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Research about Russia

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Russia.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2026

Rapid characterization of the 2025 Mw 8.8 Kamchatka, Russia earthquake

The 29 July 2025 M w 8.8 Kamchatka, Russia, earthquake was the sixth largest instrumentally recorded earthquake. This event was seismically well observed at regional and teleseismic distances, but publicly available near‐source data were sparse at the time of the event, presenting unique challenges for rapid source and impact characterization. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Earthquake Information Center provides global real‐time monitoring for earthquakes, including rapid response information products that estimate source characteristics, shaking, and the resulting impacts. We describe the USGS rapid response earthquake information products following the Kamchatka event and discuss their implications for ongoing hazards in the region. We describe potential improvements to our response workflows motivated by this event, including more rapid constraints on source geometries and the automated selection of fault geometries for finite‐fault inversions. The rapid response products together support the interpretation of a unilateral southwestward rupture with significant slip on the southwestern end of the rupture extent. The M w 8.8–9.0 event in 1952, which ruptured a comparable extent of the Kuril–Kamchatka subduction interface, has many similarities to the 2025 rupture. This illustrates that slip deficits may remain following great earthquakes and highlights the usefulness of comparative studies between historic and modern events.

Kuril-Kamchatka subduction zone↗
USGS2025

Spring weather influences breeding propensity, the most important productivity component for Arctic-nesting lesser snow geese

Animal reproduction is composed of several stages, which collectively determine overall productivity. Yet, it is not fully understood how different productivity components contribute to population change. To bridge this gap, we leveraged integrated population modelling and transient life-table response experiments, together with population-level data on lesser snow geese ( Anser caerulescens caerulescens ) breeding on Wrangel Island, Russia, from 1970 to 2022. We assessed contributions of breeding propensity, clutch size, nest success, egg survival, hatching success and pre-fledging survival to population change, and tested hypotheses about the effects of environmental drivers and density dependence on different components. Breeding propensity contributed the most to variation in population growth, followed by nest success. These two components were negatively affected by the timing of snow melt. We found no overall deleterious effects of climate change on productivity. Density dependence had a positive effect on multiple productivity components, likely through predator swamping. Our results show the importance of breeding propensity to the population dynamics of this long-lived animal, which is notable because this productivity component is often overlooked. Our results also demonstrate that the effects of environmental conditions and density dependence can differ among animal populations of different sizes, locations and life histories.

Wrangel Island↗
USGS2025

Speleothem evidence for Late Miocene extreme Arctic amplification – An analogue for near-future anthropogenic climate change?

The Miocene provides an excellent climatic analogue for near-future runaway anthropogenic warming, with atmospheric CO 2 concentrations and global average temperatures similar to those projected for the coming century under extreme-emissions scenarios. However, the magnitude of Miocene Arctic warming remains unclear due to the scarcity of reliable proxy data. Here we use stable oxygen isotope and trace element analyses, alongside clumped isotope and fluid inclusion palaeothermometry of speleothems to reconstruct palaeo-environmental conditions near the Siberian Arctic coast during the Tortonian (8.68 ± 0.09 Ma ). Stable oxygen isotope records suggest warmer-than-present temperatures. This is supported by temperature estimates based on clumped isotopes and fluid inclusions giving mean annual air temperatures between + 6.6 and + 11.1 °C , compared with − 12.3 °C today. Trace elements records reveal a highly seasonal hydrological environment. Our estimate of > 18 °C of Arctic warming supports the wider consensus of a warmer-than-present Miocene and provides a rare palaeo-analogue for future Arctic amplification under high-emissions scenarios. The reconstructed increase in mean surface temperature far exceeds temperatures projected in fully coupled global climate models, even under extreme-emissions scenarios. Given that climate models have consistently underestimated the extent of recent Arctic amplification, our proxy data suggest Arctic warming may exceed current projections.

