Home – Home – Jornals – Russian Geology and Geophysics 2010 number 9

Four stages of the thermochemical plume-lithosphere interaction generating a broad mushroom-like head of plume and especially fourth regressive cooling phase have the important role for metallogeny. The analysis of a thermochemical plume model together with recent geological and geochronological data on magmatic ore systems in the Siberian, Tarim, Emeishan, Central European, and some other large igneous provinces (LIPs) enabled the following characteristics of the metallogeny in large igneous provinces to be revealed: (1) the specific combination of mineralization types, which include magmatic Cu-Ni-Pt and Fe-Pt, hydrothermal Ni-Co-As (±Ag, U, Au), Au-As, Ag-Sb, Au-Hg, Sb-Hg, and stratiform Cu (copper-bearing sandstones and shales enriched in Co, Ni, Ag, Pt); (2) the areal or spot-like pattern of the location of mineralization types (opposed to the linear-belt localization in subduction and rift settings); (3) the zoned distribution of mineralization types relative to LIP centers, with Cu-Ni-Pt, Fe-Pt and stratiform Cu mineralization localized in a LIP center, and hydrothermal mineralization bound to a LIP periphery; (4) the essential contemporaneity of the formation of each mineralization type in LIPs, and the existence of coeval but spatially separated Cu-Ni-Pt, Ni-Co-As, and Au-As deposits; (5) the close linkage between different mineralization types and particular pulses of mafic, alkaline mafic, and felsic magmatism; (6) the unified succession of ore-forming events; (7) the close relationship between the extent of mineralization and LIP igneous volumes, which, in turn, depend on the plume heat power.
The major characteristics of localization of different mineralization types within LIPs, the timing and genetic relationships between mineralization and types of magmatism, as well as specific geological controls on ore formation provide a basis for establishing new geological, magmatic, lithological, and geochemical criteria crucial for predicting and targeting new mineralization within LIPs.

We present seismic images of the mantle beneath East Russia and adjacent regions and discuss geodynamic implications. Our mantle tomography shows that the subducting Pacific slab becomes stagnant in the mantle transition zone under Western Alaska, the Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk, Japan Sea, and Northeast Asia. Many intraplate volcanoes exist in these areas, which are located above the low-velocity zones in the upper mantle above the stagnant slab, suggesting that the intraplate volcanoes are related to the dynamic processes in the big mantle wedge above the stagnant slab and the deep slab dehydration. Teleseismic tomography revealed a low-velocity zone extending down to 660 km depth beneath the Baikal rift zone, which may represent a mantle plume. The bottom depths of the Wadati-Benioff deep seismic zone and the Pacific slab itself become shallower toward the north under the Kamchatka Peninsula, and the slab disappears under the northernmost Kamchatka. The slab loss is considered to be caused by the friction between the slab and the surrounding asthenosphere as the Pacific plate rotated clockwise at about 30 Ma ago, and then the slab loss was enlarged by the slab-edge pinch-off by the hot asthenospheric flow and the presence of Meiji seamounts.

The spatial distribution of recent (under 2 Ma) volcanism has been studied in relation to mantle hotspots and the evolution of the present-day supercontinent which we named Northern Pangea. Recent volcanism is observed in Eurasia, North and South America, Africa, Greenland, the Arctic, and the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Several types of volcanism are distinguished: mid-ocean ridge (MOR) volcanism; subduction volcanism of island arcs and active continental margins (IA + ACM); continental collision (CC) volcanism; intraplate (IP) volcanism related to mantle hotspots, continental rifts, and transcontinental belts. Continental volcanism is obviously related to the evolution of Northern Pangea, which comprises Eurasia, North and South America, India, Australia, and Africa. The supercontinent is large, with predominant continental crust. The geodynamic setting and recent volcanism of Northern Pangea are determined by two opposite processes. On one hand, subduction from the Pacific Ocean, India, the Arabian Peninsula, and Africa consolidates the supercontinent. On the other hand, the spreading of oceanic plates from the Atlantic splits Northern Pangea, changes its shape as compared with Wegener's Pangea, and causes the Atlantic geodynamics to spread to the Arctic. The long-lasting steady subduction beneath Eurasia and North America favored intense IA + ACM volcanism. Also, it caused cold lithosphere to accumulate in the deep mantle in northern Northern Pangea and replace the hot deep mantle, which was pressed to the supercontinental margins. Later on, this mantle rose as plumes (IP mafic magma sources), which were the ascending currents of global mantle convection and minor convection systems at convergent plate boundaries. Wegener's Pangea broke up because of the African superplume, which occupied consecutively the Central Atlantic, the South Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean and expanded toward the Arctic. Intraplate plume magmatism in Eurasia and North America was accompanied by surface collisional or subduction magmatism. In the Atlantic, Arctic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, deep-level plume magmatism (high-alkali mafic rocks) was accompanied by surface spreading magmatism (tholeiitic basalts).

