Support The Moscow Times!

Scientists Claim Mendeleev Ridge Is Russian Continental Shelf

Russian scientists say the Mendeleev Ridge in the Arctic Ocean is part of Russia's continental shelf. Mike Dunn / Flickr

A group of Siberian scientists has claimed that the Mendeleev Ridge in the Arctic Ocean is part of Russia's continental shelf, paving the way for a Russian claim to vast mineral resources found in the Arctic.

Scholars from the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics found that the ridge's geological composition was not oceanic and concluded that it belonged to the continental shelf, Itar-Tass reported. The area is believed to hold large hydrocarbon deposits.

Valery Vernikovsky, the head of the institute's geodynamics and paleomagnetism laboratory, told reporters on Tuesday that the next step to expand Russia's Arctic jurisdiction to the Mendeleev Ridge was to appeal to the United Nations.

Russia had appealed to the UN in 2001 to claim the Lomonosov Ridge, which extends from the Arctic to the North Pole. The UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf at the time requested that Russia provide further evidence to bolster its claim that the ridge was part of its continental shelf. Norway, Canada, Denmark and the United States have also made claims to the area.

In March, the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf recognized the Sea of Okhotsk enclave as part of Russia's continental shelf, giving the country exclusive rights over this 52,000 square kilometer area.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more