Cologne Lowland

As Cologne Bay (also the Cologne-Bonn bay ) is called the low - level terraces of the Rhine, which runs from Bonn in the south east north west, via Cologne, immediately before Dusseldorf / Neuss.

It is located in southwestern North Rhine -Westphalia and forms the central part of the Lower Rhine Basin, which sinks into Rhenish slate mountains of the northwest. East and west of the Bay of Cologne, the adjacent part of the Lower Rhine Basin landscapes in terraces raise gradually to Southshore Bergland (east) and the Eifel (West).

Occasionally, the term is also used interchangeably Cologne bay to the entire Lower Rhine Basin.

Geography

Location and boundaries

The Cologne bay is framed by the other landscapes of these with extensive Lower Rhine Basin. Is particularly clear in the limit on the west side with them limiting landscape of Ville and its eastern slope, the promontory. On the east side of the terrain of the surrounding heath terraces rises not so clear for the change to heath is particularly striking. To the northwest, the total bay opens along the Rhine and goes over to the Lower Rhine lowlands, to which from the east also lowers the Münster Cretaceous Basin countries of the Westphalian Bay. Next go northwest gradually the valleys of the Rhine and Meuse on each other.

Nature regions

Geographically, the Cologne Bay represents a main unit (three digits ) and is divided into sub-units as follows (fractions ):

  • 55 ( Niederrheinische to 55 Bay ) 551 Cologne bay in the narrower sense (Cologne - Bonn - Rhine valley and left-bank funds patio slabs ) 551.0 Siegburger Bay 551.00 Menden - Hangelarer terraces
  • 551.01 Victory Agger lowland
  • 551.10 Mülheim Rhine valley ( Mülheim - Porzer lower terrace )
  • 551.11 Benrather Rhine valley
  • 551.12 Hilden sand lower terrace
  • 551.20 Cologne-Bonn Rhine valley
  • 551.21 Dormagen floodplain
  • 551.30 Southern Cologne Rhine valley (Cologne - Bonn lower terrace )
  • 551.31 Northern Cologne Rhine valley
  • 551.32 mills and Knechtstedener Busch
  • 551.40 Brühler Lössplatte
  • 551.41 Brauweiler Lössplatte
  • 551.42 Rommerskirchener Lössplatte
  • 551.43 Allrath - Neukirchener clay plate

Culture

The function of the Rhine as transport since ancient time the bay is heavily populated and is made by man. In recent times, this traffic also uses the industry, particularly in the outlying areas of the conurbations.

Climate

As the southernmost foothills of the Lower Rhine lowlands include the Cologne bay, protected by surrounding mountains, with annual average temperatures between 10 and 11 ° C for the warmest regions of Germany.

The maritime climate is influenced by the Gulf Stream across the Atlantic and its proximity to the North Sea. Mild winters and temperate summers correspond to this situation.

Geological evolution

For about 30 million years fell from parts of the Rhenish Massif, and it formed a lowland area, the Rhine in exchange by gravel accumulated or abtrug. The embossing of the immediate Cologne Bay, the Lower Terrace, occurred in the geologically recent epoch. On her former riverbeds are often still be seen, for example, the Worringer break. The land is characterized by the alternation of gravelly areas with more fertile by Auenlehm routes.

Fluvial terrace Lower Rhine Plain Meuse (river) Worringer Bruch Colonius
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