Lena River delta↗
USGS2025

Reconstruction of Holocene and Last Interglacial vegetation dynamics and wildfire activity in Southern Siberia

Wildfires are a rapidly increasing threat to boreal forests. While our understanding of the drivers behind wildfires and their environmental impact is growing, it is mostly limited to the observational period. Here we focus on the boreal forests of southern Siberia and exploit a U–Th-dated stalagmite from Botovskaya Cave, located in the upper Lena region of southern Siberia, to document wildfire activity and vegetation dynamics during parts of two warm periods: the Last Interglacial (LIG; specifically part of the Last Interglacial maximum between 124.1 and 118.8 ka) and the Holocene (10–0 ka). Our record is based on levoglucosan (Lev), a biomarker sensitive to biomass burning, and on lignin oxidation products (LOPs) that discriminate between open and closed forest and hard- or softwood vegetation. In addition, we used carbonate carbon stable isotope ratios ( δ 13 C ), which reflect a dominant control of the host rock, to evaluate soil respiration and local infiltration changes. Our LOP data suggest that, during the Last Interglacial, the region around Botovskaya Cave was characterised by open forest, which by ca. 121.5 ka underwent a transition from fire-resistant hardwood to fire-prone softwood. The Lev record indicates that fire activity was high and increased towards the end of Last Interglacial just before 119 ka. In contrast, the Holocene was characterised by a closed-forest environment with mixed hard- and softwood vegetation. Holocene fire activity varied but at a much lower level than during the Last Interglacial. We attribute the changes in wildfire activity during the intervals of interest to the interplay between vegetation and climate. The open forests of the Last Interglacial were more likely to ignite than their closed Holocene equivalents, and their flammability was aided by warmer and drier summers and a stronger seasonal temperature contrast due to the increase in seasonal insolation difference compared to the Holocene. Our comparison of the last two interglacial intervals suggests that, with increasing global temperatures, the boreal forest of southern Siberia may become progressively more vulnerable to higher wildfire activity.

Botovskaya Cave, Siberia↗
USGS2025

The anatomy and lethality of the Siberian Traps large igneous province

Emplacement of the Siberian Traps large igneous province (LIP) around 252 Ma coincided with the most profound environmental disruption of the past 500 million years. The enormous volume of the Siberian Traps, its ability to generate greenhouse gases and other volatiles, and a temporal coincidence with extinction all suggest a causal link. Patterns of marine and terrestrial extinction/recovery are consistent with environmental stresses potentially triggered by the Siberian Traps. However, the nature of causal links between the LIP and mass extinction remains enigmatic. Understanding the origins, anatomy, and forcing potential of the Siberian Traps LIP and the spatiotemporal patterns of resulting stresses represents a critical counterpart to high-resolution fossil and proxy records of Permian–Triassic environmental and biotic shifts. This review provides a summary of recent advances and key questions regarding the Siberian Traps in an effort to illuminate what combination of factors made the Siberian Traps a uniquely deadly LIP. Large igneous provinces such as the Siberian Traps are capable of triggering global environmental destabilization. Greenhouse gases generated by Siberian Traps magmatism played a major role in driving the climate changes that triggered the end-Permian mass extinction. The end-Permian extinction fundamentally altered the evolutionary trajectory of Earth's biosphere, creating ecological space for many of the organisms seen today. Determining the timing and patterns of end-Permian marine and terrestrial mortality and recovery and the timing and character of Siberian Traps magmatism is key in understanding the causal link between magmatism and extinction. Understanding the cause(s) of past extinction events informs hypotheses about current and future environmental destabilization.

Siberia↗
USGS2023

First nests of Endangered Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer found in over 40 years indicate nesting plasticity

Knowledge of the breeding ecology of Endangered Nordmann’s Greenshank Tringa guttifer is necessary to develop a comprehensive species-specific conservation plan. We found nine greenshank nests in Schaste Bay, Russian Far East during the summers of 2019–2021. These are the first nests found in over 40 years and the only discovered to date on mainland Russia. In contrast to previous nest descriptions, we found greenshanks do not exclusively nest in trees, but also place nests on the ground at the base of mature or sapling larches. Our results indicate greenshanks may be larch obligates during the breeding season, and protecting coastal larch forest ecosystems near bogs, meadows, and mudflats throughout the Russian Far East may be critical to the species’ conservation.

