--- description: Two additional holes in the earth have appeared in Siberia, leaving scientists puzzled. title: Two New Holes Mysteriously Appear in Siberia image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e9c3d1ee5af75ae/69869d97cd804d22aaccc274/yamal_peninsula_crater_siberia.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Newsfeed](/tag/time-section-newsfeed/) ## Newsfeed Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 2 New Holes Mysteriously Appear in Siberia by [Hannah Goldberg](/author/hannah-goldberg/) ## Hannah Goldberg Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 29, 2014 2:27 PM CUT  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](/author/hannah-goldberg/) ## Hannah Goldberg Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 29, 2014 2:27 PM CUT 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/ "undefined") reports—just two weeks after the [first crater](http://time.com/2992819/hole-siberia-yamal-peninsula/ "undefined") 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. \[[_Siberian Times_](http://siberiantimes.com/science/casestudy/news/now-two-new-large-holes-appear-in-siberia/ "undefined")\] ```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"}}]}] ```