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Placement of territory on the East European Platform. Belarus is located within the western part of the East European Platform. The latter is one of the largest ancient platforms on Earth. The territory of Belarus is characterized by a continental-type crust, the thickness of which ranges from 43 to 57 km. As you know, the platform usually has a two-tier structure: a sedimentary cover is located on the crystalline foundation. The presence of a solid crystalline foundation determines the stability of the earth's crust. The platforms are characterized by only slow vibrations; seismic processes practically do not occur on them.

The areas of the platform where the crystalline foundation is covered by a platform cover are called slabs, and the areas where it comes to the surface are called shields. The territory of Belarus is characterized by a rather deep crystalline basement. Most of it is located within the Russian Plate - the largest tectonic structure of the East European Platform. The southernmost regions belong to the Volyn-Azov plate and the Ukrainian shield.

Since Belarus is located on an ancient platform, its crystalline foundation is very old. Geologists believe that it was formed more than 1650 million years ago. The foundation is formed mainly by igneous and metamorphic rocks: granites, gneisses, quartzites. They are strongly crumpled into folds and permeated with frozen magma. Tectonic faults split the foundation into separate blocks.

On top there is a platform cover, composed mainly of sedimentary rocks of a later age: clays, sands, limestones, chalk. They lie horizontally or are slightly crushed into gentle folds by later movements of the earth's crust.

Among the sedimentary rocks there are such minerals as brown coal, oil, rock and potassium salts, phosphorites, chalk, etc.

Geological chronology. The absolute age of the Earth is approximately 4.6 billion years. It is determined by the presence in rocks Oh radioactive elements and their decay products, as well as the remains of fossil plants and animals.

Throughout the geological development of the Earth, the formation of ancient and young platforms and folded areas of the globe took place. It is clear that for such a long period the development of the territory proceeded differently. Therefore, in the geological history of the Earth, stages of different duration can be distinguished, which are associated with global changes climate, organic world, formation of certain rocks and minerals. The sequence of the main stages of the geological history of the Earth is reflected in the geochronological table, or scale. It is based on evolution organic life on Earth. Geological time is divided into 5 large segments, which are called eras. Each era is characterized by its own stage in the development of the earth's crust and the organic world, lasting several tens or hundreds of millions of years. At this time, a certain group of rocks was created. The names of eras reflect the nature of life at that time, for example Proterozoic - era early life, Cenozoic - era of new life.

During the Archean and Proterozoic eras, the foundation of ancient platforms was formed, including the entire territory of Belarus. This is a very long period, covering almost 90% of the entire geological history of the Earth. Starting from the end of the Proterozoic era, a platform cover began to form. The accumulation of rocks in the sedimentary cover, like the organic world, varied significantly even over the course of eras. Therefore, the latter are divided into geological periods, the length of which is tens of millions of years.

In the geological history of the Earth, several large mountain-building cycles, the so-called folds, are distinguished: Baikal, Caledonian, Hercynian, Cimmerian, Alpine. During these periods the collision lithospheric plates led to the formation of mountain systems. And although the latter are absent on the territory of the ancient platform, nevertheless, the eras of mountain building had a significant impact on the formation of tectonic structures of the territory of Belarus.

Tectonic structures. The crystalline basement is an ancient mountain system that formed during the Archean and Proterozoic eras. Then, under the influence of later tectonic movements some of its sections rose, while others fell. This has led to the fact that the crystalline foundation on the territory of Belarus is located at different depths. Not far from the village of Glushkovichi, Lelchitsy district, it comes to the surface, and within the Pripyat trough it descends to a depth of 6 km. Large sections of the crystalline basement, which are separated by tectonic faults and are characterized by different thicknesses of the sedimentary cover, are called tectonic structures.

The largest tectonic structures on the territory of Belarus are the Russian Plate, the Volyn-Azov Plate and the Ukrainian Shield. Within the Russian plate, smaller tectonic structures are distinguished. Depending on the depth of the foundation, they are divided into positive, negative and transitional.

Positive tectonic structures include anteclises and shields. Within their boundaries, the crystalline basement comes close to the surface. The largest positive tectonic structure on the territory of Belarus - Belarusian anteclise. It occupies the northwestern and central parts of the territory of the republic and extends 350 km in the latitudinal direction. The sediment layer of the platform cover within its boundaries usually does not exceed 500 m, and in its most elevated part - the Central Belarusian Massif - it has a thickness of only 80-100 m. The Belarusian anteclise occupies large area and is characterized by a complex structure.

The east of Belarus is occupied by the western slopes of another positive tectonic structure of the East European Platform - the Voronezh anteclise. The surface of the crystalline basement in its most elevated part is located at a depth of about 400 m.

In the very south, the Ukrainian Shield enters the territory of Belarus. Only within this positive structure do the rocks of the crystalline basement reach the surface.