The paper presents the author's vision of the Russian future made through comparative assessment of the world situation. We offer a scheme and appropriate calculations of how the scenarios could be consequently developed over the levels of spatial hierarchy. The forecasts for the Siberian Federal District -considered as four macroregions - are made. We formulated the proposals on how such hierarchic forecast methodology could be applied to other federal districts and Northern territories

The paper shows the growing contradictory tendencies which govern the world line-up and force cohesion in the XXI century. We present our assessment of the environmental, resource and transportation potential in Northern and Arctic regions; and we prove that Russian Northern and Arctic regions are of special interest to the country in ensuring the national economic, geo-politic, defensive and other interests. The energy resources and transportation potential in Northern and Arctic regions, as we believe, could be one of the tools advisable to modernize the national economy and ensure - through realizing an effective governmental socio-economic policy - the sustainable spatial development in Northern and Arctic regions.

Economic protection of regions is one of the set of elements of a national economic safety system. The paper discusses the key notions of economic safety, and it offers a technique to estimate levels of regions' economic protection

The study assesses to what degree the economic space in the Russian Federation was integrated and homogenous over 1998-2007. To assess such integrity, we base upon a hypothesis of the growing integration tendencies occurring under globalization conditions; and our verification of the hypothesis is made in association with the scopes and spatial specialization of regional economies. То assess the homogeneity, we verify the hypothesis of whether ГЗ-and ст-convergence exist in the Russian economic space

The paper presents an indirect method for assessing directions of financial flows between regions. We tested whether the regional investment potential could be analyzed through applying data provided by the national accounts statistics (such indicators as the gross profit and gross mixed income), and data provided by the regional statistics (an index of potential investment resources calculated on the base of some indicators). As we determined, both show similar results - the growing financial potential in the period of high economic growth rates. We introduce a special coefficient showing a region/industry investment rating calculated according to the "sender-addressee" principle. The dynamics of this coefficient allows assessing the potential scopes and directions of redistribution of investment resources between regions

The paper analyzes a current system of the state-guaranteed and municipal orders for providing fiscal services. As we show, a current regulatory and methodical framework proved to be too formal, and it does not allow using the system of orders as an effective tool of fiscal policy. We present the new approaches; they, in contrast to standard methods, include incentives to develop local markets of fiscal services through applying the formal approaches which help assess the different consumers' demand for fiscal services. This would allow a medium-term forecast of quantitative variables of the orders and budgetary allocations.

The paper presents the author's understanding of the post-crisis development in Russian rural communities; analyzes the results of liberal transformations; shows the specific features of a current rural development model; outlines what would happen to Russian rural communities in the future; and describes mechanisms for achieving the strategic goals of future development

The paper proves that a demographic crisis in Northern Russia is much deeper than the official vital statistics shows. The most severe problems are the young age-specific mortality patterns; a high share of deaths due to external factors and diseases of exogenous etiology; low birth rates among those who live in traditionally Russian Northern areas, and among Aboriginals who live in the areas with the completed demographic transition; a high degree of family life disruption; and interdependence between the uncompleted demographic transition of Northern Aboriginal peoples and their unfavorable qualitative birth characteristics and high child mortality. Just they predetermine the goals and tasks of Northern demographic policy.
Keywords: Northern areas, natural population decline, age pattern, demographic transition, life expectancy, child mortality, quantitative and qualitative aspects of natality, marital and family relationship, demographic policy

The study analyses the issues of the development of the West-Siberian oil-and-gas complex. Before the 1990-s, when the complex was creating as a new national base of oil-and-gas production, the country faced the difficulties due to the lack of investments, equipment, materials, and vehicles, as well as a housing deficit, whereas later the reducing efficiency of the complex's operating was observed. The causes of this economic phenomenon are analyzed here. We also outline a long-run policy of the oil-and-gas production in the region.

