Mineral resources of the mountains of southern siberia. Siberian minerals

Geological structure mountain belts of southern Siberia

Mountain building processes, where the mountains of southern Siberia are currently located, took place in different time... The most intense uplifts are characteristic of the Baikal folding. At this time, folded uplifts occur in the Baikal region, Stanovoy Upland, Stanovoy Range, Eastern Sayan, Tuva Upland. The formation of the Kuznetsk Alatau, Salair Ridge, Gornaya Shoria, Western Sayan, the rest of the Eastern Sayan, Transbaikalia, the Central Mountains of Southern Siberia, Central and Eastern Altai, occurred in the Caledonian folding. At this time, the laying of intermontane troughs and depressions took place - Chulym-Yenisei, Tuva, Minusinsk. Western Altai, part of Eastern Transbaikalia and the Kuznetsk Trough formed into the Hercynian folding. Eastern Transbaikalia belongs to the era of Mesozoic folding. Exogenous forces gradually destroyed these mountains throughout the Mesozoic and Paleogene and turned them into denudation plains.

In the second half of the Cenozoic era, as a result of new tectonic movements, the leveled areas were again uplifted in the form of gentle folds of a large radius. In those places where the tension was greatest, the territory was torn into large monolithic boulders. Some of these blocks have risen, while others, on the contrary, have subsided. High ridges and intermontane depressions appeared. Volcanism began to manifest itself The outflowing basaltic magma, for example, in the Sayan Mountains, reached a thickness of $ 200 $ m.

The result of the newest uplifts was that the ancient folded mountains turned into stepped high-rise plateaus, which had flat peaks and steep slopes. The basin of Lake Teletskoye is laid down and the Baikal rift zone is formed. The belt of mountains of Southern Siberia belongs to the Paleozoic folding and the age of geological structures increases from west to east.

Remark 1

At present, the earth's crust in the mountains of southern Siberia continues to experience movements, which is manifested in earthquakes of quite large strength. Slow ups and downs continue. Earthquakes here happen annually and reach $ 7 - $ 9 $ points.

Mineral resources of the mountains of Southern Siberia

Tectonic movements crust, as a rule, are accompanied by the processes of metamorphism and magmatism. As a result, ore minerals are formed in the earth's crust. Large iron ore deposits formed in Gornaya Shoria, Khakassia. The Salair Ridge and Altai are rich in polymetallic ores. Deposits of gold and copper ores are known in Transbaikalia. In the Chita region there is Sherlovaya Mountain, which is associated with deposits of tin, aluminum ores, mercury, molybdenum, and tungsten.

Known for this region are reserves non-metallic minerals - mica, graphite, asbestos, building materials, marble, apatite. Such South Siberian basins as Kuznetskaya, Minusinskaya, Tuvinskaya are known for their reserves of black and brown coal. Kuznetsky stone coal basin, located here, is second only to Tunguska and Lensky, ranking third in Russia. More than half of Russia's industrial coking coal reserves are concentrated in this basin. The quality of the coal, the availability of industrial development, the close occurrence of the seams to the surface in the basin make it a leader in Russia. There are brown coals in the Trans-Baikal depressions. Gneisses, crystalline schists, dolomites, marble belong to the Archean rocks. The thickness of these rocks reaches $ 20 thousand m.

Western Sayan and Kuznetsk Alatau have Proterozoic rocks, represented by crystalline schists, black marbles, limestones. The rocks of the Cambrian, Ordovician and Silurian, represented by limestones, shales, sandstones, make up Altai. In general, in Altai, according to V.P. Nekhoroshev, five belts of minerals can be distinguished.

These include:

1. Gold belt;
2. Tungsten belt with copper-pyrotite zone;
3. Polymetallic belt;
4. Tungsten-molybdenum belt;
5. Mercury belt.

Rock salt deposits are known in the Tannu-Ola ridge. There are numerous thermal and mineral springs.

