By The
Siberian Times reporter
15 July 2014
Mysterious
'gigantic' hole in remote region spotted by helicopters over gas-rich Yamal
peninsula.
The crater is
large enough for several Mi-8 helicopters to fly into it.
Picture: Konstantin Nikolaev
The striking
puncture in the earth is believed to be up to 80 metres wide but its depth is
not estimated yet. A scientific team has been sent to investigate the hole and
is due to arrive at the scene on Wednesday.
The cause of
its sudden appearance in Yamal - its name means the 'end of the world' in the
far north of Siberia - is not yet known, though one scientific claim is that
global warming may be to blame.
There is
additionally speculation it could be caused by a space object - perhaps a
meteorite - striking earth or that it is a sinkhole caused by collapsing rock
beneath the hole caused by as yet unknown factors.
The giant hole
appeared close to a forest some 30 kilometres from Yamal's biggest gas field
Bovanenkovo. Experts are confident that a scientific explanation will be found
for it and that it is not - as one web claim suggested - evidence 'of the
arrival of a UFO craft' to the planet.
A report and
footage highlighted by Zvezda TV says the dark colour of the crater indicates
'some temperature processes', without explaining more what they may mean.
Others say that the darkening around the inner rim indicates its formation was
accompanied by severe burning scorching the edges.
Some observers
believe water or dry soil is seen falling into the cavity.
Initial
reports and images were suspected to be fakes, but the hole is a real
phenomenon and it is believed to have been formed around two years ago. Pictures: Konstantin
Nikolaev
There is
agreement that soil around the hole was thrown out of the crater, large enough
for several Mi-8 helicopters to fly into it - not that they have.
The expedition
organised by the Yamal authorities includes two experts from the Centre for the
Study of the Arctic and one from Cryosphere Institute of the Russian Academy of
Sciences. They plan to take samples of soil, air and water from the scene.
They will be
accompanied by a specialist from the Emergencies Ministry.
A spokesman
for the ministry's Yamal branch ruled out a meteorite but said it was too early
to say what cause the gigantic hole in the earth.
'We can
definitely say that it is not a meteorite. No details yet,' said a
spokesman.
Initial
reports and images were suspected to be fakes, but the hole is a real
phenomenon and it is believed to have been formed around two years ago.
Engineer
Konstantin Nikolaev from Yugra is one of those to have filmed it from a
helicopter.
Anna
Kurchatova from Sub-Arctic Scientific Research Centre thinks the crater was
formed by a water, salt and gas mixture igniting an underground explosion, the
result of global warming. She postulates that gas accumulated in ice mixed with
sand beneath the surface, and that this was mixed with salt - some 10,000 years
ago this area was a sea.
Global
warming, causing an 'alarming' melt in the permafrost, released gas causing an
effect like the popping of a Champagne bottle cork, she suggests.
Given the gas
pipelines in this region such a happening is potentially dangerous.
Sights of
Yamal - aerial view of tundra, road to Bovanenkovo gas field, opening ceremony
of the Bovanenkovo, and reindeers. Pictures: Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous
Okrug administration
The Yamal
Peninsula in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug is a strategic oil and gas
bearing region of Russia.
It is Russia's
main production area for gas and the Bovanenkovo field is of central importance
to gas supplies from Siberia to the world.
The gas field
was discovered in 1972 and developed by Gazprom starting production in 2012.
The Yamal peninsula is bordered by the Kara Sea - Baydaratskaya Bay - to the
west, and the Gulf of Ob on the east. It extends some 700 kilometres over
mainly permafrost.
The area is
famous for its reindeer herds and migratory birds.
The Nenets and
Khanty reindeer herders hold about half a million domestic reindeer.
The remains of
ancient woolly mammoths have been found in this enchanting territory.
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