Siberia gas bubbles
Siberia gas bubbles

Seemingly harmless jello-like mounds throughout Siberia hide a pocket of methane that could explode at any time.
(Photo : Siberian Times/YouTube Screenshot)

Strange methane-filled bumps have appeared in the expanse of Siberia’s Yamal and Gydan peninsulas, triggering some concern about its potential explosions. These strange methane bubbles are soft under the feet, jiggling like a water bed when disturbed.

According to a report from TASS via The Siberian Times, around 7,000 of these methane bubbles have recently been uncovered throughout the region. While there have been no formal or peer-reviewed conclusion on the origins of these methane bubbles yet, scientists believe that they formed when pingos exploded.

Pingos are soil-covered domes with an icy core, often found in permafrost areas.

“At first such a bump is a bubble, or ‘bulgunyakh’ in the local…