Turkmenistan's 'Gateway To Hell': Science Behind The Natural Gas Crater Burning For Five Decades
It is believed that a simple miscalculation by Soviet scientists in 1971 led to the creation of the fiery pit. The geologists set the crater ablaze to prevent the spread of noxious gases.
New Delhi: Turkmenistan's strongman President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has ordered officials to find a method to finally extinguish the 'Gateway to Hell' — the raging flames that have been burning for five decades in a large natural gas crater in the Central Asian country.
The President appeared on television Saturday and asked officials to put out the fire in the Darvaza gas crater in the middle of the vast Aral Karakum desert, media reports said.
This is not the first time he has ordered officials to find a way to extinguish the huge fire. Berdymukhamedov reportedly said that the man-made crater "negatively affects both the environment and the health of the people living nearby".
"We are losing valuable natural resources for which we could get significant profits and use them for improving the well-being of our people", he was quoted as saying on state television.
What Led To The Creation Of The Door To Hell?
The Darvaza Crater, also known as the Door to Hell, is 225 feet wide (69 metres), 99 feet (30 metres) deep, has a diameter of 70 metres, and an area of 5.5 square metres. It is believed that a simple miscalculation by Soviet scientists in 1971 led to the creation of the fiery pit, according to an article on the website of Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a national library in Egypt.
The scientists underestimated the amount of fuel that lay below, and their boring equipment suddenly drilled through an underground cavern as a result of which a deep sinkhole was created, it said.
After their gas driller fell into the pit, the scientists were worried that the crater would release noxious gases.
The toxic methane had started leaking into the atmosphere, and to prevent it from reaching neighbouring areas and causing damage to the environment and living organisms, the geologists decided to set the crater ablaze, the article said.
They expected that the gas would burn out quickly as the fire would consume all of it, after which the flames would be doused.
Contrary to their expectations, the flame did not get extinguished. Instead, a massive fire has been burning continuosly for five decades since 1971.
Though the common urban legend of the place is that it collapsed in 1971 and was set on fire by Soviet scientists shortly afterward, local Turkmen geologists have a different story to tell. Quoting Canadian explorer George Kourounis, the first person to plumb the depths of the crater, a National Geographic article said he had heard from local geologists of the country that the collapse may have happened in the 1960s and that it went until the 1980s. He said that a part of it still remains a mystery.
Interesting Facts About The Door To Hell
Despite the fact that the Gateway to Hell is not a natural phenomenon, but a human disaster, it attracts a lot of tourists from different parts of the world, especially adventurers. People who live kilometres away from the crater can see the glowing hell crater, and those living in neighbouring areas can smell sulphur.
Kourounis had gone down the Door to Hell to learn about its features, temperature and gases involved in its formation. Before embarking on the scientific expedition, he had planned for 18 months, and sought the supervision of a specialised professional team. Kourounis wore a custom-made suit of multiple layers of kevlar to protect him from the heat. He also carried a special breathing apparatus with him, and went down into the Door to Hell after tying himself with a thick rope.
A bacteria species was discovered living in the soil at the bottom of the crater. The analysis of the soil showed that it is a crusty extreme bacteria, and can easily live in high temperatures. Also, it has no effect on the soil surrounding the crater. The natural gas field in the Darwaza region runs under the Caspian Sea, occupies about eight billion square kilometres, and ranks among the top ten largest natural gas reserves in the world.
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