Beneath the frozen Siberian tundra lies one of the world's largest natural gas reserves

Countries & Cities · Published 22 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In the remote northwest of Siberia, the Yamal Peninsula presents a landscape of extremes. Here, ancient Nenets traditions meet modern industrial wealth, all unfolding atop a massive reservoir of natural gas and a vast, perennially frozen landscape. This isolated frontier is one of the coldest inhabited places on Earth.

The Yamal Peninsula, located in west-central Russia, is a 435-mile (700 km) long Arctic lowland region. It is bounded by the Kara Sea and Baydarata Bay to the west, the Gulf of Ob to the east and southeast, and the Malygina Strait to the north. This remote region is part of the larger Arctic landscape, characterized by long, frigid winters and short, relatively dry summers with minimal snowfall.

The ground itself is shaped by permafrost—perennially frozen soil that remains below 0 °C (32 °F) for at least two consecutive years. In northern Siberia, this frozen layer can reach thicknesses of 1,500 metres (5,000 feet). Above this stable layer lies the 'active layer,' which seasonally freezes in winter and thaws in summer. The thickness of this surface layer varies based on moisture, ranging from less than a foot in organic sediments to several feet in well-drained gravels. While most of this frozen ground is consolidated by ice, certain areas containing saline moisture may remain unfrozen even below freezing temperatures. Such permafrost is not firmly cemented, unlike the more common icy varieties.

Life on the peninsula is a study in survival and duality. The Nenets people maintain ancient cultures by migrating with reindeer across the icy plains. Yet, beneath this traditional way of life lies a massive geological treasure: one of the planet's largest natural gas reserves. This intersection of indigenous nomadic life and immense energy resources makes the Yamal Peninsula a critical, if isolated, corner of the global landscape. This vast landscape is part of a much larger global phenomenon, as permafrost is estimated to cover roughly 24 percent of the Northern Hemisphere's land surface.

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