About 80 km southwest of Antalya, near the town of Çıralı in
southwestern Turkey, lies a rocky mountain that’s been literally on fire for
thousands of years. About a dozen flames burn on the side of the mountain
fueled by methane gas that issue through the vents. The fires called Yanartaş
in Turkish, have been burning for at least 2500 years. The vents represent the
biggest emission of abiogenic methane discovered on land so far.
For hundreds of years, sailors could see the flames from sea
and used them as a landmark to navigate, but today they are more often used by
hikers to brew tea. These flames, according to some ancient literature, gave
birth to the myth of the Chimera, a fire breathing mythical beast with the body
and head of a lion, with the head of a goat arising from its back, and a tail
that ended in a snake's head.
The fires are grouped over an area of 5,000 square meters and
are fueled by gas emissions consisting mostly of methane and hydrogen, both of
which are inflammable. The flames are more vigorous in winter months, a common
characteristic of such seeps, where gas flux is typically modulated by gas
pressure build-up induced by groundwater recharge and changes in atmospheric
pressure.
