wow! Armenia

The Dormant Devil

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:38:11 +0000

Volcanism relics can be traced to the foothills of the Geghama Range. The area strikes the visitor with its fantastic landscape, which has preserved the relief peculiarities of the preceding period. Lava stream remnants, the ravines and the gorges beneath present a peculiar sight. It was in this state that the tribes first found the Armenian plateau. Nonetheless, having spewed all of its energy on construction materials, the volcano, whose name Bagharsak is associated with Indo-European deities, got covered with absinthe wormwood and took its last sleep. The Armenian plateau is considered to be the country of extinct volcanism. Still, Mt Nemrut situated to the west from Lake Van erupted in 1441. From geological perspective it doesn’t seem to be that distant. At present it undergoes the solfatara stage and periodically discharges sulphurous gas. It is believed that the volcano erupted and destroyed several settlements in 1881. Mt Tondurek located 50 km southwest from Great Ararat discharges not only gas but solids as well. The eruption of the largest volcano in Armenia, Argeos, was recorded by Strabo. Mt Aragats having four peaks is also famous for its sulphurous gas discharges. Thus, one shouldn’t ignore the risk of new eruptions in Armenia.

The Mountainous Island

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:27:56 +0000

The Armenian plateau stands out in the north of Asia Minor. The name of the plateau derives its origin from the nation, which inhabited the territory between Iranian and Anatolian massifs. The local relief significantly differs from contiguous formations, which are extensive plateaus framed by ranges, while Armenia is a mountainous volcanic country set among relatively low ranges of the Pont, the lesser Caucasus, and the Armenian Tavros. The country is caged between two tectonic plates: the Eurasian, on the one side, and the northern segment of Afro-Arabian on another. On the territory of about 400 000 sq km the Iranian and Anatolian plateaus bumped, thus forming an area of a mountain chain (a similar fact can as well be observed in the Pamirs). The elevation of the Armenian plateau over the territory is due to this fact and accounts for another name of the country: Mountainous Island. More than 35 per cent of the plateau’s territory is located at the height of more than 2000 m, which surpasses the average height of the adjacent mountain ridges and some of the Caucasian Mountains, among which there is a wide range of mountains reaching 5000 m. The highlight of the Armenian plateau Great Ararat reaches 5165 m.

The Molten Mystery

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:24:51 +0000

Despite its elevation, the Armenian plateau has not got that extent of snow line, which is typical of other mountainous countries. The maximum concentration of ice forms can be observed on Great Ararat and extends about 20 sq km. As the Armenian plateau is closer located to the South, the line of altitude, above which there is permanent snow, is at the height of 4150–4250 m, an indicator relatively higher than that of the Alps and Great Caucasus. In Armenia one can hardly come across a relief typical of the Alps.

The Zangezour Range is the highest folded ranges in the region. Separate peaks reach an approximate height of 4000 m (Kapoutjough – 3904 m, Siskatar – 3827m), but ice covers are not typical of them. The mountains are covered with ice holes and snowfields and have preserved quaternary period traces. The Zangezour Range boasts such lakes as the Gazan, the Kaputan, the Kapuyt, and the Kajarants. One can ride along the Zangezour Range on the highway connecting Armenia with Iran. The pass height varies within the range of 2400–2600 m.

The Witnesses of the Earth’s Creation

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:11:43 +0000

The highest ranges in Armenia are the result of the most recent Alpine age, orogeny. Intensive elevations took place approximately 25 million years ago when the greater part of the plateau territory was still covered with water. The Great Sea started receding due to the constant growth of mountains. This, however, does not imply that the rocks and relief shapes of the Armenian plateau are less than 25 million years old. The territory of the country is a real geological treasury, to which distant epochs can be traced. Thus, the rocks making the base of the Pambak Range can be even two billion years old and the Proterozoic layers more than 570 million years old. The Tsaghkunyats Range amphiboles, gneiss, mica and migmatites can be traced to the most ancient magmatism period. Separate patterns approximately 2,7 billion years old strike with their age. Thus, they were to witness the initial stage of earth crust formation. The Tsaghkunyats Range is one of the most spectacular sites in Armenia; there are many waterfalls and lakes on its slopes. The rope chair Tsaghkadzor connects the bottom of the range with Tehenis, 2846 meters in height.

The Paleozoic Sea

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:04:21 +0000

The gorge of the Arpa River is reminiscent of Devonian period, which started 410 million years ago. This is the age when amphibians first appeared and fish became abundant. Caves located on the rocky cavities of the ancient ocean are reminiscent of Devonian period in Armenia. When traveling 130 km to the south of Yerevan, visitors can come across a complex of caves with dendritic passages located on the slopes covered with limestone, quartzite argillaceous sandstone of the Vayk Range.

