The Baltic Shield relief and its development

Abstract

Fennoscandia is proposed to be divided into three morphostructural units (1) the areas of the Russian and European platforms, (2) the Caledonian orogenic belt and (3) the Baltic Shield. Each of these morphostructures is characterised by its specific relief, which is determined by distinctive structural features. Each particular unit also shows a tendency to be affected by the different epigenic phenomena. The research results of the author together with several studies on the different parts of the Baltic Shield point out the etchplain character of the bedrock relief. These results are in accordance with the Fairbridge‑Finkl model of the 'cratonic regime'. With regard to its etchplain character, it is proposed by the author that the development of the Baltic Shield relief can be ascribed to the chemical weathering that took place in Northern Europe during the Silurian‑Carboni­ferous and the Jurassic‑Tertiary periods. The resulting weathering crust was probably removed during the Permian‑Triassic (stripping) and Quaternary (glaciations). The paleosols (probably Tertiary‑Cretaceous in age) found in Finland and in the Kola peninsula also support the proposed theory of relief development. Neotectonic crust movements continuously modify the relief of the Baltic Shield.