A huge crater was recently discovered in a remote part of Siberia. A helicopter was flying over the region when the pilot noticed the crater, which is said to be at least 260 feet in diameter.
The area where the crater was found in known as “the end of the world’ and very few people ever travel near it. The helicopter pilot recorded his flyover of the crater and shared the video and photos online.
Many people did not think that the photos were real or believe that such a huge crater could go unseen for so long.
Russian officials have decided to find out if the crater does exist and are sending a team of experts to investigate the site, which is located in an area known as the Yamal peninsula.
Giant hole discovered in Siberia has scientists scratching their heads http://t.co/IZc72MhhWz #science #mystery pic.twitter.com/UMS85P19LI
— Strange Beacons (@StrangeBeacons) July 17, 2014
The crater appears to be very deep and it is unclear how or when it was made. The team investigating the crater will take samples from around and possibly inside it. These samples will allow scientists to determine the age of the crater and the object that made it.
Although nothing is official, many people are ruling out the possibility that the crater was caused by a meteorite or a sinkhole.
“We can definitely say that it is not a meteorite. No details yet,” a spokesperson from Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said.
Some scientists believe the crater may be a pingo. A pingo occurs when ice is pushed from underground to the surface. Once the ice melted, it could have left behind the crater.
“It’s just a remarkable land form,” University of New South Wales polar scientist Dr. Chris Fogwill, who believes the landmark is a pingo, said. “This is obviously a very extreme version of that, and if there’s been any interaction with the gas in the area, that is a question that could only be answered by going there.”
Hopefully the Russian investigators will be able to find out more about the crater and what caused it.
What do you think caused it?
Image via News Inc.