Schaste Bay↗
USGS2022

Spatial analysis of globally detected volcanic lightning from the June 2019 eruption of Raikoke volcano, Kuril Islands

The 21–22 June 2019 eruption of Raikoke volcano, Russia, provided an opportunity to explore how spatial trends in volcanic lightning locations provide insights into pulsatory eruption dynamics. Using satellite-derived plume heights, we examine the development of lightning detected by Vaisala’s Global Lightning Dataset (GLD360) from eleven, closely spaced eruptive pulses. Results from one-dimensional plume modeling show that the eruptive pulses with maximum heights 9–16.5 km above sea level were capable of producing ice in the upper troposphere, which contributed variably to electrification and volcanic lightning. A key finding is that lightning locations not only followed the main dispersal direction of these ash plumes, but also tracked a lower-level cloud derived from pyroclastic density currents. We show a positive relationship between umbrella cloud expansion and the area over which lightning occurs (the ‘lightning footprint’). These observations suggest useful metrics to characterize ongoing eruptive activity in near real-time.

Kuril Islands, Raikoke volcano↗
USGS2022

Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the Volga-Ural Basin and Timan-Pechora Basin Provinces of Russia, 2020

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean conventional resources of 4.9 billion barrels of oil and 21 trillion cubic feet of gas within the Volga-Ural Basin Province and technically recoverable mean conventional resources of 1.8 billion barrels of oil and 9.5 trillion cubic of gas in the Timan-Pechora Basin Province, Russia.

Timan-Pechora Basin, Volga-Ural Basin↗
USGS2022

Rift flank segmentation, basin initiation and propagation: a neotectonic example from Lake Baikal

New surficial data (field, Landsat TM and topography) define morpho-tectonic domains and rift flank segmentation in the Ol'khon region of the Central Baikal rift. Deformation, drainage and depositional patterns indicate a change in the locus of active extension that may relate to a recent (<l Ma) change in the kinematics of the Siberian plate boundary. The westwards migration of the border fault location has broadened the rift with concomitant shifts in depocentres. Within the hanging wall of the new western border fault, distinct segments control the location of drainage paths and syn-rift deposits. Morphology, sediment thicknesses and fault scarp amplitude indicate that a segmented rift flank graben has propagated southwards along the rift flank and is still actively fragmenting. These surficial data are used to constrain a model for the time-dependent topographic variations during progressive subsidence along a rift flank, involving the transfer of footwall units to hanging-wall domains. Rapid changes in border fault footwall relief in this model are associated with change in the active border fault location with widespread mass-wasting. The model shows that time-dependent histories need to be integrated with flexural uplift models for active normal faults. The active, syn-rift depositional systems of the Ol'khon region provide a valuable analogue for the early evolution of continental margins and the structural controls on syn-rift hydrocarbon sources and reservoirs.

Siberia↗
USGS2021

Pb-Pb and U-Pb dating of cassiterite by in situ LA-ICPMS: Examples spanning ~1.85 Ga to ~100 Ma in Russia and implications for dating Proterozoic to Phanerozoic tin deposits.

This paper investigates applicability of cassiterite to dating ore deposits in a wide age range. We report in situ LA-ICPMS U-Pb and Pb-Pb dating results ( n = 15) of cassiterite from six ore deposits in Russia ranging in age from ~1.85 Ga to 93 Ma. The two oldest deposits dated at ~1.83–1.86 Ga are rare metal Vishnyakovskoe located in the East Sayan pegmatite belt and tin deposits within the Tuyukan ore region in the Baikal folded region. Rare metal skarn deposits of Pitkäranta ore field in the Ladoga region, Fennoscandian Shield are dated at ~1.54 Ga. Cassiterite from the Mokhovoe porphyry tin deposit located in western Transbaikalia is 810 ± 20 Ma. The youngest cassiterite was dated from the deposits Valkumei (Russian North East, 108 ± 2 Ma) and Merek (Russian Far East, 93 ± 2 Ma). Three methods of age calculations, including 208 Pb/ 206 Pb- 207 Pb/ 206 Pb inverse isochron age, Tera-Wasserburg Concordia lower intercept age, and 207 Pb-corrected 206 Pb*/ 238 U age were used and the comparison of the results is discussed. In all cases, the dated cassiterite from the ore deposits agreed, within error, with the established period of magmatism of the associated granitic rock