Kuznetsk coal basin

The Kuzbass known today is associated with the name of the serf miner M. Volkov. In $ 1721, on the site of today's Kemerovo city, on the banks of the Tom River, he received the first information about the coal content of the territory. In "Kuznetsk Basin" the territory was allocated in $ 1842 by the geologist P. Chikhachev. The development of coal deposits in Kuzbass began in the second half of the $ XIX century. The first coal enterprise of Kuzbass appeared in $ 1851 and was called "Bachatskaya mine". Regular studies of this basin began in $ 1914. Under the leadership of L.I. Lutugin, a geological survey was carried out and the first geological map of Kuzbass was compiled. In $ 1927, a monograph on the geology of the Kuznetsk Basin was published. In the $ 20 $ years, the "Autonomous Industrial Colony of Kuzbass" was created. It was located in the Kemerovo region, and foreign experts took part in its work. The active development of the basin began with the construction of the Ural-Kuznetsk Combine, and coal production increased from $ 2.6 million tonnes at the end of the $ 20s to $ 21.4 million tonnes in $ 1940.

At this time, the share of the Kuznetsk Basin in the all-Union production was $ 13.8%. During the Great Patriotic War a lot of coal was required, and Kuzbass increased its production by $ 1.3 $ times. Coking coal production increased by $ 2 $ times. In the field of war, new coal regions are being developed - Tom-Usinsky, Erunakovsky. New large mines are commissioned:

• "Polysaevskaya"
• Raspadskaya.

New cuts:

• Tom-Usinsky,
• "Krasnogorskiy",
• "Mezhdurechensky" named after the 50th anniversary of October.

Remark 2

Today's Kuzbass is the main center for hydraulic coal mining. The first post-war hydro mine was commissioned in $ 1953 - "Polysaevskaya-Severnaya". The use of the hydraulic method of coal mining became possible because the main scientific base of mine hydraulic technology is located in Kuzbass. This base is VNIIgidrougol.

In the work of miners, not only is it being introduced, but also mining equipment is widely used - combines and mechanized complexes of various modifications. Metal and anchor lining replaced the wooden lining, and on the steeply falling layers, designed by N.A. Chinakala, special shields. They largely solve the fuel problem during the war years. Powerful excavators and dump trucks are used in open pit mining. On the eve of the war, the first enrichment factories were commissioned. It was dry beneficiation, which allowed the use of coking coals with increased ash content without degrading the quality of the coal.

The Mining Institute in Kemerovo opens in $ 1950, a design institute "Kuzbassgiproshakht" is created, the network of research institutes is expanding, and in $ 1982 a coal institute of the Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR is created. Advanced forms of labor organization are being introduced, and the mining brigades of V.I. Drozdetsky, G.N. Smirnova, V.G. Devyatko, M.N. Reshetnikova and others.

Today the Kuznetsk Basin is the largest in the country. Its main territory is located within the Kemerovo region, and a small part lies on the territory Novosibirsk region... The pool area is $ 26.7 thousand sq km. The basin is located in a basin bounded in the northeast by the Kuznetsk Alatau, in the south by Gornaya Shoria, in the southwest by the Salair ridge. The total geological reserves of coal in the basin are estimated at $ 637 billion tons. The coking coal reserves are the largest here, they account for $ 42.8 billion tons. Coal is mined not only by the mine, but also by the open pit method. For the work on open pit mining, the proven reserves of the basin amount to $ 11.4 billion tons.

I live in a city surrounded by numerous mines, therefore, as a resident of Kuzbass, I know how rich the bowels of South Siberia are. But coal is not the only wealth, there are many other valuable minerals.

Minerals of Southern Siberia

The wide variety of minerals in this region is associated with tectonic processes that are accompanied by magmatism and metamorphism. As a result, the earth's crust becomes extremely saturated with a variety of elements. For example, giant deposits of iron ore were formed in Khakassia, and the Altai mountains are famous for polymer ores. Geological scientists distinguish the minerals of this region into several so-called belts:

• Tungsten.
• Gold.
• Mercury.
• Polymetallic.
• Tungsten-molybdenum.

In addition, in large intermontane formations - depressions, for example, in Kuznetskaya - for millions of years, sedimentary materials removed from the ridges have accumulated. This is the reason for the powerful seams of coal - more than half of all industrial reserves of our country!

