A 1,000-X-ray blob: Why Chernobyl's Elephant's Foot still terrifies scientists

Time of India

12-05-2025

Nearly four decades after the Chernobyl disaster, the remnants of Reactor No. 4, especially the Elephant's Foot—a dense, highly radioactive mass formed from molten core materials—remain a powerful symbol of the nuclear accident's enduring danger. Rare footage from the 1980s and 1990s captured by radiation experts shows the extreme conditions inside the reactor's basement. Despite time and decay, the site continues to pose a threat, serving as a chilling reminder of the long-lasting impact of radiation exposure.
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In 1986, a nuclear explosion rocked Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl power plant. In the immediate aftermath, radiation swept across what was then the Soviet Union. Among the remnants of the disaster was the formation of one of the deadliest objects on Earth—now known as the 'Elephant's Foot'. This mass of nuclear sludge, born from molten core material and reactor debris, still lies beneath the plant, a haunting symbol of the world's worst nuclear accident.Shortly after the meltdown, strange molten structures began forming in the plant's lower levels. One such mass—shaped eerily like the foot of an elephant—solidified into what scientists later identified as corium. A searing combination of uranium, zirconium, graphite, steel, and sand, this highly radioactive sludge oozed its way through the reactor's pipes before cooling in the basement.At its peak, the Elephant's Foot emitted over 10,000 roentgens of radiation per hour—enough to kill a human in minutes. Experts likened the exposure to enduring 4.5 million chest X-rays in one sitting. Early symptoms of exposure included vomiting, diarrhoea, and fever. Scientists said being near it for five minutes could have resulted in death within two days.Even today, while the radiation has decayed, the site remains dangerous. The corium is now 'more or less has the consistency of sand,' said Maxim Saveliev from the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants.Yet, despite its lethality, several individuals ventured close enough to photograph and study it—often at great personal cost.One of the most iconic recordings was made in 1996 by Artur Korneyev , a Kazakhstani radiation specialist. Donning a hazmat suit, he and his team descended into the flooded, rust-streaked depths beneath Reactor 4. The footage he captured is grainy, ghostly, and claustrophobic—filled with metallic remnants and spider webs. But at its centre sits the Elephant's Foot.'We had to use a Kalashnikov to chip pieces off,' said one scientist, referring to how dense the corium had become.Korneyev later joked about his condition from radiation exposure : 'Soviet radiation is the best radiation in the world,' he told The New York Times. He is believed to have died in 2022 at age 73.Three years after the disaster, physics technician Alexander Kupny volunteered to document Reactor 4's remains. In 1989, he ventured inside multiple times, managing to avoid acute radiation syndrome by limiting exposure. Kupny's footage, often taken from behind thick concrete or with remote cameras, has circulated online. Viewers noted how radiation warped the footage.'The white specks on screen is not the camera quality, but in fact the radiation messing with the film/camera itself,' commented one viewer on YouTube.'These folks sacrificed their own health and potentially their own life to record footage of this disaster. Mad respect,' said another.Even earlier, just days after the explosion, Soviet filmmaker Vladimir Shevchenko filmed the 30-kilometre Exclusion Zone from above. His 35mm footage carried ghostly static and distortion. It was only later that he understood: he had captured radiation itself on film.The long-term impact of Chernobyl is grim. The United Nations reported that over 400,000 people were relocated from the surrounding areas. More than 500,000 firefighters and cleanup personnel were exposed to high radiation. While 31 died in the immediate aftermath, estimates of eventual deaths range between 4,000 and 60,000. Thousands of thyroid cancer cases have been traced back to contamination from the explosion.Only four other known corium formations have ever emerged during nuclear meltdowns in history. None have the notoriety or public recognition of the Elephant's Foot.Despite the decades that have passed, Chernobyl remains a flashpoint. In 2022, during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Russian troops took control of the plant—raising alarms worldwide. Ukrainian staff warned that if the generators failed, the consequences 'could have been catastrophic.' Reports emerged that Russian soldiers dug trenches in the Exclusion Zone and may have been exposed to 'significant doses' of radiation.Once again, the world was reminded: Chernobyl is not in the past.It is still a wound, open and radioactive.