Orography of Azerbaijan

The quantitative area distribution of Azerbaijan according to the hypsometric levels is as following:

• 18% is located below the Ocean level
• 24% has hypsometric marks ranging from 0 to 200m
• 15.5% is covered by areas which elevation ranges from 200 to 500m
• 15.5% is covered by areas which elevation marks ranges from 500 to 1000m
• 19.5% is covered by areas which elevation ranges from 1000 to 2000m high
• 6.5% is covered by areas which elevation ranges from 2000 to 3000m
• 1% is covered by areas which elevation marks are over 3000m high

The average elevation is 384m high. Principle orographic units of Azerbaijan consists of the Caucasus mountain system, Samur-Davachi lowland (in conjunction with Gusar inclined plain), Kur River lowland, Minor Caucasus and Talish mountain systems.[1]

Mountains of Tingalty near Quba.

The Major Caucasus or Watershed Ridge is not crossed with any river valleys and therefore it is also called Watershed Ridge. Most part of the ridge elevation is over 3000m high, and only in its central part it exceeds 4000m height; which are:

• Bazardüzü - 4466m
• Tufandagh - 4191m,
• Bazaryurd - 4126m

Beginning from Babadagh peak (located at 3629m, means "Father Mountain") the same ridge elevation gradually goes down and becomes wider. Starting from Dubrar elevation (2205m) Major Caucasus ridge plunges northeastward towards Caspian Sea like expanded fan having been cut by river valleys into separate ridges like Gadi-Kurkachidagh, Aladagh, Kemchi and others.[1]

The same ridges are further divided into smaller and lower ridges to pass into low elevation mountain region named Gobustan, and further on into Absheron Peninsula. North off and parallel to the Great Caucasus ridge there is a southeast trending ridge called Lateral, of which Azerbaijan section starts from the Shahdagh (located at 4243m, means "Kings Mountain") extending and getting lower southeastward and terminates at Beshbarmag (located at 546m, Besh Barmag Mountain means "Five Finger Mountain") pinnacle. The southeastern section of lateral Ridge Tengi-Beshbarmagh is a medium and low-altitude mountain erosion-denudation relief. The relief of this part is consist of the Jurassic and Cretaceous limestone and clay.[2] Lateral ridge is divided into stand alone blocks-Plateaus (Shahdagh, Gizilgaya, Budugh, and others) by river valleys that begin from Great Caucasus ridge.[1] Northwestern part of the Lateral Ridge matches up to the Shahdagh-Khizi geosyncline constituted of thick Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous dolomite limestone. They create a series of highland plateau with delimiting covered and steep slopes.[2]

Northeast off and parallel to the Lateral ridge there is Talabi-Gaynarja elevation, which elevation ranges from 1000-1100m in the west down to 150-200m in the east. Ridges and elevations are divided from each other by valleys and intermontane troughs (Shahnabad, Khinalyg, Erphee, Gonagcand, Kaltan, Gilgilchay,Tigchay, Rustov, Perebedil and others).[1]

Southern flank of the Great Caucasus ridge descended to Alazan-Ayrichay valley (in some sources Alazan-Haftaran valley, whereas in others it is considered as one of the Kur River valley parts) that in some places is parallel to the mentioned ridge. Said above valley begins from Georgia and is 210 km long and 30 km wide in Azerbaijan. Nialdagh ridge which elevation reaches up to 2100m high is extended parallel to the Great Caucasus one apart through Lahidge valley.[1] They characterized by the middle-altitude mountain denudation relief.

The depression is followed by linearly extended folded ridges and dome-shaped elevations substituting with wide synclinal valleys and constitutes in plan to the eastern part of the Shamakhy-Gobustan syncline. The northwestern section of the Jeyrankechmez corresponds to the topography of the Baku age alluvial-proluvial plain. The southeastern part of the depression characterized by younger abrasion-accretion marine plain and relief composed of the large brachyanticline elevations and broken by lengthwise ruptures. Mud volcanoes are typical for there. The depression is limited by the Alyat range and the Langebiz low-altitude mountain range from the south part. This section is consist of Paleogene, Miocene and Pliocene rocks.[2]

The South-Eastern Caucasus ends in Absheron peninsula and the western part bordering the Dubrar system. Yunusdagh, Ylkhydagh and Koun are the highest parts of the peninsula about 300–350 meters. The topography of northern area is hummock and hollow. Mud volcanoes are typical for this part and salt lakes are observed, too. There are Akhtarma, Lokbatan, Bozdagh mud volcanoes in the southwest part of the peninsula.

Mud Volcano in Absheron peninsula

The eastern part of the Absheron peninsula is flat with 38 meter maximal height. Bina, Govsan, Tyrkyan and Zirya are below the sea level. Oil and gas-bearing areas are typical for peninsula.[2]

The Lesser Caucasus Mountain is less high and has a folded-boulder structure caused by the presence of abyssal fractures of transversal and longitudinal striking. The prominent elevations are Murguz, Murovdagh, Shakhdagh, Garabagh, Eastern Goycha and Mykhtekyan. Shakhdagh ridge consists of volcanic rocks and Upper Cretaceous, Eocene carbonate, and consistent to the same-name syncline. From northwestern part Shakhdagh Mountain of the Lesser Caucasus stripes to the southeastern Gilandagh Mountain and from this part joins Murovdagh. Gyamyshdagh Mountain is the highest point with 3724 meter height. Northeastern and northern sections of Shakhdagh and Murovdagh Ridge are composed of erosional spurs such as, Chyngldagh, Pant and Kalteke. Shakhdagh, Murovdagh and Eastern Goycha Ridge are followed by highlands and troughs. The riverside parts characterized by well-preserved peneplanation surfaces of the Early-Middle Miocene Oligocene, Middle Miocene and Late Pliocene ages.

Eastern Goycha Ridge consists of Eocene, volcanic-sedimentary rocks and Miopliocene volcanogenic thickness. Ketidagh Mountain is the highest point of the ridge with 3399 meter height.

The Garabagh Ridge enlarges in the central part of the Lesser Caucasus southeastern edge. The main peaks of Garabagh are Gyrkhgyz (2823 m), Boyuk Kirs (2725 m) and Ziyarat (2478 m).[2]

The Garabagh highland is volcanic oriented and covers the southwestern of the Lesser Caucasus. Late Pliocene, Quaternary and Basaltic andesite lava outflows are typical for the relief of the highland.