Skip to main content

The door to hell: darvaza crater

 


The Darvaza gas crater, also known as the "Door to Hell" or "Gates of Hell," is a fiery natural gas field collapsed into a cavern in the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan.

The crater is around 230 feet (70 meters) wide and 98 feet (30 meters) deep, with flames that can reach up to 160 feet (50 meters) high. It has been burning continuously since the 1970s.

There are two main stories about how the crater formed. One story claims that Soviet geologists were drilling for oil in 1971 when they accidentally tapped into a cavern filled with natural gas. The ground collapsed, forming the crater, and the geologists decided to set the gas on fire to prevent it from spreading and poisoning nearby villages. They expected the fire to burn itself out within a few weeks, but it has been going strong ever since.

Another story suggests that the crater may have formed naturally, and that Soviet engineers set it alight in the 1980s to prevent the spread of poisonous gases.

The exact origin of the crater remains unclear, but one thing is for sure: it's a fascinating and otherworldly sight. The crater is a popular tourist destination, and visitors can walk around the rim and peer into the inferno. However, it is important to be aware of the dangers, as the heat and fumes from the crater can be intense.

Here are some additional details about the Darvaza gas crater:

  • Location: The crater is located near the village of Darvaza, in the Ahal Region of Turkmenistan, about 260 kilometers (160 mi) north of the capital, Ashgabat.
  • Size: The crater has a diameter of 60–70 meters (200–230 ft) and a depth of about 30 meters (98 ft).
  • Temperature: The temperature around the crater can reach up to 500 degrees Celsius (932 degrees Fahrenheit).
  • Tourism: The crater is a popular tourist destination, with visitors coming from all over the world to see the fiery spectacle. There are now yurt camps set up near the crater where tourists can stay overnight.
  • Future: The Turkmen government has considered extinguishing the fire, but this has proven to be difficult and expensive. In 2021, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow called for proposals to extinguish the fire, but it is unclear if any progress has been made.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The eternal flame falls

  The Eternal Flame Falls is a 30-foot waterfall located in the Shale Creek Preserve, a section of Chestnut Ridge Park in Orchard Park, New York. It's known for the natural gas seeping from a grotto at the base of the falls, which can be ignited to create a small flame. This "eternal flame" is visible most of the year, though it can occasionally be extinguished and needs to be re-lit by visitors. The falls themselves are most impressive in the spring when the water flow is high. During drier times, the flow can be considerably reduced, making the flame the main attraction. The hike to the falls is considered moderately challenging, with a steep descent down to the creek bed. The trail was recently improved in August 2023 with the addition of stairs and railings to make it safer for hikers. However, proper footwear and caution are still recommended, especially when the ground is wet or icy. Here are some additional details about the Eternal Flame Falls: Height:  30 feet (9
Post a Comment
Read more

Bermuda triangle

  Bermuda Triangle Theories and Counter-Theories The Bermuda Triangle is a mythical section of the Atlantic Ocean roughly bounded by Miami, Bermuda and Puerto Rico where dozens of ships and airplanes have disappeared. Unexplained circumstances surround some of these accidents, including one in which the pilots of a squadron of U.S. Navy bombers became disoriented while flying over the area; the planes were never found. Other boats and planes have seemingly vanished from the area in good weather without even radioing distress messages. But although myriad fanciful theories have been proposed regarding the Bermuda Triangle, none of them prove that mysterious disappearances occur more frequently there than in other well-traveled sections of the ocean. In fact, people navigate the area every day without incident. By the time author Vincent Gaddis coined the phrase “Bermuda Triangle” in a 1964 magazine article, additional mysterious accidents had occurred in the area, including three passen
Post a Comment
Read more

is kraken real

  These are certainly mythical tales. But  the Kraken legends may have been based on a real creature: the giant squid . Giant squid have long tentacles and can grow up to 40-50 feet in length. They usually live deep in the sea. The Kraken was said to haunt the seas of  Norway, Greenland, and Iceland . Seafarer sightings of the Kraken took place in the 1700s, but it was first recorded by King Sverre of Norway in 1180. Kraken mythology said that the Kraken was a creature so large that it could be mistaken for an island. There have been several reported sightings of mysterious sea creatures over the last hundred years, but  there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that any of these sightings were of the legendary Kraken  or another similar monster.
Post a Comment
Read more