After half a century of uninterrupted flame, the emblematic natural gas crater in Turkmenistan – known as “Gate of Hell” – seems to be … erasing.
The crater, 70 meters in diameter and about 20, was formed in 1971 when Soviet geologists accidentally pierced an underground “methane bubble”.
To prevent the leakage of toxic gases, they decided to set fire to the opening – thinking it would burn in a few days.
But the flames were never erased. Until now.
Today, scientists confirm that gas flow has declined significantly, making flames fell impressive.
As Irina Lurieva, a member of the state -owned Turkmengaz company, said, “the glitter that once looked away from miles away today seems closely.”
The “Karakoum Glow” – as its official name is – has been a tourist pole and a source of intense environmental concerns.
Methane, a crater’s basic gas, is multiple more powerful than carbon dioxide in causing global warming.
Η διεθνής πίεση για περιορισμό των εκπομπών, μαζί με την επιθυμία του πρώην προέδρου Γκουρμπανγκουλί Μπερντιμουχαμέντοφ να «κλείσει την Πύλη της Κολάσεως», οδήγησαν στην εκκίνηση έργων με στόχο την αποστράγγιση του μεθανίου μέσω γεωτρήσεων.
Μελέτες δείχνουν πως το φλεγόμενο φαινόμενο μειώνεται και, πλέον, φαίνεται να μετρά τις τελευταίες του μέρες. Για τους περιβαλλοντολόγους, πρόκειται για μια καλοδεχούμενη εξέλιξη σε μια χώρα που θεωρείται ένας από τους μεγαλύτερους εκπομπούς μεθανίου στον κόσμο.
Source: Skai
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