Latest news with #GatewayToHell
The Sun
2 days ago
- Science
- The Sun
Gateway to Hell is CLOSING: Giant 1,000C burning desert crater finally reduces to ‘faint flames' after nearly 50 years
A NOTORIOUS 1,000 degree desert crater dubbed the "Gateway to Hell" is finally closing as the fiery inferno has died down to mere "faint flames". The infamous pit's blaze has been raging on for 50 years without dying down - but boffins have now said the nightmare hole is closing. 9 9 9 9 Formed in 1971 in Turkmenistan, the Darvaza crater is said to have come from curious Soviet scientists who drilled a hole into the ground and hit a gas pocket. The bumbling researchers then decided to set it alight, giving birth to the nightmare formation. Located in the Karakum desert, the 230ft-wide sinkhole has become one of the former Soviet nation's most popular tourist attractions. About 65ft deep, the formation is known officially as the "Shining of Karakum". Researchers said the flames started to die down because all the flammable gas in the crater was nearly used up. Officials said that fires are now three times smaller than their original intimidating size. Previously visible from a distance, the fires are now only seen in the crater's "immediate vicinity". Director at state-owned energy company Turkmengaz Irina Luryeva said: "Before a huge glow from the blaze was visible from several kilometres away, hence the name 'Gateway to Hell'. "Today only a faint source of combustion remains." The exact origin of the pit was covered up by Soviet officials who left behind no official record of the ordeal. Shocking moment 1,000ft fiery lava jet erupts in 6-hour volcano frenzy as scientists warn of wind spreading toxic gas But the most commonly accepted theory is that scientists drilled into natural gas and then set it alight. It is speculated that they ignited the crater to prevent toxic gases from escaping into the air. Rather than petering out within a few days like the geologists predicted, it instead went on to rage for another five decades. The crater emitted a continuous stream of fire, with bright orange and red hues, which became especially dramatic at night. The heat from the flames were said to be intense, and the sight of the monstrous flame pit in the middle of the desert was otherworldly, contributing to its ominous nickname. Animals reportedly fell into the hole on occasion and met a grisly end. 9 9 The hole's death comes after the Turkmenistan government repeatedly raised the prospect of possibly sealing the blazing furnace, according to CNN. In August last year, Dylan Lupine, one of the pioneers of tourism to Turkmenistan with his UK-based company Lupine Travel, said: 'I would say it's only burning at around 40% of the level I first witnessed there in 2009." Nobody had ever dreamt of venturing into the blazing crater, until George Kourounis' expedition in 2013. The fearless explorer was the first person to descend into the "Gates of Hell", and discovered something which could help prove the existence of aliens. Jaw-dropping images showed George rappelling down into the 1,1000 degree inferno. What caused the Darvaza crater inferno? by Harvey Geh The Darvaza crater was caused by a Soviet gas drilling accident in 1971. Geologists hit a gas pocket when drilling into the ground, and then lit the leaking gas, thinking it would burn out in weeks. Instead, the crater has burned non-stop for over 50 years, earning the nickname the 'Gates of Hell.' Flames shoot up high with intense heat and a roaring sound day and night. It is located deep in Turkmenistan's Karakum desert. Tourists camp nearby to witness the eerie glow and take jaw-dropping photos. It is now reportedly petering out - but continues to burn as the gates slowly close. The Canadian could be seen dangling above molten rocks spewing hot gases while he descends into the blazing furnace dressed in a protective silver suit. The intention of his trip to hell and back was to gather more information about extreme environments. George said: 'The most important part of the mission and the whole thrust behind this entire expedition was to take some samples of the soil at the bottom—sand, basically—and see if there is any extremophile bacteria living at the bottom that could give us clues to basically life in these extreme environments.' He added: 'There are planets that have been discovered outside of our solar system that have a very hot, methane-rich environment kind of similar to what is in the crater. "So, in essence, we were looking for alien life right here on Earth.' 9 9 9
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
The Gateway to Hell is CLOSING: Fire in mysterious giant crater that has been burning for 50 years after blundering Soviet scientists set it alight is reduced to 'faint' blaze
The infamous 'Gateway to Hell' crater in Turkmenistan has been burning non-stop for the last 50 years. But scientists now say that the gateway is finally closing. This blazing pit was formed in 1971 when blundering Soviet scientists accidentally drilled into an underground pocket of gas and decided to light it on fire. Since then, the gateway has become both one of the reclusive nation's leading tourist attractions and a major source of polluting methane emissions. According to scientists, the flames in the crater are beginning to dim due to a reduced flow of natural flammable gas. Officials say the fires are now three times smaller than in the past and can only be seen in the immediate vicinity. Irina Luryeva, a director at state-owned energy company Turkmengaz told a fossil fuel conference this week: 'Before a huge glow from the blaze was visible from several kilometres away, hence the name "Gateway to Hell". 