Schneekopf

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Schneekopf

Beerberg und Schneekopf vom Finsterberg aus.jpg

View from the Großer Finsterberg of the Großer Beerberg (l) and the Schneekopf (r, tower)
Highest point
Elevation 978 m above  sea level (NHN) (3,208.7 ft) [1]
Prominence 59.4 m Adler
Isolation 1.6 km  Großer Beerberg
Coordinates 50°39′57″N10°45′52″E / 50.66583°N 10.76444°E / 50.66583; 10.76444 Coordinates: 50°39′57″N10°45′52″E / 50.66583°N 10.76444°E / 50.66583; 10.76444
Geography
Thuringia relief location map.jpg
Red triangle with thick white border.svg
Schneekopf
Parent range Thuringian Forest
Geology
Type of rock Porphyry

The Schneekopf near Gehlberg in the Thuringian county of Ilm-Kreis is 978 m above  sea level (NHN) [1] and thus the second highest peak in the Thuringian Forest after its western neighbour, the Großer Beerberg (983 m). The Adler Saddle between them is only about 59.4 metres lower than the two summits. To the east some distance away is its subpeak, the Sachsenstein (915 m), to the south are the Teufelskreise (967 m) and Fichtenkopf (944 m). The Goldlauterberg (866 m) further south marks the transition to the mountain of Großer Finsterberg (944 m).

Gehlberg Place in Thuringia, Germany

Gehlberg is a municipality in the district Ilm-Kreis, in Thuringia, Germany.

Thuringia State in Germany

Thuringia, officially the Free State of Thuringia, is a state of Germany.

Ilm-Kreis District in Thuringia, Germany

Ilm-Kreis is a district in Thuringia, Germany. It is bounded by the city of Erfurt, the districts of Weimarer Land, Saalfeld-Rudolstadt and Hildburghausen, the city of Suhl, and the districts of Schmalkalden-Meiningen and Gotha. It is named after the river Ilm, flowing through the district.

Contents

Description

The mountain is of volcanic origin and consists of porphyry. It is known for the Schneekopf balls (Schneekopfkugel), balls of porphyry (druse) that occur here that form agate in the interior of crystals. They were formed during a volcanic eruption in the Permian. On the northern slopes of the mountain rises the Wilde Gera stream.

Mountain A large landform that rises fairly steeply above the surrounding land over a limited area

A mountain is a large landform that rises above the surrounding land in a limited area, usually in the form of a peak. A mountain is generally steeper than a hill. Mountains are formed through tectonic forces or volcanism. These forces can locally raise the surface of the earth. Mountains erode slowly through the action of rivers, weather conditions, and glaciers. A few mountains are isolated summits, but most occur in huge mountain ranges.

Porphyry (geology) Textural form of igneous rock with large grained crystals in a fine matrix

Porphyry is a textural term for an igneous rock consisting of large-grained crystals such as feldspar or quartz dispersed in a fine-grained silicate rich, generally aphanitic matrix or groundmass. The larger crystals are called phenocrysts. In its non-geologic, traditional use, the term porphyry refers to the purple-red form of this stone, valued for its appearance.

Druse (geology)

In geology, druse, also known as drusy or druzy, refers to a coating of fine crystals on a rock fracture surface, vein or within a vug or geode.

From the summit plateau there is a good all round view of other summits in the Thuringian Forest and the Rhön mountains, over the Thuringian Basin as far as the Ettersberg near Weimar and of the winter sports resort of Oberhof. In very good visibility, for example during winter inversion weather conditions, the view extends as far as the Brocken in the Harz Mountains, the Schneeberg and the western Ore Mountains. In addition, the Wilde Gera Viaduct (on the A 71), which has a span of 252 metres - the largest arch bridge in Germany, is also visible.

Thuringian Basin

The Thuringian Basin is a depression in the central and northwest part of Thuringia in Germany which is crossed by several rivers, the longest of which is the Unstrut. It stretches about 60 kilometres (37 mi) from north to south and around 120 kilometres (75 mi) from east to west. Its height varies from about 150 to 250 m above sea level (NN).

Oberhof, Germany Place in Thuringia, Germany

Oberhof is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district of Thuringia, Germany. It is a winter sports center and health resort. With 1,625 inhabitants, it is visited by 144,000 tourists every year (2016). The town got its official city status in 1985.

Brocken Harz mountain in Germany

The Brocken, also sometimes referred to as the Blocksberg, is the highest peak of the Harz mountain range and also the highest peak of Northern Germany; it is located near Schierke in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt between the rivers Weser and Elbe. Although its elevation of 1,141 metres (3,743 ft) is below alpine dimensions, its microclimate resembles that of mountains of about 2,000 m (6,600 ft). The peak above the tree line tends to have a snow cover from September to May, and mists and fogs shroud it up to 300 days of the year. The mean annual temperature is only 2.9 °C (37.2 °F). It is the easternmost mountain in northern Germany; travelling east in a straight line, the next prominent elevation would be in the Ural Mountains in Russia.

Pless-Adlersberg-Beerberg-Eisenberg-Schneekopf-Finsterberg-Hundskopf.jpg
View from the Simmersberg (781 m) of the Schneekopf and the other highest mountains of the Thuringian Forest

Literature

Ludwig Bechstein German writer and fairy tale collector

Ludwig Bechstein was a German writer and collector of folk fairy tales.

International Standard Book Number Unique numeric book identifier

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier which is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.

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Großer Beerberg mountain

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Großer Knollen mountain in the Harz, Germany

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Großer Auerberg mountain in the Harz, Germany

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Hohe Acht mountain

At 746.9 m above sea level (NHN), the Hohe Acht is the highest mountain in the Eifel mountains of Germany. It is located on the boundary between the districts of Ahrweiler and Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Badener Höhe mountain

The Badener Höhe is a mountain in the Northern Black Forest in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It lies within the borough of Baden-Baden and municipality of Forbach. With a height of 1,002.5 m above sea level (NHN), it is the highest point in the borough of Baden-Baden.

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Großer Farmdenkopf mountain

At 869 m above sea level (NN), the Großer Farmdenkopf is the highest peak in the Thuringian Highland. It is situated in the county of Sonneberg in the German state of Thuringia.

Hohloh mountain

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Kleiner Gleichberg mountain in Germany

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Großer Finsterberg mountain

The Großer Finsterberg is a mountain, 944.1 m above NHN, in the Thuringian Forest not far from the villages of Stützerbach and Schmiedefeld am Rennsteig. It is the third highest peak in the German state of Thuringia.

Simmersberg mountain in Germany

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Großer Inselsberg mountain in Germany

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Kickelhahn mountain in Germany

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Großer Hermannsberg mountain

The Großer Hermannsberg is a mountain, 867 metres high, south of the main ridge of the Thuringian Forest in the county of Schmalkalden-Meiningen in Germany.

References

  1. 1 2 Map services of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation