Page 106 - Super Earth Encyclopedia

SHEER DROP

NORWEGIAN FJORDS

During the last ice age, many glaciers flowing to the
coast across the icebound mountains of Scandinavia
gouged such deep valleys in the landscape that they
were below sea level. When the glaciers finally melted,
the water they released raised the global sea level by
up to 330 ft (100 m), flooding the U-shaped troughs
scooped out by the ice to create fjords. Like all glaciated
valleys, they have very steep rocky walls that are often
almost vertical, and which plunge straight into the cold
northern water to great depths. Many Norwegian fjords
are deeper than the nearby sea; huge ocean-going ships
can sail up them, dwarfed by the towering cliffs.

AT A GLANCE

• LOCATION Western Norway
• WATER DEPTH Typically more
than 1,000 ft (330 m)
• LENGTH The longest Norwegian
fjord extends for 127 miles (205 km)
• AGE Most were created more than

10,000 years ago

STATS AND FACTS

REEFS ROAD TUNNELS
In total, there are Norwegian fjords Huge tunnels have
about 1,190 fjords have some of the been constructed
in Norway and largest cold-water under the fjords to
nearby Svalbard. coral reefs. facilitate transport.
They form the COASTLINE km (29,000 km) with the fjords, but only
world’s most
FROZEN WORLD DEEPEST FJORD (in 1,000) 5 1,550 miles (2,500 km) without them.
Norway’s coastline is 18,000 miles
dramatic coastal
landscapes.
15
20
25
10
15
10
5
miles
(in 1,000)
4,291
FEET
(1,308 M)
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