View source for Cape Chelyuskin

{{Short description|Northernmost point of mainland Russia}}
{{Infobox landform
| name         = Cape Chelyuskin
| other_name   = {{lang|ru|мыс Челюскина}}
| type         = [[Cape (geography)|Cape]]
| image        = File:Kara sea2CC.PNG
| image_size   = 250px
| caption      = Location of Cape Chelyuskin at the northern end of the [[Taymyr Peninsula]]
| map          = Russia
| map_width    = 
| map_caption  = 
| location     = [[Krasnoyarsk Krai]], {{RUS}}
| water_bodies =[[Kara Sea]]<br>[[Laptev Sea]]
| coordinates  = {{coord|77|44|0|N|104|15|0|E|type:landmark_region:RU_scale:1000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| elevation    = 
| area         = 
| references   = 
}}
'''Cape Chelyuskin''' ({{langx|ru|Мыс Челюскина}}, ''Mys Chelyuskina'') is the northernmost point of the [[Eurasia]]n continent (and indeed of any continental mainland), and [[Extreme points of Russia|the northernmost point]] of mainland [[Russia]]. It is situated at the tip of the [[Taymyr Peninsula]], south of [[Severnaya Zemlya]] archipelago, in [[Krasnoyarsk Krai]], Russia. The headland has a {{convert|17|m|ft|adj=mid|-high}} light on a framework tower.<ref>[https://coastalexplorer.net/downloads/guide_books/sailing_directions/Pub183.db;download Russian Coastal explorer]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Cape Chelyuskin is {{convert|1371|km}} from the [[North Pole]]. [[Cape Vega]] is a headland located a little to the west of Cape Chelyuskin. [[Oscar Bay]] lies between both capes.<ref>[[GoogleEarth]]</ref>

==History==
The cape was first reached in May 1742 by an expedition on land party led by [[Semion Chelyuskin]], and was initially called '''Cape East-Northern'''. It was renamed in honour of Chelyuskin by the Russian Geographical Society in 1842, on the 100th anniversary of the discovery.

It was passed on 18 August 1878 by [[Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld]] during the first sea voyage through the [[Northeast Passage]].

In 1919 Norwegian explorer [[Roald Amundsen]]'s ship [[Maud (ship)|''Maud'']] left behind two men, [[Peter Tessem and Paul Knutsen]], at Cape Chelyuskin after having made winter quarters there. The ''Maud'' continued eastwards into the [[Laptev Sea]] and the men were instructed to wait for the freeze-up of the [[Kara Sea]] and then sledge southwestwards towards [[Dikson Island|Dikson]] carrying Amundsen's mail. However, these two men disappeared mysteriously. In 1922 [[Nikifor Begichev]] led a Soviet expedition in search for Peter Tessem and Paul Knutsen on request of the government of [[Norway]], but Begichev was not successful. Clues to their fate were not found until 1922.

A [[Weather station|weather]] and a [[hydrology]] research base named "Polar Station Cape Chelyuskin" was constructed in 1932, and headed by [[Ivan Papanin]]. It was renamed the "E. K. Fyodorov Hydrometeorological Observatory" in 1983. The station has a magnetic observatory and stands on the eastern side of the point.

Systematic geological survey for uranium began at Cape Chelyuskin in 1946–47 with industrial extraction between 1950 and 1952 in a mountain 150&nbsp;km south of the cape proper.<ref>[http://www.memorial.krsk.ru/articles/2006larkov.htm С.Ларьков, Ф.Романенко. Самый северный остров Архипелага ГУЛАГ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100827075858/http://www.memorial.krsk.ru/articles/2006larkov.htm |date=August 27, 2010 }} {{in lang|ru}}</ref>

The cape hosts the northernmost airfield in Afro-Eurasia, in operation at various locations since 1950.

==Climate==

Cape Chelyuskin has a [[tundra climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''ET''), with no month having a low above freezing.  Winters last year round, but may be broken up during the meteorological summer months by short spells of above average temperatures. Snowfall is usual year round, with every year experiencing snow during every month including summer months. Sunshine hours peak during April, and begin to sharply drop off during the end of July or early August.

