On our drive along the 7 from Seske to Hagafoss we saw a lot of great sights; apple orchards, fjords, waterfalls, cairns by the lake and lovely trees in all shades of yellow and orange.
There was a part of the trip that we were very high, above the tree line, on the Hardangervidda or Hardanger Plateau.
It was so stark and stunning that we stopped and took pictures.
I have since learned that this area is the Hardargervidda Plateau and is the largest peneplain or eroded plateau in Europe. The plateau has lakes, rivers and streams and no trees.
It's average elevation is 3,600 feet (1,100 metres). Here are the markers for when the snow comes up on this high plateau.
I also learned that plains and plateau are both treeless and difference is the elevation.
Plains are low-laying areas... like the great plains in North America.
Plains can be formed by many different methods such as erosion, the movement of rivers, volcanic activity
Plateaus are flat lands that are raised significantly.
A plateau can be formed by a number of processes; they can be formed when a large segment of earth is pushed up from the earth due to volcanic movements or when the top of mountains are worn down by erosion.
The Hardargervidda or Hardanger Plateau is the largest peneplain or eroded plateau in Europe.
While we didn't see any animals, this alpine plateau is home to artic animals including a very large herd of reindeer.
What a beautiful area. I love trees and I also really like areas where trees don't grow, they have a whole different and interesting look about them. The variety of geology of this drive was really wonderful.
Source:
Hardangervidda
Different between plain and plateau
