East Siberia: minerals and relief

Eastern Siberia occupies a vast territory from the Yenisei to the Pacific Ocean. It is famous for a large number of natural resources and minerals. The features of the relief and geological structure of this region made it so valuable in terms of raw materials. The minerals of Eastern Siberia are not only oil, coal and iron ore. It produces a significant part of Russia's gold and diamonds, as well as precious metals. In addition, almost half of the country's forest resources are located in this region.

Eastern Siberia

Minerals are not the only feature of this region. Eastern Siberia occupies an area of more than 7 million square kilometers, which is about a quarter of the whole of Russia. It extends from the valley of the Yenisei River to the most mountain ranges on the Pacific coast. In the north the region borders on the Arctic Ocean, and in the south - with Mongolia and China.

To Eastern Siberia is not so many areas and settlements, as in the European part of Russia, because this area is considered sparsely populated. Here are the largest in the country in the Chita and Irkutsk regions, as well as the Krasnoyarsk and Trans-Baikal Territories. In addition, Eastern Siberia includes the autonomous republics of Yakutia, Tuva and Buryatia.

Eastern Siberia: relief and minerals

The diversity of the geological structure of this region explains the wealth of its raw materials. Because of their huge number, many deposits have not even been investigated. What minerals are rich in Eastern Siberia? It's not just coal, oil and iron ore. In the bowels of the region are rich deposits of nickel, lead, tin, aluminum and other metals, as well as the necessary in the industry of sedimentary rocks. In addition, it is Eastern Siberia that is the main supplier of gold and diamonds.

This can be explained by the peculiarities of the relief and geological structure of this region. Eastern Siberia is located on the ancient Siberian platform. And most of the territory of the region is the Central Siberian plateau elevated above the sea level from 500 to 1700 m. The foundation of this platform is the oldest crystalline rocks, whose age reaches 4 million years. The next layer is sedimentary. It alternates with magmatic rocks formed as a result of volcanic eruptions. Therefore, the relief of Eastern Siberia is folded, stepped. It contains many mountain ranges, plateaus, terraces, deep valleys of rivers.

Such a variety of geological processes, tectonic shifts, deposits of sedimentary and magmatic rocks and led to a wealth of minerals in Eastern Siberia. The table allows to find out that more resources are extracted here than in neighboring regions.

Coal reserves

Thanks to geological processes from the Paleozoic and Mesozoic epochs, the largest in Russia coal deposits of minerals in Western and Eastern Siberia are located in the lowlands of the region. This is the Lena and Tunguska basins. Less significant deposits are also very many. And although there is less coal in them, they are also promising. These are the Kamsko-Achinsk and Kolyma-Indigir basins, the Irkutsk, Minusinsk, and South Yakutsk deposits.

The reserves of coal in Eastern Siberia account for 80% of all coal mined in Russia. But many places of its occurrence are very difficult to develop due to the harsh climatic conditions of the region and the features of the relief.

Iron and copper ores

The main minerals of Eastern Siberia are metals. Their deposits are found in the most ancient rocks, even before the Precambrian period. Most of all in the region of hematites and magnetites. Their deposits are located in the south of the Yakut region, in the Podkamennaya Tunguska Basin, on the Yenisei Ridge, as well as in the Angara, in Khakassia, Tuva and Transbaikalia.

The largest ore deposits are Korshunovskoe and Abakan. There are many of them also in the Angara-Pitsky region. Here, 10% of all Russian iron ore reserves are concentrated. In Transbaikalia and in the north of the region there are also large deposits of tin, polymetallic ores and valuable metals.

Neighborhoods of Norilsk are famous for large deposits of copper-nickel ores. Almost 40% of Russian copper and about 80% of nickel are mined here. In addition, there is a lot of cobalt, there are also platinum, silver, tellurium, selenium and other elements. In other places copper, mercury, manganese, antimony are mined. There are large deposits of bauxite.

Non-metallic minerals

Our country is the world's largest supplier of natural gas, it produces a lot of oil. And the first supplier of these minerals is the East Siberia fields. In addition, geological processes have led to the emergence of rich deposits of sedimentary rocks.

• Eastern Siberia delivers a significant part of Russian oil. It is mined mainly in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Recently a new deposit was discovered in the upper reaches of the Lena River. The possibility of oil production in the Vilyui basin, as well as in the east of the Tunguska lowland, is being investigated.
• The subsoil of the region is rich in natural gas deposits. The Taas-Timus field near the mouth of the Vilyui River has long been exploited.
• Due to the presence in ancient times of the formation of shallow seas, the widespread minerals of Eastern Siberia are rock salt. Especially a lot of it in the basins of the rivers Lena and Vilyui, in the upper reaches of the Angara. But the most powerful deposits are located in Nordic.
• In the Noginsk area, the country's largest deposits of graphite are located. Its large deposit is Kureiskoye.
• The subsoil in the area of the Aldan and Mama rivers is rich in mica.
• Deposits of such minerals of Eastern Siberia as talc, magnesite, asbestos, gypsum, kaolin and many others are also being developed.

