What is the cause of the mysterious craters in Siberia?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Astronuc
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary
A mysterious crater on the Yamal peninsula in Siberia has sparked discussions about its origins, with theories suggesting it may result from a collapsed cave system or an underground gas explosion, particularly given its proximity to oil and gas fields. Observations indicate that the crater exhibits ejecta, which complicates the collapse theory. A model presented in the discussion proposes that methane (CH4) is being released from the crater's base, creating a natural convection cell that affects heat transfer and potentially enhances the crater's growth. This model also suggests that the crater acts as a large thermometer, with the concentration of CH4 indicating surface air temperature. The ongoing debate highlights the need for further investigation into the crater's formation and the dynamics of methane release in the region.
  • #31
Bystander said:
Just browsed the Yamal on Google Earth --- "dozens?" --- there are thousands --- not all recent, certainly.
I suspect you are mistaking the thousands of permafrost melt ponds that occur all across the north for those newly formed craters. For a striking example of the thousands of lakes in the far north, see this map https://www.google.com/maps/place/69°36'00.0"N+132°00'00.0"W/@69.6,-132,8z/ of the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula, in the Canadian Northwest Territories.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 25 ·
Replies
25
Views
5K
  • · Replies 26 ·
Replies
26
Views
10K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
5K
Replies
7
Views
6K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
Replies
4
Views
8K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K