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Author
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Topic: Newly-found Siberian crater at 'end of the world'
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SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 4437
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 07-15-2014 01:41 PM
   
The Siberian Times reports that a "mysterious 'gigantic' hole" has been spotted by helicopters over the Yamal peninsula. The striking puncture in the earth is believed to be up to 80 metres wide but its depth is not estimated yet. A scientific team has been sent to investigate the hole and is due to arrive at the scene on Wednesday.The cause of its sudden appearance in Yamal - its name means the 'end of the world' in the far north of Siberia - is not yet known, though one scientific claim is that global warming may be to blame. There is additionally speculation it could be caused by a space object - perhaps a meteorite - striking earth or that it is a sinkhole caused by collapsing rock beneath the hole caused by as yet unknown factors. |
mode1charlie
Member Posts: 1169
From: Honolulu, HI
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 07-15-2014 03:38 PM
Interesting. Thanks for posting this. I'm no expert in geology, but it looks like an exploded gas pocket to me. The interior structure does not suggest an impact crater at all. |
p51
Member Posts: 1642
From: Olympia, WA
Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 07-15-2014 05:49 PM
I agree, the debris isn't nearly far enough away for a meteor strike. |
Cozmosis22
Member Posts: 968
From: Texas * Earth
Registered: Apr 2011
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posted 07-15-2014 06:14 PM
...though one scientific claim is that global warming may be to blame. LOL ~ "scientific claim." About as likely an old underground nuclear test site? |
moorouge
Member Posts: 2454
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 07-16-2014 08:32 AM
Global warming? Bosh! It has all the characteristics of a sink hole as Florida cSers will testify. |
SaturnV
Member Posts: 24
From: Fowler, Ohio, USA
Registered: Sep 2013
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posted 07-16-2014 11:44 AM
quote:
Originally posted by moorouge:
It has all the characteristics of a sink hole as Florida cSers will testify.
I think the rim is raised too high for it to be a sinkhole. |
Constellation One
Member Posts: 119
From: Lorain, Ohio, USA
Registered: Aug 2008
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posted 07-16-2014 12:07 PM
I think its the Oak Island money pit. About as likely as global warming. |
AstroAutos
Member Posts: 803
From: Co. Monaghan, Republic of Ireland
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 07-16-2014 12:11 PM
My immediate thoughts upon seeing this were on Dan Brown's 2001 novel 'Deception Point'.  |
p51
Member Posts: 1642
From: Olympia, WA
Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 07-16-2014 03:01 PM
quote:
Originally posted by moorouge:
Global warming? Bosh! It has all the characteristics of a sink hole as Florida cSers will testify.
I'm going to have to disagree with you. I was born and raised in Florida, there were sink holes all over the places (including a massive one about the size of a football field several hundred yards behind the house I grew up in, it was probably a couple of hundred years old). This hole doesn't look like any sink hole I've ever seen. And besides, NO sinkhole ever blew out debris along the edge of the hole. |
moorouge
Member Posts: 2454
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 07-16-2014 04:22 PM
I stand corrected. |
mode1charlie
Member Posts: 1169
From: Honolulu, HI
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 07-16-2014 05:09 PM
io9 has a piece on this today.The upshot: a meteorite impact crater or a sinkhole seem to be ruled out. The leading hypotheses are 1. a collapsed pingo, or hydrolaccolith; or 2. a water, salt, and gas mixture that ignited an underground explosion. Note that both those two hypothesis are, or at least can be, directly or indirectly attributable to a warming permafrost. A team of experts from the Russian Academy of Sciences are on their way to the site to investigate, so more information should be forthcoming soon. |
star61
Member Posts: 294
From: Bristol UK
Registered: Jan 2005
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posted 07-17-2014 04:55 PM
I think someone should be ringing Virgil Tracy and asking what he has been up to lately... |
MCroft04
Member Posts: 1634
From: Smithfield, Me, USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 07-17-2014 10:30 PM
I am most interested in knowing what kind of rock was penetrated. My first thought was that this was a hoax, but apparently that is not the case. I agree that meteorites and sink holes are unlikely. Nice terms; pingo and hydrolaccoliths; new terms for me. But at least the latter one makes sense. Need to do some reading. |
chet
Member Posts: 1506
From: Beverly Hills, Calif.
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 07-19-2014 03:03 AM
Rubbing down the entire site with Proactiv cream twice a day should prevent any reccurrences.  |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 07-19-2014 12:54 PM
The Siberian Times reports that the first expedition to the scene took pictures of the hole, including the darkening pattern on the inner rim. They found the crater — around up to 70 meters deep — has an icy lake at its bottom, and water is cascading down its eroding permafrost walls.It is not as wide as aerial estimates which suggested between 50 and 100 meters. ...Andrey Plekhanov, Senior Researcher at the State Scientific Centre of Arctic Research, said: "The crater has more of an oval than a circular shape, it makes it harder to calculate the exact diameter. As of now our estimates is about thirty meters." 'We have taken soil and ice samples which went straight to laboratories. We can be certain in saying that the crater appeared relatively recently, perhaps a year or two ago; so it is a recent formation, we are not talking about dozen years ago. "Could it be linked to the global warming? We have to continue our research to answer this question." "Two previous summers - years 2012 and 2013 were relatively hot for Yamal, perhaps this has somehow influenced the formation of the crater." "But we have to do our tests and research first and then say it more definitively." |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 4437
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 07-19-2014 02:58 PM
The video seems to reinforce some type of upwelling or violent explosive action but where is the ejected contents of the hole given that bit of material that is deposited around the exterior rim doesn't look anything near the volume that would have filled it? |
chet
Member Posts: 1506
From: Beverly Hills, Calif.
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 07-19-2014 03:41 PM
Perhaps geological heaving (enough to eject a relatively small amount of matter around the rim) followed by collapse. Like an agitated bottle of sealed soda (bubbling over when opened and then subsiding, leaving less liquid inside the bottle afterwards). |
MCroft04
Member Posts: 1634
From: Smithfield, Me, USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 07-19-2014 08:14 PM
IF those are carbonate rocks (e.g. limestone) perhaps there was already a zone of weakness from dissolution, which might explain why there is not more ejecta material. I like the approach they are taking; lets collect data before we reach conclusions. |
fredtrav
Member Posts: 1673
From: Birmingham AL
Registered: Aug 2010
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posted 07-20-2014 03:48 PM
Giant mole. |
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