Land in Russia’s Arctic Blows ‘Like a Bottle of Champagne’

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https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/05/world/europe/russia-arctic-eruptions.html

Source:  By Andrew E. Kramer. The New york Times. 

Excerpt: MOSCOW — A natural phenomenon first observed by scientists just six years ago and now recurring with alarming frequency in Siberia is causing the ground to explode spontaneously and with tremendous force, leaving craters up to 100 feet deep. ...While initially a mystery, scientists have established that the craters appearing in the far north of western Siberia are caused by subterranean gases, and the recent flurry of explosions is possibly related to global warming, Mr. Chuvilin said. ...Mr. Chuvilin said the conditions causing the explosions, which are still not fully understood, are probably specific to the geology of the area, as similar craters have not appeared elsewhere in Siberia or in permafrost zones in Canada and Alaska that are also affected by global warming. ...The explosions occur underneath small hills or hummocks on the tundra where gas from decaying organic matter is trapped underground....  

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