Smaller positive structures are also visible. The most interesting of them is the Mikashevichi-Zhitkovichi ledge, within which the rocks of the crystalline basement come very close to the surface, thanks to which building stone is mined here.

Negative tectonic structures in Belarus are represented by depressions and troughs. They are characterized not only by the deep occurrence of the crystalline foundation, but also at different times education. The oldest of them is the Orsha depression. It was formed during the activation of tectonic movements during the Baikal mountain building era. The Orsha depression occupies the northeastern part of the republic. The crystalline basement within its boundaries lies at depths from 800 to 1800 m.

Another negative structure - the Brest depression - occupies the southwestern part of Belarus. Its western part is located in Poland. The depression formed at the beginning of the Paleozoic. The foundation surface within its boundaries is usually located at a depth of 1600 - 1900 m.

Finally, the Pripyat Trough is located in the southeast of Belarus. It is the youngest tectonic structure, formed in the Devonian, which corresponds to the Hercynian folding.

This structure has the most complex structure. It is divided into stages by numerous latitudinal faults and is characterized by the deepest occurrence of the crystalline foundation. In the deepest parts it drops to 6 km. A large layer of sediments of the platform cover led to a variety of minerals: rock and potassium salts, coal, oil, etc.

On the tectonic map of Belarus, transitional tectonic structures - saddles - also stand out. The largest among them are Latvian, Zhlobin, Polesskaya and Braginsko-Loevskaya. They usually separate two positive and two negative tectonic structures. Due to this, the crystalline foundation within them is most often located at depths from 500 to 1000 m, and they themselves resemble a saddle in their structure. Thus, the Zhlobin saddle separates positive structures - the Belarusian and Voronezh anteclises, as well as negative ones - the Pripyat trough and the Orsha depression.

Tectonic movements. In the process of geological development of the territory of Belarus, both the crystalline foundation and the platform cover were formed under the influence of tectonic movements. Different directions of tectonic movements led to the formation of cracks, which were called tectonic faults. They penetrate the crystalline basement and platform cover of all tectonic structures. There are especially many of them within the Pripyat trough. Tectonic movements on the territory of Belarus continue to this day. They can lead to earthquakes.

The territory of Belarus is remote from folded areas, so only weak earthquakes can be recorded on it as an echo of tectonic movements occurring in seismic belts. Thus, in 1977, an earthquake in the Carpathians caused other populated areas In Belarus, tremors with a force of 3-4 points. Weak earthquakes up to magnitude 6 may also occur, caused by shifting blocks of the earth's crust along a fault system. The Ostrovets earthquake of 1909 had this nature.

In addition, seismic stations recorded weak tremors in the Soligorsk area caused by the collapse of exhausted mines.

The territory of Belarus is now characterized only by slow subsidence of the earth's crust, the amplitude of which usually does not exceed 2 cm per year. The exception is small areas in the center of Belarus, where positive modern vertical movements are recorded, but they do not exceed 1 cm.

Tectonics is a branch of geology that studies the development of the structure of the earth's crust and its changes under the influence of tectonic movements and deformations associated with the development of the Earth as a whole.

The territory of Belarus lies within the ancient East European (Russian) platform, the formation of the crystalline foundation of which was completed in the Archean - Early Proterozoic. The thickness of the platform cover (sediments) within Belarus ranges from several meters (Ukrainian Shield) to 6 km (Pripyat Trough). In some places, the crystalline foundation reaches the surface (the vicinity of the village of Glushkovichi, Lelchitsy district, Gomel region).

The platform is one of the main deep structures of the earth's crust, characterized by low intensity of tectonic movements and flat topography. The platform has a two-tier structure. Its lower tier (the foundation of the platform) is formed by complexes of strongly crushed, metamorphosed and penetrated by granites rocks. The upper tier (platform cover) is usually composed of calmly lying predominantly sedimentary and partly volcanogenic strata. Within the platform there are: 1) shields, where the folded foundation protrudes to the surface; 2) slabs in which the foundation is submerged to a significant depth. Platforms are divided into: 1) ancient with a foundation of Precambrian age (for example, the East European Platform); 2) young platforms with a foundation of Paleozoic or Mesozoic age (for example, the West Siberian Platform, the Turanian Platform).

The territory of Belarus is characterized by a continental-type crust with a thickness of 32 to 40 km. The basalt layer of the earth's crust within Belarus is located at a depth of 16 - 20 km.

The crystalline basement is formed mainly by metamorphic and igneous rocks and is characterized by the development of structures of the following two types:

1) granite-gneiss domes of the early stages of consolidation of the earth’s crust, whose age is about 2.6 billion years;
2) linear-folded structures are more young(approximately from 1.2 to 2.6 billion years).

