4 More Major Arctic Methane Craters Detected, Surrounded By Dozens Of Smaller Ones [View all]

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FOUR new mysterious "giant craters", and many smaller ones, have appeared in northern Russia - sparking fears over a looming natural disaster in the Arctic. Observation from space has revealed the dramatic mushrooming of the holes, believed to be caused by methane gas eruptions in melting permafrost due to climate change, scientists revealed today.

A leading Russian expert sounded an alert over safety because one new Siberian crater, surrounded by at least 20 "baby holes", is just six miles from a major gas production plant. He predicts up to 30 more are waiting to be discovered.

Scientsts are still baffled by the exact processes causing the craters and respected Moscow expert Professor Vasily Bogoyavlensky today called for "urgent" investigation of the new phenomenon amid safety fears.



Until now, the existence of only three Siberian craters had been established. "We know now of seven craters in the Arctic area," he told The Siberian Times - referring to the larger holes. "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."

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http://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/560034/Giant-craters-in-Siberia-Arctic-natural-diaster