Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - First part - I. Physical Geography - 1. Configuration and Water-system. By Docent Gunnar Andersson, Ph. D., Stockholm - A) The Highlands and Alpine District of Upper Sweden - a) The Mountain and Lake Belt
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configuration and .water-system.
11
summits are: Hundshögen (1,371 m.), on the borders of Jemtland, Serffjftllet
(1,17-2 m.), SonQället (1,277 m.), Städjan (1,176 m.) and Heijehågna (1,165
m.). South of the last-named, the Faxefjäll and the Fulufjäll extend in a
southeasterly direction to Lima, forming an elevated plateau-region, with highest
altitude about 1,000 m. above sea-level.
The North-Swedish mountain chain is intersected, as has been pointed
out, by a number of valleys. These valleys, owing to the character of
the rocks through which the rivers have had to make their way, are
either, as in the majority of cases, wide and gently sloping, or else
resemble gorges, with more or less precipitous walls. In the former
case the valleys are partially occupied by lengthy lakes, whose origin
is to be traced in changes of the old preglacial river-courses caused
by the Glacial Period. The valleys cut in the rocks by the rivers
were at that time frequently dammed up by immense masses of
morainic and fluvio-glacial material; moreover, it is possible that an
uneven upheaval of the land may have brought about changes in the
water-courses. As the watershed lay at an elevation of from 400 to
800 m., there was no possibility of outflow to the west, and hence the
origin of the lakes. The great Norrland lakes, that are so characteristic
of the landscape, have many features which are common to them all.
Thus, they are all situated at elevations only varying by some 100 m.;
their greatest depth is, as a rule, at the western end, where also their
character of rock-tarns is most in evidence. The chief of these lakes,
proceeding from N. to S., are*:
Torne Lake................ 345 326
Langas-Stora Lule Lake 375—370 227
Saggat-Skalka............. 303—295 83
Hornafvan-Storafvan... 425—419 713
Storuman................... 348 166
Vojmsjön.................... 413 78
Malgomaj-Volgsjön....... 341-333 104
Flåsjön...................... 265 130
Ströms vattendal......... 286 %
Hotagen..................... 313 50
Kallsjön..................... 381 151
The rocks in the upper portions of the mountain chain are, in
general, quartzites and hard eruptive species, such as diorites and
diabases, whereas softer varieties, such as mica-schist and other schists,
appear very largely in the valley-courses and in the lower regions.
Along the eastern limit of the mountain region are to be found
un-metamorphosed Silurian schists, limestones, etc.; this zone attains its
greatest breadth in the fertile and extensive plains of Jemtland.
Very considerable sections of the mountain regions, such as those
about Kebnekaise, Sarjek, and Sulitelma, are occupied by Glaciers. The
most southerly glacier in Sweden is the small one in the more
northerly of the basin-shaped valleys near the Helagsfjället, 62° 54’ 19" N.
Lat., and 5° 36’ 3" W. Long, of Stockholm. In other places the
covering of the mountains is that of an alpine moorland, consisting of lichens,
* A meter = 3 281 feet = 1094 yard. A sq. kilom. = 0 386 sq. mile.
Lukes.
Height over
sea-level. Meters.
Area.
Sq.km.
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