata, dividing the igneous rock from a vast area of Archæan gneiss, etc., which extends outwards from it to the western coast. On the Archæan area is a great plateau covered with perpetual snow, Jostedalsbræen, associated with many smaller snow-covered plateaux; and they have also a north-eastern and south-western trend,