Central Uplands
The Central Uplands[1][2] (German: die Mittelgebirge[3]) is one of the three major natural regions of Germany. It stretches east to west across the country. To the north lies the North German Plain or Northern Lowland; to the south, the Alps and the Alpine Foreland.[1]
Formation
The German Central Uplands, like the Scandinavian and British mountain ranges and the Urals, belong to the oldest mountains of Europe, even if their present-day appearance has only developed relatively recently. In the Carboniferous, i.e. about 350 million years ago, Variscan mountain ranges were formed in central Europe by the uplifting caused by tectonic plate collision. Immediately after their formation the erosion of the mountains began under the influence of exogenous processes during the Permian period. During the Triassic period, which began about 225 million years ago, what is now central Europe was sometimes above and sometimes below sea level. As a result, there are various layers of sedimentary rock in the Central Uplands: in most cases new red sandstone has been laid down as the terrestrial layer of rock and keuper and muschelkalk as marine sedimentary layers. The Jurassic period primarily saw the formation of limestone, whilst chalk was the main deposition from the Cretaceous period.
With the beginning of the Cenozoic era, some 70 million years ago, the process of erosion of the Hercynian mountain ranges changed. During the Tertiary, alpidic mountain building took place, in the course of which strong forces deformed the stumps of the Hercynian mountains. As these rocks were already folded, further tension led to cracks and fractures, which in turn created fault blocks. These blocks were later uplifted (forming horsts such as the Harz), or downfaulted (trough faults or graben such as the Upper Rhine Valley) or thrust over one another (tilted fault blocks such as the Ore Mountains). Thus the German Central Uplands exhibit the widest variety of forms, something that is also attributable to the erosion of sediments from the Mesozoic (Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous). In some ranges the sediments have been relatively well-preserved, in others they have been carried away completely. The determining factor is the local intensity of exogenous processes.
Most important ranges
The table lists the ranges peaking over 300 m above sea level widely seen as part of the Central Uplands. The coordinates are of the respective peaks. Many of the uplands overlap. The ranges are listed by height.
Mountain or hill range | Highest elevation | Height (m) | Coordinates | Precision |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wiehen Hills | Heidbrink | 320 | 52°17′29″N 08°38′13″E / 52.29139°N 8.63694°E / 52.29139; 8.63694 (Heidbrink) | ± 30″ |
Elm | Eilumer Horn | 323 | 52°12′00″N 10°45′00″E / 52.20000°N 10.75000°E / 52.20000; 10.75000 (Eilumer Horn) | ± 30″ |
Calenberg Highland | Hohe Egge (Süntel) | 437 | 52°10′30″N 09°23′00″E / 52.17500°N 9.38333°E / 52.17500; 9.38333 (Hohe Egge) | ± 30″ |
Teutoburg Forest | Barnacken | 446 | 51°51′30″N 08°54′30″E / 51.85833°N 8.90833°E / 51.85833; 8.90833 (Barnacken) | ± 30″ |
Siebengebirge | Großer Ölberg | 460 | 50°40′56″N 07°14′54″E / 50.68222°N 7.24833°E / 50.68222; 7.24833 (Großer Ölberg) | ± 1″ |
Egge Hills | Preußischer Velmerstot | 468 | 51°50′00″N 08°57′30″E / 51.83333°N 8.95833°E / 51.83333; 8.95833 (Preußischer Velmerstot) | ± 30″ |
