Bosom South America due to the unique relief, they are exceptionally rich in deposits of iron and porphyry copper ores, ores of tin, antimony and other ores of ferrous, non-ferrous and rare metals, as well as silver, gold and platinum.
troughs of the Andes, the territory of Venezuela and caribbean v in large numbers contain oil deposits and natural gas. There are also small deposits of coal on the continent.
In addition to oil and precious metals, the subsoil of South America is full of such riches as diamonds, emeralds and other precious and ornamental stones.
Features of the relief of South America and their impact on mineral deposits
South America is usually divided into two geologically different parts: the eastern part, which is based on the ancient South American platform, with elevated territories in the Guiana and Brazilian Highlands, and the western part, along which the longest land mountain range of the Andes stretches. Therefore, the mainland is rich both in minerals that form on the plains and plateaus, and rocks and minerals formed as a result of volcanic activity.
The Andes are rich in ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals of metamorphic and magmatic origin, including zinc, tin, copper, iron, antimony, lead and others. There is also mining in the mountains precious stones and metals (silver, gold, platinum).
The eastern highlands of the continent are rich in deposits of rare ores from which zirconium, uranium, nickel, bismuth and titanium are mined, as well as deposits of beryl (precious stone). The occurrence of ores and beryl are associated with volcanic activity and the release of magma to the surface.
Extensive deposits of oil and natural gas have been formed in platform troughs, intermountain and foothill depressions. Through weathering processes earth's crust deposits of aluminum appeared in the bowels of the continent. And biochemical processes in a company with a desert climate “worked” on the droppings of seabirds, as a result of which deposits of Chilean saltpeter appeared on the continent.
Types of minerals in South America
Combustible minerals:
- coal (Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Argentina) is one of the most demanded energy resources in the world;
- oil (Caribbean) - a liquid oily substance, the occurrence of which is confined to continental depressions and margins;
- natural gas.
Ferrous metal ores
Iron(deposits in Venezuela). It is used for smelting steel and alloys; it is contained in the composition of such minerals as limonite, hematite, chamosite, magnetite, etc.
Manganese(deposits in Brazil). It is used in the smelting of alloy cast iron and steel.
Chrome ores(reserves in Brazil). Chromium is an indispensable component of heat-resistant and stainless steel.
Ores of non-ferrous metals
Represented by bauxite reserves, from which aluminum(appreciated due to its lightness, hypoallergenicity and ease of processing), vanadium and tungsten ores.
There are huge deposits copper ores(copper is widely used in the electrical and engineering industries).
The bowels of the continent are rich lead(Peru) used in automotive, construction and other fields, nickel(applicable to the production of nickel steel and various metal coatings), zinc, tin("tin belt" stretching through Bolivia), molybdenum, bismuth(metal is mined directly from bismuth ore only in Bolivia), antimony (used for the production of fire retardants).
precious metal ores
The continent is rich platinum and silver ores, as well as deposits gold. Noble metals are exceptionally resistant to corrosion and have a special luster in products used for the production of jewelry, expensive tableware and luxury items, as well as in industry.
Ores of rare and rare earth metals
Niobium and tantalum- rare metals used for the production of high-strength alloys and metal-cutting tools. Rare earth metals are found on the continent in the composition lithium, niobium and beryllium ores.
Non-metallic minerals of the continent:
- sodium nitrate (Chile);
- native sulfur (Chile, Peru, Columlia, Venezuela);
- gypsum;
- rock salt;
- fluorite, etc.
- diamonds (Brazil, Venezuela, etc.);
- beryl, tourmaline and topaz - minerals formed in granite pegmatites (Brazil);
- amethyst (formed in quartz veins);
- agate (formed in Mesozoic basalts);
- emeralds (large deposit in Colombia).
Gems:
Resources and major mineral deposits
Consider briefly the main mineral deposits of South America. Chile ranks second in the world in molybdenum production, has the world's largest reserves of sodium nitrate (about 300 million tons, a deposit in the Atacama Desert) and the largest copper reserves on the continent.
