A massive crater in Siberia expands faster than expected due to climate change, potentially posing problems for surrounding ecosystems.
Alarming Crater Expansion
In a recent discovery, experts reported that the Batagaika Crater deepens and widens faster than expected. The details of the study are discussed in the paper "Characterizing Batagay mega slump topography dynamics and matter fluxes at high spatial resolution using a multidisciplinary approach of permafrost field observations, remote sensing, and 3D geological modeling."
Led by glaciologist Alexander Kizyakov, the research team worked with a dozen other scientists to conduct a 3D geological modeling of Batagay megaslump material flux. They also used very high-resolution remote sensing techniques from drones and satellite data with the aim of assessing the type and amount of material that is thawed and mobilized in the crater.
The experts used wide-ranging data from various independent sources. With the help of the 3D model, they were able to show how the icy permafrost has given way during its long-term collapse. The remote sensing data was combined with permafrost samples on field expeditions in 2019 and 2023.
The team discovered that the crater had almost reached the bedrock, with the melting permafrost generating further collapse. As a result, the pit releases methane and other carbon gases between 4000 and 5000 tons a year.
According to the researchers, the rapid expansion demonstrates how quickly permafrost degradation happens in Siberian tundra. They also warned that the Batagaika Crater is likely to emit all the remaining greenhouse gases it has left.
Kizyakov and colleagues noted that there are still opportunities for the melt to expand sideways. They even expect expansion along the margins and upslope. The proximity of the bedrock limits the lateral expansion, with the top rising to the saddle between the nearest mountain about 1,805 feet (550 meters) uphill.
According to Nikita Tananaev from the Melnikov Permafrost Institute in Yakutsk, this leakage from the Batagaika crater can permanently alter the surrounding ecosystems, such as riverine habitat. As a matter of fact, the effect of escaping sediment from the mega slump is seen in the Yana River, the major river in the region.
Hidden Secrets of Batagaika Crater
The Batagaika Crater is a pit located in the Yana highlands of Siberia which measures 200 acres (809,371 square meters) wide and 300 feet (91.44 meters) deep. With an area of 87.6 hectares (87,000 square meters), it is considered as the largest megaslump on the planet.
The word mega slump is not widely used by experts and does not even have any strict scientific definition. It is derived from the term "slump," which refers to a loosely consolidated mass of material that has stumbled down a shoreline, cliff, or hillside.
Also known as the 'Gateway to Hell,' the crater was first formed when the Siberian permafrost began releasing tons of frozen methane into the atmosphere. When viewed from space, the widening chasm resembles a tadpole or a stingray.
It was in the 1960s when the land began to sink due to the thawing permafrost. While it started when the surrounding forest was cleared, the crater continued to expand due to flooding.
RELATED ARTICLE : 650,000-year-old Permafrost Megaslump in Siberia is the Second-Oldest Ever Found; Scientists Use It To Know More About Ancient Climate Change
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