A study to establish the levels of greenhouse gas emissions and to find evidence of global climate change in the northern latitudes will be conducted on Bely Island throughout the year. The researchers, who have just returned from a ten-day expedition to the island, announced this during a news conference in Salekhard, reports the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area government website.

During the expedition a high-precision gas analyzer was installed, which will allow to measure the levels of methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and water vapor in the atmosphere. The analyzer will monitor the emission levels throughout the year. This will show if northern latitudes are subject to global climate change.

The researchers also started the work on land rehabilitation. At present the total land area to be rehabilitated is estimated at about 1 square kilometer. They brought willows and grass mixtures to Bely Island. The following year the results of this experiment will reveal the best way to rehabilitate land.

The expedition was organized with support from the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area government. The team includes representatives of six Russian research institutes, as well as researchers from Norway and Germany.

A team of zoologists from the Russian Academy of Sciences, Norwegian University of Tromsø and German University of Giessen studied the tundra ecosystem of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area.