Scientists have discovered plumes of smoke that periodically appear in the vicinity of Bennett Island in the East Siberian Sea. This may indicate the presence of an active volcano and the threat of a tsunami for Arctic settlements in Yakutia, Nikolai Nakhodkin, polar explorer, told TASS.
"According to our observations, sometimes huge plumes of smoke come out in the vicinity of Bennett Island. The satellite data shows that they reach Canada and Alaska. We assume that perhaps there is an active volcano in the north Yakutia," Nakhodkin said.
In his opinion, this may be a valid reason for the Yakutia Academy of Sciences to conduct intensive research there. "If the open water [in ice-free periods] coincides with the time of the volcanic eruption, there will be a threat of a tsunami. In the tundra all settlements, except Tiksi, are located on low tundra shores. They can be washed away, then there will be no development of the Arctic. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a network of seismic observations and tsunami warnings there, as has been done in some regions of the Far East," the researcher said.
Alex Shishlo, Editor in Chief of the European Bureau, Rough&Polished
