Scientists May Have Cracked the Giant Siberian Crater Mystery — and the News Isn’t Good
5th August 2014
According to a recent Nature article, “air near the bottom of the crater contained unusually high concentrations of methane — up to 9.6% — in tests conducted at the site on 16 July, says Andrei Plekhanov, an archaeologist at the Scientific Centre of Arctic Studies in Salekhard, Russia. Plekhanov, who led an expedition to the crater, says that air normally contains just 0.000179% methane.”
The scientist said the methane release may be related to Yamal’s unusually hot summers in 2012 and 2013, which were warmer by an average of 5 degrees Celsius. “As temperatures rose, the researchers suggest, permafrost thawed and collapsed, releasing methane that had been trapped in the icy ground,” the report stated.
August 6th, 2014 at 08:50
Something funny is going on all right. Methane is lighter than air, and the chance of collecting a sample of 10% methane at the bottom of the crater is about zero. Maybe they confused it with a unicorn fart.
August 6th, 2014 at 20:43
The explosion limits for methane are about 4% to 14%. 10% would need only a spark to go boom.