The paper considers a technique to interpret the information of the answers to open questions, which is of the unstructured nature, as the structured information. Such technique allows building the typologies useful for analysis of the spatial development structures of touristic clusters

The paper considers the issues of how to assess the efficiency of the large-scale investment projects. We offer an approach to choosing a preferred project among competitive ones when making a decision on the selection of an investment project. The approach is grounded upon both the principals of system analysis applied in the fuzzy sets theory and expert technologies. Our special focus is on how to assess the investment costs and their fluctuations depending on investment risks while the preproject analysis is being carried out. To make our calculation, we use a simulated case-study on «Transportation Network Project for Russian Far North and Far East».

The paper offers an approach to assess the economic, social and ecologic consequences of desertification. We identify the key factors producing economic damage. The ecologic-economic analysis of a simulative area of intense desertification is presented. To assess economic and social consequences of desertification, we use the data of the public opinion poll

The study analyzes present approaches applied to assess how effective the expenditures for public health care are. We show that the techniques based on nothing but assessment of the resource components have some defects as they fail to allow for social effects. To overcome this shortage, we recommend the technique which is of 5-years practice in the Vologda Oblast, and which compounds the financial and demographic analysis. We present the results of our economic analysis made by applying such technique.

The paper analyzes methodological issues of how to assess the competitiveness of municipal units; considers the issues of designing a strategy of socio-economic municipal unit development, and issues of planning the incomes and expenditures of local budgets; and analyzes scenarios of the socio-economic development in cities

The paper shows the ways to make municipal budgets more stable such as the lower shares of conditional intergovernmental transfers, the greater tax revenues and greater non-tax ones to local budgets, and a new distribution of the spending powers and revenue sources between governments. The analysis of the structure of municipal fiscal revenues is presented too.

The study considers a model of relative demand-supply for an aggregated segment of small business, and a model of an individual's rational market behaviour. Our econometric calculations show that, when the reforms started, the labour demand in the segment of small business depended on such indicators as a ratio of incomes in new sectors to the incomes in traditional sectors, and the level of the population's previous cash accumulations and their inclinations towards risks. Entrepreneurs' trust toward local authorities and the relatively high economic potential of regional institutes induced the higher labour demand in the segment of small business.

The survey of soil cover of Novosibirsk Scientific Center showed that the soils prevalent here, such as sod-podzolic and gray forest ones, had been conserved in the native state in the areas with the low human impact. As for the areas with the reduced human impact, local pollution with phosphorus, calcium and heavy metals was revealed in natural soils and urbanozems; at the same time, complete deterioration of agrochemical properties was discovered in the soils of experimental fields.

The paper describes the results of the work aimed at elucidation of the ecological role of mountain mires in the Kuznetsk Alatau and evaluation of their modern ecological state on the basis of the investigation of geo- and hydrochemical features of peat deposits, mire and river water of the typical mountain mire system - Krestovskie Bolota - near the Chemodan mountain situated at the territory of the Kuznetskiy Alatau reserve, as well as summer atmospheric precipitation within the borders of the reserve and near its outer boundaries.

A number of methodological aspects concerning the application of group-theoretical methods in soil physics is considered. The interconnection between the choice of the space-time geometry in which the phenomenа under investigation are localized, and the physical laws governing these phenomena is analyzed. The dependence between the choice of quantitative standards of physical values and invariance of the laws describing the interconnections of these values is considered as a specific case. For some examples, the procedures of generalization of traditionаl symmetries are demonstrated. In particular, the principle of superposition of the symmetries of similarity is formulated for the theoretical description of the humidity characteristics of soil (HCS) and the thermophysical coefficients; the possibility of mathematical modeling of the temperature regime of soil without solving the heat conductivity equation is indicated. The possibility of deeper understanding, from the symmetry analysis viewpoint, of the structural and functional concept of the physical properties of soil is stressed. The considered problems are illustrated with specific equations.

Evaluation of the modern state of climate, soil and plant cover of the southern forest-steppe of the Bashkir Pre-Urals is presented. Analysis of the functioning of natural complexes under the changing climatic conditions is carried out. Their dynamics and transformation under the action of natural and anthropogenic factors are investigated. Modern vegetative cover and its synanthropization level are studied.

