Sierra Alpujata
Encyclopedia
The Sierra Alpujata is a mountain range in southern Spain
, part of the coastal mountain range that lies behind the Costa del Sol Occidental
, in Andalusia
. It is situated between the Sierra Blanca
and the Sierra de Mijas
.
The highest point is the Cerro Castillejos, at 1,074 metres. Geologically it is located in the inner part of the Cordillera Bética. Due to its mineral constitution, vegetation is very sparse, despite several attempts at restocking pines and eucalyptus. The predominant vegetation consists of juniper
and scrub.
Geologically the range is the relic of an ancient submarine stratovolcano
, which formed at the same time than the Sierra Blanca and the Sierra de Mijas. The large crater is recognizable from aerial photos. It is predominantly made of peridotite
.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, part of the coastal mountain range that lies behind the Costa del Sol Occidental
Costa del Sol Occidental
Costa del Sol Occidental is a comarca in Andalusia, southern Spain.It occupies a narrow coastal strip delimited by the cordillera Penibética from north and the Mediterranean Sea from south...
, in Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
. It is situated between the Sierra Blanca
Sierra Blanca
Sierra Blanca is a range of volcanic mountains in Lincoln and Otero counties of south-central New Mexico. The range is about from north to south and wide, and is dominated by Sierra Blanca Peak, whose highest point is at...
and the Sierra de Mijas
Sierra de Mijas
The Sierra de Mijas is a mountain range in southern Spain, part of the coastal mountain range that lies behind the Costa del Sol Occidental, in Andalusia. It separates the Valle del Guadalhorce region from the Costa del Sol....
.
The highest point is the Cerro Castillejos, at 1,074 metres. Geologically it is located in the inner part of the Cordillera Bética. Due to its mineral constitution, vegetation is very sparse, despite several attempts at restocking pines and eucalyptus. The predominant vegetation consists of juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
and scrub.
Geologically the range is the relic of an ancient submarine stratovolcano
Stratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
, which formed at the same time than the Sierra Blanca and the Sierra de Mijas. The large crater is recognizable from aerial photos. It is predominantly made of peridotite
Peridotite
A peridotite is a dense, coarse-grained igneous rock, consisting mostly of the minerals olivine and pyroxene. Peridotite is ultramafic, as the rock contains less than 45% silica. It is high in magnesium, reflecting the high proportions of magnesium-rich olivine, with appreciable iron...
.