A doorway to hell!

Colleague at work forwarded me this today, I found it quite friggn interesting, so i figured Id share

This is the result of Russian well drilling operations in Turkmenistan in 1970! Shortly after initially drilling into what they thought was a large oil deposit, the ground collapsed leaving a 70 odd meter crater, and releasing huge amounts of natural gas. Rather than letting huge plumes of toxic gas leak into the atmosphere, they decided to set it alight, thinking it would burn out within a few days. I guess they were wrong, because it’s still burning today!

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by Agit8dChop

A picture is worth a 1000 words, a video is worth the internet.

Wish google earth had more detailed pictures.

Wow, cool pics (& vid) I always imagine a medieval person seeing a phenomena like this and how they would believe that they had truly gazed into hell itself.

As for igniting the gas leak, I wonder what poor sod was sent in with the matches
Thanks for posting OP

Like seriously- what the hell is wrong with Russians?
Most crazy country I know!

reply to post by samuel1990


Like seriously what is wrong with some ATS posters, they are like the most ignorant people I know.

"large quantities of methane gas came out, creating huge environmental problems and causing immense harm to the people of the villages, which resulted in some deaths.[citation needed]

Fearing the release of poisonous gases from the cavern, the scientists decided to burn it off.[1] Environmentally, gas firing is the next best solution when the circumstances are such that it cannot be extracted for use. Methane gas released into the atmosphere is a dangerous greenhouse gas whose potential for global warming is high.[2] At that time, expectations were that the gas would burn within days, but it is still burning, decades after it was set on fire."
en.wikipedia.org...

Im just saying ... its in the link

To be informed, is a choice.

Already a thread on this, but still cool. Remember seeing this a couple years ago.
Link

A huge source of thermal energy just floating up on into the sky.

Russia, and not even a distillery near by.

Heck, set up kiosks that sell steaks and have a world class bbq area.

Looks nice at night, so surreal.

For those thinking it's crazy that the ruskies just went and lit it up, you are aware that there are a number of underground fires that have been burning for decades...

reply to post by Xcouncil=wisdom


Hmm, nothing personal but, this thread was nice and positive until you came along.

thanks for your input!

it would seem to make sense that the energy might be utilized for something...instead of gassing the peasants

I did just come from the yahway is evil thread, and i was saying there is actually a reasonable explaination for the resultant religious myths...and here we have a nice view of what the ancient biblicans might have preceived of as hell..
with a reasonable explaination...prolly wasted on the xians though

reply to post by Agit8dChop


Here is a good take of it during the day



www.youtube.com...

Very Interesting and actually quite pretty if u ask me...

There have been many times I wished I'd had a campfire like that one




leolady