Russian News
By: Jaclyn Roy
Siberian Lakes
The permafrost on a lake in Siberia.
Chernobyl
The disaster from Chernobyl.
Russias Climate
The taiga in Russia.
Siberian Lakes
Katey Walter went to Siberia in high school as an exchange student. Katey is now a scientist that works at the Northeast Science Station located in Cherskiy, Siberia. She and other scientist are worried about permafrost. They think because of global warming, the permafrost below its lakes is thawing, putting out carbon that was stuck inside the icy ground. Carbon is made from dead animals and the plants that they ate. At that point, the carbon turns into methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gasses trap the suns heat.
Chernobyl
On April 26, 1986 a nuclear disaster happened in Chernobyl. This has resulted as one of the worst nuclear disasters in the world. A radioactive cloud 3,280 feet in the air spread over Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. Those radioactive materials harmed all of Chernobyl and other places near. Thirty people died and thousands of people got serious health problems. Everyone located in the area had to move, because everything in Chernobyl was contaminated. It is now safe to move back.
Russias Climate
Half of Russia is so cold it has permafrost. Most of Russia's population lives in the western part of Russia where it's not as cold. The latitude plays a big role in this. The northern boundary of Russia is next to the Arctic Ocean. There is no natural barriers so there's nothing to keep out all of the arctic winds. Flat land found in arctic or subarctic, also called tundra, is found in Siberia. Only small plants are able to live there. South of the tundra is taiga or forest area. Only small trees like pine trees grow there, because of the very harsh weather.