Repedea Hill is part of the Iași Ridge (Romanian: Coasta Iașilor), at the contact between the Central Moldavian Plateau and the Jijia Plain.
First studies of the zone were in 1862, when Grigore Cobălcescu, professor at the University of Iași, published the "Repedea's Limestone" (Romanian: Calcariul de la Răpidea) research article.
These scientific studies, describing the fossil fauna, are considered to be the birth document of the Romanian geology.
Many Basarabian lithological outcrops are protected within the scientific reserve and contain a rich and important Sarmatian fossil deposit, representative for the Moldavian Platform.
The buffer zone is largely located on the Repedea structural plateau, which represents a reversed cuesta.