Geology: Montenegro - Term Paper Example

There was the occurrence of earthquakes which resulted to various parts of the area being moved to different places and also a lot of damage was incurred and loss of lives. This earthquake forms a major historic event that people of Montenegro associate with generation after a generation. The earthquake made the place to be as beautiful as it is today giving tourist a reason to make a destination. Mining was also another activity that contributed to various changes in the area. Montenegro is rich in different minerals and this changed significantly how people trade and improved the living standards of people inhabiting that region.

This is because mining all over the world is an important economic project that turns around the welfare of people and helps them to live above poverty line. When the tectonic plates come together, the sediments in the zone are folded into mountains. Montenegro has a lot of mountains and rivers that dominate the place, something that makes it unique in southeastern Europe. The mountains and rivers have enhanced agricultural activities in the region and there is no doubt that the activities have helped in improving the lives of the inhabitants.

Type and age of rocks (what do they indicate about the geologic history of the area?) Montenegro comprises of different rocks of different ages and composition. The different rocks were constituted during the historic period of forming the Montenegro through earthquakes and mining processes. The northern eastern areas of Montenegro mostly have the classic rocks and silicate. These kinds of rocks were formed after the volcanic activities in Montenegro and others through natural means. The south-Western area of Montenegro on the other hand has carbonaceous rocks.

In the north and northeast areas of Montenegro, palaezoic sandstone and shale are the oldest rocks are most common in those regions. The most widespread rocks in the northwest are limestone and dolomite. There are tertiary and secondary sedimentary rocks located on the border of eastern Montenegro. The stones have different uses such as creating arts works and other being used for construction purpose to make a building look more modern. Examples include sand and conglomerates that were formed by water bodies that had covered the region, limestone and dolomite.

What are the energy or mineral resources in the area? Montenegro has bauxite, timber and hydroelectricity as the main natural resources. Montenegro has metallic mineral resources such as red bauxite, lead, zinc, copper, mercury, iron and others. Sand, white bauxite, brick clay and also dolomite are examples of non-metallic mineral resources found in Montenegro. Energy mineral resources soft brown coal (lignite), brown coal, bituminous limestone and peat. In Montenegro, brown coal, lignite, and firewood are produced, hydro-energy and industrial wood wastes are used.

In the period 1997 – 2006, the most important primary forms of energy were hydro-energy, depending on hydrological conditions, and lignite, then firewood and industrial wood wastes. Within the same duration, there was an increase in domestic production: hydro-energy – 5.5%, lignite – 3.3%, and firewood – 4.6%. According to Eurostat methodology, total production of primary energy amounted to 24.59 PJ (100%), of which hydro-energy 8.26 PJ (33.6%), lignite