In this booklet, the authors take you on an exciting journey through the geological history of the surroundings of Lonyearbyen. The Geology of Longyearbyen starts with a short description of the development of Spitsbergen in earth history, from the days of the dinosaurs to the recent ice age with present-day glaciers, traces of former large-scale glaciation and permafrost phenomena.
Then the books zooms in on the geology and the landscape you can see in and around Longyearbyen today. As an example for the stratigraphy that tells us about the development of the regional geology, the authors use Hiorthfjellet, the prominent mountain that greets the people of Longyearbyen from the other side of Adventfjorden. Its mountain slope exhibits 85 million years of Svalbard’s history. The booklet is illustrated with many coulor photographs, maps and figures. Furthermore three excursions are suggested, depending on your schedule and circumstances (family excursion, excursion for mountain goats, excursion by car), each with description and map.