The Smoking Hill itself smokes, which can instantly kill you if you get too close to it. This place is also known as hell on earth .
Located on the eastern tip of Cape Bathurst, Northwest Canada, Smoking Hill is famous for its fiery red rock formations, white smoke escaping from the rock regardless of day and night.
People take a boat to take pictures of The Smoking hills – (Photo: FLICKRR).
At first glance, it looks like the product of volcanic activity or strange geothermal forces deep beneath the Earth’s surface. But scientists say the self-fuming hill is the result of a chemical reaction that has taken place over thousands of years.
This phenomenon occurs when shale oil self-ignites. In shale there are minerals such as sulfur, pyrite (crystallized iron sulfide mineral) and brown coal. When the cliffs are eroded, they are exposed, reacting with the air and igniting.
As a result of this reaction, the surrounding area is filled with sulfur dioxide gas, making the air toxic and difficult to breathe.
The area is also dotted with ruby red puddles that are acidic and rich in sulfur. High sulfur levels mean that the space reeks of rotten eggs.
“It’s literally hell on earth, everything about it is absolutely horrible ,” said Steve Grasby, a research scientist at the Geological Survey of Canada who studies the geochemistry of sedimentary rocks. accumulate, say.
“The ground is very hot. And black. It’s black everywhere. It’s a kind of deep mud. So you feel like you’re trapped in this hot, humid land. Then the chimneys come out, with the sound of steam coming out. Then you smell a strong smell of hydrogen sulfide,” Mr. Grasby described.
“You have to wear all these protective equipment, or you will burn your eyes and throat. It can kill you instantly if you get too close to these places,” he added.
It’s unclear how long the smoke has been rising from the hills, but Grasby says the reaction probably started about 7,000 to 10,000 years ago, when the glaciers receded and exposed this rocky surface.