Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1963, Blaðsíða 78
84
Fossil Metasequoia From Mikines, Faroe Islands
The bed is partly covered with stones and earth, blocks
of stones have fallen down from it, and in course of time
the outer edge of the bed has been reduced in such a
degree that very little remains to be found in the present
conditions. However, judging from the few finds that
were done this time, the former finds are to all appearance
characteristic of the bed.
Of the Faroe Islands the island of Mykines is farthest
to the west. It stretches from east to west for abt. 8 kilo*
metres and its full breadth is 2—3 kilometres. The highest
mountain is the Knúkur (560 metres). A gorge, the Hólm*
gjógv, separates the islet of Mykineshólmur from the island.
There is a bridge across the gorge. On the islet — to the
east, near the Hólmgjógv — is the mountain of Klettur
(133 metres).
The beds of the Mykines dip southeastwards (on the
Hólmur and on the west side of the island abt. 13°) and
east=southeastwards (on the east side of the island abt. 8°).
They all belong to the lower basalt sequence, so low that
they are to be correlated with the basalt sequence in the
southern part of the Suðuroy. As is the case with this
island, a little coal is to be seen in several places in the
intrabasaltic sediments, f. ex. on the Hólmur, on the Fjøru=
dalsnes, on the north and on the east side of the island,
and in the cliffs of the south side. As mentionned above,
the fossils treated here have been found on the Fjørudalsnev.
The point of Fjørudalsnes protrudes to the west between
the cave of Viðarhelli and the cleft of Lendingsgjógv,
near the village of Mykines. The point rises abruptly to
the north, to the Viðarhelli, and slopes down to the Lend^
ingsgjógv. The top of the point is sward*covered, with old
boatshoases and boatíhouse sites. At the very end of the
point the sward has fallen down and the subsurface lies
uncovered. A section that has been taken gave the following
result: