Door to Hell still burning after 42 years.

[rashka]

Welcome to Derweze in Turkmenistan - or, as the locals have called it, 'The Door to Hell'.

The country’s most indisputably impressive site is a massive flaming crater deep in the Karakum Desert. Measuring 230 feet across and almost 70 feet deep, the so-called “Door to Hell” has been burning continuously since Soviet scientists lit it on fire in 1971.

At first glance, it could be a dramatic scene from a science-fiction movie.

But this giant hole of fire in the heart of the Karakum Desert is not the aftermath of an attack on Earth, launched from outer space.

It is a crater made by geologists more than 40 years ago, and the flames within have been burning ever since.

Soviet geologists were drilling at the site in 1971 and tapped into a cavern filled with natural gas.

But the ground beneath the drilling rig collapsed, leaving a hole with a diameter of 70 metres.

Fearing that the hole would lead to the release of poisonous gases, the team decided to burn it off.


The hole is located in Derweze, in the middle of the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan
It was hoped that the fire would use all the fuel within days, but the gas is still burning today.

The flames generate a golden glow which can be seen for miles around Derweze, a village with a population of about 350.

The site is about 260 kilometres north of Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan.

In April 2010 the country's president, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, visited the site and ordered that the hole should be closed but this is yet to happen.

The Karakum Desert, which covers much of Turkmenistan, lies east of the Caspian Sea.

The Aral Sea is located to the north and the Amu Darya river and the Kyzyl Kum Desert lie to the north-east.

The area has significant oil and natural gas deposits.

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Watch the video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDJ8XUghYXw

[Kazimiera]

I have heard of this hole before. I would love to see it in reality!

[Philo]

LOL Heard about it before. Scary place.

[Lemon Kush]

Interesting. It would of been an excellent idea if the Turkmenestani government punished its most severe crimes and hardened and dangerous criminals by throwing them into this hole/pit. Something like this :lmao:

http://www.economonitor.com/emredeliveli/files/2011/10/300_kick21_original.jpg

[MissProvocateur]

Fascinating! I'd love to be able to see this in person someday. why does it keep urning after such a long time? And how long is it expected to last? What gases are within this crater? I'm off to google now. :P

[Leliana]

No worries Muslims, all of you will see that 'door to hell' sooner or later! :D

http://www.animateit.net/data/media/june2010/adf3198d2a80.gif

Turkmenians are the brother people of Turks btw...:icon_ask:

[Dacul]

Lol those soviet "scientists" were actually idiots,instead of collecting that gas and sell it/use it they put it on fire.
:picard2:

[baraSYR]

No worries Muslims, all of you will see that 'door to hell' sooner or later! :D

http://www.animateit.net/data/media/june2010/adf3198d2a80.gif

Turkmenians are the brother people of Turks btw...:icon_ask:

What wrong with you ? are you always like that ?

[Jackson]

Lol those soviet "scientists" were actually idiots,instead of collecting that gas and sell it/use it they put it on fire.
:picard2:

"Boris, you have match? Like mother always say, when in doubt, set on fire!"

[randomguy1235]

No worries Muslims, all of you will see that 'door to hell' sooner or later! :D

http://www.animateit.net/data/media/june2010/adf3198d2a80.gif

Turkmenians are the brother people of Turks btw...:icon_ask:

Your post was completely irrelevant to the thread...What's wrong with you?

[Philo]

Interesting. It would of been an excellent idea if the Turkmenestani government punished its most severe crimes and hardened and dangerous criminals by throwing them into this hole/pit. Something like this :lmao:

http://www.economonitor.com/emredeliveli/files/2011/10/300_kick21_original.jpg

You have such a sick mind. HAHAHAHA:rotfl2:1127:

[Dacul]

"Boris, you have match? Like mother always say, when in doubt, set on fire!"

I think they got drunk a little too much and one of them told:
Oh,imagine how cool would be to have some crater here burning?
Noob people would call it "door to hell"!
Other scientists:
indeed,hahahaha!
Let us put it on fire.
So they did that.

[Vulcho]

If all this gas that has been burning for 42 years was released into the atmosphere, it could have been a major pollution. Maybe it was good that they decided to set it on fire, who knows.

[Onur]

Fascinating! I'd love to be able to see this in person someday. why does it keep urning after such a long time? And how long is it expected to last? What gases are within this crater? I'm off to google now. :P
It just shows how energy rich these territories are. This is natural gas.

This region was always like that for 1000s of years. The very first Zoroastrians in antiquity was considering these underground fires as sacred.