Locals have dubbed the cavern “The Door to Hell”. This Beautiful Chapel in Czermna, Poland, Is Constructed Out of Thousands of Human Bones, The Cute-but-Deadly Slow Loris Reserves Its Flesh-Rotting Venom for Its Peers, Two British Teens Using Metal Detectors Discovered 1,000-Year-Old Coins, Remnants of Woodland Iroquois Village Discovered in Ontario, The Myth That Washington Was a Swamp Will Never Go Away, Sacrificed Llamas Found in Peru Were Likely a Gift From the Inca. 17th Annual Photo Contest Finalists Announced. But unlike drillers in North Dakota or elsewhere, the scientists in Turkmenistan weren't dealing with a measured amount of natural gas—scientists still don't know just how much natural gas is feeding the burning crater—so what was supposed to be a few-week burn has turned into almost a half-century-long desert bonfire. The messages talk about a cavern (crater) filled with poisonous gases, that was found and set on fire in 1971, claiming that after 41 years, it is still burning. An interesting point to note here is, this is not the only ‘Eternal Flame’ in the world, there are few other spontaneous natural flames that have been burning over the years – as a result of burning natural gases like methane. How Many Birds Do Wind Turbines Really Kill? Natasha Geiling is an online reporter for Smithsonian magazine.

If you manage to extinguish the fire, a hot ember will reignite the new gas as it is replenished. Advertising Notice After visiting the crater in 2010, Turkmenistan's president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, worried that the fire would threaten the country's ability to develop nearby gas fields, ordered local authorities to come up with a plan for filling the crater in.

In 1971, when the republic was still part of the Soviet Union, a group of Soviet geologists went to the Karakum in search of oil fields.

This is a huge 225 feet wide hole with a depth of 99 feet, which is constantly burning for the past 40 years. The resulting gas-fed flames continue burning to this day. Get the best of Smithsonian magazine by email. The Darvaza gas crater, nicknamed by locals " The Door to Hell," or " The Gates of Hell," definitely falls into the latter category—and its sinister burning flames are just the half of it. Days went on, months passed by, and even after 41 years now, the methane gas crater is still burning. The Darvaza gas crater, nicknamed by locals "The Door to Hell," or "The Gates of Hell," definitely falls into the latter category—and its sinister burning flames are just the half of it. The video above is one such. Vote Now! While drilling in 1971, Soviet geologists tapped into a cavern filled with natural gas.The ground beneath the drilling rig collapsed, leaving a large hole with a diameter of 70 metres (230 ft).

Therefore, the Door to hell, the crater that has been burning for over 41 years is a fact. However, in April 2010, the President of Turkmenistan, Mr. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, visited this site of Derweze and has ordered for the closing of this hell hole, considering the gas field development in surrounding areas; but it is yet to happen.

Door to Hell, Derweze So the scientists decided to light the crater on fire, hoping that all the dangerous natural gas would burn away in a few weeks' time. No action has been taken, however, and the crater continues to burn, attracting unsuspecting wildlife and international tourists. 41 years and still burning! today. It is said that a Soviet oil rig fell into the crater in 1971, and a geologist decided to get rid of the rig by setting the pit on fire. The locals call the 230 foot diameter hole “The Door To Hell”. or The largest of these craters measures about 230-feet across and 65-feet deep.

Reports say that the fire hot spots are spread over an area of 200 feet (60 metres) and to a depth of about 66 feet (20 metres).

Unfortunately for the scientists, they were drilling on top of a cavernous pocket of natural gas which couldn't support the weight of their equipment. Why Does This Indonesian Volcano Burn Bright Blue? Alternatively, some companies offer more structured tours of the surrounding area, with the Darvaza crater included (such as this tour, by The Geographical Society of New South Wales). Keep up-to-date on: © 2020 Smithsonian Magazine. There are places on Earth that are a little creepy, places that feel a little haunted and places that are downright hellish. Terms of Use Fearing that this would lead to poisonous gases and might create environmental problems, also causing harm to the people living near Derweze village, the team of geologists decided to burn off this gas, thinking that the gas will burn off within few days and the fire will turn off. Copy Paste Message to Bypass Facebook News Feed... Water Flowing Out of Tree Trunk, Amazing Video:... Pondicherry Student COVID-19 Home Cure, WHO Accepted: Fact... Rare Arch-shaped Cloud Over Aceh, Indonesia: Fact Check. Tours can be booked through agents in Ashgabat. Privacy Statement Premier Padmini Car Runs on Highway Without Driver,... QR Code Scam on OLX, Other Online Payment... Jellyfish Sprite Photo, Rare Atmospheric Phenomenon in Sky:... Press Cancel Button Twice to Cancel ATM Fraud... President Trump Drunk in a Kindergarten, Video: Fact... Video of Failed Robbery Shoplifters Stop an Armed... Putin’s Daughter Dies After 2nd Dose of COVID... Carved Stone Sculpture in Nagvasuki Temple, Picture: Fact... Bahrain’s Muslim Woman Breaks Hindu Ganesha Idols: Fact... Real Mermaid Sighting in Nashville, Video: Fact Check. The door to hell. The door to hell.

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