MetaFilter posts tagged with siberia

KA-BOOM!!!!

fearfulsymmetry — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:47:21 -0800

The Tunguska Event. A century ago, something exploded over Russia... Different theories abound. Some of the more outlandish are summed up in the always splendid Arthur C Clarke's Mysterious World 1 2 3

Impermafrost

[expletive deleted] — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:02:52 -0800

"We badly underestimated the degree of damages and the risks of climate change," said Lord Stern in a speech in London yesterday. "All of the links in the chain are on average worse than we thought (pdf) a couple of years ago." NOAA data has revealed that this past march is the 2nd warmest on record, and the warmest on record for both land and the Northern Hemisphere. The most severe and alarming temperature anomaly is in Russia, China and Central Asia, especially East Siberia and the Amur region. Last summer, the East Siberian Sea was the epicenter of the unprecedented Arctic sea ice melt. This year may be little different. Also of significant concern are positive feedbacks from methane released by melting permafrost and possibly clathrate release from the seabed in the same region. The recent fires in Amur Oblast, which was almost 5C warmer than the the 1961-1990 average this March, may also be related to this, and is another example of the kind of positive feedbacks many climate scientists (and Lord Stern) are concerned about.

Can I say, "I know, but if I tell you I'll have to kill you"?

weapons-grade pandemonium — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 22:24:30 -0800

Mayor of Siberian town orders his bureaucrats to stop using expressions such as "I don't know", "I can't", "I'm having lunch", and "It's impossible". Not sure if "You have got to be fucking kidding me." or "What the fuck, man? are on his list.

Railway of Bones

parudox — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:36:08 -0800

Dead Road - Museum of Communism in the Open. "It was one of the most ambitious projects of the Stalin era, known as the 'railway of bones'. At least 10 people a day died during the four years of its construction [actually 1947-1953], but unlike most of Uncle Joe's grand designs it was never completed and now sits unfinished in the tundra, an icy road to nowhere." The transpolar railway was built by labour camps^ 501 and 503 and construction was stopped after the amnesty following Stalin's death in 1953; 800km, about half, was built. Some sections are currently in operation, but much is abandoned: depot and locomotives in Dolgoe, Dolgoe itself, labour camps, more spectacular decay. (Previously: Norilsk, which was supposed to see an extension of the line.)

Visit Beautiful Norilsk!

MarshallPoe — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 05:34:56 -0800

Norilsk is a big city in northern Siberia. On the permafrost. It was built by slave labor in the 1930s. Norilsk Nickle, a very profitable company, wants you to invest there. Some think it's a hell hole. Others think it was the downfall of the Soviet economy.

Alaska and Northeast Siberia

Wolfdog — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 09:20:42 -0800

Artifacts, people, and traditions of Alaska and Northeast Siberia.

Gigantic hole

Burhanistan — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 20:03:42 -0800

The giant spiraling hole in the ground near Mirny, Russia in Siberia is perhaps the world's largest open pit diamond mine. More giant holes.

In Soviet Russia, Snow Pees On You.

Hat Maui — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 23:55:19 -0800

Don't Eat (or Drink) The Yellow Snow !

note: it is our surmise that that this snow is probably not toxic. trust us. we're russia.

Permafrost - n. Ground that is permanently frozen.

mosch — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 14:33:41 -0800

Siberia's permafrost is melting. New Scientist reports that 250 million acres of permafrost are thawing, exposing the world's largest peat bog. This is likely to release billions of tons of methane gas. This would likely cause a positive feedback loop, massively accelerating global warming.

Siberian Digital Photo Collection

plep — Tue, 04 Jan 2005 06:48:09 -0800

Siberian Digital Photo Collection.