Eternal flames, flames that burn for an indefinite amount of time, have been the source of wonder, myth, and legends around the world for centuries. These flames (of which there is commonly said to be 9 or 10 naturally occurring around the world) are often the result of natural gas seepage from the ground, or underground coal seams, that at some point caught fire and have been burning ever since. Burning Mountain eternal flame in New South Wales, Australia, is the oldest one world wide, and started burning 6,000 years ago, back when humans had just begun domesticating animals and cultivating grains.
I recently came across the phenomenon of eternal flames whilst scrolling on TikTok, and was mesmerised by the beauty of the flame in a grotto behind a flowing waterfall, seen at Eternal Flame Falls in New York. It was once again a reminder of how magical the natural world can be. Even the name eternal flame sounds like the stuff of legends, and the idea of a flame burning forever is a symbolic reminder of how human lives only see a glimpse of the eternity of our planet, and how utterly cool it is that we can be looking into the same exact flame that our ancestors, be it 100 or 1,000 years ago, were also looking into.
The flames at Yanartas, Turkey. Credit to MykolaIvashchenko / Getty Images
Formation
An eternal flame can occur in a number of different ways, however they all require a fuel (usually coal or natural gas) and something to ignite that fuel. This could be a natural phenomenon such as a lightning strike, piezoelectricity (where certain materials or crystals can create electric charge), friction or geothermal heat. Alternatively, as is the case with a number of the most famous eternal flames, it could be humans that initially lit the fire, and the natural fuels that sustain its burning.
Eternal flames tend to be grouped in two: coal seams, and gas seeps. Although there is also the potential for oil burning flames but this is much less common. Coal seam eternal flames include the likes of the Burning Mountain Flame in Australia, and the Centralia Flame in the US. Gas flames include the famous Eternal Flame Falls in the US, 'the Gates of Hell' in Turkmenistan, and the Hot Spring Eternal Flame in Taiwan. It is often the case that natural gas flames occur in tectonically active areas, especially when shale gas is involved, as the tectonic fracturing can allow faults to form that allow the gas to seep out to the surface. It has also been noted that caves, or other shelter systems such as craters, are a common locality for eternal flames. Not only do they shelter the flame from the elements, but they are also good at trapping and concentrating the gas, allowing for a higher chance of ignition. It's quite a magical thing to think about, eternal flames at the back of cave systems, isn't geology cool!
A team of geologists at the Department of Geological Sciences and the Indiana Geological Survey at Indiana University Bloomington have published research into eternal flames, looking at how they can shine a light on natural gas seepage, as well as possible impacts of the greenhouse gas released by the burning. If you're interested in knowing more, the article, published in Marine and Petroleum Geology, is linked here.
Cultural Significance
Eternal flames have significance in many mythologies and religions. From Greek mythology to Aboriginal legend, and even the old testament of the bible, these eternal flames are deep routed in beliefs and culture. Eternal flames are also lit by humans (everyone from Queen Elizabeth II to the Pope) ceremoniously for many reasons. A lengthy list of all the burning eternal flames has been handily assembled by Wikipedia and is accessible here. One that I think is particularly notable is the eternal flame at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Japan. It is the remaining fire from the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and now acts as a symbol of peace, set to stay lit until nuclear weapons are abolished globally. Whilst this does mean it is will technically not be an eternal flame as it will (hopefully) not remain lit indefinitely, it is an example of how eternal flames play a role in not just ancient but also modern culture. There are numerous eternal flames world wide to commemorate the events of World War II, and those who lost their lives. Eternal flames also honour others whose lives have been lost such as the one in New Scotland Yard, to honour those who lost their lives serving the British Metropolitan Police, and the one at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool to honour those who died during the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.
Examples
So now to get on to some examples of natural (by natural I mean coal seem or gas leak burning rather than an anthropogenically provided fuel). The following list is not exhaustive but covers the 10 most commonly talked about (according to the wide world of the internet).
'The Gates of Hell' - Darvaza Gas Crater, Turkmenistan
Credit: Wikipedia
This famous crater, located in the heart of the Karakum desert, has been burning for over 50 years thanks to the methane gas escaping at the site. The origin story for the crater is a little complicated. Many believe that it is the result of a Soviet drilling accident back ion the 1970s, other say it was intentionally lit to stop the methane gas spreading and causing a threat to near by people, but the calculations were incorrect and there was a lot more gas in the crater than anticipated. Either way, it is generally accepted this gas seep was lit by humans to become the striking eternal flame it is today.
This particular eternal flame was in the news last year when Turkmenistan's leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov announced plans to put out the flame, citing its negative health impacts on people and the environment, as well as the waste of a gas resource that could potentially be collected for energy use. Despite this, the crater is still very much on fire today.