'Today only a faint source of combustion remains.' The 'Gateway to Hell', known officially as the 'Shining of Karakum', is a 230-foot-wide (70m) sinkhole located in Turkmenistan's Karakum desert. Located above a vast pocket of natural gas which continuously seeps towards the surface, the crater is lined with hundreds of gas fires which give it an unearthly glow. The exact origin of the pit was covered up by officials when the country was part of the Soviet Union, leaving behind no official record of the incident. However, the most commonly accepted theory is that the pit was created by a natural gas prospecting accident. During the 1970s a rogue soviet gas drilling station punctured a gas pocket and collapsed through the ground, forming a crater which began to leak gas into the air. The scientists decided to ignite the crater to prevent the toxic gases from escaping and spreading further. While these scientists might have expected the blaze to last for a few days before going out, the fires of the Gateway to Hell have been burning ever since. Turkmenistan is estimated to have the world's fourth-largest reserves of natural gas, largely scattered in pockets beneath the desert. What is the Gateway to Hell? The Gateway to Hell, officially known as the Shining of Karakum, is a sinkhole located above a large pocket of natural gas in Turkmenistan's Karakum Desert. As this gas seeps through the ground, it feeds fires which have been burning since the 1970s. The pit is 230 feet wide (70m) and 98 feet deep (30m). The Gateway to Hell is visited by an estimated 6,000 foreign visitors per year. In 2013, Canadian explorer George Kourounis descended into the crater to collect soil samples. His study revealed that simple organisms have been able to survive within the burning pit. The crater is likely connected to this vast underground store of methane, giving it an almost unlimited supply of gas to burn. This burning pit caused by a Soviet-era disaster has become something of an unlikely national treasure. Turkmenistan's few tourists flock to the site to camp by the warmth of the burning methane and, in 2019, national leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov filmed himself driving a rally car around the pit to dispel rumours of his death. However, in 2022 Berdymukhamedov announced that he wanted to be remembered as the leader who closed the gates to hell and launched a project to cut off the fires. Speaking at the time, Mr Berdymukhamedov said: 'We are losing valuable natural resources for which we could get significant profits and use them for improving the well-being of our people.' Since then, at least two new wells have been drilled around the pit to capture excess methane which would otherwise leak to the surface. Older, decommissioned gas pumps in the area have also been reactivated to help draw away the natural gas. According to the evidence from these nearby wells, the crater has seen a significantly reduced supply of gas. This, in turn, has led to the infamous flames dwindling in size. The announcement will come as good news to environmentalists concerned about Turkmenistan's record of natural gas leaks. Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas which contributes heavily to climate change. A recent study published by the International Energy Agency found that Turkmenistan was the world's largest emitter of methane through gas leaks, although the country disputes this claim. Likewise, intelligence company Kayrros found that leaks from two fossil fuel fields in the country contributed more to global warming in 2022 than the UK's entire carbon emissions for the year. While the fires at the Gateway to Hell did help burn off some of the escaping gas, the pit still leaks vast quantities of gas into the atmosphere. Drawing off the natural gas into other wells where it can be safely stored and used to make energy would help the country cut its outsized carbon footprint. Methane is a colourless, odourless flammable gas, and the main constituent of natural gas. Methane is a greenhouse gas, and the second biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide. It is also the primary component of natural gas, which is used to heat our homes. When methane is burned as a fuel, it gives off carbon dioxide (CO2), and so is not directly emitted at that point. However, across all points of the extraction, transport and storage processes there are leaks of natural gas that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Science
- Khaleej Times
Turkmenistan reduces 50-year fire dubbed 'Gateway to Hell'
Turkmenistan said on Thursday it had significantly reduced a gas fire that has been raging for half a century at a site dubbed the "Gateway to Hell" . The fire has been burning in the Karakum desert since 1971, when Soviet scientists accidentally drilled into an underground pocket of gas and then decided to ignite it. The blaze has been spewing out massive quantities of methane, a gas that contributes to climate change, ever since. Officials said the fire -- which has become the reclusive country's top tourist attraction -- had been reduced three-fold, without specifying the time frame. "Whereas before a huge glow from the blaze was visible from several kilometres away, hence the name 'Gateway to Hell', today only a faint source of combustion remains," said Irina Luryeva, a director at state-owned energy company Turkmengaz. Numerous wells have been drilled around the fire to capture methane, she said at an environmental conference in the capital Ashgabat. Turkmenistan -- one of the world's most closed countries -- is estimated to have the world's fourth largest gas reserves. It is the world's biggest emitter of methane through gas leaks, according to the International Energy Agency -- a claim denied by the authorities.
