Widespread glacial erosion on the Scandinavian passive margin

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.

Automated summary

The topography in Scandinavia features high-elevation low-relief plateau regions dissected by deep valleys and fjords. Recent studies suggest that these plateau regions have been significantly modified by glacial and periglacial denudation, contradicting previous interpretations as relict landforms of a preglacial origin. The entire Scandinavian landscape and adjacent shelf are believed to have experienced significant glacial erosion based on the findings of late Pliocene-Quaternary source-to-sink analyses.