CRYOGEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES IN THE OXIDATION ZONES OF ORE DEPOSITS. (ANALYTICAL REVIEW). Pt 2. NITROGEN GEOCHEMISTRY IN NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC LANDSCAPES

V. A. Abramova, A. B. Ptitsyn

Institute of Natural Resources, Ecology and Cryology SB RAS, Chita, Russia

The authors have considered the role of nitrogen compounds in chemical weathering occurring in natural and anthropogenic landscapes in general, and in permafrost zones in particular. The authors analysed the data on the composition and many various forms of nitrogen occurrence, and its extensive part in hypergenic, hydrothermal, metamorphic, and magmatic processes. It was established that there is a lot of data on nitrogen ecogeochemistry, evidencing that it is excessive in many media due to substantial increase in man-induced impact. The formation of atmospheric acid rains and their environmental impact were considered. It was shown by experiments that nitrogen compounds occurring in acid rains can significantly influence chemical alteration of the near-surface parts of a cryolithic zone and create oxidising conditions for active weathering of sulphides. This issue is topical for the territories with a cold climate and extended permafrost, and is not only important for the understanding of fundamental issues of cryogenesis geochemistry, but also is applicable to geological forecasting in the regions of sulphide deposits development and cryogeotechnological ways to extract metals.

Keywords: nitrogen compounds, hypergenesis, acid rains, sulphides, chemical weathering, permafrost.

DOI 10.20403/2078-0575-2017-3-46-57

Download PDF