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Gyda Peninsula

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

The Gyda Peninsula is a huge piece of land in Russia.

GydaTajmyrJamal
GydaTajmyrJamal

It sits on the Siberian coast in the Kara Sea. This land is about 400 km long and 360 km wide. It lies between two large river areas. These are the Ob River and the Yenisei River. The Yamal Peninsula sits across the river from the southwest corner. The whole area has an arctic and harsh climate. It is a very cold and wide place.

The ground here is mostly flat and very different from your backyard. It is covered by tundra, which is a type of treeless land. The soil is made of permafrost. This means the ground stays frozen all year. Many rivers and lakes sit on the peninsula. The Gyda River flows across this land and gives it its name. The Tanama River also starts here.

Barents Sea map
Barents Sea map

Some parts of the land reach north into the sea like arms. These are called subpeninsulas.

People have found amazing things in this frozen land. Long ago, a mammoth lived in this region. Scientists found a mammoth skeleton there. That skeleton is now kept in a museum in Saint Petersburg. The peninsula also has special names for its parts. One part is the Mamonta Peninsula. This name means Mammoth Peninsula. Another small part is called the Yavay Peninsula. These names help us know where we are on the map.

Nature is very important in this area. In 1996, a large part became a nature reserve. This was a place where traffic was not allowed. In 2019, this area changed into a national park.

GydaTajmyrJamal
GydaTajmyrJamal

Scientists go there to study the frozen ground. They have been monitoring the permafrost since 2016. The land can change in big ways. Since 2014, huge holes nearly 100 feet wide have appeared. These holes might be caused by methane gas popping out of the ground.

Today, people use the land to find natural gas. A company called Novatek has permission to get gas from much of the peninsula. They are working on a big project called Arctic LNG 2. This project includes building a major port at the Gulf of Ob. The port will be called Utrenneye. In 2020, the ground began to change after a very warm summer. Heavy mud and frozen soil slid into the Gydan Bay. This happened during the warmest summer since 1881.

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File:GydaTajmyrJamal.JPG
GydaTajmyrJamal.JPG
File:Barents Sea map.png
Barents Sea map.png
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