Geographia Polonica (2003) vol. 76, iss. 2

Postglacial extreme events and human action in the transformation of Estonian topography and landscapes

Anto Raukas

Geographia Polonica (2003) vol. 76, iss. 2, pp. 123-136 | Full text

Abstract

Knowledge of rapid changes taking place in natural environments is of fundamental importance for better understanding of man-induced processes, which should be recognized and managed. In Estonia, extreme events have been caused by meteorite explosions, earthquakes, and neotectonic processes, heavy storms, karst phenomena and human impact. Investigation of past processes provides a major key in predicting the chan-ges that could be expected in the same or similar areas in the future. All the above-mentio-ned phenomena have been analysed on a local and regional scale, but they all are part of global-scale processes activated during the last decades.

Keywords: extraterrestrial phenomena, earthquakes, land upheaval, floods, aeolian processes, karst, human impact

Anto Raukas, Institute of Ecology at Tallinn University, Uus-Sadama 5, Tallinn 10120, Estonia