Khibiny and mountain tundra are located in the Murmansk region. It is locate in the central part of the Kola Peninsula, which consists of mountainous rocky plateau-tundra, among which there are lakes. The region of active mining, at the same time attracts tourists with its ski infrastructure. The geological age of Khibiny Mountains is about 390 million years. The tops are plateau-shaped, the slopes are steep with individual snowfields. There are 4 small glaciers with a total area of 0.1 km². The highest point is Mount Yudychvumchorr (1200.6 m above sea level). In the center are the plateau Kukisvumchorr and Chaschnachorr. At the foot of the Khibiny Mountains are the cities of Apatity and Kirovsk. At the foot of Mount Vudyavrchorr - Polar-Alpine Botanical Garden-Institute.
The Khibiny combines features of the regional and local mountain
climate. The climatic conditions are severe subarctic. The outer slopes
of the mountains experience a significant softening effect of the
climate of the surrounding plains, and the microclimate of the central
part of the massif is much more severe. Snow in the mountains lies from
October to June. The average annual temperature in the Khibiny is
-2.5/-3.0 degrees. The average temperatures in January-February in the
valley areas are −13/−14 degrees, in July - no higher than +13 degrees.
With altitude, the air temperature drops by about 0.5 - 0.6 degrees for
every 100 meters of altitude. The climatic conditions of the plateaus
and peaks are much more difficult than in the valley parts - severe
frosts in winter are often combined with strong winds and almost 100%
air humidity, which leads to rapid icing of vertical objects.
The
polar night lasts from 40 to 42 days. The Khibiny are located beyond the
Arctic Circle, which means that every winter winds blow from the waters
of the White and Barents Seas. There are frequent cyclones, sharp drops
in atmospheric pressure. In the open spaces of the peaks, hurricane
winds can blow at speeds up to 50 m/s. Khibiny are quite avalanche-prone
in winter. From August to mid-April, you can watch the northern lights.
Summer is short, in the mountains 60-80 days without frost. In the
foothills, the period with an average daily temperature above 10°C lasts
about 70 days. Summer also receives the maximum amount of precipitation.
The polar day lasts 50 days.
In the Khibiny falls from 600-700 mm
of precipitation in the valleys, up to 1600 mm of precipitation on the
mountain plateaus. During the year, precipitation is distributed almost
evenly, a little more in summer, a little less in winter. In summer,
about 20% of the days are without precipitation, with an average
precipitation of 2 mm per day, in winter, only 10%, with an average
precipitation of 1.5 mm per day.
The Khibiny flora is very valuable. A large number of species
included in the "red books" of various ranks grow on the territory of
the massif.
In the fauna of terrestrial vertebrates of the
Khibiny mountain range, 27 species of mammals, 123 species of birds, 2
species of reptiles, 1 species of amphibians are represented. Almost all
mammals of the Murmansk region are also represented. Some of them are
classified as protected or on the verge of extinction.
The Khibiny alkaline massif is a large intrusive body of complex
shape and composition. The age of formation of the main types of rocks
according to Pb-Pb, Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd dating is from 380 to 360 million
years ago (Devonian period) [6]. A characteristic feature of the Khibiny
massif is a ring (in plan) structure, which has a number of analogies
among some other alkaline massifs. The rock complexes that make up the
massif form, as it were, arcs folded into each other, open to the east,
which is explained by the intrusion of magma along alternating ring and
cone faults.
About 500 minerals have been found on the territory
of the Khibiny massif, of which about 100 have been discovered here, 110
are not found anywhere else. Many minerals have practical value.
Apatite, nepheline, titanite, molybdenite and rinkite are or have been
mined. Astrophyllite, aegirine, eudialyte are used as ornamental stones.
The peculiarity of the geochemistry of the Khibiny massif leads to
the formation of rare minerals and the formation of unique deposits.
Rock complexes that make up the Khibiny massif:
complex of
khibinites and endocontact nepheline syenites,
complex of trachytoid
khibinites,
rischorrite complex,
complex of ijolite-urtites,
malignites and lujavrites,
complex of medium-grained nepheline
syenites,
foyaite complex.
Within the limits of the Khibiny
massif, mineral associations were found that are not typical for other
massifs of alkaline rocks, including topaz and spinel. In the xenoliths
of Mount Eveslogchorr, there is a manifestation of corundum, which is
used in the jewelry industry - blue sapphire.
The largest deposits of apatite-nepheline ores are located on the
territory of the Khibiny massif.
The following mines are
currently operating: Kirovsky (Kukisvumchorr and Yukspor deposits),
Rasvumchorrsky (Apatite Circus and Rasvumchorr Plateau deposits,
Vostochny (Koashva and Nyorkpakhk deposits) and the recently discovered
Oleniy Ruchey (Koashva deposit). Mining is carried out both underground
and The number of open pit mining is declining and soon the development
of deposits will be carried out only by underground mining.
The
main minerals mined in the Khibiny are: apatite, nepheline, sphene,
aegirine, feldspar, titanomagnetite. Previously mined lovchorrite. The
massif contains in its bowels the largest reserves of zirconium raw
materials (zircon, eudialyte) and its accompanying hafnium (zircon),
which are not currently mined. At the same time, a significant amount of
this raw material is currently stored in the tailings of the
apatite-nepheline factory.