Russian scientists confirm new island emerges in Caspian Sea amid cyclical water fluctuations
By isabelle // 2025-06-12
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  • Russian researchers confirm a new island emerged in the northern Caspian Sea due to natural water level declines after being first spotted in satellite images in late 2024.
  • The island’s formation is part of long-term cyclical changes in the Caspian Sea.
  • Harsh conditions prevented researchers from landing, but drone footage revealed a flat, sandy terrain barely above water, with future expeditions planned for 2025.
  • The island may grow or disappear as water levels fluctuate, similar to other transient landforms in the region, like a "ghost island" near Azerbaijan.
  • The discovery underscores Earth’s natural geological forces, challenging oversimplified climate narratives and highlighting nature’s unpredictable power.
In a striking demonstration of nature’s unpredictable power, Russian researchers have confirmed the emergence of a previously unknown island in the northern Caspian Sea in a phenomenon tied to the cyclical decline of water levels in the world’s largest inland body of water. Located just 19 miles southwest of Maly Zhemchuzhny Island, this unnamed landmass was first detected in satellite images in November 2024 but remained unexplored until a recent expedition braved the region’s harsh conditions. The discovery underscores the dynamic forces reshaping our planet, independent of politically charged climate narratives.

A product of natural cycles

The island’s formation is not an anomaly but part of a long-documented pattern of fluctuating water levels in the Caspian Sea. Stepan Podolyako, a senior researcher at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, explained in a statement that the Caspian Sea has experienced cyclical declines since at least the 1930s, with another notable drop beginning around 2010. "The occurrence of new islands in the Caspian Sea is associated with cyclical processes of long-term fluctuations in the level of these landlocked waters," Podolyako noted. "Awash islands are uplifts on the seabed that come to the surface during periods of falling sea level." Unlike alarmist claims linking every environmental shift to human activity, this phenomenon is driven largely by natural forces, including tectonic shifts beneath the seafloor. The Caspian Sea, straddling Europe and Asia, is no stranger to geological upheaval. Its water levels are influenced by a complex interplay of evaporation, sediment deposition, and subterranean movements — factors often ignored by mainstream environmental discourse.

Expedition challenges and findings

Despite confirming the island’s existence, researchers faced significant obstacles. Harsh weather and dangerously shallow waters prevented them from landing during their initial expedition. Instead, drone footage revealed a flat, damp terrain dotted with sand ridges, barely elevated above the waterline. "A next visit to the island is planned [...] in the second half of 2025," Podolyako said, suggesting further analysis is needed to determine whether the landmass will stabilize or vanish as water levels fluctuate. The island’s temporary nature raises questions about its future. Satellite imagery from November 2024 showed a mound of sand and sediment breaching the surface, but its longevity remains uncertain. If water levels continue to drop, particularly during summer and fall when river flows into the Caspian diminish, the island could grow more prominent. Alternatively, it may recede as swiftly as it appeared, joining the ranks of other transient landforms in the region. The Caspian Sea has seen vanishing acts before. Just months before this discovery, satellite images captured the brief appearance and disappearance of a "ghost island" near Azerbaijan’s coast, formed by the eruption of the Kumani Bank mud volcano. Unlike the newly discovered island, which emerged gradually, the Kumani landmass materialized abruptly in early 2023 before eroding back into the sea by late 2024. Geologist Mark Tingay, who documented the event, called it "amazing" that the island’s appearance went largely unnoticed despite occurring mere miles from populated areas. These ephemeral islands highlight the Caspian’s geological volatility. Mud volcanoes like Kumani Bank — over 300 of which dot Azerbaijan’s coast — spew sediment and gases, creating temporary landmasses that often vanish within years. Yet the newly discovered island near Maly Zhemchuzhny differs in origin, shaped not by volcanic activity but by the slow, relentless forces of water and tectonics.

A reminder of Earth’s unstoppable forces

The emergence of this unnamed island serves as a humbling reminder that Earth’s landscapes are in constant flux, governed by cycles far beyond human control. While corporate-funded climate activists rush to blame every environmental shift on industrialization, the Caspian Sea’s behavior defies such oversimplification. Its water levels have risen and fallen for decades, long before modern emissions became a scapegoat. Russian scientists, prioritizing empirical observation over political agendas, continue to monitor these changes with meticulous precision. Their work reveals a truth often suppressed by Western media: nature operates on its own terms, indifferent to human narratives. Sources for this article include: LiveScience.com Space.com ScienceAlert.com
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