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Fiery 230ft crater nicknamed the 'Door to Hell' baffles scientists after burning endlessly for 40 YEARS

Originally a level surface, the site was identified by Soviet scientists in 1971 as an area that was believed to house a substantial oil field

Yahoo News UK

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/video/door-hell-burns-over-40-231636083.html

With fiery embers glowing deep underground, it looks like a scene from an apocalyptic sci-fi blockbuster.

But this huge crater is amazingly a real-life phenomenon which has been flaming away for more than four decades.

The 230ft-wide crater, known by locals in Turkmenistan as the 'Door to Hell', has baffled scientists since it first appeared more than 40 years ago.

Originally a level surface, the site was identified by Soviet scientists in 1971 as an area that was believed to house a substantial oil field.

However, the ground beneath the drilling rig soon collapsed, creating a wide crater that was believed to be releasing large quantities of methane gas, a potential danger to the nearby villages in Derweze, Turkmenistan.

Scientists decided that the most efficient way to solve the problem would be to burn off the poisonous gases -- by doing so, it was expected that all of the gas in the crater would be burnt off within days.

More than four decades later, though, the crater is still ablaze with endless flames and boiling mud - and hundreds of tourists flock to visit it every year.

The Karakum Desert, where Derweze is located, has one of the largest gas reserves in the world. Turkmenistan hopes to up its exportation rate around 75 million cubic meters of gas in the next 20 years.

The fiery crater first appeared in Turkmenistan more than 40 years ago. (TORMOD SANDTORV / CATERS)

The astonishing crater is 230ft wide. (MARTHA DE JONG-LANTINK / CATERS)

Will Keeping, a retiree from Buchlyvie, near Stirling, visited the crater last month.

Unaware of the Door to Hell's existence before he visited Turkmenistan, Will, 57, was told on his tour that the crater was one of the hundred most bizarre places to visit before you die.

Intrigued, he decided to ride across the bleak desert environment, not knowing what to expect.

Will said: 'During daylight, I was initially not impressed as it looked like a hole in a vast desert. As we got nearer and the glow from inside the carter became evident, though, I started to notice the size of the crater and wondered how could continually glow like that.

Bubbling: The crater has been nicknamed the 'Door to Hell' by locals in Turkmenistan. (MARTHA DE JONG-LANTINK / …

Inside, the crater is filled with endless flames and boiling mud. (WILLIAM KEEPING / CATERS)

'As I approached on foot, it became clear that this was a large crater and that inside was like a huge open furnace. At first, it appeared that it might have been a natural phenomenon, but the sides of the crater contradicted that. I could see the bent and rusted remains of some sort of metal railings or structure, implying some sort of catastrophe having occurred long before.

'I stood there gazing into the crater, the sheer size and intensity of the fire inside became more and more apparent.

'As the sun began to set, the location slowly transformed from a large, isolated furnace in the middle of the desert into the centre of attention that dominated the surrounding area - the glow became more intense and lit up the area including the sky above. It was impossible not to be drawn to the crater, something that was just dominant over the surrounding area.'

How to get your money back after a scam

If you have been scammed, you haven't received goods you ordered, or a product isn't as it was described to you, you could easily get your money back.

By Neil Faulkner | lovemoney.com – Thu, May 10, 2012

Lost money to a scam? Getting it back could be easier than you think (Image © Fotolia)

The police and Financial Services Authority admit that they're usually powerless to get your money back after you've been scammed. However, there's a way to do so yourself in many cases, and with relative ease.

If you make any purchases of between £100 and £30,000 and pay for it, or even just part of it, using your credit card, your card provider should pay you back for the entire loss in the event of scam.

It isn't just obliged to do this for scams either. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act ensures that the card provider must reimburse you if a retailer doesn't deliver the goods or service, or if the product is not as described.

How customers are getting their money back

Credit card companies don't always agree when a customer makes a section 75 request to be reimbursed. Often, customers then complain to the free Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). It's these borderline cases that give us the most insight into when and where this legal right can be used.

The Ombudsman has just published some recent examples of its decisions relating to section 75. Here are some of the customers who succeeded in getting their money back.

Broken promises
Mrs S paid £3,500 for a holiday club on her credit card on the assurance that she would get the whole membership fee back after five years. On receiving the paperwork, however, she realised she'd been tricked.

She complained to the FOS when her lender didn't believe her “recollection of events”. The FOS found public accounts of others taking legal action against the holiday club, so it considered there to be enough evidence and justification for the card provider to reimburse Mrs S, and ordered it to do so.

