Problems concerning the origin of inselbergs in Finnish Lapland

Abstract

This preliminary paper outlines the problem of attempting to ascertain the nature of inselbergs in Finnish Lapland. In the area of the Kemijoki drainage basin (size 32 000 kM2) it has been possible to distinguish altogether 60 forma­tions which fulfil the strictest criteria for inselbergs, i.e. clearness of a foot nick and steepness of hill slopes. It is not possible to decide, at present, to which of two alternative planation models, namely etchplanation or pediplanation, greater importance should be assigned in explaining relief evolution in the study area. Although all disconformities older than Mesozoic have probably been eroded to an unidentifiable extent, there is good reason to suppose that the main characteristics of the relief, including also in­selbergs, originated as early as the Late Cretaceous or at least in the Paleo­cene.