Holey moly!

The mystery over an unexplained, giant crater located at “the end of the world” in Siberia has just

tripled with the discovery of two more giant craters.

As WND reported, scientists were rushing to northern Russia’s Yamal Peninsula, known to locals as “the end of the world,” to examine the first massive crater in mid-July.

Now two more holes have been located, one in the same permafrost region as the first, and a third on the Taymyr Peninsula, to the east, in the Kransoyark region.

Both craters were discovered by reindeer herders who nearly plunged into them. The initial hole is now estimated at 98 feet in diameter. The new Yamal crater near the village of Antipayuta has a diameter of about 49 feet, and the third one is some 13 feet wide. Depths have been estimate at 200 to 300 feet.

“Theories range from meteorites, stray missiles, a man-made prank, and aliens, to an explosive cocktail of methane or shale gas suddenly exploding,” the Siberian Times reported.

“The version about melting permafrost due to climate change, causing a release of methane gas, which then forces an eruption is the current favorite, though scientists are reluctant to offer a firm conclusion without more study.”

Mikhail Lapsui, a deputy of the regional parliament, or duma, told the Times: “I flew by helicopter to inspect this funnel on Saturday 19 July. Its diameter is about 15 meters. ‘There is also ground outside, as if it was thrown as a result of an underground explosion.

“According to local residents, the hole formed on 27 September 2013. 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.’

Marina Leibman, chief scientist at the Earth Cryosphere Institute, told URA.RU: “I have heard about the second funnel on Yamal, in Taz district, and saw the pictures.

“Undoubtedly, we need to study all such formations. It is necessary to be able to predict their occurrence. Each new funnel provides additional information for scientists.”

An Australian scientist who has not been to any of the sites but has seen photographic footage says it’s likely to be a geological phenomenon called a “pingo.”

“Certainly from the images I’ve seen it looks like a periglacial feature, perhaps a collapsed pingo,” Dr. Chris Fogwill, a polar scientist from New South Wales told the Sydney Morning Herald. “It’s just a remarkable land form.”

The Herald explains a pingo is a block of ice that has grown into a small hill in the frozen ground. The ice can eventually push through the earth, leaving an exposed crater when it finally melts.

“This is obviously a very extreme version of that, and if there’s been any interaction with the gas in the area, that is a question that could only be answered by going there,” Fogwill said.

The Siberian Times notes the reindeer herders who almost fell into the third hole on their pasturing route took photos and sent them to scientists at the Norilsk Taimyr Explorers’ Club.

But experts have not reached a consensus about the origin of the phenomenon.

“It is not like this is the work of men, but also doesn’t look like natural formation,” the paper quoted an unnamed source.