Where do minerals come from in Antarctica? Geography of Antarctica: geology, climate, inland waters, natural resources and ecology

Antarctica is a huge icy continent, almost twice the size of Australia. This is the only place on Earth that is almost untouched by man.

The main part of the land in Antarctica is covered with ice, which retreats in the coastal regions in summer. Here, on some mountain peaks, there is never snow. Living organisms have adapted to extremely low temperatures.

Geologists believe that Antarctica has large reserves of coal, iron and copper. However, the Antarctic Treaty prohibits the development of any minerals, but some countries would like to amend it to allow them to mine them.

According to international agreement, there is no mining on the mainland. This is due to the fact that during the extraction of minerals, huge heaps of waste rock or quarry remain in the mining sites.

And in Antarctica, such emissions of rock to the surface will cause melting continental ice, which will inevitably lead to disaster in the Antarctic and in general on the globe.

If in Antarctica any, even a small, object, such as a piece of wood, is thrown on ice or snow, the ice under it will simply begin to melt before our eyes, and the object will sink deeper. This is due to the significant solar radiation, which concentrates heat on an object.

Thus, mining in Antarctica is possible only with the use of new technologies currently being developed by some developed countries of the world (Japan, USA).

The world economy's demand for mineral resources will only grow. Against this background, according to Invest-Foresight experts, in full height the problem of developing the resources of Antarctica may arise. Although it is protected from development mineral resources numerous conventions and treaties, this may not save the coldest continent of the planet.

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It is estimated that the developed countries consume approximately 70 percent of all the world's minerals, although they possess only 40 percent of their reserves. But in the coming decades, the growth in the consumption of these resources will not be at the expense of developed, but at the expense of developing countries. And they are quite capable of paying attention to the Antarctic region.

Expert of the Union of Oil and Gas Producers Rustam Tankaev believes that on this moment the extraction of any minerals in Antarctica is not economically viable and is unlikely to ever become so.

“In this respect, even the Moon, in my opinion, is more promising in terms of the development and extraction of mineral resources. Of course, we can say that technologies are changing, but space technologies are developing even faster than Antarctic ones,” the expert emphasizes. – There were attempts to drill wells to open ancient cavities with water in the hope of finding ancient microorganisms. There was no such thing as searching for mineral resources at the same time.”

The first information that the ice continent is rich in minerals appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. Then the researchers discovered layers of coal. And today, for example, it is known that in one of the water areas surrounding Antarctica - in the Commonwealth Sea - a coal deposit includes more than 70 seams and can reach several billion tons. There are thinner deposits in the Transantarctic Mountains.

In addition to coal, Antarctica has iron ore and rare earth and precious metals such as gold, silver, copper, titanium, nickel, zirconium, chromium and cobalt.

The development of minerals, if it ever starts, can be very dangerous for the ecology of the region, says a professor at the Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University Yuri Mazurov. There is no unambiguous vision of the consequences of such abstract significant risks, he reminds.

“On the surface of Antarctica, we see a dense thickness of ice up to 4 kilometers, and we still have little idea of ​​what is under it. In particular, we know, for example, that there is Lake Vostok there, and we understand that organisms from there can have the most amazing nature, including those associated with alternative ideas about the origin and development of life on the planet. And if so, it requires an incredibly responsible attitude towards economic activity around the lake,” he warns.

Of course, the expert continues, every investor who decides to develop or search for mineral resources on the ice continent will try to get various recommendations. But in general, Mazurov recalls, there is a principle in one of the UN documents, which is called "On the historical responsibility of states for the preservation of the nature of the Earth."

"It says explicitly, 'cannot be allowed economic activity, the economic result of which exceeds the environmental damage or is unpredictable. The situation in Antarctica is just the second. Until now, there is not a single organization that could conduct an examination of the project with deep dive in the nature of Antarctica. I think this is just the case when you need to follow the letter and not guess about the possible outcome, ”the expert warns.

And he adds that the probability of some point, very accurate developments can be considered acceptable.

