Caucasus Mountains

Lore & Background

The Caucasus Mountains formed largely as the result of a tectonic plate collision between the Arabian plate moving northwards with respect to the Eurasian plate. As the Tethys Sea was closed and the Arabian plate collided with the Iranian plate, and with the clockwise movement of the Eurasian plate towards the Iranian plate and their final collision, the Iranian plate was pressed against the Eurasian plate. Rocks deposited from the Jurassic to the Miocene were folded to form the Greater Caucasus Mountains. This collision also caused the uplift and Cenozoic volcanic activity in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains. The entire region is regularly subjected to strong earthquakes. The Javakheti Volcanic Plateau in Georgia and the surrounding volcanic ranges which extend well into central Armenia are some of the youngest features of the region. The highest summits of the Caucasus, Elbrus and Kazbek, formed as Pleistocene-Pliocene volcanoes. Kazbek is no longer active, but Elbrus erupted in postglacial times and fumarole activity is registered near its summit. Contemporary seismic activity is a prominent feature, reflecting active faulting and crustal shortening. Many devastating earthquakes have been documented, including the Spitak earthquake in December 1988 which destroyed the Gyumri-Vanadzor region of Armenia.

Reader's Guide

The Caucasus Mountains are significant as a natural boundary between Europe and Asia, with the Greater Caucasus Watershed marking the continental boundary for the region between the Black and Caspian seas. Mount Elbrus, at 5,642 m (18,510 ft), is sometimes cited as the highest peak in Europe, though there are technical disagreements over whether it is in Europe or at the junction with Asia. The range's climate varies vertically and horizontally: temperature generally decreases as elevation rises, with average annual temperature in Sokhumi at sea level at 15 °C (59 °F) while on the slopes of Mt. Kazbek at 3,700 metres it falls to −6.1 °C (21.0 °F). Precipitation increases from east to west; the Western Caucasus receives 1,000 to 4,000 mm annually, while the Eastern and Northern Caucasus receive 600 to 1,800 mm. The Caucasus Mountains are known for heavy snowfall, with the Mt. Achishkho region often recording snow depths of 7 m (23 ft). The landscape varies from subtropical lowland marshes and forests to glaciers and highland semideserts, steppes, and alpine meadows. The northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus are covered by oak, hornbeam, maple, and ash forests at lower elevations, with birch and pine forests higher up. The alpine zone replaces the forest at around 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level. The Caucasus Mountains were historically part of the Silk Road.

Did You Know?

• Mount Elbrus is 832 m (2,730 ft) higher than Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps and Western Europe at 4,810 m (15,780 ft).
• The Greater Caucasus Mountains are mainly composed of Cretaceous and Jurassic rocks, with Paleozoic and Precambrian rocks in the higher regions.
• The absolute maximum annual precipitation in the Caucasus is 4,100 mm (161.42 in) around Mt. Mtirala on the Meskheti Range in Adjara.
• The Spitak earthquake in December 1988 destroyed the Gyumri-Vanadzor region of Armenia.
• The Javakheti Volcanic Plateau in Georgia and surrounding volcanic ranges are some of the youngest features of the region.