Kontuurmaastik

Kontuurmaastik refers to a type of landscape characterized by distinct, often rounded hills and valleys. It is a term primarily used in Estonian geography. This landscape form is typically created by glacial erosion and deposition, where ice sheets have carved out the land and subsequently retreated, leaving behind moraines and outwash plains. The rolling topography of kontuurmaastik is a direct result of these processes.

The features within a kontuurmaastik can include drumlins, eskers, and kettle holes, all of which are landforms shaped by glacial ice. Drumlins are elongated hills formed by the movement of glaciers, while eskers are long, winding ridges of sand and gravel deposited by meltwater streams flowing beneath or within the ice. Kettle holes are depressions left behind when blocks of ice melt after being buried in glacial deposits. The undulating surface creates a visually distinctive pattern on maps and from elevated viewpoints.

Kontuurmaastik is found in regions that were historically covered by glaciers, such as parts of northern Europe and North America. In Estonia, this type of landscape is prevalent in the central and western parts of the country. The soil composition in kontuurmaastik often varies, with areas of sand and gravel from glacial deposits interspersed with finer sediments. This variation influences vegetation and land use patterns within these landscapes.