Leknesøyan

Coordinates: UTM 32W 0628099 7226650, 65°8'18.1''N 11°43'52.5''E

Primary interests: Science, Tourism, Education

Pillow lava from the uppermost rocks in the ophiolite complex, representing volcanic eruptions on the sea floor at a spreading ridge in the late Cambrian. The section is remarkably well preserved, displaying patches and layers of deep-sea sedimentary rocks in between the pillows. However, iron and manganese rich sedimentary layers are found between some of the lava flows, providing evidence of hydrothermal vent systems on the sea floor, such as those feeding black smokers on the present ocean floor.