Siberia's exploding craters traced to climate change impact
Mysterious craters that began appearing in Siberia ten years ago have puzzled scientists worldwide. Recent research has led to a breakthrough. At last, the origin of these structures, referred to by some as "gates to hell," has been determined.
The first crater, which at its widest point measured approximately 230 feet, was observed on Russia's Yamal Peninsula in 2014. In subsequent years, several more similar vast gashes in the ground appeared in Siberia and the Gydan Peninsula.
Mysterious craters in Siberia: Where did they come from?
The research findings published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters shed new light on what is happening in Siberia. Scientists from the University of Cambridge concluded that the craters resulted from massive explosions indirectly caused by human activity.
Researchers linked this phenomenon to climate change. Its effects, felt even in Siberia, combined with the region's unique geology, initiated a process that, under certain conditions, releases methane deposits located beneath Siberia's permafrost in the Cryopeg geological layer. The accompanying rapid pressure changes can result in enormous explosions.
"There are very, very specific conditions that allow for this phenomenon to happen," said one of the study's authors, engineer Ana Morgado from the University of Cambridge.
Soil layers in Siberia
Climate warming means that in Siberia, one can now observe not only the alternating freezing and thawing of the topsoil layer but also meltwater starting to penetrate deeper, reaching the Cryopeg where there isn't sufficient space to accumulate it. As a result, pressure increases, causing the Cryopeg to expand and crack in the permafrost. When such cracks reach the surface, the sudden pressure surge causes the underlying methane to trigger an explosion.
Scientists are trying to determine how frequently such situations occur, but they believe it may be difficult to ascertain. The period preceding such explosions may span decades. This coincides with the climate warming that began to accelerate in the 1980s.
"This might be a very infrequently occurring phenomenon. But the amount of methane that’s being released could have quite a big impact on global warming," said Ana Morgado.
