Weichselian ice-limit project

The project "Weichselian ice-limits of the Nordic countries" has now resulted in a published report. The project has been carried out for the Nordic Council of Ministers during the years 1993-1996.

The geological theme of the project is the melting of the ice cap in the Nordic countries at the end of the last ice age (glacial phase) and, in particular, deposits from the ice margin that demonstrate the shifting position of the ice front through time.
The specific aim of the project has been to select and describe the geological aspects for an assembly of sites that, when viewed together, will provide the opportunity to follow the shifting position of the ice margin in the Nordic landscape.
The selected sites have previously been the subject of research, both in the individual countries and across national borders, and the results of that research form the basis for the site selection. In the present project the focus has been widened to include administrative aspects for the individual areas, such as the educational value of the sites, and potential threats such as gravel extraction etc. This expansion of the site descriptions reflects an important perspective of the project. Its results are primarily intended to demonstrate to the public, as well as administrative authorities, the obvious geological value of the sites in question and consequently that they should be given protected status.

The melting of the ice cap at the end of last ice age has been chosen as the topic for a co-Nordic project because of its extension through all Nordic countries. Region by region the ice retreated northwards in a concentric pattern that showed no respect for present-day borders. Only by regarding the Nordic countries as an entity, it is possible to make a representative selection of sites.

A considerable part of the project has been the exchange of experiences regarding geological environmental management in the Nordic countries, each with its different traditions and experiences.

Nordic Council of Ministers initiated and financed the project which took place from 1993 to 1996. The participating geologists from each country had different geological and administrative fields of expertise. The participants were: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, represented by Steen Andersen (chairman); Stig Schack Petersen (secretary), Veli-Pekka Salonen, Olavi Selonen, Olafur Ingolfsson, Lars Erikstad, Jan Lundquist and Lennart Vilborg.

The project group devised common guidelines for the selection of the sites, for the description of sites and for the content of the final report. Then the geologists in each country made the actual selections and descriptions and finally, the resulting material was edited into a report by the chairman and the secretary.

The projects has also resulted in a set of recommendations:

• The selected sites should be protected and managed.
•  Legislation and administrative principles in each country should be examined with the specific aim of enhancing the geological aspect in environmental management especially concerning mineral extraction.
• The present project should be followed by a selection of sites on a regional basis.
• The project should be extended to neighbouring countries that were also covered by the Weichselian ice cap and show related and correlatible ice margin features. The extension of the project should be effected in cooperation with ProGEO, an European association for the projection of geological sites.
• The results of this project should be published as a school book.
• Nordic Council of Ministers  should encourage similar projects with different geological themes.

As a supplement to the report a map (see figure above) has been drawn, showing the position of the most significant halt stages and marginal deposits of the Weichselian (last glacial) ice sheet. The map also shows the location of the described sites. The large-scale map may also be used as a poster.