Earth’s fiery ‘Door to Hell’ is starting to close

The Earth is dotted with numerous “gateways to Hell.” In the remote Siberian tundra, the Batagay Crater continues to expand as the world’s largest permafrost slump, while Nicaragua’s extremely active “Masaya’s Hell” caldera has spent years churning up lava and gas. But while other fiery holes rumble away, one of the most infamous so-called hell gates is slowing down for the first time since its accidental creation. Experts monitoring the fires inside the Darvaza Gas Crater (aka Turkmenistan’s “Door to Hell”) say the human-made inferno seems to be finally diminishing after spending over half a century burning away millions of cubic meters’ worth of natural gas every year.

The exact cause behind the Darvaza Gas Crater—also known as the Shining of Karakum—remains a mystery, but sinkhole’s broader origins likely trace back to 1971. Around that time, Soviet geologists surveying the region’s vast fuel reserves appear to have accidentally drilled into a large underground gas pocket. The team then ignited the leaking fumes to prevent the wider release of toxic gas and prevent a major environmental disaster. The geologists allegedly hoped the resultant fires would burn out in a few weeks—instead, the blaze has continued for nearly 55 years.

Currently, Turkmenistan’s Door to Hell measures roughly 230 feet wide by 100 feet deep, and often exceeds 1,832 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s estimated that the landmark attracts over 10,000 visitors every year. Meanwhile, the country’s government has spent decades wrestling with how to best handle the constant blaze.

But at a recent international conference on hydrocarbon development hosted in Turkmenistan’s capital of Ashgabat, Darvaza’s stewards say the Door to Hell may finally be shutting on its own.

“The reduction [in fires] is nearly threefold,” Irina Luryeva, director of the country’s state-owned energy company Turkmengaz, told conference attendees last week. 

Whereas the crater’s fiery illumination could once be seen from miles across the desert, Luryeva explained it’s now only visible upon close inspection. They also added that recent efforts have concentrated on constructing multiple containment wells to capture the remaining leaking methane before it reaches the atmosphere.

It’s still unclear when Darvaza will close for good, but all current evidence suggests the end is finally near for Turkmenistan’s Door to Hell.

 

More deals, reviews, and buying guides

The PopSci team has tested hundreds of products and spent thousands of hours trying to find the best gear and gadgets you can buy.