The Caucasus is a mountain system located in Eurasia between the Black and Caspian seas. The mountain range extends 1100 km from the Taman Peninsula and Anapa to the Absheron Peninsula in the city of Baku.
This territory is commonly divided into several criteria: on a large and small Caucasus, as well as on the Western (from the Black Sea to Elbrus), the central (from Elbrus to Kazbek) and the East (from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea). The mining system reaches the greatest width in the central part (180 km). The mountain peaks of the Central Caucasus are the highest ones on the main Caucasian (waterstep) ridge.
The most famous mountain peaks of the Caucasus are Mount Elbrus (5642 m) and Mount Kazbek (5033 m). Both vertices are stratululkans. What, Kazbek is considered to be extinct, which cannot be said about Elbrus. Opinions of specialists on this occasion will differ. The slopes of the two highest mountains of the Caucasus are covered with snow and glaciers. The Central Caucasus accounts for up to 70% of modern glaciation. For more than a century-old observation of the Caucasian glaciers, their area has declined significantly.
To the north of the foot of the Grand Caucasus extends the inclined plain, which ends in the Kumo Manic Wpadin. Its territory dissected lateral ridges and river valleys. The largest rivers of this territory can be considered r. Kuban and Terek. To the south of the Big Caucasus there are Colchida and Kuro-Araksinskaya lowland.
Caucasian mountains can be considered young. They were formed in the Epoch of Alpine Folding approximately 28-23 million years ago. Their education is due to movement to the north of the Arabian lithospheric slab on the Eurasian. The latter, pressed by the African slab moving on several centimeters per year.
Tectonic processes in the depths of the Caucasus continue until now. The geological structure of Elbrus speaks of the great activity of the volcano in the recent past. Several powerful earthquakes occurred in the Caucasus in the XX century. The most destructive was an earthquake in Armenia, which occurred in 1988
Seismostans working throughout the Caucasus annually register several hundred underground jokes. Specialists argue that some of the sections of the Caucasian ridge "grow" for several centimeters per year.
Caucasus in Europe or in Asia?
This issue is worth considering more in political and historical aspects. Caucasian Mountains are located in the center of the Eurasian Plate, so division can only be conditional. The border between Europe and Asia was proposed by the Swedish officer and geographer F. Stallenberg in 1730. The border, which passed through the Ural Mountains and KuM-Manic Wpadin was adopted by many scientists.
Despite this at different times, several alternative proposals were proposed, which justified the division of Europe and Asia in the Caucasian Mountains. Despite the ongoing disputes, Elbrus and is now considered the highest point in Europe. The history of the region suggests the special position of the Caucasus at a crossroads between European and Eastern Asian cultures.
The highest mountains of the Caucasus
- Elbrus (5642 m). CBD, KCR. Higher point of Russia
- Dykhtau (5204 m). CBD
- Koshtatau (5122 m). CBD
- Pushkin peak (5100 m). CBD
- Dzhangitau (5058 m). CBD
- Shhara (5201 m). CBD. Higher point of Georgia
- Kazbek (5034 m). North Ossetia
- Mihirgi Western (5022 m). CBD
- Tetnuld (4974 m). Georgia
- Katyntau (4970 m). CBD
- Peak Shota Rustaveli (4960 m). CBD
- Guestla (4860 m). CBD
- Jimar (4780 m). Georgia, North Ossetia
- UMS (4690 m). Georgia, North Ossetia
- Gulchitau (4447 m). CBD
- Tabulosha (4493 m). Higher point of Chechnya
- Bazarduzyu (4466 m). High Point of Dagestan and Azerbaijan
- Shan (4451 m). Higher point of Ingushetia
- Ada-hoh (4408 m). North Ossetia
- Diclosmt (4285 m). Chechnya
- Shahdag (4243 m). Azerbaijan
- Tuffang (4191 m). Azerbaijan
- Shalbuzdag (4142 m). Dagestan
- Aragats (4094). Higher point of Armenia
- Dombay Ulgen (4046 m). KChr.
