Relief and minerals. Geological structure, relief and minerals. Minerals of the Commonwealth of Australia

Relief of Russia characterized by three main features:

• it is diverse, that is, there are both high mountains, and vast plains;
• 2/3 of the territory is occupied by plains;
• mountains are located mainly in the southern and eastern outskirts countries.

These features are explained by the large size of the territory, its varied tectonic structure, and the location of the main tectonic structures. Plains are located on platforms, mountains arose within folded areas.

The country's territory is located on two ancient(Russian and Siberian) and three young(West Siberian, Scythian and Turanian) platforms, as well as in three pleated belts(Alpine-Himalayan (Mediterranean), Ural-Mongolian, Pacific). Within the ancient platforms there are four shields. On the East European platform these are the Baltic and Ukrainian shields, on the Siberian platform - the Aldan and Anabar shields.

IN western part The country has the East European (Russian) Plain, it is located on the ancient Russian platform. The relief of the plain is varied - it is characterized by alternating lowlands (Verkhnevolzhskaya, Meshcherskaya) and hills (Valdai, Central Russian, Smolensk-Moscow). In its southern part there is the Caspian lowland located below sea level. Here is the lowest (–28 m) point in the country. The average height of the Russian Plain is about 200 m. Along its eastern edge there are Ural Mountains. These low (maximum height 1894 m - Mount Narodnaya) mountains stretch from north to south - from the Arctic Ocean to the steppes of Kazakhstan.

TO east from the Urals there is a vast West Siberian Plain. Half of it has a height of less than 100 m and only at the edges a height of 150-200 m. To the east of it between the Lena and Yenisei lies the Central Siberian Plateau, located on the ancient Siberian platform. Its average height is 500-700 m, maximum – 1701 m.

TO south from the Russian Plain are the highest ( Elbrus 5642 m) mountains of Russia - Caucasus.

In the upper reaches of the Ob and Yenisei there are the Altai (Mount Belukha, 4506 m) and Sayan (8) ranges. From the east, the Sayan Mountains are adjacent to the mountains of the Baikal region and Transbaikalia: the Stanovoye Highlands, the Stanovoye Range. To the east

The Verkhoyansk and Chersky ridges lie on the Central Siberian Plateau. On Far East along the shore Pacific Ocean the Sikhote-Alin ridge stretches. There are high mountains on the Kamchatka Peninsula (Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano, 4750 m).

On the territory of Russia there are active and extinct volcanoes . The active ones are located on the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kuril Islands, the extinct ones are in the Caucasus, the Far East, and Transbaikalia. All the largest volcanoes are located on the Kamchatka Peninsula: Klyuchevskaya Sopka (the highest), Avachinskaya Sopka, Ichinskaya Sopka, Kronotskaya Sopka, etc.

About 25% of Russia's territory may be subject to earthquakes with a magnitude of at least 7.0. The Pacific Coast is considered the most earthquake-prone region of the country.

Study the relief South America in 7th grade, so many have most likely heard about the Andes, Patagonia, the Amazonian lowland, etc. Perhaps our article will be of interest not only to school students, but also to those who want to refresh their knowledge about the distant continent. In it we will talk about the main landforms of South America.

Geography of the mainland

On the map the continent is located below North America, connecting with it by the narrow Isthmus of Panama. Most of it is located in the Southern and Western Hemispheres. Its shores are washed by the waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The area of ​​South America is the fourth largest in the world and occupies 17,840,000 km 2. Its territory is home to 390 million people, there are 12 independent and 3 dependent states. The largest of them are Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia and Peru. All of them, except French Guiana, belong to the countries Latin America. Colonists from Spain, France and Portugal played a huge, though not always positive, role in their development.

The relief forms on the mainland of South America are very diverse and represent both high mountains and mid-altitude plateaus and lowlands. From north to south, the continent stretches for 7,350 kilometers, covering six climate zones - from northern subequatorial to southern temperate. In most parts the conditions are hot and very humid, and the temperature does not fall below +5 °C.

The peculiar climate and topography of South America made it a record holder in some areas. Thus, the continent is home to the highest volcano, the world's largest river and the highest waterfall. And thanks a large number precipitation, the continent is the wettest on the planet.

Relief of South America

South America was once part of the continent of Gondwanaland, along with Antarctica, Australia and Africa. After their separation from each other, it briefly turned into a huge island, until the Isthmus of Panama arose.

The landforms located on the mainland of South America divide it into two large regions: flat-platform in the east and mountainous in the west. The average altitude of the entire continent is approximately 600 meters.

The eastern part of South America is based on an ancient platform, so the local landscapes are predominantly flat. They are represented by the Amazonian, Orinoco and La Plata lowlands, the Patagonian plateau, the Brazilian and Guiana plateaus. In the extreme southeast is the Salinas Chicas depression, the lowest point on the continent with a height of -42 meters.

To the west are the Andes mountains. These are young geological formations formed during relatively recent (about 50 million years ago) volcanic activity. However, the process of their formation is not completed, so volcanic eruptions and earthquakes can still be observed.

