Information AboutZagros |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ZAGROS MOUNTAINS | |
| mountain ranges of iran | |
| mountains of iraq | |
| mountains of kurdistan | |
| ecoregions | |
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The Zagros Mountains ('s largest and Iran 's second largest Mountain Range . They have a total length of 1500 km from western Iran, specifically the Kurdistan region on the border with Iraq to the southern parts of the Gulf also Persian Gulf . The range ends at the Straits Of Hormuz . Formed by collision of the Eurasian and Arabian Tectonic Plate s, the range extends for hundreds of kilometers. Stresses induced in the Earth's crust by the collision caused extensive folding of the preexisting layered Sedimentary Rock s. eSubsequent erosion removed softer rocks, such as Mudstone (rock formed by consolidated mud) and Siltstone (a slightly coarser-grained mudstone) while leaving harder rocks, such as Limestone (calcium-rich rock consisting of the remains of marine organisms) and Dolomite (rocks similar to limestone containing Calcium and Magnesium ). This differential Erosion formed the linear ridges of the Zagros Mountains. The depositional environment and tectonic history of the rocks were conducive to the formation and trapping of Petroleum , and the Zagros region is an important part of Persian Gulf production. Salt Dome s and Salt Glacier s are a common feature of the Zagros Mountains. Salt domes are an important target for oil exploration, as the impermeable salt frequently traps petroleum beneath other rock layers. ETYMOLOGY The name ''Zagros'' is possibly derived from the Greek ''Zagreus'', meaning stormy. On the other hand, and more likely the root-word, the name ZaG'R' means 'great land' in the Avestan Language . TYPE AND AGE OF ROCK The mountains are divided into many parallel sub-ranges (up to 10, or 250 km wide), and have the same age and Orogenesis as the Alps . Iran's main oilfields lie in the western central foothills of the Zagros mountain range. The highest point of the range is Zard Kuh (4548 metres). The southern ranges of the Fars Province have only somewhat lower summits of up to 4000 m. They contain some limestone rocks showing abundant fossils. Special Surveyor expeditions sometimes come across fossil Snail s of 2 kilograms at altitudes of 3000 metres. It is now hard to imagine that these high summits were indeed part of the deep ocean some 50 million years ago. The second highest peak is named Dena. The Kuhrud Mountains form one of the parallel ranges at a distance of approx. 300 km to the east. The area between these two impressive mountain chains is home to a dense human population that lives in the intermediate valleys which are quite high in altitude with a temperate climate. Their rivers, which eventually reach Salt Lake s, create fertile environments for agriculture and commerce. ZAGROS IN HISTORY The Indo-European Median tribes settled in the Zagros mountain region and coalesced with the Gutiums, and thus the modern Kurds speak from as Aryan language (Morris). The Kurds are mentioned by Xenophon , a Greek mercenary, as he retreated from Persia with ten thousand men in 401 BC, he says of the Kurds , "These people, lived in the mountains and were very war-like and not subject to the Persian king. Indeed once a royal army of 120,000 thousand had once invaded their country, and not a man of them came back..(Morris)." (Jensen 1996) REFERENCES |
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