maanmuodot

Maanmuodot, translated literally as "moon formations" or "moons", are natural thrown-up hills that form on the shores of Lake Saimaa in Finland's Province of Eastern Finland. These formations owe their existence to glacial activity during the last ice age.

During the ice age, the Scandinavian ice sheet extended as far south as the present-day city of Helsinki. The weight of the ice pushed down on the Earth's crust, creating a depression in the area now occupied by Lake Saimaa. As the ice sheet melted, the depression gradually filled with water to form the lake.

As the lake expanded, it took on various forms and features. The bedrock beneath the lake is composed primarily of granite and gneiss, which were resistant to erosion during the ice age. However, the outer regions of the lake, where the bedrock was softer and more prone to weathering, were subjected to mechanical erosion by the advancing ice sheets. Over time, these softer regions collapsed into the lake, creating characteristic thrown-up hills.

These structures, the maanmuodot, range in size from a few meters to several tens of meters in height and are typically rounded in shape. They tend to have thick layers of earthy material and glacial boulder clay covering their surfaces, providing fertile soil for the growth of vegetation. The formation of maanmuodot is an example of the dynamic geological processes that have shaped the natural landscape in the region.