--- title: 2 New Holes Mysteriously Appear in Siberia description: Two additional holes in the earth have appeared in Siberia, leaving scientists puzzled. canonical: https://time.com/3051402/siberia-holes/ author: Hannah Goldberg article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-07-29T14:27:23.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:11:59.965Z og:title: Two New Holes Mysteriously Appear in Siberia og:description: Two additional holes in the earth have appeared in Siberia, leaving scientists puzzled. og:url: https://time.com/3051402/siberia-holes/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e9c3d1ee5af75ae/69869d97cd804d22aaccc274/yamal_peninsula_crater_siberia.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3216 og:image:height: 1809 og:image:alt: A view of a large crater on the Yamal Peninsula on July 16, 2014. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Two New Holes Mysteriously Appear in Siberia twitter:description: Two additional holes in the earth have appeared in Siberia, leaving scientists puzzled. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e9c3d1ee5af75ae/69869d97cd804d22aaccc274/yamal_peninsula_crater_siberia.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 2 New Holes Mysteriously Appear in Siberia > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=a632eee1-37d3-4b57-a10b-02dbbbc2826c&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Daily | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Richard Hall, Editor | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The informed consumer. A scaled audience of readers who turn to TIME to stay informed and make sense of the world, with meaningful reach across education and research, nonprofits and civic life, media and communications, government and public institutions, and business and professional services. ### TIME The Brief: key statements * The Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * The Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=a632eee1-37d3-4b57-a10b-02dbbbc2826c&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/subscribe?i=a632eee1-37d3-4b57-a10b-02dbbbc2826c&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's daily news newsletter? The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=a632eee1-37d3-4b57-a10b-02dbbbc2826c&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) by [Hannah Goldberg](https://time.com/author/hannah-goldberg/) ## Hannah Goldberg Jul 29, 2014 2:27 PM UTC  A view of a large crater on the Yamal Peninsula on July 16, 2014. A view of a large crater on the Yamal Peninsula on July 16, 2014. Itar Tass—Corbis by [Hannah Goldberg](https://time.com/author/hannah-goldberg/) ## Hannah Goldberg Jul 29, 2014 2:27 PM UTC Two new mysterious holes have appeared in the Siberian permafrost, the [Siberian _Times_](http://siberiantimes.com/science/casestudy/news/now-two-new-large-holes-appear-in-siberia/) reports—just two weeks after the [first crater](http://time.com/2992819/hole-siberia-yamal-peninsula/) appeared in the northern Yamal peninsula. The second hole, some 15 meters wide, was found a few hundred kilometers away from the first, also in the Yamal peninsula. Like the first, the second hole has piles of dirt surrounding the perimeter, indicating an excavation or explosion. However, scientists have yet to confirm what’s causing the strange phenomena. Some believe they’re a result of meteorite impacts, while others look towards natural gas explosions under earth’s surface. Mikhail Lapsui, a deputy of the regional parliament, inspected the second hole, reports the Siberian _Times_, while also gathering information from locals. “According to local residents, the hole formed on 27 September 2013,” Lapsui told the _Times_. “Observers give several versions. According to the first, initially at the place was smoking, and then there was a bright flash. In the second version, a celestial body fell there.” Reindeer herders stumbled upon the third crater alongside a pasture trail in the Taymyr peninsula to the east of Yamal. Scientists estimate that hole to be 60 to 100 meters deep with a diameter of 4 meters. The two new holes will undergo investigations. The first hole—70 meters deep—revealed an ice-covered lake at the bottom. \[[_Siberian Times_](http://siberiantimes.com/science/casestudy/news/now-two-new-large-holes-appear-in-siberia/)\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3051402/siberia-holes/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3051402/siberia-holes/"},"headline":"2 New Holes Mysteriously Appear in Siberia","datePublished":"2014-07-29T14:27:23.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:11:59.965Z","description":"More holes are discovered in Siberia, leaving scientist puzzled","url":"https://time.com/3051402/siberia-holes/","keywords":["Newsfeed","russia","Environment","Science topic","Siberia"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e9c3d1ee5af75ae/69869d97cd804d22aaccc274/yamal_peninsula_crater_siberia.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Hannah Goldberg","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/hannah-goldberg/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e9c3d1ee5af75ae/69869d97cd804d22aaccc274/yamal_peninsula_crater_siberia.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"A view of a large crater on the Yamal Peninsula on July 16, 2014.","caption":"A view of a large crater on the Yamal Peninsula on July 16, 2014.","creditText":"Itar Tass—Corbis","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3051402/siberia-holes/","name":"2 New Holes Mysteriously Appear in Siberia"}}]}] ```