Ironically, the pronunciation of "Darvaza" is the same in Hindi to say "Door."

Why didn't they put a cap on it and use the energy instead? I suppose they didn't realise how much methane was in there 'till they chucked a match down it.

What a waste!

[edit on 12/1/2010 by nerbot]

now all thats left is for a 30 foot balrog to come crawling out, breathing fire and acid for miles.

It's very easy to put that fire out. Just start dumping sand into that hole.
And keep at it!
That hole doesn't look so big comparing it with the people standing at it.

Originally posted by Man1fesT
Throw a large amount of dynamite into the fires, cuts the oxygen long enough to possibly put out them out. Same way they put out burning oil fountains in the Gulf war. It would be hard though, that hole is pretty big...

[edit on 12-1-2010 by Man1fesT]

I'd think you would go with a "fuel air bomb" on this one. You would take a plane and drop something like aluminum and magnesium powder then loft a payload of TNT from a distance (maybe a remote-controlled airplane with a radio detonator).

Nothing makes an implosion and sucks in air like a fuel-air bomb.

>> Bu I'm wondering if they couldn't just put some heat shielding on a bull-dozer and just start pushing dirt to the edge and slowly but surely covering it. That would probably NOT put out the fire -- coal fires like this seem to suck air from somewhere because the heat and burning would create quite a vacuum force.

So once you've narrowed the opening a lot, put some high temperature pipes down in the middle of it and run yourself a steam turbine -- sure you lose the tourism. But it just bothers me that so much energy is just going to waste...

Great post! very interesting!

First time i've ever heard about it, looks very cool!

40 years of burning is crazy!

Well thats it ! ! this is the REAL answer we have been waiting for...... The Russians are to blame for the CO2 rise..and global warming.

Great find! It reminds me of something I read in Revelations from the New Testament about people being thrown into a lake of fire. I always pictured it being a hole just like in your picture for some reason.

Gee does this mean the soviet union will have to pay a fortune in carbon credits to offset the disastrous effect this is having on the environment? I'm being facetious of course.

40 years? How fascinating is that? It would have been so funny if the
earth would have become like one big cherry bomb when they lit it.

BACHAH BOOOM! well maybe not that funny.

flagged starred

Also every atheist and evolutionist, unbeleiver behold the grace of God.

He had to have saved our asses on this one.

I can see God during creation, I'm going to need a type of vent right here.
Gonna need the right dynamics, lets see, one of the little bratz might come along and, oh no no no that just won't do at all. Ok redesign
magma chamber so all vents recierve a minimum 80 lbs of psi at a constent.
Thankless little bratz no way can I trust em.

[edit on 12-1-2010 by randyvs]

so had anyone ever fallen in there or maybe pushed in that would be unpleasant.

Old story. No threat, no consequences. In the middle of nowhere.
Whats the issue again?