Cheorwon Lava Plateau (Hantangang River UNESCO Global Geopark)

The Cheorwon Lava Plateau is a volcanic landform formed when lava flows of basalt from the Cenozoic Era's Quaternary Period flowed down along valleys. It is the only lava plateau observable in the inland region of South Korea. The basalt composing the Cheorwon Lava Plateau is estimated to have formed between approximately 540,000 and 120,000 years ago. The lava flows of this basalt rose along a line connecting the weak points beneath the Chugaryeong Tectonic Valley, which links Seoul and Wonsan, and the 608-meter-high point located 4 km northeast of Geombulrang, spreading widely like water and filling the valleys and low areas around Cheorwon, forming the present lava plateau. The Cheorwon Lava Plateau can be seen at a glance from the Soisan Observatory, which can be reached by monorail.