At least nine craters have been discovered in the Arctic since 2013. Scientists think they are the result of the warming of the region, which weakens the ice, allowing the explosive release of methane gas.
When flying over the Siberian tundra this summer, a Russian television team spotted a huge crater 30 meters deep and 20 meters wide, in a funnel shape – impressive for its size and symmetry. This is at least the ninth hole found in the region since 2013 and scientists still cannot explain exactly how or why they formed.
The first crater was discovered near an oil and gas field on the Yamal Peninsula in northwestern Siberia, and the first theories that emerged then included meteorite impact, UFO landing and the collapse of a secret underground military storage facility. Right now, scientists believe that the giant hole is linked to an explosive accumulation of methane gas – which could be the result of warming the region – but there are still many details to be discovered about this phenomenon.
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