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Inside The Mysterious Siberian Crater: Stunning Photos And Video
Anna Liesowska of the Siberian Times describes the “Haunting beauty” of a massive hole as Russian scientists examine a “frozen lake formed after giant blowout.”
‘We managed to go down into the funnel, it was a successful expedition’. Picture: Vladimir Pushkarev/Russian Centre of Arctic Exploration
A mission last week to the newly-formed crater on the Yamal Peninsula in northern Siberia is expected throw fresh light on how this and other such phenomenon were formed. Experts are working on a theory that gas hydrates caused underground explosions in the same way as eruptions under the Atlantic Ocean may have led to the Bermuda Triangle phenomenon.
Our new pictures show how, for the first time, scientists used climbing equipment to reach the base of the crater – a lake at least 10.5 metres deep with a frozen surface.
Leader of the new mission, Vladimir Pushkarev, director of the Russian Centre of Arctic Exploration, told The Siberian Times: ‘We managed to go down into the funnel, all was successful. We used climbing equipment, and it is easier to do this in winter, than in summer, with the ground now hard.
‘We took all the probes we planned, and made measurements. Now scientists need time to process all the data and only then can they draw conclusions.’
The funnel of the crater is about 16.5 metres deep, not including an earthen rampart on the surface, formed in the blowout, of several metres in height.
It is possible other such phenomenon existed but were not noticed earlier. Pictures: Vladimir Pushkarev/Russian Centre of Arctic Exploration
At the base is a frozen lake. ‘The depth of the mini-lake is about 10.5 metres but it can be deeper. We are waiting for the exact information from readings taken by the scientists’, Vladimir Pushkarev said.
The research to the largest of three known holes – all recently formed – in northern Siberia was initiated by the Russian Centre of Arctic Exploration, and included experts from a number of institutes. ‘They did radiolocation tests at a depth of 200 metres, took probes of ice, ground, gases, and air. Now they all went back to their institutes and labs and will work on the material. The next stage is processing of the gathered information.
‘Then we plan to explore the surrounding area, comparing images from space, and even those taken in the 1980s, to understand if there are – or were – some similar objects’.
It is possible other such phenomenon existed but were not noticed earlier.
See more photos at the Siberian Times and Russia Today
