Antarctica is the last frontier before conquering the moon and Mars. Will minerals be mined in Antarctica?

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.

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 the layers hard 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 a deep immersion 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, perhaps before late XXI century, the issues of developing the mineral wealth of Antarctica will still have to be transferred from theoretical to 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.

Any planetary comparisons solar system with the "New World", with the colonization of America, etc., for many reasons are inadequate, overly optimistic and give rise in us to a false understanding of the strategy of space exploration. Much more meaningful is the comparison of the conquest of space with the conquest of the most extreme places on Earth: the air ocean, underwater depths, the Arctic and Antarctica.

On March 26, 2012, director James Cameron became the third person to sink to the bottom. Mariana Trench - last time this was done by Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh on January 23, 1960. Also recently, skydiver Felix Baumgarten announced that he wanted to jump from a height of 36 km, breaking the record set by Joseph Kittinger on August 16, 1960 - 30 km. Does this mean that the glorious times of the 50s-60s are returning - last era great geographical discoveries when man began to conquer sea depths, atmosphere and space? Meanwhile, there is another extreme place on Earth, the conquest of which "completed" - more precisely, froze in place, in the 60s. This place is Antarctica. We almost forgot about it in the dull era of the 70s - 2000s, when a person delved into virtual world, sitting in a chair in front of the computer, instead of expanding their habitat. But the end of the drilling of Lake Vostok and the approaching International Polar Year made us think again about the icy continent...

Findings.

1. Antarctica - especially the central one - is absolutely unsuitable for human habitation. But a person lives there, thanks to his mind, will and modern technologies. This means that it can live on other planets. Antarctica - a step towards the Moon and Mars.

2. The exploration of Antarctica, like space exploration, is very important for science. At the same time, the question of energy is critical. Unfortunately, existing agreements do not allow the use of nuclear energy. But wind power is also a good option.

3. Existing agreements on the neutral status of Antarctica, on the impossibility of using its resources and nuclear energy hinder its development. Caring for "ecology" on a dead (except for the coast) continent looks rather hypocritical - the development of central Antarctica, on the contrary, would bring life to its territory: people, plants and animals. However, the same can be said about space.

4. To use the resources of Antarctica, the most profitable temporary bases, where you can spend the winter for several years, and then return to " big land". After all, resources will still have to be exchanged with the Earth, just like on lunar bases. But for Mars, unlike Antarctica and the Moon, completely autonomous bases are more profitable, where people will stay all their lives and have children.

. Antarctica- the southernmost continent. He has a unique geographical position: all territory, except. The Antarctic Peninsula lies within. - Arctic Circle from the nearest mainland. South. America -. Antarctica is separated by a wide (more than 1000 km) strait. Drake. The shores of the mainland are washed by water. Quiet,. Atlantic and. Indian Oceans. Off the coast. Antarctica, they form a series of seas (Weddell,. Bellingshausen,. Amundsen,. Ross), shallowly protrude into the land. The coastline is almost entirely glacial cliffs.

A peculiar geographical position in cold high latitudes defines the main features of the nature of the mainland. Main Feature is the presence of a continuous ice sheet

Research and development

Humanity long time did not know of its existence. Antarctica. In the XVII century, scientists and travelers speculated about the existence. Southern land, but could not find it. Famous navigator. J.. Cook in time world travel 1772-1775 crossed three times. The southern polar circle of 1774, it was up to 71 ° 10 "S, but when it came across solid ice, it turned. The results of this expedition diverted the attention of researchers from the sixth continent for some time.

AT early XIX the British opened small islands south of 50 ° S in 1819 the first Russian Antarctic expedition was organized with the aim of searching. southern mainland she was led. F. Bellingsau. Uzen and. MLazarev on the ships "Vostok" and "MirnyMirny".

Among researchers. Antarctica, conquered for the first time. South Pole, were Norwegian. R. Amundsen (December 14, 1911) and Englishman. R. Scott(January 18, 1912)

For the first half of the XX century. Antarctica has been visited by more than 100 expeditions from different countries. A comprehensive study of the mainland began in the second half of the 20th century in 1955-1958 during the preparation and implementation. International Geophysical Year were organized major expeditions of a number of countries using modern technology 1959 a number of countries was signed. Agreement on Antarctica. It prohibits the use of the continent for military purposes, assumes freedom of scientific research and the exchange of scientific information.

Today. Antarctica is the continent of science and international cooperation. There are more than 40 scientific stations and bases belonging to 17 countries that carry out research in. Antarctica 1994, at the former English and scientific station "Faraday", a group of scientists from Ukraine began work (today it is the Ukrainian station "Akademik. Vernadsky" y ").

