Kuvaja aapa mire

Peat began to form in wet terrain depressions as soon as they emerged from water. At beginning, peat formation was slow, but as the climate cooled and precipitation increased about 6,000 years ago, the rates of accumulation accelerated. In Rokua Geopark, mires have formed in kettle holes and water-retaining clayey and moraine terrains. The Kuvaja aapa mire is one of the largest mires in Rokua Geopark. Due to its valuable species, it has been protected. In the shores of Lake Oulujärvi, for example in Manamansalo, peatlands have remained below the rising water level and covered with sand eroded from shore bluffs. A Submerged mire can be recognized by soft and bubbling sandy bottom.