Pechora Coal Basin Research Articles

От находок угольной гальки к открытию месторождений (к 100-летию Печорского угольного бассейна)

The article is devoted to the history of the discovery of coal deposits in connection with the 100th anniversary of the Pechora coal basin. The stages of geological research are shown from individual finds of coal and references in scientific publications. Attention is paid to the importance of the expedition led by A. A. Chernov in 1924. The most important results of the scientific work by A. A. Chernov are covered, and excerpts from his field diaries are given. The issues of scientific substantiation of the Pechora coal basin are considered.

ECONOMIC SCIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES OF THE URAL NORTH (1940-2000S)

Economists UFAN - UC AS USSR - Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences contributed to the development of the Ural North. Since the 1940s, they participated in the development of projects for the construction of railways that would connect the metallurgical enterprises of the Urals with Pechora coal basin, assessed deposits of non-ferrous and rare metals, etc. The article reveals the reasons why the railroad along the Ural Range was never built. At the same time using a large factual material the article shows how the wealth of the Urals due to a professional economic evaluation was involved in economic development and significantly enriched the production potential of the region.

Boreognathus pogorevichi , a remarkable new polychaete annelid from the lower Permian of the Pechora Basin, Russia

The sclerotized jaw elements (scolecodonts) of polychaete annelids are rarely preserved as articulated jaw apparatuses. Here we describe a morphologically unusual, rather large, and symmetrical jaw apparatus, assigned to the new taxon Boreognathus pogorevichi gen. et sp. nov., from the Kungurian (lower Permian) of the Pechora Coal Basin, northern Cis-Urals, Russia. Whereas the specimen is mainly preserved as a three-dimensional external mould of the near-complete dorsal maxillary apparatus, some organic matter comprising the original jaw wall is also retained. The new taxon combines edentate, pincer-like first maxillae (MI) typical of the extant Labidognatha apparatus type with long slender carriers common in the Prionognatha type. Unlike the smooth MI, MII are consistently and prominently denticulated. The new genus represents a hitherto unknown type of polychaete jaw apparatus and is assigned to the Palaeozoic family Atraktoprionidae.

ИСТОРИЯ ОСВОЕНИЯ АРКТИЧЕСКОГО ПРОСТРАНСТВА ЕВРОПЕЙСКОГО СЕВЕРО-ВОСТОКА СССР В 1930–1950-Е ГГ. ЧЕРЕЗ ПРИЗМУ ВОСПОМИНАНИЙ РЕПРЕССИРОВАННОГО УЧЕНОГО В.В. ГРЕЧУХИНА

The article analyzes the memoirs of the geophysicist, researcher of the Pechora coal basin Vladimir Vasilyevich Grechukhin (1913-1998). "The Summary of Life or the Long Paradox", written by the author in the 1990s. The document was discovered in the funds of the Vorkuta Museum and Exhibition Center. The scientist entered the history of science as a specialist in the area of field-geophysical research, the founder of two scientific areas (coal field geophysics and petrophysics of coal-bearing formations). He devoted most of his scientific path to the study of the Pechora coal basin. Memoirs tell about the scientific biography of V.V. Grechukhin for the period 1930-1990s, the pages of which were the conclusion in the Vorkutinsky forced labor camp and subsequent work in the Vorkutinsky district. It is determined that the memoirs of V.V. Grechukhin are a valuable source on the history of the development of the Arctic space of the USSR in the 1930s-1950s. Based on an analysis of memoirs and additional sources involved in the biography of V.V. Grechukhin (correspondence, reports on research work, etc.) the article considers the process of formation of the scientist, his motivations for scientific creativity in the Gulag regime, research work within the camp system, the main directions and results of his research in the Pechora coal basin. It was concluded that the documentary source presents new evidence on the history of the development of scientific research within the Gulag system in the 1930s-1950s. The scientist's legacy is an integral part of the history of knowledge of the northern and Arctic territories and allows you to see the complexity and versatility of this process. The problem of preserving cultural heritage during modern military conflicts is considered. In the context of the theory of culture as ideal formation, a new theoretical definition of cultural heritage is formulated.

