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.
^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.
Media related to Mittelgebirge at Wikimedia Commons The dictionary definition of Mittelgebirge at Wiktionary
March 03, 2023
central, uplands, german, mittelgebirge, three, major, natural, regions, germany, stretches, east, west, across, country, north, lies, north, german, plain, northern, lowland, south, alps, alpine, foreland, baden, württemberg, kaiserstuhl, north, rhine, westph. 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 Central Uplands in Baden Wurttemberg the Kaiserstuhl Central Uplands in North Rhine Westphalia Siegtal in the Rhenish Massif Contents 1 Formation 2 Most important ranges 3 See also 4 References 5 Sources 6 External linksFormation EditThe 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 EditThe 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 PrecisionWiehen 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 Suntel 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 Olberg 460 50 40 56 N 07 14 54 E 50 68222 N 7 24833 E 50 68222 7 24833 Grosser Olberg 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 Kyffhauser Kulpenberg 474 51 24 42 N 11 04 39 E 51 41167 N 11 07750 E 51 41167 11 07750 Kulpenberg 1 Solling Grosse Blosse 528 51 47 00 N 09 26 00 E 51 78333 N 9 43333 E 51 78333 9 43333 Grosse Blosse 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 Knull 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 Wustegarten 675 51 00 59 N 09 05 03 E 51 01639 N 9 08417 E 51 01639 9 08417 Wustegarten 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 Decinsky Sneznik 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 Dobraberg 794 50 17 00 N 11 39 00 E 50 28333 N 11 65000 E 50 28333 11 65000 Dobraberg 30 Hunsruck Erbeskopf 816 49 44 00 N 07 05 30 E 49 73333 N 7 09167 E 49 73333 7 09167 Erbeskopf 30 Elster Mountains Pocatecky 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 Rhon 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 Cerchov 1041 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 Klinovec 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 Panorama from Rimberg interface between Rothaar Mountains Rhenish Massif and West Hesse HighlandsSee also EditGeography of Germany Mittelgebirge generic German term for low mountain or high hill ranges Natural regions of GermanyReferences Edit a b Dickinson 1964 p 18 ff Elkins T H 1972 Germany 3rd ed London Chatto amp 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 EditDickinson Robert E 1964 Germany A regional and economic geography 2nd ed London Methuen ASIN B000IOFSEQ External links EditMap all coordinates using OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as KML Media related to Mittelgebirge at Wikimedia Commons The dictionary definition of Mittelgebirge at Wiktionary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Central Uplands amp oldid 1118181445, wikipedia, 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