How many five thousandths in the Caucasus?
Caucasian five thousandths are called mountains, the height of which exceeds five kilometers. From the list presented above, it is clear that on Caucasus Eight Mountains "Five Thairs«:
- Elbrus. (5642 m) - Sleeping volcano and the highest mountain of Russia. The mountain consists of two vertices of Western (5642 m) and Eastern (5621 m), connected by the saddle (5416 m).
- Dykhtau. (5204 m) - Mountain peak of the Side Range of the Greater Caucasus. Mountain with two vertices (both above 5000 m) connected by a cool narrow saddler. The first ascent to the mountain took place in 1888. To date, about ten ten routes from 4a (according to Russian classification) are laid on the top of the Rohtau.
- Koshtatau (5122 m) is a mountain peak on the border of Bezeng and the Mountain District of Balkaria.
- Peak Pushkin (5100 m) - Being a part of the mountain range to the Dykhtau, is a separate vertex. Named in honor of A.S. Pushkin to the 100th anniversary of his death.
- Dzhangitau (5058 m) - mountain peak in the central part of the Greater Caucasus. In the jangitau massif, three vertices are distinguished, which everyone has a height of more than five kilometers.
- Schhara (5201 m) - The Mountain Top of the Central Caucasus is part of the Benefic Wall.
- KazBek (5034 m) - extinct stratovany, the most east five thousandth of the Caucasus. The first ascent to the mountain was committed in 1868
- Western mihirggi (5022 m) - Mountain peak as part of the Benefic Wall. The name of the mountain is translated from Karachay-Balkarsky as "connecting".
Big Caucasus - Mountain system between the Black and Caspian seas. It extends more than 1,100 km from the North-West to the south-east, from the Anapa district and the Taman Peninsula to the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian coast, next to Baku. The highest peak is Elbrus (5642 m).
Big Caucasus hosts the state border of the Russian Federation with Abkhazia, Georgia, South Ossetia and Azerbaijan.
Scheme of ridges of the Big Caucasus. Red circles marked volcanoes.
The Big Caucasus, together with the Small Caucasus, is Caucasian Mountains and is separated from the last Collii and Kura-Araksin lowland and the Curacy Valley in the middle course between them.
The maximum width of the large Caucasus reaches in the Elbrus area (up to 180 km). In the axial part there is a main Caucasian (or water-seated) ridge, north of which a number of parallel ridges (mountain ranges) extend - side ridge, rocky ridge, etc.
Parts and districts
View from the east to Elbrus. Photo O. Fomicheva.
Traditionally, the big Caucasus is divided into 3 parts:
Table 1. The peaks of the Caucasus are above 4,700 m (the height of the topographic map of the scale of 1: 50000 is highlighted in a bold font).
| N. | Top name | Height | Part of bk | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elbrus. | 5642 | Central | Elbrusye |
| 2 | Dykhtau. | 5205 | Central | Bezengi |
| 3 | Schhara | 5203 | Central | Bezengi |
| 4 | Koshtatau | 5152 | Central | Bezengi |
| 5 | Dzhangitau | 5085 | Central | Bezengi |
| 6 | KazBek | 5034 | Central | Breaking |
| 7 | Mihirgi. | 5019 | Central | Bezengi |
| 8 | Katyntau. | 4979 | Central | Bezengi |
| 9 | Guestla | 4860 | Central | Bezengi |
| 10 | Tetnuld. | 4858 | Central | Bezengi |
| 11 | Jersraichokh | 4780 | Central | Warm-jejarisa |
| 12 | Ushba | 4700 | Central | Elbrusye |
Climate
Rest in Adysh icefill. Photo A. Lebedeva (1989)
The climatic features of the Great Caucasus are determined by the height zonality and the rotation of the mountain barrier formed by it at some angle to the Western moisture streams - the atlantic cyclones and the Mediterranean Western air flows of the middle layers of the troposphere. Such turning has a decisive effect on the distribution of precipitation.
