Batagaika crater: Siberia's expanding gateway to climate challenges

In the heart of Siberia lies an enormous sinkhole called the Batagaika Crater, also known as the “gateway to hell.” The sinkhole was initially small but has grown so large that it is visible even from space. Satellite images reveal the rapid expansion of the fissure. According to the US Geological Survey, the size of the sinkhole tripled between 1991 and 2018.

Batagaika Crater is a thermokarst depression in the Chersky Range area of Siberia, recognized as the largest such depression on Earth. It was first noticed in secret satellite images from the 1960s. At that time, it was just a small crack, which changed over time. Scientists believe this expansion is due to the melting of permafrost and the rapid warming of the Arctic.

This phenomenon highlights the climate crisis and the potential catastrophic effects of further increases in greenhouse gas emissions. Roger Michaelides, a geophysicist from Washington University in St. Louis, admits that permafrost is not the most photogenic subject. Still, Batagaika Crater, as the “permafrost celebrity,” is an important reminder of the coming changes.

A study published in Geomorphology journal used data from satellites and drones to build three-dimensional model of the sinkhole and calculate its expansion rate. The sinkhole's volume increases by about 990,000 cubic metres annually, roughly equivalent to the volume of 14 Great Pyramids of Giza. Additionally, the mega-sinkhole emits approximately 4,500 to 5,500 tonnes of carbon annually, equivalent to the annual emissions from home energy use in 1,700-2,100 Canadian households.

Alexander Kizyakov, the lead author of the study and a scientist at Lomonosov Moscow State University, emphasizes the speed at which permafrost degradation is progressing. Scientists believe that the study’s results could contribute to better modelling of future permafrost melt and greenhouse gas emissions.

Roger Michaelides believes that studying the Batagaika Crater can help us understand how it will evolve and provide information about similar formations in the Arctic. Understanding the fundamental physical phenomena underlying such formations is crucial in the context of global climate change.