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38-726: The Cromwell Mountains is a mountain range on the Huon Peninsula in north-eastern Papua New Guinea . The range is part of the Huon Peninsula montane rain forests . The character and species composition of the forests varies with elevation. Species of Castanopsis and Lithocarpus are the predominant trees in the lower montane forests, which extend from approximately 1000 to 2,000 meters elevation. Above 2,000 meters species of Xanthomyrtus , Vaccinium , and Rhododendron are common, transitioning to Lithocarpus – Elmerrillia forests at approximately 2,300 m. Above 2,400 meters, forests are dominated by broadleaved Elaeocarpus and

76-626: Is 15 °C (59 °F) while on the slopes of Mt. Kazbek at an elevation of 3,700 metres (12,100 ft), average annual temperature falls to −6.1 °C (21.0 °F). The northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range are 3 °C (5.4 °F) colder than the southern slopes. The highlands of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains in Armenia , Azerbaijan , and Georgia are marked by sharp temperature contrasts between

114-520: Is 250 mm (9.84 in) in the northeastern Caspian Depression . Western parts of the Caucasus Mountains are marked by high amounts of precipitation. The southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range receive higher amounts of precipitation than the northern slopes. Annual precipitation in the Western Caucasus ranges from 1,000 to 4,000 mm (39.37–157.48  in ) while in

152-767: Is a mountain range at the intersection of Asia and Europe. Stretching between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea , they are surrounded by the Caucasus region and are home to Mount Elbrus , the highest peak in Europe at 5,642 metres (18,510 ft) above sea level. The Caucasus Mountains include the Greater Caucasus in the north and the Lesser Caucasus in the south. The Greater Caucasus runs west-northwest to east-southeast, from

190-833: Is a part of the Lesser Caucasus system. In the southeast, the Aras River separates the Lesser Caucasus from the Talysh Mountains which runs through the Greater Azerbaijan region. The Lesser Caucasus and the Armenian Highland constitute the Transcaucasian Highland, which at their western end converges with the highland plateau of Eastern Anatolia . The Caucasus Mountains were part of the Silk Road . Geologically,

228-519: Is around 80% on average. Rainfall is abundant in the Cromwell Mountains, with around 4,000 millimeters (157 inches) of rainfall each year. It's spread out relatively evenly, so there's no distinct dry season. The wet season is from November to April, with heavier rainfall and thunderstorms during this time. The climate is influenced by the region's location in the tropics and proximity to the equator . The Southeast Trade Winds bring moist air from

266-525: Is at work while the mountains are being uplifted until the mountains are reduced to low hills and plains. The early Cenozoic uplift of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado provides an example. As the uplift was occurring some 10,000 feet (3,000 m) of mostly Mesozoic sedimentary strata were removed by erosion over the core of the mountain range and spread as sand and clays across the Great Plains to

304-641: Is in Europe. The crest of the Greater Caucasus Mountains is usually taken to define the Greater Caucasus Watershed which marks the continental boundary between Asia and Europe for the region between the Black and Caspian seas. This classification would place Mount Elbrus at the junction with Asia. The table below lists some of the highest peaks of the Caucasus. With the exception of Shkhara ,

342-408: Is the snowiest place in the Caucasus, often records snow depths of 7 m (23 ft). The Caucasus Mountains have a varied landscape which changes according to elevation and distance from large bodies of water. The region contains biomes ranging from subtropical lowland marshes and forests to glaciers (Western and Central Caucasus), and highland semideserts , steppes , and alpine meadows in

380-722: The Andes of South America, extends through the North American Cordillera , the Aleutian Range , on through Kamchatka Peninsula , Japan , Taiwan , the Philippines , Papua New Guinea , to New Zealand . The Andes is 7,000 kilometres (4,350 mi) long and is often considered the world's longest mountain system. The Alpide belt stretches 15,000 km across southern Eurasia , from Java in Maritime Southeast Asia to

418-538: The Annamite Range . If the definition of a mountain range is stretched to include underwater mountains, then the Ocean Ridge forms the longest continuous mountain system on Earth, with a length of 65,000 kilometres (40,400 mi). The position of mountain ranges influences climate, such as rain or snow. When air masses move up and over mountains, the air cools, producing orographic precipitation (rain or snow). As

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456-772: The Iberian Peninsula in Western Europe , including the ranges of the Himalayas , Karakoram , Hindu Kush , Alborz , Caucasus , and the Alps . The Himalayas contain the highest mountains in the world, including Mount Everest , which is 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) high. Mountain ranges outside these two systems include the Arctic Cordillera , Appalachians , Great Dividing Range , East Siberians , Altais , Scandinavians , Qinling , Western Ghats , Vindhyas , Byrrangas , and

