The "Gates of hell" will be closed forever: the famous crater will be extinguished in Turkmenistan

The authorities of Turkmenistan decided to extinguish the gas crater, which burned for about half a century. The Gates of Hell are located in the Karakum Desert, 260 km north of Ashgabat. Tourists constantly flocked to the hot attraction, scientists conducted research in it, reports Turkmenportal.

The colossal amount of gas burning in the crater has a negative impact on the ecology and health of people in nearby settlements. By stopping the irrational consumption of natural gas, you can direct it to important economic goals. Turkmen and foreign specialists will be involved in extinguishing the crater.

The accumulation of natural gas in this area was discovered in 1971. As a result of drilling a well, a collapse occurred, the top layer of soil crumbled into a void underground, a wide hole filled with gas opened. Geologists set it on fire in order to avoid the spread of gas around the neighborhood, hoping that the fire would soon go out, but the burning continued for decades. Gorenje The diameter of the crater reaches 60 m, its depth is about 20 m.

In 2013, Canadian scientist George Koronis conducted research and collected samples from the bottom of a flaming well. Bacteria have been found in the crater, thriving even at such high temperatures. These organisms have not previously been found on the surface of the planet.