• Source: Sierra Nevada (Spain)

Sierra Nevada (Spanish: [ˈsjera neˈβaða]; meaning "snow-covered mountain range") is a mountain range in the Andalusian province of Granada in Spain. It contains the highest point of continental Spain: Mulhacén, at 3,479 metres (11,414 ft) above sea level.
It is a popular tourist destination, as its high peaks make skiing possible in one of Europe's most southerly ski resorts, in an area along the Mediterranean Sea predominantly known for its high temperatures and abundant sunshine. At its foothills is found the city of Granada, and a little further south, Almería and Motril.
Parts of the range have been included in the Sierra Nevada National Park. The range has also been declared a biosphere reserve. The Sierra Nevada Observatory, the Calar Alto Observatory, and the IRAM 30m telescope are located on the northern slopes at an elevation of 2,800 metres (9,200 ft).




Formation


The Sierra Nevada was formed during the Alpine Orogeny, a mountain-building event that also formed the European Alps to the east and the Atlas Mountains of northern Africa across the Mediterranean Sea to the south. The Sierra as observed today formed during the Paleogene and Neogene Periods (66 to 1.8 million years ago) from the collision of the African and Eurasian continental plates.




Geography



Central to the mountain range is a ridge running broadly west-south-west - east-north-east. For a substantial distance, the watershed stays consistently above 3,000 metres (9,800 ft). This is sufficient altitude for the peaks to be consistently snow-covered.
On the southern side of the range, several long, narrow river valleys lead off towards the south-west, separated by a number of subsidiary ridges.
On the steeper and craggier northern side, the valleys have less regular orientations. This side is dominated by the Rio Genil which starts near Mulhacén and into which many of the other rivers flow.
Geologically, the range is composed chiefly of soft micaceous schists, sloping steeply to the north, but more gradually to the south and south-east.




= Highest peaks

=




= Climate

=
According to the Köppen climate classification, Sierra Nevada has a Mediterranean climate, with different variations depending on the altitude. Above 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) the climate is Mediterranean-influenced subarctic (Dsc), due to the location's high elevation and low summer precipitation. With June and September being around the threshold of 10 °C (50 °F) in mean temperature to avoid the subarctic classification, the climate at a slightly lower elevation is continental highland climate. At an elevation slightly lower than that classification area; where February means average above −3 °C (27 °F); it falls into the normal cool-summer mediterranean classification transitioning with the hot-summer variety in surrounding lowland areas. This renders Sierra Nevada's climate a highland cooled-down variety of a typical mediterranean climate. Summer and winter daytime temperatures are some 12 °C lower than found in Granada, differences that are even greater in spring as Sierra Nevada takes longer to approach the short summers. In May daytime highs in Sierra Nevada are around 4 °C (39 °F) with Granada having an average of 24 °C (75 °F). The yearly temperature of 3.9 °C (39.0 °F) at the ski station of Pradollano is in stark contrast to Granada's 15.7 °C (60.3 °F) and coastal Málaga's 18.5 °C (65.3 °F).




Sport


Sierra Nevada Ski Station




Gallery



































See also


Alpujarras
Baetic System
Sierra Nevada National Park




Notes






References






= Bibliography

=
Francisco Pérez Raya, Joaquín Molero Mesa, Francisco Valle Tendero, 1992: "Parque Natural de Sierra Nevada. Paisaje, fauna, flora, itinerarios". Ed. Rueda. Madrid. ISBN 84-7207-067-0 (Spanish)
"Flora de la Tundra de Sierra Nevada". Pablo Prieto Fernández, Ed. Universidad de Granada. ISBN 84-600-1810-5 (Spanish)
"Sierra Nevada: Guía de Montaña". Aurelio del Castillo y Antonio del Castillo. Ed. Penibética, 2003. ISBN 84-932022-3-1 (Spanish)




= Further reading

=
"Sierra Nevada, Spain". NASA Earth Observatory. Archived from the original on 1 October 2006. Retrieved 28 April 2006.




External links


Media related to Sierra Nevada (Spain) at Wikimedia Commons

Google Maps - Satellite Photo
(in Spanish) Sierra Nevada Ski Resort - official site
Sierra Nevada ski resort - trail map
Maps of the Sierra Nevada
nevasport.com - XVII sport week - Old Pictures
(in Spanish) Natural Park Sierra Nevada
(in Spanish) Sulayr

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Sierra Nevada (Spanyol)
• Spanyol
• Alhambra
• Masjid Granada
• Guadix
• Granada
• California
• Meksiko
• Miss Universe 2017
• Hujan
• Sierra Nevada (Spain)
• Sierra Nevada
• Sierra Nevada National Park (Spain)
• Sierra Nevada (disambiguation)
• Sierra Nevada Ski Station
• Sierra
• Veleta (Sierra Nevada)
• Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
• Sierra Nevada Observatory
• List of mountain passes