TATRA MOUNTAINS

The Tatra Mountains are located in the southern region of Poland with the highest point, Carpathian Arch at 1200km and the main crest stretching from the northwest to the south east.  The Tartas are surrounded on the north side with valleys, in one valley you can find the mountain resort and tourist attraction of Zakopane.

 The Mountain resort area of Zakopane.

The Tatra Mountains are made of two different types of rocks.  The first is igneous rocks such as crystalline granitoids and can be found in the High Tatra.  These rocks are classified as igneous because they were formed by solidified magma from the Palaeozoic Era.

 

An example of an igneous rocks such as crystalline granitoids.

The second type of rock found in the Tatra Mountains is sedimentary rocks such as gneisses which can be found in the Western Tatras are much younger rocks that were formed in the Mesozoic Era.  These rocks can be classified as sedimentary rocks because they can be broken down very easily and with the certain amount of heat can be transformed back into its original state of magma.

 

 An example of sedimentary rocks such as gneisses.

The Tatra Mountains were formed due to plate tectonics, in the middle of the Tertiary Era.  The collision of the African and Eurasian plates which created the Alps, also created the Tatra Mountains.  With the African and Eurasian plates coming together the sedimentary rocks in the north were also affected.  The crystalline core migrated further north and began to fold and form the range of hills, which now lie in the north range in Poland.

 

Map of the plates, the African and Eurasian plates colliding formed the Tatras.

Source of Information 

http://www.peaklist.org/WWlists/euro600/tatra/tatraintro.html

Pictures from Top to Bottom

http://www.zakopane-life.com/media/pics/zakopane-poland.jpg

http://www.beg.utexas.edu/mainweb/publications/graphics/granite-400.jpg

http://www.harpercollege.edu/mhealy/geogres/maps/physgif/eurasplt.gif