A scientific mission inside a newly formed crater in Siberia has provided a breathtaking view in a land locals call the "end of the world."
A photo taken in darkness shows a person rappelling to the bottom of the icy hole on the Yamal peninsula in Siberia Nov. 8, 2014.
The name Yamal means "the end of the world," according to The Siberian Times, which published the exclusive first look inside the crater.
Vladimir Pushkarev, the mission leader and director of the Russian Center of Arctic Exploration, said his team hopes to understand how and why the crater seemed to suddenly form earlier this year.
"As of now we don't see anything dangerous in the sudden appearance of such holes, but we've got to study them properly to make absolutely sure we understand the nature of their appearance and don't need to be afraid about them," he told The Siberian Times.
He explained that his team scheduled its expedition for when the weather got cooler.
"It is easier to do this in winter than in summer, with the ground now hard," he said.
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