Bear’s Cave which is the largest among them is claimed not to have revealed all of its secrets yet. While it is believed to extend for more than tens of kilometers, only 3 or 4 kilometers of its span have been covered. It still remains a mystery whether the cave has got a through passage or not. One is likely to experience real adventures when walking through the halls with stalagmitic arcs and columns and admiring the 30-meter stalactitic waterfall, which serves as a stark reminder of water elements.

Shrouded in Dark

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:01:27 +0000

The earlier relief shapes of the Armenian plateau are concaved. Unlike the young mountain ranges, they do not dominate the area but are out of the reach of sunlight. These degraded wells are not horizontal passage caves but vertical openings in a circular or cylindrical shape. Their average depth varies from 20 to 70 m, while the transverse diameter starts from 5 to 15 m. One of the deepest chasms is located 160 km to the south of Yerevan and is known as Mozrov Well. The underground bag created by solvent actions of the circulating waters fell, thus forming the well, which nowadays is perceived as a natural gallery. The last square centimetres of the original ground go deep to the earth for several scores of meters. It has turned into real guano, a pile of bones and droppings, rendering the well. There follows realm of stalactites, stalagmites, ice formations and tiff decorations on the cave walls and narrow tunnels, shrouded in darkness. The first hall is 30 m high and resembles a seabed. The second is relatively smaller than the first but is much richer in cave substance concentration and tiff decorations.

Jurassic Park

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:58:58 +0000

The system of ancient seas Tethys was formed in the Proterozoic era, approximately 600 million years ago. In those times the territory of the Armenian plateau was not covered with water, though its separate parts had already turned into seabed. The original Flood took place already at the end of the Mesozoic era. It was then that the underground passages of the Claw’s Cave located on the spurs of the Vayk Range appeared. One travels both in time and space when studying those bags. Geological epochs which might have been separated by million years follow each other at a distance of some 100 m. The paleontologists still hope to find fossils in the cretaceous layers of the Armenian plateau. Still, the stalactite reptiles await the visitors at every turn. Jurassic Park welcomes the visitor with zoomorphic forms. Illuminated by searchlights the ichthyosaurus snout sticks out of the rocks and seems to shed real crocodile tears.

The Buried River

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:51:40 +0000

The Armenian plateau started forming approximately 25 million years ago. Because of its intense elevations, which took place in the Alpine period, whole mountain massifs of underwater started stretching ridges. The following 15 million years saw the formation of the first mountain ranges. By the Quaternary period the Armenian plateau had transformed into dry land. A new stage of geological progress followed. Huge lava eruptions covered the Armenian plateau with mighty volcanic layers, which later revealed sedimentary and magma rocks, as well as earlier relief forms: reservoirs, ravines and river plains. How the apparently drainless Ayghr Lich (Lake) was being fed remained a mystery for a long time. It is situated on the Ararat Valley at the height of 860 m and occupies the territory of 5 sq km with maximum depth of 8 m. The fact that the lake is located in the semi-desert zone of high evaporation has raised even more interest. In fact, Lake Ayghr tapers off in summer and covers 0,07 sq km only but does not evaporate entirely and even is the source of the Black River. Recently it has become known that the reservoir feeds on an ancient river, which didn’t stop flowing after its bed had been buried in a thick layer of lava cover.

The First Height

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:48:22 +0000

The Arteni Volcano became one of the peaks of the new geological chronology formed by erosion. It formed about 10 million years ago. The herds of elephants and mastodons must have been frightened by the colossal lava amounts ejected from its blazing vent.

Situated to the west from Mt Aragats, Arteni is an isolated formation consisting of one great cone and three volcanic rocks Satani-Dara, Areguni and Southern Hill. The mountain is 2047 m in height and 10 km in diameter. Despite its humble nature the volcano boasts to have provided the first shelter for primitive men.

The Dormant Giant

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:42:51 +0000

About 10 million years ago in the central part of the Armenian plateau a new volcano rose, approximately 3500 m in height. It was trapezoid-shaped and though its flat summit resembled the cone of Mt Kilimanjaro, its lava consistence was different. The volcano grew due to the colossal magma amounts it erupted. About 5 million years ago, a new summit appeared, already cone-shaped. Later, a cupola rose over the cone. The mountain was doomed to dominate the whole plateau and to symbolize Armenia. The present image of Great Ararat is over 3,5 million year old. The height of the volcano has caused may disputes for a long time. In 1829, Professor Parrot from Dorpat University (present Tartu University) and the Armenian writer Kh. Abovian recorded it to be 5280 m. According to the expert in geography, Kh. Khodzko the volcano is 5156 m in height, a figure, which is likely to be found in many publications and on separate maps. Later P. Guru stated the height of the volcano to be 5200 m. However, in the first part of the 20th century some maps recorded the height of the volcano to be 5604 m. The more exact measurement of 5165 m above sea level is considered to have been made by the French alpinists during the shoot in 1952.