Hilly-lowland relief is common in the upper Angara region, which provides nonhomogeneity of soil cover, its complex character. The soil behavior of microelements (elemental composition), exchangeable Ca and Mg, biogenic indices - humus composition, biological activity was considered. Debatable aspects concerning the origin of the object under investigation are considered.

The paper presents the results of the two-years investigation of a new method of restoration of the oil-polluted soil - CLEANSOIL, which combines the physicochemical and biological methods of the removal of oil pollution. It is shown that application of this combined technology allows one to decrease the concentration of oil pollution in soil within a short time down to the level at which the possibility of self-purification of the soil arises.

Anаlysis of the data obtained in the investigation of humus profiles of mountain-chestnut soil of the complex catena situated in the limits of Khemchik dry steppe region of the Central Tuva Depression is presented. It is shown that the characteristics of humus profiles depend both on the slope exposure and on the position of soil over the catena. The humus profiles of soils clearly fix all the changes of the ecological conditions of formation and functioning of soil even in the case when they are not depicted in the morphological appearance of soil. The data obtained may serve as the starting point for supplementary monitoring of the behavior of soil at the slopes and for revealing the variability of the soils of local level under the effect of changing natural environment.

The purpose of the present research consists in the study of peculiarities of transformation of the main components of destruction link of the biological turnover during the evolution of plain soils in the Depression of Large Lakes in Western Mongolia. It is shown that there is soil evolution from meadow typical soil to solonchak and further to brown typical soils during the lake-drying process. Changes of the soil microbial biomass occur; both the number and species composition of oribatid mites in this soils series change.

In the article, results of field experiment on peat decomposition in peat deposits of mires in Western Siberia and Poland are presented. Two principal factors determining the dynamics of peat mass changing are revealed: position in a relief and contribution from the underground organs of grassy plants. The maximal values of peat mass loss were obtained for the raised bog, an upland mire microlandscape, the upper layer of peat; the mass loss was minimal in the deeper layer. In all the fen ecosystems which are the lowland microlandscapes, similar values of peat mass losses at different depths were obtained. In mire ecosystems with the high share of grasses in phytocenosis, the peat deposit in the upper half-meter layer is replenished with dying off underground plant organs.

Major stages of the formation of strategy aimed at the recovery of land disturbed by industry and land monitoring are characterized, the examples of the positive application of this strategy are described.

The soil-microbiological investigation of technogenically polluted soils revealed the space-time structure of microbial communities. The basic microbiological indicators of the degree of technogenic pollution and natural salinization were revealed. The stability of separate microorganism species is noted, depending on the soil-ecological conditions

Comparison between the parity of forms of iron in the structure of embryozems of the technogenic landscapes in the steppe kernel of the Kuznetsk Basin and zonal soils allowed revealing the genetic distinctions which are essential. In turn, this is considered as the diagnostic parameter of the character, intensity and orientation of soil processes.

Effect of pollution with fluorides form aluminum production on the state of humus in different types of arable soil was studied in field experiments. They included the version modeling the high level of pollution by introducing NaF, the component that prevails in aerial industrial emissions. The negative effect of fluorides on the state of humus, connected with an increase in the mobility of humus substances, was exhibited in the gray forest soil stronger than in the sod meadow soil. This was dependent on the physicochemical properties of soil determining the buffer characteristics with respect to NaF, and the concentration of water-soluble fluorides.

For the first time, the features of accumulation and distribution of the fractions of oxidized substances in the soils of technogenic landscapes formed on the piles of coal mines are investigated.

Results of the reconnаissance exploration of the abundance and distribution of radioactive chemical elements (Th, ¹³⁷Cs) in various environmental components (ledge rocks, soil, bottom sediments, surface water) of Pribaikalia are presented. Wide occurrence and high variability of the concentrations of these elements in the environment, often several times higher than the regionаl background values, were demonstrated. The dual genesis of anomalous fields was established: nаtural and technogenic.

Formation of soil in the mountain regions of the Severo-Chгysky Ridge is considered for the dated sediments of the Malyi Aktru glacier as example. It is shown that the development of plant cover under the severe conditions of near-glacial moraines causes changes of rocks and the stage-by-stage formation of young soil. It is determined that the pioneering stages of soil formation last for 300-500 years and finish with the formation of sub-brown soil and cryozem.

