Považský Inovec
Encyclopedia
Považský Inovec is a mountain range
in western Slovakia
, named after the Váh
river. It is 48 km (30 mi) long and 15-25 km (9-16 mi) wide mountain range. It is situated from the city of Hlohovec, raising from the Danubian Hills
, and slowly raising further north until nearly to the city of Trenčín
where it borders the Strážov Mountains
, where is also the highest hill of the entire mountain range, Inovec (1042 m). The mountain range separates basins of the Váh and Nitra
rivers.
There are many monuments in or near the mountain range, including Great Moravia
n hillfort Kostolec near Ducové
, Hlohovec Castle near Hlohovec, Beckov Castle
near Beckov
, Topoľčany Castle and Tematín Castle
. The famous spa city of Piešťany
lies under Považský Inovec.
emerging from the Neogene sedimentary fill of the Pannonian Basin
between the Váh
and Nitra rivers. The horst is bordered by steep normal faults and usually divided from north to south into three segments (or blocks). Basement rocks are in the northern portion dominated by crystalline schists (mostly diaphthorites, phyllonites, biotite micaschists
and gneiss
es, amphibolite
s and migmatite
s). Extensive Late Paleozoic volcanosedimentary succession (Kálnica group) is present in the envelope unit, in the area between the Selec
and Hrádok
villages. Sparse relicts of peculiar Upper Cretaceous sediments (Belice unit) are locally present in the northern and southern block. The transversal Hrádok reverse fault separates the northern block from the central block. Only the central block shows typical structure of the Fatra-Tatra Belt
which is typical composed of Tatric crystalline basement composed of granitoids and gneisses, covered by the Mesozoic deposits and two superimposed cover nappes (lower Fatric unit and upper Hronic unit). Granitoid
rocks form the Bojná and the Zlatníky massifs. The Fatric nappe is represented by the Zliechov succession. The Hronic nappe is preserved in outlayers, e.g. in the Tematín
or Beckov Castle
rocks. Both cover nappes are composed of the Triassic
to Early Cretaceous
rocks, mostly limestone
s, marlstones and dolostone
s. Relicts of the clastic deposits of Inner-Carpathian Paleogene Basin are found on the western slopes of the mountains.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in western Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, named after the Váh
Váh
The Váh is the longest river in entire Slovakia. A left tributary of the Danube river, the Váh is 406 km long, including its Čierny Váh branch...
river. It is 48 km (30 mi) long and 15-25 km (9-16 mi) wide mountain range. It is situated from the city of Hlohovec, raising from the Danubian Hills
Danubian Hills
The Danubian Hills , also translated as Danubian Upland, is the north-eastern, more mountain-like, part of the Danubian Lowland in Slovakia....
, and slowly raising further north until nearly to the city of Trenčín
Trencín
Trenčín is a city in western Slovakia of the central Váh River valley near the Czech border, around from Bratislava. It has a population of more than 56,000, which makes it the ninth largest municipality of the country and is the seat of the Trenčín Region and the Trenčín District...
where it borders the Strážov Mountains
Strážov Mountains
The Strážov Mountains are a mountain range in northwestern Slovakia, being part of Inner Western Carpathians, and of the Fatra-Tatra Area. They are situated between the towns of Trenčín, Považská Bystrica, Rajec, Prievidza and Bánovce nad Bebravou, bordering White Carpathians and the Váh river in...
, where is also the highest hill of the entire mountain range, Inovec (1042 m). The mountain range separates basins of the Váh and Nitra
Nitra River
The Nitra is a 197 km long river in western Slovakia. It flows into the Váh river close to its confluence with the Danube in Komárno. Its source is in the Malá Fatra mountains north of Prievidza. The river Nitra passes through the towns of Bojnice, Topoľčany, Nitra and Nové Zámky....
rivers.
There are many monuments in or near the mountain range, including Great Moravia
Great Moravia
Great Moravia was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe and lasted for nearly seventy years in the 9th century whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. It was a vassal state of the Germanic Frankish kingdom and paid an annual tribute to it. There is some controversy as...
n hillfort Kostolec near Ducové
Ducové
Ducové is a municipality situated in western Slovakia, near the spa town of Piešťany. It was part of the municipality Moravany nad Váhom from 1976 to 1992...
, Hlohovec Castle near Hlohovec, Beckov Castle
Beckov Castle
Beckov Castle is a castle in ruins located near the village of Beckov in Nové Mesto nad Váhom District, Trenčín Region, western Slovakia.It is a natural cultural monument and its present appearance is the result of renovations in the last quarter of the 20th century and since 2002.-Great...
near Beckov
Beckov
Beckov is a village and municipality in Nové Mesto nad Váhom District in the Trenčín Region of western Slovakia.-History:In historical records the village was first mentioned in 1208...
