The Doorway to the Underworld is Growing and We Can't Stop It

The Batagay Crater is self-excavating, and each year it reveals new, well-defined cross-sections of its geological history, with geologists able to sample ice structure, sediment composition, and biomass remains from each layer to compile a climate and fauna history stretching back 650,000 years.

“But all that melting permafrost is actually a good thing in one particular way. Basically, the Batagay Crater is self-excavating, and each year it reveals new, well-defined cross-sections of its geological history. At the head of the proverbial stingray, there's a sheer cliff that's 55 meters tall, perfectly exposing the permafrost's layers. Geologists can sample the ice structure, sediment composition, and biomass remains from each layer of the permafrost cake, and compile a history of the region that stretches back 650,000 years.”

The Batagay Crater appeared in the 1960s after Soviets cleared nearby forests to search for minerals, and without tree roots the landscape became more susceptible to erosion, and without tree cover it was easier for the Sun to warm the ground, kicking off a vicious cycle of permafrost melting.

“Like if you could time travel back to the 1960s, you'd find yourself standing in a seemingly harmless ravine. But the Soviets had recently cleared a nearby forest to search for good places to mine a bunch of different minerals. Without tree roots, the landscape became more susceptible to erosion. And without tree cover, it was a lot easier for the Sun to warm the ground. In other words, the sudden lack of trees kicked off a vicious cycle of permafrost melting.”

When higher surface temperatures cause snow covering the upper permafrost layers to melt, the darker newly-exposed layers absorb more sunlight and start to thaw themselves, initiating a positive feedback loop where once a permafrost layer has thawed more than usual, it is much more likely to continue doing so in subsequent years.

“For example, higher surface temperature might cause the snow that's covering the upper permafrost layers to melt. And without the snow to reflect the Sun's toasty light back into space, the darker, newly-exposed layers would absorb more light and start to thaw themselves. And once a layer of permafrost has done a bit more thawing than usual, it's much more likely to continue doing so in subsequent years.”

Warmer temperatures wake up bacteria in the permafrost that decompose organic material and produce greenhouse gases as byproducts, and when the permafrost melts and collapses, these gases are released into the atmosphere, making things warm up even faster.

“These warmer temperatures also wake up bacteria in the ground that have been hanging out in what's basically a non-SciFi version of suspended animation. Then, they get to work decomposing organic material in the permafrost, producing greenhouse gasses as byproducts. And when the permafrost melts and collapses, those gasses are released into the atmosphere…making things warm up even faster.”

Paleontological remains discovered in the crater include ants, mushroom-inhabiting beetles, cave lions, wooly mammoths, and bison, demonstrating the fauna that inhabited the region throughout its geological history.

“They've even discovered animal remains…from the remnants of ants and mushroom-inhabiting beetles, to bones from much more charismatic fauna like cave lions, wooly mammoths, and bison.”

In 2018, one team discovered a roughly 40,000-year-old foal that was so well-preserved by the icy permafrost it still had hair and muscle.

“And in 2018, one team found a roughly 40,000-year old foal that was so well-preserved by the icy permafrost, it still had hair and muscle!”

Geologists hypothesize the permafrost layers were assembled over thousands of years as sand was blown over from a nearby floodplain, with alternating layers indicating the region went through cycles of freezing and relative warming during which meadows and coniferous forests grew.

“Geologists hypothesize that this cake was assembled over thousands of years. As the permafrost formed, sand was getting blown over from a nearby floodplain. But because of those alternating layers, we know this wasn't happening consistently. The region must have gone through cycles of freezing and relative warming…during which time you'd get stuff like meadows and coniferous forests growing.”

A different study found lemming remains in the crater that researchers estimated to be around 330,000 years old.

“Meanwhile, a different study found lemming remains that researchers estimated to be around 330,000 years old!”

The growing megaslump's runoff has made the river water unsuitable for drinking, affecting the residents in Batagay and clogging the waterway down to the sea it drains into.

“The runoff has also made the river water unsuitable for drinking, affecting the residents in Batagay and clogging the waterway down to the sea it drains into.”

The Institute of Applied Ecology of the North organizes scientific expeditions to the crater, with researchers needing to watch out for bears, mosquitos, and awakened ancient microorganisms in the region.

“The Institute of Applied Ecology of the North organizes scientific expeditions to the Crater. You just gotta watch out for all the animals in the region that are still very much alive…like bears, mosquitos, and all those ancient microorganisms that have just woken up!”

Satellite imagery shows the ravine gradually expanding over decades, taking on its stingray-slash-tadpole shape, and by 1991 had grown large enough for scientists to officially call it a megaslump.

“We actually have satellite images that show the ravine gradually expanding over the decades, taking on its stingray-slash-tadpole shape. And by 1991, it had grown so large that scientists could officially call it a megaslump.”

Melted permafrost typically forms massive puddles on the surface, but in the Batagay region where the terrain sits at different elevations with the tail section much lower, the water and eroded sediments drain into the nearest river, leaving a massive hole behind.

“Now, typically, melted permafrost will form massive puddles on the surface. But the region that Batagay Crater calls home isn't sitting at one single elevation. The "tail" part is much lower, so when all that ice melts, the water and eroded sediments can drain into the nearest river…leaving a massive hole behind.”