Siberia is home to a very particular geological structure
Our planet is constantly evolving, and we understand much of its internal processes thanks to the commendable work of the scientific community. How volcanoes are formed and the reason why earthquakes occur. However, we still need to investigate other **geological formations** in depth, such as the one found in Russia, often nicknamed the **’door to hell’**.
The Siberian crater that never stops growing
In a remote region of **Siberia**, locals often talk regarding the **’door to hell’** when referring to the so-called **Batagaika Crater**. It seems that during the summer, the sound of the earth collapsing disturbs the locals. However, perhaps we are not facing the entrance to the underworld, but rather a very peculiar location.
The term crater is used to refer to this structure, although there is no evidence of any meteorite impact or volcanic activity that caused it. However, its **origin** might be related to the **living world around us** and its evolution with a climate change that the entire planet is already experiencing.
The geological structure we are talking regarding is actually known as a **regressive thaw slump**. Its formation is attributed to the **permafrost melting**, which is the permanently frozen layer of soil, causing the area where the ice disappears to sink. Currently, as you can see in the image below, it looks like a tadpole.
Archive image of Batagaika crater
And a study published in the scientific journal Geomorphology has recently revealed that the expansion of this particular Siberian area is very rapid. From 1991 to 2018, **the head of the structure has receded up to 30 meters** in some areas, **losing**, by the way, **34.6 million cubic meters of material** and **releasing** almost **170,000 tons of organic carbon**.
This **carbon release**, following being analyzed, will be really useful, as it **will allow us to understand the consequences of permafrost thawing** for both the environment and the climate. Currently, the gases released cannot be compared to those from the fossil fuel industry, but the study predicts that by the end of the 21st century, emissions from thawing permafrost might be equivalent to the emissions of a large industrialized nation.
However, not all is bad news. **This thaw** also **allows us to better understand the history of our planet**, as it reveals plant and animal fossils that allow us to explore what the Earth was like millions of years ago. For the moment, it seems that **the collapse of the Batagaika crater will not continue**, since it has reached the rocky surface, although **the head is expected to advance until it hits its own limit**, which might be a slope or a body of water.
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Siberia is home to a very particular geological structure
Our planet is constantly evolving and we know much of its internal processes thanks to the commendable work of the scientific community. How volcanoes are formed and the reason why earthquakes occur. However, we still need to investigate in depth other geological formations, such as the one found in Russia and often nicknamed the ‘door to hell’.
The Siberian crater that never stops growing
In a remote region of Siberia, locals often talk regarding the ‘door to hell’ when referring to the so-called Batagaika Crater. Among other reasons, it seems that it is during the summer when the sound of the earth collapsing is what disturbs the locals. However, perhaps we are not facing the entrance to the underworld, but rather a very peculiar location.
The term crater is used to refer to this structure, although in reality there is no evidence of any meteorite impact or volcanic activity that caused it. However, it seems that its origin might have to do with the living world around us and its evolution with a climate change that the entire planet is already experiencing.
The geological structure we are talking regarding is actually what is known as a regressive thaw slump. Its formation is attributed to the permafrost melting, which is the permanently frozen layer of soil, which causes the area where the ice disappears to sink and which currently, as you can see in the image below, looks like a tadpole.
Archive image of Batagaika crater
And a study published in the scientific journal Geomorphology has recently revealed that the expansion of this particular Siberian area is very rapid. From 1991 to 2018, The head of the structure has receded up to 30 meters In some areas, losing by the way 34.6 million cubic meters of material y releasing almost 170,000 tons of organic carbon.
This carbon release will be really useful, following being analyzed, since will allow us to understand the consequences of permafrost thawing, both for the environment and the climate. At the moment, the gases released cannot be compared with those from the fossil fuel industry, but the study predicts that by the end of the 21st century, emissions from thawing permafrost might be equivalent to the emissions of a large industrialized nation.
However, not all bad news. This thaw also allows us to better understand the history of our planet, as it reveals plant and animal fossils that allow us to explore what the Earth was like millions of years ago. For the moment, it seems that The collapse of the Batagaika crater will not continue, since it has reached the rocky surface, although The header is expected to advance until it hits its own limit, which might be a slope or a body of water.
You can follow Urban Techno in Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter (X) the consult our Telegram channel to stay up to date with the latest technology news.
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