Russia

Top  Natural Disasters

Disaster                                                         Date                                             Killed

·         Earthquake                                      May-1995                                      1,989

·         Extreme temp                                  Oct-2001                                           332

·         Extreme temp                                   Jul-2001                                           276

·         Slide                                                 Jan-1993                                           239

·         Extreme temp                                   Oct-2000                                          232

·         Extreme temp                                   Nov-1995                                         208

·         Extreme temp                                   Dec-1999                                          162

·         Flood                                                Jun-1993                                           125

Disaster                                                             Date                                          Affected

·         Flood                                                  Sep-1994                                     775,429

·         Extreme temp                                     Jan-1999                                     725,000

·         Flood                                                  Jul-2001                                      300,000

·         Wild fire                                             Sep-1998                                     100,683

·         Flood                                                   Jun-1998                                       78,600

·         Flood                                                    May-2001                                     50,305

·         Flood                                                    Aug-2001                                      25,000

·         Flood                                                    Apr-2000                                       23,000

·         Flood                                                    May-1998                                      20,000

Note: Russia independence August 1991, prior to that all natural disasters in that area included in Soviet Union. 

Source: "EM-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database,  Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium"  http://www.cred.be/emdat/intro.htm Access time: 05/01/2003

From the report listed above from the 1990’2 thru 2003,  we can easily see that extreme temperatures and flooding affect thousands if not millions of people each year. I believe that the 2 go hand in hand due to global warming. During the last 40 years, the average temperature in Russian has increased 0.4 degrees every ten years. The global warming can been seen through higher air temperatures, reduction in ice cover and snow cover, higher sea levels, that the Arctic ice cover last year reached a record low.

In October this year Norwegian and Russian scientists said that the surface water of the Barents Sea was 5 degrees C warmer than normal. They linked the peak-temperatures with the unusual warm summer in the northernmost parts of mainland Norway and on Russia’s Kola Peninsula. Studies  project a sea level rise by 2100 of 26-82 centimeters, up from the 18-59 centimeter rise it predicted six years ago. The report also projected that average temperatures will rise 0.3 to 4.8 degrees C by the end of the century.

The temperature increases may affect agricultural and forestry management at Northern Hemisphere higher latitudes, higher frequency of wildfires, alterations in disturbance of forests due to pests, increased health risks due to heat-waves, changes in infectious diseases and allergenic pollen and changes to human activities in the Arctic such as hunting and travel. These changes will bring flash floods, more frequent coastal flooding and increased erosion, reduced snow cover and species losses. Permafrost thawing may be a serious cause for concern. It is believed that carbon storage in permafrost globally is equivalent to twice the atmospheric pool. Protecting peatlands from drainage and clearance slows down the rate of greenhouse gases. Permafrost in most Arctic areas is from a few to several hundred metres thick and releases methane which has 25 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide.

Lake Baikal, located in Siberia,  is the world's deepest, oldest,and most voluminous lake—equal in volume to the North American Great Lakes combined.² These qualities have given rise to a phenomenal ecosystem that hosts more species than any other lake in the world. Of its 2,500 animal species, half are unique to the lake.³ One–third of the lake's plant species are also found nowhere else on Earth.⁴ Most notably, the lake is home to the Baikal seal, the only seal in the world that lives exclusively in freshwater.⁵In 1996, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) designated Lake Baikal as a World Heritage Site because of its outstanding ecosystem. Along with swift action to reduce our heat–trapping emissions, international efforts to preserve the lake and reduce the industrial legacy of pollution in its surroundings could minimize harmful changes to the lake's unique ecosystems.

Solutions to global warming include Promoting Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency; European Union Climate Commitments and Progress. which consists of 27 members, committed to reducing its global warming emissions by at least 20 percent of 1990 levels by 2020, to consuming 20 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, and to reducing its primary energy use by 20 percent from projected levels through increased energy efficiency. The European Union's Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is the world's first, and largest multi-national cap-and-trade program for reducing heat-trapping emissions. This program includes 27 countries and all large industrial facilities, including those that generate electricity, refine petroleum, and produce iron, steel, cement, glass, and paper.

We were asked where the safest place to build a house would be, where would I build my house.  The safest I believe would be in and or around Moscow or more central Russia. However ,this is not where I would choose to build my house. I would study the Inuit people and follow their instructions. In Igloolik, the Inullariit Society, established in 1993 to preserve and promote culture, language, heritage, and traditional values, now offers “Land Camps” during which elders take young Inuit on the land for weeks at a time to teach hunting, survival, and safety skills. Because Inuit knowledge forms the basis for Inuit cultural identity, spirituality, and values, its preservation and promotion is key to addressing concerns at the community level.

