The Zagros Mountains are a snow-covered range of mountains,
mainly in south-west Iran, which is normally hot, dry and barren. The range is
550 miles (900 kms) long and 150 miles (240 kms) wide. The highest point is
12,000 feet (3,600 metres) above sea level.
The Zagros Mountains owe their origin to the collision of
two tectonic plates, namely the Arabian and Asian plates. This collision began
during the middle Miocene period, some 13 million years ago, and continues to
this day at a rate of 1.6 inches (4 centimeters) each year. This means that the
Zagros range is being pushed steadily higher – like the Himalayan and
associated ranges further to the east – and this is a region that is regularly
hit by earthquakes.
The range, which extends from the Diyala River (a tributary
of the Tigris) in the northwest to beyond the ancient city of Shiraz to the
southeast, is formed mostly from limestone and shale and consists of numerous
parallel ridges with intervening valleys. The ridges increase in height to the
east until they merge with a high plateau that lies at about 5,000 feet (1,500
metres).
The western side of the Zagros range, which includes much of
the Kurdish areas of Iraq and Turkey, is drained by strongly flowing rivers
that are fed by snowmelt and rainfall of some 40 inches (100 cms) a year.
Tree cover
The higher slopes of the Zagros are covered in oak,
sycamore, maple and beech. Willow, plane and poplar trees grow in the higher
mountain ravines, while lower down are found walnut, fig and almond plantations
that take advantage of the naturally fertile soils in the valleys.
© John Welford
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