Effects of low-temperature treatment on the coals mechanical properties microscale and airborne dust formation

The effect of freezing-thawing on the mechanical properties of coals at the microscale, the character of their destruction during cyclic nanoindentation, and the release of airborne dust have been studied. For these purposes, three hard coals from the Apsatsky deposit, two hard coals from the Pechora coal basin, and two lignites from the Kangalassky deposit were studied. It has been established that low-temperature impacts lead to a decrease in the content of airborne dust for all the coals. It was revealed that after freezingthawing of coals, their strength decreases, however, the character of destruction under mechanical impacts do not change. The exception is the coal of the middle stage of metamorphism of the Pechora basin, selected from a pack potentially prone to coal and gas outbursts. For this coal, low-temperature effects lead to a change in the character of its destruction during cyclic nanoindentation. Namely, there was a switch from the local (in the zone of contact with the indenter) character of destruction of the initial coal to the bulk one (outside the zone of contact with the indenter) for coal after low-temperature treatment. To assess the coals propensity to form fine dust particles, an index characterizing the degree of compaction of coal matter during cyclic nanoindentation with increasing load was introduced. It has been established that this index is proportionally connected with the content of airborne dust in coals (with sizes of less than 10 microns). It is shown that the coals proneness to form airborne dust under low-temperature impacts does not depend on the stage of coal metamorphism. For bituminous coals of the Apsatsky deposit with similar metamorphism degree the propensity to form dust is different. Variations in the propensity to form dust in coals of the Pechora basin, which also have a similar metamorphism degree, are apparently due to the peculiarities of the vitrinite structure of these coals.This work was carried out with the financial support of the Russian Science Foundation (Grant No. 18-77-10052).

Processing and use prospects for Inta coals

The Inta coal deposit, part of the Pechora coal basin, was discovered in the 1930s. Its coal was processed using the dense medium separation method. The finished products were used exclusively for direct combustion, and therefore no parameter measurements were conducted to establish the respective coal sintering and coking properties. In addition to energy applications, Inta coals may be used to produce fuel briquettes, synthetic liquid fuel, absorbents, semi-coke, carbon-graphite materials, hypercoal, and other products following their respective traditional or combined processing (with thermochemical treatment). Due to the specific physical and mechanical properties of the coal and the use of advanced mining, transportation, and processing methods, the resulting products have high concentrations of fines. When handled at consumption sites, warehouses, and large terminals, the coal is inevitably further disintegrated. Material composition studies of Inta coals confirm their feasibility and applicability, including as agglomerated fuel for layered combustion (briquetting, pelletizing) at medium and small enterprises and in households. It is currently inexpedient to process coal slurries from the Inta industrial region into traditional briquette fuel as it would require the use of more advanced technologies. It is technologically and economically feasible to employ agglomeration technologies without the use of binding materials to produce domestic fuel for local consumption, avoiding long-distance transportation and unnecessary rehandling. This approach is facilitated by the composition of coal fines and the structural peculiarity of briquettes formed.This work was financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (agreement No. 075-15-2020-903).

New data on Permian plants of the Pechora coal basin in context of plants and insects coevolution (The collection of the Earth Science Museum of Lomonosov Moscow State University)

The paper is devoted to new finds of the Middle Permian fossil plants, which are kept at the Earth Science Museum of the Lomonosov Moscow State University. The palaeobotanical collections of the museum became significantly enriched by the adding of these new specimens. Some attractive specimens having high scientific potentiality (for instance, equisetophytes Annulina neuburgiana (Radczenko) Neuburg and leptosporangiate ferns Pecopteris anthriscifolia (Goeppert) Zalessky) will be used as materials for exhibitions, and will be involved into educational projects of the museum. Discovery of the leaves of cycadophyte affinity allows to develop the idea on possible migration of the termophylic tropical elements into boreal vegetation of the Angara type.