Granite-gneiss domes have an oval shape and are located in different regions of Belarus (Minsk, Bobruisk, Mozyr, Polotsk, etc.).

Linear folded structures are complex system synclinoriums and anticlinoriums. Within Belarus, the following two folded structures are distinguished: 1) Western Belarusian linear-folded structure; 2) East Belarusian linear-folded structure.

1) The West Belarusian linear-folded structure stretches from the south and southwest to the north and northeast for 500 km with a width of about 150 - 180 km. The following substructures are distinguished within this structure: Belsky, Svisloch, Shchuchinsky, Novogrudok, Karelichi, Baranovichi synclinoria, separated by the Belovezhsky, Ivatsevichi, Radoshkovichi anticlinoriums. These structures are 300 - 400 km long and 15 - 40 km wide.

An anticlinorium is a large (up to several hundred kilometers long) and complex bend of folded rock strata, which has a generally anticlinal (convex) shape. A synclinorium is a large and complex bend of folded rock strata, having a generally synclinal (concave) shape.

Within the West Belarusian folded structure, the Okolovskaya graben-syncline, composed of ferruginous quartzites, which can be used as raw materials for the production of ferrous metals, is of particular interest.

2) The East Belarusian linear-folded structure stretches for 500 km from the south west to the north east. Its width is about 100 - 600 km. The Novovolynsk system is confined to this structure - the youngest of all folded structures of the crystalline basement of Belarus.

The crystalline basement is everywhere broken by a system of numerous faults, the deepest of which, within the Pripyat trough, penetrate deep into the mantle.

Peculiarities geological structure territory of the Republic of Belarus

CONTENT
Introduction
1. Features of tectonics
3. Neotectonic movements on the territory of Belarus

Introduction

The territory of Belarus lies within the East European (Russian) platform. The formation of its crystalline foundation was completed in the Archean - Early Proterozoic. The thickness of the platform cover (sediments) within Belarus ranges from several meters (Ukrainian Shield) to 6 km (Polessie Trough).

The platform is one of the main deep structures of the earth's crust, characterized by low intensity of tectonic movements and flat topography. The platform has a two-tier structure: the lower tier (platform foundation) is formed by complexes of strongly crushed, metamorphosed and granite-pierced rocks; the upper tier (platform cover) is composed of calmly lying predominantly sedimentary and partly volcanogenic strata. Within the platform, there are shields, where the folded foundation protrudes to the surface, and slabs, in which the foundation is submerged to a considerable depth. Platforms are divided into ancient ones with a foundation of Precambrian age (for example, the East European Platform) and young platforms with a basement of Paleozoic or Mesozoic age (for example, the West Siberian Platform).

1. Features of tectonics

The territory of Belarus is characterized by a continental-type crust with a thickness of 32 to 40 km.

The basalt layer of the earth's crust is located at a depth of 16 - 20 km.

The crystalline basement is formed mainly by metamorphic and igneous rocks and is characterized by the development of structures of the following two types:

granite-gneiss domes of the early stages of consolidation of the earth's crust, whose age is about 2.6 billion years);

linear-folded structures of younger age (1.2 - 2.6 billion years).

Granite-gneiss domes have an oval shape and are located in different regions of Belarus (Minsk, Bobruisk, Mozyr, Polotsk, etc.).

Linear-folded structures represent a complex system of synclinoriums and anticlinoriums. Within Belarus, the following two folded structures are distinguished - Western Belarusian and Eastern Belarusian.

The West Belarusian folded structure stretches from south-southwest to east-northeast for 500 km with a width of about 150 - 180 km. This structure includes the following: Belsky, Svisloch, Shchuchinsky, Novogrudok, Karelichi and Baranovichi synclinoria, which are separated by the Belovezhsky, Ivatsevichi and Radoshkovichi anticlinoriums. Anticlinoria range from 300 to 400 km in length and 15 to 40 km in width.

Within the West Belarusian folded structure, the Okolovskaya graben-syncline, composed of ferruginous quartzites, is of particular interest.

The East Belarusian folded structure stretches for 500 km from the south west to the north east. Its width is 100-600 km. The Novovolynsk system is confined to this structure - the youngest of all folded structures of the crystalline basement of Belarus.

The crystalline basement is everywhere broken by a system of numerous faults, the deepest of which penetrate deep into the mantle.

2. Tectonic zoning of the territory of Belarus

When carrying out tectonic zoning of any territory, scientists are guided simultaneously by several criteria, the most important of which are invariably:

depth of the crystalline basement,

thickness of the sedimentary cover.

In the system of tectonic zoning of the territory of Belarus, structures of I, II, III and other (lower) orders are distinguished.

Tectonic structures of the first order within Belarus are the Russian plate, the Azov-Podolsk plate and the Ukrainian shield.

