Darvaza Gas Crater

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darvaza gas crater

Darvaza Gas Crater

In the Karakum desert of Turkmenistan, 270 km from Ashgabat, there is both an eerie and amazing place which is Darvaza Gas Crater. Among the sands is a huge crater, from which the flames fly out, not extinguished for more than 40 years! The locals call it “Gates of Hell”. We will tell you all about this eerie and mysterious place.

Back in 1971, geologists discovered a large gas field. It was decided to organize its production, drilling began. But everything did not go according to plan. The ground collapsed, taking all the equipment with it. According to official data, human casualties were fortunately avoided.

Gas began to escape from the newly formed hole. Scientists believed that it would be dangerous for local residents and animals living in the desert. For the sake of safety, it was decided to ignite the gas. It was expected that its entire volume would be depleted in a few days. But geologists did not calculate the volume of the field; it was really huge because the gas still continues to burn!

The fiery crater is impressive for its size. Its diameter is 60 meters, and it is 20 meters deep. In the pit you can see a lot of torches, the height of the flame of some reach 15 meters! Gas still continues to come from a crack in the ground.

Tourists And Darvaza

Not to say that the flow of tourists who want to see the fire crater with their own eyes is so large.

The area around Darvaza is almost lifeless, there is not that there is no infrastructure, even animals try not to come close to the crater. The village was demolished in 2004, and all the residents moved to another place.

If you ever gather in Turkmenistan and decide to look at this amazing miracle of nature, then keep in mind that no flat tracks lead to Darvaza. There can be reached only by car, which is well able to overcome the off-road. There will be no shops, parking lots, toilets and cafes around, so you should stock up on everything you need in advance.

recent studies of the crater

Recent Studies of The Crater

In the fall of 2013, Canadian Explorer George Koronis descended to the bottom of Darvaza. A carefully selected team, months of training, and a fireproof suit and breathing apparatus helped him in this.

The temperature at the bottom of the crater reaches 500 degrees Celsius. Therefore, George Koronis had to prepare for the descent for a very long time. The Canadian Explorer trained to descend the rocks in a heavy and uncomfortable suit.

Why all this was necessary? George wanted to take soil samples from the bottom of the crater. The researcher managed to make an unprecedented discovery; it turns out that in the middle of the fiery kingdom live bacteria that have adapted to harsh conditions.

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