Lena-Baikal Bloch squad geological expedition. The detachment consisted of 4 people: chief – geologists I.I. Katushenok, geomorphology N.V. Dumitrashko, superintendent – geologist M.P. Barkhatova and collector N.A. Urusova.
The expedition explored the inaccessible areas of the eastern and western Baikal and geologically lit area, is still “white spots” on the geological map.
Cruise studies in these inaccessible areas were related to overcoming the enormous physical challenges. Experience of work this year clearly shows how important is the organizational issue in organizing expeditions. Of great importance to the success of the work has to ensure an early exit in the field – no later than May 1st.
Lena-Eloxinskiy squad, who worked in the area of the watershed district. Lena and Lake. Baikal on with. Zhigalova to the headwaters. Kirenga with. Poor wretch on the lake, began to work with a delay of almost a month against the plan, given the complexity of the organization of transport for work in the taiga conditions: purchase of horses in Tunkinsky region and the Mongolian border and their delivery to the place of work for 500 km and cost spent considerable time and separation workers. A lot of time is taken away and contingency, as an unusual rise in water on the Lena, which coincided with the beginning of work and detain us nearly a fortnight.
And further route we greatly delayed the spill of other rivers and flooding of wetlands.
The detachment had to make a route-geological intersection of p. Lena to the west coast of Lake Baikal. All this area, stretching more than 400 km, is for the most part hilly hill, cut by river valleys and towering above sea level above 800 m and above Baikal – 300 m.
When viewed from the highlands this hill seems huge, once excited and frozen sea. Watershed bands seem more elevated wave crests and river valleys – troughs between the waves. Against this backdrop it stands a towering above the ground small ridges “Voroy”, “Syinsk” and others like them are located from south to north in the upper pp. Kirenga and Ulokana, and partly in the lower reaches of the latter.
Sometimes there are wide valleys kotlovinoobraznye expansion to 5-10 km, which are, apparently, the remains were once lakes here, ceased to exist as a result of the general uplift areas; some of them are still preserved until now, but in small lakes or marshes scattered in various locations of the hill.
To the south of this hill continues to the city of Irkutsk and goes for the district. Angara, and to the north it stretches far to the lower reaches of the river Lena. Near the lake it replaces high Goltsovoye Highlands, extends along the lake from the south to the north, in the form of a mountain range, which is called the Primorye. Highlands, sharply rising above Prilenskoye elevation, then it goes pretty steep ledge 400 meters tall, with spiky peaks rocks comb watersheds and sometimes cone-shaped peaks reaching 2000 meters.
In the upper parts of the highland slopes often furrowed tsirkoobraznymi craters – traces of ancient glaciation. Most slopes are showered krupnoglybovymi stone placers, greatly hindering the promotion of the ridge, even in the lower part of the forested valley.
Primorsky range in the southern part of the studied area in the upper river. Kirenga has a width of 10-15 km to the north, he gradually expands, reaches up to 40 km, and then proceeds to the solid plateau.
The main rivers of the region – Lena, Kirenga, Ulkan – start with the highlands and flowing on the hill, cutting it with their valleys to a depth of 300 m.
In the highlands of the river is usually shallow, flowing in narrow trough valleys with steep drop and violently torn by cluttering up the valley stone deposits. Sometimes in these placers of the river forms rapids, making it almost impassable by boat.
When you exit the Highland rivers spread over wide valleys and hills meander numerous channels and meanders (bends) in a broad valley.
In the valleys of the rivers of the hill there are 12 terraces up to 300 m, characterizing the general geological history of raising or lowering all terrain mouths pool. These fluctuations occurred during the Quaternary uplifts and stages are characterized by the presence of residues of various freshwater fauna in the terraces.
On the lower terraces of some of the valleys (pp. Honda, V. Irel) found in a large number of rounded pebbles of crystalline rocks of the highlands. This ancient river sediments once existed river system that took its direction from Highland at Prilenskoye hill, t. E. The opposite of the modern flow of Handa and other tributaries of the left. Kirenga.
Geological studies in this area previously made Acad. VA Obruchev in 1898 and later in 1928 Cherkasov V. Yu. We had to clarify and detail the Cambrian deposits in the area and to compare them with the Cambrian Lena-Baikal watershed, as well as to make such a comparison geomorphological elements of the river valley. Lena with watershed and upland margin.
Work at p. Lena River facilitated by the presence of detailed maps (navigation) and valleys. Significantly greater complexity of the work presented in the transition through the taiga of the watershed pp. Lena and Kirenga, Kirenga and Baikal.
Geological research in this area is still almost was not: no cartographic materials, except for the scale of 1 Card: 1000000 No movement difficult conditions.
It was necessary to find out the conditions in which there was a formation of rocks that form the area (deep-water and shallow-water deposits, mineral composition making up the rocks, and so on. D.) To determine the spread of the limits of the ancient Cambrian sea and to decide on the geological history of the Baikal Highland, his age and modern geological structure of the area; it was necessary to create a geological route map scale of 1: 500,000 and make stratigraphic section along the entire route.
Geomorphological research and tracking changes in landscape elements from the Lena River to the Highlands had to give the material to the clarification of the Quaternary history of the area and its contemporary tectonic vibrations.
At the same time it was necessary to check the possible existence of oil-bearing Cambrian rocks here. This was demanded by unexplained manifestations of the oil-bearing on the lake, finding bituminous rocks in the Cambrian in the lower reaches of the river. Lena and some indication of the manifestation of the oil-bearing characteristics in the area of the Cambrian in the western Baikal area.
