Page:The Journal of geology (IA journalofgeology21894univers).pdf/137

As Scandinavia was unquestionably the chief center of the great North European glaciation, it follows that Norway is a country of glacial denudation rather than of glacial deposition. A complete apprehension of its Quaternary history is, therefore, not possible solely through the study of the deposits. The great marks of erosion are to be taken into consideration. We thus come immediately upon the great problem: How far are we to go in our acceptance of glacial erosion? It is of course impossible here to enter into the whole vexed question. It is, however, necessary to briefly summarize some of the reasons which lead the geologist in Norway to admit an erosion of so great degree, that both our fjords and lakes fall wholly within its limits. The most convincing argument is, perhaps, the fact that the great North European diluvial plain contains Scandinavian detritus in such immense quantity that the rock basins in Scandinavia could be refilled and replenished many times with it. A. Helland has calculated that the German and Russian diluvial sheet could fill not only the Scandinavian lakes, but also the Baltic, and still heighten the whole peninsula 25 metres (80′). And besides, we have the enormous quantity of Norwegian rock detritus which forms the bottom of the North Sea and the broad submarine plateau to the west of northern Norway. Even if this estimate is not entirely correct, it is impossible to deny that such enormous quantities of drift have been removed from Norway in Quaternary time that we must look for marks of denudation of quite as great degree as our lakes and fjords.