Southern Carpathians

Image:Vidraru-Romania.jpg in the Făgăraș Mountains]]

The Southern Carpathians are the second highest group of mountains in the Carpathian Mountain range (after Tatra), reaching heights of over 2,500 meters. Although considerably smaller than the Alps, they are classified as having an alpine landscape. Their high mountain character, combined with great accessibility, makes them popular with tourists and scientists.

The highest peaks are:

• Moldoveanu Peak, 2,544 metres – Făgăraș Mountains
• Negoiu, 2,535 metres – Făgăraș Mountains
• Parângu Mare, 2,519 metres – Parâng Mountains
• Omu Peak 2,514 metres – Bucegi Mountains
• Peleaga, 2,509 metres – Retezat Mountains

Despite the heights, some of the most accessible passages in the Carpathians in Romania are along the rivers, which cross the mountain range (the Olt River) or form wide valleys (along the Prahova River Valley or along the Jiu River Valley).

The South Carpathians represent an intricate pile of tectonic nappes, overthrusted from west eastwards during the Austrian (Middle Cretaceous) and Laramian paroxysmal phases, corresponding to various plate fragments. The napes are (from west eastwards): the Supragetic, Getic, Severin and Danubian Units. The Getic Nappe was identified by Murgoci (1905),Murgoci, G.M., 1905. Sur l'existence d'une grande nappe de recouvrement dans les Carpathes meridionales. C. R. Acad. Sci., 7: 31. while the general understanding over the Alpine structure of the South Carpathians was later refined by Codarcea (1940),Codarcea , A., 1940. Vues nouvelles sur la tectonique du Banat meridional et du Plateau de Mehedinți. D. S. Inst. Geol. Rom., 20: 1–74. Codarcea et al. (1961),Codarcea, A., Răileanu, G., Pavelescu, L., Gherasi, N., Năstăseanu, S., Bercia, I. and Mercus, D., 1961. Guide des excursions. Carpates Meridionales, București, 130 pp. Năstăseanu et al. (1981),Năstăseanu, S., Bercia, I., Iancu, V., Vlad and Hârtopanu, I., 1981. The structure of the South Carpathians (Mehedinți – Banat Area). Guidebooks series, 22. IGR, Bucuresti, 3–100 pp. Săndulescu (1984),Săndulescu, M., 1984. Geotectonica României. Editura Tehnică, București, 336 pp. Săndulescu and Dimitrescu (2004),Săndulescu, M. and Dimitrescu, R., 2004. Geological structure of the Romanian Carpathians, Florence, 48 pp. and Mutihac (1990).Mutihac, V., 1990. Structura geologică a teritoriului României. Editura Tehnică, Bucharest, 419 pp. The first to apply the global tectonics concepts for the Romanian Carpathians were Rădulescu and Săndulescu (1973).Rădulescu, D. and Săndulescu, M., 1973. The plate-tectonics concept and the geological structure of the Carpathians. Tectonophysics, 16: 155–161.

The Supragetic, Getic Nappes as well as the Danubian Units represent units with both a metamorphic basement and a sedimentary cover, while the Severin Nappe includes only a sedimentary sequence. The Getic Nappe and the Danubian Units sediments include a Palaeozoic sequence (Upper Carboniferous, Lower Permian) and a Mesozoic sequence (Lowermost Jurassic – Middle Cretaceous). The Supragetic Nappe comprises mainly metamorphosed rocks (gneisses, micashists), while the Severin Nappe includes only Upper Jurassic – Lower Cretaceous sediments.

Image:Rumunia 06 147.jpg

Image:Lacul Bucura, Lacul Ana a Lacul Bucurelu.jpg

From east to west, four mountain groups can be identified, separated by different river valleys.

• Bucegi Mountains group – between the Prahova and Dâmbovița Rivers.
• Bucegi Mountains (Munții Bucegi)
• Piatra Craiului (literally: "Rock of the King")
• Leaotă Mountains (Munții Leaotă)
• Făgăraș Mountains group – between the Dâmbovița River and the Olt River.
• Făgăraș Mountains (Munții Făgărașului)
• Iezer Mountains (Munții Iezer; literally: "Mountains of the Deep Lake")
• Cozia Mountains (Munții Cozia)
• Parâng Mountains group – between the Olt River and the Jiu River.
• Parâng Mountains (Munții Parâng)
• Șureanu Mountains (Munții Șureanu/M. Sebeșului)
• Cindrel Mountains (Munții Cindrel/M. Cibinului)
• Lotru Mountains (Munții Lotrului; literally: "Mountains of the Thief")
• Căpățână Mountains (Munții Căpățânii; literally: "Mountains of the Skull")
• Retezat-Godeanu Mountains group – between the Jiu River and the Timiș and Cerna Rivers.
• Retezat Mountains (Munții Retezat; literally: "Hewed Mountains")
• Godeanu Mountains (Munții Godeanu)
• Vâlcan Mountains (Munții Vâlcan)
• Mehedinți Mountains (Munții Mehendinți)
• Cerna Mountains (Munții Cernei)
• Țarcu Mountains (Munții Țarcu; literally: "Pen Mountains").
• Poiana Ruscă Mountains

The first two groups are steepest on the North side, and the last two are steepest on the South side.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}

File:Muntii Bucegi vazuti de pe Postavaru.jpg|Bucegi as seen from Postavaru massif

File:Caraiman Cross on Bucegi mountain top.jpg|Caraiman Cross on mountain top

File:Bucegi.jpg|Coștila 400 meters high wall

File:Caraiman summit.JPG|View from Bușteni

File:Vf-scara4.jpg|Scara summit in Bucegi Mountains

File:Bucegi Sphinx, Romania.jpg|The Sphinx of Bucegi

File:01 Magura, Romania - Piatra Craiului mountains.jpg|Piatra Craiului Mountains

File:Bucegi jepiimici.JPG|Jepii Mici Peak in Bucegi Mountains

File:BaleaLac4.jpg|Lake Bâlea in Făgăraș Mountains

File:Detaliu Custura Saratii.jpg|Challenging hiking trail

File:Lake Podragu.jpg|Podragu Lake

File:Transfagarasan twisty road.jpg|Transfăgărășan alpine road

File:Gory Fogaraskie (Fagaras Mountains) 67.jpg|Regular footpath in Făgăraș Mountains

File:Custura Saratii.jpg|Custura Sărătii (in the center of the photo)

File:La Zaplaz, Piatra Craiului.jpg|La Zaplaz landmark

File:Zarnesti.JPG|Piatra Craiului ridge in winter

File:Parang-21.jpg|Landscape in Parâng Mountains

File:Parang mountain image 1.jpg|Parâng alpine scenery

File:Parang-38.jpg|Shelter in Parâng mountains

File:Parang-32.jpg|One of many Parâng glacial lakes

File:Jezera v pohoří Retezat.jpg|Glacial lakes in the Retezat Mountains

File:Retezat-VfBucura.jpg|Bucura Peak in the distance

File:Retezat Mountain - Retezat Peak 04.JPG|Sunset on Retezat Peak

File:Chata u Bucury.jpg|Salvamont shelter in Retezat

File:Retezat Mountain - Spring Waterfall 02.JPG|Waterfall in Retezat National Park

File:Lacul Bucura.jpg|Bucura Lake

• Romanian Carpathians
• Divisions of the Carpathians
• Iron Gates, at the South-Western end
• Prahova Valley, at the Eastern end

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{{commons category|Southern Carpathians}}

• [http://www.peisaje-montane.ro/peisaje-superbe/ Pictures and landscapes from the Southern Carpathians]

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Category:Mountain ranges of the Carpathians

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