I. The Russian plate lies at the base of most of the country’s territory and consists of individual anticlines, syneclises, troughs, horsts, grabens and saddles.

The Belarusian anticlise occupies the western and central regions of Belarus. Its most elevated part is formed by the Central Belarusian Massif.

In the aisles of the Babovnyansky ledge, crystalline rocks lie directly under the Pliocene-anthropogenic strata. The Vileika, Mazur and Bobruisk buried ledges correspond to the relatively elevated blocks of the crystalline basement. The Vileyka buried ledge and the Central Belarusian massif are separated by the Volozhin graben.

The western part of Belarus is occupied by the slope part of the Voronezh anticlise. The structures of the Voronezh anticlise include the Surazhsky and Gromyatsky buried ledges, separated by the Klintsovsky graben.

The Zhlobin saddle separates the Belarusian and Voronezh anticlines and has an asymmetrical structure: its northern slope is quite flat, and its southern slope is a system of stepped faults.

The Belarusian anticlise in the north borders the Baltic syneclise; in the east it is adjacent to the Orsha depression.

Syneclise - (from the Greek syn - together and enklisis - inclination) - an extensive (up to several hundred km in diameter) gentle deflection of the layers of the earth's crust within the platforms, having predominantly irregular rounded outlines; the inclination of the layers on the wings is measured in fractions of a degree.

Within the Baltic syneclise, the foundation plunges to a depth of up to 500 m. Its eastern side is limited by powerful faults with an amplitude of up to 300 m. A particular structure of the Baltic syneclise is the Neman graben.

The Orsha depression is enormous in size and is characterized by a significant subsidence of the basement surface in the northeast direction from -800 m to -1700 m. The depression has rather steep edges and a flat bottom. In the central part of this tectonic structure there is the Central Orsha horst with an amplitude of 200-300 m, which separates the Vitebsk and Mogilev troughs.

Mulda is a type of gently sloping synclinal folds shaped like a bowl.

In the southwestern part of Belarus there is the Podlasie-Brest depression, which partially covers the territory of neighboring Poland. Within its boundaries, the basement surface descends from east to west from - 650 m to - 8 km. From the north and south, the depression is limited by faults with an amplitude of up to 300 m. In the east of the Podlassko-Brest depression there are individual brachiosynclines (“brachio” - short, disproportionate) with an amplitude of about 50-80 m, their diameter does not exceed 5 km.

The Polesie saddle separates the Podlassko-Brest depression from the Pripyat trough. The basement surface within the Polesie saddle is characterized by absolute altitudes from - 20 to - 500 m. From the Polesie saddle in the direction of the Pripyat trough (about 80 km) a large uplift of the foundation stretches - the Mikoshevichi - Zhitkovichi ledge. Its width is about 10 km. From the south, this ledge is limited by a system of faults with an amplitude of 1 to 3 km. Within the Mikashevichi-Zhitkovichi ledge, crystalline rocks occur at a depth of 10 - 30 m and are overlain by Neogene-anthropogenic deposits. This structure is divided by a system of powerful faults into three horsts:

Zhitkovichsky,

Mikoshevichsky,

Ozernitsky.

The Pripyat trough stretches from west to east for about 300 km, and from north to south - for 140 - 150 km. The boundaries of the Pripyat trough are a system of stepped faults with an amplitude of 2 - 4 km. The Pripyat trough is characterized by extremely complex fold-block tectonics. Tectonic steps, horsts, and grabens are distinguished here, which, like the trough itself as a whole, were formed as a result of block movements on fault lines. In the northern part of the trough there are the Rechitsa-Shatilkova and Malodushinsko-Krasnoslobodskaya blocks. The Rechitsa-Shatilkovsky block has a length of about 240 km and a width of about 10-25 km.

The Narovlya horst stretches for 150 km and has a width of approximately 6 km. The absolute elevations of the basement within this tectonic structure range from - 1.8 to - 4.0 km.

In the section of the platform cover of the Pripyat trough there are huge (up to 4 km) deposits of potassium and rock salts, which determines certain specificity of tectonic processes and relief formation.

The Bragin-Loyev saddle separates the Pripyat trough from the Dnieper-Donets trough. It is formed by the Braginsky buried ledge and the Loevskaya saddle. Within the Braginsky buried ledge (length 45 - 50 km), the foundation descends from south to north to a depth of 300 - 1500 m. This structure is limited by faults with an amplitude of up to 3 km. Faults also limit the Loev saddle, which stretches for 50-60 km with a width of 30-40 km. In its axial part, the foundation surface is at a depth of 1500 m.

The Dnieper-Donets trough enters the territory of Belarus with its western edge. His internal structure is generally similar to the structure of the Pripyat trough. The boundaries of the Dnieper-Donets trough are faults of sublatitudinal direction.