The weta itself is the western part of the southern slope, where more than 2500 mm precipitation falls in the highlands per year. A record number of precipitation falls on the Achishho ridge in the Red Polyana area - 3200 mm per year, this is the wettest place of Russia. Winter snow cover in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Acishmo meteorological station reaches 5-7 meters altitude!
| N. | Glacier name | Length km | Square sq.km. | Height of the end | The height of the fibium line | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bezengi | 17.6 | 36.2 | 2080 | 3600 | Bezengi |
| 2 | Karagom | 13.3 | 34.0 | 2070 | 3300 | Karagom |
| 3 | Dyh-Su. | 13.3 | 26.6 | 1830 | 3440 | Bezengi |
| 4 | Lexier | 11.8 | 33.7 | 2020 | 3090 | Elbrusye |
| 5 | Big Aza | 10.2 | 19.6 | 2480 | 3800 | Elbrusye |
| 6 | Zanner | 10.1 | 28.8 | 2390 | 3190 | Bezengi |
The glaciation is especially significantly in the Central Caucasus and in the eastern part of the Western Caucasus. At the Eastern Caucasus, small glaciers occur only in separate high mountain nodes.
The Caucasus Mountains are located on the variety of Caspian and Black Seas. From the Eastern European Plain, the Caucasus separates Kuro-Manic Wpadina. The territory of the Caucasus can be divided into several parts: the Predog Caucasus, the Big Caucasus and the Transcaucasus. On the territory of the Russian Federation only the predfacase and the northern part of the Big Caucasus are located. The last two parts together are called the North Caucasus. However, for Russia, this part of the territory is the most southern. Here, on the ridge of the Main Ridge, the State Border of the Russian Federation is held, followed by Georgia and Azerbaijan. The entire Caucasian ridge system covers an area of \u200b\u200bapproximately 2600 m2, and it takes it about 1450 m2, while southern only about 1150 m2.
North Caucasian Mountains are relatively young. The relief of them was created by different tectonic structures. In the southern part, folded-boulder mountains and the foothills of the Greater Caucasus are located. They were formed when filling in deep deflection zones with sedimentary and volcanic rocks, which later underwent folding. Tectonic processes here were accompanied by significant bends, stretching, breaking and fault faults. As a result of this, a large amount of magma was poured on the surface (this led to the formation of significant ore deposits). Raises that happened here in the non -ogenic and quaternary periods led to the elevation of the surface and the similarity of the relief that exists today. The rise of the central part of the Greater Caucasus was accompanied by lowering the layers at the edges of the resulting ridge. So in the east, the Terek-Caspian deflection was formed, and in the west of Indo-Kubansky.
Often, the big Caucasus represent as the only ridge. In fact, this is a whole system of various ridges that can be divided into several parts. The Western Caucasus is located from the Black Sea coast to Mount Elbrus, then (from Elbrus to Kazbeka) follows the Central Caucasus, and east of Kazbek to the Caspian Sea - the East Caucasus. In addition, two ridges can be distinguished in the longitudinal direction: water-generable (sometimes called it mainly) and side. On the northern slope of the Caucasus, the rocky and pasture ridges are distinguished, as well as Black Mountains. They were formed as a result of the searches of the reservoirs, isolated from different solidity of sedimentary rocks. One slope of the ridge here is flat, and the other breaks down quite sharply. As the axial zone removes the height of the mountain ranges decreases.
The chain of the Western Caucasus begins at the Taman Peninsula. At the very beginning, it is rather not even the mountains, but the hills. They begin to rise to the east. The highest parts of the North Caucasus are covered with snow caps and glaciers. The highest peaks of the Western Caucasus are Fisht Mountains (2870 meters) and Oshten (2810 meters). The highest part of the Mining System of the Big Caucasus is the Central Caucasus. Even some passes at this point reach a height of 3 thousand meters, and the lowest of them (crusad) lies at an altitude of 2380 meters. Here are the highest peaks of the Caucasus. For example, the height of the Kazbek Mountain is 5033 meters, and the two-headed extinct Volcano Elbrus is at all the highest peak of Russia.