Coal mining in South America is concentrated in Colombia in the area of the huge El Serrejon coal mine, where the fossil is mined. open way. The largest oil and gas basin - Maracaibo - is located in the territories of Colombia and Venezuela, which is the leading supplier of oil on the continent. Oil is also produced in the territories of Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago. Venezuela accounts for 4.3% of world oil production.
Brazil, rich in rare ores and minerals, has 13% of the world's tantalum reserves, and is also the world's largest producer of raw materials from niobium (about 80% of the world's total).
Peru owns 11.4% of the world's copper reserves, and the entire continent as a whole - about 56 million tons of the world's iron ore reserves. The Andes contain some of the largest deposits of silver, molybdenum, zinc, tungsten and lead on Earth.
The relief of South America is varied. The nature geological structure and the features of the modern relief, South America is divided into two heterogeneous parts. East End the mainland is the ancient South American platform; western - actively developing folded belt of the Andes. The elevated sections of the platform - shields - correspond in relief to the Brazilian and Guiana plateaus. The troughs of the South American platform correspond to the giant lowland plains - the Amazonian, Orinoco, the system of internal plains (the Gran Chaco plain, the Laplata lowland), and the young Patagonian platform to the plains of Patagonia.
The Amazonian lowland is filled with marine and continental sediments. It was formed as a result of the activity of the Amazon River, as a result of the accumulation of sediments brought by the course. In the west, the lowland is very flat, the river valleys are slightly incised, the heights barely reach 150 m. Its northern and southern margins, underlain by crystalline rocks of the shields, are elevated and gradually turn into plateaus.
The Brazilian Plateau is located in the east of the mainland. Represents ledges of the crystalline foundation of the platform, between which there are deflections filled with sedimentary rocks and volcanic lavas. This is the largest rise within the platform. The Brazilian plateau has heights from 250-300 m in the north to 800-900 m in the southeast. The relief of the plateau is a relatively leveled surface, above which blocky massifs and plateaus rise.
In the north of the mainland, the Guiana Plateau (300-400 m) is confined to the vast ledge of the folded base of the platform. Its relief is dominated by stepped plateaus.
The vast plains and large sections of the plateaus of South America are comfortable for life and economic activity population. (Show on the map the largest lowlands and plateaus and determine their maximum heights.)
The Andes is the longest mountain range on land with a length of 9000 km. The Andes are one of the highest mountain ranges the globe. In height, it is second only to the Tibetan-Himalayan mountainous country. Twenty peaks of the Andes rise to a height of more than 6 thousand meters. The highest of them is the city of Aconcagua (6960 m).
The formation of the Andes is the result of the interaction of two lithospheric plates when the oceanic Nazca plate "dived" under the continental South American. At the same time, the edge of the continental plate was crumpled into folds, forming mountains. Currently, mountain building continues. This is evidenced by the eruptions of numerous volcanoes and the strongest catastrophic earthquakes. Among the large volcanoes, one can note such as Chimborazo (6267 m), Cotopaxi (5897 m). The west coast, occupied by the Andes, belongs to the Pacific "Ring of Fire".
The strongest in the world recorded in 11-12 points occurred in 1960 in Chile. In 2010, an earthquake in Chile claimed several hundred lives. Serious disasters occur in the Andes every 10-15 years.
The Andes mountain system consists of several meridianally elongated mountain ranges. Between the ridges lie internal plateaus and plateaus, with a height of 3500 to 4500 m.
Minerals of South America
The mainland is rich in minerals. The richest deposits of iron and manganese ores are confined to the ancient shields of the South American Platform: the center and outskirts of the Brazilian Plateau, as well as the north of the Guiana Plateau. The largest iron ore mining area is Carajas. In the northern part, on the outskirts of both plateaus, there are very large deposits of bauxite, a raw material for the aluminum industry. Bauxites occur at shallow depths and are mined by open pit mining.