, Topoľčany Castle and Tematín Castle
Tematín
Tematín Castle is a castle ruin in western Slovakia. The castle was originally built in the second half of the 13th century. It was completely reconstructed by the Thurzo family, owners of the castle from 1524. The last owner was Miklós Bercsényi, general of the anti-Habsburg insurrection army...
. The famous spa city of Piešťany
Pieštany
Piešťany is a town in Slovakia. It is located in the western part of the country within the Trnava Region and is the seat of its own district. It is the biggest and best known spa town in Slovakia and has around 30,000 inhabitants.-History:...
lies under Považský Inovec.
Geology
Považský Inovec Mts. is considered as asymmetric horstHorst
Horst is a Germanic word meaning "eagle's nest" and "man from the forest" . It may refer to:-Given name:* Horst * Horst Buchholz, a German actor* Horst Bulau, a Canadian ski jumper...
emerging from the Neogene sedimentary fill of the Pannonian Basin
Pannonian Basin
The Pannonian Basin or Carpathian Basin is a large basin in East-Central Europe.The geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewhat different sense - meaning only the lowlands, the plain that remained when the Pliocene Pannonian Sea dried...
between the Váh
Váh
The Váh is the longest river in entire Slovakia. A left tributary of the Danube river, the Váh is 406 km long, including its Čierny Váh branch...
and Nitra rivers. The horst is bordered by steep normal faults and usually divided from north to south into three segments (or blocks). Basement rocks are in the northern portion dominated by crystalline schists (mostly diaphthorites, phyllonites, biotite micaschists
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
and gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
es, amphibolite
Amphibolite
Amphibolite is the name given to a rock consisting mainly of hornblende amphibole, the use of the term being restricted, however, to metamorphic rocks. The modern terminology for a holocrystalline plutonic igneous rocks composed primarily of hornblende amphibole is a hornblendite, which are...
s and migmatite
Migmatite
Migmatite is a rock at the frontier between igneous and metamorphic rocks. They can also be known as diatexite.Migmatites form under extreme temperature conditions during prograde metamorphism, where partial melting occurs in pre-existing rocks. Migmatites are not crystallized from a totally...
s). Extensive Late Paleozoic volcanosedimentary succession (Kálnica group) is present in the envelope unit, in the area between the Selec
Selec
Selec is a village and municipality in Trenčín District in the Trenčín Region of north-western Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 319 metres and covers an area of 24.802 km². It has a population of about 957 people....
and Hrádok
Hrádok
Hrádok is a village and municipality in Nové Mesto nad Váhom District in the Trenčín Region of western Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 200 metres and covers an area of 24.135 km². It has a population of about 596 people....
villages. Sparse relicts of peculiar Upper Cretaceous sediments (Belice unit) are locally present in the northern and southern block. The transversal Hrádok reverse fault separates the northern block from the central block. Only the central block shows typical structure of the Fatra-Tatra Belt
Fatra-Tatra Area
The Fatra-Tatra Area or the Tatra-Fatra Belt of core mountains is a part of the Inner Western Carpathians, a subprovince of the Western Carpathians. Most of the area lies in Slovakia with small parts reaching into Austria and Poland...
which is typical composed of Tatric crystalline basement composed of granitoids and gneisses, covered by the Mesozoic deposits and two superimposed cover nappes (lower Fatric unit and upper Hronic unit). Granitoid
Granitoid
A granitoid or granitic rock is a variety of coarse grained plutonic rock similar to granite which mineralogically are composed predominately of feldspar and quartz. Examples of granitoid rocks include granite, quartz monzonite, quartz diorite, syenite, granodiorite and trondhjemite. Many are...
rocks form the Bojná and the Zlatníky massifs. The Fatric nappe is represented by the Zliechov succession. The Hronic nappe is preserved in outlayers, e.g. in the Tematín
Tematín
Tematín Castle is a castle ruin in western Slovakia. The castle was originally built in the second half of the 13th century. It was completely reconstructed by the Thurzo family, owners of the castle from 1524. The last owner was Miklós Bercsényi, general of the anti-Habsburg insurrection army...
or Beckov Castle
Beckov Castle
Beckov Castle is a castle in ruins located near the village of Beckov in Nové Mesto nad Váhom District, Trenčín Region, western Slovakia.It is a natural cultural monument and its present appearance is the result of renovations in the last quarter of the 20th century and since 2002.-Great...
rocks. Both cover nappes are composed of the Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
to Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous
The Early Cretaceous or the Lower Cretaceous , is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous...
rocks, mostly limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
s, marlstones and dolostone
Dolostone
Dolostone or dolomite rock is a sedimentary carbonate rock that contains a high percentage of the mineral dolomite. In old U.S.G.S. publications it was referred to as magnesian limestone. Most dolostone formed as a magnesium replacement of limestone or lime mud prior to lithification. It is...
s. Relicts of the clastic deposits of Inner-Carpathian Paleogene Basin are found on the western slopes of the mountains.