Chuya-Kodar complex, East Sayan belt, Merek Greise↗
USGS2021

Material properties and triggering mechanisms of an andesitic lava dome collapse at Shiveluch Volcano, Kamchatka, Russia, revealed using the finite element method

Shiveluch volcano (Kamchatka, Russia) is an active andesitic volcano with a history of explosive activity, dome extrusion, and structural collapse during the Holocene. The most recent major (> 1 km 3 ) dome collapse occurred in November 1964, producing a ~ 1.5 km 3 debris avalanche that traveled over 15 km from the vent and triggered a phreatic explosion followed by a voluminous (~ 0.8 km 3 ) eruption of juvenile pyroclastic material. Seismic records suggest that the collapse was likely triggered by a magnitude 5.1 earthquake associated with the ascent of magma into the edifice. The geomechanical properties of the pre-1964 dome are unknown; accordingly, the mechanics of the collapse are poorly understood. This project employs numerical slope stability modeling using the finite element method to constrain probable ranges of geomechanical properties for the materials involved in the collapse, considering earthquake loading as the most likely triggering mechanism. Model results show good agreement with the 1964 collapse geometry considering Geological Strength Index and horizontal pseudo-static seismic coefficient ranges of 30–60 and 0.05–0.15 g, respectively, representing variably fractured and altered dome rocks under moderate earthquake loading, confirming that ground acceleration alone could have triggered the dome collapse. Deep-seated rotational sliding is the dominant failure mode, but local extension within the dome during failure appears to play an important role in the development of the collapse. The findings of this work allow for better forward modeling of potential future collapses, the results of which can be incorporated into regional hazard and risk assessments.

Shiveluch Volcano↗
USGS2021

LA-ICPMS U-Pb dating reveals cassiterite inheritance in the Yazov granite, Eastern Siberia: Implications for tin mineralization

U-Pb dating of cassiterite and zircon from the Yazov granite (Transbaikalia region, Eastern Siberia, Russia) and cassiterite from spatially associated tin mineralization in the Tuyukan ore district in the Tonod uplift was conducted using in situ laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. These analyses allow comparison of isotopic systematics for both minerals, especially related to transport in granitic magma. These data are also useful for understanding possible genetic links between the granite and the tin mineralization. Most of the U-Pb zircon analyses define a 206 Pb/ 238 U age of 719 ± 15 Ma for the granite; in addition, several zircon cores define an inheritance age of 1839 ± 21 Ma. U-Pb data for 10 nearly concordant analyses of disseminated cassiterite from the same samples yield a 206 Pb/ 238 U age of 1838 ± 34 Ma. This is the first documented evidence of cassiterite inheritance in granitic magma. These data indicate the robust character of U-Pb isotope systematics in cassiterite, comparable to that in zircon. The presence of numerous inclusions of cassiterite in zircon from the Yazov granite (revealed by nanotomography) supports the interpretation of inherited cassiterite included during Neoproterozoic zircon crystallization. The data indicate that high tin concentrations in the Yazov granite are due to the incorporation of older cassiterite crystals from country rock, not coeval cassiterite crystallization. Cassiterite samples from two ore occurrences spatially associated with the Yazov granite yield Pb-Pb isochron ages of 1.86–1.82 Ga, indicating that tin mineralization occurred in the Paleoproterozoic, nearly 1 Ga before emplacement of the Yazov granite. Tin mineralization of the ore region is probably related to ~ 1.85 Ga Chuya-Kodar tin-bearing granitic rocks that host tin deposits. These results have broad implications for understanding how critical elements, such as tin, may become enriched in rare-metal granites and how they are related to regional to global geodynamic processes.

