Sophienhöhe
Encyclopedia
Lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, or Rosebud coal by Northern Pacific Railroad,is a soft brown fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere between coal and peat...
mine Tagebau Hambach
Tagebau Hambach
The Tagebau Hambach is a large strip mine in Niederzier and Elsdorf, North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany. It is operated by RWE and used for mining lignite. Begun in 1978, the mine currently has a size of 33.89 km² and is planned to eventually have a size of 85 km². It is the deepest open pit mine...
operated by RWE Power AG
RWE Power AG
RWE Power AG is a subsidiary of RWE AG. It operates several power plants in Germany.- Nuclear Power Plants :* Gundremmingen Nuclear Power Plant * Biblis Nuclear Power Plant* Emsland Nuclear Power Plant...
in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Location
Sophienhöhe is about 6 km east of the city JülichJülich
Jülich is a town in the district of Düren, in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Jülich is well known as location of a world-famous research centre, the Forschungszentrum Jülich and as shortwave transmission site of Deutsche Welle...
at the north-end of the open pit Tagebau Hambach
Tagebau Hambach
The Tagebau Hambach is a large strip mine in Niederzier and Elsdorf, North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany. It is operated by RWE and used for mining lignite. Begun in 1978, the mine currently has a size of 33.89 km² and is planned to eventually have a size of 85 km². It is the deepest open pit mine...
. The distance (in respect to sea-level) between the top of Sophienhöhe and the lowest point of the pit is 583 meters. Tagebau Hambach
Tagebau Hambach
The Tagebau Hambach is a large strip mine in Niederzier and Elsdorf, North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany. It is operated by RWE and used for mining lignite. Begun in 1978, the mine currently has a size of 33.89 km² and is planned to eventually have a size of 85 km². It is the deepest open pit mine...
is the lowest surface point in Europe, lying 293 meters below sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. The CIA still maintains that Neuendorf bei Wilster is Germany's lowest point.
The highest points of Sophienhöhe are Höller Horn (280 m AMSL), Jülicher Kopf (280 m AMSL) and the Roman Tower (290 m AMSL).