If you drive at night through the desert of Turkmenistan, one passes in unusual places. For example, the
here:
No, this is not a volcano, but a burning crater in the flat landscape.
A Soviet exploration crew really wanted to drill for gas in 1970, when suddenly disappeared from the derrick in a huge hole. The escaping gas was ignited from Sicherhteisgründen, geologists had assumed it would burn for three days. 40 years later it is still burning brightly, the hole has become larger.
During the day it is unfortunately not quite as spectacular:
is now the place is also popular with tourists Vorrausgesetzt, you get to go there anyway. This is also the place of my last "Where on Google Earth" search image. Here are some more pictures of this surreal landscape:
/ Edit:
A few details on the edge of the crater or the area is called Darvaza ( Wiki), the crater is about 75 meters in diameter, relatively small.
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(image courtesy of johnhbradley.com; http://www.happygolucky.no/portfolio/album/72157622822004006/turkmenistan-2009.html, and others)
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