SIBERIA — The Batagaika Crater in Siberia is expanding at a rate of around 30 meters per year. Scientists say the rapid growth of the crater began a few decades ago and is the result of deforestation and warmer temperatures.

The crater, known as a 'mega-slump,' is the largest permafrost crater in the world. It measures approximately 100 meters deep and stretches about 1 kilometer in length. Located in Siberia, the site has become a focal point for researchers studying permafrost thaw and its environmental consequences.

As ice within the permafrost melts, it either evaporates or drains away, leaving behind sediments that subside and contribute to the crater’s ongoing expansion. The permafrost at Batagaika has remained frozen for many tens of thousands of years, preserving organic material and ancient remains. Ice Age fossils and mummified wildlife are occasionally uncovered as the crater walls erode.

The thawing process also releases methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, adding to greenhouse gas emissions. This feedback loop may accelerate climate warming, which in turn could further destabilize the region’s frozen ground. The steep slopes of the crater support few plants, giving it a distinct brown appearance in satellite images, in contrast to the surrounding tundra landscape, which is green with shrubs and larch trees.

Nearby, the small urban settlement of Batagay lies farther north of the crater, close to the banks of the Yana River. The town is home to just over 4,000 people and exists in a region increasingly shaped by the physical changes occurring at the crater site.

Researchers have noted that the Batagaika Crater provides a rare window into ancient soil layers and past climate conditions due to the depth and age of its exposed permafrost. Because the site continues to erode, it offers ongoing access to geological and paleontological records that are typically inaccessible beneath frozen ground.