Russia's mini-submarines dive to Arctic Ocean floor

Moscow, Aug 2 (UNI): Two Russian mini-submarines today dived to the floor of Arctic Ocean at an interval of 27 minutes within the sight of each other, the commanders of the Mir-1 and the Mir-2 reported to the Akademic Fyodorov ship.

"The Mir-1 successfully descended to the ocean floor at 12:08 hrs to a depth of 4,261 metres," head of the Arktika-2007 expedition Artur Chilingarov told Itar-Tass news agency.

"The touchdown was soft, yellowish soil was seen around; no deepwater creatures were in sight," Chilingarov said. The Mir-2 reached the ocean floor at 12:35 hrs. "It was at a depth of 4,302 meters," the mini-submarine commander Yevgeny Chenyayev said.

The mini-submarines dives were designed to bolster Russia's claim to about 460,000 square miles of territory, which the country says is the continuation of its continental shelf. The underwater Lomonosov and Mendeleyev Ridges are named after the Russian scientists.

The crews include Russian veteran explorer Artur Chilingarov, and Australian and Swedish researchers Mike McDowell and Frederik Paulsen. The research vessel Akademik Fedorov with the mini-submarines on board reached the Pole yesterday night, trailing the nuclear-powered icebreaker Rossiya. Russia's claim is being challenged by other countries with territory inside the Arctic circle.

The US geological survey data suggest the Arctic seabed contains up to 25 per cent of the world's oil and natural gas reserves, and other mineral riches, made accessible by the receding of polar ice due to global warming.

UNI