Editing Ural Mountains (section)

==Geology==
[[File:Gorskii 04428u.jpg|thumb|A [[mining|mine]] in the Ural Mountains, early colour photograph by [[Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky]], 1910]]

The Urals are among the world's oldest extant [[mountain ranges]]. Some have estimated the age to be 250 to 300&nbsp;million years, the elevation of the mountains is unusually high. They formed during the [[Uralian orogeny]] due to the [[continental collision|collision]] of the [[Main Uralian Fault|eastern edge]] of the supercontinent [[Laurasia]] with the young and [[Rheology|rheologically]] weak continent of [[Kazakhstania]], which now underlies much of Kazakhstan and West Siberia west of the [[Irtysh]], and intervening [[island arc]]s. The collision lasted nearly 90&nbsp;million years in the late [[Carboniferous]] – early [[Triassic]].<ref name="brown&echtler">{{cite book|author=Brown, D. |author2=Echtler, H. |year=2005|chapter=The Urals|editor=Selley, R. C. |editor2=Cocks, L. R. M.  |editor3=[[Ian Plimer|Plimer, I. R.]] |title=Encyclopedia of Geology|volume=2|publisher= Elsevier|pages= 86–95|isbn=978-0126363807}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Cocks |first1=L. R. M. |url=http://www.geodynamics.no/guest/GeolSoc06.pdf |title=European Lithosphere Dynamics |last2=Torsvik |first2=T. H. |author-link2=Trond Helge Torsvik |publisher=Geological Society of London |year=2006 |isbn=978-1862392120 |editor=[[David G. Gee|Gee, D. G.]] |editor2= Stephenson, R. A. |volume=32 |pages=83–95 |chapter=European geography in a global context from the Vendian to the end of the Palaeozoic |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731085326/http://www.geodynamics.no/guest/GeolSoc06.pdf |archive-date=2009-07-31 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1144/SP327.9|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249552596| title = The evolution of the Uralian orogen| journal = Geological Society, London, Special Publications| volume = 327| pages = 161–195| year = 2009| last1 = Puchkov | first1 = V. N.|issue=1|bibcode=2009GSLSP.327..161P|s2cid=129439058}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1016/j.earscirev.2008.05.001| title = Mountain building processes during continent–continent collision in the Uralides| journal = Earth-Science Reviews| volume = 89| issue = 3–4| pages = 177| year = 2008| last1 = Brown | first1 = D.| last2 = Juhlin | first2 = C.| last3 = Ayala | first3 = C.| last4 = Tryggvason | first4 = A.| last5 = Bea | first5 = F.| last6 = Alvarez-Marron | first6 = J.| last7 = Carbonell | first7 = R.| last8 = Seward | first8 = D.| last9 = Glasmacher | first9 = U.| last10 = Puchkov | first10 = V.| last11 = Perez-Estaun | first11 = sexbombA.| bibcode = 2008ESRv...89..177B|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236880030}}</ref> Unlike the other major orogens of the [[Paleozoic]] ([[Appalachians]], [[Caledonides]], [[Variscides]]), the Urals have not undergone [[post-orogenic collapse|post-orogenic extensional collapse]] and are unusually well preserved for their age, being underlaid by a pronounced crustal root.<ref>{{Cite journal| doi = 10.1016/S0012-821X(00)00374-5| url = http://online.sfsu.edu/leech/papers/Leech2001.pdf| title = Arrested orogenic development: Eclogitization, delamination, and tectonic collapse| journal = Earth and Planetary Science Letters| volume = 185| pages = 149–159| year = 2001| last1 = Leech| first1 = M. L.| issue = 1–2| bibcode = 2001E&PSL.185..149L| access-date = 28 August 2015| archive-date = 23 April 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210423101950/http://online.sfsu.edu/leech/papers/Leech2001.pdf| url-status = dead}}</ref><ref name="jgsl">{{Cite journal| doi = 10.1144/0016-764901-147| url = http://hera.ugr.es/doi/15084310.pdf| title = Insights into orogenesis: Getting to the root of a continent-ocean-continent collision, Southern Urals, Russia| journal = Journal of the Geological Society| volume = 159| issue = 6| pages = 659| year = 2002| last1 = Scarrow| first1 = J. H.| last2 = Ayala| first2 = C.| last3 = Kimbell| first3 = G. S.| bibcode = 2002JGSoc.159..659S| s2cid = 17694777| access-date = 28 August 2015| archive-date = 17 June 2012| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120617054227/http://hera.ugr.es/doi/15084310.pdf| url-status = live}}</ref> East and south of the Urals much of the orogen is buried beneath later [[Mesozoic]] and [[Cenozoic]] [[sediment]]s.<ref name="brown&echtler"/> The adjacent [[Pay-Khoy Ridge]] to the north and [[Novaya Zemlya]] are not a part of the Uralian orogen and formed later.

