Caucasus Mountains - Geology

Geology

The Caucasus Mountains formed largely as the result of a tectonic plate collision between the African plate moving northward with respect to the Eurasian plate. The entire region is regularly subjected to strong earthquakes from this activity. The Lesser Caucasus Mountains on the other hand, is largely of volcanic origin. The Javakheti Volcanic Plateau in Georgia and the surrounding volcanic ranges which extend well into central Armenia are some of the youngest features of the region.

There are large hydrocarbon reserves in the area especially near the Caspian Sea.