Mountains of the Baikal folding: examples

The entire geological history of the Earth (about 4.5 billion years) is enclosed in a tiny geochronological table composed by scientists. During this time, the continents split and moved, and the oceans changed their location. Mountains formed on the surface of our planet, then they collapsed, and afterwards new mountain systems arose in their place - even larger and even higher.

This article will deal with one of the earliest epochs of earth folding-the Baikal era. How long did it last? What mountain systems arose at this time? And what are the mountains of the Baikal folding - high or low?

The Era of the Folding of the Earth

The whole history of mountain building on our planet is divided by scientists into conditional intervals, periods, and called them folds. Did this primarily for convenience. Of course, there were never any pauses in the process of forming the earth's surface.

There are six such periods in the history of the planet. The oldest folding is the Archean, and the latest is the Alpine one, which continues in our time. Listed below are all the geological folds of the Earth in chronological order:

• Archean (4.5-1.2 billion years ago).
• Baikal (1,2-0,5 billion years ago).
• Caledonian (500-400 million years ago).
• Hercynian (400-230 million years ago).
• Mesozoic (160-65 million years ago).
• Alpine (65 million years ago and to this day).

The geomorphological structures that were formed in this or that epoch of mountain building are called appropriately-Baikalides, Hercynides, Caledonides, etc.

Next, we will describe in detail the most famous mountains of the Baikal folding. We'll tell you where they are located and how they look.

Baikal folding: the chronological framework and common features of the era

The era of terrestrial tectogenesis, covering the period from 650 to 550 million years of geological history of the Earth (Riphean-Cambrian), is commonly called Baikal folding. It started about 1.2 billion years ago, and ended about 500 million years ago. The geological epoch was named in honor of Lake Baikal, since it was at this time that the southern part of Siberia was formed. The term was first used by the Russian geologist Nikolai Shatsky in the 1930s.

In Baikal folding, due to the activation of folding processes, volcanism and granitization in the earth's crust, a whole series of new geological structures have formed on the body of our planet. As a rule, such formations arose on the outskirts of ancient platforms.

Typical mountains of the Baikal folding can be found on the territory of Russia. This, for example, Khamar-Daban range in Buryatia or Timan ridge in the north of the country. How do they look outwardly? Are the mountains of the Baikal folding high or low? Let's answer this question.

How Baikalides Look

Baikalides were formed a long time ago. Even by the geological standards of time. Therefore it is quite logical that most of them are now in a dilapidated state. Millions of years, these structures were subjected to active denudation: they were destroyed by wind, precipitation, temperature changes. Thus, the mountains of the Baikal folding will be low or medium in height.

Indeed, the absolute altitudes of Baikalids rarely exceed 2000 meters above sea level. This can be easily seen if we compare the tectonic and physical maps of the Earth. On geological and tectonic maps the mountains of the Baikal folding, as a rule, are marked in purple.

True, the ancient Baikalides in many parts of the globe were partially regenerated (rejuvenated) by later alpine tectonic movements. For example, it happened in the mountains of the Caucasus and Turkey.

With the geological structures of the Baikal folding, there are often significant reserves of non-ferrous metals. So, in their limits are located the richest deposits of mercury, tin, zinc, copper and tin.

Mountains of the Baikal folding: examples

Geological formations of this age are found in different parts of the world. They are in Russia and Kazakhstan, Iran and Turkey, India, France and Australia. Baikalides are located on the shores of the Red Sea and partially cover the territory of Brazil.

It is important to note that the term "Baikal folding" is common only in the scientific literature of the post-Soviet space. In other countries of the world this era is called differently. So, for example, in Europe it corresponds to Kadom and Assintian folding in time, in Australia - Luinskaya, in Brazil - the same name of Brazil.

Within Russia the most famous Baikalides are the following geomorphological structures:

• East Sayan.
• Hamar-Daban.
• The Baikal Range.
• The Yenisei Ridge.
• Timan ridge.
• Patom Highlands.

Mountains of the Baikal folding in Russia. The Baikal Range

The name of this ridge is consonant with the name of the epoch of mountain building that we are considering. Therefore, with it we will begin to characterize the main Baikalids of Russia.

The Baikal ridge borders the depression of the lake of the same name from the north-western side. It is located within the Irkutsk region and Buryatia. The total length of the ridge is 300 kilometers.

In the north, the geological structure visually continues the Akitkan Range. The average altitudes of this baikalid range from 1800-2100 meters. The highest point of the ridge is the peak of Chersky (2588 m). The mountain is named in honor of the geographer, who made a great contribution to the study of the nature of the Baikal region.

East Sayan

The Eastern Sayan is the largest mountain system in South Siberia, stretching almost a thousand kilometers. Perhaps the most powerful of the Baikalids in Russia. The highest point of the Eastern Sayan reaches 3491 meters (Mount Munku-Sardyk).

The Eastern Sayan is composed mainly of solid crystalline rocks - gneisses, quartzites, marbles and amphibolites. In its bowels found large deposits of gold, bauxite and graphite. The most picturesque are the eastern spurs of the mountain system, called tourists Tunkinsky Alps.

The central part of the Eastern Sayan is most developed (orographically). It consists of high-altitude massifs, which are characterized by vegetation and subalpine-type landscapes. Within the limits of the Eastern Sayan, kurums are widespread. This is a huge area of stone placers, consisting of rough fragments of rocks of different sizes.

Byrranga Mountains

Byrranga is another interesting mountain of the Baikal folding. They are located on the northern peninsula of Taimyr. The mountains are a series of separate ridges, hilly plains and plateaus, deeply cut by canyons and trough valleys. The total length of the mountain system is about 1100 kilometers.

"There is a kingdom of evil spirits, stone, ice and nothing else," the Nganasans, representatives of one of the indigenous peoples of Siberia, wrote about these places. The first traveled to the map of Byrranga was the Russian traveler Alexander Middendorf.

These mountains are very low. Although they look pretty impressive, because they are located right on the ocean shore. The height of their maximum point is only 1146 meters. The relief of this mountain system is very diverse. Here you can see steep and gentle slopes, flat and pointed peaks, as well as a huge variety of glacial forms.

Yenisei and Timan ranges

Acquaintance with Baikalides of Russia we finish with a description of two ridges - Yenisei and Timansky. The first of them is located within the Central Siberian plateau and only in some places exceeds a thousand meters in height. The Yenisei Ridge is composed of ancient and very hard rocks - conglomerates, shales, traps and sandstones. The structure is rich in iron ore, bauxite and gold.

The Timan Ridge is located in the north of the country. It stretches from the shores of the Barents Sea and adjoins the Ural Mountains. The total length of the ridge is about 950 km. The log is poorly expressed in the relief. The most elevated part is the central part, where the highest point is located - the Chetlas stone (471 m high). Like other structures of the Baikal folding, the Timan range is rich in minerals (titanium, bauxite, agate and others).