Ill-fitting suits
Mr C paid £800 for a tailor-made suit on his credit card. When the finished suit was delivered to him, it didn't fit properly. He asked the tailors to make alterations, but they didn't show up for the appointment and Mr C had no luck when he complained further.

The lender refused to reimburse Mr C, but the FOS saw evidence from both sides, including photos of Mr C wearing the badly fitting suit. It decided that Mr C had done everything he could to get the tailors to correct their mistakes, and so it ordered the lender to reimburse him.

Paying a deposit below the £100 limit
Miss N paid a £99 deposit on her credit card for a £1,000 sofa but, before delivery, the retailer went out of business. Her lender refused to compensate her under section 75, saying she had spent less than £100, so she complained to the FOS.

Although Miss N had only lost £99, the purchase price was £1,000, which means she is covered by section 75. The FOS ordered the card provider to reimburse Miss N.

Make sure you understand section 75

Not everyone is successful when they claim under section 75, even if they take a complaint to the FOS. Indeed, Phillipa Cook, spokeswoman for the Ombudsman, told me that probably a little under half of the section 75 complaints the Ombudsman hears are successful.

We can learn from other customers' mistakes.

Paying a deposit below the £30,000 limit
Mrs T used her credit card to pay a deposit of £3,000 to a building company for an overseas property that was going to cost £162,000. The property was never completed and the building company didn't return her calls. Her lender refused to reimburse her and she complained to the FOS.

Unfortunately, it's not the size of the deposit that counts for section 75, but the value of the entire purchase. Since that was over the £30,000 limit, the FOS rejected Mrs T's complaint.

Changing your mind
Mr W joined a holiday club, but later changed his mind when he realised he could pay less by shopping around for holidays by himself. He asked his card provider to reimburse him. When it refused, he complained to the FOS.

The FOS decided that the holiday club had not given false or misleading information to Mr W, nor had it breached the contract. Finding that there are better deals elsewhere is not grounds for section 75, so it rejected Mr W's complaint.

New storm warning after tornado

Britain could be braced for more thunder and lightning after a "special" type of storm swept across the country, bringing with it a tornado to some areas.

Forecasters said there was a "definite chance" of further thunderstorm activity after an unusual "supercell" storm travelled through the south Midlands on Monday afternoon, bringing rain, large hailstones, and a tornado in Oxfordshire.

The thunderstorm started in Wiltshire, and moved across Oxfordshire - where a tornado was reported in several places including Bicester, Eynsham, and Kidlington - then moved to Buckinghamshire.

Richard Glazer drove through the tornado with his wife and son on the A34 near Kidlington, Oxfordshire. "It was very wet, we were just driving on the A34 and looked up and realised one part of the sky was moving in one direction and another in the opposite direction," he said. "I thought, 'that looks like a tornado!' We pretty much drove through it, we were right underneath it. As we drove into it the trees were blowing left to right and as we got through it they were blowing the other way."

Forecasters said it was almost certainly a tornado, and the storm that caused it was thought to be a supercell storm - more commonly seen in the US than the UK.

Brendan Jones, forecaster at MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said it was unlikely there would be another supercell storm in the coming week, as they require very specific atmospheric conditions. However, heavy rain has been predicted for much of the country, which could bring more thunder and lightning, Mr Jones said.

He continued: "It's going to remain unsettled, there will be rain and showers around and there is a definite chance of more thunderstorm activity. This particular thunderstorm developed over the northern part of Wiltshire, and then gradually over the next three hours that storm tracked through Oxfordshire and into part of Buckinghamshire before eventually dying out before it got to Cambridgeshire. That's quite far for one thunderstorm to track.

"At the moment it's difficult to say exactly where the tornado was because while the parent thunderstorm travelled all the way across the south Midlands, it wasn't necessarily producing a tornado all the time. There has been more than one report of a tornado beneath this storm. There has also been some quite big hailstones."

He said the UK had seen plenty of reports of tornadoes and funnel clouds - which do not touch the ground - but not supercell storms, adding: "This one was fairly special."

The storm comes less than two weeks after high winds tore through Rugby, Warwickshire, blowing the roof from one home and damaging others, described by some people as being like a "mini tornado".

'Iceman Oetzi' lived for a while after arrow wound

Oetzi, the 5,300-year-old "Iceman" mummy of the Alps, lived for some time after being shot in the back by an arrow, scientists said on Tuesday after using forensic technology to analyse his preserved blood.

Contrary to a leading theory, Oetzi did not expire immediately from his wounds, they reported in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, published by Britain's academy of sciences.