Ores of copper (Peru, Chile), tin (Bolivia), lead and zinc (Peru) have been explored in the Andes. The foothills of the Andes, especially Venezuela and Colombia, are rich in oil and natural gas. Coal deposits are less significant (Ecuador, Argentina). Many Andean countries are famous for their mining of precious stones. First of all, this applies to the extraction of emeralds in Colombia. Of the precious metals in South America, the largest reserves of silver are in Peru. The Andes belt is also famous for some non-metallic minerals. Saltpeter occupies the first place among them. The famous Chilean saltpeter and iodine are mined in the dried-up reservoirs of the Atacama.
The relief of South America is more diverse in comparison with Africa and Australia. The high Andes in the west separate the main flat part of the mainland from Pacific Ocean. South America is characterized by active seismicity. South America is called the "pantry of the world." The mainland is rich natural resources necessary for the development of many sectors of the economy.
The Australian continent is extremely rich in diverse mineral resources. The security of this southern mainland different types industrial raw materials brings it to a leading position in the world in the extraction of the most important for development industrial production mineral resources.
Relation of minerals to geology
At the base of the continent lies the Precambrian rigid tectonic structure– Indo-Australian platform. It was once part of Gondwana, the supercontinent of the Southern Hemisphere. Periodically, the platform in different geological periods experienced rejuvenation, rose, was subjected to volcanic processes, broke through deep intrusions. It is with volcanism, intrusive activity and antiquity of rocks on the mainland that the presence of the richest deposits of igneous minerals is associated.
Parts of the platform that had risen at different geological times began to actively collapse under the influence of temperature differences, heavy rains and strong winds. Collapsing, strong igneous rocks formed powerful strata of sedimentary rocks. Over time, the detrital material experienced metamorphization and a special class of rocks was formed - metamorphosed rocks. Therefore, all types of rocks are represented on the mainland, with this geologists associate the good supply of the Australian continent with a variety of minerals.
metal ores
The Australian continent has the richest ore reserves, the country is the world leader in deposits and mining of high-quality lead and iron, zinc ores and aluminum-bearing bauxites. Australia's best-known high-quality iron ore deposits, Mount Goldsworth and, far beyond the country's internationally rated Mount Newman, are located in the northwest Hamersley Range, composed of ancient crystalline rocks.
Deposits in the Fortescue River basin with reserves of up to 20 billion tons of high-quality hematites have been discovered and exploited since 1964. The content of useful iron in hematites of the Hamersley Range is up to 60%. Deposits with high-quality goethite ores with a useful iron content of up to 55% are also discovered and exploited here. The annual production of iron ore from the Hamersley Range is up to 80 million tons.
High-quality hematite-goethite iron-bearing ores were found in the South in the low Mildback Range, composed of crystalline rocks. The oldest deposits in the Mildback Range are the Iron Knob deposits. The deposits of the northwest are also famous here, namely Mount Goldsworthy, Sunrise, Shay Gap near the Pilbara.
Hematites of sedimentary genesis are mined at the well-known Yampi Sound deposit north of the city of Derby, on the small island of Kokatu. In Queensland, on the deposits of Roper Bar and Constance Range, hematite-siderite, sedimentary ores are being developed. Magnetite amphibole ores are being mined at the Savage River deposits in Tasmania.
The country holds the world's leading place in the exploration and production of high-quality manganese ores. The largest of these deposits is Groote Island, it is located on the island of the same name in the large Gulf of Carpentaria. Here, ores of sedimentary genesis are discovered and exploited among sandy and multi-colored clay deposits of chalk. The upper Proterozoic deposits here are associated with a manganese deposit called Raypon Hill.
The bowels of the continent are rich in bauxite, the country is the second in the world in terms of bauxite mining. Bauxite beds up to 10 m thick of lateritic origin occur close to the surface and are mined in an open pit. Up to 80% of all Australian bauxite is mined in four ore deposits in the north - Mitchel, Bougainville, Gove and Waipa. Near the city of Perth is a large area for the extraction of bauxite - Darling.
The bowels of the continent are rich in manifestations of copper ores. The content of useful metal in them is 2.5%. Up to 80% of the Australian copper ore reserves are mined in Queensland (Mount Isa). The deposits of Cadia, Kobar and Mount Lyell are mined rich in copper ores in the form of copper pyrite. On deposits of Tennant Creek and Golden Grove, copper occurs in vein form. Porphyry copper ores are being developed at Mount Morgan.
