'Gates of Hell' crater has burned in remote desert for 50 years

[turbinetree]

By Lauren Fox, AccuWeather staff writer

Published Aug. 19, 2020 3:18 PM

For 50 years, the "Gates of Hell," formally known as the Darvaza gas crater, has illuminated the skies of the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan, yet it remains a mystery to most.

George Kourounis, who traveled to the center of the fiery pit, told AccuWeather that the Gates of Hell "is one of the most interesting places on Earth."

One hundred feet deep and 230 feet wide, it was created when a drilling rig collapsed into a sinkhole leaking methane while prospectors were on the hunt for natural gas. At some point it caught fire, although Kourounis said no one is sure if the blaze was set intentionally or not, and it has remained on fire ever since, for nearly half a century.

"It almost looks like a volcano out in the middle of the desert," he told AccuWeather in an interview.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/gates-of-hell-crater-has-burned-in-remote-desert-for-50-years/778971

[tblue37]

1. They found a new form of bacteria there, metabolizing methane, using chemosynthesis rather

than photosynthesis to get energy!

[whopis01]

2. Not as dramatic lookin, but the Centralia mine fire in Pennsylvania is a similar situation

It has been going for almost 60 years and is expected to go for at least another 100.

https://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/centralia.htm