The relief here is very disseminated: sharp crests prevail, steep slopes and rocky peaks. The eastern part of the Big Caucasus is mainly numerous ridges of Dagestan (translated the name of this region means "mountainous country"). There are complex branched ridges with steep slopes and deep canyon-shaped river valleys. However, the height of the vertices is less here than in the central part of the mining system, but still they exceed the height of 4 thousand meters. Raising the Caucasian mountains continues in our time. Pretty frequent earthquakes in this region of Russia are connected with this. To the north of the Central Caucasus, where the magma rising in the crack cracks did not pour into the surface, they were formed low, the so-called island mountains. The largest of them are Beshtau (1400 meters) and Mashuk (993 meters). Numerous sources of mineral waters are located at their base.
The so-called Precaucasis is occupied by the Kubanskaya and Terek-Kum lowland. They are separated from each other, the Stavropol elevation, the height of which is 700-800 meters. Stavropol elevation is dismembered by wide and deep embedded valleys, beams and ravines. Based on this site, a young stove lies. The structure is made up of non -ogenic formations covered with limestone deposits - lessisa and lessoidal sublinks, and in the eastern part of the marine sediments of the Quaternary period. Climate regime on this territory is quite favorable. Pretty high mountains serve as a good obstacle for penetrating cold air here. Also affects the proximity of a long cooling sea. The Big Caucasus is the boundary between two climatic belts - subtropical and moderate. In the Russian territory, the climate is still moderate, but the above factors contribute to quite high temperatures.
The Caucasus Mountains as a result of the winter in the predfaccasia are sufficiently warm (the average temperature in January is about -5 ° C). This is facilitated by the warm air masses incoming from the Atlantic Ocean. On the Black Sea coast, the temperature is rarely lowered below the zero mark (the average temperature of January 3 ° C). In mountainous areas, the temperature naturally below. So, the average temperature on the plain in the summer is about 25 ° C, and in the upper reaches of the mountains - 0 ° C. The precipitation on this territory is mainly due to cyclone coming from the West, as a result of which their amount to the east gradually decreases.
Most of the precipitation falls on the southwestern slopes of the Big Caucasus. Their number at the Kubansky Plain is about 7 times lower. In the mountains of the North Caucasus, an olelion is developed, in the area of \u200b\u200bwhich this area ranks first among all areas of Russia. The rivers flowing here are powered by water formed by melting glaciers. The largest Caucasian rivers are Kuban and Terek, as well as their numerous tributaries. Mountain rivers, as usual, are fleeting, and in their lower reaches there are wetlands of crumpled reed and cane.
Caucasian Mountains
The Caucasus Mountains are located on the variety of Caspian and Black Seas. From the Eastern European Plain, the Caucasus separates Kuro-Manic Wpadina. The territory of the Caucasus can be divided into several parts: the Predog Caucasus, the Big Caucasus and the Transcaucasus. On the territory of the Russian Federation only the predfacase and the northern part of the Big Caucasus are located. The last two parts together are called the North Caucasus. However, for Russia, this part of the territory is the most southern. Here, on the ridge of the Main Ridge, the State Border of the Russian Federation is held, followed by Georgia and Azerbaijan. The entire Caucasian ridge system covers an area of \u200b\u200bapproximately 2600 m2, and it takes it about 1450 m2, while southern only about 1150 m2.
North Caucasian Mountains are relatively young. The relief of them was created by different tectonic structures. In the southern part, folded-boulder mountains and the foothills of the Greater Caucasus are located. They were formed when filling in deep deflection zones with sedimentary and volcanic rocks, which later underwent folding. Tectonic processes here were accompanied by significant bends, stretching, breaking and fault faults. As a result of this, a large amount of magma was poured on the surface (this led to the formation of significant ore deposits). Raises that happened here in the non -ogenic and quaternary periods led to the elevation of the surface and the similarity of the relief that exists today. The rise of the central part of the Greater Caucasus was accompanied by lowering the layers at the edges of the resulting ridge. So in the east, the Terek-Caspian deflection was formed, and in the west of Indo-Kubansky.
