Lovers of incredible phenomena, hold on tight:after the luminous columns in Canada, here is the crater of Darvaza, better known as the “Gate of Hell”. Located in the middle of the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan (neighboring Afghanistan and Iran), the fire-spitting crater is natural, but man-made. Paradox? We explain:in 1971, Soviet scientists set out to explore the immense Karakum desert (which occupies 70% of the territory) in search of oil and gas deposits. They began to drill, but they were unaware that beneath their feet was an underground natural gas cavern. The operation then went wrong:the ground collapsed, and the drilling equipment disappeared into a gaping hole 60 meters in diameter and 20 meters deep (fortunately there were no casualties).
The scientists then had to make a choice:let the large concentration of methane escape and pollute the environment and the local population or set fire to the crater to burn the gas until it was extinguished, which would take a few weeks. after their estimates. They obviously chose the second option, except that the flames never went out! The Gates of Hell has since become a tourist attraction, and if the phenomenon is magnificent to watch, it is better to hold your nose:the crater emits a smell of rotten eggs because not of natural gas (which does not has no smell), but hydrogen sulphide present in the soil. Those interested in getting a closer look shouldn't wait too long, as the flames will indeed go out one day when the methane runs out, but the date is impossible to predict.
In any case, we are fans of this magnificent show!