By considering climate change and the full range of coping mechanisms in local planning, budgeting, and other decision making processes, Inuit communities can act to hedge against any future challenges they are likely to face. This approach, known as “mainstreaming”may be the best way to prepare for the inevitable changes ahead.

http://barentsobserver.com                          http://www.worldwatch.org

http://www.climatehotmap.org                    http://www.climatehotmap.org

Based on the general-purpose mapping of Russian abrasion coasts, it has been established that the erosion is typical of all coastal regions and is observed over 25  000 km of the coastline length. It has been noted that Russia annually loses up to 5000 ha of most important coastal areas as a result of erosion and recession of coasts and flooding of lowlands, and up to 115 million tons of sediments per year are carried away into the sea during coastal erosion only in the northern regions of European Russia.

Wind erosion in Russia gravitates to the southern forestless zone with strong winds. In the Asian part of Russia predominately sandy and sandy loam soils are exposed to wind erosion. The biggest area of strong and severe wind erosion is located in the European part of Russia. It includes the North Caucasus, Lower Don and adjacent areas including the Eastern part of Ukraine.

https://infosys.ars.usda.gov/WindErosion/symposium/proceedings/larionov.pdf

Russia's Extreme Weather
In general, the climate of Russia can be described as highly continental influenced climate with warm to hot dry summers and (very) cold winters with temperatures of -30°C and lower and sometimes heavy snowfall. sometimes very strong easterly winds, called Buran can occur, bringing freezing cold temperatures and snowstorms. Precipitation varies from region to region; the Western parts of Russia have the the most rain, the southern and southeastern areas in the Russian Steppes are the dryest with an annual below 220mm. Northern and Central Russia have the most mild climate, summers are mostly dry and sunny, for up to 9 hours a day, with local showers or thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Siberia is known for it's extreme weather with extremely cold winters, but warm to hot summers, which are short and wet. . Average precipitation is about 500 mm.  In the winter the weather can be very dangerous sometimes with temperatures below -35°C, strong winds and snowstorms. The coldest place in Russia is Oimjakon in the central Sibirian region Jakutia, where the winter temperatures are almost the lowest in the world, reaching below -50°C im January, and the Artic sea is ice-bound from November to end March. According to the scientist,
weather conditions such as unexpected, large-scale flooding due to colossal downpours or abnormal heatwaves, will be far more common. WWF Russia's climate and energy program expect four times as much adverse weather in 20 years' time, and are developing an effective response to cope with climactic changes to minimize the threat to the population.
Russia's Koeppen-Geiger classification:  Russia has almost all climate zones of the world, expecting the tropical climates. The Artic coastal areas of Russia have an E climate, an Ice climate with the warmest month below 10°C. Most of the areas of Russia have variations of a D climate; northern and central Sibiria have a Dfc climate, a humid snow climate with less than four months above 10°C and the coldest month below -3°C; a small area nearby the Black Sea has a Dfa climate with the warmest month above 22°C and the coldest month below -3°C. The western parts of Russia have a Dfb climate with the warmest month under 22°C, four or more months above 10%deg;C and the coldest month below -3°C, while the central and northeastern parts of Sibiria have an Dfd climate, which is the same as a Dfb climate, but more extreme with te coldest month below -38°C. The far eastern regions of Russia have in general variations of a Dw climate, which is a semi-humid snow climate with dry winters. The northeastern regions (around Jakutsk) have a Dwd climate with the coldest month below -38°C, while the southern parts of eastern Russia have a Dwc climate with less than four months above 10°C. The region nearby the North Korean Border has a Dwb climate, with the warmest month below 22°C and four or more months below 10°C. The southern parts of Russia along the coast of the Black Sea, and the borders of Kazachstan and Mongolia have a warmer but dryer BSk climate, a dry Steppe-climate with warm summers and cold winters and an annual average Temperature below 18°.

masterrussian.com
weatheronline.co.uk
www.themoscowtimes.com

MASS WASTING.. Mudslides and More

Amazing video of Russian Mudslide during BreakUp April 2015

https://youtu.be/3lDdY5y76i4

Video Preventative Avalanche: Caused by Russian Soldier

https://youtu.be/32b9m7CeJfQ

Detailed geologic and geomorphologic mapping of young volcanic terrains and observations on historical eruptions reveal that landslides of various scales, from small to catastrophic , are widespread. Other factors leading to mass wasting include Deforestation and destruction of forests, Erosion and degradation of land and water, Break up or thawing season when the ice begins to thaw and snow melts.

