In this chapter we present examples of earthquake-induced geomorphology in Northern Europe ranging from the readily visible surface expression to more subtle and complex landforms.

Stress changes in the subsurface created by loading and unloading of the ice sheets can result in reactivation of deep-seated faults. Glacially induced faulting can happen during the glaciation in a proglacial or subglacial setting, in a distal setting away from the ice margin or in a postglacial setting after the ice sheet has melted away. Thus, the timing and the location of the tectonic event is important for the resulting landform creation or landform change. Identification of earthquake-induced landforms can be used in interpretations of palaeoseismic events, for location of previously unrecognized fault zones and in evaluations of the likelihood of future seismic events. Interpretations of earthquake-induced landforms in and around former glaciated areas can therefore add important information to interpretations of both the Quaternary geology and the deep structural framework.

Numerous methods have been applied to dating postglacial faults in Fennoscandia. Traditionally, these range from determining relative ages based on cross-cutting relationships to determining absolute ages based on stratigraphy and radiocarbon dates. More recently, however, direct dating of fault scarps using terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide dating has been attempted.

The benefits and limitations of these methods are described citing examples from recent literature. Subsequently, the dates themselves are discussed in the context of the longstanding hypothesis that postglacial faults in Fennoscandia ruptured only once during or shortly after deglaciation. While each of the studies reviewed applies only to the investigated faults, collectively recent literature indicates a longer lasting and more complex spatial and temporal history of postglacial faulting in the Fennoscandian Shield area.