Giant Mystery Hole Opens in Siberian Region Named "End of the World" - Update

Rhykker

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Giant Mystery Hole Opens in Siberian Region Named "End of the World" - Update


A hole of massive diameter and unknown depth has been spotted in Siberia, puzzling scientists.

Update (July 21): Russian scientists investigated the hole and found it to be up to 300 feet deep and only 195 feet in diameter, with an icy lake at its bottom.

Satellite mapping imagery is being used to determine when the hole appeared, with current estimates suggesting it formed within the last year or two. Rising temperatures in the area is believed to be the most likely cause.

Andrey Plekhanov, senior researcher at the Russian Scientific Centre of Arctic Research, says the crater consists of 80 percent ice.

"We can say for sure that under the influence of internal processes there was an ejection in the permafrost," Dr. Plekhanov said. "I've never seen anything like this, even though I have been to Yamal many times."


Anna Kurchatova from the Sub-Arctic Scientific Research Centre believes global warming may be to blame, suggesting that rapid melting of the under-soil ice released gas and caused an effect similar to the popping of a champagne bottle cork.

Source: The Daily Mail [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2699853/Take-trip-inside-mysterious-Siberian-hole-New-footage-emerges-deep-strange-structure.html]

Original story: The hole, 262 feet in diameter, was found in Russia's Yamal Peninsula - a name that translates to "End of the World" in the native language of the indigenous Nenet people. Helicopter footage shows that the hole has uplifted edges and is surrounded by debris.

Speculation about the hole's origin abounds, and scientists are being deployed to investigate and take soil samples.

"We can definitely say that it is not a meteorite," a spokesman for the Yamal branch of the country's Emergencies Ministry told The Siberian Times, adding that there are no further details yet.

The hole is near a natural gas field, which has led to one theory that it was caused by an explosion triggered by a mixture of gas, salt, and water igniting underground. Another theory suggests this was the site of an alien spacecraft launch. We'll let you decide which sounds more plausible.

According to Dr. Chris Fogwill, a polar scientist at the University of New South Wales in Australia, the images of the hole are consistent with features that occur naturally due to seasonal thawing of snow in the tundra - albeit an "extreme version" of what we normally observe.

What theory do you find most likely?

Source: The Huffington Post [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/16/giant-hole-siberia-crater-end-of-world_n_5591780.html]

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Rhykker

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Ylla said:
That video looks like the intro of a found-footage terror movie....
Honestly, it reminded me of the footage of the footprint in 1999 Godzilla.
 

Dirty Apple

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The grown-up rational adult in me realizes that there is a perfectly reasonable and scientific reason for why this happened. The wide-eyed child, who's always on the look out for wonder, truly wishes for some fantastical origin.

tl:dr meh...squee!
 

Kameburger

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Apr 7, 2012
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Do non of you read the new 52 Super-Girl? Clearly this is where her ship crash landed on earth! Gahh!!!

.... So yes... its definitely aliens. Sexy, blonde, leotard wearing aliens.
 

Fiz_The_Toaster

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It was clearly made by a legion of Dugtrio.

The scientists are only saying that because they don't want us to know that Pokemon really exist. I mean, how else did that asphalt melt in the previous news article?

Other than that, I got nothing.
 

Saulkar

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You know, I am getting a sinking feeling (pun intended) that this is the end. XD
 

Vigormortis

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It....it.....it was the crab people!


Uh, um, hmm. *cough* Yeah, anyway...

It was most likely a gas eruption. That region is riddled with pits just like that one.

Seriously, as one Youtube poster put it, the whole region looks like Swiss cheese. [http://goo.gl/hDZYNt]
 

Grimh

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If that's the aftermath of an alien spaceship's launch then I'd hate to be the guy to tend the launchpads on their world(s).
 

Mr.Mattress

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Jul 17, 2009
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It's the gates of Hell opening up! And we need to shove a bunch of cows down there to close it up. (CKII References)

Honestly, I don't know what it is, but whatever it is, isn't a scary thing (Unless someone fell down there and proved otherwise)...
 

Ten Foot Bunny

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This is where one of the defense towers left behind by our extraterrestrial progenitors will soon arise to save Earth from cosmic annihilation!

So easy a child could figure that out. Like, duh.
 

Xan Krieger

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Feb 11, 2009
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Vigormortis said:
It....it.....it was the crab people!


Uh, um, hmm. *cough* Yeah, anyway...

It was most likely a gas eruption. That region is riddled with pits just like that one.

Seriously, as one Youtube poster put it, the whole region looks like Swiss cheese. [http://goo.gl/hDZYNt]
The map of the area you posted makes this a lot less exciting, you're right the whole region is swiss cheese. This is just the largest hole, but it's only that, just a big gas hole. Russia got torn a new gashole.
 

FalloutJack

Bah weep grah nah neep ninny bom
Nov 20, 2008
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You can see that there is a further cave system in there, so we have a massive subterrainean area down there. As to why it caved in? Could've been time, could've been gas, could've been Cthonians. They'll find out why eventually. Till then, this is interesting as hell.
 

SD-Fiend

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If a Flying fAiry comes out of the Chasm and starts talking about awakening crystals ignore it or were all doomed! And if it fLies anywhere near me i'm gonna spam Bug Slayer till it crawls back down the hole it came from!
 

TemperHoof

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Proof that Russia is way ahead of us field testing Orbital Laser Cannon or Kinetic Bombardment technology.
 
Aug 1, 2010
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It's kind of incredible how much this looks like trailer footage for some new Sci-Fi suspense movie.

Maybe it's just because Hollywood has done so many different scenarios, but I can totally see this video cutting to news footage of the unexplained destruction of a nearby town, then cutting to a famous actor looking grim.
 

Dying_Jester

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So, it happened in a place called "The End of the World", and was likely caused by a sort of gas mixture...well, it sounds to me like it has been confirmed that this is the rear end of the world.

If it was an something from off earth making it I'd have made a joke about chimera and all that we know coming to an end.