Montes Universales

Montes Universales
View of the Montes Universales near Guadalaviar town
Highest point
Elevation	1,935 m (6,348 ft)
Listing	List of mountains in Aragon
Coordinates	40°22′30″N 1°44′23″W / 40.37500°N 1.73972°W / 40.37500; -1.73972Coordinates: 40°22′30″N 1°44′23″W / 40.37500°N 1.73972°W / 40.37500; -1.73972
Geography
Montes Universales Spain
Location	Sierra de Albarracín Comarca, Aragon
Parent range	Iberian System, Southern zone
Geology
Mountain type	Karstic (Mesozoic)
Climbing
Easiest route	From the towns of Guadalaviar or Villar del Cobo

Montes Universales is a 32 km (20 mi) long mountain range in the southeastern end of the Iberian System. Its highest point is the 1,935 m high summit known as Caimodorro. The 1,830 m high Muela de San Juan is another important peak.

Administratively the Montes Universales belong to the Sierra de Albarracín comarca of Aragon, therefore there are often confused with the geographical Sierra de Albarracín mountain range.^[1]

Geography

The range is aligned in a NW - SE direction and is not as high as neighboring mountain ranges. It is, however, very significant from the hydrographic point of view for important rivers of the Iberian Peninsula have their source in these mountains, which divide the Atlantic from the Mediterranean watershed. Among the Iberian rivers that originate in the Montes Universales the most important are Tagus on the western slopes, and the Túria, Cabriel and Xúquer on the eastern.

The Montes Universales limit on the northeast with the paleozoic massifs of Caimodorro and Loma Alta, in the southeast with the Serranía de Cuenca and with the Sierra de Jabalón and the Túria Valley in the east.

Flora and fauna

These mountains are covered with mostly not very dense clumps of pine, oak and Iberian Juniper (Juniperus thurifera) forest.

Radiocarbon samples from Ojos del Tremedal show that birches, now almost absent from these mountains, were very common in the Montes Universales during the ice age around 9,600 years ago. Signs of human interference with the vegetation have been detected beginning from about 3,500 years before.^[2]

Erebia zapateri is an endemic butterfly of these mountains.^[3]

Features

Villar del Cobo village under the Montes Universales during a winter snowstorm

Montes Universales. The Turia River in the stretch known as Guadalaviar River until Teruel city.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Montes Universales.

Mountain ranges of the Sistema Ibérico

Northern & Western	Sierra de la Demanda Sierra de Neila Mesa de Cebollera Picos de Urbión Sierra de Alcarama Sierra de Peñalmonte Sierra de Moncalvillo Moncayo Sierra de Nava Alta Sierra de Perdices Sierra Ministra Sierra de Caldereros Sierra de Pardos Sierra de Miñana Sierra de Solorio Sierra de Selas Parameras de Molina

Southwestern, Central & Southeastern	Serranía de Cuenca Sierra Menera Sierra de Albarracín Montes de Picaza Montes Universales Sierra de Mira Sierra de Javalambre Sierra del Toro Sierra de la Virgen Sierra de Vicort Sierra de Algairén Sierra de Santa Cruz Sierra de Cucalón Sierra de Herrera Sierra de San Just Sierra de Lidón Sierra Palomera Sierra de Gúdar Sierra de Mayabona Sierra de Camarena Sierra de Sollavientos Sierra del Rayo Sierra de Pina

Eastern & Northeastern	Maestrat (Maestrazgo) Penyagolosa Massif Sierra de la Lastra Sierra de los Caballos Sierra de Garrocha Sierra de la Cañada Sierra Carrascosa Ports de Morella Serra de la Creu Serra d'En Segures Serra d'en Galceran Serra d'Esparreguera Serra de Vallivana Serra d'En Celler Serra del Turmell Serra de l'Espadella Moles de Xert Talaies d'Alcalà Serra de la Vall d'Àngel Cervera Mountains Serra de Sant Pere Serra Calderona Serra d'Espadà Ports de Tortosa-Beseit Benifassà Mountains Serra de Paüls Serra de l'Espina

Peaks	Moncayo Monte San Lorenzo Pico de Urbión Javalambre Peñarroya Peña Isasa Peñalmonte Tetas de Viana Caimodorro Cerro Calderón Monte Gatún Monte Serradero Mont Caro Castell de l'Airosa La Moleta Montegordo Penyagalera Roques de Benet Santa Bàrbara Tossal d'Orenga Tossal dels Tres Reis

Forests of the Iberian Peninsula Geography of Spain List of mountains in Aragon List of mountains in the Valencian Community List of mountains in Catalonia Sistema Central Monasterio de Piedra

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/25/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.