The “Suta de Movile” (Hundred Mounds) landscape reserve, located in northern Moldova, is a geological site of European significance, covering approximately 1,600 hectares. Despite its symbolic name, the area contains over 3,500 hills, being recognized as the only area on the continent that preserves such a high density of fossilized submarine reefs. Situated in the Prut Valley, between the Glodeni and R\u00e2\u0219cani districts, the reserve offers a case study on the geological dynamics of ancient maritime basins from the Tertiary period.<\/p>\n
The complex extends over a length of eight kilometers, between the villages of Brani\u0219te and Cobani, with a width varying between 1.7 and 2.3 kilometers. The first attestation of the site belongs to the scholar Dimitrie Cantemir, who described the area in 1716 under the name “Centum monticulii.” From a scientific perspective, the origin of the formations is disputed: one theory maintains that the mounds are vestiges of the Tortonian and Sarmatian seas (10-20 million years old), while the second hypothesis focuses on massive erosion processes of sedimentary rocks and landslides.<\/p>\n
The relief is marked by high morphological diversity, from minor elevations to peaks exceeding 30 meters\u2014the “Movila \u021aiganului” (Gypsy Mound) peak reaching as high as 60 meters relative to the lower terraces. The structure includes a mosaic of cornices, terraces, and depressions, complemented by dozens of lakes and natural springs. Although protected by its status as a landscape reserve, the area maintains a high degree of research interest, as theories regarding its genesis are not yet unified. Currently, the site represents a unique exploration destination, offering panoramic views over the entire Prut Valley.<\/p>\n
What is the Suta de Movile reserve?<\/strong><\/p>\n It is a protected area in Moldova, unique in Europe for its over 3,500 hills that represent fossilized submarine reefs.<\/p>\n Where is this geological site located?<\/strong><\/p>\n The site is located in the Prut Valley, northern Moldova, between the villages of Brani\u0219te and Cobani in the Glodeni and R\u00e2\u0219cani districts.<\/p>\n Which is the highest mound in the reserve?<\/strong><\/p>\n The highest formation is “Movila \u021aiganului” (Gypsy Mound), which reaches a height of approximately 60 meters relative to the lower terraces.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The “Suta de Movile” (Hundred Mounds) landscape reserve, located in northern Moldova, is a geological site of European significance, covering approximately 1,600 hectares. Despite its symbolic name, the area contains over 3,500 hills, being recognized as the only area on the continent that preserves such a high density of fossilized submarine reefs. Situated in the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":125080,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2855],"tags":[3083],"thb-sponsors":[],"class_list":["post-125106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rep-md","tag-republic-of-moldova"],"article_style_override":"on","post-style":"style2","post_via":[{"title":"moldpres.md | 30.03","post_source_url":"https:\/\/moldpres.md"}],"post-top-image":"https:\/\/rhn.ro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Republic-of-Moldova-relevant-picture.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhn.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhn.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhn.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhn.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=125106"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rhn.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125106\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhn.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/125080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rhn.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=125106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhn.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=125106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhn.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=125106"},{"taxonomy":"thb-sponsors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rhn.ro\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/thb-sponsors?post=125106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}