Giant hole appears at 'world's end'

[n2doc]

A mysterious giant hole spotted in northern Siberia has sparked an urgent expedition.

Aerial images posted on YouTube indicate a hole up to 80m wide in Yamal, a peninsula jutting into Arctic waters whose name translates as "the end of the world".

The hole was discovered by a helicopter crew working for an oil company in the gas-rich region, The Siberian Times reports.

A scientific expedition organised by the Yamal authorities will leave tomorrow to investigate. The team includes experts from Russia's Centre for the Study of the Arctic, the Cryosphere Institute of the Academy of Sciences and Russia's Emergencies Ministry.

The cause of the hole's sudden appearance is not yet known.

Experts said that the darkening around the inner rim of the crater indicated "severe burning" that scorched its edges.

more

http://www.9news.com.au/world/2014/07/16/04/48/giant-hole-appears-at-world-end

It's either superman or those damn martians.....

[Initech]

1. Hey! Just like in the movie!

[William Seger]

2. A second hole has been found 30 km away

The strange holes in the earth found in the northern tundra on Russian territory in July could mean the beginning of irreversible changes in the climate of our planet. According to Russian scientists, the most likely reason for the formation of such holes is the emission of natural gas, which may be caused by global warming.

Over the last month, two strange holes have mysteriously opened up in tundra of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area (YNAO) in the Russian Arctic, causing great excitement among Russia’s scientific community.

Researchers are now examining the giant holes in a bid to discover the reason for their sudden appearance. According to geologist Konstantin Ranks, the emission of natural gas that scholars consider the most likely explanation for the formation of the holes may be a consequence of global warming.

Source: Russia Beyond the Headlines - http://rbth.com/science_and_tech/2014/07/25/strange_holes_in_yamal_evidence_of_global_climatic_changes_s_38499.html)

No pics yet that I could find.