Reproductive health and demographic characteristics of the population residing in a coal-mining region in the Arctic zone

Introduction. The study was conducted to identify the main trends in reproductive, maternal, and newborn’s health to justify additional measures to achieve sustainable demographic development of industrial regions in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF). Material and methods. The study was carried out using reporting and statistical materials characterizing the main demographic and health statistics of the reproductive health in the female population of Vorkutinsky municipal district (16 settlements), summarized in the “Demographic Yearbook of the Komi Republic” (2015-2019), and the annual reports of medical organizations providing obstetric and gynaecological medical care to the population of Vorkuta. Results. As in many other areas of the Russian Arctic, in the city of Vorkuta, there were observed: a population decline from 60.4 in 2015 to 54.2 thousand people in 2019, a decrease in the number of women at reproductive age from 19.9 to 19.2 thousand people, as well as a significant increase in the frequency of preterm birth (PB) (from 2,2% to 8,4%) mainly due urogenital infection (42,3%), chronic placental insufficiency (CPF) (27%), multiple pregnancies (11,5%), preeclampsia (7,7%), cervical incompetence (7,7%), uterine scar inconsistency (3,8%). The incidence of PB among primiparous women was significantly lower than that among multiparous women - 34.6% and 65.3%, respectively. The frequency of abortions increased from 15.4 to 20.9 per 1000 women of reproductive age, and there was an increase by 16.3% in the rate of spontaneous abortions among women 18-44 years of age at the pregnancy terms from 12 to 22 weeks. Perinatal mortality during the study period increased from 7.5 ‰ to 12.7 ‰ in 2019. (on average in Russia 7.23 ‰). The stillbirth rate was 9.5 ‰ (on average in Russia 5.51 ‰). The main cause of stillbirth in the study period was intrauterine asphyxia due to the decompensated chronic placental insufficiency. Among the possible reasons for increased fetal infantile losses is a significant proportion in the general population of the Vorkuta of workers exposed to adverse occupational risk factors (25.7% compared to 14.1% in the Russian Arctic as a whole). Conclusion. Among the population living in the area of the Pechora coal basin, the risk remains for an increase in the demographic crisis phenomena mainly due to the rise in the frequency of pregnancy disorders and, above all, a high level of fetal-infantile losses. To solve one of the main tasks of national security to prevent further depopulation of the Arctic regions, set in the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation*, it is necessary besides socioeconomic measures to preserve the population number, to develop and implement programs to effectively reduce fetal-infantile losses, including those potentially associated with adverse occupational exposure to reproductive risk factors.

New Data on Permian Plants of the Pechora Coal Basin According to the Collection of the Earth Science Museum of Moscow State University: The Coevolution of Plants and Insects

New Data on Permian Plants of the Pechora Coal Basin According to the Collection of the Earth Science Museum of Moscow State University: The Coevolution of Plants and Insects

Геологические результаты Верхне-Печорского отряда А.А. Чернова

The year 1921 marks the beginning of a systematic study of the north of the Urals, which was initiated by the research of the Upper Pechora Geological Team under the leadership of A.A. Chernov, conducted in the Ilych River basin. The research of this territory continues to this day, the author of this paper gives a retrospective analysis of some of A.A. Chernov conclusions in his preliminary report of 1922. The history and some results of the study of Paleozoic reef for-mations are discussed. They are widely distributed in the Ilych River basin and poorly subjected to secondary transfor-mations. A.A. Chernov, in his report, described the bright prospects of the graphite discovered during research. However, upon further investigation, Ilych graphite turned out to be a “beautiful fairy tale” and, after the discovery of the Pe-chora coal basin, it was forgotten. The history of the study and repeated attempts to explore and extract lead ores in the Shantym-Priluk tract, which lasted almost until the 1960s of the XX century, is considered.

Scientific biography of the explorer of northern territories, geologist A. A. Chernov in the works of Russian researchers

The subject of this article is life and research activity of the Soviet geologist, paleontologist, Doctor of Geology and Mineralogy, explorer of the European North-East of Russia, discoverer of the Pechora coal basin – Alexander Chernov (1877-1963). The object of this research is the Russian historiography on his scientific biography. The goal a consists in the analysis of biographical essays, writings, newspaper notes about A. A. Chernov, available information on his scientific biography, as well as insufficiently studied topics. It is determined that the historiography of works dedicated to A. A. Chernov is extensive, and describes life path of the scholar, his academicc, pedagogical, and social activities. The author indicates Chernov’s role in training geology scholars in the process of institutionalization of science in the North, namely the Institute of Geology of Komi Scientific Center of Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, organization of exploration works in the European North-East of Russia. His remarkable contribution to geological exploration of the territories of Russian North along with the discovery of Pechora coal basin is described. It is revealed that the history of establishment and development of Chernov’s scientific school, formed on the premises of Guerrier Courses in Moscow and in the Komi Branch of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union remains insufficiently studied.