By the way, the documents themselves, which protect the mineral resources of the ice continent from development and development, are strong only at first glance. Yes, on the one hand, the Antarctic Treaty, which was signed on December 1, 1959 in the United States, is open-ended. But on the other hand, the Convention on the Management of the Development of Mineral Resources of Antarctica, which was adopted on June 2, 1988 by a meeting of 33 states, is still in limbo.

The main reason is that in Antarctica, under the main treaty, "any activity related to mineral resources is prohibited, with the exception of scientific research." In theory, it follows from this that the 1988 Antarctic Minerals Management Convention cannot and will not apply while this prohibition is in effect. But in another document - the "Protocol on the Protection of environment” - it is said that after 50 years from the date of its entry into force, a conference may be convened to consider how it operates. The Protocol was approved on October 4, 1991 and is valid until 2048. It can, of course, be canceled, but only if the participating countries renounce it, and then adopt and ratify a special convention on the regulation of the extraction of mineral resources in Antarctica. Theoretically, the development of minerals can be carried out with the help of so-called international consortia, the rights of participants in which are equal. Perhaps other options will emerge in the coming decades.

“There are much more promising regions on Earth for mining in the future. In Russia, for example, there is a huge territory of the Arctic lands and the shelf, the reserves of minerals are huge, and the conditions for their development are much better compared to Antarctica,” Rustam Tankaev is sure.

Of course, it is possible that by the end of the 21st century, the issues of developing the mineral wealth of Antarctica will still have to be transferred from the theoretical to the practical plane. The whole question is how to do it.

It is important to understand one thing - the ice continent in any situation should remain an arena of interaction, not discord. As, in fact, it has been customary since its discovery in the distant 19th century.

The article tells about the complexities of geological exploration. Provides information about the presence of minerals on the mainland.

Minerals of Antarctica

Antarctica is the continent that is the coldest, and at the same time full of mysteries, place on Earth.

The area is completely covered with ice crust. This is the reason why information about minerals in this part of the land is extremely scarce. Deposits are located under the thickness of snow and ice:

• coal;
• iron ore;
• precious metals;
• granite;
• crystal;
• nickel;
• titanium.

Extremely narrow information about the geology of the continent can be justified by the difficulties of carrying out exploration work.

Rice. 1. Geological exploration.

This is affected by low temperatures and the thickness of the ice shell.

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Primary information regarding the accumulation of minerals, ore deposits and precious metals were obtained at the beginning of the last century.

It was during this period that coal seams were discovered.

Today, more than two hundred points have been found on the territory of Antarctica with deposits of iron ore and coal. But only two have the status of a deposit. Industrial production from these deposits in Antarctic conditions is recognized as unprofitable.

Copper, titanium, nickel, zirconium, chromium and cobalt are also found in Antarctica. precious metals expressed in gold and silver veins.

Rice. 2. Western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.

They are located on the west coast of the peninsula. On the shelf of the Ross Sea, it was possible to find gas manifestations that are located in wells for drilling. This is evidence that natural gas may be present here, but it is difficult to establish its exact volume.

Geology of Antarctica

The geology of the mainland is such that almost its entire plane (99.7%) is hidden in ice, and its average thickness is 1720 m.

Many millions of years ago, it was so warm on the mainland that palm trees adorned its shores, and the air temperature exceeded 20 ° C.

On the Eastern Plain, there are drops from 300 meters below sea level to 300 meters above sea level. The transantarctic mountain peaks cross the entire continent and are 4.5 km long. height. Slightly smaller is the Queen Maud Land mountain range, which has a length of 1500 km. along, and then rises up to 3000 m.

Rice. 3. Lands of Queen Maud.

The Schmidt Plain has an altitude range from -2400 to +500 m. western plain located approximately at the mark corresponding to sea level. The Gamburtsev and Vernadsky mountain range has a length of 2500 km.

The most suitable regions for mining are located on the periphery of the continent. This is explained by the fact that the interior regions of Antarctica have been studied to a small extent, and any kind of research is doomed to failure due to the considerable distance from the coast.

What have we learned?