Kuznetsk coal basin

This place, known today as "Kuzbass", began to be actively developed in 1851, when the first coal mining enterprise was opened here. Later, already in 1915, the basin attracted the attention of geologists, whose work resulted in a geological map published in 1928. But really active development began only in the 30s, which is associated with the construction of the huge Ural-Kuznetsk plant. Over 10 years, production volumes increased 10 times: from 2 million tons (at the beginning of the 30s) to 20 million tons by the beginning of the 40s. By the way, it was here that an innovative method of mining, hydraulic, was first used, and the first hydraulic mine appeared in 1954. Today the reserves are estimated at about 700 billion tons, of which up to 60 billion tons are of high-quality coking coal.

Mining is carried out both in a mine and an open pit, which significantly reduces the cost. The reserves of the mineral that allow it to be mined in the open way are estimated at about 15 billion tons.

The mountain belt of Southern Siberia is located in the center of Asia. It separates the West Siberian Plain and the Central Siberian Plateau from the inner semi-desert and desert plateaus of Central Asia.

This complex system of mountain ranges and massifs consists of the mountains of Altai, Western and Eastern Sayan, Tuva, Baikal and Transbaikalia, the Stanovoy Range and the Aldan Upland and stretches along the southern borders of Russia from the Irtysh to the Amur region for 4500 km. Can be distinguished several characteristic features for a given territory:

• 1. the dominance of medium-high and high folded-block mountains, which are separated by large and small depressions;
• 2. year-round action of continental air masses;
• 3. high-altitude zonation (mountain taiga forests and mountain tundra on the slopes of the ridges are combined with forest-steppe and steppe areas in intermontane basins).

The relief of the mountains of South Siberia

The mountains were formed as a result of powerful tectonic movements back in the Baikal, Caledonian and Hercynian folding at the junction of large blocks of the earth's crust - the Chinese and Siberian platforms. During the Paleozoic and Mesozoic, almost all mountain structures were destroyed and leveled. Thus, the modern relief of the mountains of Southern Siberia was formed not so long ago in the Quaternary under the influence of the latest tectonic movements and processes of intense river erosion. All mountains of southern Siberia belong to folded-block revivals.

For the relief of the mountains of Southern Siberia, a characteristic feature is contrast and a large amplitude of relative heights. In the Main, strongly dissected mid-mountain ridges with heights from 800 to 2000 m prevail. On the slopes of high alpine ridges with narrow ridges and peaks up to 3000-4000 m, glaciers and eternal snow lie. The highest mountains are Altai, where the highest point of all Siberia is located - Mount Belukha (4506 m).

In the past, mountain building was accompanied by earthquakes, fractures of the earth's crust and intrusion with the formation of various ore deposits of minerals, in some areas these processes are still going on. This mountain belt belongs to the seismic regions of Russia, the strength of individual earthquakes can reach 5-7 points.

Mineral deposits: ore, copper, coal

Large deposits were formed here iron ore in Gornaya Shoria and Khakassia, polymetallic ones on the Salair Ridge and Altai, copper (Udokan deposit) and gold - in Transbaikalia, tin (Sherlovaya Gora in the Chita region), aluminum ores, mercury, molybdenum and tungsten. This region is also rich in reserves of mica, graphite, asbestos and building materials.

Large intermontane basins (Kuznetskaya, Minusinskaya, Tuvinskaya, etc.) are composed of loose detrital deposits demolished from the ridges, to which a thick thickness of coal and brown coals is confined. In terms of reserves, the Kuznetsk Basin ranks third in the country, second only to the Tunguska and Lena basins. More than half of the all-Russian industrial reserves of coking coal are concentrated in the basin. According to the availability for industrial development (profitable geographical position, many layers lie close to the surface, etc.) and high quality coal, this basin is unmatched in Russia. A number of brown coal deposits have been discovered in the basins of Transbaikalia (Gusinoozersk, Chernovskie mines).

1. Compare the physical and tectonic maps of Russia with the surrendered map (Fig. 131) and explain why South Siberia is an alternation of mountain ranges, intermontane basins, highlands and flatlands. Show them on the map.