In June 2007 a massive landslide Kamchatka changed the landscape forever. Four and a half million cubic meters of rock, gravel, snow and ice broke free of the mountains. In a matter of seconds, it smothered the green valley and many of its geysers forever, however in 2009 a single geyser did reappear.

In July of 2014 rescuers had evacuated more than 50 people who were trapped in the mountains near an Olympic resort in Sochi when the area was hit by a second mudslide in one week. Another mudslide had hit the same road the previous Sunday, the report said. Rescuers evacuated about 50 people, while another 40 refused to leave their cars, the report said, adding that it took rescuers two days to completely clear the road for traffic.

 In April of 2015 A mudslide triggered by heavy rains killed seven people in southern Russia,

Due to the sheer numbers of lives lost, Russian officials partnered with USGS to further study natural occurrences. Replanting has been introduced to help with erosion as well as planned Avalanches . EMERCOM of Russia offers daily updates of events taking place and includes a Helpline for those in need or wanting additional information

 http://en.mchs.ru/

http://us.wow.com/wiki/Ministry_of_Emergency_Situations_(Russia)

http://natgeotv.com

Volcanos

The Kamchatka River and the surrounding central side valley are flanked by large volcanic belts containing around 160 volcanoes, 29 of them still active. The peninsula has a high density of volcanoes and associated volcanic phenomena, with 19 active volcanoes included in the six UNESCO World Heritage List sites in the Volcanoes of Kamchatka group, most of them on the Kamchatka Peninsula, the most volcanic area of the Eurasian continent, with many active cones. Three volcanoes on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Shiveluch, Kizimen and Plosky Tolbachik, are erupting simultaneously, and a flight safety warning has been issued for the area.

­Plosky Tolbachik on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, dormant since its most notable recent eruption in 1975, is spilling up to 1,200 metric tons of lava every second – a record amount – and spewing clouds of ash nearly 3,000 meters into the air, local seismologists estimated. 

The road to the 3,085-meter Plosky Tolbachik runs through the frozen Studenka River. Despite the risky route, up to a hundred cars full of tourists brave the crossing every day to get to the nearby mountain.

The tourists – who ignore warning signs and the dangers of leaking lava, hot falling rocks and clouds of ash – pay top prices and take a 10-hour car ride to see the volcano. The trip reportedly costs 20,000 rubles (about $650) for locals and close to $1000 for Moscow tourists, nearly equal to the average monthly wage in the capital.

The highest volcano is Klyuchevskaya Sopka (4,750 m or 15,584 ft), the largest active volcano in the Northern Hemisphere,^[8] while the most striking is Kronotsky.

The most recent events  were reported by both Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team KVERT who reported that moderate explosive activity at Karymsky continued Feb 12 thru the 19. Satellite images detected a daily thermal anomaly, and ash plumes from explosions that drifted about 125 km E. The Aviation Color Code remained at Orange.

Sakhalin Volcanic Eruption Response Team (SVERT) reported that satellite images detected a thermal anomaly over Snow, a volcano of Chirpoi, February16 thru the 19. The Aviation Color Code remained at Yellow.

KVERT monitors and reports on volcanic hazards to aviation for Kamchatka and the north Kuriles. They utilize real-time seismic data, daily satellite views of the region, real-time video, and pilot and field reports of activity to track and alert the aviation industry of hazardous activity. Most Kurile Island volcanoes are monitored by SVERT based in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. SVERT uses daily moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite images to look for volcanic activity along this 1,250-km chain of islands. Neither operation is staffed 24 h per day. In addition, the vast majority of Russian volcanoes are not monitored seismically in real-time. Other challenges include multiple time-zones and language differences that hamper communication among volcanologists and meteorologists in the US, Japan, and Russia who share the responsibility to issue official warnings. Rapid, consistent verification of explosive eruptions and determination of cloud heights remain significant technical challenges. Despite these difficulties, in more than a decade of frequent eruptive activity in Kamchatka and the northern Kuriles, no damaging encounters with volcanic ash from Russian eruptions have been recorded.

