THE GEOMORFOLOGY

Summary: The geomorpology of Castilla y Leon
In Castilla y León there are different type of landforms. The relief of Castilla y León is dominated by a great Plateau or Tableland (Meseta). This Plateau around the River Duero, it is surround by the mountains of the Cantabrian Range to the north, the Iberian System eastwards and the Central System to the south, while to the west, lesser mountain ranges, such as the Montes de León and the sierras of La Cabrera, Segundera and La Culebra, together with awesome river canyons of the Arribes del Duero area (natural border with Portugal) comprise the regional perimeter. The layout of geographical features has given rise to two mayor kinds of landscape:
- The vast plains and steppes (páramos) on the Tableland of the Duero River. With a high average altitude of 800 metres, the Duero Tableland covers most of the drainage basin of this great river and hosts some of most classic Castilian landscape. The fluvial morphology is conditioned by the lithological variety of Peleozoic bedrock by Hercynian and Alpine Tectonic influence and Quaternary evolution area. E. g., in the eastern half of the region, several of Duero´s tributaries have caved out deep canyons and ravines in the limestone steppes. To the west, right on the border with Portugal, the Duero and several of its tributaries have forced a passage through the granite known as “Arrives”. Along the course of the River Duero there are lakes like Villafafila and Nava lakes.
- The mountain that it surround the Plateau are: The Central System are located to the south. The granite and gneiss are the predominant rock in the Central System as a whole. In a few sections there are unmistakable signs of Quaternary glacial action. The cirques and glacial lagoons are particulary interesting as they are the most southerly in Europe. The highest peak is Almanzor (2592m) in the Gredos Mountains.
The Iberian System in the east. This massif display numerous examples of glacial erosion, with cirques, lakes, morraines and U-shaped valleys. Also typical of this region the limestones steppe furrowed by rivers ravines and canyons. Its main peak is Moncayo (2313m)
The Cantabrian Range, in the north and León Mountains in the Northwest, isolates the Plateau from influence of the sea. The eastern Cantabrian Range had -Los Picos de Europa- where limestone erosion has given rise to spectacular relief, caves, underground and springs. The western Cantabrian Range had – La Segundera and Cabrera ranges- the landscape, still bears the marks of last Quateranry glaciaton, e.g. lakes like Sanabria, Truchillas and La Baña and U-shaped valleys gouged out by tongues of ice. Torre de Cerredo, in the Picos de Europa, is the highest summit (2648m).

In this unit our students have got to can tell one landscape from another using fotographs.