Large crater appears at the 'end of the world'

[The One]

Mysterious 'gigantic' hole in remote region spotted by helicopters over gas-rich Yamal peninsula.

http://siberiantimes.com/upload/information_system_52/1/5/6/item_1565/information_items_1565.jpg
The crater is large enough for several Mi-8 helicopters to fly into it.

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.

http://siberiantimes.com/PICTURES/OTHERS/Giant-crater-Yamal/inside%20the%20closest%20up.jpg

http://siberiantimes.com/PICTURES/OTHERS/Giant-crater-Yamal/inside%20straight%20in.jpg

http://siberiantimes.com/PICTURES/OTHERS/Giant-crater-Yamal/inside%20at%20the%20distance.jpg

http://siberiantimes.com/PICTURES/OTHERS/Giant-crater-Yamal/inside%20closer%20up.jpg

http://siberiantimes.com/PICTURES/OTHERS/Giant-crater-Yamal/inside%20from%20the%20left.jpg

nitial 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.

After watching the video i could actually see another hole in there


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEDReT0WFpk

http://siberiantimes.com/other/others/features/large-crater-appears-at-the-end-of-the-world/

[norman]

If it was a regular sink hole it wouldn't have a debris field around the outside.

It looks quite like a mole hill with not much stuff pushed up yet.

Perhaps it's the underground system builders thinking no one would notice if they popped up a hole in such a remote place.

[Ria]

On the link you can see a map, what comes to mind is that the North Pole is moving quite rapidly to wards this area.
It may be a little left field, this could be the new opening for inner earth.
The location and size make me consider this.

And it could be a whole lot of other reasons.

Methane explosion? Meteorite crater? Scientists baffled by gigantic 262ft hole that has appeared at Siberia's 'End of The World'
Enormous crater appears suddenly in part of Russia whose name translates as 'the end of the world'
Teams of scientists are rushing east to fathom the cause of this unusual - and rare - geographical occurrence
One especially outlandish theory talks about a UFO landing as a possible cause of this colossal chasm in the earth

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2693105/Giant-hole-appears-Siberia-Huge-crater-emerges-end-world.html#ixzz37duRg7Gr

[jimmer]

update: scientists get a better look.
question: do conventional sink holes create a crater-like outer rim?
I think not.
it appears that there was first an eruption, then the fall.
look at the interior walls. smooth.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDAVtjSadGg