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Famous Siberian 60-meter deep crater mystery solved

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Yamal crater B-1 is a pingo.

A "never observed" process that has puzzled Russian scientists is now understood. Through an expedition last week, researchers found out that the massively large holes, appearing in Siberia, are not actually caused by large meteorites but a former mound of land covered in ice that melted over time. The holes are caused by the natural gas accumulated by empty ice humps, which was mainly methane, causing the eruptions.

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Highlights

By Hannah Marfil (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
7/14/2015 (8 years ago)

Published in Asia Pacific

Keywords: Siberia, Crater, Gas, Methane, Pingo, B-1, Echo, Ice, Warming

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - "We can now [explain] more confidently about the process that led to the formation of the famous Yamal crater B-1. Initially it was a pingo," said Professor Vasily Bogoyavlensky, lead researcher on the expedition, in an interview with The Siberian Times.

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They examined the B-1, which was considered the most famous crater, located about 18 miles away from Bovanenkovo gas field. Last week, researchers were surprised to find that the crater was more than 60 meters deep with an echo-sounding equipment.

According to The Daily Mail, a pingo is ice covered by a mound of land typically found in the Artic. They could be about 70 meters in height and at 600 meters in diameter.

For the craters, initially thought to be formed by meteorites or stray missiles and even the UFOs, it was actually a pingo caused by the continuous warming of the earth that melted overtime. The ice core was just half-melted, containing natural gases seeping through the cracks.

"We know for sure that there is a fissure in the ground on this spot, probably even two intersecting cracks. Gullies around the spot confirm this. Through the cracks, deep natural gas got into the melting ice core. [Gas] filled it and the pingo erupted," added the professor.

"It was also heated by a stream of warmth coming from the bowels of the earth through the cracks. The process is different than usual because normally pingos thaw and collapse, forming craters and then lakes."

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