Gea Norvegica Unesco Global Geopark, Porsgrunn

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Porsgrunn Municipality offers a remarkable geological journey spanning more than a billion years. The bedrock in the municipality is a fascinating showcase of the Norwegian basement, sedimentary rocks from the ancient seabed, and volcanic remnants from the Oslo Rift.

Vestsiden and the Norwegian Basement (1+ Billion Years)

In the area around Frydentopp on the West Side (Vestsiden), you will find Porsgrunn's oldest rock formations.

Age and Type: These Precambrian rocks are over one billion years old and form part of the Norwegian Basement Rock (grunnfjellet). They primarily consist of granite and gneiss.
Historical Events: This basement rock has undergone several periods of mountain-building and erosion. During one such period, almost the entire Porsgrunn municipality (and the coast down to Kristiansand) was thrust up and over the bedrock to the northwest.
The Porsgrunn River: This event occurred along an enormous fault line that runs through the southern parts of the Porsgrunn River ("Ælva"). This fault is the reason the river breaks 90 degrees to the east and flows out into Frierfjorden (Frier Fjord).

City Centre: Cambro-Silurian Sedimentary Rocks (542–417 Million Years)

If you move eastwards, past Vestsiden school and into the city centre, the geology changes dramatically.

Formation: The bedrock here was formed when Norway was located south of the equator and submerged underwater. These are sedimentary rocks deposited on the seabed between 542 and 417 million years ago.
Geological Period: These stones are known as Cambro-Silurian rocks.
Rock Types: Here you will find sandstones, shales, and limestones with rich organic content. This geological foundation has been crucial for the establishment of several local industries.

East Towards Bjørkedalen: The Oslo Rift (approx. 300 Million Years)

Further east, towards Bjørkedalen, you encounter traces of yet another dramatic geological event.

Volcanic Activity: Approximately 300 million years ago, this area was characterized by an inferno of volcanic eruptions.
The Oslo Rift: During this event, the Earth's crust cracked open, and molten magma from the mantle forced its way up, forming volcanoes. The event is now known as the Oslo Rift.
Widespread Rocks: Traces of this volcanism in Porsgrunn include notably syenite and larvikite.