Gold and diamonds of Eastern Siberia

The most valuable metal has been mined here for almost a second century. The oldest deposit is Bodaibo in the Irkutsk region. Rich loose and root deposits of gold are in the Aldan, Yansky, Allah-Yunsky areas. Recently, deposits have been developed in the area of the Yenisei Ridge, under Minusinsk and in the east of Transbaikalia.

Thanks to the special geological processes taking place in this region back in the Mesozoic era, many diamonds are now mined here. The largest deposit in Russia is located in Western Yakutia. They are extracted from so-called diatremes, filled with kimberlites. Each such "tube explosion" in which diamonds are found, even got its name. The most famous are "Udachnaya-Vostochnaya", "Mir" and "Aikhal".

Natural resources

The difficult terrain of the region, huge untapped areas covered with taiga forests, provide a wealth of natural resources. Due to the fact that the most full-flowing rivers of Russia flow here, the region is provided with cheap and ecologically clean hydroelectric power. The rivers are rich in fish, the surrounding forests are fur-bearing animals, of which sable is especially valued. But due to the fact that man has become more active in interfering with nature, many species of plants and animals are dying out. Therefore, many reserves and national parks have recently been created in the region to preserve natural resources.

The richest areas

Eastern Siberia occupies almost a quarter of the territory of Russia. But there are not many people living here. In some places for 1 person there are more than 100 square kilometers. But Eastern Siberia is very rich in minerals and natural resources. Although they are unevenly distributed throughout the region.

• The richest in economic terms is the Yenisei basin. Here is Krasnoyarsk, where more than half of the population of Eastern Siberia is concentrated. The richness of this area for minerals, natural and hydro resources led to the active development of industry.
• Wealth, located in the upper reaches of the Angara River, began to be used only in the 20th century. A very large polymetallic deposit was discovered here. And the iron ore reserves are huge. Here the best magnesites are mined in Russia, there are also many antimony, bauxites, nephelines, shales. Developed deposits of clay, sand, talc and limestone.
• Evenkia possesses the richest resources. Here in the Tunguska Basin there are such minerals of Eastern Siberia as stone and brown coal. In the Noginskoye deposit, high-quality graphite is mined. Developed also deposits of Isceland spar.
• Khakassia is another rich region. Here one quarter of East Siberian coal, all iron ore, is mined. After all, the Abakan mine, located in Khakassia, is the largest and oldest in the region. There is gold, copper, a lot of building materials.
• One of the richest places in the country is Transbaikalia. Most metals are mined here. For example, the Udokan deposit supplies copper ore, Onon - tungsten, Sherlokogonskoe and Tarbalgejskoye - tin, and Shakhtaminskoye and Zhrikenskoe - molybdenum. In addition, a lot of gold is extracted in Transbaikalia.
• The treasury of minerals in Eastern Siberia is Yakutia. Although only after the revolution began to develop deposits of rock salt, coal and iron ore. There are rich deposits of non-ferrous metals, mica. In addition, it is in Yakutia that the richest reserves of gold and diamonds are discovered.

Problems of development of minerals

Huge, often unexplored territories of the region lead to the fact that many of its natural resources are not mastered. There is a very small population density, therefore, mainly promising deposits of minerals in Eastern Siberia in populated areas are being developed. Because the absence of roads on a large territory and a huge distance from the center contribute to the fact that the development of deposits in remote regions is unprofitable. In addition, most of Eastern Siberia is located in the permafrost zone. A sharply continental climate prevents the development of natural resources in the rest of the territory.

North-Eastern Siberia and the Far East

Due to the peculiarities of the relief and climatic conditions, the minerals of Northeast Siberia are not so rich. There are few forests here, mostly tundra and arctic deserts. The greater part of the territory is dominated by the eternal merlot and year-round low temperatures. Therefore, the minerals of North-Eastern Siberia are not very well mastered. Basically, coal is mined here, as well as metals - wolfram, cobalt, tin, mercury, molybdenum and gold.

The most eastern and northern regions of Siberia are referred to the Far East. This area is also rich, but also more populated due to its proximity to the ocean and a milder climate. The minerals of Eastern Siberia and the Far East are similar in many respects. There are also many diamonds, gold, tungsten and other non-ferrous metals, mercury, sulfur, graphite, and mica are extracted. In this region are the richest deposits of oil, coal and natural gas.