The mummy of an iceman named Oetzi, discovered on 1991 in the Italian Schnal Valley glacier, displayed at the Archeological Museum of Bolzano in 2011. Oetzi, the 5,300-year-old "Iceman" mummy of the Alps, lived for some time after being shot in the back by an arrow, scientists said on Tuesday after using forensic technology to analyse his preserved blood

Scientists led by Albert Zink of the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, southern Germany used nano-scale methods to probe the oldest blood known to modern science, preserved by thousands of years of alpine chill.

Using a so-called atomic force microscope able to resolve images just a few nanometers (billionths of a metre) across, they identified corpuscles with the classic doughtnut shape of healthy blood cells.

"To be absolutely sure that we were not dealing with pollen, bacteria or even a negative imprint of a blood cell, but indeed with actual blood cells, we used a second analytical method," Zink said.

They deployed Raman spectroscopy, in which refracted light from a laser beam gives chemical clues about a sample.

This showed the presence of haemoglobin and fibrin, which are key components in blood clotting, at the arrow wound on Oetzi's back.

"Because fibrin is present in fresh wounds and then degrades, the theory that Oetzi died straight after he had been injured by the arrow, as had once been mooted, and not some days after, can no longer be upheld," Zink said.

Oetzi's remains were discovered by two German hikers in September 1991 in the Oetztal Alps in South Tyrol, northern Italy, 3,210 metres (10,500 feet) above sea level.

Scientists have used high-tech, non-invasive diagnostics and genomic sequencing to penetrate his mysterious past.

These efforts have determined Oetzi died around the age of 45, was about 1.60 metres (five foot, three inches) tall and weighed 50 kilos (110 pounds).

He suffered a violent death, with an arrow severing a major blood vessel between the rib cage and the left scapula, as well as a laceration on the hand.

According to DNA analysis presented in February, Oetzi had brown eyes and hair and was allergic to milk products.

This supports the theory that despite the increasing spread of agriculture and dairying at the time, lactose intolerance was still common.

According to a theory aired in 2010 by an Italian archaeologist, based on seasonal pollen found in his stomach contents and at the burial site, Oetzi did not die at the spot where his remains were found. Instead, he was only ceremonially interred there.

Fat free sponge with raspberries and cream

Fat free sponge with raspberries and cream

Recipe by James Tanner

Skill Level Easy
Serves 4
Course Dessert
Cuisine British
James Tanner's lighter version of a delicious treat!

Ingredients

• Oil, for greasing
• 4 large free-range eggs, separated
• 175 g caster sugar, plus extra for dredging
• 150 g self-raising flour, sifted
• Pinch of crushed sea salt
• 150 ml whipping cream
• 225 g raspberries

OR

• Oil, for greasing
• 4 large free-range eggs, separated
• 6¼ oz caster sugar, plus extra for dredging
• 5¼ oz self-raising flour, sifted
• Pinch of crushed sea salt
• 5¼ fl oz whipping cream
• 8 oz raspberries

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
2. Grease and line two 18cm sponge tins with baking parchment
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until pale and creamy.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Whisk the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.
5. Fold in the flour in small batches using a large metal spoon. Repeat until all the flour is combined. Fold in the salt.
6. Divide the mixture between the two lined tins and bake for 20 minutes until well risen and golden. Remove from the oven; turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool.
7. For the filling, pass 75g of the raspberries through a fine sieve. Set aside.
8. Whip the cream to soft peaks and spread over one of the cooled sponges.
9. Spoon the remaining raspberries over the cream and drizzle over the raspberry purée.
10. Top with the remaining cooled sponge and dredge with caster or icing sugar.

Slimming World haddock fish pie

Slimming World haddock fish pie

A homely, hearty fish pie recipe from Slimming World made with low-fat ingredients, this is a great alternative to classic, creamier fish pie recipes.

• Serves: 4
• Prep time: 15 mins
• Cooking time: 1 hr
• Total time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Skill level: Easy peasy
• Costs: Cheap as chips

• Make in advance

Ingredients

Carrot and swede are great low carbohydrate alternatives to mashed potato for a pie topping.

