Around the 1960s, in the middle of the vast forests of Western Siberia in Russia, a huge crater began to form. When the people of the region, the Yakutia, discovered this crater, they called it “Hell’s Gate”.
Standing in front of the Batagaika crater, one has the feeling that the ground is splitting in two, opening the way to an underground world hidden deep in the ground.
Panoramic view of Batagaika sinkhole. Photo by Alexander Gabyshev, Research Institute of Applied Ecology of the North
The size of this completely naturally formed hole makes the scientific world inevitably feel amazed: Batagaika crater is 1000 meters long, the widest place has a distance of up to 750 meters between the two ends and the deepest place. of the pit reaches 86 meters. This size makes Batagaika one of the largest sinkholes in the world.
People can also hear strange sounds coming from this huge “hell hole”. Locals are also extremely scared and don’t even dare to come near. Many theories have been put forward to explain the mysterious formation of the giant sinkhole. The people of Yakutia believe that this hole was formed by underground activities, taking place mysteriously in the ground. On the part of scientists, they have given specific explanations, bringing less mythical color than the beliefs of the inhabitants here.
Photo by Julian Murton, University of Sussex, UK
However, the archaeologists’ explanation also points to the underground, where, according to their hypothesis, is the hiding area of giant permafrost. In accordance with the desertification of this same soil, when the tree layers on the surface are lost, the ground will be directly affected by the high temperature in summer. Combined with global warming, the ancient ice sheets under the surface layer gradually melted, causing the subsidence and cracking of the surface soil layer, creating a giant hole in the ground. In addition, the strange sounds that make people panic are most likely the sound of rock collapsing, falling, and forming.
Batagaika sinkhole – The giant museum of nature
Batagaika crater attracts the attention of scientists not only because of its special size. What scientists discovered in the crater is also the inspiration for many other in-depth studies. This is one of the most ideal places for scientists to collect more data for the study of “permafrost”. But at the same time, according to a study published in Quaternary Research, the crater’s interior has revealed a great deal about periods of Earth’s history millions of years ago.
Photo by Alexander Gabyshev, Research Institute of Applied Ecology of the North
Under the pit, scientists have discovered a lot of mummified animals and plants. The most significant of which is the 4,400-year-old mummy of a horse. The remains of mammoths, deer and reindeer are also well preserved in this giant “freezer”.
Next, scientist from the University of Sussex, UK, Julian Morton also said that they have discovered a lot of ancient sediments, storing samples of soil and rocks as well as plants of ancient times. old. These deposits reveal a continuous geological development in the area, but are quite unusual. Analyzes have determined: These soil layers are at least 200,000 years old. These will be valuable data to help researchers build an understanding of the land and plants of the previous period here.
Photo by Alexander Gabyshev, Research Institute of Applied Ecology of the North
Scientists plan to continue studying the Batagaika crater, in order to reproduce specifically the geological and climatic changes of this area over 200,000 years. A thorough understanding of past variability provides valuable data for predicting possible future changes on Earth. This is the challenge that scientists have set themselves to continue to deepen human understanding of the mysterious arrangement of the Creator.
Blooming every year, the Batagaika sinkhole becomes a warning for the future of mankind
The “door to hell” also has a special feature that makes scientists very interested: This hole continues to expand over time. Expert Frank Günther of the Alfred Wegener Institute (Germany) said that in the past, the Batagaika sinkhole expanded an average of 10 meters per year. However, in recent years, the opening of the pit has increased by 30 meters per year. This number can be considered as an alarming sign for global warming.
Photo by Julian Murton, University of Sussex, UK
When the permafrost melts, a large amount of methane gas “trapped” in this ice will escape. This greenhouse gas will further accelerate the warming process of the Earth. From there, creating a faster melting of the permafrost. So, the expansion of Batagaika sinkhole means creating a cycle of death, signaling a not so bright future for our planet.
Currently, scientists continue to closely monitor Batagaika’s transformation while continuing to solve the mysteries of the past stored in this giant hole, in an effort to find a appropriate solutions to prevent unnecessary disasters.
