Mesa Central

a mountainous region in Mexico, in the southern part of the Meseta Central. The predominant elevations range from 2,000 m to 2,500 m; the maximum elevation is approximately 3,000 m. The topography is characterized by volcanic cones and basalt plateaus. Large volcanoes, some of them active, rise along the southern margin of the Mesa Central, forming a high mountain chain called the Transverse Volcanic Axis. The Mesa Central has a mountain tropical climate, with average monthly temperatures of 10°–17°C. Annual precipitation ranges from 250 mm in the northwest to 500–900 mm in the east. There are no large rivers, and the numerous lakes that were formed during volcanic eruptions have emptied. The basins covered with lacustrine sediments are rich in groundwater, which is used for water supply. Pine and fir forests have been preserved on the slopes of the mountains; there are subalpine meadows above 2,900 m.