Exploring Siberia's Gateway to Hell: Batagaika Crater.
The Batagaika crater in Siberia, which is a retrogressive thaw slump caused by permafrost thawing, has grown from a gully to a massive tadpole-shaped depression that covers 200 acres and stretches 2/3 of a mile in length and is 164 feet deep. As Siberia warms at an unprecedented rate due to climate change, the Batagaika crater has continued to grow and is likely to keep getting bigger. The growth of the Batagaika crater is a gift to science, but it also poses a potentially worrisome environmental omen as the thawing of permafrost can release methane, carbon dioxide, and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, which can set off a positive feedback loop of its own.