Kohoumat

Kohoumat are small natural elevations in the terrain, commonly described in Finnish geography and geomorphology as rounded bumps or knolls that rise above the surrounding surface. The term is used to refer to a variety of relief features, ranging from gentle rises in fields and wetlands to more pronounced mounds in hillsides or coastal landscapes. In maps and field descriptions, kohoumat help convey the local relief and the unevenness of the landscape.

Sizes and appearances of kohoumat vary widely. They can be modest, a few decimeters to a couple of meters high, or reach upwards of several meters. Their shapes are often rounded or irregular, and they may cluster in groups or appear as isolated rises within a flat or gently sloping region. Kohoumat can occur in different geological contexts, including glacially formed landscapes, river and delta settings, peatlands, and coastal deposits, reflecting the dominant local processes.

Formation and development of kohoumat are driven by a range of processes. They may form through sediment deposition that creates small mills, differential erosion that leaves resistant patches, or tectonic and volcanic activity that uplifts portions of the surface. In glaciated areas, remnants of past ice action, such as moraines or pressed-out relief, can appear as kohoumat. Erosion, weathering, and biological processes over time further shape their contours.

In cartography and fieldwork, kohoumat are treated as elements of the local relief and are often described together with other landforms such as kumpare (knolls) and more extensive elevations. See also: kumpare, knoll.