Viru Plateau

1727 km2

 


South of the klint terrace there is Viru plateau
http://victoriagailevskaja.blogspot.com/2010_05_01_archive.html

The eastern part of the Harju-Viru Ordovician limestone plateau between the Coastal Lowland and Alutaguse

Exposing bedrock with thin Quternary moraine cover of 1-2 m, rich in limestone

The biggest natural form is the klint (Baltic klint) in the North

Maximum height (56 m) and the best bedrock denudation at Saka-Toila-Ontika

Bedrock rich in natural resources: phosphorite and oilshale of the Kukruse stage of limestones (kukersite - first test mining at the Kukruse manor estate in 1916)

Man-made technological landscapes: open mines, terricones, ash cones, ash plateaus, non-cultivated old mines, waste cones

Few esker systems and erratic hills, e.g. Sinimäed hills

Deep primeval valleys of the Purtse, Pühajõe, Voka and Sõtke rivers

Descending the klint terrace the rivers form falls or cascades, e.g. the Valaste fall of 26 m

The terraces of the Narva river are mostly dry because the Narva Power Plant

Karst features, e.g. Uhaku karst field

Remarkably damaged natural communities around the cities

Newly re-cultivated and re-forested old open mines around Aidu and Viivikonna

Most urbanised region in Estonia,with big industrial cities, especially in the eastern part

Bigger cities: Narva, Sillamäe, Kohtla-Järve, Püssi, Kiviõli

Ontika Landscape Protection Area to protect the highest part of the klint, the highest fall and klint forest

The Narve River Canion Landscape Protection Area