Franconian Keuper-Lias Plains

The Franconian Keuper-Lias Plains or Franconian Keuper-Lias Lands^[1] (German: Fränkische Keuper-Lias-Land) are a major natural region in the South German Scarplands in Upper Franconia and to a lesser extent in the north, in the Thuringian district of Hildburghausen. As the name betrays, the term embraces both the keuper landscapes (including the well-known parts of the Keuper Upland Haßberge, Steigerwald and Frankenhöhe) and lias landscapes (Schwarzer Jura) in Franconia. In addition, the foreland of the Franconian Jura (Vorland der Fränkischen Alb), in which part of the dogger (Brown Jura) occurs, as well as parts of the former volcanic region of Heldburger Gangschar belong to this region.

The highest elevation in the area is the unique Hesselberg (689 m) immediately north of the crater of the Nördlinger Ries which separates the Swabian from the Franconian Jura.

Natural divisions

The Franconian Keuper-Lias Plains are part of the South German Scarplands and are further divided into natural regions as follows: ^[2][3]
(in brackets the predominant rock keuper (K), lias (L), and dogger (D))

• 11 (=D59) Franconian Keuper-Lias Plains (Fränkisches Keuper-Lias-Land)
  • 110 Foreland of the Southern Franconian Jura (Vorland der südlichen Frankenalb) (L, D) - up to 689 m (Hesselberg), at Schlossberg 606.7 m, at Flüglinger Berg 641.3 m
  • 111 Foreland of the Middle Franconian Jura (Vorland der mittleren Frankenalb) (L, D) - up to 595 m (Dillberg), at Buchberg 591 m
  • 112 Foreland of the Northern Franconian Jura (Vorland der nördlichen Frankenalb) (L, D)
  • 113 Middle Franconian Basin (Mittelfränkisches Becken) (K)
  • 114 Frankenhöhe (K) - up to 554 m
  • 115 Steigerwald (K) - up to 499 m
  • 116 Haßberge (K) - up to 512 m
  • 117 Itz-Baunach Upland (Itz-Baunach-Hügelland) (K, L) - up to 467 m

References

1. ^ Dickinson, Robert E (1964). Germany: A regional and economic geography (2nd ed.). London: Methuen, p. 83. ASIN B000IOFSEQ.
2. ^ Kartendienste des BfN
3. ^ E. Meynen und J. J. Schmithüsen: Handbuch der naturräumlichen Gliederung Deutschlands Band 2 - Bundesanstalt für Landeskunde, zweite Lieferung Remagen 1955, aktualisierte Karte 1:1.000.000 mit Haupteinheiten 1960

External links

• Landscape fact file of the BfN (five-digit numbers beginning with "11" indicate divisions of the Franconian Keuper-Lias Plains)