ANALYSIS OF A TOPOGRAPHIC PROFILE

A topographic profile is the graphic representation of the relieve of an area, obtained by cutting transversely the contour lines of a topographic map.

The profile that we are going to analyze goes from the Gulf of Lion to the Cape of S. Vicente. The line follows a NE-SW direction and goes through the following units of relief: The Pyrenees, The Depression of the River Ebro, The Iberian System, The Southern Sub-Plateau, Montes de Toledo and The Depression of the River Guadalquivir.

The first unit crossed by the line is The Pyrenees. This mountain range was formed during the Tertiary Era as a consequence of the Alpine orogeny. It has a simple structure formed by three sectors: the zone axial of the Pyrenees that correspond to the Hercynian Massif, that have the biggest altitude of the mountain range ( Aneto 3404 and Lost Mountain 3348 m). The pre pyrenees] were formed during the Tertiary Era. It´s formed by the foldings of the deposits accumulated in the Pyrenean Trench and the medium depression is a large and stretch depression that separated the interior sierras and the exterior depression, formed by clays and loams.

The next unit of relieve crossed by the line is The Depression of the River Ebro. This depression is parallel to the Pyrenees, the Iberian System and the Cordillera Costero-Catalana. This relief have somontanas that are flat lands a bit inclined, mallos that are characterized in this zone and small moorland or mesas and also badlands over the softest materials.

Then we are going to speak about the Iberian System. This mountain range was formed during the Tertiary Era. His structure it is distinguish in two sectors: the third north include the higher altitudes in the mountain range, Picos de Urbión with 2235 m the most important sierras are la Demanda and Moncayo. It's divided in two branch the interior with the Sierra de Albarracín and la Serrania de Cuenca and the branch aragonesa are the sierras of Javalambre y Guadal and the principal peak is Javalambre with 2020m.

Then, the next unit of relieve crossed by the line is The Southern Sub-Plateau.It was formed during the Tertiary Era as a result of the Alpine Orogeny.This relief is formed by moorlands, lowlands and cuestas.

After this we are going to talk about the Montes de Toledo. This mountain range was formed during the Tertiary Era as a consequence of the Alpine Orogeny. They divide the Southern Sub-Plateau in two. The most important sierra is Guadalupe and the altitude more important is las Villuercas (1601 m).

And the last unit crossed by the line is The Depression of the River Guadalquivir. It´s parallel to the Central System, Sierra Morena and the Atlantic Ocean. This relief is characterized by lowlands ondulated in the zones in which predominated clays and loams and inselbergs.