The mystery of the mountain has a fire that has not been extinguished for 6,000 years

Located in the state of New South Wales, Australia, 224km north of Sydney, a 30m long coal seam deep in the heart of Mount Wingen has been smoldering for the past 6,000 years.

Because of that, this place is also famously nicknamed Burning Mountain.

The fire lies deep in the mountain

Nui Chay became barren because of the underground fire active for 6,000 years.

Coal seams are common on Earth. It is estimated that about 1,000 coal seams are creating a smoldering fire, especially in countries rich in coal minerals. In fact, many coal seam fires have been recorded in India, China and the US, due to human intervention such as coal mining. Most of these coal seams only burn for a few days at most a few months.

However, this is not always true. For example, the Jharia coal mine in India has been burning continuously for more than 100 years. However, it is still "below" when compared to the coal seam at Mount Wingen, also known as Chay Mountain, Australia because it has been smoldering for 6,000 years. Nui Chay currently owns the only natural coal seam in Australia, and is the oldest coal mine in the world.

According to local legend, the word 'wingen' means 'fire'. In ancient times, the Gumaroi people from the North of Liverpool Range, Australia, sent a group of raiders to the South to capture Wanaruah women, living near Chay Mountain, as wives.

Warned by another tribe, the Wanaruah warriors bravely confronted the enemy while their wives quietly hid behind the mountain's edge. After the war, many husbands never returned.

Because of her grief, a wife begged Mr. Biami, the god of the sky, to sacrifice her life for her husband. Hearing the woman's request, the god Biami turned her into stone. Her tears turned into fire and burned continuously in the mountain, so the mountain was named Wingen mountain, meaning Chay mountain.

Scientists used to think that Chay Mountain's activity was a sign of a volcano. It was not until 1829 that geologist Reverend CPN Wilton identified it as a fire from underground coal located 30m deep in the heart of Mount Wingen. It is this coal mine that has been nurturing a smoldering underground fire for more than thousands of years.

No one knows exactly how the fire started, but scientists believe it was caused by a lightning strike or a forest fire. There is also a theory that it comes from the burning of fire by the Aborigines in the past.

Or the fire burns itself. This process occurs when the coal seam is exposed to air, reacting with oxygen and spontaneously igniting. This is entirely possible because the self-heating level of coal only ranges from 35 - 140 degrees Celsius.

Since its appearance 6,000 years ago, the fire at Chay Mountain has moved 6km. It is estimated that it spreads 1m per year. At this rate, the fire will 'hit' the Sydney suburbs in about 255,000 years.

Smoke from underground fires releases many harmful gases into the environment.

Barren tourist spot

According to geologists, such an underground fire does not burn in large groups, but only accumulates for a long time like a wood stove. The slow burning process causes the soil at Chay Mountain to have an uneven color.

In places where the fire has been active for a long time, the soil is discolored and the surface is uneven. Every day, this place emits a huge amount of CO2 into the air. Therefore, the vegetation around this area is also affected, becoming barren and barren.

Humans will not be able to see the flame directly. If you visit this place, the only evidence of its existence is smoke and white ash. The ground is warm to the touch, the rocks turning yellow and red with a sulfuric smell as the fire below smolders the minerals of the mountains.

Mr. Guillermo Rein, Professor of Fire Science at Imperial College London, UK, said: No one knows the exact scale of the Volcano fire, but can only estimate and infer. We predict it to be a ball with a diameter of 5 - 10m, reaching temperatures up to 1,000 degrees Celsius.

It is curious how long Chay Mountain will continue to burn. There is currently no answer to this question because scientists have not been able to calculate the exact size of the coal seam in the heart of Chay Mountain or how it will continue to move. It should be noted that this fire will not be able to extinguish because it has burned for thousands of years without human intervention.

The fire caused the mountain to crack, allowing oxygen to come into direct contact with the coal seam, allowing the fire to spread. Thus, Nui Chay creates its own 'chimney' and provides its own oxygen source. Coal seam fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish, requiring tons of water and liquid nitrogen gas.

In addition, many people are concerned that this fire could pose a serious danger to the environment, human health and safety. Coal seam fires can destroy the environment by releasing large amounts of CO2, methane as well as other pollutants such as mercury, which become the cause of the greenhouse effect.

The negative impact of coal seam fires has been demonstrated from the example of the town of Centralia, Pennsylvania, USA. This place is a place with underground coal fire, listed as the most dangerous area on the planet. The fire in Centralia is spreading more and more with the hottest temperature reaching 540 degrees Celsius, accompanied by toxic gases such as CO, sulfur.

Therefore, scientists fear that Centralia's danger level will recur to Sydney if the coal seam at Chay Mountain spreads to this area, although the danger story is unlikely to happen overnight.

Despite its barren appearance, Chay Mountain is still a tourist attraction. Every year, thousands of people flock here to witness the world's oldest fire.