Everyone knows that Elbrus is higher than Mont Blanc. Its height above sea level reaches 5642 meters, while the most significant peak of the Alps is almost 800 meters lower. Then why is there a debate to this day about which is the highest mountain in Europe?
The thing is that Elbrus is located at the junction of two parts of the world. And to which of them it belongs - to Europe or Asia - depends on how to draw a border between them. This controversial “borderline” issue has been several hundred years old. And it is Elbrus that is one of the reasons for its relevance.
The problem is that in nature there are no sharp transitions or a clear boundary between the parts of the world, and scientists can’t agree on where Asia ends and Europe begins. When the border is drawn along the Kuma-Manych depression, the Caucasus, together with its highest peak, is in Asia. And in this case, the highest mountain in Europe is no longer Elbrus, but Mont Blanc.
But most researchers consider this separation unreasonable. In their opinion, it is much more logical to divide Europe and Asia along the axial line of the Caucasian ridge, because, in addition to geological factors, others must be taken into account. In particular, the flora of the southern slopes of the Caucasus is significantly different from that located on the north side. Sub-tropical vegetation predominates south of the watershed, and forest-steppes to the north. This is explained by the fact that the mountains protect Transcaucasia from cold air and serve as a natural border that divides the natural zones. There are many other arguments in favor of drawing a border on the main watershed of the Caucasus Mountains, which suggests that the highest mountain in Europe is still Elbrus.
Two-headed mountain
Elbrus received this name for the presence of two peaks: the western one is 21 meters higher than the eastern one. They are covered with snow-white ice caps. Glaciers descend from the snow domes down the slopes, which have recently been rapidly decreasing in size. Many scientists attribute this to global warming, but some are confident that the rapid melting of glaciers is due to the increasing volcanic activity of Elbrus.
And all because the highest mountain in Europe is of volcanic origin. The last eruption of Elbrus occurred at the beginning of a new era. Today, scientists are confident in the imminent awakening of the volcano. And this means the possibility of a new eruption. But, most likely, this is unlikely to happen in the next century.
Young European mountains
On the territory of Europe there are several mountain systems stretched by a belt from the Caucasus to the Atlantic. The most significant of them are the Alps, which are a complex system of ridges and massifs with a length of 1200 kilometers. The highest mountains of Europe are located in eight European countries and in some cases occupy significant areas, for example, in Switzerland, almost 60%, and in Slovenia - 40%. Despite the fact that the Alps occupy only 3% of the territory of Germany, it is the most elevated part of the country. Here is the highest mountain in Germany with the unusual name Zugspitze, which means "the head of the train." With a height of 2962 meters, its shape is very similar to a steam locomotive with a pipe.