Hills

The topography of South America contains several elevated areas called highlands and plateaus. One such region (the Central Andean Highlands) is located right in the middle of the Andes. Here, volcanic plateaus are interspersed with flat, flat areas, and average altitudes reach 4000 meters.

Landforms in the east are much lower. There is the vast Brazilian Highlands, covering about 5 million km 2. Its highest point is Mount Bandeira (2890 m), although in most of the area it rises to an altitude of 200 to 900 meters. The highlands are flat areas with isolated ridges and plateaus with very steep, almost vertical slopes. Similar is the small Guiana plateau in the north, which is part of Brazil in origin.

Lowlands

Lowland plains cover a significant part of the continent, and occupy the territory between the mountains and plateaus of South America. They are located in areas of deflection of the foundation platform, which creates excellent conditions for the formation of swamps and rivers with deep valleys (Amazon, La Plata, Orinoco, Parana).

The Amazonian lowland is the largest on the continent and on the entire planet. It stretches in the north of the continent from the foot of the Andes to the coast Atlantic Ocean. In the southeast it is framed by the Brazilian Plateau.

The area of ​​the Amazonian lowland is 5 million km2. The largest river on Earth, the Amazon, flows here, along with numerous tributaries. In the west, the relief of the lowland is flat and even, in the east it is cut by crystalline rocks that come to the surface. The rivers in the eastern part of the Amazon are not as muddy as in the western part, and are dotted with numerous rapids.

Huge areas of the lowlands are swampy and covered with impenetrable jungle of humid equatorial forests. This is one of the least explored regions of the world, inhabited by anacondas, caimans, pumas, tapirs, armadillos, capybaras, maz deer and other unique inhabitants.

Andean Cordillera

By origin, the Andes are part of the North American Cordillera. They run along the entire western coast of the continent, across the territory of seven states, and are the longest mountain system in the world (9,000 km). This main watershed continent, where the Amazon River originates, as well as tributaries of the Orinoco, Paraguay, Parana, etc.

The Andes are the second highest mountain system. Its highest point is Mount Aconcagua in Argentina (6960.8 m). By relief and others natural features distinguish between Northern, Central and Southern Andes. In general, mountains consist of numerous meridional ridges located parallel to each other, between which there are depressions, plateaus or plateaus. Some massifs have permanent snow and glaciers.

Islands and coasts

In the north, the outlines of the mainland are mostly simple, the coastline is not very indented. It does not form bays protruding deeply into the land and peninsulas strongly elongated into the sea. The shores are mostly smooth and only in the area of ​​​​Venezuela is there a cluster of small islands.

To the south the situation changes. The mainland is gradually narrowing, and its shores are dotted with bays, bays and lagoons. There are many islands adjacent to South America along the coasts of Chile and Argentina. There are more than 40 thousand of them in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago alone.

Not all of them are inhabited, for example, the Falkland Islands. But many have fjords, glaciated mountains, gorges and a huge variety of animals. That is why most of the southern coastal areas are included in national parks and is even protected by UNESCO.

Minerals

Geological structure and the diversity of the relief of South America were reflected in its natural resources. The continent is especially rich in minerals; at least half of the periodic table can be found in its depths.

The Andes mountain ranges contain iron, silver, copper, tin, polymetallic ores, as well as antimony, lead, gold, saltpeter, iodine, platinum and gems. Colombia is considered a leader in emerald mining, Chile ranks first in the world in copper and molybdenum mining, Bolivia is famous for its tin reserves.

The troughs that frame the Andes contain deposits of oil, coal and natural gas. The ocean floor near the mainland and the vast plains in the east are also rich in oil. In the Amazon basin alone, proven oil reserves amount to about 9,000 million tons.

The Brazilian Highlands, located entirely within Brazil, are a powerful source of mineral resources. The country contains large deposits of diamonds, zirconium, tantalum, mica, tungsten, and is the world leader in niobium mining.

On the territory of Argentina, the second largest country on the continent, there are deposits of marble, granite, sulfur, brown coal, beryllium, uranium, tungsten, copper, natural gas and oil.

Conclusion

The relief of South America combines ancient geological formations and very young and active forms. Thanks to this, the landscapes of the continent are represented by mountains and volcanoes, plateaus and plateaus, lowlands and depressions. There are glaciers, fjords, deep river valleys, high waterfalls, canyons and gorge. Such diversity of relief was reflected in the nature of the continent, making many of its objects a real treasure of the planet.

Minerals are valuable formations that occur within and partially above earth's crust, their physical and chemical properties, as well as the composition are valued for their ability to be used in various fields human life activity. Fossils can be either solid, liquid or gaseous.

Accumulations of fossil resources are called deposits - in these zones they are presented in large quantities in the form of placers, veins, layers, stocks. Russian PIs are a colossal set of valuable metals, ores, combustible materials and others. Many of them are concentrated in greater numbers on the territory of the Russian Federation than anywhere else.

General information

Russia, having the largest territory in comparison with other countries, occupies a leading position in the extraction of essential minerals. The total number of deposits is more than 200,000, and this number is constantly increasing as methods for searching for new deposits are improved. The value of the estimated resources is over 30 trillion. dollars. The amount of natural gas and coal beats the records of most other countries: they represent 32% and 30%, respectively, of the total world reserves.

