#picorandan

Prades Mountains, Spain (No. 1)

The Prades Mountains (in Catalan, Muntanyes de Prades)are a mountainous group formed by several mountain ranges that are distributed between the regions of Alto Campo, Bajo Campo, Cuenca de Barberá and the Priory in Catalonia (Spain). They are part of the morphostructural unit of the Catalan Prelittoral Mountain Range.

The mountains occupy an area of 30 726.39 ha (307.26 km²), and reach their maximum level in the Tossal de la Baltasana with 1202.7 m (Bajo Campo). Other notable peaks are the Mola dels Quatre Termes (1120 m) and the Tossal Ras (1087 m). The mountains make up two main parallel mountain ranges that run in a northeast-southwest direction, with a small plateau-shaped cut where Prades sits. This plateau separates the channels of the Brugent (tributary of the Francolí)and Siuranarivers.

Prades Mountains, Spain (No. 2)

The Sierra de Prades belongs to the Cordillera Prelitoral, with maritime influence from the southwest, and with influence from the northeast of the Central Catalan Depression. The mountain range and the depression are separated by the Poblet fault that runs from northeast to southwest. The whole is formed by a Hercinian plinth formed during the Paleozoic, based on gray and black slates, quartziferous sandstones, horizons of sulfates, such as barite, and conglomerates. This set is crossed by important intrusions of granitic and diorytic materials accompanied by metamorphic haloes of small dimensions. The Triassic materials are located above and are part of the Alpine cover, of the Mesozoic, which covers almost the entire mountain range and is formed by conglomerates and red sandstones, dolomitic limestones, red clays with plaster, stratified dolomites and calcareous marls. Red sandstone was used a lot for construction in Prades, hence it is also known as the red city or Vila Vermella.