To the question where the Ore Mountains are located, there are several possible answers. The most famous mountain range with the same name on the border of Bohemia (Czech Republic) and Saxony (Germany). This region has been known since ancient times as a center for the extraction of copper, silver, tin, and iron. It is one of the centers of the emergence of metallurgy in Europe. There are Ore Mountains in Slovakia, representing a part of the Western Carpathians. This name is also found in the toponymy of other countries.
Geology
The Ore Mountains belong to the Hercynian folding and are a “fragment” of the Rodinia supercontinent, which split 750 million years ago. Their area is 18,000 km 2 . Later, in the Tertiary period, during the formation of the Alps, a fault occurred, and the southeastern part of the mountains rose high above the surrounding landscape.
In its history, the territory was subjected to powerful tectonic impact several times, which is reflected in the layered structure of rocks: granites, gneisses, sandstone, iron, copper-tin ores and others. Thanks to erosion processes that have been in operation for hundreds of millions of years, once peaked peaks actually turned into gentle hills.
The southeastern block facing the Czech Republic rises in a steep ledge above the Bohemian basin with elevations of up to 700 m. The northwestern block facing Germany descends smoothly, forming an extensive water network.
Where are the Ore Mountains
This massif is located in Central Europe, being the natural border between the Czech Republic and Germany. It is a continuous ridge with a length of more than 150 kilometers, oriented along the line northeast - southwest. Highest peaks:
- Klinovets (1244 m).
- Fichtelberg (1214 m).
- Svalbard (1120 m).
- Auersberg (1022 m).
The picturesque area is very popular among tourists, there are dozens of large balneological, ski, climatic resorts. It is easily accessible from Dresden, Prague, Karlovy Vary.
Ore Mountains, Czech Republic
The state border divides the array into two unequal parts. The Czech part is called Krušné gori and is limited by the Ohře River. It is smaller than the German one (about 6,000 km 2 ), but much cooler.
A powerful uplift led to the formation on the southeast slope of many deep transverse valleys. In antiquity, there were several large lakes, which subsequently dried up. The rivers are short, fast, some have platinum built. Krušné gory is famous for its healing springs: Teplice, Karlovy Vary, Bilina, Jáchymov and others.
The climate in the region is unpredictable with a quick change of weather. It is distinguished by strong winds of the northern and western directions, hurricanes are not rare. High humidity (1000-1200 mm of precipitation) contributes to the formation of fogs (90-125 days a year).
Winters are cold, snowy. Frosts are possible even in June, and starting in September. Summer is cool and rainy, real heat is set closer to August and lasts 2-3 weeks. The average temperature at altitudes of 900-1200 m is 4-2.5 ° C. Due to the abundance of snow in winter, ski resorts operate here.
The Ore Mountains in the Czech Republic are rich in minerals and organic minerals. Deposits of tungsten, iron, cobalt, nickel, tin, copper, lead, silver, coal are known. In the 20th century, uranium deposits were discovered.
Coal mining
The North Bohemian brown coal basin is located in the central part of the Ore Mountains. It is formed on the site of the rift valley that existed in the Miocene. According to geologists, over 20 million years a sedimentary layer, including organic matter, sand, clay, has accumulated here up to half a kilometer.
Over time, the Ore Mountains “compressed” the rift valley, forming a coal seam 25-45 meters thick. Intensive coal mining began in the 19th century. Uncontrolled economic activity has led to a significant change in the landscape and environmental disaster. Large areas of forests were cut down, toxic substances fell into the soil. Reclamation projects of the last decades have partially restored the ecosystem; lakes have been formed on the site of the open pit mines, attracting tourists. At the moment, there are several mines, but their production volume is limited.
Erzgebirge
The Ore Mountains in Germany (also called Erzgebirge) are more gentle, although there are peaks over 1,000 meters here. They are very picturesque, overgrown with forest. In the Pirna region (near Dresden), due to the weathering of soft rocks, amazing geological formations in the form of granite walls were formed. This region is called "Saxon Switzerland." Near Shaibenberg towers a wall of basalt pillars.
The climate in this area is moderate. Mostly westerly winds bring humid air masses from the Atlantic, warmed by the Gulf Stream in winter. At altitudes above 900 m, the average annual temperature is 3-5 ° C. Rainfall is about 1100 mm. The ranges of the Ore Mountains are among the snowiest in Germany. According to historical data, winters were so severe that even cattle froze in the sheds, and in April there were snowfalls that completely swept the houses. Winters are milder now, with frequent thaws.
The Ore Mountains in Saxony are also rich in natural resources, but their industrial potential is almost exhausted. According to excavations, copper was mined here at the dawn of the Bronze Age. Now the unique historical and cultural landscape is protected as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Erzgebirge has a high population density. On its perimeter there are large cultural and historical centers: Dresden, Chemnitz, Plauen, Zwickau, Auz, Hera. The industry of the region is one of the most developed in Germany. More than 60% of employees are employed in the metallurgical, electrical and engineering sectors.
The impact of the anthropogenic factor is certainly great. Mining development required a significant amount of wood. In some areas, forests were completely cut down. Now there is a restoration of ecosystems. There are several national parks in the Ore Mountains, but outside the protected areas, a large area is reserved for green spaces.
Ore Mountains
Slovak ore mountains are mid-high mountains located in the central-eastern part of the country. They are one of the ranges of the Western Carpathians. They extend along the line “west - east” for 140 (according to other sources - 160) kilometers, the average width is 40 km, the area of the massif is about 4000 km 2 .
The border of the northern Rudogorye passes along the Gron River, and the southern one along the Ipel River. The landscape resembles the Czech-German Ore Mountains. The peaks are mostly flat, sometimes with peaked outcrops, the slopes smoothly pass into the valleys. The highest are Mount Capital (1476 m) and Mount Polyana (1468 m).
Nature
The mountains are composed of both solid crystalline and limestone rocks prone to karst formation. In the XIV-XIX centuries, the region was a large metallurgical center. Antimony, copper, iron, and gold were mined here. Today, most of the deposits of metal ores have been mined, but mining of non-metallic minerals continues: magnesites, talc, and others.
Nature is typical of the mountainous regions of Central Europe. On the northern, colder slopes, coniferous forests grow. Deciduous species prevail in the south: beech, ash, hornbeam, oak and others. There are three National Parks on the territory of the Slovak Ore Mountains:
- "Slovak Paradise."
- "Slovak Karst."
- "Murano Plateau".
Caucasus
The Caucasus Mountains are also sometimes called ore. This is due to significant mineral reserves. A feature of the region is the deep occurrence of minerals concentrated in places of concentration of igneous rocks.
The Caucasus Mountains are rich in ore minerals, because powerful tectonic processes have taken place (and are now taking place) since the time of the Paleozoic. Manganese is mined in Georgia (Chiaturskoye deposit). Large deposits of iron were found in Kabardino-Balkaria (Malkinskoye deposit), Azerbaijan (Dashkesan), Armenia (Abovyan, Hrazdan). Also mined are tungsten, copper, mercury, zinc, cobalt, molybdenum, lead and other metals.