Dozens
of new craters suspected
in northern Russia
Satellites
show giant hole ringed by 20 'baby craters'.
23
February, 2014
Respected
Moscow scientist Professor Vasily Bogoyavlensky has called for
'urgent' investigation of the new phenomenon amid safety fears.
Until
now, only three large craters were known about in northern Russia
with several scientific sources speculating last year that heating
from above the surface due to unusually warm climatic conditions, and
from below, due to geological fault lines, led to a huge release of
gas hydrates, so causing the formation of these craters in Arctic
regions.
Two
of the newly-discovered large craters - also known as funnels to
scientists - have turned into lakes, revealed Professor
Bogoyavlensky, deputy director of the Moscow-based Oil and Gas
Research Institute, part of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Examination
using satellite images has helped Russian experts understand that the
craters are more widespread than was first realised, with one large
hole surrounded by as many as 20 mini-craters, The Siberian Times can
reveal.
Four
arctic craters: B1 - famous Yamal hole in 30 kilometres from
Bovanenkovo, B2 - recently detected crater in 10 kilometres to the
south from Bovanenkovo, B3 - crater located in 90 kilometres from
Antipayuta village, B4 - crater located near Nosok village, on the
north of Krasnoyarsk region, near Taimyr Peninsula. Picture:
Vasily Bogoyavlensky
'We
know now of seven craters in the Arctic area,' he said. 'Five are
directly on the Yamal peninsula, one in Yamal Autonomous district,
and one is on the north of the Krasnoyarsk region, near the Taimyr
peninsula.
'We
have exact locations for only four of them. The other three were
spotted by reindeer herders. But I am sure that there are more
craters on Yamal, we just need to search for them.
'I
would compare this with mushrooms: when you find one mushroom, be
sure there are few more around. I suppose there could be 20 to 30
craters more.'
He
is anxious to investigate the craters further because of serious
concerns for safety in these regions.
The
study of satellite images showed that near the famous hole, located
in 30 kilometres from Bovanenkovo are two potentially dangerous
objects, where the gas emission can occur at any moment.
Satellite
image of the site before the forming of the Yamal hole (B1). K1 and
the red outline show the hillock (pingo) formed before the gas
emission. Yellow outlines show the potentially dangerous
objects. Picture: Vasily Bogoyavlensky
He
warned: 'These objects need to be studied, but it is rather dangerous
for the researchers. We know that there can occur a series of gas
emissions over an extended period of time, but we do not know exactly
when they might happen.
'For
example, you all remember the magnificent shots of the Yamal crater
in winter, made during the latest expedition in Novomber 2014. But do
you know that Vladimir Pushkarev, director of the Russian Centre of
Arctic Exploration, was the first man in the world who went down the
crater of gas emission?
'More
than this, it was very risky, because no one could guarantee there
would not be new emissions.'
Professor
Bogoyavlensky told The Siberian Times: 'One of the most interesting
objects here is the crater that we mark as B2, located 10 kilometres
to the south of Bovanenkovo. On the satellite image you can see that
it is one big lake surrounded by more than 20 small craters filled
with water.
'Studying
the satellite images we found out that initially there were no
craters nor a lake. Some craters appeared, then more. Then, I suppose
that the craters filled with water and turned to several lakes, then
merged into one large lake, 50 by 100 metres in diameter.
'This
big lake is surrounded by the network of more than 20 'baby'
craters now filled with water and I suppose that new ones could
appear last summer or even now. We now counting them and making a
catalogue. Some of them are very small, no more than 2 metres in
diameter.'
Satellite
images showing pingo before the gas emission on the object B2 (top).
Lake formed here at the place of the number of craters and the
network of more than 20 'baby' craters around (bottom). Picture:
Vasily Bogoyavlensky
'We
have not been at the spot yet,' he said. 'Probably some local
reindeer herders were there, but so far no scientists.'
He
explained: 'After studying this object I am pretty sure that there
was a series of gas emissions over an extended period of time. Sadly,
we do not know, when exactly these emissions occur, i.e. mostly in
summer, or in winter too. We see only the results of this emissions.'