The country occupies one of the leading places in terms of geological reserves and nickel production. The western extensive region of ancient volcanism and intrusive activity includes nickel-containing sulfide ores. In the richest deposits of Mount Windarra, Agnew and Kambalda, the concentration of useful nickel is quite high, up to 4.8%. In the Greenvale deposits with total reserves of up to 44 million tons, silicates containing nickel are formed on the ancient weathering crust. Nickel-bearing ores are associated with the main deposits of cobalt and rare metals of the platinum group.
The country is rich in polymetals, here they are up to 13-15% of the world's reserves. Mount Isa and Broken Hill, the largest in terms of lead and zinc, are confined here to the oldest deposits of the Precambrian. Large deposits of ores containing lead and zinc MacArthur River with reserves of up to 190 million tons. It is confined here to the Precambrian cover of the platform. The deposits of Elur in South Wales and Red Rosebery in Tasmania are also known in the world.
Up to 30% of Australian tungsten deposits are concentrated in the King Island beds in Tasmania. The base metals of the westernmost occurrence, Mount Mulgaine, contain large amounts of copper, precious gold and silver. Large reserves of rare vanadium are contained in the most ancient ores of the Yilgarn tectonic shield; they are associated here, first of all, with numerous gabbro intrusions.
Deposits of local tin ores are very significant, up to 80% of the reserves are located in Tasmania, Mount Cleveland deposits with reserves of up to 1.7 million tons, Renison Bell with reserves of up to 12 million tons. The content of useful tin in them ranges from 0.8 to 1.2%. Antimony ores occur in the south, the Hillgrove deposits, and in Victoria, the Costerfield deposits.
Gold ore occurrences are located in the west of the country, Norseman, Telfer with reserves of up to 3.8 thousand tons and a precious metal content of up to 9.5 g/t, Kalgoorlie deposits. Ore-bearing strata here are rich quartz veins of Upper Archean deposits and zones of active hydrothermal impacts.
The ore occurrences of quartz-dolomites in the deposits of Telfer, near the Pilbara, are mainly found in the Upper Proterozoic sediments. Gold-sulfide veins occur in Norseman and loose sedimentary rocks of ancient weathering crust with a gold content of up to 19 g/t are mined. Gold occurrences have been found in the uranium deposits of Jabiluk.
The country leads the world in terms of discovered reserves and production of uranium. More than 30 deposits of this strategic raw material have been discovered here. The largest of them was the ore-bearing area with the name Alligator Rivers. with total area up to 1.5 thousand sq. km. Here in the north lie up to 3/4 of the Australian uranium reserves, and up to 17% of the world's. The largest deposits of the Alligator River were the geological formations of Nabarlek and Jabeluk, Kungarra and Ranger. All uranium-bearing ores here occur in the vast Pine Creek geosynclinal region.
Oil and gas Australia
Up to 130 rich natural gas and high-quality oil fields have been explored and partially developed on the Australian continent and its shelf. The largest among them, with reserves of up to 50 million tons, were the deposits of Marlin, Barracut and Kingfish. They are located in the pericontinental basin of sediments with the name Gippsland in the waters of the vast Bass Strait.
The country ranks second in the world in terms of deposits of brown coal, and sixth in terms of reserves of high-quality coal. Hard coals occur in the east of the country in the Permian and Triassic deposits. The largest of them were the Sydney region with proven reserves of up to 85 billion tons and the Bowen field in Queensled with deposits of up to 42 billion tons.
Among the brown coal basins, Latrobe Valley is the leader with explored reserves of up to 115 billion tons. The country owns large geological deposits of oil shale. They are here in the ancient deposits of the Mesozoic. Large deposits are located in Queensland and, accordingly, in Tasmania.
non-metallic minerals
The country is rich in deposits heavy sands, formed on coastal sea placers, the largest deposits were Southport, Capel Banbury and Eniba. These sands are rich in zirconium, titanium and other rare earth minerals. The country has deposits of precious and semi-precious ornamental stones. The country is most famous for noble opals and sapphires.