«Конспект жизни или долгий парадокс». Из воспоминаний репрессированного ученого В. В. Гречухина

Memoirs of Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, professor Vladimir Vasilyevich Grechukhin (1913–98) preserved in the fonds of the Vorkuta Museum and Exhibition Center are being published. The memoirs highlight tragic events in the author’s life: serving the sentence in the forced labour camps of the GULAG in 1936–41. During this period, the young man experienced all the hardships of repression: hunger, humiliation, struggling under harsh natural conditions of the Arctic, heavy work at the industrial facilities of Vorkuta. The memoirs of V. V. Grechukhin are a unique written monument of past; events are described through the lens of personal assessment and interpretation, they spring from memory, feelings, and impressions, shifting the emphasis from fact to personal perception. Despite all hardships, it was the time of V. V. Grechukhin’s formation as a scientist. It was in the labour camps that he began the first geophysical research in Vorkuta and made a significant contribution to the development of the Pechora coal basin in the 1930s–40s. After his time was served, Grechukhin remained in Vorkuta until 1960s to continue his research. In his memoirs, the scientist details conditions in which he had to conduct his research, describes the atmosphere of creativity, the daily life, the social and psychological climate. His memoirs are a valuable source on scientific development of the Northern territories of Russia in the 1930s–40s implemented by the Soviet government by efforts of the GULAG prisoners. Study of the history of Soviet prison institutions has revealed many aspects of repression and functioning of camps. However, from the point of view of social history, studying the GULAG in its human dimension seems equally important. The introduction of the memoirs into scientific use is to expand the study of the GULAG phenomenon.

ИЗУЧЕНИЕ ВЕЧНОЙ МЕРЗЛОТЫ НА ЕВРОПЕЙСКОМ СЕВЕРО-ВОСТОКЕ РОССИИ В ПЕРВОЙ ПОЛОВИНЕ XX в.

On the basis of a wide range of sources, the research analyzes the history of the study of permafrost in the territory of the European Northeast of Russia in the first half of the 20th century. The documentary sources revealed in the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow), the National Archive of the Komi Republic (Syktyvkar), the Scientific Archive of the Komi Science Center of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Syktyvkar), the Vorkuta Museum and Exhibition Center (Vorkuta) are introduced into the scientific use for the first time. The 1920s became the period of the birth of a new scientific direction – permafrostology. This science gave an impetus to the systematic study and development of the North and the Arctic. The beginning of systematic geocryologic studies was connected with the development of the European Northeast in the 1920s–1930s. It has been determined that the USSR Academy of Sciences played the leading role in carrying out these studies: it organized special scientific expeditions for studying the cryolithozone of this region. The main results of the studies and their motives interconnected with the government’s interests in the development of valuable northern mineral resources are shown. The results of the expeditions were conclusions about the possibility of constructing large industrial facilities in the regions of the explored reserves of natural raw material resources. Following scientists’ recommendation, the industrial development of the Pechora coal basin and the colonization of the polar region began. The climatic and natural features of the region demanded stationary scientific research in the field of design and construction. The Vorkuta Research Permafrost Station (VRPS) (1936–1958), created under the supervision of the USSR Academy of Sciences, began to carry out this research. Today, the history of this station’s activities is poorly studied. The article presents the main directions of VRPS research: engineering permafrostology and general issues of permafrost studies. The staff of the station were researchers of the Committee on Permafrost Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences and scientists from among prisoners of GULAG. The role of the staff who made a great contribution to permafrost studies is shown. Under the leadership of the scientists of the station, on the basis of their techniques, large industrial structures of Vorkuta District and Vorkuta, among them the first railroad in the conditions of permafrost, were designed. The conclusion is drawn on the leading role of scientists of the USSR Academy of Sciences in carrying out studies of permafrost soil in the European Northeast in the first half of the 20th century which became the basis in the successful solution of construction problems in the Arctic territory.

