Some scientists call it the gateway to hell, others - a portal to the underworld, others - just a crater. But everyone agrees with the fact that the Siberian failure is getting bigger.
The Batagayka crater in Eastern Siberia is the largest of its kind and continues to grow in size. According to February measurements, it now reaches almost a kilometer in length and 85 meters in depth.
Locals approach the area with caution. Some say they heard ominous sounds nearby, as if there was a portal to the underworld. For scientists, however, the Siberian crater is interesting exclusively as a terrestrial phenomenon.
Its formation is caused by the melting of the permafrost, which remains in this state for at least two consecutive years. As a result of uneven soil subsidence, a relief is formed called thermokarst.
New research, published in the journal Quaternary Research, suggests that the crater could hold over 200,000 years of climate change history in Siberia. Scientists plan to collect sedimentary rocks to analyze how the landscape has changed as the climate warmed and cooled during the last ice age. This can help to gain an understanding of today's climate processes.
Satellite images show that the crater is expanding by an average of 10 meters per year.
The melting began in the 1960s due to active deforestation in connection with the development of construction. The frozen ground lost its forest blanket and began to heat up under the rays of the sun. Global warming in recent years has accelerated the formation of the dip.
Soil erosion and melting is causing the proliferation of so-called "drunk trees" that cannot grow straight. As a result, the areas shaded by the crown become even smaller. This is found throughout the north, from Alaska to Eurasia.
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Rapid melting of deep sedimentary rocks can cause a sharp subsidence of the topsoil. As a result, huge craters are formed, pipelines are damaged, asphalt cracks on roads and even entire houses go underground.
The increase in thermokarst formations is both a consequence of climate warming and its possible cause in the future. Scientists estimate that the permafrost of the Northern Hemisphere may contain about 50% of the Earth's methane reserves. And methane, as we remember, has an even stronger greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide.
According to last year's study, published in the journal Nature Communications, the significant jump in temperature during the last ice age was due to the release of greenhouse gases trapped in the Siberian permafrost. The study authors believe it could happen again.
A carbon reservoir in Siberian permafrost has the potential to lead to massive emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, scientists say. Batagayka Crater may be the largest crater in Siberia, but it is not the only crater formed as a result of melting permafrost. Many others were found in 2015.