Russia

COLOR	State of the Volcano
GREEN	Volcano is in typical background, noneruptive state or, after a change from a higher level, volcanic activity has ceased and volcano has returned to noneruptive background state.
YELLOW	Volcano is exhibiting signs of elevated unrest above known background level or, after a change from a higher level, volcanic activity has decreased significantly but continues to be closely monitored for possible renewed increase.
ORANGE	Volcano is exhibiting heightened or escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption, timeframe uncertain, OR eruption is underway with no or minor volcanic-ash emissions [ash-plume height specified, if possible].
RED	Eruption is imminent with significant emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere likely OR eruption is underway or suspected with significant emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere [ash-plume height specified, if possible].

Kamchatkan Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT)

Sakhalin Volcanic Eruption Response Team (SVERT)

http://www.themoscowtimes.com

https://en.wikipedia.org

https://www.rt.com

http://www.volcanolive.com/alerts.html

Russian Earthquakes

The last 30 days

7.0-magnitude earthquake struck in Russia's Far East at a depth of 160 kilometres (100 miles), in the mountainous Kamchatka Krai region on Russia's eastern coast.

6 days ago 5.0 magnitude, 21 km depth
Novyy Uoyan, Respublika Buryatiya, Russia

14 days ago 4.4 magnitude, 171 km depth
Yelizovo, Kamtsjatka, Russia

15 days ago 4.4 magnitude, 72 km depth
Atlasovo, Kamtsjatka, Russia

16 days ago 4.5 magnitude, 10 km depth
Turka, Respublika Buryatiya, Russia

16 days ago 4.2 magnitude, 99 km depth
Terekli-Mekteb, Dagestan, Russia

18 days ago 4.7 magnitude, 51 km depth
Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Kamtsjatka, Russia

20 days ago 5.0 magnitude, 57 km depth
Shikotan, Sakhalin, Russia

21 days ago 4.5 magnitude, 160 km depth
Yelizovo, Kamtsjatka, Russia

21 days ago 5.1 magnitude, 167 km depth
Yelizovo, Kamtsjatka, Russia

21 days ago 7.2 magnitude, 160 km depth
Yelizovo, Kamtsjatka, Russia

25 days ago 4.8 magnitude, 70 km depth
Ozernovskiy, Kamtsjatka, Russia

27 days ago 4.8 magnitude, 97 km depth
Nemuro, Hokkaido, Japan
28 days ago 4.8 magnitude, 71 km depth
Severo-Kuril’sk, Sakhalin, Russia
 30 days ago 4.9 magnitude, 79 km depth
Ozernovskiy, Kamtsjatka, Russia

History

The massive, magnitude-8.2 temblor that struck on May 24,2013 near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula is the deepest earthquake ever recorded and could be felt all the way to Moscow, 4000 miles away. At 378 miles below the seafloor, broke the previous record set in Bolivia, in 1994.

What they are doing

Russian Emergencies Ministry  responsibilities include:

providing for the functioning and further development of the Russian System of Disaster Management (RSDM);

directing activities aimed at eliminating the consequences of large-scale disasters, catastrophes and other emergencies;

Cooperation in the mapping sciences with the Russian Federal Service on Geodesy and Cartographyrevention and Awareness.
Collaborative studies of the major deposits, metallogenesis, and tectonics of Russia with the Committee on Geology and Academy of Sciences.

Cooperartion in seismology & geodynamics between USGS/NSF/the Ministry of Science & Technologies/the Russian Academy of Sciences of the Russian Federation.

Cooperation development of GIS applications to support environment protection & the sustainable development of natural resources in the Russian Federation with Main Research Info. Computer Center of Russian Ministry of Natl. Resources.

ww.usgs.gov/ecosystems/international/russia.html

http://earthquaketrack.com

http://www.usgs.gov

Three large tectonic plates converge on Russia —Eurasian, North American, and Pacific. This is a frontier region about which very little is known, but that links the tectonics of the Arctic to those of the North Pacific. The interactions of these regions are important for determining the  history of oceanic connections the two ocean basins, the tectonic evolution of Alaska and the plate motions of both North America and Eurasia.

The study of this region can address problems of continental deformation, the effect of Euler poles near plate boundaries, progressive rifting and rupturing of continental crust, development of superposed basins, evolution of large strike-slip faults, and extrusion tectonics. The plate boundary from continental northeast Russia to the Pacific Ocean has been traced along two branches, one heading to northwest Kamchatka and the Aleutian-Kamchatka corner and the other through Sakhalin to northwest Japan.

 
The Baikal Rift Zone is a divergent boundary in southeastern Russia. To the east of the Zone  is the Amur Plate which is moving away from the rift toward Japan at about 4 mm per year.


pangea.stanford.edu
www.sciencedirect.com
wikipedia.org