{{Weather box
|metric first= Y
|single line= Y
|location = Cape Chelyuskin
|Jan record high C = 0.3
|Feb record high C = -0.5
|Mar record high C = -0.4
|Apr record high C = 6.3
|May record high C = 8.2
|Jun record high C = 15.6
|Jul record high C = 23.3
|Aug record high C = 21.6
|Sep record high C = 13.4
|Oct record high C = 5.4
|Nov record high C = 0.2
|Dec record high C = -0.6
|year record high C = 
|Jan high C = −24.0
|Feb high C = -23.9
|Mar high C = -21.7
|Apr high C =  -15.2
|May high C =  -6.8
|Jun high C =  0.8
|Jul high C =  3.5
|Aug high C =  3.6
|Sep high C =  0.2
|Oct high C =  -7.2
|Nov high C =  −15.6
|Dec high C = −21.3
|year high C = 
|Jan mean C = -27.2
|Feb mean C = -27.1
|Mar mean C = -25.1
|Apr mean C = -18.6
|May mean C = -9.1
|Jun mean C = -0.9
|Jul mean C = 1.5
|Aug mean C = 1.6
|Sep mean C = -1.4
|Oct mean C = -9.6
|Nov mean C = -18.7
|Dec mean C = -24.4
|Jan low C = −30.5
|Feb low C = −30.2
|Mar low C = −28.5
|Apr low C =  −21.7
|May low C =  -11.4
|Jun low C =  -2.3
|Jul low C =  0.0
|Aug low C =  0.1
|Sep low C =  -3.0
|Oct low C =  −12.4
|Nov low C = −21.9
|Dec low C = −27.4
|year low C = 
|Jan record low C = -48.8
|Feb record low C = -45.8
|Mar record low C = -45.9
|Apr record low C = -41.7
|May record low C = -28.9
|Jun record low C = -18.0
|Jul record low C = -5.6
|Aug record low C = -9.0
|Sep record low C = -21.2
|Oct record low C = -33.6
|Nov record low C = -41.9
|Dec record low C = -45.6
|year record low C = -48.8
|Jan precipitation mm = 11
|Feb precipitation mm = 12
|Mar precipitation mm = 12
|Apr precipitation mm = 14
|May precipitation mm = 15
|Jun precipitation mm = 14
|Jul precipitation mm = 27
|Aug precipitation mm = 32
|Sep precipitation mm = 23
|Oct precipitation mm = 22
|Nov precipitation mm = 15
|Dec precipitation mm = 13
|Jan rain days = 0
|Feb rain days = 0
|Mar rain days = 0
|Apr rain days = 0
|May rain days = 0.4
|Jun rain days = 6
|Jul rain days = 13
|Aug rain days = 13
|Sep rain days = 6
|Oct rain days = 0.6
|Nov rain days = 0
|Dec rain days = 0
|year rain days = 38
|Jan snow days = 16
|Feb snow days = 15
|Mar snow days = 15
|Apr snow days = 15
|May snow days = 22
|Jun snow days = 11
|Jul snow days = 4
|Aug snow days = 6
|Sep snow days = 16
|Oct snow days = 24
|Nov snow days = 21
|Dec snow days = 17
|year snow days = 183
|Jan humidity= 83
|Feb humidity= 83
|Mar humidity= 82
|Apr humidity= 83
|May humidity= 86
|Jun humidity= 90
|Jul humidity= 93
|Aug humidity= 94
|Sep humidity= 91
|Oct humidity= 86
|Nov humidity= 84
|Dec humidity= 83
|year humidity= 86
|Jan sun = 0.0
|Feb sun = 4.0
|Mar sun = 113.0
|Apr sun = 252.0
|May sun = 216.0
|Jun sun = 145.0
|Jul sun = 161.0
|Aug sun = 95.0
|Sep sun = 43.0
|Oct sun = 15.0
|Nov sun = 0.0
|Dec sun = 0.0
|source 1 = pogoda.ru.net<ref name="climate">—[http://pogoda.ru.net/climate/20292.htm Погода и Климат]. Retrieved 17 November 2012.</ref>
|source 2 =NOAA (sun only, 1961-1990)<ref name= NOAA>{{Cite FTP |url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/RA-II/RA/20292.TXT
  |server = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
  |title = Cape Celjuskin/Fedo Climate Normals 1961-1990
  |accessdate = January 18, 2012}}</ref>
}}

== Photo gallery ==
<gallery mode=packed>
File:Kap Tscheljuskin 1 2012-08-05.jpg|Cape Chelyuskin, northernmost point of Russian and of Eurasian mainland; 77°43’22’’N, 104°15’13’’E
File:Kap Tscheljuskin 2 2012-08-05.jpg|Polar station at Cape Chelyuskin
File:Kap Tscheljuskin 3 2012-08-05.jpg|Polar station at Cape Chelyuskin
File:Kap Tscheljuskin 4 2012-08-05.jpg|Polar station at Cape Chelyuskin
File:Kap Tscheljuskin 5 2012-08-05.jpg|Polar station at Cape Chelyuskin
File:Kap Tscheljuskin 6 2012-08-05.jpg|Polar station at Cape Chelyuskin
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[List of research stations in the Arctic]]
*[[List of northernmost items]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* [[William Barr (Arctic historian)|William Barr]], ''The Last Journey of Peter Tessem and Paul Knutsen'', 1919.

==External links==
*[http://arcticcircle.uconn.edu/HistoryCulture/russianexplor.html 17th Century Cape Exploration note] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026073025/http://arcticcircle.uconn.edu/HistoryCulture/russianexplor.html |date=2014-10-26 }}
*[https://archive.today/20040703235935/http://vitiaz.ru/congress/en/thesis/98.html Russian-Soviet polar stations and their role in the Arctic Seas exploration]
*[http://www.whoi.edu/beaufortgyre/history/history_drifting.html North Pole Drifting Stations (1930s-1980s)]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Extreme points of Russia]]
[[Category:Headlands of Krasnoyarsk Krai|Chelyuskin]]
[[Category:Headlands of the Kara Sea|Chelyuskin]]
[[Category:Headlands of the Laptev Sea|Chelyuskin]]