A new species of the genus Tumidopteris Naugolnykh from the Permian of the Pechora Cis-Urals, Russia

The paper considers a new species of gleicheniacean fern Tumidopteris astra Naugolnykh sp. nov. from the Lower Permian (Kungurian) and the Middle Permian (Roadian) deposits of the Pechora coal-basin, Russia. The new species is characterized both by macromorphology of the fertile and sterile pinnules and micromorphology of the sori and sporangia. Morphology of the most closely related leptosporangiate ferns is discussed.

Permian Fossil Plants from the Sediments of the Vorkuta Series at the Pechora Coal Basin in the Collection of the Earth Science Museum of Moscow State University

Permian plant remains from the Vorkuta 1 location collected at the Earth Science Museum of the Moscow State University were characterized (at outcrop 38 at the left bank of the Vorkuta River within the boundaries of Vorkuta town opposite the Rudnik settlement). The collection includes equisetophytes Paracalamites decoratus (Eichwald) Zalessky, P. frigidus Neuburg, Paracalamitina cf. striata Zalessky emend. Naug.; Annulina neuburgiana (Radczenko) Neuburg, the leaves of ferns (Pecopteris anthriscifolia (Goeppert) Zalessky, P. helenaeana Zalessky, P. vorcutana Zalessky, and P. cf. leptophylla Bunbury), as well as the leaves of Vojnovskyales Rufloria spp. and, probably, of ginkgophytes. In terms of stratigraphy, the considered plant remains originated from the Inta formations of the Vorkuta series (the Ufa stage of the Biarmian (Middle) subdivision of the Permian system). The collection is characterized by significant scientific, exhibition, and didactic potentialities.

The fossil Permian plants from the Vorkuta series, Pechora Coal basin. Recent acquisitions in the collection of the Earth Science Museum at Lomonosov Moscow University

The fossil Permian plants from the locality Vorkuta-1 (outcrop No. 38, left bank of the Vorkuta River nearby the City of Vorkuta opposite the Rudnik settlement) are characterized. The collection is kept at the Earth Science Museum of the Lomonosov Moscow State University. The collection includes equisetophytesParacalamites decoratus(Eichwald) Zalessky,P. frigidusNeuburg,Paracalamitinacf.striataZalessky emend. Naug.;Annulina neuburgiana(Radczenko) Neuburg), ferns (Pecopteris anthriscifolia(Goeppert) Zalessky,P. helenaeanaZalessky,P. vorcutanaZalessky,P.cf.leptophyllaBunbury), and leaves of vojnovskyansRufloria spp.and putative ginkgophytes. Stratigraphically the fossil plants studied originated from the Inta Formation belonged to the Vorkuta Series (the Ufimian Stage of the Biarmian (Middle) subdivision of the Permian System). The collection is of great scientific, expositional and didactic potentiality.

Analysis and characterization of ash-free coals from the Pechora coal basin obtained by organic solvent extraction

The probability of obtaining of ash-free coal extracts, so-called “hyper-coals,” has been shown for coals of the Pechora basin for the first time. The ash content in them does not exceed a few percent, whereas initial coals contain up to 20% ash. High-resolution 13C NMR shows the similarity in the structure of the initial coal and the extract. It is demonstrated that the solvent selected for hyper-coal extraction is not chemically inert, and the products of interaction of N-metylpyrrolidone and organic matter of coal are present in the composition of the extracts obtained.

Assessment of Horizontal External Stresses in the Vorkuta Mine Field Using Seismic Tomography Data

3D geomechanical model of the Vorkuta Mine, Pechora Coal Basin, has been developed and implemented numerically. By the data on dynamic events recorded by stationary seismic stations, tomography of the study object is performed, and velocity of elastic waves is recovered in the illuminated area of the object. The boundary value inverse problem on horizontal external stresses by stress distribution found using empirical relations between elastic wave velocities and stresses determined in the laboratoryscale experiments is formulated and solved.

Состав биомаркеров битумоидов из углей и вмещающих отложений северо-востока Печорского угольного бассейна

Состав биомаркеров битумоидов из углей и вмещающих отложений северо-востока Печорского угольного бассейна

Физико-химические свойства углей Усинского месторождения Печорского угольного бассейна

Физико-химические свойства углей Усинского месторождения Печорского угольного бассейна