The northernmost part of Belarus belongs to the Latvian saddle, separating the Baltic syneclise and the Orsha depression. In the central part of the saddle, crystalline rocks lie at elevations of about - 700 m, in the east they go to a depth of approximately - 1400 m, and from the side of the Belarusian anticlise they rise to - 500 m.

The Velizh saddle belongs to the structures of the Moscow syneclise and is characterized by the depth of the crystalline basement from - 1300 m to - 1400 m.

II. The Azov-Podolsk plate occupies the extreme southwestern part of Belarus. Particular tectonic structures of this plate are the Lukovsko-Ratnovsky horst and the Volyn monocline.

Monocline is a type of occurrence of rock layers with the same slope in one direction.

Lukovsko-Ratnovsky horst extends in latitude A rule at 350-400 km and has a width of approximately 13 - 40 km. This tectonic structure has a block structure and is limited by faults with amplitudes ranging from 100 (in the east) to 1000 m (in the west).

Volyn monocline characterized by a gradual, stable subsidence of the foundation to the southwest from 0 to 3 km. Against the background of the monoclinal subsidence, several troughs and uplifts stand out with absolute heights from 1.0 to - 1.6 km.

III. The Ukrainian shield occupies the extreme southern part territory of Belarus. Near the village of Glushkovichi, Lelchitsy district, crystalline basement rocks come to the surface. The Ovruch graben-syncline, which is limited by deep faults and extends for 110 km with a width of 5 - 20 km, stands out as a particular structure of the Ukrainian shield.

3. Neotectonic movements on the territory of Belarus (Neogene - Anthropocene time, about 25 million years)

tectonic zoning Belarus

Neotectonics (newest tectonics) is a branch of tectonics devoted to the study of tectonic processes that manifested themselves in Neogene-Anthropogenic times.

The total amplitude of neotectonic movements on the territory of Belarus ranges from 160 to 180 m. Neotectonic movements manifest themselves in different ways. However, the zero isobase extends approximately from Grodno through Minsk to Vitebsk.

To the north of the zero isobase is the West Belarusian subsidence zone with separate structures(Zaslavl, Oshmyany, Narochansky, Pleschenitsky domes, Polotsk trough).

To the south of the zero isobase there is a vast zone of neotectonic uplifts: the Central Belarusian monocline, which is joined by the South Belarusian and East Belarusian uplifts. Between these tectonic structures stretches a system of structural bays - Mogilev, Berezinsky, Pinsky and Brest. The maximum amplitudes of tectonic uplifts are characteristic of Polesie (isobase + 120m).

Modern vertical movements on the territory of Belarus are very complex and ambiguous. However, in any case maximum speeds uplifts are typical for the southern and eastern regions of the country.

The territory of Belarus is also characterized by a certain seismic activity. Most of the territory of the republic belongs to areas of possible 6-7 magnitude earthquakes. Earthquakes in Belarus can have the following two main causes:

1) movement along fault lines separating blocks of the earth’s crust,

2) echoes of seismic processes in adjacent areas of young mountain formation, primarily in the Carpathians. Thus, the echoes of the Carpathian earthquakes were felt in Belarus in 1977 and 1990. For example, on May 30, 1990 in Minsk, the intensity of the earthquake, the epicenter of which was in the Carpathians, was estimated at 3-4 points. Another reason for earthquakes in the country is related to the filling of voids formed during the extraction of potassium salts in the Soligorsk region. The intensity of local tremors here sometimes reaches 3-4 points (10,25,53,59,77,80,90,109).

4. Stratigraphy of the territory of Belarus

Stratigraphy - (from Latin stratum - layer and .... graphy) - a section of historical geology that studies the sequence of formation of rocks and their primary spatial relationships. Only in the second half of the 19th century were the main geological systems identified and their sequence outlined. In modern stratigraphy, various methods are used (paleontological, spore-pollen analysis, isotropic determinations, lithological, geochemical, geophysical, etc.), which make it possible to compile a consolidated stratigraphic column, for which a strict hierarchy of stratigraphic units is established - a stratigraphic scale.

On the territory of Belarus, deposits of almost all main geological sections are widespread: from the Archean to the Holocene. At the same time, the territory of Belarus is significantly differentiated in terms of the completeness of the geological record. For example, within the Babovnyansky ledge, anthropogenic deposits lie directly on the rocks of the crystalline basement, and in the vicinity of the village of Glushkovichi (Ukrainian Shield), ancient crystalline rocks come to the surface.

The most complete stratigraphic section is characteristic of the Pripyat trough, where only Early Paleozoic rocks are absent.

The most widespread on the territory of Belarus are anthropogenic deposits, which cover the territory of the country with a complete, almost continuous cover. The exception in this regard is sections of the Ukrainian shield, the steep banks of some large rivers and the edges of developed quarries, where ancient rocks come to the surface.

