According to recent reports, the scientists have discovered four strange craters in Siberia and are trying to figure out a scientific explanation for what caused this to happen.
Some experts believe that the giant holes were created by methane gas eruptions that occurred recently in the northern parts of Russia.
One of the craters, dubbed B2 by the researchers, appeared six miles south from a major gas production plant in Bovanenkovo, named Gazprom gas field.
Last year, the scientists discovered three giant craters in the Yama Peninsula of Siberia. Experts link the appearance of the recent craters to the effects of global warming, which causes methane gas to erupt under the crust of the Earth.
According to the experts, climate change is damaging the permafrost, which is known to trap one million times more methane hydrates than any other ordinary gas.
The explosive power is so strong that it can reach the equivalent of approximately 11 tons of TNT.
The researchers believe that there are more than 30 craters waiting to be discovered in the permafrost of the peninsula.
People living near the areas where the craters appeared claimed that they have witnessed a flash of light, which means that the craters must have been created due to a gas explosion.
Vasily Bogoyavlensky, deputy director of Oil and Gas Research Institute in Moscow, explained that researchers will investigate the funnels because they could be a threat to the residents living near the craters.
Out of the seven craters located in the Arctic area, five of them appeared on the Yamal Peninsula, one occurred in the Yamal Autonomous District, and one is located on the north region of Krasnoyarsk, near the Taimyr Peninsula.
Bogoyavlensky stated that his team knows the exact location of four of the craters. The remaining three were spotted by local reindeer herders. He believes that there could be more of these craters on the Yamal Peninsula and they will search for them.
According to the scientists, two of newly found craters have turned into lakes and it’s crucial that the phenomenon must be investigated to help prevent any disasters.
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