From the article, we learned what minerals the land of Antarctica is rich in. It was found out that on the territory of the continent there are deposits of coal, granite, precious metals, crystal, nickel, titanium, iron ore. We also learned that low temperatures make mining difficult.

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Antarctica is a continent with extremely low temperatures located in. Almost all of its territory is covered with ice, with the exception of the area in the west. The difficult living conditions annually attract researchers and tourists.

Basic geographic information

The area of ​​the mainland exceeds 14 million km². The territory is located in the subantarctic and antarctic belt. Antarctica captures all longitudes, and cannot have a western and eastern extreme. There is only northern extreme point, Cape Sifra.
The continent is washed by the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as the Amundsen, Ross, Weddell and Bellingshausen seas. The water in the Weddell Sea is the cleanest on the planet. Through it you can see representatives and at a depth of up to 70 m.

The coastline is slightly indented, its length exceeds 30 thousand km. The shores are most often high ice cliffs, ice shelves. The Arctic Peninsula is the largest on the mainland. It extends north of southern border. Other large peninsulas include Hut Point, Mawson's Peninsula, and the Edward VII Peninsula. Alexander I Land, Deception and Clarence are the large islands of Antarctica.

There is no permanent population on the continent due to the harsh climate. The number of scientists and tourists fluctuates depending on the season. 16 countries of the world conduct research on the territory of Antarctica. The region is studied exclusively for peaceful purposes. States are prohibited from declaring part of the land as their territory. The mainland is not divided into time zones and time zones. Scientists are guided by the time of their country.

Relief

Antarctica is located on the plate of the same name. As a result of tectonic faults, most of it has risen. The surface is dissected due to dense ice cover. It is difficult for scientists to study the true relief: in some places, the thickness of the ice reaches several kilometers.

The average height of the continent reaches 2000 m above sea level. by the most high plot is the Vinson array, highest point which reaches 4892 m above sea level. The Bentley Basin is the lowest point - 2540 m below sea level. The Transarctic Mountains divided the area into West and East Antarctica. In the western part it is more complex, the ridges break through the ice crust. In the east, mountain rises alternate with deep depressions. The Gamburtsev Mountains rest under a layer of ice. The length of the massif is 1300 km, and the highest point is 3390 m. They are comparable in size to the Alps.

In Antarctica, there are both dormant and active volcanoes. Over the past 200 years, two of them have erupted. To the south of all is the active volcano Erebus. Lava ejection was recorded in 2011.

Inland waters

Ice shelves block the way inland. In Antarctica, you can find sheet and mountain glaciers. Their food comes from rainfall. About 2200 km³ is accumulated per year. Ice is consumed due to the breakaway of the coast. 140 lakes were found under the ice. The largest body of water is Lake Vostok, named after the Soviet scientific station. Its depth is 1200 m. Under-ice reservoirs formed a long time ago: melt water flowed into depressions and was covered with a crust of ice.

There are no permanently flowing rivers. The Onyx River, located in the Wright Oasis, stretches for 30 km. It flows for two months a year, and with the onset of frost, it is covered with ice and snow.

Climate

on the continent very Cold winter and the same cold summer. Average annual temperature is -60°C. Most of Earth is located in the Antarctic belt, the Antarctic Peninsula lies in the subantarctic belt. Due to location inside the Antarctic Circle in winter time here round the clock polar night, and in the summer - round-the-clock polar day.

The continent is distant from . It receives less heat due to the large tilt of the earth's axis. The ice surface reflects 80% of the light into space. The territory of Antarctica is an icy desert. The amount of snowfall does not exceed ten centimeters per year. They blow from high mountains strong winds. In some areas, their speed is 320 km / h.

Flora and fauna:

Vegetable world

There is no vegetation in the Antarctic desert; it covers the outskirts of the mainland. Mosses, lichens and fungi grow on ice-free land. Unpretentious undersized bushes are found on the Antarctic Peninsula. Their number includes several dozen species. The flowers are faintly colored, because pollination is carried out by the wind, and not by insects.

