Vogelsberg

 ( Volcanoes Of Germany ) 

The Vogelsberg () is a large volcanic mountain range in the German Central Uplands in the state of Hesse, separated from the Rhön Mountains by the Fulda river valley. Emerging approximately 19 million years ago, the Vogelsberg is Central Europe's largest basalt formation, consisting of a multitude of layers that descend from their peak in ring-shaped terraces to the base.

The main peaks of the Vogelsberg are the Taufstein, , and Hoherodskopf, , both now within the High Vogelsberg Nature Park.

The volcanic activity in the Vogelsberg, as well as that of the North Hessian Volcanic Region to the north which extends as far as Adelebsen in Lower Saxony, is connected with fault block activity that, during the Tertiary, led to the formation of the Hesse Highlands. It began in North Hesse about 20 million years ago during the lower Miocene, reached a peak about 13-12 million years ago and came to an end about 7 million years ago, during the upper Miocene. The volcanism of the Vogelsberg was mainly active during the Middle Miocene, according to potassium-argon dating 18.5-10 million years ago, reaching its peak 17-15 million years ago.

As a result of volcanism, mainly basaltic lava and pyroclastic deposits were formed. During the course of this volcanicity, trachyte and phonolite were produced in the early stages, then alkali-olivine were deposited, which alternated with tholeiites. These volcanic products overlaid a basement of bunter sandstone and tertiary sands, in small areas in the east also rocks of the muschelkalk and keuper.

Erosion following the Miocene wore away the contiguous basalt nappes, which originally reached as far as the area of the Lower Main, back to isolated deposits in the central complex. Under Tropics to subtropical conditions, the volcanic rocks were turned into red by lateritic weathering. In many places, red clays collected and bauxite was formed; moreover, the iron contained in basalt was concentrated to form iron ore. These deposits were mined over a long period of time in order to produce raw materials for industry, and the basalt was and still is a highly popular raw material for gravel and natural stone production.

The following natural regions form the Vogelsberg:

• 350 Lower Vogelsberg ( Unterer Vogelsberg)
• 350.1 Northern Lower Vogelsberg ( Nördlicher Unterer Vogelsberg)
• 350.2 Northwestern Lower Vogelsberg ( Nordwestlicher Unterer Vogelsberg)
• 350.3 Eastern Lower Vogelsberg ( Östlicher Unterer Vogelsberg)
• 350.4 Western Lower Vogelsberg ( Westlicher Unterer Vogelsberg)
• 350.5 Southern Lower Vogelsberg ( Südlicher Unterer Vogelsberg)
• 350.6 Giesel Forest ( Gieseler Forst)
• 351 High Vogelsberg ( Hoher Vogelsberg)
• 351.0 Western High Vogelsberg ( Westlicher Hoher Vogelsberg)
• 351.1 Eastern High Vogelsberg ( Östlicher Hoher Vogelsberg)
• 351.2 Oberwald

Soils and rocks are, in all parts of the Vogelsberg – with the exception of the Giesel Forest – similar, but average annual temperatures drop noticeably towards the centre of the range (varying by up to 5 Kelvin) and the annual precipitation rises towards the Oberwald to an average of 1,200 mm.

The basalt areas of the Vogelsberg continue towards the east and north into its neighbouring natural regions, whilst the Giesel Forest in the east is already on bunter sandstone, like the rest of the natural regions towards the east.

The Vogelsberg massif has of basalt and tuff, and areas of ancient woodland. Numerous cross, not only the Oberwald, but also the rest of the area.

Large parts of the Oberwald are protected. For example, the beech wood in the Taufstein Nature Reserve has been left to manage itself since 1906.

On the northern slopes of the Taufstein are large of basalt.

Because large areas of the original forest were cleared and the precipitation exceeds 1,000 mm per year, snow melt starts early. This and the less porous basalt loam soil frequently leads to flooding.

In this part of the Vogelsberg, the scenery changes in loose succession from woodlands, rich in springs, wetlands, poor grassland and stream valleys; besides there are also a raised bog and, in the southeast a number of waterbodies, the Vogelsberg Lakes ( Vogelsberger Seen).

Its boundary with the Büdingen Forest to the south, with the Landrücken to the southeast and with the Giesel Forest (see below) to the east is less of a relief feature than the geological transition from basalt to bunter sandstone.

There is also this geological divide with the Fulda-Haune Tableland, which lies in front of the Knüll to the northeast. Between them is the Großenlüder-Lauterbacher Graben. By contrast, in the north, the vulcanite does not end until it reaches the adjacent North Vogelsberg Foreland, i.e. outside the actual Vogelsberg. Even the Anterior Vogelsberg which lies outside the latter region still has large areas of basaltic rock. To the west the basalt zone reaches far into the gently rolling lowlands of the Wetterau, this depression lies alongside the middle and lower reaches of the Horloff river.

From a natural landscape perspective, the region is an island of forest comprising melica and beech.