494-929: The Lesser Caucasus Mountains are formed predominantly of the Paleogene rocks with a much smaller portion of Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks. The evolution of the Caucasus began from the Late Triassic to the Late Jurassic during the Cimmerian orogeny at the active margin of the Tethys Ocean while the uplift of the Greater Caucasus is dated to the Miocene during the Alpine orogeny . The Caucasus Mountains formed largely as

532-496: The Meskheti Range , varies from 300-800 mm (31.50 in) annually. The Caucasus Mountains are known for the high amount of snowfall, although many regions which are not located along the windward slopes do not receive nearly as much snow. This is especially true for the Lesser Caucasus Mountains which are somewhat isolated from the moist influences coming in from the Black Sea and receive considerably less precipitation (in

570-567: The Mithrim Montes and Doom Mons on Titan, and Tenzing Montes and Hillary Montes on Pluto. Some terrestrial planets other than Earth also exhibit rocky mountain ranges, such as Maxwell Montes on Venus taller than any on Earth and Tartarus Montes on Mars . Jupiter's moon Io has mountain ranges formed from tectonic processes including the Boösaule , Dorian, Hi'iaka and Euboea Montes . Caucasus Mountains The Caucasus Mountains

608-498: The Pacific Ocean , leading to high levels of precipitation. The mountainous terrain also contributes to local variations in weather patterns. This Papua New Guinea –related geography article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Mountain range Mountain ranges are usually segmented by highlands or mountain passes and valleys . Individual mountains within the same mountain range do not necessarily have

646-694: The Silk Route . Tusheti shepherds of Georgia have been herding livestock to seasonal grazing grounds, a practice known as transhumance for over 10,000 years. There was one pass on the southeast end in Derbent (known as the Caspian Gates or Gates of Alexander ), and multiple passes throughout the range: Jvari Pass at 2379 m and above the Darial Gorge on the Georgian Military Road , Mamison Pass on

684-602: The Spitak earthquake in December 1988 which destroyed the Gyumri - Vanadzor region of Armenia. Mount Elbrus , at 5,642 m (18,510 ft), in the Caucasus Mountains, is sometimes cited as the highest peak in Europe. 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). However, there are some technical disagreements over whether Mount Elbrus

722-899: The Western Caucasus on the northeastern shore of the Black Sea to close to Baku on the Caspian Sea, in Azerbaijan . The Lesser Caucasus runs parallel to the Greater about 100 km (62 mi) south. The Greater and Lesser Caucasus ranges are connected by the Likhi Range , and to the west and east of the Likhi Range lie the Colchis Plain and the Kur-Araz Lowland respectively. The Meskheti Range

760-499: The Caucasus Mountains belong to the Alpide belt system that extends from southeastern Europe into Asia and is considered a border between the two continents. The Greater Caucasus Mountains are mainly composed of Cretaceous and Jurassic rocks with the Paleozoic and Precambrian rocks in the higher regions. Some volcanic formations are found throughout the range. On the other hand,

798-699: The Eastern and Northern Caucasus ( Chechnya business , Ingushetia , Kabardino-Balkaria , Ossetia , Kakheti , Kartli , etc.) precipitation ranges from 600 to 1,800 mm (23.62–70.87  in ). The absolute maximum annual precipitation is 4,100 mm (161.42 in) around the Mt. Mtirala area which lies on the Meskheti Range in Ajaria . The precipitation of the Lesser Caucasus Mountain Range (Southern Georgia , Armenia , western Azerbaijan ), not including

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836-411: The Lesser Caucasus Mountains are largely covered by grasslands and steppes up to an elevation of 2,500 metres (8,200 ft). The highest areas of the region too contains alpine grasslands. Volcanic and other rock formations are common throughout the region. The volcanic zone extends over a large area from southern Georgia into Armenia and southwestern Azerbaijan . Some of the prominent peaks of

874-557: The Lesser Caucasus Mountains are largely of volcanic origin. 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. Only recently was the Caucasus a scene for intense volcanic activity: the Armenian highland was flooded by calc-alkaline basalts and andesites in the Pliocene and

912-623: The air descends on the leeward side, it warms again (following the adiabatic lapse rate ) and is drier, having been stripped of much of its moisture. Often, a rain shadow will affect the leeward side of a range. As a consequence, large mountain ranges, such as the Andes, compartmentalize continents into distinct climate regions . Mountain ranges are constantly subjected to erosional forces which work to tear them down. The basins adjacent to an eroding mountain range are then filled with sediments that are buried and turned into sedimentary rock . Erosion

950-518: The conifers Phyllocladus , Podocarpus , and Dacrydium . The mountains are home to the most extensive unlogged Dacrydium forests in the Southern Hemisphere. The climate in the region is typical of tropical rainforests , with high temperatures, humidity, and rainfall all year round. The temperatures in the Cromwell Mountains hover around 25°C (77°F) throughout the year, except for higher elevations where it can get cooler. The humidity level

