PETROPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF QUATERNARY LAVAS OF SPITSBERGEN

Abstract

The chemical and mineralogical composition, structure and petrophysical properties of volcanic rocks, composing three Quaternary volcanoes of Spitsbergen island - Sverrefjellet, Halvdanpiggen and Sigurdfjellet - have been studied and compared. The sharp tendency of basalts elastic properties' change in a row of volcanism "rejuvenation'' - Sigurdfjellet - Halvdanpiggen - Sverrefjellet has been obtained. The same links between petrophysical characteristics have been defined for all studied volcanoes. This paper reveals the benefits of petrophysical properties - density ( <font face="Symbol">r ), porosity ( P ), velocity of longitudinal waves ( Vp ), strength ( Rc ) - for the definition of lava flows within basaltic outcrops. The petrophysical peculiarities of Spitsbergen basalts have been shown in comparison with basalts from various tectonic unites of the Earth - rifts, island arcs and foldbelts.