Kyffhäuser | Kulpenberg | 474 | 51°24′42″N 11°04′39″E / 51.41167°N 11.07750°E / 51.41167; 11.07750 (Kulpenberg) | ± 1″ |
Solling | Große Blöße | 528 | 51°47′00″N 09°26′00″E / 51.78333°N 9.43333°E / 51.78333; 9.43333 (Große Blöße) | ± 30″ |
Kaiserstuhl | Totenkopf | 557 | 48°04′51″N 07°40′14″E / 48.08083°N 7.67056°E / 48.08083; 7.67056 (Totenkopf) | ± 1″ |
Spessart | Geiersberg | 586 | 49°54′00″N 09°26′00″E / 49.90000°N 9.43333°E / 49.90000; 9.43333 (Geiersberg) | ± 30″ |
Gladenbach Uplands | Angelburg | 609 | 50°47′17″N 08°25′43″E / 50.78806°N 8.42861°E / 50.78806; 8.42861 (Angelburg) | ± 30″ |
Habichtswald | Hohes Gras | 615 | 51°18′30″N 09°21′30″E / 51.30833°N 9.35833°E / 51.30833; 9.35833 (Hohes Gras) | ± 30″ |
Odenwald | Katzenbuckel | 626 | 49°28′30″N 09°02′30″E / 49.47500°N 9.04167°E / 49.47500; 9.04167 (Katzenbuckel) | ± 30″ |
Knüll | Eisenberg | 636 | 50°53′14″N 09°31′02″E / 50.88722°N 9.51722°E / 50.88722; 9.51722 (Eisenberg) | ± 1″ |
Kaufungen Forest | Hirschberg | 643 | 51°14′30″N 09°46′00″E / 51.24167°N 9.76667°E / 51.24167; 9.76667 (Hirschberg) | ± 30″ |
Westerwald | Fuchskaute | 656 | 50°39′30″N 08°06′00″E / 50.65833°N 8.10000°E / 50.65833; 8.10000 (Fuchskaute) | ± 30″ |
Ebbe Mountains | Nordhelle | 663 | 51°08′54″N 07°45′23″E / 51.14833°N 7.75639°E / 51.14833; 7.75639 (Nordhelle) | ± 1″ |
Palatine Forest | Kalmit | 673 | 49°19′08″N 08°04′58″E / 49.31889°N 8.08278°E / 49.31889; 8.08278 (Kalmit) | ± 1″ |
Kellerwald | Wüstegarten | 675 | 51°00′59″N 09°05′03″E / 51.01639°N 9.08417°E / 51.01639; 9.08417 (Wüstegarten) | ± 10″ |
North Palatine Highland | Donnersberg | 687 | 49°37′29″N 07°55′38″E / 49.62472°N 7.92722°E / 49.62472; 7.92722 (Donnersberg) | ± 10″ |
Franconian Jura | Hesselberg | 689 | 49°04′00″N 10°32′00″E / 49.06667°N 10.53333°E / 49.06667; 10.53333 (Hesselberg) | ± 30″ |
Elbe Sandstone Mountains | Děčínský Sněžník | 723 | 50°47′30″N 14°07′00″E / 50.79167°N 14.11667°E / 50.79167; 14.11667 (Hoher Schneeberg) | ± 30″ |
Eifel | Hohe Acht | 746 | 50°23′30″N 07°00′30″E / 50.39167°N 7.00833°E / 50.39167; 7.00833 (Hohe Acht) | ± 30″ |
Hoher Meißner | Kasseler Kuppe | 754 | 51°14′30″N 09°51′30″E / 51.24167°N 9.85833°E / 51.24167; 9.85833 (Kasseler Kuppe) | ± 30″ |
Vogelsberg | Taufstein | 773 | 50°31′00″N 09°14′30″E / 50.51667°N 9.24167°E / 50.51667; 9.24167 (Taufstein) | ± 30″ |
Zittau Mountains | Lausche | 793 | 50°51′00″N 14°39′00″E / 50.85000°N 14.65000°E / 50.85000; 14.65000 (Lausche) | ± 30″ |
Franconian Forest | Döbraberg | 794 | 50°17′00″N 11°39′00″E / 50.28333°N 11.65000°E / 50.28333; 11.65000 (Döbraberg) | ± 30″ |
Hunsrück | Erbeskopf | 816 | 49°44′00″N 07°05′30″E / 49.73333°N 7.09167°E / 49.73333; 7.09167 (Erbeskopf) | ± 30″ |
Elster Mountains | Počátecký vrch | 819 | 50°19′30″N 12°26′30″E / 50.32500°N 12.44167°E / 50.32500; 12.44167 (Hoher Brand) | ± 30″ |
Rothaar Mountains | Langenberg | 843 | 51°16′30″N 08°33′30″E / 51.27500°N 8.55833°E / 51.27500; 8.55833 (Langenberg) | ± 30″ |
Thuringian Highland | Großer Farmdenkopf | 869 | 50°30′30″N 11°02′00″E / 50.50833°N 11.03333°E / 50.50833; 11.03333 (Großer Farmdenkopf) | ± 30″ |
Taunus | Großer Feldberg | 882 | 50°13′55″N 08°27′26″E / 50.23194°N 8.45722°E / 50.23194; 8.45722 (Großer Feldberg) | ± 1″ |
Rhön | Wasserkuppe | 950 | 50°29′53″N 09°56′16″E / 50.49806°N 9.93778°E / 50.49806; 9.93778 (Wasserkuppe) | ± 1″ |
