The Longest and the Most Symmetrical Mountain Ridge of Slovakia—Low Tatra Mts.

Abstract

The Low Tatra Mts. is the most extensive high mountain range of the Western Carpathians. It is approximately 80 km long, 15–30 km wide, covers approximately 1,240 km² and culminates in Mt. Ďumbier (2,043 m a.s.l.). As a geomorphological unit of the Inner Western Carpathians, the Low Tatra belong to the Fatra–Tatra region. In terms of the geological structure, it belongs to two different units, the structure of which also conditioned their geomorphological division into two subunits. The western, Ďumbier part, belongs to the core mountains zone—the Tatricum, the eastern, Kráľovohoľská part, belongs to the Veporicum. The Low Tatra Mts. were uplifted into the form of a megaanticline during the post-Paleogene folding in the Miocene. During the Pleistocene, only the uppermost part of the central ridge has been locally shaped by glacial processes. Periglacial climate and processes conditioned, on the one hand, smooth relief on the most parts of the central ridge as well as upper parts of spurs. On the other hand, valleys downcutting, slope mass movement, debris flows and avalanches shaped the spur–-ridge system and thus the Low Tatra Mts. roughly got the recent shape. In the north slopes of the Low Tatra Mts., the allogenic karst has been developed in the Fatricum and Hronicum nappes. ¹⁴C dating indicate the scarps were formed by episodic displacements over the past 9.6 ka on the south ridge of Mt. Chabenec. The most important part of the Low Tatra Mts. in terms of the avalanche occurrence is the Ďumbier part. The mountain has been legally designated as a national park in 1978, as the largest large-scale protected area in Slovakia with 72,842 ha. Due to the attractiveness of their landscape and suitable climatic conditions, they are intensively used by tourists throughout the year.