Table of contents:
- Why did people jump out into the bitter frost half-dressed?
- Strange injuries
- Natural disaster or murder?
- Computer simulation and return to the original version
- What does the cartoon "Frozen" have to do with it?
Video: How the cartoon "Frozen" prompted researchers to solve the mystery of the Dyatlov Pass
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
More than six decades have passed since this tragedy, but the exact cause of the death of young, strong and experienced tourists is not clear. Their winter campaign of the highest degree of complexity, according to the classification then adopted, was dedicated to the next congress of the CPSU and ended tragically on the night of February 2, not far from the unnamed pass, which later received the name of the Dyatlov Pass. This mysterious and terrifying case got a small chance of being solved with a little unexpected help … from Walt Disney.
With the exception of one person from the group, a camp instructor, a former front-line soldier, everyone else was a little over twenty. They were students and graduates of the Ural Polytechnic Institute, skiers of the tourist club at this Sverdlovsk institute. Experienced hikers, well planned hike. Why did it end so tragically?
Why did people jump out into the bitter frost half-dressed?
When the group of tourists did not return by the scheduled time, the search began. On February 25, an empty, torn up tent of Dyatlov's group was found. Inside there were many warm things, blankets, backpacks of tourists, tools, food, documents … There were only people in the tent.
The first victims were found only on February 26. They were in their underwear, no hats or shoes. The rest were found only in May, when the snow began to melt. The investigation was going on very hard. It was completely incomprehensible why people suddenly began to run naked into the cold. And not through the exit from the tent, but by cutting it from the inside on the other side. In a frost of almost thirty degrees, this meant certain death. In addition, at first they moved together, in an organized group, and then dispersed in different directions.
Strange injuries
The forensic examination documented multiple rib fractures and other serious injuries. All of them were found to be in vivo, but it was also found that it was impossible to get them as a result of the fall. The source had to have the power of a car rushing at high speed or a strong blast wave. Among other things, radioactive substances were found on the clothes.
In the whole case there were so many ambiguities and inconsistencies that already during the investigation there were a huge number of disputes. These heated bickering about what was the real cause of the death of tourists does not subside today. In total, there are more than two dozen versions: from an avalanche, ball lightning, poisoning with unknown gases to an attack by escaped prisoners, a clash with the KGB special forces, testing new weapons, meeting with Bigfoot or aliens, all sorts of paranormal phenomena.
Natural disaster or murder?
None of the versions have yet been 100% confirmed, none of them can explain this tragedy. Most researchers are in favor of an avalanche. They say the tourists themselves provoked it, cutting off the slope in order to set up a tent. This has happened. Then the snow pressed down with its mass part of the tent, injuring the people in it and crushing their things. Because of this, they had to cut their way out.
Only this version, although it sounds very plausible, does not stand up to criticism. If there was an avalanche, why didn't the rescuers find any evidence of this? The tent was crumpled, but not covered with snow. There was even one ski pole to stand on, on which it was attached. The stove was quietly inside. Why did the avalanche, if there was one, not crush it? …
Be that as it may, but interest in solving the mystery of this terrible tragedy does not subside to this day. The death of tourists in the Northern Urals continues to be a mystery. The secret may not be detective at all.
Computer simulation and return to the original version
Two researchers decided to look at the tragedy of 1959 with modern eyes. To do this, they used computer modeling and an approach borrowed from the animators of Frozen!
Russian geological engineer Alexander Puzrin and modeling expert Johan Gom decided to prove that the mysterious incident was not so mysterious. They identified two aspects that contradicted the avalanche theory: the absence of avalanche signs and the abnormal injuries of tourists. Combining information from historical records with analytical models and detailed simulations, the couple worked through the tragedy step by step.
At first, it was assumed that the mountain was not steep enough for an avalanche. It turned out that this is not entirely true. According to experts' calculations, the slope corresponds to the minimum indicators. The main stumbling block was that almost nine hours elapsed between setting up the tent and the avalanche. Why did it take so long? And without snowfall? Here Gom and Puzrin point to the "katabatic" winds. These are incredibly fast air funnels that move under the influence of gravity. It is possible that this led to the fact that the snow was climbing up the slope. According to this version of events, the tourists themselves incurred death by making a ditch on the slope. This seemingly insignificant action, necessary in many cases, could destabilize the ice.
Research has shown that a hidden layer of loose snow discovered by rescuers back in 1959 could give any avalanche a slippery slope downhill. The topography of this pass is very deceiving. Such a landscape has been able to confuse even the best of the best in mountaineering. Gom and Puzrin believe that even a small amount of snow was enough in this case to destroy the camp, and then disappear for natural reasons. They ascribe radioactive radiation to thorium in lamps. Researchers do not claim to be the ultimate truth. But their assumption has the right to life.
What does the cartoon "Frozen" have to do with it?
The most surprising aspect of the investigation concerned Frozen. The enthusiast Gom was so intrigued by the CGS spectacle of Disney that he traveled to America to see how this animated film was made. This method eventually became an integral part of modeling what happened at the Dyatlov Pass.
A less magical note in this story was General Motors' seat belt tests. The company used the corpses to demonstrate the varying complexity of accidents. The results turned out to be very useful information for Goma and Puzrin. While it seems unlikely that such brutal injuries to hikers were caused by the acceleration of snow and ice, new research shows that it is quite possible.
Many will find the explanation unconvincing. After all, you really need to be very scared to run out into the severe frost without clothes. Did the members of the group attack each other or did they try to help as best they could? Gom thinks the latter. Be that as it may, the incident at the Dyatlov pass received another simple explanation. The truth may never be known.
Human history keeps many secrets. Read our article on what secrets does point Nemo keep - the most mysterious place on Earth, which has become a cemetery for spaceships.
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