These mysterious giant craters in Siberia

A large area in Siberia, Russia has large craters that can be seen from the universe.

Mysterious craters in Siberia

In 2013, the helicopter pilot saw a mysterious hole on the permafrost while flying through Yamal, Siberia.A few days later, the reindeer shepherds found another hole and the third pit was found not long after.In February this year, scientists found four other giant craters, surrounding dozens of small funnel-shaped pits, some of which turned into lakes.According to a geological expert, another 30 craters are still waiting to be discovered.(Photo: Vasily Bogoyavlensky).

According to Oddity Central, satellite images help confirm researchers' concerns.The surface of Russia has many large pits when compared to old satellite images.The phenomenon is spreading more widely than originally anticipated.Currently, 20 small craters gather around a large lake 100m long, 50m wide.(Photo: Vasily Bogoyavlensky).

Experts were surprised, but when the people in the village of Antipayuta on the peninsula of Yamal reported seeing a trail of light near the crater, scientists thought the cause might be a gas explosion.That is the most feasible explanation at present.Permanent permafrost melts due to climate change, leading to methane gas explosions creating craters.(Photo: Vasily Bogoyavlensky).

However, this explanation is not convincing for some scientists. According to Carolyn Ruppel, head of the US Geological Survey's gas hydropower project, burnt ice (ice methal gas) in permafrost is often unstable at depths above 200m. The craters are in a much more shallow position, so there is almost no possibility of fire ice being released. Instead, Ruppel offers a simpler explanation regarding pingo , ice-covered mounds in the Arctic and surrounding areas.(Photo: Autonomous Region Government Yamalo-Nenets).

"Pingo is an ice block that forms near the surface for a long time and has a mound or small hill above. When the ice mass melts quickly due to the unusually warming temperature in Siberia in the past year, it can make a part stone landslides, creating craters, " Ruppel explained.However, most experts do not support this theory because the stone in the crater shows an explosion instead of a landslide.(Photo: Vasily Bogoyavlensky).

In July 2017, after exploring a crater, Professor Vasily Bogoyavlensky shared with the Siberian Times most likely the cause of pingo exploded. "Pingo or bulgunnyakh (mounds containing common ice cores in the Arctic and surrounding areas) are the creators of craters. Because of the heat flow from the Earth, pingo begins to melt and the ice core is partially melted. it is filled with gas derived from deep cracks in the ground, "Bogoyavlensky said.(Photo: Autonomous Region Government Yamalo-Nenets).

Prior to the discovery of craters, scientists expressed concern about rising temperatures in the region.According to their speculation, Baikal - the largest and oldest freshwater lake in the world - may be on a time bomb ready to explode.Continued increase in temperature can create ideal conditions for the formation of many other craters.The permafrost in this area contains a large amount of fire to the extent that the total force of the crater is equivalent to 11 tons of TNT.(Photo: Satellite map of the Yamal Peninsula).

"We know seven craters in the Arctic region, five craters located right on the Yamal Peninsula, one in the Yamal autonomous region and one in the northern Krasnoyarsk region near the Taimyr peninsula. We only know the exact location of 4 craters, but I'm sure there are many other craters in Yamal and we need to find out, " Bogoyavlensky stressed.(Photo: Vladimir Pushkarev / Russian Arctic Exploration Center).

"We need to answer the basic questions: which crater is in which area and in what conditions are the most dangerous. These questions are very important to the safety of northern cities, with Oil and gas complex , " Bogoyavlensky said.(Photo: Vladimir Pushkarev / Russian Arctic Exploration Center).