The tectonic map shows that the central part of the mountains of Southern Siberia belongs to the area of ​​Baikal folding, which began more than 1.5 billion years ago. The Western Sayan and the mountains of Tuva were formed in the Caledonian era of folding, and the extreme west and southeast - in the Hercynian. The mountains of Southern Siberia represent a very complex contact of different lithospheric plates, areas of collision and expansion of plates. But the modern appearance of the territory was determined by the latest tectonic movements, when in the Neogene-Quaternary time, mountain structures were divided into blocks, some of which rose, and some fell. In the areas of subsidence, hollows were laid, on the rising blocks - uplands and plateaus. The orographic scheme does not show the basins (only the Kuznetsk Basin is signed), they are located between the ridges. The most famous and large boilers: Minusinskaya (find the city of Minu-sinsk), Tuvinskaya (find the city of Ky-zyl). In Altai, many depressions are occupied by steppe landscapes and are called steppes - Chuya steppe, Kuraiskaya, etc.

2. Try to explain the reasons for the differences in the number and composition of the altitudinal belts of the mountains of Southern Siberia.

The number and set of altitudinal belts depend, first of all, on the height of the mountain system (the higher, the more) and on the position in the system of natural zones of the world (the closer to the equator, the wider the set). The lower altitudinal belt corresponds to the natural zone of the plains surrounding the mountain system. Further, the change of high-altitude lines up the slopes of the mountains is similar to the movement to the north. The barrier role of the mountains, the interception of precipitation and the basin effect, is of significant importance. In the above figure, the highest Altai located south of the others is distinguished by the greatest diversity. The structure of the altitudinal zonation of the northern ridge Kodar, located in the zone of light coniferous taiga, is relatively simple.

3. The mountains of southern Siberia experienced a "second birth". What age mountains can they be classified as young or old? Argument your answer. The mountains of Southern Siberia are called revived mountains. This is a special term for mountain structures that have arisen as a result of the latest tectonic movements in place of ancient, almost destroyed mountain areas. Modern reborn mountains, along with areas of sharply dissected erosional relief, are characterized by highly elevated flat surfaces - plateaus.

4. Find and show on the map the location of mountains and depressions. Give an estimate of their geographic location.

When describing and assessing the geographical position of the hollows, indicate between which ridges they are located, how they are oriented. For example, the Kuznetsk Basin is located between the Kuznetsk Alatau and the Salair Ridge and stretches from the northwest to the southeast. Describe minerals, climate and landscapes. Thus, in the Kuznetsk Basin, where the largest mining Kuznetsk coal basin is located, steppe landscapes with areas of larch-birch forest-steppe were formed in a sharply continental climate.

5. How can you explain the extreme diversity natural landscapes mountain belts of southern Siberia?

The variety of landscapes is explained by the variety of conditions in which they were formed: sharp changes in altitude, climate change, and anthropogenic impact.

6. What minerals are rich in the mountains of Siberia and how are these minerals used?

The mountains of Southern Siberia are rich in metallic minerals; large reserves of coal have accumulated in the inter-mountain basins. The main mineral deposits are listed in Table 32.

7. Describe the barrier role of the mountain belt of Southern Siberia. How does it affect the nature of the surrounding territories?

Of course, the barrier role of the mountains of Southern Siberia is not as pronounced as in the Urals or the Caucasus, because the ridges are oriented not across, but along the direction of the prevailing westerly winds. Nevertheless, the main precipitation is associated with the western air masses, which fall on the western windward slopes of Altai and Kuznetsk Alatau. The climate here is the least continental. The influence of the western circulation is also manifested on the ridges above 2000 m. The climate reaches the greatest continentality and dryness in the closed intermontane basins, especially in the Tu-vinskaya.

Didn't find what you were looking for? Use search

On this page material on topics:

• what minerals are mined in the Minusinsk basin
• south siberia the world around
• mountains of south-siberia geographic location
• orographic drawing of the mountains of southern siberia
• hydropower resources of the mountains of southern siberia

III. Belt of mountains in the south of Siberia.

It is located in the center of the mainland at a considerable distance from the oceans. The border of the mountains is clearly defined in the west and north, and with The Far East it is not so clear. From west to east, this mountain range stretches for 4500 km. Its maximum width is about 1200 km.