The largest deposits of noble opals discovered in the 19th century were Andamuka and Coober Pedy, in Queensland, Heyrix and Yovakh. The main source of excellent quality black opals was the deposits of Lightning Ridge. In alluvial placers in Queensland near the town of Anaki, in South Wales near the cities of Glen Innes and Inverell, the famous Australian sapphires are mined. Other chrysoprase stones, rhodonites and nephrites are also mined.
The continent is very rich in phosphorites; in the extraction of this most valuable raw material for the development of industry, the country confidently occupies the 4th place in the world. Phosphorite deposits formed in the Cambrian sedimentary deposits of the Georgina Basin in Queensland. The largest phosphorite deposit was the recently explored and actively exploited today Duchess with total reserves of 1418 million tons and a useful P2O5 content of up to 18%. Chrysotile asbestos, talc, barite, graphite, gypsum, muscovite, potash salts, building materials, sand, clay and gravel are also mined.
Australia
The Australian platform has an Archean-Lower Proterozoic basement, composed of deeply metamorphosed volcanic rocks and contains significant deposits of gold (Western Australia), polymetallic and uranium ores, bauxites (West Queensland, etc.), the Proterozoic sedimentary cover - rich deposits of iron ore (Hamersley Range in Western Australia and etc.). There are coal deposits in the Upper Paleozoic, as well as younger formations in eastern Australia. V last years in a number of areas of Australia (the Great Artesian Basin, the coast of Victoria, Western Australia, the Amadies Trough), oil and gas deposits have also been discovered in sedimentary deposits of different ages.
South America
The bowels of South America contain a very diverse complex of minerals. The largest deposits of iron ores are confined to the ancient Precambrian of Venezuela (the Orinoco river basin) and Brazil (the state of Minas Gerais), the richest deposits of porphyry copper ores - to the granitoid batholiths of the Central Andes. Deposits of ores of rare elements are associated with ultramafic alkaline intrusions of Eastern Brazil. On the territory of Bolivia, deposits of ores of tin, antimony, silver, etc., have been found. The forward and intermountain troughs of the Andes contain deposits of oil and gas along their entire length, which are especially rich within Venezuela. There are coal deposits; deposits of coal are known in the Upper Paleozoic, brown - in the Cenozoic. Bauxite deposits are confined to the young weathering crust (especially in Guyana and Suriname).
North America
North America is rich in minerals, the deposits of which are closely related to the geological structure of the mainland.
On the Canadian Shield, where Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks are shallow, there are one of the world's largest deposits of metal ores: iron, nickel, copper, uranium, molybdenum.
Coal deposits are concentrated in the thick sedimentary rocks of the Central Plains. In the marine sediments of the coastal lowlands and on the shelf there are deposits of oil and gas. They are mined both on land and from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.
Significant reserves of coal are also concentrated in the intermountain depressions of the Appalachians. And the Cordillera, characterized by a variegated geological structure, is rich in minerals of both igneous and sedimentary origin. There are non-ferrous metal ores, deposits of mercury and gold. Oil and gas, coal occur in the east, as well as in the trough of the earth's crust between the Cordillera and the North American platform.
A variety of minerals are an important natural resource base for the development of the economy of the countries of North America.
Africa
Minerals of Africa are the main suppliers of resources for ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, chemical enterprises for the entire planet. The bowels of Africa are rich in phosphorites, chromites, and titanium. The main reserves of ores (uranium, cobalt, copper, manganese), as well as precious minerals and metals (diamonds, gold) of the globe are concentrated on this continent. Minerals north africa which include sedimentary minerals, gas and oil, are of global importance. Southern and central Africa is valued for its igneous minerals - ferrous and non-ferrous ores, as well as diamonds.
Deposits of minerals are due to the formation of the relief of the continent. In the north, there are more lowlands and subsidences, which were flooded by the seas, therefore, coal and manganese ores were formed in the form of precipitation. The east and south of Africa are represented by plateaus and highlands, which historically formed on the site of vertical and horizontal movements of platforms, therefore this part is rich in diamonds, gold, and uranium ores.
