Full Breakdown
Drilling Begins at Turkey’s Durupinar Formation in Search of Noah’s Ark
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Commencement of Core Drilling and Sample Collection
An international team has started drilling into the 515-foot Durupinar Formation in eastern Turkey. Using a custom underground robot called “Gopher,” the expedition is extracting core samples from depths of nearly 60 feet to determine whether the structure is a solid natural mass or contains remnants of a constructed vessel. The team announced the start of drilling on a Wednesday and plans additional fieldwork next year, pending laboratory analysis of the collected material.
Background & Context
The Durupinar Formation, located south of Mount Ararat, was first identified in an aerial photograph taken by a Turkish Army captain in 1959. A 1996 study by geologist Lorence Collins and explorer David Fasold concluded the formation is “a completely natural rock formation,” labeling the ark hypothesis “bogus.” Modern geologists broadly regard the ridge as a limestone and volcanic-clay feature shaped by erosion, though some researchers continue to argue for a human-made origin.
Key Figures & Groups
- Andrew Jones — founder of Noah’s Ark Scans, U.S.-based lead of the drilling effort.
- Dr. Khosrow Bakhtar — scientist with Bakhtar Research and Engineering LLC, led the radar survey.
- Cenker Atila — archaeologist at Sivas Cumhuriyet University, director of the investigation.
- Dr. Robert Ross — Australian engineer from La Trobe University, designer of the Gopher robot.
- Lauren Witzke — marketing and fundraising director for the expedition.
Data & Statistics
- Formation length: approximately 515 feet.
- Core depth achieved: nearly 60 feet, with layers of organic material reported.
- Robot: Gopher, equipped with a high-resolution camera for underground navigation.
- Funding goal: USD 600,000 (A$843,000); only a small fraction raised at launch.
- Seasonal constraint: winter freeze will halt work until the following year.
Official Statements & Responses
Andrew Jones said the team’s objective is to test the “solid rock” explanation by examining internal structures and bedrock depth. He noted that no solid limestone or bedrock has been identified in the drilled holes, and that the recovered organic layers could represent decayed upper-deck material. The expedition notes that Turkish authorities have granted approval and that local universities are providing oversight. Dr. Ross explained that Gopher was adapted from a robot originally built for wildlife ecology studies, enabling it to access spaces inaccessible to humans.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The expedition’s findings are based on preliminary observations; laboratory analysis of the core samples has not yet been completed. While the team reports the absence of solid bedrock, other researchers have long identified limestone in the area, creating a discrepancy that remains unresolved. No independent peer-reviewed study has confirmed the presence of any ark-related structures, leaving the core question open.
What’s Next
The team plans to continue drilling and to send additional core samples for laboratory testing in the coming weeks. A more detailed report is expected before the onset of winter, after which field operations will pause until conditions allow work to resume next year.