The Impact of Climate Change On Russia

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The Impact of Climate Change On Russia
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Russian Coastline rising sea levels
Russias Total Coastline 37,653km
Certain areas of Russia is more affected by
rising sea level.
Red line represents coastline
Bykovsky (Northeast Coast of Russia) is losing
15-18km a year.
Rising sea levels can contaminate the wetlands
which are prevalent near the northeast coastline.
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Rising Sea Levels its effect on land
Land that is immediately affected and at risk at
rising sea levels is mainly grazing (northeast
Russia) and cropping (southwest Russia.)
The type of land that is most affected is Tundra
(areas that lack forests.)
Forests arent affected by rising sea levels, but
still suffer from melting permafrost.
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Rising Sea Levels its effect on economy
Fishing economies will not be heavily affected
from port damage due to factory ships.
Factory ships are capable of catching, preparing,
and storing fish for the market.
Factory ship at port
The livestock industry can suffer heavy losses
because rising sea levels can lead to a loss in
grazing lands.
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Permafrost Melt

• Increase temps. increased
  thawing of the permafrost layer
• -has both natural and anthropogenic
  effects
• -exact extent is hard to measure but rough
  estimates are improving along with
  scientific understanding

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-More than ½ the continuous area could be thaw by
2050,90 by 2100.Source http//www.iiasa.ac.at
/Research/FOR/russia_cd/perm.htm
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Some natural effects of melting permafrost

• Melting permafrost is releasing more than five
  times the amount of methane than previously
  thought.
• Due to recent measurements taken recently at two
  thawing lakes in Northern Siberia (arial surveys,
  remote sensors, year-round measurements).
• Btwn. 1974 and 2000 methane emissions increased
  by 58
• Melting permafrost allows the release of the
  remains of plants and animals which are rich in
  Carbon. This material sinks to the bottom of the
  lake, decays, and releases methane which bubbles
  to surface and out into the atmosphere. (positive
  feedback cycle)
• -4 million tons CH4/yr. released by Siberia's
  lakes and wetlands alone. 10-63 higher than
  previous estimates.

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Melting Siberian permafrost is releasing large
amounts of greenhouse gases.
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Melting permafrost causes drunken
forestSource http//permafrostcourses.org/ind
ex.php?optioncom_contenttaskviewid6Itemid26
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PM Effects to Roads, Buildings, Structures

• Thermokarst topography creates problems for roads
  and infrastructure due to unstable and shifting
  ground shape.
• Houses and buildings collapse and/or become
  uninhabitable.
• Crucial roadways become more difficult and
  expensive to maintain.
• Piping and other long distance forms of transport
  suffer constant damage and also require constant
  maintenance.
• Sea level rise requires villages and coastal
  settlement to move and also contributes to
  coastal erosion.

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Subsidence from Permafrost MeltingSource
(photo from USDA-NRCS by Joe Moore)
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Russia is predicted to have a major increase in
precipitation over the next 50 years.
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Russia will clearly receive more precipitation in
both the winter and summer months.In the
winter the precipitation will increase to 20 and
in the summer it will increase 10.
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If major increases in precipitation occur
suddenly then floods such as the one in Moscow in
1908 could occur more frequently.
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With the current rates of deforestation and soil
erosion flooding could lead to major problems in
Russia.If massive amounts of precipitation
occur in Russia then it will likely not be
absorbed by that ground but flow off of it
carrying nutrients and debris.
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Source http//www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/FOR/russia
_cd/clim_maps.htmavp
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Major problems could arise from current troubles
with soil erosion, soil contamination from
improper application of agricultural chemicals,
scattered areas of sometimes intense radioactive
contamination, groundwater contamination from
toxic waste, urban solid waste management and
abandoned stocks of obsolete pesticides. With
all of the increase levels of runoff and possibly
floods from the increase in precipitation, these
factors could start to poison the land and the
people. Also, air pollution in urban centers
could contaminate water supplies and acid rain
can damage the land.
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Source http//www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/FOR/russia
_cd/hydro_maps.htm
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Overall

• The impact of climate change on Russia has the
  opportunity to become an extreme danger.