Effect of the application of mineral fertilizers in the regulation of production process of soya at the background of different versions of hydrothermal regime is strictly differentiated. Nitrogen fertilizers have a positive effect on the grain productivity of this culture under the favorable water supply for the plants, while phosphorus fertilizers have the same effect under the extremal conditions. The role of potassium fertilizers in the formation of this index is most often indifferent. Along with this, the diversity of response reactions of soya plants is due to the interaction between the functions of trophic provision with the elements of mineral nutrition and regulation in changing thei ecological stability.

The porous properties of silica prepared from heat-treated Transvaal vermiculite (South Africa) by acid leaching were determined. The effect of temperature on the destruction of the crystal structure of the vermiculite was determined, leading to the adoption of heating conditions of 600 ^oC for 2 h which produce a fully amorphous sample. The heat-treated samples were leached with 2 M hydrochloric acid at 80 ^oC for 0.5, 2 and 8 h and their porous properties were characterized by measuring their specific surface areas and pore volumes. The highest surface area and pore volume (559 m²/g and 0.51 ml/g) was obtained for the sample leached for 8 h. Thermal amorphisation of vermiculite exerts a negative influence on the porous properties of the mineral.

Time-space estimate of a level of mercury pollution of Altai atmosphere has been performed according to layer-by-layer analysis of high mountain glacier core sample that was taken by joint Russian-Swiss expedition in 2001 in a saddle of Belukha Mountain of the Altai hills (Katun ridge, Altai). The results arrived at have demonstrated that mercury content of glacier layers that had been shaped during the industrial time varies within the limits of 0.2-6.3 ng/kg and it is comparable with mercury level of alternative high mountain glaciers of the Northern hemisphere. Data of the layer-by-layer analysis of glacier core sample for a period of 1940 to 2001 testify that Aktash Mercury Integrated Works, a large local source of mercury, exerts no significant effect on the pollution of the atmosphere of the Western Altai. A calculation technique has been suggested to quantitatively estimate the regional component of mercury pollution of a territory. It has been found that the contribution of the regional component almost 3.5 times exceeds the contribution of the global component to the total present-day level of the pollution by mercury of the atmosphere of the Altai (Central Asian) region. A conclusion has been made that Altai-Sayan mercury province and industrial metallurgical centres of East Kazakhstan may act as the main sources in terms of the regional level of mercury pollution of the atmosphere of northwest part of the Altai territory.

Fundamental potential of single-stage processing of ilmenite concentrate to synthetic rutile of commercial quality has been shown experimentally and by thermodynamic computations. The method has its origins in selective chloridation of iron and impurity of magnesium, chrome, manganese, sulphur, and vanadium by chlorine with no use of any reducer. Possibility to extract vanadium without reduction smelting and without loss of titanium and other target ingredients of the concentrate was revealed for high-titanium titanomagnetite concentrate. The other target ingredients can be later isolated by the reduction chlorination. It has been found that the great bulk of iron and vanadium can be extracted from titanium concentrates for 10 min at a temperature of 1373 K and under atmospheric pressure.

Principal tendencies of variation in crude oil composition and properties during thermolysis under laboratory conditions have been studied by the example of heavy, high-viscosity crude oils from Usinsk and Lyaokhe oil fields. The experiments were conducted in an autoclave of periodic action in a range of temperatures 200-350 ^oC with addition of water and with application of a mineral admixture to study the nature of the influence of oil-bearing rock. Thermolysis products are represented by gases, insoluble carbonisation products, and converted oil. It has been found that the content of nitrogen, sulphur in liquid products of thermolysis differs from that for initial crude oils, the content of asphaltenes grows, the proportion of resins and oils decreases. Proportion of nitrogen bases, aromatic and oxygen-containing structural fragments in the composition of aquathermolysis products increases, amides appear in it. Specific absorption index of oils and their fractions at a wavelength of 500 nm tangibly change together with individual composition of alkanes and naphthalenes. Tendencies of variation in key parameters of composition during the aquathermolysis of Usinsk oil and crude oil from Lyaokhe oil field are quite opposite. The effect of mineral admixture on the results of thermolysis manifests itself only at the level of liquid yield, of their elemental, group, and functional (according to IR spectra) compositions and it is imperceptible at the level of functional group composition and at the level of individual composition of compounds that were identified in these oils