Anthropogenic Transformation of Terrain in the Norilsk Industrial District

A quantitative assessment of the scale and classification of the consequences of anthropogenic terrain transformation within the Norilsk industrial region has been carried out. The work is based on the results of expeditionary geomorphological studies in 2021 and interpretation and analysis of remote sensing materials and digital elevation models. It has been established that the total area of the areas of direct terrain transformation during development was about 122.4 km² and indirect terrain transformation was 23.6 km². The volume of anthropogenic landforms is at least 1.8 billion m³, while 93% of the area and 72.6% of the volume of direct landform transformations are accumulative forms. The typification of the anthropogenic landforms was carried out; it was found that the largest area is occupied by embankments for industrial development and tailings and the largest volume is characteristic of slope dumps. Indirect terrain transformation is mainly expressed in the activation of gravitational processes, linear erosion, suffusion, thermokarst, heaving, and deflation. The processes of mass displacement of slope dumps by landslides or stone glaciers are the most dangerous for infrastructure facilities. Separate areas of indirect transformations are distributed mainly in the lacustrine-alluvial lowlands and in the bottoms of river valleys. Among them, the largest area (up to 20 km²) is occupied by areas of river valleys affected by spills of oil products and tailings. It has been established that the accumulation of pollutants in the river valleys of the Norilsk industrial region occurs within the internal deltas and ice glades. Three stages of anthropogenic development of the territory are distinguished (I, 1920–1953; II, 1953–1986; and III, 1986–2021) and the most significant increment in the area of anthropogenic terrain occurred from 1953 to 1986. The average rate of increase of the area of anthropogenic terrain over the past 36 years was 0.81 km²/year. The highest rates of growth in area are characteristic of the Kayerkan and Talnakh regions, which are associated with ongoing mining.