Central Eastern Alps
Central Eastern Alps | |
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Bergamo Alps (22)
| |
Countries | Graubünden, South Tyrol and Lombardy |
Parent range | Eastern Alps |
Geology | |
Orogeny | Alpine |
Age of rock | Mesozoic and Tertiary |
Type of rock | Gneiss and Slate |
The Central Eastern Alps (German: Zentralalpen or Zentrale Ostalpen), also referred to as Austrian Central Alps (German: Österreichische Zentralalpen) or just Central Alps,[1] comprise the main chain of the Eastern Alps in Austria and the adjacent regions of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy and Slovenia. South them is the Southern Limestone Alps.
The term "Central Alps" is very common in the Geography of Austria as one of the seven major landscape regions of the country. "Central Eastern Alps" is usually used in connection with the Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps (Alpenvereinseinteilung, AVE). The Central Alps form the eastern part of the Alpine divide, its central chain of mountains, as well as those ranges that extend or accompany it to the north and south.
The highest mountain in the Austrian Central Alps is Grossglockner at 3,798 metres (12,461 ft).
Location
The Central Alps have the highest peaks of the Eastern Alps, and are located between the Northern Limestone Alps and the Southern Limestone Alps, from which they differ in geological composition.
The term "Central Eastern Alps" may also be used more broadly to refer to a larger area of the
Central Alps as a major landscape region in Austria
In Austria, the Eastern Alps are divided into the
The Central and Northern Alps are separated by the Northern Longitudinal Trough (nördliche Längstalfurche), the line Klostertal–Arlberg–Inn Valley–Salzach Valley as far as Lake Zell–Wagrain Heights–Upper Enns Valley–Schober Pass–Mürz Valley Alps–Semmering–southern Vienna Basin.[2] The Central Alps and Southern Alps are separated from one another by the Southern Longitudinal Valley (südlichen Längstalzug) Puster Valley (Rienz Valle–Toblach Field–upper Drava (Drau) Valley)–Drava Valley–Klagenfurt Basin–Meža (Mieß), or the Periadriatic Seam, which is not entirely identical with the Southern Longitudinal Trough.
Geomorphology
The range has the highest summits in the Eastern Alps and is the most glaciated. In the transition zone between the East and West Alps, its peaks clearly dominate the region to the west (Piz d'Err, Piz Roseg). On the perimeter, however, there are also less high, often less rugged mountain chains, like the Gurktal Alps and the eastern foothills.
The Eastern Alps is separated from the Western Alps by a line from Lake Constance to Lake Como along the Alpine Rhine valley and via the Splügen Pass.
Geology
The Central Alps consist mainly of the
The Austroalpine submerges itself at the eastern edge of the Alps under the Tertiary sediments of the Alpine Foreland in the east and the Pannonian Basin. This fracture zone exhibits active volcanism (e.g. in the Styrian thermal region).
Alpine Club classification
The Central Eastern Alps also comprise the following ranges of the West Eastern Alps according to AVE classification, which geologically belong to the
- ^ The Kitzbühel Alps and the adjacent Salzburg Slate Alps as part of the Greywacke zone are either counted as part of the Northern Limestone Alps or the Central Alps – geologically they form the bedrock of the Limestone Alps, and the slip zone, on which the latter were thrust northwards
AVE- No. |
Name | Map | Country | Highest mountain | Height (m) | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
63 | Plessur Alps | Switzerland | Aroser Rothorn | 2,980 | ||
64 | Oberhalbstein Alps | Switzerland Italy |
Piz Platta | 3,392 | ||
65 | Albula Alps | Switzerland | Piz Kesch | 3,418 | ||
66 | Bernina Group
|
Italy Switzerland |
Piz Bernina | 4,049 | ||
67 | Livigno Alps | Italy Switzerland |
Cima de’ Piazzi
|
3,439 | ||
68 | Bergamasque Alps[a] | Italy | Pizzo di Coca
|
3,052 |
- ^ The Bergamasque Alps are – geologically and petrologically – part of the Southern Limestone Alps, and thus the Southern Alps
The
main crest is part of the Southern Limestone Alps.See also
References
- ^ Not to be confused with the other meaning of Central Alps i.e. the Swiss Alps.
- ^ Alps in Austria-Forum (in German) (at AEIOU)
- ^ Peter Holl: Alpenvereinsführer Ortleralpen
External links
Media related to Central Eastern Alps at Wikimedia Commons