Mälaren
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mälaren | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Sweden |
| Coordinates | |
| Basin countries | Sweden |
| Surface area | 1120 km² |
| Average depth | 13 m |
| Max depth | 63 m |
| Water volume | 14 km³ |
| Islands | Selaön, Svartsjölandet (see list) |
Lake Mälaren (sv-Mälaren.ogg ) (historically occasionally referred to as Lake Malar in English) is the third-largest lake in Sweden, after Lakes Vänern and Vättern. Its area is 1140 km² and its greatest depth is 64 m. The lake drains, from Southwest to Northeast, into the Baltic Sea through Södertälje kanal, Hammarbyslussen, Slussen and Norrström. The easternmost bay of Mälaren, in central Stockholm, is called Riddarfjärden. The lake is located in Svealand and bounded by the provinces of Uppland, Södermanland, Närke, and Västmanland. The two largest islands in Mälaren are Selaön (91 km²) and Svartsjölandet (79 km²).
The viking age settlement Birka on the island of Björkö and Hovgården (on the neighbouring island Adelsö) has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993, as has Drottningholm Palace on the island of Lovön.
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[edit] Etymology
The etymological origin of the name Mälaren stems from the Old Norse word maelir appearing in historical records in the 1320s and meaning gravel. The lake was previously known as Lögaren etymologically similar to the aged verb löga, "to bathe", arguably related to lördag, "Saturday". [1][2]
[edit] Geology
At one time Lake Malar was a bay of the Baltic, and seagoing vessels using it were able to sail far into the interior of Sweden. Because deglacial uplift the rock barrier at the mouth of the bay had become so shallow by about 1200 that ships had to unload near the entrance, and progressively the bay became a lake.
By the end of the last ice age about 11,000 years ago, much of northern Europe and North America was covered by ice sheets up to 3 km thick. At the end of the ice age when the glaciers retreated, the removal of the weight from the depressed land led to a rapid uplift. The initial uplift was rapid, proceeding at about 7.5 cm/year. This phase lasted for about 2000 years, and took place as the ice was being unloaded. Once deglaciation was complete, uplift slowed to about 2.5 cm/year, and decreased exponentially after that. Today, typical uplift rates are of the order of 1 cm/year or less, and studies suggest that rebound will continue for about another 10,000 years. The total uplift from the end of deglaciation can be up to 400 m.[citation needed]
[edit] Geography
A selection, in alphabetical order:
| Major islands | Major cities and municipalities bordering the lake |
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[edit] Trivia
- According to Norse mythology, the lake was created by the goddess Gefjun when she tricked Gylfi, the Swedish king of Gylfaginning. The land thusly removed by Gefjun was transported to Denmark, becoming the island of Zealand.
- The Zebra mussel is considered an invasive species and is causing some problems in Lake Mälaren
- Utter Inn, an underwater hotel designed by the artist Mikael Genberg, is located in Lake Mälaren
[edit] See also
- Almarestäket
- Mälaren Valley (Mälardalen)
- Lakes of Sweden
- Geography of Stockholm
[edit] References
- ^ Martin Stugart (2004-10-04). Vad betyder namnet Mälaren?. Dagens Nyheter. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
- ^ Martin Stugart (2004-03-22). Varifrån kommer namnet Mälaren?. Dagens Nyheter. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
[edit] External links
- Mälarguiden - Guide to Mälaren (mostly in Swedish but a lot of maps and some English text)
- Strömma Kanalbolaget - Boat tours and ferries in Mälaren
- Castles around Mälaren
| 10 largest lakes in Sweden |
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| Vänern 5,648 km² | Vättern 1,893 km² | Mälaren 1,140 km² | Hjälmaren 484 km² | Storsjön 464 km² | Siljan + Orsasjön 354 km² | Torneträsk 330 km² | Hornavan 252 km² | Uddjaure 210 km² | Bolmen 184 km² |
