page_title: Scandinavian Caledonides
section_title: Disposition of rocks
hierarchical_section_title: Scandinavian Caledonides / Disposition of rocks
caption_attribution_description: Svenska: Ett schematiskt tvärsnitt genom berggrunden vid Torneträsk som visar hur de olika skollorna (grönt, lila, ljus- och mörkrosa) har skjutits över varandra och ut över urberget (grått), i riktning från nordväst mot sydost som pilarna antyder. Här visar den taggade linjen skollberggrundens överskjutningsyta mot urberget och det ”smörjande” lagret av sedimentära bergarter (gult). För 400 miljoner år sedan kolliderade vår kontinent med den nordamerikanska och havet som legat mellan dem slöts. Skivor av den forna havsbottnen sköts upp över varandra och vidare över vårt urberg i stora sjok. Dessa skollor försköts upp till tiotals mil och en bergskedja i storlek med dagens Himalaya uppstod. Efter erosion återstår idag endast rötterna till den en gång så omfattande bergkedjan. Glidplanet mellan urberget och skollorna syns tydligt i fjället Kaisepakte. Koordinater: Sweref 7583617, 672651 English: Cross-section diagram of the rocks at Torneträsk in Sweden.
context_page_description: The Scandinavian Caledonides are the vestiges of an ancient, today deeply eroded orogenic belt formed during the Silurian–Devonian continental collision of Baltica and Laurentia, which is referred to as the Scandian phase of the Caledonian orogeny. The size of the Scandinavian Caledonides at the time of their formation can be compared with the size of the Himalayas. The area east of the Scandinavian Caledonides, including parts of Finland, developed into a foreland basin where old rocks and surfaces were covered by sediments. Today, the Scandinavian Caledonides underlay most of the western and northern Scandinavian Peninsula, whereas other parts of the Caledonides can be traced into West and Central Europe as well as parts of Greenland and eastern North America.
context_section_description: The Caledonian orogeny put in place most of the bedrock now seen in the Scandinavian Mountains. Caledonian rocks overlie rocks of the much older Svecokarelian and Sveconorwegian provinces. The Caledonian rocks form large nappes (Swedish: skollor) that have been thrust over the older rocks. Much of the Caledonian rocks have been eroded since they were put in place meaning that they were once thicker and more contiguous. It is also implied from the erosion that the nappes of Caledonian rock originally reached further east than they do today. The erosion has left remaining massifs of Caledonian rocks and windows of Precambrian-aged rock.
  While there are some disagreements, geologists generally recognize four units among the nappes: an Uppermost, an Upper, a Middle and a Lower one. The last one is made up Ediacaran (Vendian), Cambrian, Ordovician and Silurian-aged sedimentary rocks. Pieces of Precambrian shield rocks are in some places also incorporated into the Lower nappes.
caption: A conceptual NW-SE oriented profile of the Scandinavian Caledonides near Torneträsk in northernmost Sweden. Each nappe is shown with a different colour. Arrows show the relative movement of each nappe. The décollement plane is shown as black dented line. Note the general movement towards the southeast.
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