Archean - Lower Proterozoic (crystalline basement). Rocks of Archean-Lower Proterozoic age occur at different depths - from the surface level near the village of Glushkovichi to 6 km in the Pripyat trough area. These oldest rocks in the country have been studied mainly from borehole cores and are suitable for visual inspection in a quarry about 100 m deep near the town of Mikashevichi. The most ancient breed The crystalline basement is about 2,580 million years old, the youngest is 1630 - 1710 million years.

Among the crystalline basement rocks, metamorphic rocks such as gneiss, schists, quartzites, and amphibolites are widespread. In general, the quiet occurrence of these rocks is often disturbed by acidic intrusions.

The gneisses are about 2.6 billion years old and occur in the Shchuchin region (Grodno region). Shales are widespread in the zone of the Mikashevichi-Zhitkovichi ledge. The main areas of occurrence of ferruginous quartzites are the Karelichi and Grodno regions of the Grodno region.

The following three series of rocks of Archean and Lower Proterozoic age are distinguished as part of the crystalline basement of Belarus:

Shchuchin series,

Okolovskaya series,

Zhitkovichi series.

The Shchuchin series is the most ancient and dates back to about 2.6 billion years old. This series is composed of gneisses and amphibolites, interrupted by numerous intrusions of granites and other rocks.

The Okolovskaya series is about 2 billion years old and is formed by gneisses, amphibolites, ferruginous quartzites with gabbro and diabase intrusions. In general, this series belongs to the Upper Archean.

The Zhitkovichi series dates back approximately 1.6 - 1.7 billion years and is represented by shales, quartzites and other rocks.

Upper Proterozoic. The Upper Proterozoic rocks form 1) Riphean and 2) Vendian complexes. Upper Proterozoic deposits are distributed over 90% of the territory of Belarus; their thickness reaches 3,000 m.

The Riphean complex consists of 1) Bobruisk, 2) Sherovichi and 3) Belarusian series.

The Bobruisk series is about 1.3 - 1.6 billion years old. The strata of this series are concentrated within the Bobruisk and Zhitkovichi ledges and are formed by quartz porphyries and gray quartzites.

The Sherovichi series was formed in the interval from 1.3 to 1.0 billion years and is composed of coarse-grained sandstones, clays and other rocks. In the Orsha region, the thickness of rocks of this series reaches 225 m.

The Belarusian series dates back to about 1.0 - 0.7 billion years old. Deposits of this series stretch in an almost continuous strip up to 250 km wide across the entire republic from southwest to northeast. Rocks of this series are best studied in the areas of Pinsk and Orsha. The Belorussian series is composed mainly of fine-grained sandstones, silts, clays and dolomites. Remains of lower algae, bacteria and some others were found in the sediments. marine organisms, which existed in this territory about 1 billion years ago. All these organisms represent the most ancient evidence of former biospheres on the territory of the country.

The Vendian complex includes 1) Vilcha, 2) Volyn and 3) Valdai series.

The Vilchansky series was formed about 650-620 million years ago and is widespread in the southeast, east and central parts Belarus. The Vilchansky series is a system of peculiar deposits of the largest glaciation in the history of the Earth, which covered a vast territory of our planet in the Upper Proterozoic: from Greenland and Spitsbergen to Africa and Australia. The thickness of the Vilchansky series within Belarus reaches 470 m. The rocks of the Vilchansky series are represented by moraine loams, sandstones, and clays, which are repeatedly overlapped in the section.

The Volyn series is characteristic of most of the territory of Belarus and is composed mainly of basalts and tuffs, as well as red sandstones of small thickness - up to 20-30 m. The Volyn series is characterized by a basalt formation that occupies about 17 thousand km2.

The Valdai series is distributed mainly in the north of Belarus. It has a thickness of about 350 m and is composed of sandstones, clays, silts with remains of algae and unicellular organisms.

The generalized stratigraphic section of the Upper Proterozoic reveals various conditions accumulation of sediments, including volcanism and glaciation.

Paleozoic. Paleozoic deposits are very unevenly distributed throughout the territory of Belarus.

Cambrian deposits are found within the Podlassko-Brest depression and the western slope of the Belarusian anticline and are represented by clays, silts, and sandstones with a thickness of 120 m (Belarusian anticline) to 400 m (Podlassko-Brest depression). Remains of brachiopods and other primitive organisms are found in the Cambrian strata.

Ordovinian deposits are found within the Podlassko-Brest depression and the Baltic syneclise. In the southwest, this system is composed of quartz-glaucanitic sandstones, limestones, marls and contains traces of brachiopods, corals, bryozoans and echinoderms. The average thickness of Ordovician deposits is about 40 m. Within the Baltic syneclise, the thickness of the Ordovician reaches 150 m and includes quartz sandstones, phosphorites, marl, and clayey limestones.