• 312g/11oz fat-free natural yogurt
• 142g/5oz fat-free natural fromage frais
• A pinch of nutmeg
• 4tbsp finely chopped dill
• 2tbsp chopped parsley
• 4 hard boiled eggs, shelled and cut in half
• 6 spring onions, finely chopped
• 198g/7oz smoked haddock fillets, cooked, skinned and flaked
• 198g/7oz prawns, peeled and cooked

For the topping:

• 340g/12oz each carrots and swede, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 4tbsp fat-free natural yogurt
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon

Method

1. First make the topping by boiling the carrots and swede in a large pan of boiling water for 15-20 mins until tender. Drain, return to the pan and mash. Allow to cool, then stir in the beaten egg and yogurt, season and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6. In a bowl mix together the yogurt, fromage frais, nutmeg, dill and parsley. Season well and set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl place the hard boiled eggs, spring onions, flaked haddock, prawns and lemon juice. Pour over the fromage frais mixture and toss to mix well. Spoon this mixture into a deep, ovenproof dish. Spoon over the topping and spread evenly.

Rough up the surface with a fork. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 mins or until the topping is lightly browned. Serve immediately on its own or with steamed green vegetables.

By Slimming World

Nutritional information
Guideline Daily Amount for 2,000 calories per day are: 70g fat, 20g saturated fat, 90g sugar, 6g salt.

Slimming World chicken and tarragon fricassee

Slimming World chicken and tarragon fricassee

Fricassee is a creamy stew recipe. This 30-minute chicken recipe with healthy seasonal vegetables is from Slimming World and uses low-fat ingredients

• Serves: 4
• Prep time: 10 mins
• Cooking time: 20 mins
• Total time: 30 mins
• Skill level: Easy peasy
• Costs: Mid-price

Ingredients

• Low-calorie cooking spray
• 800g/1lb 12oz chicken breast, skinned and cut into bite-sized chunks
• 2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into thick batons
• 1 head of garlic, separated but not peeled
• 400ml/14fl oz chicken stock
• 4-5 sprigs of tarragon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 200g/7oz green beans, halved
• 200g/7oz fat free natural fromage frais, to serve

Method

1. Spray a large non-stick casserole dish with low-calorie cooking spray. Place over a high heat, add the chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned on all sides.

2. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, stock, and tarragon, season well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover tightly with the lid of the casserole dish and allow to cook gently for 15 mins. Add the green beans to the stew and cook for a further 5 mins.

3. To serve, remove the stew from the heat, stir in the fromage frais and check the seasoning. Serve immediately in warmed shallow bowls.

 
This recipe is taken from Slimming World’s 30 minute meals recipe book.

Nutritional information
Guideline Daily Amount for 2,000 calories per day are: 70g fat, 20g saturated fat, 90g sugar, 6g salt.

Slimming World spicy vegetable chilli

Slimming World spicy vegetable chilli

Perfect to warm you up during the winter, this vegetarian chilli from Slimming World will be good for your mood and your waistline

• Serves: 4
• Prep time: 25 mins
(may need an extra 5 mins)
• Cooking time: 40 mins
• Total time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Skill level: Easy peasy
• Costs: Cheap as chips

• Freezable
• Make in advance

Ingredients

• Low calorie oil spray
• 200g (7oz) Quorn mince
• 1 red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped or sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
• 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1cm (1-2in) dice
• 2 sticks celery, cut into 1cm (1-2in) dice
• 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 2 x 400g cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Large handful of coriander leaves, chopped
For the guacamole
• 1 ripe avocado, stoned, peeled and cut into 1cm (1-2in) diced
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
• 2 plum tomatoes, finely diced
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• Juice of 2 limes
• Small handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped

To serve

• Very low-fat natural fromage frais

Method

1. Spray a large, non-stick frying pan with oil and place over a medium heat. Add the Quorn, onion, chilies, garlic, ginger, ground coriander, carrot and celery and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and beans, season well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook gently for 25-30 minutes, stirring often.

3. Meanwhile make the guacamole. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl, season well and set aside until needed.

4. Remove the Quorn mixture from the heat, stir in the chopped coriander and serve immediately, garnished with a little fromage frais and accompanied by the guacamole.
Syns per serving (When following the Slimming World diet you are allowed 15 syns per day)
Original: 3½
Green: 13½

This recipe was taken from Slimming World's Best Ever Recipes,

Nutritional information
Guideline Daily Amount for 2,000 calories per day are: 70g fat, 20g saturated fat, 90g sugar, 6g salt.

Spiced Thai beef salad with wild rice

Spiced Thai beef salad with wild rice

This Slimming World spiced Thai beef rice salad is healthy, low-fat and great if you're on their Extra Easy diet!

