European Archipelago

The European Archipelago is as its name suggests, an archipelago formed from the former Europe continent. Much of its range has become a series of islands and peninsulas due to geologic activity. Uplift caused by the movement of Africa to the northeast has raised many mountain ranges and caused numerous rifts and folds, causing other regions to sink below sea level.   Extensive glaciers and sea ice cover much of the region through most of the year, with the most significant amounts of melt occurring at the peak of summer within the region. More northern regions oftentimes see snowfall and freezes year round, with an overall quite cold climate. Due to glaciers and extensive sea ice, much of the region is extremely rocky with little loamy soil, dominated by gravel sea-shores. In areas that see repeated melt from glaciers depending on the time of year, large tracks of gravel and drop stones dominate the composition of soils. More southern regions along the mountain ranges bordering the Mediterranean Sea often are host to series of volcanoes and intense earthquakes due to Africa's northern drift. Most volcanoes bordering the sea are known for explosive type eruptions, likely due to trapped gasses and water vapors within the rock caused by the sea receding and being forced under the European plate.