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Geological conditions have played a major role in Andøya’s natural resources, and therefore also in settlement and livelihoods throughout history. The island also contains geological features found nowhere else in Norway.
Bleik Canyon
Bleik Canyon is a marine canyon that cuts into the continental shelf from the northwest. There are several such canyons off the coasts of Lofoten, Vesterålen, and Troms, but Bleik Canyon is the largest and closest to land. This geological formation affects ocean currents and the supply of nutrients, creating rich and diverse marine life in the waters around Andøya. This contributes to an abundance of fish and also explains why many whale species gather in the area.
Research has shown that the fishing fleet follows underwater geological formations, and that most fishing activity is concentrated around canyons, ridges, and reefs on the seabed — in other words, this is where the fish gather.
Contains data under the Norwegian Licence for Open Government Data (NLOD), made available by the Geological Survey of Norway (NGU).
Ramså
Andøya also has an area that is unique in Norway: Ramså. It is the only place on mainland Norway where well-preserved rock layers from the Mesozoic Era (251 million to 66 million years ago) can be found on land. It is also the only place in Norway outside Svalbard where coal deposits have been discovered.
The Ramså field provides a unique opportunity for geologists to study geological conditions that are otherwise found only beneath the sea. This is especially important in Norway, because the geology is similar to that of the oil-bearing areas in the North Sea. Although coal was never successfully extracted on a commercial scale, and no oil was found there, the area serves as a valuable analogue to offshore petroleum regions. Geologists can learn much about these underwater areas by studying the more accessible geology at Ramså.
There has been interest in the area for a long time. As early as 1867, coal surveys were carried out there by Tellef Dahll, and test drilling and inspections took place during the latter part of the 19th century. Even before that, coal from the area was reportedly used in households and sold by the barrel. Trial mining operations were conducted in both 1900 and 1918. During the Second World War, the Germans were interested in extracting coal there, but mining was never put into operation.
When Tellef Dahll conducted his surveys in 1867, he also discovered fossils of various plants. In 1952, the first ichthyosaur fossils were found by Tor Ørvik. However, the most important fossil discovery was the complete ichthyosaur found there in 1971, which you can read more about here. These finds have helped date the area and have shown that Andøy once had a climate much closer to tropical conditions.