Maly Lyakhovsky Island

This is a cold island.

It sits in the sea near Russia.

The land is very frozen. Thick ice stays deep in the soil. Small plants grow on the ground. These plants are low to the earth. They are moss and grass.

A long time ago, mammoths lived here. Scientists found a female mammoth in the ice. They even found some of her blood. It is a very special place.

Maly Lyakhovsky Island is a place in the Laptev Sea.

It is part of the New Siberian Islands. This island is in northern Russia. It is the second largest island in that group.

The island is very cold. The ground has thick permafrost. Permafrost is soil that stays frozen. This frozen ground has large ice wedges in it. Most of the land is covered in tundra. Tundra is a type of land with very low plants. You can see grasses, moss, and lichens there. The soil is often wet and bumpy.

Scientists found something amazing here in 2013. They found the body of a female mammoth. The mammoth was 10,000 years old. They found liquid blood in ice holes under her belly. The air was very cold at the time. Scientists took the remains to Yakutsk. They want to study the tissues. They may even try to clone the mammoth.

The map shows where the islands sit in the sea.

Maly Lyakhovsky Island is a special place in the far north. It sits in the Laptev Sea in northern Russia. This island is part of a group called the New Siberian Islands. It is actually the second largest island in that group.

The islands are named after a man named Ivan Lyakhov. He was an explorer who visited the area in 1773. You can see where the island sits on the map.

The land here is made of many different layers. Deep down, there are very old rocks called turbidites. These rocks include sandstone, shale, and argillite. These layers have been folded into shapes by the earth. On top of these rocks is a thin layer of sand and clay. Near the coast, you can find fossils of sea creatures and old wood. The ground also has thick permafrost. This means the soil stays frozen and has large ice wedges in it.

The surface of the island is covered in a place called tundra. This area is full of very low-growing plants. You will see many grasses and rushes growing there. There are also mosses, lichens, and liverworts. These small plants cover most of the ground. The soil is often wet and has a bumpy shape. It feels like a soft, green carpet over the frozen earth.

In May 2013, scientists made a huge discovery on the island. A team from North-Eastern Federal University found a mammoth. It was the body of a female mammoth from 10,000 years ago. Even though it was very cold, they found liquid blood in ice holes. This blood was found under the mammoth's belly. Scientists think this could teach them how mammoth blood stayed liquid in the cold.

Researchers took the mammoth remains to a city called Yakutsk. This city is in the Sakha Republic of Russia. They want to study the tissues and look at the bacteria. Some scientists are even working on a project to clone the mammoth. This is a big job that involves many different groups. Studying these old remains helps us learn about the history of the Arctic. It connects the ancient past to the science we do today.

Maly Lyakhovsky Island is a significant landmass located in the Laptev Sea. It sits within northern Russia as part of the New Siberian Islands archipelago. This island holds the distinction of being the second largest island in that specific group.

The archipelago itself carries a historical name. It honors Ivan Lyakhov, an explorer who traveled to these islands in 1773. Today, the island serves as a unique site for geological and biological study.

The geology of Maly Lyakhovsky Island is defined by complex layers of rock. The foundation consists of Mesozoic rocks from the Upper Jurassic to the lower Cretaceous periods. These rocks are specifically known as turbidites, or flysch. They include various types of stone such as sandstone, argillite, and shale. Over millions of years, these layers were deformed into folds. These folds strike in an east-northeast direction and are about 5 kilometers wide.

On top of these deep Mesozoic rocks lies a much thinner layer. This upper layer contains Pliocene to Pleistocene sediments. These sediments are made of sand and clay. They arrived through processes known as colluvial and alluvial origins. Near the coastline, these alluvial sediments change into nearshore marine sediments. These coastal layers are notable for containing fossil marine mollusks and lignitized wood. This shows that the area has experienced different environmental conditions over time.

A defining feature of the island's ground is the permafrost. This is a layer of soil that remains frozen for long periods. The permafrost on Maly Lyakhovsky Island is characterized by massive ice wedges. These wedges develop within the sediments of the island. This frozen state is a key part of the Arctic environment. It helps preserve many things found within the earth for thousands of years.

The surface of the island is covered by a landscape called tundra. This tundra is made of very low-growing plants. You will find rushes, grasses, and various forbs growing here. The ground is also covered by cryptogams, which include mosses, lichens, and liverworts. These plants often cover the surface of the ground almost completely. The soil in this tundra is typically moist and fine-grained. It often forms a hummocky shape, which means it is bumpy or uneven.

In May 2013, a scientific expedition made a major discovery on the island. A team from North-Eastern Federal University found a 10,000-year-old carcass. The remains belonged to a female mammoth. This find was especially surprising because of the condition of the remains. Scientists found liquid blood in ice cavities located below the mammoth's belly. This was remarkable because the temperature during excavation was -4.4 degrees Celsius. Researchers speculated that this find might reveal details about the cryoprotective properties of mammoth blood. This refers to how the blood could resist freezing in extreme cold.

The mammoth remains were moved to Yakutsk in the Sakha Republic of Russia. There, scientists began a detailed study of the tissues and bacteria. This work is part of a joint project involving the North-Eastern Federal University and the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation. One of the main goals of this collaboration is the cloning of a mammoth. By studying these ancient remains, scientists hope to understand the biology of extinct species. This connects the ancient history of the Arctic to modern biotechnology and genetic research.