It burns at more than 400 degrees and they don’t know how to close it

The history of Darvaza crater began in the 1970s when a team of Soviet geologists was drilling into the soil of Dsoguz province in search of natural gas. During one of the drillings, the ground beneath the drilling rig collapsed, leaving a gigantic hole that revealed a natural cavern filled with methane gas.

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In an attempt to avoid a major environmental disaster, they decided to burn the gas, hoping it would be extinguished within weeks. However, the fire not only did not go out, but continued to burn, creating a spectacular but terrifying image that resembles the entrance to hell described in biblical texts.

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This unexpected phenomenon soon attracted worldwide attention, and as time went by, the Gate of Hell became a peculiar tourist attraction. Over the years, thousands of people have visited the crater, drawn by the surreal sight of eternal flames and searing heat emanating from the depths of the earth.

The continued gas flaring has not only been a visual spectacle for tourists, but has also raised serious environmental and economic concerns.

President Berdymukhamedov, aware of the dangers and loss of valuable resources, decided in 2022 to restrict access to the site and look for ways to extinguish the fire, that has been consuming a precious natural resource without interruption.

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Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, has been escaping into the atmosphere, exacerbating the problem of climate change and posing an imminent threat to public health and the safety of local communities. Furthermore, Turkmenistan, as a country that depends significantly on its natural resources, sees the continued leak of gas as a substantial economic loss.

Proposals to extinguish the crater fire have been diverse and, at times, extreme. Everything has been thought of, from putting out the fire with sand to using explosives to collapse the crater, although this last idea was quickly discarded due to the risk of aggravating the problem.

The main challenge lies in the lack of understanding about the extent and mapping of the underground gas conduits that fuel the fire. This technical lack of knowledge greatly complicates any attempt at a permanent solution.

While politicians and environmentalists debate the best strategies, scientists have taken advantage of this anomaly to conduct unique research. In 2023, an expedition led by Canadian explorer Kourounis and accompanied by scientists from National Geographic, descended into the crater.

Their mission was to collect soil samples and conduct tests to discover whether there are microorganisms capable of surviving in extreme conditions of heat and toxicity, which could have significant implications for biology and astrobiology.

To this day, Hell’s Gate remains an unsolvable problem. Although international efforts have been made to address this phenomenon, the crater continues to burn, serving as a constant reminder of the unintended consequences of human actions.

Darvaza’s story not only highlights the risks of irresponsible exploitation of natural resources, but also the imperative need to develop technologies and strategies that mitigate human impact on the environment.