Latest news with #StepanPodolyako
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Whoa—A New Island Appeared From Out of Nowhere
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: A team of researchers discovered a new island in the Caspian Sea using space images. Cyclical sea changes, climate change, and shifting tectonic plates may all be reasons that the isle has breached the water's surface. Researchers anticipate the island becoming a valuable refuge for rare bird species and Caspian seals in the future. Although the ocean covers roughly 71% of Earth's surface, more than 80% of that ocean has yet to be mapped, explored, or even seen by humans. So, it isn't surprising that some stray land formations go unnoticed—like a whole new island in the northern part of the Caspian Sea, recently discovered by researchers from Russia. The currently unnamed island is located 19 miles southwest of Maly Zhemchuzhny Island, Russia. According to a translated report from TSS (a state-owned Russian news agency), a team from the P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology (IO) of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) originally identified the formation in November of 2024 via imaging captured from space. The images showed a small sliver of dried bank peaking above the water (though this wasn't convincing enough evidence for some researchers). Since then, the team has made an expedition to the northern part of the island and officially confirmed its existence. However, researchers were unable to make landfall because of shallow waters and poor weather conditions. 'It is obvious that during the low-water period, when the water level is minimal, the island's elevation above the water's edge will be more significant,' the report reads. 'At the time of the survey, the island's surface was a damp flat plain complicated by ridges of sand waves.' The island's emergence is thanks to a perfect storm of events. 'The occurrence of new islands in the Caspian Sea is associated with cyclical processes of long-term fluctuations in the level of [these] landlocked waters,' Stepan Podolyako, a senior researcher at IO RAS, wrote in the statement to Live Science. 'Awash islands are uplifts on the seabed that come to the surface during periods of falling sea level.' And this isn't the first time the area has seen shallow waters—according to Podolyako, Caspian Sea water levels fell during the 1930s, 1970s, and the 2010s. He says the cyclical levels of the Caspian Sea depend partly on evaporation rates, so the water level could be attributed to climate change. The warming global temperatures associated with climate change speed up the water cycle (which includes evaporation), leaving certain areas in extreme droughts and others with overwhelming amounts of precipitation. Podolyako also cited tectonic plate shifts as a potential reason for the sea level changes. As for the future of the island, Podolyako said that the next expedition is planned for the latter half of 2025. Once researchers investigate the isle and identify any distinguishing features, the team will decide on a name. Excitingly, the IO RAS anticipates that the island may become a valuable nesting site for rare bird species and a rookery (or a breeding place of a colony) for Caspian seals. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Russian scientists discover a new island in the Caspian Sea — the world's largest inland body of water
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A new island has appeared in the northern part of the Caspian Sea, a Russian research expedition has confirmed. The island, which does not have a name yet, is located 19 miles (30 kilometers) southwest of another island called Maly Zhemchuzhny, according to a translated statement published by the Russian state-owned news agency TASS. The island is only slightly elevated above the water level, and its surface was damp and mostly flat but covered in sand ridges at the time of the expedition, the statement said. The new island emerged due to a drop in the Caspian Sea's water levels, Stepan Podolyako, a senior researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences' P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology (IO RAS) who was on the expedition, wrote in a statement shared with Live Science. The Caspian Sea, which lies at the junction between Europe and Asia, is the largest inland body of water in the world when measured by its surface area of 143,200 square miles (371,000 square kilometers). "The occurrence of new islands in the Caspian Sea is associated with cyclical processes of long-term fluctuations in the level of [these] landlocked waters," Podolyako wrote in the statement. "Awash islands are uplifts on the seabed that come to the surface during periods of falling sea level." The Caspian Sea's levels fell during the 1930s and 1970s before bouncing back — and they started dropping again around 2010, Podolyako said. Related: Surprised Russian school kids discover Arctic island has vanished after comparing satellite images Climate change may be to blame for the recent decline, because the Caspian Sea's water levels partly depend on evaporation rates, Podolyako said. There are also tectonic shifts happening beneath the sea, which could explain changes in water levels, he added. Scientists first spotted signs of the new island in satellite images in November 2024. A pile of sand and sediment had breached the surface of the water and was beginning to dry, according to the statement in TASS — but the claim that a new island was forming remained somewhat controversial. During the recent expedition, researchers managed to approach the island to confirm its existence, but they were unable to land due to bad weather and shallow water conditions. Photographs taken from a drone revealed the island's size and some of its features, but further research is needed to describe it thoroughly. RELATED STORIES —New island that emerged from the ocean off Japan is now visible from space —Melting ice in Antarctica reveals new uncharted island —Newly discovered island is the closest land to the North Pole "A next visit to the island is planned [...] in the second half of 2025," Podolyako said. A decision about the official name of the island will then be made, depending on whether researchers find any notable characteristics to name it after. Otherwise, the island could be named after a person who has made significant scientific or cultural contributions in the area, Podolyako said. The island currently sits just inches above water level, but that could change with declining river flows into the Caspian Sea in the summer and fall, according to the statement in TASS. This may lower water levels around the island and increase its elevation.
