In 2014, a bizarre crater was found in Siberias Yamal Peninsula.
Since then,several more similar holes have been located.
Geologists who studied the sites concluded they were the result of explosions.
One of the Siberian craters can be seen in this 2014 photo.© VASILY BOGOYAVLENSKY/AFP via Getty Images)
Those must have been some blasts, as these are not mere potholes.
Some of the craters measure as deep as 165 feet (50 meters).
But further study established melting permafrost alone wouldnt have caused the blast.
This graphic depicts the process that leads to the underground becoming the above ground. © AGU/Madeline Reinsel
Now, we finally know what likely happened, thanks to a team of chemical engineers.
Were talking about a very niche geological space.
They found their answer in the multilayered ground of the peninsula.
At the top is soil that thaws and refreezes as the seasons change.
Beneath that lies the permafrost, which, as its name suggests, stays permanently frozen.
Beneath those is where things get interesting, and potentially explosive.
During the last ice age, sea waters regressed as glaciers formed.
Even deeper underground, below the cryopegs, lies another layer filled with crystalized methane.
Eventually, it began to reach the cryopegs.
Cracks to the surface began to form, leading to the pressure dropping quickly.
The gas was released to the surface, and then, KABAM!
Youve got a terrifying new mystery hole in the ground.
Scientists Have Climbed To The Bottom Of The Mysterious Siberian Crater
Spontaneous explosions of odorless gas are bad.
So there you go.
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