988-485: The east. This mass of rock was removed as the range was actively undergoing uplift. The removal of such a mass from the core of the range most likely caused further uplift as the region adjusted isostatically in response to the removed weight. Rivers are traditionally believed to be the principal cause of mountain range erosion, by cutting into bedrock and transporting sediment. Computer simulation has shown that as mountain belts change from tectonically active to inactive,

1026-624: The forest at around 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level. The permafrost / glacier line generally starts around 2,800–3,000 metres (9,200–9,800 ft). The southeastern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountains are covered by beech , oak , maple , hornbeam , and ash forests. Beech forests tend to dominate in higher locations. The south-western slopes of the Greater Caucasus are covered by Colchian forests ( oak , buxus , beech , chestnut , hornbeam , elm ) at lower elevations with coniferous and mixed forests ( spruce , fir and beech ) taking over at higher elevations. The alpine zone on

1064-456: The form of snow) than the Greater Caucasus Mountains. The average winter snow cover of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains ranges from 10 to 30 cm (3.94–11.81  in ). The Greater Caucasus Mountains (especially the southwestern slopes) are marked by heavy snowfall. Avalanches are common from November to April. Snow cover in several regions ( Svaneti and northern Abkhazia ) may reach 5 metres (16 ft). The Mt. Achishkho region, which

1102-603: The heights are taken from Soviet 1:50,000 mapping. The list includes the ten ultras (mountains of more than 1,500 m prominence) and all mountains over 4,500 m height with 300 m prominence . Mount Ağrı (5,137 m) in Turkey is just south of the Lesser Caucasus. The climate of the Caucasus varies both vertically (according to elevation) and horizontally (by latitude and location). Temperature generally decreases as elevation rises. Average annual temperature in Sukhumi , Abkhazia at sea level

1140-710: The highest summits of the Caucasus, the Elbrus , and the Kazbek , formed as Pleistocene - Pliocene volcanoes. The Kazbek is no longer active, but the Elbrus erupted in postglacial times and fumarole activity is registered near its summit. Contemporary seismic activity is a prominent feature of the region, reflecting active faulting and crustal shortening. Clusters of seismicity occur in Dagestan and in northern Armenia . Many devastating earthquakes have been documented in historical times, including

1178-617: The rate of erosion drops because there are fewer abrasive particles in the water and fewer landslides. Mountains on other planets and natural satellites of the Solar System, including the Moon , are often isolated and formed mainly by processes such as impacts, though there are examples of mountain ranges (or "Montes") somewhat similar to those on Earth. Saturn 's moon Titan and Pluto , in particular, exhibit large mountain ranges in chains composed mainly of ices rather than rock. Examples include

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1216-469: The region include Mt. Aragats , Didi Abuli , Samsari , and others. The area is characterized by volcanic plateaus , lava flows , volcanic lakes , volcanic cones and other features. The Lesser Caucasus Mountains lack the type of glaciers and glacial features that are common on the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range. Crossing the Caucasus Mountain range was an important section of the northern arm of

1254-774: 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 was pushed against it, 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. As this happened,

1292-564: The rocks that had been deposited in this basin from the Jurassic to the Miocene were folded to form the Greater Caucasus Mountains. This collision also caused the uplift and the Cenozoic volcanic activity in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains. The entire region is regularly subjected to strong earthquakes from this activity. While the Greater Caucasus Mountains have a mainly folded sedimentary structure,

1330-526: The same geologic structure or petrology . They may be a mix of different orogenic expressions and terranes , for example thrust sheets , uplifted blocks , fold mountains, and volcanic landforms resulting in a variety of rock types . Most geologically young mountain ranges on the Earth's land surface are associated with either the Pacific Ring of Fire or the Alpide belt . The Pacific Ring of Fire includes

1368-493: The south (mainly in Armenia and Azerbaijan ). The northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountains are covered by oak , hornbeam , maple , and ash forests at lower elevations while birch and pine forests take over at higher elevations. Some of the lowest areas of the region are covered by steppes and grasslands . The slopes of the North-western Greater Caucasus ( Kabardino-Balkaria , Cherkessia , etc.) also contain spruce and fir forests. The alpine zone replaces

1406-491: The southern slopes may extend up to 2,800 metres (9,200 ft) above sea level while the glacier /snow line starts at 3,000–3,500 metres (9,800–11,500 ft). The northern and western slopes of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains are characterized both by Colchian and other deciduous forests at lower elevations while mixed and coniferous forests (mainly spruce and fir ) dominate at higher elevations. Beech forests are also common at higher elevations. The southern slopes of

1444-414: The summer and winter months due to a more continental climate. Precipitation increases from east to west in most areas. Elevation plays an important role in the Caucasus and mountains generally receive higher amounts of precipitation than low-lying areas. The north-eastern regions ( Dagestan ) and the southern portions of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains are the driest. The absolute minimum annual precipitation

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