An interesting enough continent to study is South America. The relief, minerals and features of the continent we will consider in this article.
Relief features
The relief feature of South America is a clear division of the mainland into two parts: in the east and in the center there are huge flat areas, and in the north and west there is the longest mountain system of the planet, the Andes (South American Cordillera). The mainland is based on the South American platform. Here, uplifts and troughs alternate, which on the surface are manifested in the form of lowlands, plateaus and plains.
Northwest part of the continent
The relief and minerals of South America are quite diverse. For example, the Andes mountain system is located along the entire Pacific coast of the mainland. It covers about 9,000 km. In its height, the mountains are second only to the Himalayas. More than 20 peaks have a height of more than 6,000 m. The Andes are quite young mountains, they formed during the convergence of the oceanic and mainland lithospheric plates. The ocean plate that has gone down has given way to the mainland. The mountains are still "growing." A proof of this is the seismically active zone: earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are quite common on the western territory of the mainland. The population of South American countries still remembers the terrifying destruction of volcanic eruptions. There are also the largest extinct volcanoes of the planet: Ljulyayljako, Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, San Pedro. Their height exceeds the mark of 5,000 m.
Central and Eastern South America
The Guiana Plateau is located in the central part of the continent. In the northwest, it is framed by the Brazilian plateau, and in the east - Patagonian. The relief of the Guiana and Brazilian plateaus is presented in the form of empty basement and wavy forms, with predominant peaks of 1600-1750 m. Cone-like peaks or sand ridges appear in the boundary boundaries of this form of relief.
The eastern edge of the Brazilian plateau is divided into lonely massifs. The special shapes of the peaks are pronounced here. Monoclinic, accumulative, and stratum plains stand out on this plateau. There are lava plateaus. The most famous example of such a relief is Mount Pan di Asucar, which is located in Rio de Janeiro.
Patagonian Plateau is represented by a plateau of volcanic origin. The relief and minerals of South America are characterized by moraine and water-glacial deposits. Also in the area of convergence of the plateau and foothills you can meet cut deep canyons of rivers. These water streams originate in the mountains.
The Amazonian lowland is one of the largest low plains of the planet. Most of the lowlands are swampy, more than 5,000 square meters. km
Geology
In the geological structure, the continent consists of two structural elements - the South American platform and the mountain system, which significantly affects the relief and minerals of South America. There are three protrusions of the foundation: Guiana, Westobrazilsky, Eastobrazilsky shields. They are formed by metamorphosed and intensely deformed rocks of the Archean and Lower Proterozoic, as well as Proterozoic granites. The Amazonian lowland is folded at the end of the Precambrian. The youngest section of the mainland foundation is the Patagonian Plate. It is distinguished as a separate structural unit, which consists of two elevations: northern and southern.
Mineral deposits of South America
Mainland South America is a continent that is extremely rich in all kinds of minerals. Their location depends on the nature of the relief. The largest iron ore deposits of the planet are concentrated in this area. River basin Orinoco (Venezuelan territory), Minas Gerais (state of Brazil) - the largest deposits of ore mining in South America.
The deflections of the Andes mountain system contain oil and gas deposits. The largest deposits are concentrated in Venezuela. Against the background of others, brown and coal deposits are also distinguished. Thanks to the young weathering crust, deposits of manganese and bauxite were formed. The main part is concentrated in the countries of Guyana, Suriname. On the western coast of the mainland, practically inexhaustible reserves of nitrate are being developed (it is used for the production of nitrogen fertilizer). Bolivia has large stocks of tin.
But most of the minerals occur in the foothills and mountains of the Andes. Tungsten, lead, zinc, and aluminum ores are mined in this region. The states of South America are called “countries of precious stones”, because it is here that there are deposits of noble metals - silver, gold and platinum and, of course, precious stones: emeralds, diamonds and others that are used in jewelry production.
So, we can summarize. After reviewing the information presented in the article, each student will be able to make a detailed report on the topic "Relief and minerals of South America."