Nordovy Island may connect to the mainland due to the shallowing of the Caspian Sea

Nordovy Island in the Caspian Sea may connect to the mainland in the next 20 years due to a decrease in water levels. Irina Konovalova, a biologist and Candidate of medical Sciences, told Izvestia about this on October 18.

"The fact is that the northern part of the Caspian Sea is very shallow, and even a decrease in sea level by several tens of centimeters can lead to the fact that the water will recede by hundreds of meters, and somewhere further," the expert explained.

According to Konovalova, with further shallowing of the Caspian Sea, the island may turn into a peninsula. However, it is impossible to establish the exact timing of such a change without detailed data on the depths and dynamics of the coastline. At the same time, the expert did not rule out that in the future the water level will rise again.

The biologist noted that the decrease in the level of the Caspian Sea is associated with both natural fluctuations and climate change. An increase in temperature increases the evaporation of water, and river runoff, primarily of the Volga, does not always compensate for losses. The economic activity of a person has an additional impact.

Konovalova stressed that the shallowing of the reservoir could lead to serious consequences for Russia. First of all, the changes will affect the coast of Dagestan and the Astrakhan region, where there may be problems with navigation, port operations and fishing.

In addition, the reduction of shallow water areas threatens fish and bird habitats, disrupting established ecological links. According to the expert's forecasts, the level of the Caspian Sea is likely to continue to decline in the coming decades, but it is too early to talk about the irreversibility of this process.

Scientists talked about the continent hidden under the Pacific Ocean

Andrey Panin, Doctor of Geographical Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and an employee of the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia on October 12 that the Russian island of Kunashir has increased by about 380 m towards Japanese Hokkaido over the past 50 years due to the alluviation of sand in the southern part. The scientist noted that anyone can observe the geographical process using online maps of different years.