Many deformed and [[Metamorphism|metamorphosed]] rocks, mostly of [[Paleozoic]] age, surface within the Urals. The [[Sedimentary rock|sedimentary]] and [[volcanic]] layers are [[Fold (geology)|folded]] and [[Fault (geology)|faulted]]. The sediments to the west of the Ural Mountains are formed of [[limestone]], [[Dolomite (rock)|dolomite]] and [[sandstone]] left from ancient shallow seas. The eastern side is dominated by [[basalt]]s.<ref name=bse>{{cite web|url=http://bse.sci-lib.com/article114360.html|title=Урал (географич.) (Ural (geographical))|publisher=[[Great Soviet Encyclopedia]]|access-date=22 June 2020|archive-date=9 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409032152/http://bse.sci-lib.com/article114360.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Ural Mountains Winter woods (32035729862).jpg|left|thumb|280x280px|Wooded Ural Mountains in winter]]
The western slope of the Ural Mountains has predominantly [[karst topography]], especially in the [[Sylva (river)|Sylva]] basin, which is a tributary of the [[Chusovaya]]. It is composed of severely eroded sedimentary rocks (sandstones and limestones) that are about 350&nbsp;million years old. There are many [[cave]]s, [[sinkhole]]s and underground streams. The karst topography is much less developed on the eastern slopes. The eastern slopes are relatively flat, with some hills and rocky outcrops and contain alternating volcanic and sedimentary layers dated to the middle Paleozoic Era.<ref name=bse/> Most high mountains consist of weather-resistant rocks such as [[quartzite]], [[schist]] and [[gabbro]] that are between 395 and 570&nbsp;million years old. The river valleys are underlain by limestone.<ref name=brit/>

The Ural Mountains contain about 48 species of economically valuable [[ore]]s and minerals. Eastern regions are rich in [[chalcopyrite]], [[nickel oxide]] (e. g. [[Serov nickel deposit]]), [[gold]], [[platinum]], [[chromite]] and [[magnetite]] ores, as well as in [[coal]] ([[Chelyabinsk Oblast]]), [[bauxite]], [[talc]], [[fireclay]] and abrasives. The Western Urals contain deposits of coal, oil, natural gas (Ishimbay and Krasnokamsk areas) and [[potassium salt]]s. Both slopes are rich in [[bituminous coal]] and [[lignite]], and the largest deposit of bituminous coal is in the north (Pechora field). The specialty of the Urals is precious and semi-precious stones, such as [[emerald]], [[amethyst]], [[Aquamarine (gemstone)|aquamarine]], [[jasper]], [[rhodonite]], [[malachite]] and [[diamond]]. Some of the deposits, such as the magnetite ores at [[Magnitogorsk]], are already nearly depleted.<ref name=brit/><ref name=bse/>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;margin:1em auto;"
|+ Minerals from the Ural Mountains
| width="27%" | [[File:Andradite-23893.jpg|180px]]
| width="27%" | [[File:Beryl-md20a.jpg|200px]]
| width="27%" | [[File:Platinum-41654.jpg|170px]]
| width="19%" | [[File:Quartz-34654.jpg|115px]]
|-
| [[Andradite]]
| [[Beryl]]
| [[Platinum]]
| [[Quartz]]
|}
{{Clear}}