Salair ridge - part of the region of Southern Siberia, low mountain elevation. It is a spur of the Kuznetsk Alatau. Ridge begins in the area of the river. Neni, in its upper reaches. Then it descends in a north-westerly direction between the Chumysh and Kondoma rivers and flows along the Ob stream. The length of the Salair Ridge is about 300 km. The hill ends with small Bugotak hills. In territorial and administrative terms, the ridge is located in Russia within three regions: Kemerovo, Novosibirsk and Altai Krai. South Siberia, the map of which is presented in the article, is an unforgettable place!
Title
The name comes from the river Sairair, which once flowed on these lands. Translated from Turkic “Sayr” - a stony bed, “air” - a rivulet.
Relief
Salair, in appearance, resembles more a hilly hill than a mountain range. The fact is that most of it has long been plowed. In addition, gently sloping rugged valleys run along the ridge.
In fact, Salair is an ancient mountain. The lower section of the ridge is represented by Hercynian folding. Further, metamorphic rocks of three eras of the Devonian period are located in even stripes. Volcanic formations located here belong to this time. The uppermost layer of the ridge is represented by clay rocks of the Pliocene age.
Salair ridge has a rugged surface, ravines and ridges are visible. The powerful force of weathering and erosion gave this feature to Salair.
By the nature of the relief of the ridge, two regions can be distinguished that are particularly contrasting with each other: this is the Salair plateau and the Kuznetsk Prisalairye. The last district of this area is represented by a sharp slope in the northeast of the hill. The sheer wall rises 120 m and has a sharp slope. The western slopes of the Salair ridge are gentle, evenly descend to the foot of the Altai Valley. Rock caves, craters, dry logs are considered to be a feature of the relief. They were formed due to erosion processes that have long dominated the territory of such a natural object as the Salair Ridge.
The Novosibirsk region, Kemerovo and Altai Krai - these mountain ranges belong to these parts of Russia. It has many peaks of small height. The average reaches about 400 m. The highest point is considered to be the city of Kivda (618 m). Approximate height hills are located nearby. This is Mokhnataya, Fir and Golden Mountain, as well as the city of Kopna and the city of Belukha.
Wealth of the land
A long period of elevation formation has affected the location of large deposits of various minerals here. Mention of the people of the Arimassians, who lived in Siberia and "stealing gold from the eagles," found even in Herodotus. In the area of the Salair Ridge there are gold deposits - gold placers. Gold is mined in almost all the rivers that originate on the mountain range. The famous gold crafts of this region are Khristininsky, Ursky, Yegoryevsky, Mungaysky and Kasminsky.
Breeds
Coal deposits are of great importance in the region. Several years ago, the Bachatskoye and Kolchuginskoye deposits were discovered and actively used. New deposits have also been discovered, although they are not yet equipped for mining. These are the Elbash, Izylgonsk and Vyzhikh deposits.
The region is rich in polymetallic ores. Iron species are represented by red and brown iron ore. There are small inclusions of copper ores. Active mining of metals in the fields. Silver ores also occur in Salair. Deposits of silver can be found in the northeast. Small amounts of nickel, mercury, bauxite, and quartzite are found.
Salair ridge is a place where rocks are extracted that are actively used in construction. These are sandstones, gray and white limestones, volcanic tuffs, diorites, clay and peat.
Rivers
Despite the fact that the height of the Salair ridge is small, several rivers flow along its peaks, which flow along both eastern and western slopes. Descending from the mountains, these streams flow into larger rivers - the Inuy, Berd and Chumysh. The waters of the mountain range have a significant effect on the degree of water filling in these streams. Also, the Salair ridge (the map is in the article) is of great importance in the formation of climate in this territory. The fact is that the hill is located meridionally, which means it prevents the passage of air masses deep into the mainland. Humidity in the mountains is much higher than in the lower reaches. The rivers flowing here have shallow banks, often spill over. Landslides and steep coasts are found everywhere.
Flora and fauna
Salair Ridge has rich vegetation. It is represented by coniferous and mixed forests. There are areas of aspen, birch groves, fir thickets, pine forests (Guryevsky, Vaganovsky, Krasninsky). There are a lot of berries, mushrooms, rare plants in the forests - Altai anemone, cinquefoil, kandyk, backache, many unique primroses. Sometimes there are areas of vegetation characteristic of such a natural zone as taiga. Aborigines call these places mob. Such a nickname for the forest was due to its dense cover through which light does not pass. It is always gloomy here, fog swirls, a lot of shrubs, lichens and mosses, bears are very common. In addition to brown representatives, lynx, fox, wolf, Siberian roe deer, elk, weasel, and badger live in the forests.
Climate and infrastructure
The climate in these places is cool. Due to frequent rains, the air is always very humid. On the Salair ridge and in its environs, people do not live. There is also no permanent traffic connection. Only at the foot of the ridge at the mouth of the river are small villages. Locals welcome travelers and conduct excursions along ecological trails.
The climate map of Russia (the Altai Territory is also on it) actually displays all the zones in which this territory is located. And one of the unusual places is Salair. It must be visited without fail! This is an amazing place where there is something to admire and photograph for memory. Many tourists coming here come back more than once to refresh their impressions.