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TheLimestone Alps (German:Kalkalpen) are sub-mountain range of theAlps inCentral Europe.
They are of economic importance, including as awatershed source ofdrinking water. They have many accessibledripstone andice caves.
They are roughly 600 kilometres (370 mi) long. The two main groups, Northern and Southern, run parallel to the mainAustrian Central Alps (also known as the Central Eastern Alps) mountain ranges, on their north and south. Together with the Austrian Central Alps, the Limestone Alps form the most westerly portion of theEastern Alps.
Themountain and hill profiles of the Limestone Alps are very varied and range from jagged peaks and sheer rock faces to highplateaus and extensive areas ofkarst formations.
The numerous ranges of the Limestone Alps are within three mountain groupings, the Northern Limestone Alps, Southern Limestone Alps, and Western Limestone Alps:
The Limestone Alps comprise 3 of the 4 primary regions in theAlpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps. However, they are not used in the proposedSOIUSA classification system.
The Limestone Alps are made of lighter and more porous rock. In addition tolimestone, they also containdolomite,marl, andsandstone. They are unlike theCentral Alps, which are mainly composed ofcrystalline rock (granite andgneiss), or ofslate.
Mountain ranges of theSouthern Limestone Alps according to theAVE | ||
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Mountain ranges of the WesternLimestone Alps according to theAVE | ||
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