Science is Fun Fridays!

 

The Darvaza Crater sits in the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan.

It is also called the Derweze Crater after a nearby village, or by its nickname, The Gates of Hell.

While the exact history is unknown, it is believed that Soviet geologists started drilling for oil and hit a gas pocket.  The borehole soon opened into a cavern, causing a large sinkhole.

With concern for the gas escaping into the atmosphere, they figured they'd light it on fire to burn it out, but it still burns to this day.

Turkmenistan ranks 6th in the world for natural gas reserves, but it's honestly unknown how much gas is feeding this fire.  Canadian explorer George Kourounis was the first man to descend into the crater.  Partly funded by National Geographic, he collected soil samples.  He had to wear a special breathing apparatus, a heat-reflective suit, and a harness made from Kevlar.

"We did find some bacteria living at the bottom that are very comfortable living in those high temperatures, and the most important thing was that that they were not found in any of the surrounding soil outside the crater."

BBC