Tibesti Mountains
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Emi - Koussi Summit, observed by the International Space Station
Landscape in the Tibesti east of Bardai
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The Tibesti mountain range is an existing of volcanoes in Chad and also the highest mountain range in the Sahara. Its northern foothills extend several hundred kilometers into the territory of Libya. It rises on the northern edge of the Chad Basin and rises from the flat desert landscape with several layer plates. The high mountains are partially highly fissured and shows numerous volcanic craters and cinder cones. The Tibesti is one of the most isolated regions of the world and is inhabited by the Tubbu. The regional administrative center is the city Bardai with about 1500 inhabitants.
Geography and History
The Tibesti Mountains covers an area of approximately 100,000 km ² and extends from 19 to 23 ° N latitude and from 16 to 19 ° east longitude degrees East. The very strong volcanic activity can serve as an example for the formation of continental Riftsystemen. Its formation began in the early Miocene and continued to work until the Quaternary. However, the Rift does not seem to further expand and to have passed the zenith of its volcanic activity, as there are in this area often calderas and collapsed magma chambers, which currently does not deplete and have left many craters systems.
Topography
Volcanoes of the Tibesti determine the topography of the mountains and among the continental Riftvulkanen, of which at least three volcanoes and volcanic field have been described as active or potentially active. Due to their remote location, the active volcanic activity was discovered from space, as a Soviet satellite Cosmos - series observed an outbreak in the thermal spring field Yi Yerra on the southern slope of the Emi Koussi only in the 1970s.
Due to its altitude more precipitation than the mountains receives the surrounding area. The highest peak is the Emi Koussi with 3,415 meters. More volcanoes are the Tarso Toussidé with 3,265 meters, the Tarso Voon 3,100 meters and the Tarso Toon 2,625 meters above sea level. In the western part of the mountain lies the extensive volcanic field Tarso Toh. Have a regional economic importance of the salt deposits in the Ehra cohort caldera and the caldera Trou au Natron, southeast of Tarso Toussidé.
In the central part of the Tibesti is located near the Tarso Voon the Soborom - Solfatarenfeld, which is frequented by the local people for medicinal purposes.
On the territory of Libya is the 2,267 meters high Bikku Bitti and flattens after the Jabal Nuqay, highest peak 1,650 meters, from the plane of the desert areas of Libya.
In the north of the Tibesti is his only fresh water lake, the Mare de Zoui, which is a few acres in size.
Naming
Many of the names used in the region of Tibesti come from the Arab and the Tedaga and Dazaga languages, they belong to the group of the Saharan languages. The term is used for Ehi mountain summit or hill with steep flanks. Emi is used for bigger mountains, but also for mountain ranges; the term Tarso is used for high plateaus or mountains with mountain flanks, which have a low gradient. The term is used for Ehra volcanic craters and calderas. In the standard literature on the Volcanoes of the Tibesti these local names are, however, rarely used or used up to a few examples correctly, as in the Emi Koussi and Tarso Toh.
Climate
The mountainous region of Tibesti belongs to the arid climate type. The annual rainfall is specified with less than 600 mm per year and square meter. The area can still eat only a few inhabitants, for this reason bears the Tibesti nicknamed the " Uplands of hunger " (See below: Werner Gartung ). The known maximum temperatures are around 30 ° C in the lowlands and 20 ° C in the high altitudes of the mountains. In the winter months, however, this drops to about 12 in the lowlands and 9 ° C in the high altitudes.
Flora
The vegetation in the mountains of Tibesti varies with the altitude and slope. In the southwestern mountain slopes are the wadis Enneri Tegaham, Enneri Wed, Enneri Ké which lead surface water at greater precipitation and growth of trees such as the Doumpalme ( Hyphaene thebaica ), the toothbrush tree ( Salvadora persica ), tamarisk ( Tamarix articulata ), the Anabaum ( Acacia albida ) and other tropical plants, allow the Abutilon, Hibiscus, and Tephrosia.
In the higher elevations of the mountains rising to the south and southwest slopes of the endemic Ficus teloukat, on the western slopes of the Myrtus nivellei and on the northern slopes of the Tamarix gallica nilotica.
Fauna
At larger mammals occur the Dorcas gazelle ( Gazella dorcas ), the Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia ) and the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus ) in the mountains. Populations of smaller mammals include rock hyrax ( Procavia capensis ), the Kaphasen (Lepus capensis ) and the spiny mice ( Acomys spp ).
History of Research
- Tibesti - The discovery of the giant crater and the Erstdurchquerung of Sudan -1868-1874, eds Heinrich Schiffer, Horst Erdmann Verlag, Tübingen and Basel, 1978 ISBN 3-7711-0305-3