The Development of the Baltic Sea Basin During the Last 130 ka - The Baltic Sea Basin - page 76

Fig. 4.1 Map of the Baltic Sea and its surroundings. The numbers refer to sites men-
tioned in the text. 1 =

Karelia; 2 = Kattegat; 3 = Hanö Bay; 4 = Bornholm Deep; 5 = Landsort

Deep; 6 = Kreigers Flak; 7 = Öresund Strait; 8 = Store Belt; 9 = Esrum/Alnarp bedrock valley;

10 = Arkona Basin; 11 = Lake Vättern; 12 = Lake Vänern; 13 = Mt. Billingen; 14 = Blekinge;

15 = Gotland; 16 = Darss Sill; 17 = Mecklenburg Bay; 18 = Fehmarn Belt

the Baltic Sea and its huge drainage area into a long-term perspective to gain a better
understanding of the natural internal and external dynamics influencing the basin.
The Baltic Sea basin is located in a glaciation-sensitive high northern latitude,
which has resulted in a very dynamic development during its young geological
history (Fig. 4.1 ) . This owes to the fact that the recurring Quaternary glaciations
over northern Europe have repeatedly covered parts of or the whole basin, and
that the subsequent deglaciations have resulted in largely differential uplift in the
region of the Baltic Sea and its drainage area. The last interglacial/glacial cycle is
a good example of the variety of processes that the basin also has undergone dur-
ing previous glacial cycles, and the differences between the last and the present
interglacial exemplify the variety of potential processes that can influence the basin.