Often, the big Caucasus represent as the only ridge. In fact, this is a whole system of various ridges that can be divided into several parts. The Western Caucasus is located from the Black Sea coast to Mount Elbrus, then (from Elbrus to Kazbeka) follows the Central Caucasus, and east of Kazbek to the Caspian Sea - the East Caucasus. In addition, two ridges can be distinguished in the longitudinal direction: water-generable (sometimes called it mainly) and side. On the northern slope of the Caucasus, the rocky and pasture ridges are distinguished, as well as Black Mountains. They were formed as a result of the searches of the reservoirs, isolated from different solidity of sedimentary rocks. One slope of the ridge here is flat, and the other breaks down quite sharply. As the axial zone removes the height of the mountain ranges decreases.
The chain of the Western Caucasus begins at the Taman Peninsula. At the very beginning, it is rather not even the mountains, but the hills. They begin to rise to the east. The highest parts of the North Caucasus are covered with snow caps and glaciers. The highest peaks of the Western Caucasus are Fisht Mountains (2870 meters) and Oshten (2810 meters). The highest part of the Mining System of the Big Caucasus is the Central Caucasus. Even some passes at this point reach a height of 3 thousand meters, and the lowest of them (crusad) lies at an altitude of 2380 meters. Here are the highest peaks of the Caucasus. For example, the height of the Kazbek Mountain is 5033 meters, and the two-headed extinct Volcano Elbrus is at all the highest peak of Russia.
The relief here is very disseminated: sharp crests prevail, steep slopes and rocky peaks. The eastern part of the Big Caucasus is mainly numerous ridges of Dagestan (translated the name of this region means "mountainous country"). There are complex branched ridges with steep slopes and deep canyon-shaped river valleys. However, the height of the vertices is less here than in the central part of the mining system, but still they exceed the height of 4 thousand meters. Raising the Caucasian mountains continues in our time. Pretty frequent earthquakes in this region of Russia are connected with this. To the north of the Central Caucasus, where the magma rising in the crack cracks did not pour into the surface, they were formed low, the so-called island mountains. The largest of them are Beshtau (1400 meters) and Mashuk (993 meters). Numerous sources of mineral waters are located at their base.
The so-called Precaucasis is occupied by the Kubanskaya and Terek-Kum lowland. They are separated from each other, the Stavropol elevation, the height of which is 700-800 meters. Stavropol elevation is dismembered by wide and deep embedded valleys, beams and ravines. Based on this site, a young stove lies. The structure is made up of non -ogenic formations covered with limestone deposits - lessisa and lessoidal sublinks, and in the eastern part of the marine sediments of the Quaternary period. Climate regime on this territory is quite favorable. Pretty high mountains serve as a good obstacle for penetrating cold air here. Also affects the proximity of a long cooling sea. The Big Caucasus is the boundary between two climatic belts - subtropical and moderate. In the Russian territory, the climate is still moderate, but the above factors contribute to quite high temperatures.
The Caucasus Mountains as a result of the winter in the predfaccasia are sufficiently warm (the average temperature in January is about -5 ° C). This is facilitated by the warm air masses incoming from the Atlantic Ocean. On the Black Sea coast, the temperature is rarely lowered below the zero mark (the average temperature of January 3 ° C). In mountainous areas, the temperature naturally below. So, the average temperature on the plain in the summer is about 25 ° C, and in the upper reaches of the mountains - 0 ° C. The precipitation on this territory is mainly due to cyclone coming from the West, as a result of which their amount to the east gradually decreases.
Most of the precipitation falls on the southwestern slopes of the Big Caucasus. Their number at the Kubansky Plain is about 7 times lower. In the mountains of the North Caucasus, an olelion is developed, in the area of \u200b\u200bwhich this area ranks first among all areas of Russia. The rivers flowing here are powered by water formed by melting glaciers. The largest Caucasian rivers are Kuban and Terek, as well as their numerous tributaries. Mountain rivers, as usual, are fleeting, and in their lower reaches there are wetlands of crumpled reed and cane.
