mysterious in the darvaza gas crater

             DARVAZA GAS CRATER

Darvaza gas crater known locally as the "Door to Hell" or ''Gates of Hell", is natural gas field collapsed into an underground cavern located in Derwze,Terkminstan Geologists set it on fire to prevent the spread of methane gas, and it is thought to have been burning continuously since 1971. The diameter of the crater is 69 metres (226 ft), and its depth is 30 metres (98 ft).

        

The crater is a popular tourist attraction. Since 2009, 50,000 tourists have visited the site. The gas crater has a total area of 5,350 m². The surrounding area is also popular for wild desert camping.

    According to Turkmen geologist Anatoly Bushmakin, the site was identified by Sovietengineers in 1971. It was originally thought to be a substantial oil fieldfield. The engineers set up a drilling rig and operations to assess the quantity of oil available at the site. Soon after the preliminary survey found a natural gas pocket, the ground beneath the drilling rig and camp collapsed into a wide crater and was buried.

Expecting dangerous releases of poisonous gases from the cavern into nearby towns, the engineers thought it best to burn the gas off. It was estimated that the gas would burn out within a few weeks, but it has instead continued to burn for more than four decades.

Effects on future development of gas.

On President Berdimuhamedow's April 2010 visit, he recommended that measures be taken to limit the crater's influence on the development of other natural gas fields in the area. At that time, Turkmenistan announced plans to increase its production of natural gas, intending to increase its export of gas to many countries. 

 Pakistan, China, India, Iran, Russia, and Western europe, from its then yearly production level to a new production level of 225 billion cubic metres (7.9 trillion cubic feet) by 2030.

By
Gouthami .S
Travel tinkers

                                                       

MYSTERY ABOUT CHINA'S DWARF VILLAGE

THE CHINA'S DWARF VILLAGE


China’s dwarf village Yangsi has been puzzling scientists for decades. It is situated in s With outhwest China’s Sichuan Province. With about 40% of its inhabitants being several heads shorter than an average human being,  36 of the 80 residents are dwarfs – the tallest one is about 3 ft. 10 inches tall and the shortest, 2 ft. 1 inch.

There is no proper explanation for this till date but it is definitely not something to be ignored. From testing the inhabitants to testing the grains, soil, and water of the area, scientists have literally tried every possible method to arrive at an answer. According to village elders, their peaceful, happy life was ruined on a summer night many years ago, when a vile disease struck the region.

Several locals suffered from a mysterious condition that mainly affected young children between the ages of 5 and 7. These children just stopped growing, remaining at the same height for the rest of their lives. Apart from their inability to grow taller, some of the victims also suffered from various other disabilities.

Other theories conjured up by villagers include the Japanese invasion of China which led to the release of various toxic gases. However, the Japanese never reached Yangsi. Some say that it is their ancestors who have brought down this wrath on them because they were not given their much-deserved burial. Others say that the area’s bad feng shui is responsible for the stunted growth.

While these reasons are pretty weird, the most bizarre of all explanations is that of the curse of a black turtle. According to the story, a black turtle with strange feet was spotted by a man named Wang. The villagers suffered a dilemma between letting the turtle go and feasting on it. And because of the rebellious taste buds and the cynic mentality, they ended up killing the turtle, roasting it and feasting on it. Villagers now believe that it was the turtle’s curse that laid down the wrath on the children and the future generations.

Today, their numbers have shrunk to just 80 but it used to be 119. In 1997, high levels of mercury concentrations in the soil were suspected to be a possible explanation but there was hardly any evidence to support this theory. The Chinese government never denies the existence of the village but no foreigners are allowed to visit it.

Throughout the years, several residents have left the region in fear of being affected by the strange condition, but things seem to be improving. While many of the older locals are up to 80 centimeters in height, the new generation seems to be unaffected by the weird dwarfism phenomenon. Till date, it remains an unsolved mystery.

-G.B.RITHIKKA.