How it Started
The crater first appeared in the 1960s and was known as the Batagaika Crater. As it continued to grow, it earned the name of ‘Mouth to Hell’ among those who have studied it and those who live in the surrounding regions.
Source: inhabitat
What started as a small crack developed into a crater and eventually a sinkhole that started to swallow the land surrounding it.
Deforestation May Be the Root Cause
Scientists believe that extensive deforestation efforts in the 1960s may be the reason for the formation of the crater.
Source: Pexels
The trees had provided shade over the landscape btu when many of these trees were cleared, the sun was able to penetrate the ground. This melted the permafrost on the ground and opened the crack that would develop over the next several decades into the ‘Mouth to Hell’.
Rapid Growth Concerning Scientists
The hole is growing rapidly. Scientists estimate that it grows at a rate of 10 to 30 meters (30-50 feet) every single year. There have been more than 35 million cubic meters of soil lost from this area of Siberia due to the sinkhole since the ’90s.
Source: The Siberian Times/ X
What’s behind the rapid growth? Scientists have narrowed it down to one main contributing factor: climate change.
Melting Permafrost is Causing the Crater to Widen
The relentless growth of the crater is a result of climate change. The permafrost in Siberia is melting at much faster rate than expected.
Source: Wikipedia
This causes the ground to be wetter, and thus much less stable. The unstable ground continues to give way to the sinkhole, and as more and more land falls into the crater, the crater only becomes more massive.
Strange Discoveries Made in the 'Mouth to Hell'
In the past several years, as the ‘Mouth to Hell’ continue to widen and deepen, scientists have uncovers some fascinating discoveries. The permafrost had encapsulated mysteries of the past in ice and as that ice melts, researchers have studied the many fossils found in the crater.
Source: Wikipedia
Fossilized remains of mammoths, horses, musk ox, and more have been uncovered in the crater. The permafrost is uncovering round that has been buried for thousands of years, so it is an extraordinary place to study geology and how it has changed over time.
Concern for Local Residents
Scientists are highly concerned about the rapid growth of the crater. If it continues at the current pace, they fear it will have catastrophic consequences for the local residents in the surrounding regions.
Source: Wikipedia
The more land the crater consumes, the higher the threat to the landscape that includes the homes of people who have lived there for generations. Locals worry that if the speed at which the crater is swallowing land increases, they will be left without land to live off of and will be forced to move elsewhere.
Residents Worry They Will Be Displaced
One such village that is in direct danger of the sinkhole is called Batagay. The village of Batagay is only 10 kilometers northwest of the sinkhole. While there is still a good amount of distance between the village and the sinkhole, some residents are already worried.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
There are currently about 4,500 people that live in Batagay village. Many of these are farmers who rely on the landscape to provide.
Local Myths About the Crater
The Yakut are an indigenous group native tot he region surrounding the crater. The community shares a belief that there is a spirit world within the crater as they have hear unnerving booming noises coming from deep inside.
Source: Wikipedia and Canva
Some believe that the ‘Mouth to Hell’ is just that; an entrance to the underworld or to another world entirely.
Will the Crater's Growth Eventually Slow?
Scientist Julian Murton explained in Permafrost and Periglacial Processes that he believes the crater will “probably stabilize eventually”. The idea is that although it is currently growing at a rapid pace, it will eventually reach its limits based on the surrounding topography.
Source: The Siberian Times/ X
However, this will take decades to happen and even if it were stalled by topographical obstructions, there is no guarantee that the crater would not continue to eat up land.
The Domino Effect Caused by the Crater
Unfortunately, the current climate change trend does not inspire great hope among scientists. Sadly, they predict there will likely be more “Mouths to Hell” opening up around the world as ice continues to melt and give way to unstable land.
Source: Facebook
A similar crater was found in the Yana Uplands of northern Yakutia. Researchers studying the crater found the crater is released a vast amount of carbon into the atmosphere that weas previously trapped by the ice. This gas is extremely harmful to the atmosphere.
Continuing to Monitor the Crater
While the ‘Mouth to Hell’ Does not currently pose any direct threats to the surrounding residents, scientists continue to monitor the growth of the crater.
Source: GKToday
If the growth should accelerate it could mean the displacement of indigenous people who have lived there for generations.