Widespread glacial erosion on the Scandinavian passive margin

Abstract

The topography in Scandinavia features enigmatic high-elevation low-relief plateau regions dissected by deep valleys and fjords. These plateau regions have long been interpreted as relict landforms of a preglacial origin, whereas recent studies suggest they have been modified significantly by glacial and periglacial denudation. We used late Pliocene–Quaternary source-to-sink analyses to untangle this scientific conundrum. We compared glacier-derived offshore sediment volumes with estimates of erosion in onshore valleys and fjords and on the inner shelf. Our results suggest that onshore valley and fjord erosion falls 61%–66% short of the offshore sink volume. Erosion on the inner shelf cannot accommodate this mismatch, implying that the entire Scandinavian landscape and adjacent shelf have experienced significant glacial erosion.