The flames of the Darvaza crater in Turkmenistan, known as the "Door to Hell," may soon extinguish [1].
This development poses a significant environmental risk because the fire currently burns off methane that would otherwise enter the atmosphere. If the flames go out, the release of this potent greenhouse gas could accelerate global warming [1, 2].
Located in the Karakum Desert, the crater has been burning for more than 55 years [1]. The fire began in 1971 [1]. It was originally ignited by Soviet geologists who sought to prevent the spread of methane gas during drilling operations [2].
While the site has become a global curiosity, its function as a massive flare has provided an accidental environmental service. Methane is significantly more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. By burning the gas, the crater converts the methane into water vapor, and carbon dioxide—substances that, while still greenhouse gases, are less impactful than raw methane [1, 2].
Environmental experts said that the cessation of the fire would mean the gas escapes directly into the air. This transition from combustion to direct emission would turn a local landmark into a source of atmospheric pollution [1, 2].
The Turkmenistan government has previously discussed sealing the crater to stop the waste of natural resources, but the atmospheric consequences of doing so remain a point of scientific concern [2].
“The fire began in 1971.”
The potential extinction of the Darvaza fire highlights the precarious balance between resource management and climate mitigation. While the crater is a result of a drilling accident, its continuous combustion acts as a crude mitigation tool for methane emissions. Its closure would represent a shift from a controlled burn to an uncontrolled leak of a high-potency greenhouse gas.