The belt of mountains in the south of Siberia is folded-block mountains. They formed in the Paleozoic era and then were badly destroyed. Their territory is divided by large faults of different times into separate blocks.

The newest tectonic movements created the presently existing folded-block mountains. The raised blocks correspond to mountain ranges, highlands; sinks - intermontane basins. The movements of the earth's crust continue at the present time, as evidenced by earthquakes. Among the ridges in the mountain belt, one can observe leveled surfaces.

The mountain belt of Southern Siberia is divided into three mountainous countries: Altai-Sayan, Baikal and Aldano-Sta-novaya. They are located on the basement ledge of the Siberian platform. This is the Aldan Shield. The highest peak of the mountain belt is Mount Belukha (4506 m). It is located in Altai.

The mountains of southern Siberia are rich in minerals: coal (Kuznetsk and South Yakutsk basins), iron and manganese ore, bauxite are mined here, deposits of gold, tin, tungsten and other metals are known. Non-metallic minerals are represented by graphite, asbestos, marble, apatite, mica.

The climate of the mountains of Southern Siberia varies from continental to sharply continental, with continental increasing from west to east and from the top of the mountains to intermontane basins. The average January temperature in the mountains is 20-27 ° C, and in depressions up to -32 ° C. The average July temperature in the mountains is + 8 ° С, in intermontane basins it is up to + 21 ° С. The maximum precipitation (up to 1800 mm) falls on the windward slopes, as moist air masses reach them. In the leeward parts of the mountains, less precipitation falls, and especially little in the basins (200 mm).

Permafrost occurs in the form of islands. Glaciers are located on the peaks of Altai and Sayan Mountains.

In the mountains of Southern Siberia, such large rivers like Ob, Yenisei, Lena, Amur. Most of the rivers are mountainous, fed by rain and snow. Some rivers receive water from the melting of the glacier.

Lake Baikal is a natural wonder of Siberia. Its basin arose about 25 million years ago as a result of the formation of a tectonic crack. It is the deepest lake in the world. Its depth is about 1620 m. More than 300 rivers flow into Baikal, and only the Angara, a tributary of the Yenisei, flows out. The waters of the lake contain very little mineral impurities. A.P. Chekhov defined the color of the lake water as "... soft turquoise, pleasing to the eye ..." animal world the lake is rich and varied. Among fish, omul, grayling, sturgeon are of particular value. Large animals living near Lake Baikal (for example, seals) feed on fish. Forests of the Baikal region are of great importance for water protection: they trap snow, feed rivers, and protect slopes from erosion. In the forests themselves, there are huge reserves of berries and medicinal herbs. Baikal is also valued for its healing mineral springs.

However, Baikal now faces acute problems. With the construction of the Irkutsk hydroelectric power station, the water level rose and became cloudy, which immediately led to a reduction in the most valuable fish - omul. The construction of pulp and paper mills led to the discharge of waste waters containing industrial waste into Baikal. The issue of protecting this unique natural complex is a matter of national importance. A set of measures has been developed, which includes the following measures:

- cessation of timber rafting, which pollutes the waters of Lake Baikal;

- cessation of cellulose production;

- construction of water treatment facilities in cities and industrial enterprises;

- construction of a series of factories for breeding omul;

- organization of planned tourism and recreation of people;

- prohibition of timber harvesting on the slopes facing Lake Baikal.

However, despite the measures taken, the problems of Lake Baikal are still very acute.

In the belt of the mountains of southern Siberia, the altitudinal zonality is clearly expressed and the boundaries of the altitudinal belts are raised high enough for these latitudes, which is a consequence of the remoteness of this region from the oceans. The following natural belts are located in the mountains: steppes (on black soil); taiga forests (on mountain-podzolic soils), consisting mainly of larches and turning into cedar forests in the upper parts; subalpine and alpine meadows; mountain tundra.

The fur riches of the Siberian mountain belt are great. The skins of the Barguzin sable are the most valuable fur in Siberia. There are also bush-tailed squirrels, roe deer, lynxes, and brown bears.