Eternal Flame Falls, New York, United States
Credit: Monsur_Ausuhnom/Reddit
In a little grotto, covered by a flowing waterfall, in Chestnut Ridge County Park, close to the New York - Canada border sits this magical eternal flame. This year round flame is fuelled by a natural gas seepage from the Devonian Age shale rocks underlying the area, thought to have been caused by tectonic activity. With the little grotto protecting the flame it burns year round, sometimes pictured behind a frozen water fall or, as is the case this summer, by a tiny trickle when the water fall dries up due to droughts. The flame does occasionally get put out by the elements, but friendly tourists have been known to get out a lighter and set it burning once again. This eternal flame is a particularly fairytale-esque one, with the image of running water over the entrance to the flame's little cave, but do not be fooled, the mixed of ethane and propane gas results in a pungent rotten egg type smell to anyone who gets close to relight it.
Baba Gurgur, Iraq
Credit: Wikipedia
Translating to 'Father of fire' in Kurdish, this flame in Northern Iraq has been reported to be burning for over 4,000 years and is the inspiration behind many local legends due it it's claimed magical properties. The flame burns natural gas from a vent in the region's oil field, one of the largest in the world. The flame is also thought to be referenced in the Book of Daniel in the old testament of the bible as a fiery furnace.
'Burning Mountain' - Mount Wingen, New South Wales, Australia
Credit: Bushwalk
Known affectionately as Burning Mountain, Mount Wingen, near Sydney, is thought to be the world's oldest eternal flame, burning for over 6,000 years. The name 'Wingen' means fire in aboriginal and the story behind the flame, according to Aboriginal legend, is that a tribesman was lighting a fire when he was ambushed and carried into the deep Earth by 'The Evil One'. He was unable to escape so set the mountain on fire with the hopes that the smoke would warn others to stay away. The fire burns from a coal seam about 30m deep under the mountain and is a truly spectacular sight to behold.
Murchison, New Zealand
Credit: Trip Advisor
Near the small town of Murchison on the South Island of New Zealand lies a smokeless flame that has been burning in it's caldron shaped hollow sine the 1920s. The flame burns kerosene gas escaping from the rocks below, so much gas is escaping that the kerosene has reached the Blackwater river, named because of it's distinct smell and kerosene abundance meaning even the local trout population don't swim in its waters. Legend has it that two local hunters sat down to take a break in the bush and one threw away his match which suddenly ignited the flame that has been burning ever since. There is now a walking tour experience to visit the flame run by a local couple.
Centralia, Pennsylvania, United States
Credit: Wikipedia
The town of Centralia in Pennsylvania used to be a busy mining town with over 1,000 residents, but since the ignition of this deadly eternal flame has turned to a ghost town, with all apart from 5 of the residents evacuating and moving away. in 1984 an uncontrollable fire of the coal seam being mined by the town's residents forced the evacuation, and when visited today you can see the asphalt road burning and smoke coming out of holes in the ground.
Mount Chimaera, Turkey
Credit: Trip Advisor
Known in Turkish as Yanartas, which translates to 'burning rock', this small cluster of methane fires has been burning for around 2,500 years and is believed to be the origin site of the Greek legend of the Chimaera, a fire breathing mythical creature with the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a snake. In Greek mythology this creature's breath is what lit the mountain on fire.
Mt Chimaera is also the place of scientific research, geologists were confused by the surface level methane fires, as methane is usually formed via biological processes at very high temperatures, much hotter than is found in this setting. However, ruthenium, a very rare metal that acts as a catalyst for methane production at lower temperatures, was discovered in the rocks and is what enables the methane to be created and fuel the eternal flame.
Jharia Coal Fields, India
Credit: Wikipedia
Similar to Centralia, the eternal flame at the Jharia Coal Fields in the Damodar River Valley in India burn an underground coal seam that caught fire back in 1916. However, unlike Centralia, the residents of the local town did not evacuate. Despite concerns over smoke inhalation, ground subsidence, and air and water pollution, the residents remain today, and the coal field is still being mined.
Hot Spring Eternal Flame, Taiwan
Credit: Alexander Synaptic/Flickr
This popular tourist attraction by the Guanziling Hot Springs in Taiwan is said to have been burning for over 300 years, ignited by an earthquake creating a fissure for methane gas to escape from the rocks. Chinese legend says that the fire is spitting head of the Qilin, a unicorn type creature that is associated with the imminent birth or death of a respected ruler.
Yanar Dag, Azerbaijan
Credit: Wikipedia
The flames at Yanar Dag, near Baku, in Azerbaijan can jet up to 3m tall at times and originate from the steady seepage of the natural gas out of the porous sandstone rocks in the region. These flames are though to have been burning in the region for over 4,000 years, with records of them being seen by Marco Polo in the 13th Century. The flames also act as a big tourist attraction, so much so that flames that were burning from the gas seepage at the nearby Ateshgah of Baku (The Fire Temple of Baku) that have now gone out were relit and are now sustained by the main gas system to keep them alight. The flames at Yanar Dag itself, however, are still burning natural gas.
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