Kamchatka: the minerals of the peninsula

Kamchatka is a peninsula located in the northeast of Eurasia. This is the only place in Russia where volcanic eruptions occur. Under their influence, special effusive rocks are formed.

Relief

It largely depends on the geological structure of the territory. Thus, the faults are stretched along the peninsula, all ridges and strips of lowlands are also located along the eastern shore. The mountains are, in addition, active or extinct volcanoes. They can be seen on the map of the peninsula called Kamchatka. The relief and minerals of this region are interrelated, as many mineral resources are concentrated in the area of volcanoes.

Slopes of them have a scree-shaped character, here there are landslides. The active volcanoes are located in the eastern part of Kamchatka. The largest of these is the Klyuchevskaya Sopka. Here you can often find boiling lakes and hot springs. In this area is the famous Valley of Geysers. There are mud volcanoes. In the river valleys, among which there is the Kamchatka River, there are alluvial and deluvial deposits.

Geological discoveries in Kamchatka

Geological research and discoveries in Kamchatka passed mainly in the middle of the last century. In the 90s, Kamchatka had a high status among the gold ore provinces. And the number of placer platinum was in the first place. The first data on minerals appeared in the work "Description of the land of Kamchatka" by the well-known author Krasheninnikov. The first geological map of this region was compiled by A. Erman in 1829. Before the revolution, this territory was studied by I. Bogdanovich. He wrote Geological Essay on Kamchatka. He was the first of all domestic researchers who more systematically approached the geological description of the peninsula. He also studied the young volcanoes of Kamchatka.

On the Tolbachik volcano, new unique minerals of Kamchatka were discovered. A photo of one of them is presented above. This is a mineral tenorite.

At the beginning of the last century, there was a claim that Kamchatka, whose minerals are numerous, can not be a significant area for the mining industry. Subsequently, this opinion was not confirmed. New maps have been applied such minerals as copper, coal, graphite, silver, molybdenum, lead, zinc, oil. Also on it were information about amber and various gems. In the future, the Korf deposit of coal was separated among others. Its extraction began in 1929. In the future, many more deposits of coal, oil, natural gas and other minerals were explored.

Geological structure

The eastern part of Kamchatka was formed by the interaction of two lithospheric plates: oceanic and continental. Here, one plate is immersed under another. This is evidenced by a deep depression bordering the peninsula, the Kurile-Kamchatka deep-water trench. Volcanic activity is widespread here, earthquakes often occur. This area is composed of such rocks as basalts, andesites, rhyolites.

The rest of the peninsula is of an older origin. The western half of it is composed of Cenozoic sedimentary strata. In the southern part of the peninsula there are granites, porphyry, syenites and other intrusive rocks. In tertiary clays and sandstones, there are fossils of ancient marine animals, indicating that the area was covered with water. Also there are coal beds with tree trunks, leaves traces and petrified resin - amber.

Minerals of Kamchatka

What else can you say on this subject? The minerals of the Kamchatka peninsula are diverse and numerous. There is oil and natural gas. The most promising reserves of these hydrocarbons are the Kolpakovo oil and gas bearing region in the western part of Kamchatka. Also there are reserves of hard and brown coal. In the eastern half of the peninsula is the Korf and Khaili brown coal deposits. In the west there are the following Carboniferous manifestations: Tigilskoe, Krutogorovskoe, Gorelovskoe, Podkagernoe. There are huge deposits of peat.

In Kamchatka there are gold reserves, both ore and placer gold. They have four major deposits: Amethyst, Aginskoye, Asachinskoe, Rodnikovskoe. Here lies about 198 tons of gold. Placers of this precious metal, too, there are 42 of them. Silver is present in these four deposits to a greater extent - 655 tons. And platinum placers are open.

There are deposits of cobalt, copper and nickel in the Middle crystalline massif of the peninsula.

Kamchatka, whose minerals are associated, among other things, with volcanic activity, has the largest pumice deposit in the Far Eastern region - the Ilyinsky.

There are also significant reserves of native sulfur in Kamchatka. The number of its manifestations is more than two hundred. Total reserves are 106 thousand tons.

Developed deposits

The mining industry in Kamchatka is just developing. Recently, there has been a decrease in the amount of minerals mined. This is because precious metal deposits are depleted. At present, the Kshukskoye gas field is being developed. Also, several small manifestations of stone and brown coal are being developed. Thermal waters are constantly used for electricity production.

Practical application of mineral resources

For the fuel and energy complex there are reserves of oil, gas, coal and brown. Peat is used in economic activities. In the future, it can be widely used in the processing and chemical industries.

Precious metals and minerals used in the jewelry industry are mined. This is, first of all, gold, silver, platinum. Here, a scatter of a rare variety of garnet - demantoid is found.

Also there is a chrysolite used in the jewelry business. In addition, there are rubies, amethysts and sapphires. There are ornamental stones - jasper, marble onyx, obsidian, jade, agate. These gems are used for jewelry and other decorative purposes. There is also a blue obsidian, mined in the Ichinsky volcano.

It is provided with building materials Kamchatka. Minerals such as volcanic tuffs, sand and gravel mixtures, building stone, slags, brick clay, construction sand, perlites and zeolites are abundant here. Prospective for the construction of ignimbrites and caked tuffs. Perlites are used for water purification and are added to cement. In the environment, they are used to clean the soil and reservoirs from pollution with industrial waste.

Groundwater is widely used, which have a unique composition. Among them there are mineral and hydrothermal sources. They are used in the food industry and for heat power needs.

Kamchatka, whose minerals are very diverse, is a promising area for the extraction of mineral raw materials.