Albera Massif

The Albera Massif (Catalan: Serra de l'Albera; French: Massif des Albères) is a mountain range located in the south of Pyrénées-Orientales and the north of Catalonia, between France and Spain. It is the main easternmost prolongation of the Pyrenees. Its highest peak is the Puig Neulós, with an elevation of 1,256 metres.[1]

Albera Massif
The northern side of the Albera Massif seen from Sant Genís de Fontanes
Highest point
Elevation1,256 m (4,121 ft)
Coordinates42°28′55″N 2°56′49″E
Geography
Albera Massif is located in Pyrenees
Albera Massif
Albera Massif
Location in the Pre-Pyrenees area
LocationPyrénées-Orientales
Empordà, Catalonia
Parent rangeFoothills of the Pyrenees
Climbing
First ascentUnknown
Easiest routeFrom La Jonquera or Sureda

Most of the southern side of the range is part of the Paratge Natural d'Interès Nacional de l'Albera natural reserve.[2] There are some ancient megaliths in the range.[3] The Col du Perthus marks the western boundary of the massif.

The massif is at the eastern end of the "Axial Zone" of the Pyrenees mountain range. As in most of that zone, the geological formations in the massif are mostly of Paleozoic and earlier ages, with granite, gneiss, and schists (and other metasediments) being the predominant formations.[4][5]

On the northern slopes of the massif, the Albères fault (which runs roughly west to east from near Le Boulou to near Argelès) marks a clear geological and topographical boundary between the Palaeozoic and older formations of the Albera massif and the Neogene deposits of the Roussillon basin.[6]

The Tour Madeloc ridge, at the eastern end of the Albères (Albera) massif. The ridge is situated on a zone consisting of fine-grained sandstones of volcanosedimentary origin ("Grès de la Tour Madeloc").[5]

History

The Albera Range became the border between France and Spain following the Treaty of the Pyrenees, when Philip IV of Spain ceded a part of the Spanish kingdom to Louis XIV of France, dividing Northern Catalonia from Historical Catalonia.

  • Albera Massif
    Albera Massif
  • Albera Massif
    Albera Massif
  • Albera Massif
    Albera Massif
  • Albera Massif
    Albera Massif
  • Puig Neulós
    Puig Neulós
  • Puig Sallfort seen from the Tour de Querroig.
    Puig Sallfort seen from the Tour de Querroig.
  • Puig de Sant Cristau, towards the western end of the massif.
    Puig de Sant Cristau, towards the western end of the massif.
  • Granite outcrop, above La Jonquera.
    Granite outcrop, above La Jonquera.

See also

References
  1. Topographical map extract (in Géoportail).
  2. Paratge Natural d'Interès Nacional de l'Albera. Col·lecció 1:25.000. Espais naturals protegits, Barcelona, Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya, 1999
  3. Monuments megalítics de l'Albera
  4. Geological map extract (in Géoportail).
  5. Notice explicative de la feuille Argelès-sur-Mer - Cerbère (1097) à 1/50 000, BRGM Éditions, Orléans, 2015.
  6. Marc Calvet, Magali Delmas, Yanni Gunnell, Bernard Laumonier, Geology and Landscapes of the Eastern Pyrenees, Springer International Publishing, Kindle edition, 2022, pages 314-333.
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