Siberia↗
USGS2020

Geology and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Yenisey-Khatanga Basin Province

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessed the potential for undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Yenisey-Khatanga Basin Province as part of the USGS Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal. The province is situated between the Taimyr-Kara high (Kara block, Central Taimyr fold belt, and South Taimyr fold belt) and the Siberian craton. The two assessment units (AUs) defined for this study—the Khatanga Saddle AU and the Yenisey-Khatanga Basin AU were assessed for undiscovered, technically recoverable, conventional resources. The estimated mean volumes of undiscovered resources for the Yenisey-Khatanga Basin Province are ~5.6 billion barrels of crude oil, ~100 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and ~2.7 billion barrels of natural-gas liquids, all north of the Arctic Circle.

Yenisey-Khatanga Basin↗
USGS2019

Isotopic and petrologic investigation, and a thermomechanical model of genesis of large-volume rhyolites in arc environments: Karymshina Volcanic Complex, Kamchatka, Russia

The Kamchatka Peninsula of eastern Russia is currently one of the most volcanically active areas on Earth where a combination of >8 cm/yr subduction convergence rate and thick continental crust generates large silicic magma chambers, reflected by abundant large calderas and caldera complexes. This study examines the largest center of silicic 4-0.5 Ma Karymshina Volcanic Complex, which includes the 25 × 15 km Karymshina caldera, the largest in Kamchatka. A series of rhyolitic tuff eruptions at 4 Ma were followed by the main eruption at 1.78 Ma and produced an estimated 800 km 3 of rhyolitic ignimbrites followed by high-silica rhyolitic post-caldera extrusions. The postcaldera domes trace the 1.78 Ma right fracture and form a continuous compositional series with ignimbrites. We here present results of a geologic, petrologic, and isotopic study of the Karymshina eruptive complex, and present new Ar-Ar ages, and isotopic values of rocks for the oldest pre- 1.78 Ma caldera ignimbrites and intrusions, which include a diversity of compositions from basalts to rhyolites. Temporal trends in δ 18 O, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, and 144 Nd/ 143 Nd indicate values comparable to neighboring volcanoes, increase in homogeneity, and temporal increase in mantle-derived Sr and Nd with increasing differentiation over the last 4 million years. Data are consistent with a batholithic scale magma chamber formed by primarily fractional crystallization of mantle derived composition and assimilation of Cretaceous and younger crust, driven by basaltic volcanism and mantle delaminations. All rocks have 35–45% quartz, plagioclase, biotite, and amphibole phenocrysts. Rhyolite-MELTS crystallization models favor shallow (2 kbar) differentiation conditions and varying quantities of assimilated amphibolite partial melt and hydrothermally-altered silicic rock. Thermomechanical modeling with a typical 0.001 km 3 /yr eruption rate of hydrous basalt into a 38 km Kamchatkan arc crust produces two magma bodies, one near the Moho and the other engulfing the entire section of upper crust. Rising basalts are trapped in the lower portion of an upper crustal magma body, which exists in a partially molten to solid state. Differentiation products of basalt periodically mix with the resident magma diluting its crustal isotopic signatures. At the end of the magmatism crust is thickened by 8 km. Thermomechanical modeling show that the most likely way to generate large spikes of rhyolitic magmatism is through delamination of cumulates and mantle lithosphere after many millions of years of crustal thickening. The paper also presents a chemical dataset for Pacific ashes from ODDP 882 and 883 and compares them to Karymshina ignimbrites and two other Pleistocene calderas studied by us in earlier works.

