The forest turned yellow from radiation in a matter of hours – what is happening today in the Red Forest of Chernobyl

Imagine a forest that in a few hours turned red in the middle of spring. How very surprised people were who were urgently evacuated from Pripyat after the Chernobyl accident. “It was like autumn. Very unusual, ”recall the Pripyat. What was the reason for such a strange phenomenon?

The red forest is probably the most dangerous in the world in terms of radiation pollution. This predominantly coniferous forest was “burnt” by a huge amount of radionuclides in the first days after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on April 26, 1986.

The territory of this forest surrounds the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which is why the trees had to take the first blow of the disaster.

Subsequently, coniferous trees acquired a red and red color, for which this forest was called Red. The liquidators of the Chernobyl accident partially buried these trees in the same forest, but even now this territory poses a great danger to all living things.

Today, the Red Forest is officially a repository of radioactive waste. In 1988, the liquidators cut down most of the dead trees and buried here. But many irradiated trees remained. They differ from healthy ones in that they have charred trunks that have yellowed dry leaves (needles in the case of pine). Many of these trees have long collapsed to the ground and turned into radioactive ash.

Despite the high levels of radiation (and here they exceed the norm by 1000-5000 times), living organisms are teeming in the Red Forest. The territory of this area is inhabited by a wide variety of animals (wolves, moose, foxes, mice, birds, rodents, etc.). Weed, lichen and moss also grow well.

Among this unusual forest is a scientific station, where from the first years of the Chernobyl accident, samples of soil and groundwater were taken. This is a very important aspect in studying the situation and the effect of radiation on the environment.

The territory is fenced with a metal fence. There is a gate with a lock and a chain, and at the entrance there is a warning sign “Object under guard”. Inside are dead trees. The reason for this could be radiation or fires, which often happen here. Radiation levels are very high, you can not stay in place.