Italian scientists have studied the bottom of Lake Cheko, located 8 km from the epicenter of an air explosion in the area of the Tunguska anomaly. They believe that the shape of the bottom testifies to the shock origin of the lake. This may mean that this is where the legendary meteorite fell.
A group of Italian researchers led by a specialist in marine geology Luc Gasperini published a work in the journal Terra Nova in which it is proposed to begin the search for the impact crater of the Tunguska meteorite in a completely different place than the one known since Kulik's research. Their studies of Lake Cheko, located a few kilometers from the "official" epicenter of the Tunguska catastrophe, suggest its shock origin and, accordingly, a probable connection with the events of June 30, 1908, writes
Studies carried out by Italian scientists at Lake Cheko using modern equipment (200 kHz side-scan sonar) as part of the Tunguska99 expedition showed that its bottom has a conical shape (maximum depth is about 50 m), which may indicate its shock origin and bad agrees with the hypothesis of its karst origin.
The shock version of the origin of the lake suggests that the mass of the meteorite body could have been 1.5x10 6 kg. In this case, it could be a fragment of a more massive body that exploded at an altitude of 5-10 km above the ground. It is also possible that the formation of Lake Cheko and the Tunguska anomaly on June 30, 1908 are not related to each other. Test drilling could provide definitive answers to these questions.
The unique circumstances that accompanied the events of June 30, 1908, provide ample room for hypotheses regarding the nature and mechanisms of the mysterious phenomenon. It coincided with the maximum of the 11-year solar cycle, new moon and morning tide. Abnormal atmospheric phenomena preceded the catastrophe. The magnetic disturbances recorded at the time of the explosion, which caused a local magnetic storm, could probably be associated with increased solar activity.
Research into the mysterious anomaly continues.