Kamchatka↗
USGS2018

Geology and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Northern West Siberian Mesozoic Composite Total Petroleum System of the West Siberian Basin Province, Russia, 2008

The West Siberian Basin Province is one of the largest sedimentary basins in the world, with an area of 2.6 million square kilometers, and the basin ranks first in the world with more than 400 billion barrels of oil-equivalent discovered petroleum. For the 2008 Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal, the U.S. Geological Survey defined a Northern West Siberian Mesozoic Composite Total Petroleum System (TPS) and two geologic assessment unit (AUs) within this composite TPS that are north or partially north of the Arctic Circle. The Northern West Siberian Onshore Gas AU was defined to encompass all potential structures, traps, and reservoirs in the onshore part of the Composite TPS. The South Kara Sea Offshore AU was defined to include all potential structures, traps, and reservoirs within the thick sedimentary section that extends offshore from the Northern West Siberian Onshore Gas AU. For the Northern West Siberian Mesozoic Composite TPS, the total mean estimates for undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources are 4.1 billion barrels of oil (BBO), 663 trillion cubic feet of gas (TCFG), and 20.7 billion barrels of natural gas liquids (BBNGL). For areas of the AUs north of the Arctic Circle in the West Siberian Basin Province, the total mean estimates for undiscovered conventional resources are 3.7 BBO, 651 TCFG, and 20.3 BBNGL. The total mean estimates for undiscovered oil and gas north of the Arctic Circle for the Northern West Siberian Onshore Gas AU are 1.2 BBO, 29.3 TCFG, and 0.85 BBNGL. Mean estimates for the South Kara Sea Offshore AU are 2.5 BBO, 622.2 TCFG, and 19.5 BBNGL. The estimate for undiscovered conventional gas resources for the South Kara Sea Offshore AU is the most of any AU in the Circum-Arctic study.

West Siberian Basin Province↗
USGS2018

Geology and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Tunguska Basin Province, 2008

The U.S. Geological Survey has evaluated the potential for undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Tunguska Basin Province as part of the Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal (CARA). The Tunguska Basin Province includes an area of approximately 904,000 km 2 ; less than half the area of the province lies north of the Arctic Circle. The Tunguska Basin Province includes a large part of the Siberian craton and consists of several subbasins. The province is almost completely covered by Permian to Triassic volcanic rocks. Although some oil and gas fields have been discovered and produced in the province south of the Arctic Circle, no discoveries have been made north of the Arctic Circle as of 2008. The part of this province lying north of the Arctic Circle was evaluated for undiscovered, technically recoverable, conventional oil and gas resources. Because of a low geologic probability for the occurrence of significant oil and gas accumulations (50 million barrels of oil equivalent or more), the Tunguska Basin Province north of the Arctic Circle was not quantitatively assessed as part of CARA.

Tunguska Basin Province↗
USGS2018

Geology and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Mezen’ Basin Province, 2008

The Mezen’ Basin Province is situated along the White and Barents Seas in the northeastern part of the Russian Federation. Only a small area of the province, part of one graben, extends slightly north of the Arctic Circle onto the Kanin-Kola monocline, where it converges with the Timan-Varanger deformed belt and the Fennoscandian shield. The main petroleum potential in the Mezen’ Basin Province is associated with grabens in which clastic Proterozoic source and reservoir rocks are present. One Proterozoic-Paleozoic Composite Total Petroleum System was defined, although Paleozoic and younger strata are too thin (<1–2 km) for significant petroleum accumulation. The total thickness of the sedimentary interval is <6 km. The Northwest Mezen’ Basin Assessment Unit was delineated north of the Arctic Circle. Proterozoic (Riphean) mudstone is organic rich and thermally mature, providing a source for petroleum; younger Proterozoic (Vendian) rocks are also organic rich but thermally immature (Kuz’min, 2005). Because of its limited extent, the potential for an oil or gas field exceeding the minimum size of 50 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMBOE) within the small graben north of the Arctic Circle is remote (assessment-unit probability, 0.005). Therefore, the Mezen’ Basin Province was not quantitatively assessed.

Mezen’ Basin Province↗