Mystery of the hole at the ‘end of the world’ in Siberia is ‘solved’: Crater is caused by rising temperatures, not a meteorite

Enormous crater appeared suddenly in part of Russia, Yamal, where name translates as 'the end of the world'

Some thought the unusual and rare geographical occurrence, which was 262ft wide, was caused by a meteorite



Andrei Plekhanov from Scientific Research Center of the Arctic says crater was probably due to rising temperatures




Russian scientists believe a giant crater which appeared in far northern Siberia was caused by rising temperatures in the area - not a meteorite.

Andrei Plekhanov, a senior researcher at the Scientific Research Center of the Arctic, said the mysterious hole which appeared in the gas-rich area earlier this week was most likely the result of a 'build-up of excessive pressure' underground, due to the region's changing temperatures.

On Wednesday, Mr Plekhanov traveled to the 262ft wide crater, in the Yamal Peninsula of northern Russia, to study how the crater was formed.



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This giant crater measuring around 262ft and found in far northern Siberia is believed to have been caused by rising temperatures in the area - not a meteorite



Andrei Plekhanov, a senior researcher at the Scientific Research Center of the Arctic, who travelled to investigate the crater, said there were no traces of an explosion

The discovery eliminates the possibility that a meteorite had struck the region in the Yamal Peninsula - the name of which translates as 'the end of the world'

Mr Plekhanov said the enormous crater appears to be made up of 80 per cent ice which adds to the theory that it was caused by the effects of global warming



The darkening around the inner rim of the crater also indicates 'severe burning' which scorched the crater's edges, researchers said



The darkening around the inner rim of the crater indicates 'severe burning' that scorched its edges

Footage from inside the original crater showed that there is a lake at its base. The two new craters follow the discovery of a larger hole earlier this month around 230ft (70 metres) in diameter. Now the new holes - smaller in diameter but similar in shape - are posing a fresh challenge for Russian scientists

He said 80 per cent of the crater appeared to be made up of ice and that there were no traces of an explosion.

The discovery eliminates the possibility that a meteorite had struck the region - the name of which translates as 'the end of the world'.



After the hole was discovered, there was speculation online about the crater indicating 'the arrival of a UFO craft'.

But experts said the cause is more likely to be global warming releasing gases under the surface, which then explode like a Champagne cork.

The darkening around the inner rim of the crater indicates 'severe burning' which scorched its edges, they say.



When it was found, some said the hole could have been formed by a meteorite striking the spot in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, which some 20 miles from the Bovanenkovo gas field.

The Siberian Times reported how an expedition took place this week to find the source of the crater.



The expedition organised by the Yamal authorities included experts from Russia's Centre for the Study of the Arctic, and also the Cryosphere Institute of the Academy of Sciences.

Perma frost is seen near the hole in this photo. Some said the hole could have been formed by a meteorite striking the spot, but that no longer seems to be the case

Scientists working at the site measure some of the soil and debris around the crater

Until the expedition took place, shown, scientists had been baffled by the appearance of the giant hole

Thanks to their readings (shown) the team now believes the cause was increasing temperatures

It's not yet known if this event, which scorched the ground nearby (shown), could occur again in the area

Very remote: The crater has appeared in Yamal - a large peninsula jutting into Arctic waters, which is Russia's main production area for gas supplied to Europe

The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region is area known for its permafrost and pingos

The mysterious hole is in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, some 20 miles from the Bovanenkovo gas field

They took samples of soil, air and water from the scene and were accompanied by a specialist from Russia's Emergencies Ministry.

Anna Kurchatova from the Sub-Arctic Scientific Research Centre, thinks the crater was formed by a mixture of water, salt and gas igniting an underground explosion, a result of global warming.

Gas accumulated in ice could have mixed with sand beneath the surface, and then mixed with salt.



Some 10,000 years ago this area was a sea.

Global warming may have caused an 'alarming' melt in the under-soil ice, released gas and causing an effect like the popping of a Champagne bottle cork, Ms Kurchatova suggests.

Yamal, a large peninsula jutting into Arctic waters, is Russia's main production area for gas supplied to Europe.

Scientists are seen here on the way to the crater during their expedition

Shown is a piece of soil that was 'ejected' out of the original crater. The crater is different from others on Yamal. The experts say the phenomenon maybe a restarting of a process not seen for 8,000 years when the lake-pocked Yamal landscape was formed on what was once a sea

Here can be seen permafrost, soil below the freezing point of water, near the crater

The edge of the terrifyingly large, original crater is seen here. One favoured theory is that the hole was caused by an explosion of methane underground