Thuringian Forest | Großer Beerberg | 983 | 50°39′29″N 10°44′38″E / 50.65806°N 10.74389°E / 50.65806; 10.74389 (Großer Beerberg) | ± 5″ |
Swabian Jura | Lemberg | 1015 | 48°09′00″N 08°45′00″E / 48.15000°N 8.75000°E / 48.15000; 8.75000 (Lemberg) | ± 30″ |
Upper Palatine Forest | Čerchov | 1042 | 49°23′00″N 12°47′00″E / 49.38333°N 12.78333°E / 49.38333; 12.78333 (Cerchov) | ± 30″ |
Fichtel Mountains | Schneeberg | 1053 | 50°03′30″N 11°51′30″E / 50.05833°N 11.85833°E / 50.05833; 11.85833 (Schneeberg) | ± 30″ |
Harz | Brocken | 1141 | 51°48′00″N 10°37′00″E / 51.80000°N 10.61667°E / 51.80000; 10.61667 (Brocken) | ± 30″ |
Ore Mountains | Klínovec | 1244 | 50°24′00″N 12°58′00″E / 50.40000°N 12.96667°E / 50.40000; 12.96667 (Keilberg) | ± 30″ |
Bavarian Forest | Großer Arber | 1456 | 49°07′00″N 13°08′00″E / 49.11667°N 13.13333°E / 49.11667; 13.13333 (Großer Arber) | ± 30″ |
Black Forest | Feldberg | 1493 | 47°52′25″N 08°00′14″E / 47.87361°N 8.00389°E / 47.87361; 8.00389 (Feldberg) | ± 1″ |
See also
- Geography of Germany
- Mittelgebirge, generic German term for low mountain or high hill ranges
- Natural regions of Germany
References
- ^ a b Dickinson (1964), p.18 ff.
- ^ Elkins, T H (1972). Germany (3rd ed.). London: Chatto & Windus, p. 13. ASIN B0011Z9KJA.
- ^ N.B. In German die Mittelgebirge (plural) refers to the Central Uplands; das Mittelgebirge refers to a low mountain range or upland region (Mittel = "medium" and -gebirge = "range").
Sources
- Dickinson, Robert E (1964). Germany: A regional and economic geography (2nd ed.). London: Methuen. ASIN B000IOFSEQ.
External links
Download coordinates as:
- KML
- GPX (all coordinates)
- GPX (primary coordinates)
- GPX (secondary coordinates)
Media related to Mittelgebirge at Wikimedia Commons The dictionary definition of Mittelgebirge at Wiktionary
- v
- t
- e
- Anterior Bavarian Forest Einödriegel
- Black Forest Feldberg
- Bohemian Forest Großer Arber (Bavarian Forest Großer Arber)
- Deister Bröhn
- Ebbe Mountains Nordhelle
- Egge Mountains (Prussian) Velmerstot
- Eifel Hohe Acht (Volcanic Eifel Ernstberg)
- Elbe Sandstone Mountains Großer Zschirnstein
- Elm Eilumer Horn
- Elster Mountains Kapellenberg
- Fichtel Mountains Schneeberg (Steinwald Platte, Kohlwald Sieben-Linden-Berg)
- Franconian Forest Döbraberg
- Franconian Jura Dürrenberg
- Gladenbach Uplands Angelburg
- Goshawk Forest Hohes Gras
- Harz Brocken (Blocksberg)
- Hildesheim Forest Griesberg
- Hils Bloße Zelle
- Hoher Meißner Kasseler Kuppe
- Hunsrück Erbeskopf (Soonwald Ellerspring)
- Ith Lauensteiner Kopf
- Kaiserstuhl Totenkopf
- Kaufungen Forest Hirschberg
- Kellerwald Wüstegarten
- Knüll Eisenberg
- Kyffhäuser Kulpenberg
- Lenne Mountains Homert
- Lippe Uplands Köterberg
- North Palatine Uplands Donnersberg
- Odenwald Katzenbuckel
- Ore Mountains Fichtelberg
- Palatine Forest Kalmit
- Rhön Wasserkuppe
- Rothaar Mountains Langenberg
- Saalhausen Hills Himberg
- Siebengebirge Großer Ölberg
- Solling Große Blöße
- Spessart Geiersberg (Breitsol)
- Sudetes Lausche (Luž) (Lusatian Mountains Lausche (Luž) (Zittau Mountains Lausche (Luž)))
- Süntel Hohe Egge
- Swabian Jura Lemberg (Randen Hoher Randen)
- Taunus Großer Feldberg
- Teutoburg Forest (Osning) Barnacken
- Thuringian Forest Großer Beerberg
- Thuringian Slate Mountains Großer Farmdenkopf
- Upper Palatine Forest Kreuzfelsen
- Vogelsberg Taufstein
- Weser Hills Paschenburg Mountain
- Westerwald Fuchskaute
- Wiehen Hills Heidbrink