Silurian deposits are distributed in the same areas as Ordovician ones (Podlassko-Brest depression, Baltic syneclise). Their thickness within the Podlesko-Brest depression reaches 630 m, and in the Baltic syneclise it is only 70 m. The Silurian system is composed mainly of clays, marls and limestones. In the Podlasie-Brest depression, these rocks are often bituminous, that is, they contain signs of oil. Remains of invertebrate fauna are very characteristic of this system.

Devonian deposits cover about 80% of the territory of Belarus. Their total thickness reaches 3.5 - 4 km.

Lower Devonian rocks are known only in the southwest of Belarus; they are represented by clays, marls and limestones with a thickness of no more than 80 m.

The Middle Devonian rocks are about 300 m thick and are composed of marl, dolomites, and clays.

The Upper Devonian rocks are characterized by very significant thickness and occupy vast territories in the south, southeast and east of Belarus. Based on the peculiarities of the structure and occurrence of the layers, 1) the Pripyat trough and 2) the Orsha depression with the adjacent slopes of the Latvian saddle are distinguished.

In the Pripyat trough the thickness of the Upper Devonian deposits reaches 3.5 km. Here they form several strata of different compositions with layers of stone and potassium salt, oil shale, etc.

Within the Orsha depression and the Latvian saddle, the Upper Devonian strata are represented by dolomites, limestones, clays, marls, remains of a rich fauna of brachiopods and other marine animals. The thickness of the deposits reaches 150 m. In some places along the valleys of the Dnieper and Western Dvina rivers, Upper Devonian deposits reach the surface.

Carboniferous deposits are less widespread and thinner (up to 1000 m) than Devonian deposits. They are developed mainly within the Pripyat and Dnieper-Donets troughs, as well as the Volyn monocline.

In the Pripyat trough, the thickness of coal deposits is very variable. In depressions it is somewhat greater, and within salt domes it sharply decreases until it disappears completely.

Permian deposits are found in the Pripyat and Dnieper-Donets troughs, the Podlasie-Brest depression, as well as on the northwestern slope of the Belarusian anticline.

In the Pripyat trough the thickness of Permian deposits reaches 500 m. At the base of the geological section, conglomerates formed as a result of the destruction of the Ukrainian shield are revealed. Higher up the section, red sandy-clayey rocks are observed. Sands, sandstones, aolitic limestones, as well as layers of gypsum, anhydrite and barite are typical for the upper Permian.

In western Belarus, the thickness of Permian deposits does not exceed several tens of meters; sandstones and conglomerates predominate here, which are replaced higher up the section by limestones and dolomites with traces of corals, worms and other organisms.

Mesozoic. During the Mesozoic era, marine transgressions developed quite widely on the territory of Belarus, penetrating from the south and reaching the latitude of Vitebsk. That is why deposits of all three systems of the Mesozoic group are known and well represented on the territory of the country: Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous.

Triassic deposits are common in the Pripyat trough and partly in the Podlasie-Brest depression. In the Pripyat trough they are distinguished by their great thickness and completeness of section.

The Lower Triassic is characterized by a thickness of up to 1,100 m and is represented by red-brown quartz sands and sandstones with interlayers of clays, marls and dolomites.

The Middle Triassic is composed of clays with layers of sandstones and sands and has a thickness of about 290 m.

The Upper Triassic is represented by greenish-gray kaolin clays with sand layers, in which numerous plant remains are often found, forming thin layers of brown coal (up to 1 cm).

Jurassic deposits are widely developed in eastern Belarus, where they extend to the latitude of the city of Gorki. There is also a small area of Jurassic deposits in the north-west of the country and is located north of the city of Grodno. Jurassic deposits are represented only by the middle and upper sections.

The Middle Jurassic has a thickness of up to 6 m; composed of gray medium-grained sands, silts and sandstones, including plant remains, pieces of wood and layers of coal.

The Upper Jurassic is much more developed than the Middle Jurassic; its maximum thickness (up to 200 m) is observed within the Pripyat and Dnieper-Donets troughs. In the north and west, the thickness of the Upper Jurassic decreases significantly. The Upper Jurassic section begins with black and dark gray carbonate clays with a rich fauna of mollusks and protozoa. Higher up the section there are limestones, marl, sands and clays. The limestones contain remains of corals, bryozoans and protozoans. In these deposits at a depth of 90-400 m there are accumulations of coal up to 4 m thick.

Cretaceous deposits are most widespread (compared to deposits of other Mesozoic systems). In the valley of the Sozh River they emerge on the day surface. Cretaceous deposits are best expressed in the southern regions of Belarus, where they are formed by glauconitic-quartz sandstones, dark gray and black clays, quartz sands with plant remains.

