This crater was surrounded by huge chunks of earth and ice, indicating a huge underground explosion.
CNN reports this.
Since 2014, the number of these craters has increased to 20 and they have begun to appear in remote areas of the Yamal and Gydan peninsulas in northwestern Siberia. The last of them was discovered in August of this year. For a long time, scientists have tried to unravel the mystery of the origin of these craters. Theories appeared about meteorite impacts and even visits from extraterrestrial civilizations.
However, a team of researchers, including physicists, engineers and other specialists, claimed that they could explain the “gates of hell” phenomenon. The researchers concluded that the reason for the appearance of these holes lies in climate change caused by human activity and the geology of the region.
These craters are thought to form when gases beneath the surface of the tundra begin to accumulate and form underground mounds. When the pressure reaches a critical point, an explosion occurs that releases gases, mainly methane.
For a long time, the mechanism of pressure build-up and the origin of the gas remained a matter of debate. Chemical engineer at the University of Cambridge Ana Morgado explained that her team approached the study of this phenomenon as a detective investigation. At first the hypothesis of chemical reactions was considered, but this idea was quickly rejected.
“We have found no evidence linking these explosions to chemical combustion,” Morgado said.
The only explanation was physical pressure, comparable to the pressure of overinflated tires.
The key to the solution lay in Siberia’s unique geology. Below the surface is a huge layer of permafrost, made up of soil, rock and sediment held together by ice. Beneath this layer are “methane hydrates,” solid forms of methane. Pockets of highly saline water form between the layers of permafrost and do not freeze.
With global warming, the top layers of soil begin to melt, allowing water to seep into pockets of salt water. Due to the limited volume of these bags, the pressure increases, causing cracks in the surface and damage to the methane hydrates, leading to powerful gas emissions.
The study also found that such a process could take decades to explode.
Previously, Cursor reported that researchers had determined which came first: the chicken or the egg.
