Water levels fall as a new island in the Caspian Sea, Russian scientists confirm

Russian scientists have confirmed a new island in the Northern Caspian Sea. From the end of 2024, satellite imagery first indicated breaking the surface in a sandBank, and a region campaign in the middle of 2025 verified it. This feature is located about 30 km southwest of the Mali Zemuchuzi Island on the Europe-Asia border of the world’s largest inland ocean. It barely rises above the water, and it appeared because the level of Caspian reached unusually low values. Scientists noted that the sea has fallen in recent decades (a warming is associated with high evaporation in climate and regional tectonic shifts) and has been falling again since 2010.

End of the island

according to a Translated details In November 2024, satellite images showed a pile of sand and sediment over the sea surface. When a Russian research reached the vessel, scientists saw a flat, sandy patch just above the water. Its surface was moist and criscross with small sand lines, but was only a few inches more than the surrounding sea. It proved to be difficult to contact the boat: very shallow water and dishonesty meant meant that the team could not actually land on the new islet. Instead, the researchers blowed drones (quadcopters) to draw a picture of the site from above. These aerial paintings confirmed the outline and scale of the island. In the images of the region, the new island appeared as low, sandy grounds, which had no vegetation.

Environmental importance and future approach

The island highlights the shifting waters and geology of Caspian. Scientists have observed that the long -term cycle of water growth and decline can expose underwater banks as temporary islands, as seen in the Kumani bank mud volcano from the coast of Azerbaijan. The island, which can become a nest hunting ground for the seabard or affect a hall-out site for a caspian seal, climate-powered water loss and tectonic or volcanic activity. The fate of the island will help scientists understand the interaction between the Caspian water level, climate change, and the earth movements, and an inland ocean can emerge new housing when transferred to its coastline.