The planned crossing watersheds Lena – Kirenga and Kirenga – Baikal produced detachment in two directions: from to. Zhigalovo Lena, up pp. Tutura and Chikatilo, at pp. Chontoke, Nathan Hande and Kirenga and on with. Karali on Kirenga, across the river. Ulkan at pp. Upper, Middle and Lower Ireli and through the Baikal Mountains with access to Lake Baikal in with. unfortunate; the second batch made from the intersection with the route. Zhigalova at pp. Tutura, Kelora, Shevykan and Kirenga.
Surface Prilenskoye hills covered with untouched taiga vegetation, and needed to make a big move across the Lena-Baikal watershed at a distance of about 400 km. The main transport mode of transportation was a pack horse and partly by boat along the main rivers.
Work was started on the Lena on with. Kachug and up with. Zhigalova and carried on boats with a tour of the coastal outcrops and geomorphology of the valley. Lena is in this area has a navigable river, flows in a wide valley, bordered on both sides by high sides. On the broad areas of the valley bottom terraces are a lot of villages and hamlets, linked by roads and trails, and makes the area quite homely and easy to move and work.
To the east is from Lena whole area is covered with taiga vegetation and populated places are found only in the valley. Tutura. Railways, except the river and a small dirt track beside her throughout the area there.
Then move into the boat, as we expected, it was impossible, as the upper Tutura were shallow.
On p. Chikan on p. Tutura squad had to go entirely to the pack horses and make the transition Lena-kirengskogo watershed valleys pp. Chikan, Tutura and Kelory on taiga terrain, often without any trails. Spill rivers caused flooding of low areas and complete their obstruction, frequent crossing of the river, forest debris taiga – all this greatly complicated the transition.
It is not easy getting any as individual routes, when required inspection locations, located in the side of the direction of movement of the caravan. These routes had to do, going on 5-6 days in a completely uninhabited taiga, directing its way only compass. In these routes have to give up the most basic amenities of life expedition: tents, sleeping bags and limited to those that can be carried by one person with the products, samples, instruments for a few days. Shelter from fir and spruce, and the fire is determined in such campaigns the entire life of the expedition life.
The path through the Lena-kirengsky watershed for 250 km through the uninhabited taiga lasted for a month and ended output at pp. Handa and Kirenga on which the movement has been going on rafts.
In the basin of the river. Kirenga felt approaching the plateau; terrain rises gradually, reaching the altitude of about 100 meters above sea level; river valleys have made steeper hills are covered with taiga and more, breaking off the high cliffs above the river, get majestic views. Rivers made faster, abounding, even less passable by boats abound rifts, Shiver and forest debris.
R. Kirenga from the camp with Mourinho before. Karam flows in a narrow valley bordered by high forested slopes and hills, with beautiful beaches. Here it is quite passable for boats. In some places, the river valley has kotlovinoobraznye extensions, and there, on flat areas of low terraces, located a few villages and villages with a population engaged in agriculture and hunting squirrel, elk bear, wild goat and other animals.
In the upper pp. Kirenga, Tutura, Handa, Murino located Tunguska camp population, were combined in a native village councils, which has its own collective and engaged almost exclusively on hunting and reindeer herding. Mostly Tunguses are still nomadic, moving with all the equipment and yurts from place to place for catching animals and choose the best pasture for reindeer herds.
Tungus – Essential Guides for most deaf and wild taiga and mountainous places and gave us invaluable assistance in the difficult transition, literally impossible without such experts in the area.
Out on the river. Kirenga, the two parties have been our unit: one to the upper Kirenga, reaching the edges of the Highlands in a small boat and on foot, the other – from the camp Murino down below with Kirenga. Karam and then pack by without roads and trails, topping Baikal Mountains – Lake Baikal.
Late check-out unit from Irkutsk and delays in transit due to river flooding caused the delay output to pass through the Baikal Mountains, bringing the Highlands had already covered almost two-meter layer of snow. However, the main work area in the foothills of the development of the Cambrian rocks brought to an end, in spite of the snow; but the further passage through the ridge, folded igneous rocks, has done almost without detailed surveys.
Go through polutorakilometrovy ridge covered with snow, on horseback never doing even local hunters. Recent aggressively offering to return back to the old route through Lena. But later time, even transient winter road, a huge distance the way back – all it required crossing over the ridge by any means and resources, as there were only 150 km to the lake, in which ensured quick and easy return to the boat.
Therefore it was decided to move across the snow ridge. Careful preparation was carried out: at least made the ultimate equipment and forage products taken from the most lightweight (dry vegetables, crackers), to the highlands of the consignment has been a ride on a boat light and so on..
Each day promote inland highlands brought increasing difficulties. Krupnoglybnye placers slopes were covered with a thick fluffy snow, not withstanding any horse or human. Horses and people drowned in snow and sank into the underlying his blocky placers. The rise in such conditions heavily loaded with horses became almost impossible – we moved forward sometimes 3-4 km per day, finally, the ability to move at all stopped, exhausted horses, forage not end products. Although the pass only a few kilometers away, but the guides require the return trip, ie. E. Do again more than 100 km in the snow without forage, without food. No, you can only go forward!
And leaving the equipment, the collection, the entire load with negligible residues of products utaptyvaya road horses in the soft snow, the voltage last effort of horses and people, we crossed the ridge and has rapidly started down the slope of the Baikal.
Graduates of the way to Lake Baikal. The remaining cargo was delivered later on sledges and skis; in late October on the boat on Lake Baikal in Irkutsk back. For the first time we laid the winter equestrian way through the Baikal Mountains.
Material found and prepared for publication by Grigory Luchansky
Source: GEOLOGICAL ITINERARY – FORWARDING ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LIFE
Translation: Google