Caucasian Mountains - Great section between Europe and Asia. The Caucasus is a narrow strip of sushi between the Black and Caspian seas. It amazes an incredible variety of climate, flora and fauna.
The pride of the Caucasus is his mountains! Without the mountains, the Caucasus is not Caucasus. Mountains are unique, majestic and impregnable. The Caucasus is amazingly beautiful. He is so different. On the mountains you can watch for hours.
The mountain range of the Grand Caucasus is a lot of pastures, forests, as well as amazing wonders of nature. More than 2 thousand glaciers are descended by narrow gorges. A large mountain chain is almost one and a half thousand kilometers from the North-West to the southeast. The main vertices exceed 5 thousand meters and significantly affect the weather in the regions. The clouds that are formed over the Black Sea are shed with rains, praising on the mountain peaks of the Caucasus. On the one hand, the ridge is severe landscape, and on the other - stormy vegetation. Here you can meet more than 6 and a half thousand species of plants, a quarter of which, not to find anywhere else in the world.
There are many legends about the origin of the Caucasian Mountains:
Long ago, when the Earth was still very young, a huge plain extended on the site of the modern territory of the Caucasus. They lived here in the world and love huge nurts narnts. They were kind and prudent, happily met and day and night, did not know any evil, nor envy, no cunning. The ruler of this people was the gray-haired Giant Elbrus, and he had a wonderful son Beshtau, and his son had a charming bride, beautiful Mashuki. But they had an evil envious - Korean. And he decided to harm nases. He prepared a terrible potion, in which the wolf teeth mixed, the kabana's tongue and the snake's eyes. On a big holiday, he poured the potion in all drinks of narts. And, having drank it, they acquired the greed of boar, the anger of the wolf and the cunning of the snake. And since that time, the happy and carefree life of narts. He decided to beat off his son with his son a young bride and sending him to hunt, wanted to marry Mashuki forcibly. But Mashuki Elbrus resisted. And in the evil battle she lost her wedding ring. I saw Ring Beshtau and hurried to the aid of the bride. And a terrible battle has not faced a not for life, but to death, and half of the nurses fought on the side of Elbrus, and the other half - on the side of Beshtau. And the battle lasted for several days and nights, and all the narts died. Elbrus pounded his son for five parts, and the son, causing the last blow, dismembered the father's gray head into two halves. Mashuki came out after the battle on the battlefield and did not see any living soul. She approached his beloved and looked like a dagger in his heart. So the life of the Great and Old People was stopped.
And at this point now the Caucasian Mountains are now towers: the helmet from Beshtau - the Mountain of the Iron, the ring of Mashuki - the Ring Mountain, five vertices - Mount Beshtau, near the mountain Mashuk and far and far away from others - the gray-haired or just snow-free Handsome Elbrus.
Caucasian Mountains - result of convergence of two plates
Let's look at one of the most narrow seats of this grandiose mountain belt. His northern outskirts, in the predfaccise, are placed areas that belong to a solid coil, called Scythian. Next, sub-luminous (ie, stretching around the west to the east) of the Mount of the Grand Caucasus, up to 5 km high), narrow cavocal depressions - Rionian and Kurinskaya lowland - and also sub-luminous, but convex mountain ranges of the Small Caucasus in Georgia, Armenia , East Turkey and West Iran (up to 5 km high).
The south of the plains of North Arabia, which, as well as the balance of the Westerns, belong to the very strong, monolithic Arabian lithospheric plate.
Therefore, Scythian and Arabian plates - It's like two parts of giant vice, which slowly get closer, crushing everything that is located between them. It is curious that directly against the northern, relatively narrow end of the Arabian Plate, in East Turkey and West Iran, are the highest mountains compared to the mountains located west and east. They take up just in the place where the Arabian stove, as a solid wedge, the most severely squeezed fuel deposits.