Animal world

The islands are inhabited by beetles, butterflies and spiders. Plovers, pipits and several species of ducks nest in South Georgia. Life depends on the seas, the waters of which are rich. Animals are represented by pinnipeds and whales: seals, sea leopards, humpback, blue minke. Adélie penguins live on the north coast, emperor penguins and Sclater's penguins. Flying birds, cormorant, petrel and gull nest on the rocks.

Minerals

The continent has deposits of coal, copper and iron. According to scientists, the volume of oil exceeds the amount of oil in the Arabian Peninsula. Installation of special equipment and mining will cause irreparable damage. In 1991, a protocol was drawn up banning mining until 2048.

Ecological situation

The main problem of Antarctica are ozone holes. The thinning of the protective layer threatens with an excess of ultraviolet radiation. The sun melts polar ice. Due to global warming, the air is slowly warming up. Animals have to adapt to new conditions of existence.

Antarctica is the coldest and mysterious place on the entire planet. The continent is completely covered with a crust of ice, so data on minerals in the territory of this icy desert are very scarce. It is known that under the thickness of snow and ice there are deposits of coal, iron ore, precious metals, granite, crystal, nickel and titanium.

Such insignificant knowledge about the geology of the continent is explained by the difficulty of conducting research work due to low temperatures and too thick ice shell.

Features of the relief of Antarctica

99.7% of the mainland's surface is covered with ice, the average thickness of which is 1720 m. Under the ice of Antarctica, the relief is heterogeneous: in the eastern part of the mainland, 9 regions are distinguished, differing in the period of formation and their structure. Eastern Plain has drops from 300 meters below sea level to 300 m above, the Transantarctic Mountains run through the entire continent and reach 4.5 km in height, the slightly smaller mountain range of Queen Maud Land stretches 1500 km along and rises up to 3000 m up, the Schmidt Plain occupied altitude from -2400 to +500 m, the Western Plain is located approximately at sea level, the arcuate mountain range of Gamburtsev and Vernadsky stretched for 2500 km, the Eastern Plateau adjoins the Schmidt Plain (+1500 m), the Prince Charles mountain system is located in the IGY valley and the ridge Enderby Land reaches a height of 3000 m.

In the western part there are three mountain systems(Ellsworth Massif, Cape Amundsen Mountains, Antarctic Peninsula Ridge) and Baird Plain, located at 2555 meters below sea level.

Theoretically, the regions on the periphery of the continent can be considered the most promising for mining - the interior of Antarctica has been little studied, and any research work is complicated by remoteness from the coast.

Types of minerals

The first data on the deposits of minerals, ores and metals appeared at the beginning of the last century - then it was possible to discover layers of coal. At the moment, there are more than two hundred points on the territory of Antarctica, only two are for certain identified as deposits - these are deposits of iron ore and coal. Production extraction from both deposits in the conditions of Antarctica is considered absolutely unprofitable, although coal and ore are in demand materials for extraction in all countries.

Other minerals and ores found in Antarctica include copper, titanium, nickel, zirconium, chromium, and cobalt. Precious metals are represented by gold and silver on the West Coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. On the shelf of the Ross Sea, gas shows were found in boreholes, which indicates possible deposits natural gas, but their extent has not been established.

Resources and deposits

(Lake Vostok at a depth of more than 3.5 km under the Antarctic ice)

It is known for certain that the coal deposit in the Commonwealth Sea includes more than 70 seams and can reach several billion tons. In addition, seams of coal, albeit in smaller quantities, are present in the Transantarctic Mountains.

Despite the possibility of finding other deposits, geological research Antarctica is developing only in the direction of determining the presence of minerals in certain zones.

More thorough reconnaissance missions or industrial mining in the area South Pole unprofitable, requires huge material costs, human resources and legislative litigation, tk. legal status Antarctica is defined by the "Antarctic Treaty" and provides for the use of the region only in peaceful and scientific research, without the right to territorial affiliation of any of the countries. Thus, any extraction of minerals is possible only under the condition of international cooperation and large subsidies aimed at research work and not to profit from the sale of found minerals.