Why there is a lot of oil in the Middle East, geologists can answer
Why there is a lot of oil in the Middle East, geologists can answer
The Middle East is a region rich in minerals, one of which is oil. Muslims often call oil "the gift of Allah faithful", but this has nothing to do with reality, because the presence of a large amount of oil in the Middle East is a consequence of the movement of the African tectonic plate.
Millions of years ago, there were so-called geosynclines in the earth's crust - areas of the earth's crust where the process of movement took place for a long time. These areas were most often covered by the waters of ancient seas and sedimentary rock deposits accumulated on them. Enrichment with organic matter is one of the most important factors for the formation of oil.
The sinking of the earth's crust and the accumulation of sedimentary deposits occurred virtually simultaneously. Geosynclinal deflection occurred at an optimal pace so that sedimentary deposits had time to accumulate. It was in places of such accumulations that oil was later formed.
A lucky coincidence
Over millions of years, sedimentary strata containing an accumulation of organic matter gradually plunged deeper. The growing pressure and temperature led to the fact that oil, which consists of organic compounds, began to form in these areas.
In parallel with this process, folds of the earth's crust were formed, as well as numerous breaks and displacements. In such areas, microdroplets of black gold were formed. Gradually, the oil migrated upwards and filled the impenetrable layers of rock. Therefore, now oil is often found in the so-called tectonic traps formed by the movement of plates.
The movement of tectonic plates led to the formation of deposits. On a geological scale, the continents are quite mobile. They move from a few millimeters to tens of centimeters during the year. For many years, Africa moved north and covered the ancient Tethys Ocean. Thanks to the movement of the continent, the sediments were crushed and squeezed upwards. Therefore, on the territory of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East as a whole, oil is on the surface and brings huge profits to the country.
The movement of the continent led to the formation of deposits
The changing geographical position of Africa and Arabia dramatically changed the climate and led to the fact that ocean waters began to circulate around Antarctica. As a result, huge sand deposits were formed in the Middle East, a hot climate was established, and oil fields appeared.
In the Tethys Ocean, organic deposits have been accumulating for millions of years. Climatic conditions in the Middle East were not conducive to the development of agriculture or traditional cattle breeding due to the harsh natural conditions. The main ways to make money for centuries were nomadic cattle breeding and trade.
But then multiple oil fields were discovered in the region, which allowed the Middle Eastern countries to become fabulously rich. Undoubtedly, oil is available in other parts of the world, but it is in the Middle East that it is easiest to extract it in large quantities.
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