Assessment of various scenarios for the development of mineral deposits in the region (as exemplified by the Republic of Tuva)

It is shown that Tuva has a sufficiently rich mineral and raw material diversity and the potential for their development. Nevertheless, the development of the republic is hindered by the existence of transport and infrastructure restrictions, to eliminate which, first of all, it is necessary to build a railway along the Kyzyl-Kuragino highway. On the other hand, given the border area of the territory that adjoins western Mongolia, there is a possibility of implementing various scenarios for the construction of railway tracks. The calculations performed to evaluate scenarios for the development of mineral resources of the republic using methods of intersectoral assessment shows that when implementing a pessimistic option for the development of the potential of mineral resources of Tuva (in which the construction of the railway to Tuva is frozen and only deposits of non-ferrous metals and gold are developed), the gross regional product of the republic will grow to 164 billion rubles, which will be 45% of the growth of this indicator in relation to the GRP of 2018. With the implementation of the optimistic option I, (in which it is planned to build a railway along the Kuragino-Kyzyl highway, coal deposits, non-ferrous metals, gold are being developed), the GRP of the republic will grow up to 351 billion rubles. In addition, calculations have been made for the construction of railways that would connect Tuva with Mongolia and China.

Сравнительное исследование лексики в современном калмыцком языке и языке ойратов Монголии в разделе «традиционное жилище и его части»

Introduction. The article aims at studying the terms for the traditional dwelling and its parts in the modern Kalmyk language and in the language of the Oirats of Mongolia in a comparative and comparative-historical modes. Analysis of lexical material of the old-written Mongolian, the Khalkha-Mongolian, and the Buryat languages helped identify common terms and common Mongolian basis; also, some features of the Oirat distribution area and specific characteristics of Kalmyk and Oirat of Mongolia were clarified. The lexical material reflects to a degree the historical realities of the ethnic groups in the period of the common Mongolian proto-language, and in a later period of the settlement of Mongolian clans and the formation of Mongolian languages. Materials and methods. The research database comprises the data of dictionaries of the languages under study, as well as field material collected from informants during expeditions to Oirat groups in Western Mongolia. The main research methods are descriptive, comparative, comparative-historical, and continuous sampling. Results. The analysis helped identify both common Mongolian and specific terms characteristic of Kalmyk and Oirat of Mongolia, reflecting the nomadic lifestyle of pastoralists. Conclusion. The authors argue that the commonality of the traditional dwelling vocabulary in the languages in question indicates their common origin, as well as great antiquity of the Oirat clans’ original material culture.

Phenotypic characterization of Cashmere goats in Western Mongolia

This study was conducted as a preliminary study to design the breeding activity of Mongolian cashmere goats. To characterize the phenotypic traits of goats in Western Mongolia, the linear body measurements and cashmere yield and its the quality were measured. In this study, 608 cashmere goats were selected from the areas where it highly affected to overgrazing and overstocked in this area. The study used a random sampling method from the populations. The normality of the data was checked using the Shapiro-Wilk normality test and analyzed using the linear model procedure in R software. All male (buck) and female goats had straight head profiles (100%). Black coat color was predominant in Erdeneburen, Bayan-Uul soums and all of the goats in Ulgii soum were red. The goats in Ulgii soum were the biggest in body size compared to Erdeneburen and Bayan-Uul in Ulgii soums. The goats had back horn orientation (100%). Significant effects (p <0.001) of sex, age, locations, and sex*age classes were observed on live body weight, cashmere quantitative and qualitative characteristics, and linear body measurements.

The 2021 Mw 6.7 Khankh earthquake in the Khuvsgul rift, Mongolia

A Mw 6.7 occurred at Lake Khuvsgul in northwestern Mongolia at 05:32:56 AM Ulaanbaatar time on the 12th of January 2021. The epicenter of the event was offshore south of the Doloon Uul peninsula around 30 km SSW of Khankh village. Shaking was felt within most of central and western Mongolia, including the capital city Ulaanbaatar ~600 km from the epicenter. The earthquake appears to have ruptured the Khuvsgul fault along the western coast of Lake Khuvsgul. The earthquake is the largest in Mongolia since the Mw 6.3 Busiin Gol earthquake in 1991. Our research team from the Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, Mongolian Academy of Sciences visited the epicenter area for 5 days soon after the earthquake and installed four broad-band seismic stations and searched the area for geological evidence of the earthquake. The location, azimuth, dip and depth of this earthquake defined by moment tensor solutions calculated by the international seismological centers and analysis of InSAR interferograms and field observations. The projected intersections of the east-dipping nodal planes with the surface for solutions of the international seismological centers and researchers correlate relatively well with the mapped strike and location of the old tectonic scarp of the Khuvsgul fault although we have not discovered any primary co-seismic surface rupture. The InSAR interferogram demonstrates the sharp discontinuity and fringes in the area between the Western Range and Doloon Uul peninsula which implies surface deformation. Aftershocks that have continued during the three months subsequent to the earthquake define overall strike of the mainshock rupture.

Vendian Island-Arc Intrusive Magmatism of the Lake Zone of Western Mongolia (Geological, Geochronological, and Petrochemical Data)

—Based on new geochronological data on gabbroid and plagiogranitoid associations (Tavan-Hayrhan, East Bayan Tsagaan, Bayan Tsagaan Uul, Tungalag, Three Hills, and Shutkhuin massifs) located among the Vendian island-arc volcanic complexes of the Lake Zone of Western Mongolia, an independent stage of Vendian island-arc intrusive magmatism (560–542 Ma) is substantiated. Geochronological ages determined by xenogenic zircon from Vendian gabbroids and granitoids (716–559 Ma) indicate a wide time interval of their formation and different natures of the sources. Several such sources are assumed. The source of the first type is rocks of the late Riphean oceanic crust of the Paleoasian Ocean, on which the Vendian island arc of the Lake Zone formed later. This is evidenced by the presence of xenogenic zircon with the ages of ~716, 658–642, 613–611 Ma. The source of the second (probably main) type is rocks of the Vendian island-arc crust of the Lake Zone. This is indicated by the presence of xenogenic zircon with ages of 583–559 Ma, observed in all studied Vendian intrusive associations.