Zagros Mountains

The Zagros Mountains are a mountain range in western Iran extending into northern Iraq and southeastern Turkey. They form a major natural boundary between the Iranian Plateau and Mesopotamia.

Iranian Plateau: A high plateau occupying much of Iran and extending into neighboring countries. The Zagros rise along its western edge, separating the plateau from Mesopotamia.
Zagros orogeny: The mountain-building process that formed the Zagros through convergence of the Arabian and Eurasian plates. It names the tectonic process responsible for the range’s uplift and deformation.
Karun River: A major river in southwestern Iran that flows from the Zagros to the Shatt al-Arab. Its headwaters and tributaries drain a large part of the Iranian Zagros.
Neo-Tethys Ocean: An ancient ocean that separated Arabia from Eurasia before their collision. Its closure preceded the collision that raised the Zagros.
Dena: A high mountain massif in the central Zagros of Iran. Its peaks exemplify the high relief of the central range.
Mesopotamia: A historical region centered on the Tigris and Euphrates river system. The Zagros form the mountainous boundary on Mesopotamia’s northeastern side.
Continental collision: The convergence of continental plates that thickens and deforms Earth’s crust. Collision between Arabia and Eurasia drives ongoing mountain building in the Zagros.
Oak forests of the Zagros: Woodlands dominated by oak species across parts of the Zagros Mountains. These forests are a defining ecosystem on the range’s western slopes.
Tethys Ocean: A system of ancient oceans that once lay between the southern continents and Eurasia. The Neo-Tethys was part of the broader Tethyan ocean system.
Zard Kuh: A mountain massif in the Zagros of southwestern Iran. Its snow and springs contribute to river headwaters in the region.

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