Africa is famous for its deposits of ores, the formation of which dates back to the time of the birth of the Paleozoic. Currently, this platform is exposed at the equator and the south of the mainland, and therefore, these areas have become the concentration of ore deposits. Thanks to this “exposure” of ancient platforms, copper deposits in South Africa became available to the population of the planet, chromites are being developed in Southern Rhodesia, Nigeria is famous for tin and tungsten, Ghana for manganese, and the island of Madagascar may well provide the entire planet with graphite. But still, Africans thank the Paleozoic for gold deposits. Perhaps, in some areas, Africa lags behind Western countries, but in the field of gold mining, this continent, represented by South Africa, has long and firmly held the leading position.
The Cambrian period of the formation of earth platforms is considered the beginning of the formation of the copper belt, which formed such minerals in Africa as copper, tin, cobalt, lead, tungsten and brought it to a leading position in the world. Africa ranks second in the development and extraction of the above minerals. During this period, deposits of uranium and platinum ores were formed on the continent. Iron ores were formed in the depths of the sea, but due to the deposition sea salts, these minerals of Africa are of low grade.
At the junction of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic, the terrestrial platform of the continent experienced a calm period with the absence of movement of the earth's platforms, which allowed the formation of coal deposits, which are especially abundant in South Africa, Rhodesia, Congo and Madagascar.
The Sahara-Sudan Plain of Africa, the most complex formation in structure, which has undergone faults and outcrops of rocks, uplifts and troughs of ancient foundations, is valued by deposits of iron, manganese ores and oil.
Antarctica
In Antarctica, deposits of coal, iron ores have been discovered, signs of deposits of mica, graphite, rock crystal, gold, uranium, copper, silver. The small number of mineral deposits is explained by the poor geological knowledge of the mainland and its thick ice sheet. The prospects for the Antarctic subsoil are very great. This conclusion is based on the similarity of the geological structure of the Antarctic platform with the Gondwanan platforms of other South continents. hemisphere, as well as on the commonality of the folded belt of Antarctica with the mountain structures of the Andes.
Eurasia
Eurasia is very rich in various minerals. On its territory there are large deposits of coal, oil, natural gas, significant reserves of ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, and many places where gold and precious stones are mined. The diversity of the mineral wealth of the mainland is due to the huge size, complex structure the earth's crust of Eurasia.
Coal deposits on the territory of Eurasia are located in foothill and intermountain troughs of the Paleozoic age (Donetsk basin in Ukraine, Karaganda - in Kazakhstan, Pechora - in Russia, Ruhr - in Germany, etc.). In the east of Eurasia, the coal basins were discovered within the Hindustan and Chinese platforms. Large brown-coal basins - Kuznetsk and Kansk-Achinsk - in Siberia. Oil and gas fields are concentrated in troughs of the earth's crust filled with sedimentary rocks. The two largest oil and gas basins of the Earth are located in the Mesopotamian lowlands and West Siberian Plain. There are oil and gas deposits on the Arabian Peninsula and the East European Plain.
Most of the deposits of various ores associated with igneous and metamorphic rocks are located in the crystalline basement of ancient platforms, as well as where in mountain ranges igneous and metamorphic rocks come to the surface. global importance have iron ores of the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly (KMA), Krivoy Rog and Lorraine iron ore basins, manganese Nikopol basin, iron ores of Hindustan and Northeast China. Through South China and the Indochina peninsula, deposits of non-ferrous metal ores such as tin and tungsten stretch to form the so-called tin-tungsten belt. Gold is found in the Asian part of the mainland.
Deposits of rock and potassium salts were formed in shallow basins - lakes and shallow seas. The Iranian highlands are known for their rich sulfur reserves. In the Ukrainian Carpathian region there are unique deposits of native sulfur. On the Hindustan Peninsula, the island of Sri Lanka are deposits of diamonds, various precious stones. In many places of Eurasia there are deposits of various building materials(marble, granite, etc.).