Cenozoic. On the territory of Belarus, each period of the Cenozoic era (Paleogene, Neogene, Anthropocene) was distinguished by its specific features of the paleographic record. In the Paleogene, for example, the last sea basin existed on the territory of the country. In the Neogene, sediment accumulation occurred under continental conditions, and in the Anthropocene, repeated continental glaciations developed.

Paleogene deposits are widespread. Rocks of all departments of the Paleogene system are distinguished, i.e. 1) Paleocene, 2) Eocene and 3) Oligocene. Along the valleys of the Dnieper, Sozh, Vykhra and Besed, they quite often emerge on the daytime surface.

The Paleocene strata are composed of oleurites, clays, different-grained quartz sands and sandstones. Their thickness reaches 40 m.

Eocene strata have widespread and are formed by glauconitic-quartz sands, clays, sandstones, marl, etc. The thickness of the Eocene rocks is about 120 m.

Oligocene strata in the lower part of the section are represented mainly by glauconitic-quartz sands and silts with a thickness of up to 50 m. The upper part of the section is characterized by kaolin clays, quartz sands with interlayers of brown coal with a thickness of about 70 m.

Neogene deposits cover the largest areas in the interfluves of Pripyat, Yaselda, Stviga and Slovechny and reach a thickness of 160 m. In the form of small individual islands, they are also found in other regions of Belarus. Neogene outcrops are known in the Dnieper valley in the southern regions of the republic, on the Sozh River and its tributaries, etc. The most typical Neogene deposits on the territory of Belarus are white quartz sands with layers of brown coal.

Anthropogene deposits (Quaternary period) are associated primarily with the activity of glaciers and have a thickness of about 325 m. The lower boundary of anthropogene deposits is characterized by absolute heights varying from + 180 (eastern part of Belarus) to - 168 m (Grodno region).

The main genetic types of anthropogenic deposits on the territory of Belarus are:

moraine,

of course moraine,

fluvioglacial,

lacustrine-glacial,

loess and loess-like,

alluvial,

swamp,

slope,

chemogenic,

technogenic.

Moraine deposits are characterized by maximum distribution and occupy more than half of the entire anthropogene section of Belarus. The essential features of morainic deposits are: 1) mixed mechanical composition; 2) availability fine particles, boulders and large blocks. The largest boulder in the country, the Great Stone, which was brought to the territory of Belarus by a glacier from Finland, also belongs to moraine deposits.

Finite-moraine deposits were formed at the edges of melting glaciers and often include masses of bedrock, mainly Cretaceous, Devonian, and Paleogene. For example, in the area of Volkovysk the thickness of chalk deposits reaches 200 m.

Fluvioglacial (flow-glacial) deposits are represented by glacioalluvial, outwash, fluvio-glacial-deltaic, esker and kame varieties.

Zandra - plains formed at the outskirts of ancient ice sheets by streams melt water; composed of sand and pebbles (Pripyat Polesie).

Lacustrine-glacial deposits are typical for the area of Poozersky glaciation. They formed at the bottom of ancient periglacial lakes: Polotsk, Surazhsky, Skidelsky, etc.

Alluvial deposits form floodplains and above-floodplain terraces of modern rivers, as well as strata of arable alluvium of the Pra-Dnieper and its numerous tributaries.

Loess and loess-like deposits are most typical of the Orsha-Mogilev plateau, where their thickness is about 20 m.

Loess is a non-layered, homogeneous, fine-grained calcareous sedimentary rock of light yellow or fawn color. Its composition is dominated by particles of 0.01 - 0.05 mm; the largest grains usually consist of quartz and feldspar. Porosity - 40-55%. Loess is capable of maintaining vertical slopes and causing subsidence when moistened. As a rule, loess occurs in the form of continuous covers ranging in thickness from several meters to 50-100 m on watersheds.

List of sources used

1.Akhounyya natural teritors and memorials of the ancient people of Belarus. - Mn., 1985.

2.Balandin R.K., Bondarev L.D. Nature and civilization. - M., 1988.

3.Belarusian Savetskaya Encyclopedia: In 12 volumes - Mn., 1969-1975.

4.Belarusian SSR: Short Encyclopedia: In 5 volumes - Mn., 1978-1981.

5. Belousov V.V. Basic questions of geotectonics. - M., 1954.

6. Reservoirs of Belarus: Natural features and interaction with environment. - Mn., 1991.

7.Geography of Belarus / Ed. A.V. Dementieva. - Mn., 1977.

8. Geology of Belarus: Achievements and problems / Ed. G.I.Goretsky. - Mn., 1983.

9.Esakov V.A. Theoretical problems physical geography in Russia XIX - early XX century - M., 1987.