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The soils of Ried Kollmütz
developed out of the Wösendor f
Slide Mass, from severely
weathered crystalline rock called
paragneiss. Paragneiss was formed
from metamorphosed sediments,
created under extreme conditions
of increased pressure and heat
during the Variscan orogeny,
becoming exposed once more af ter
extensive erosion of the erstwhile
mountain range.
The paragneisses of the Wachau
are several hundred million years
old and are distinguished by their
multifacetted mineral constituents.
The slumping process of the slide
mass itself is dated by geologists
to the Egerian Period (ca. 20–25
million years ago). The sandy and
calcareous soils of the Kollmütz are
par ticularly rich in iron, manganese
and magnesium.
Kollmütz