The Tundra Is Exploding
There are many ways in which climate change is creating a hellscape. Among them are holes that look like they could be portals to hell.
Scientists have documented an increasing number of craters in the Siberian tundra, likely driven by explosive gases building up in the permafrost. The reason those pockets of gas are forming in the first place? Rising temperatures are thawing methane-rich permafrost. This is weird—and also very bad. First and foremost, it’s a direct threat to traditional knowledge and those who call the Arctic home. But even more worrisome is that permafrost is rich in methane and carbon. When those gases end up in the atmosphere, they can heat things up even further. That means more of [gulp] all of this.