The
object B2 is now attracting special attention from the researchers as
they seek to understand and explain the phenomenon. This is only 10km
from Bovanenkovo, a major gas field, developed by Gazprom, in the
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Yet older satellite images do not
show the existence of a lake, nor any craters, in this location.
Not
only the new craters constantly forming on Yamal show that the
process of gas emission is ongoing actively.
Professor
Bogoyavlensky shows the picture of one of the Yamal lakes, taken by
him from the helicopter and points on the whitish haze on its
surface.
Yamal
lake with traces of gas emissions. Picture: Vasily Bogoyavlensky
He
commented: 'This haze that you see on the surface shows that gas
seeps that go from the bottom of the lake to the surface. We call
this process 'degassing'.
'We
do not know, if there was a crater previously and then turned to
lake, or the lake formed during some other process. More important is
that the gases from within are actively seeping through this lake.
'Degassing
was revealed on the territory of Yamal Autonomous District about 45
years ago, but now we think that it can give us some clues about the
formation of the craters and gas emissions. Anyway, we must research
this phenomenon urgently, to prevent possible disasters.'
Professor
Bogoyavlensky stressed: 'For now, we can speak only about the results
of our work in the laboratory, using the images from space.
'No
one knows what is happening in these craters at the moment. We plan a
new expedition. Also we want to put not less than four seismic
stations in Yamal district, so they can fix small earthquakes, that
occur when the crater appears.
'In
two cases locals told us that they felt earth tremors. The nearest
seismic station was yet too far to register these tremors.
Crater
B3 located in 90 kilometres from Antipayuta village, Yamal
district (top). Crater B4 located near Nosok village, on the
north of Krasnoyarsk region, near Taimyr Peninsula. Pictures: Local
residents
'I
think that at the moment we know enough about the crater B1. There
were several expeditions, we took probes and made measurements. I
believe that we need to visit the other craters, namely B2, B3 and
B4, and then visit the rest three craters, when we will know their
exact location. It will give us more information and will bring us
closer to understanding the phenomenon.'
He
urged: 'It is important not to scare people, but to understand that
it is a very serious problem and we must research this.'
In
an article for Drilling and Oil magazine, Professor Bogoyavlensky
said the parapet of these craters suggests an underground explosion.
'The
absence of charred rock and traces of significant erosion due
to possible water leaks speaks in favour of mighty eruption
(pneumatic exhaust) of gas from a shallow underground reservoir,
which left no traces on soil which contained a high percentage of
ice,' he wrote.
'In
other words, it was a gas-explosive mechanism that worked there. A
concentration of 5-to-16% of methane is explosive. The most explosive
concentration is 9.5%.'
'The
parapet of these craters suggests an underground explosion.' Pictures
of Yamal crater taken by Vasily Bogoyavlensky
Gas
probably concentrated underground in a cavity 'which formed due to
the gradual melting of buried ice'. Then 'gas was replacing ice and
water'.
'Years
of experience has shown that gas emissions can cause serious damage
to drilling rigs, oil and gas fields and offshore pipelines,' he
said. 'Yamal craters are inherently similar to pockmarks.
'We
cannot rule out new gas emissions in the Arctic and in some cases
they can ignite.'
This
was possible in the case of the crater found at Antipayuta, on the
Yamal peninsula.
'The
Antipayuta residents told how they saw some flash. Probably the gas
ignited when appeared the crater B4, near Taimyr peninsula. This
shows us, that such explosion could be rather dangerous and
destructive.
'We
need to answer now the basic questions: what areas and under what
conditions are the most dangerous? These questions are important for
safe operation of the northern cities and infrastructure of oil and
gas complexes.'
The
latest expedition to Yamal crater was initiated by the Russian Centre
of Arctic Exploration in early November 2014. The researchers were
first in the world who went down the crater of gas
emission. Pictures: Vladimir Pushkarev/Russian Centre of
Arctic Exploration
Pingos
are mounds with an ice core found in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions.
They
can reach up to 70 metres (230 ft) in height and up to 600 m (2,000
ft) in diameter. They usually appear when groundwaters penetrate
between permafrost and the top layer, which melts in summer season.
They usually form in drained lakes or river channels.
However,
gas is not a factor in their creation.
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