Geo fragen

1. When was the Granite and Gneiss Plateau formed?

It was formed during the Variscan orogeny, making it older than the Alps.

2. Describe the landscape of the Granite and Gneiss Plateau.

It consists of rolling hills, gentle valleys, broad ridges and very small elevation differences

3. Describe the process “spheroidal weathering.”

Granite cracks when exposed, water enters, and chemical weathering rounds the corners into smooth boulder-like shapes.

4. Granite consists of ________________________________.

Granite consists of igneous rock formed from slowly cooled magma.

5. What are the Alpine Forelands mainly made up of?

They are mainly made up of glacial deposits such as gravel, sand, loess and moraines.

6. What are river terraces and how do they form?

River terraces are flat steps formed when rivers cut into older sediments as glaciers retreat.

7. What is an Aeolian sediment?

It is sediment transported and deposited by wind.

8. Name some landscape features of the Alpine Forelands.

They include moraines, outwash plains, river terraces, fertile loess soils and ribbon lakes.

9. What is the “Waschbergzone”?

It is a limestone zone at the border between the Alpine Forelands and the Vienna Basin.

10. What is the Vienna Basin?

It is a sediment-filled lowland divided by the Danube into an industrial south and an agricultural north.

11. Why are there hot springs in Styria?

Because the region contains volcanic remnants and deep fractures from past tectonic activity.

12. What are “Riede”?

They are vineyard areas or small cultivated landscape units in wine-growing regions.

13. Describe the landscape of the Northern Limestone Alps.

They have jagged limestone peaks with underground drainage and no surface wells.

14. Which 3 mountain ranges do the Southern Limestone Alps comprise?

The Lienzer Dolomiten, the Gailtaler Alpen and the Karawanken.

15. Which characteristics does limestone have?

Limestone is porous, water‑permeable and formed from marine sediments like corals and shells.

16. Name some landscape features of the Limestone Alps.

They show jagged peaks, steep cliffs, karst landscapes and underground water flow.

17. Name some landscape features of the Slate Alps.

They have rounded mountains, soft rocks, grassland cover and important mining areas.

18. Describe the landscape of the Central Alps.

They are high, glaciated mountains with deep valleys and Austria’s highest peaks.

19. Which rocks are the Central Alps made up of?

They consist of gneiss and granite.