Modern Mysteries

Has the mystery of the Yamal craters been definitively solved at last ?

By T.K. Randall
October 24, 2024 ·  9 comments

What created this hole ? Image Credit: CC BY 4.0 Sergey N. Buldovicz et al. The phenomenon first came to light back in 2014 when a large hole approximately 50 meters deep was discovered quite unexpectedly in the Yamal peninsula in north-west Siberia.

Evidence suggested that the hole had been created by some sort of explosion, but it was unclear what could have caused such an event in such a remote location.

Before long, several more of these mysterious craters had been discovered across the region, spawning a scientific mystery that would leave experts scratching their heads.

Now, though, scientists believe that they have finally determined exactly what is responsible.The key lies in ponds of salty water known as cryopegs that can be found sandwiched between the layer of seasonally frozen soil and the underlying layer of thick clay permafrost.

Due to the effects of global warming, the soil layer has been defrosting to increasingly greater depths.

An explosion occurs when pressure from the excess meltwater causes cracks to open in the soil, resulting in a sudden drop in pressure which destabilizes the methane hydrate in the salt water.

As temperatures continue to increase, such explosions could begin to happen more and more often.

The explosions themselves also release more methane, further adding to the warming effect.

Source: The Guardian | Comments (9)

Tags: Yamal Craters