Relief and minerals

. Relief. Antarctica double decker: top - glacial, bottom - indigenous ( Earth's crust). The ice sheet of the mainland was formed more than 20 million years ago. The average height of the subglacial surface. Antarctica is 410 m. maximum height more than 5000 m and huge (up to 30% of the mainland area) troughs lying in some places 2500 m below sea level. All these relief elements, with a few exceptions, are covered with an ice shell, the average thickness of which is 2200 m, and the maximum thickness is 4000-5000 m. If we take the ice cover as the surface of the mainland, then. Antarctica is the highest continent. Earth ( average height- 2040 m). Glacial shell. Antarctica has a domed surface, slightly raised in the center and lowered to the edge of the edges.

Most of the base. Antarctica lies. Antarctic Precambrian platform. The Trans-Antarctic Mountains divide the mainland into western and eastern parts. West coast. Antarctica is very cut, and the ice sheet here is less thick and broken by numerous ridges. In the Pacific part of the mainland during the period of Alpine mountain building, mountain systems arose - a continuation. Andes. South. America -. Antarctic. Andes. They contain the most high part mainland - array. Vinson (5140 m0 m).

V. East. Antarctica subglacial relief is predominantly flat. Some parts of the bedrock surface lie well below ocean level. Here the ice sheet reaches maximum power. It breaks off to the sea with a steep ledge, forming ice shelves. The largest ice shelf in the world is the glacier. Ros-sa, whose width is 800 km, and the length is 1100 k0 km.

In the depths. Various minerals have been discovered in Antarctica: ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, coal, diamonds and others. But mining them in harsh conditions mainland is associated with great difficulties

Climate

. Antarctica is the most cold mainland on the. Earth. One of the reasons for the severity of the climate of the mainland is its height. But the root cause of glaciation is not height, but geographical location, which determines a very small angle of incidence. sun rays. In the conditions of the polar night, a strong cooling of the mainland occurs. This is especially evident in inland regions, where even in summer average daily temperatures do not rise above -30 °. C, and in winter they reach -60 ° -70 °. C at the Vostok station, the lowest temperature on Earth (-89.2 ° C) was recorded. On the coast of the mainland, temperatures are much higher: in summer - up to 0 ° C, in winter - up to -10-25 ° to -10 .. .-25 °С.

As a result of strong cooling, an area is formed in the inner part of the continent high pressure(baric maximum), from which blow towards the ocean constant winds, especially strong on the coast in a band 600-800 km wide.

On average, the mainland receives about 200 mm of precipitation per year, in central parts their number does not exceed several tens of millimeters

Inland waters

. Antarctica is the area of greatest glaciation. Earth 99% of the mainland is covered with a thick ice sheet (the volume of ice is 26 million km3). The average thickness of the cover is 1830 m, the maximum is 4776 m. V. The Antarctic ice cover contains 87% of the earth's ice volume.

From the inner thick parts of the dome, the ice spreads to the outskirts, where its thickness

much less. In summer on the outskirts at temperatures above 0 °. C the ice is melting, but the land is not freed from the ice cover, since there is a constant influx of ice from the center

Off the coast there are small areas of land free of ice - Antarctic oases. These are rocky deserts, sometimes with lakes, their origin is not fully understood.

organic world

Peculiarities organic world. Antarctica is associated with a harsh climate. This is the zone Antarctic deserts. species composition plants and animals is not rich, but svreridny. Life is predominantly concentrated in oases. Antar rktids. Mosses and lichens grow on these rocky surfaces and rocks, and microscopic algae and bacteria sometimes live on the surface of snow and ice. Higher plants include some species of low grasses that are found only at the southern tip. Antarctic Peninsula and islands. Antarctica.

There are a lot of animals on the coast, whose life is connected with the ocean. AT coastal waters a lot of plankton, especially small crustaceans (krill). They feed on fish, cetaceans, pinnipeds, birds. Whales, sperm whales, killer whales live in the Anta-Arctic waters. On the icebergs, the icy shores of the mainland, seals come out, sea leopards, sea elephants common animals. Antarctica is penguins - birds that do not drink in the summer, but swim well. In summer, gulls, petrels, cormorants, albatrosses, skuas nest on the coastal rocks - the main enemies. Penguinsgviniv.

Insofar as. Antarctica has a special status, then today economic importance have only gigantic reserves fresh water. Antarctic waters are a fishing area for cetaceans, pinnipeds, marine spineless animals, and fish. However, sea wealth. Antarctica is depleted, and now many animal species are under protection. Hunting and fishing of marine animals.

B. Antarctica is missing a permanent indigenous people. International Status. Antarctica is such that it does not belong to any state

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, a 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.

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 inner 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 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 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. Industrial production 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 studies of Antarctica are developing only in the direction of determining the presence of minerals in certain zones.

More thorough reconnaissance missions or industrial production minerals in the territory 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.