Relationship between relief and mineral resources of the Russian Federation

The territory of Russia is extremely complex and diverse due to its large extent from west to east and from south to north. Huge territories unite different terrains, rich in a full range of PIs:

• in the European and central region;
• mountains in the south, east and northeast, as well as the unique Ural range that crosses the country;
• northern slope with waters flowing into the seas of the Arctic Ocean.

Australia is a unique continent-island.

Most of Australia is dominated by vast deserts and low-lying areas. The habitable zone is located mainly along the ocean coast.

Australian landforms are mostly low-altitude plains. 95% of the Australian continent does not exceed 600 m above sea level.

1) Western part of the continent- this is Western Australian plateau, having an average height of 400-500 meters and elevated edges. In the north is the Kimberley massif, reaching a height of up to 936 meters. In the east there is the Musgrave Range (its highest point is Mount Woodroffe 1440 meters) and the MacDonnell Range (its highest point- Mount Zil: height 1510 m). To the west is the sandstone Hamersley Range, which has mostly flat tops. Its height reaches 1226 meters. In the southwest is the Dargling Range, reaching a height of 582 meters above sea level.

2) Australia Center busy Central lowland in the Lake Eyre area. It has a height for the most part of no more than 100 meters.

In the southwestern part is the Flindersea Mount Lofty Range. The lowest point of the continent is located in the region of Lake Eyre. It is approximately 12 meters below sea level.

3)
Eastern part Australia occupies Bolshoy Vodorazdelny ridge- This low mountains Hercynian folding. Its eastern slope is fairly dissected and steep, while its western slope is gently stepped.

The ridge has average height, mostly flat tops, as well as the so-called downs, turning into rolling foothills.

Highest point in Australia:

The highest point in Australia is located in the Australian Alps - Mount Kosciuszko. The height of its peak reaches 2230 m above sea level.

Australia's most famous deserts are: Great Sandy and Great Victoria Deserts.

East of Victoria is semi-desert Great Artesian Basin.

Australia is the only continent without active volcanoes and modern glaciation.

History of the formation of Australian relief and its types

The relief of Australia has undergone virtually no changes or tectonic movements since Precambrian times.

For a very long time it was subjected to a cumulative process of transfer, as well as demolition (wind, water, ice, as well as the regular action of gravity) of crushing products by the forces of rocks into low-lying areas. There they accumulated. It's called denduation

On the ledges of the foundation, during denudation, peneplains appeared - spacious plains with island mountains. In the trough zone of the center of the continent, as well as in the syneclises and Meso-Cenozoic, due to the intensive accumulation of sediments, large accumulative-lacustrine and strata plains were formed. In the areas of greatest subsidence of the platform are the Alluvial-lacustrine plains of the Central Basin. Stratified plains located in more high areas, are formed on the slopes of syneclises and saddles between them, as well as in the northwestern and southern parts of the Western Australian Plateau.

Relief and climate

In the east of the continent there is the Great Dividing Range system. On its eastern slopes a significant amount of precipitation falls, brought along with trade winds. Having crossed the ridges and descended into the well-heated interior plains of the continent, they heat up and then move away from the saturation point, which makes precipitation impossible. This is one of the main reasons dryness of Australia- the driest continent on Earth. Only a third of the continent's territory receives sufficient or excessive moisture.

Landforms and minerals of Australia

The Australian mainland is very rich in a variety of minerals. This allows Australia to be one of the largest raw material powers on the planet.

The Australian platform in the west of the country has rich deposits gold close to Coolgardie, Wiluna, Kalgoorlie and Norseman. Smaller deposits of this precious metal are found throughout the continent.

In Western Queensland and other parts of the mainland there are deposits of serious reserves of polymetallic and uranium ores, and also bauxite. Deposits of the latter have been explored on the peninsulas of Arnhem Land (the local deposit is called Gov) and Cape York (with the Weipa deposit). Near the Darling Ridge, bauxite reserves have been explored at the Jarrahdale deposit.

In western Australia, in the Proterozoic sedimentary cover, there is the Hamersley Range, where there are serious deposits gland- Mount Newman, Mount Goldsworth and others. There are also iron ore reserves at the Iron Knob deposit and ink. Iron ore is also mined in the state of South Australia near the Middleback Range.

In the desert western parts in New South Wales, the large Broken Hill field is producing polymetallic ore, lead zinc, copper and silver. Near the Mount Isa deposit (Queensland) there is a large-scale center where non-ferrous metals, copper, lead and zinc are mined. Deposits of copper ore have also been explored in Tennant Creek (Northern Territory), as well as other parts of the continent.

Australia has serious deposits chromium in the states of Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia (Gingin, Dongara and Mandarra fields).

Coal deposits located in the eastern part of the country, in the Upper Paleozoic and later formations.

Even on the territory of the mainland, sedimentary deposits of various ages have been explored oil and gas fields. They are found on the coast of Victoria, in the Great Artesian Basin, in Western Australia, and also in the Amadies Trough.