• Serves: 4
• Cooking time: 55 mins
-60

Ingredients

'Whenever I cook rice or pasta, the pan would always boil over and mess up my hobs. My mum told me to rub the inside of the pan with vegetable oil to stop this. It works brilliantly.' Janice Wood, 38, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire

• 198g (7oz) dried wild and longgrain rice
• 397g (14oz) lean frying, sirloin or fillet steak, cut into thin strips
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1tsp finely grated ginger
• 1tbsp finely chopped lemongrass
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 2 red chillies, deseeded (optional) and finely chopped
• 1tbsp dark soy sauce
• 100ml (3½ fl oz) beef stock
• ½ cucumber, finely shredded
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1tbsp nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
• ½ tsp artificial sweetener (optional)

Method

1. Cook the rice according to the packet instructions, drain and transfer to a wide mixing bowl.

2. Heat a non-stick frying pan or wok over a high heat and when hot, add the beef strips, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, lime leaves, spring onions and red chillies. Stir-fry over a high heat for 5-6 mins or until the beef is sealed and lightly browned.
3. Add the soy sauce and stock and bring to the boil. Cook over a moderate heat for 8-10 mins, stirring often until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and set aside. Toss the cucumber with the reserved rice and divide between four serving plates or bowls.
4. Mix together the lime juice, fish sauce and sweetener, if using, and stir until dissolved. Spoon this mixture over the beef and toss to mix well. Spoon the beef mixture over the rice and serve immediately.

Slimming World 'syns' per serving: Free on Extra Easy

By slimmingworld.com

Nutritional information
Guideline Daily Amount for 2,000 calories per day are: 70g fat, 20g saturated fat, 90g sugar, 6g salt.

Slimming World Spaghetti Bolognese

Slimming World Spaghetti Bolognese

Try this low-fat, full-flavour spaghetti Bolognese from the Slimming World Diet.

• Serves: 4
• Prep time: 10 mins
• Cooking time: 20 mins
• Skill level: Easy peasy
• Costs: Cheap as chips

• Child friendly

Ingredients

• Ingredients
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1 small red pepper, deseeded and chopped
• 1 small yellow pepper, deseeded and chopped
• 113g/4oz mushrooms, sliced
• 4 large sticks celery, chopped
• 227ml/8fl oz stock
• A pinch of dried chilli
• 283g/10oz extra lean minced beef
• 1 397g/14oz can chopped tomatoes or passata
• 4 level tbs tomato purée
• 1tbs chopped fresh oregano
• Balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 400g cooked, wholemeal spaghetti

Method

1. To make the Bolognese: Fry chopped garlic, celery and onion using a low calorie oil spray, until soft.
2. Add extra lean minced beef (or Quorn if you want a vegetarian option) and brown in the pan.
3. Add chopped mushrooms, peppers, canned tomatoes or passata, oregano, thyme, carrots, tomato puree, dried chilli and a drop of balsamic vinegar if you like.
4. Simmer until sauce is thickened.
5. Season to taste. Pour over spaghetti and serve with a green salad on the side.
Syns per serving:
½ Syn on Extra Easy and Original*
* add 6 Syns if not using wholemeal pasta as a Healthy Extra

By slimmingworld.com

Nutritional information
Guideline Daily Amount for 2,000 calories per day are: 70g fat, 20g saturated fat, 90g sugar, 6g salt.

Slimming World's chicken and potato curry

Slimming World's chicken and potato curry

This guilt-free chicken curry from Slimming World is lower in calories than an Indian takeaway and is ready in 40 mins.

• Serves: 4
• Prep time: 10 mins
• Cooking time: 30 mins
(may need an extra 6 mins)
• Total time: 40 mins
• Skill level: Easy peasy
• Costs: Mid-price

• Spice level Medium
• Freezable
• Make in advance

Ingredients

Top tip: Using cheaper cuts of chicken like leg and thighs, will help to make this chicken curry less expensive.
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 794g (1lb 12oz) skinless and boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into large bite-sized pieces
• 170g (6oz) baby leaf spinach, roughly chopped
• 2tbsp medium or hot curry powder
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• A large handful of chopped coriander and mint leaves

Method

1. Place a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. When hot add the onion, chicken, potatoes, spinach and curry powder, stir to mix well. Stir-fry for 2-3 mins.
2. Add the chopped tomatoes and 397ml (14fl oz) of water and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook gently for 25-30 mins, or until the chicken and potatoes are cooked through and tender.

3. Remove from the heat and season well with salt and black pepper. Stir in the chopped herbs and serve immediately.
Syns per serving: Free* on Extra Easy
(When following the Slimming World diet you are allowed 15 syns per day)

By Slimming World
Nutritional information
Guideline Daily Amount for 2,000 calories per day are: 70g fat, 20g saturated fat, 90g sugar, 6g salt.