A Hellish Door, ablaze for over five decades; where does it reside and what ignited its fire?
In the heart of the Turkmenistan desert lies a spectacle that has captured the world's attention for over five decades - the Darvaza gas crater, also known as the "Door of Hell." This flaming abyss, visible from miles away, is one of Turkmenistan's most popular tourist attractions, attracting over 10,000 visitors annually.
The "Door of Hell" derives its name from a nearby village and was intentionally set alight by Soviet scientists in 1971 to burn off methane gas following a gas drilling accident. The fire, believed to lie over charred remains of a drilling rig, was intended to burn off within a few weeks, but it never extinguished.
The Darvaza gas crater, located in the Amu Darya Basin that straddles Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, is approximately 100 feet (30 meters) deep and 230 feet (70 meters) wide. It continues to leak natural gas, primarily methane, heavily from the ground in the surrounding region.
The existence of the Darvaza crater is not surprising, according to Mark Ireland, an energy geologist at Newcastle University. The region is significant in oil and natural gas production. In 2019, the crater became a hot topic online when Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov posted a video of himself making donuts and driving a rally car along the crater's edge.
The "Door of Hell" has a chilling history connected to the Soviet Union's large infrastructure project involving forced labor, which began under Stalin’s rule in 1931 and led to many deaths. However, today, it stands as a unique testament to the power and unpredictability of nature, drawing tourists from around the world to witness its fiery spectacle.
Read also:
- Discovered: Ages-Old Creature Concealed Within Its Shell, Unveiled Upon Breakthrough
- Dangerous Pollutant Removal: Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant and Northrop Grumman Corporation Site (NWIRP) in Bethpage, New York – Clean-up Initiated
- Unrestricted Transportation of Plastic Debris
- Enhancing Ocean Safety and Security
