Batagaika Crater Pose a Warning Sign for Earth

• 26 Jul 2023

Recent studies have revealed that the Batagaika crater, the world's largest permafrost crater, is rapidly expanding due to thawing permafrost, exacerbated by global warming.

Key Points:

• Permafrost: Permafrost is ground that remains frozen at or below 32°F (0°C) for at least two years and is common in high mountain regions and Earth's higher latitudes.
• Location: The crater, located in the Sakha Republic, has deepened up to 100 meters and expanded over the years due to the melting of underground permafrost after deforestation.
• Impact of Global Warming: Russia is warming about 2.5 times faster than the global average, leading to the melting of the country's long-frozen tundra, releasing potent greenhouse gases like methane.
• Thawing permafrost causes immediate infrastructural damage, including buckling roadways, splitting houses, and disrupting pipelines.
• Scientists warn that the soil beneath the slump in the Batagaika crater contains dangerous amounts of organic carbon, releasing into the atmosphere as permafrost thaws and contributing to further planet warming.