Geological investigations in the last decade increased the number of locations with evidence or indications for glacially triggered faulting in northern central and northeastern Europe, i.e. in the countries of Denmark, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and parts of western Russia. These locations are at the periphery, the edge or even outside of the former ice margin. They are summarized in the following sections.

The following sections introduce geological, geodetic and geophysical methods and techniques that specifically help in the identification of glacially induced faults. In addition, a summary of methods for dating of fault (re-)activation is presented, and the forthcoming drilling project into the Pärvie fault is introduced.

The zones of glacially induced faults in Finland are portrayed by a number of discrete <10 km-long fault scarps, often forming multiple parallel segments and establishing longer glacially induced fault systems. A set of glacially induced fault systems further form glacially induced fault complexes, which may extend tens of kilometres cross-cutting glacial sediments. The systematic mapping has revealed 18 glacially induced fault systems forming 9 glacially induced fault complexes. The moment magnitude estimates for the earthquakes in Finnish Lapland are in the range of Mw ≈ 4.9–7.5. The detailed trenching across fault scarps provides evidence of non-stationary seismicity and occurrence of multiple slip events even before the Late Weichselian maximum.

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.

This chapter summarizes the book with a focus on the future of glacially triggered faulting research. The concept of glacially triggered faulting is challenged by new results from Fennoscandia documenting several episodes of fault rupture within the past 14,000 years. We speculate that some of these ruptures at known (or potential) glacially induced faults may not be due to glacially triggered faulting but may contain a signature of tectonically driven intraplate seismicity. Glacially triggered faulting cannot be totally ignored though for these episodes, since the ongoing rebound of the lithosphere is continuously increasing glacially induced stresses that can eventually be released under favourable conditions. As those conditions can only be described by a complex 4-dimensional model, simple identification of glacially induced faults is hampered. Precise dating of the younger fault ruptures is especially important to produce the necessary spatiotemporal image. The intended DAFNE drilling and subsequent in situ observations of the Pärvie Fault combined with numerical modelling will contribute to an improved understanding of the fault mechanism.

The most prominent fault scarps are found in northern Fennoscandia in the northernmost parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland. In addition, signs of glacially triggered faulting were identified in adjacent Russia. The following chapters give an overview about these faults from their identification until the very recent results that include, among other things, new reactivation dating and revised fault geometries at the surface from laser scanning.

As glacially induced faults are reactivated due to a combination of tectonic and glacially induced isostatic stresses, it is interesting to model the corresponding fault slip with dedicated models. The next chapters introduce first such a modelling approach with a well-established model of glacial isostatic adjustment followed by a review of stresses to be considered in sophisticated future modelling.

Glacially triggered faulting, also called glacially induced faulting or postglacial faulting, describes fault movement caused by a combination of tectonic and glacially induced isostatic stresses. Stresses induced by the advance and retreat of an ice sheet are thought to be released during or after ice melting and reactivate pre-existing faults. The most impressive fault scarps that witness such activity, are found in Northern Europe. It was assumed these features are unique. This view has changed recently as new faults were discovered – even outside the former glaciated area – and fault activity dating showed several phases of reactivation thousands of years after deglaciation ended. This book summarizes the research until the very recent findings. It reviews the theoretic aspects, i.e. the knowledge to understand the presence of glacially induced fault structures, followed by an overview of geological, geophysical, geodetic and geomorphological investigations methods, a summary of all known glacially induced faults worldwide and an outline for modelling of these stresses and faults.

The following chapter summarize findings, suggestions and indications of glacially triggered faulting outside Europe. This concerns formerly and presently glaciated areas in North America and the polar areas on both hemispheres.