Near Çıralı we come across Mount Chimera, currently called Yanartaş (meaning burning rocks) , whose main attraction is the flames that burn continuously among its rocks. They have been burning for at least 2,500 years.
For what is this?
These flames are due to emissions of methane gas. It is one of the great and most fascinating curiosities of nature. About a dozen flames burn on the mountainside fueled by methane gas coming out of vents.
This eternal flame of the Chimera (from which the myth of the fire-breathing lion-headed monster of Greek mythology is born) is a phenomenon first mentioned in 300 AD by the Byzantine bishop Methodius. In ancient literature, the origins of the flaming rocks of Mount Chimaera have their roots in Greek mythology. Legend has it that Chimera, the indestructible fire-breathing dragon, was killed in her lair by the hero Bellerophon. As it was an indestructible dragon, its tongue of fire remains burning eternally.
In essence, the natural gas that escapes from about eighteen holes and cracks in the rock has been burning since ancient times . Although barely noticeable in daylight, the flames are said to be visible even offshore when night falls. The gases have yet to be properly analyzed, but are known to include methane. The ruins of the ancient city of Olympos are located 7 kilometers from here.
The emissions also seem to change seasonally : the vents and flames are more vigorous in the winter months. This is a common feature of such seeps, where gas flow is modulated by gas pressure buildup induced by groundwater recharge and changes in atmospheric pressure, according to a study published in the journal Geofluids .
The flames are grouped in an area of 5,000 square meters and are fueled by gas emissions consisting mainly of methane and hydrogen, both of which are flammable.
This place sits on top of an ophiolite , a special geological site where rocks normally found in oceanic crust are pushed onto the continents by thrust faulting. Olivine-rich rocks like those in the mantle have a peculiar chemistry. Mantle rocks are very unstable when placed at low temperatures and surrounded by water and oxygen; they quickly break down into minerals called serpentines and in the process generate a lot of energy. If there is water around, that energy can be used to cause hydrogen formation; if there is water and CO2, the energy can cause the formation of methane. Both gases will burn when they reach the planet’s surface, as in this case.
On Mount Chimera, an ophiolite – trapped during the collision of continents – is exposed to water, weather and emits methane. That methane migrates to the surface as it percolates, where it has been ignited in permanently burning flames. The flames have been here throughout all of human history and it is the largest emission yet discovered on our planet.
