Darvaza gas crater

Deep within the vast Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan lies a spectacular, fiery enigma known as the Darvaza gas crater—or more dramatically, the "Door to Hell." This immense chasm has been ablaze for over five decades, its constant inferno a testament to both geological forces and human intervention. It’s a place where the Earth itself seems to breathe fire, captivating scientists and adventurers alike and inviting us to explore its mysterious origins. The Darvaza gas crater is a natural gas field that collapsed into a cavern, resulting in a continuous fire that has burned since the early 1970s. Its fiery existence is widely attributed to an accident during Soviet gas exploration, where engineers reportedly ignited escaping methane to prevent the spread of poisonous gases. Despite various attempts and ongoing discussions to extinguish it due to environmental and health concerns, the 'Door to Hell' remains an active geological spectacle and a major tourist attraction.

Source: Wikipedia

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Deep within the vast Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan lies a spectacular, fiery enigma known as the Darvaza gas crater—or more dramatically, the "Door to Hell." This immense chasm has been ablaze for over five decades, its constant inferno a testament to both geological forces and human intervention. It’s a place where the Earth itself seems to breathe fire, captivating scientists and adventurers alike and inviting us to explore its mysterious origins.

The Gates of Fire

Imagine stepping into a barren desert and discovering a colossal fiery pit—a perpetual inferno that lights up the night sky. This is the Darvaza gas crater, officially known as the 'Shining of Karakum,' but more famously dubbed the 'Door to Hell' or 'Gates of Hell' by locals and visitors alike.

Located in the heart of Turkmenistan's Karakum Desert, roughly 260 kilometers north of the capital Ashgabat, this natural gas field collapsed into a cavern. Hundreds of natural gas fires flicker continuously across its floor and rim, creating an otherworldly spectacle that has captivated onlookers for decades.

A Fiery Genesis

The precise origins of the Darvaza gas crater are shrouded in a bit of mystery, with historical records being somewhat elusive or even classified. However, the most widely accepted story points to a Soviet drilling operation in 1971.

During this exploration, Soviet engineers were searching for oil but instead punctured a vast underground natural gas pocket. The ground beneath their drilling rig gave way, creating a massive crater as the cavern's roof collapsed.

Faced with a geyser of methane and other potentially poisonous gases spewing into the atmosphere, the engineers reportedly made a fateful decision: to ignite the gas. Their rationale was that it would burn off within a few weeks, preventing toxic fumes from spreading across the desert landscape. They significantly underestimated the volume of gas.

Other accounts suggest the initial collapse might have happened earlier, perhaps in the 1960s, with the fire only being deliberately started in the 1980s for similar reasons of gas containment. Regardless of the exact timeline, one thing is certain: what was meant to be a temporary flare-up became a continuous, fiery beacon.

Today, the crater measures an impressive 60 to 70 meters in diameter and plunges about 30 meters deep. It’s a truly humbling sight, a testament to the Earth's raw power and, perhaps, the unforeseen consequences of human intervention.

Attempts to Tame the Inferno

Over the years, the burning crater has sparked concerns from various levels of government. In April 2010, Turkmenistan's then-President, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, publicly recommended finding ways to limit the crater's impact on nearby natural gas development projects.

More recently, in January 2022, President Berdimuhamedow announced more definitive plans to extinguish the crater altogether. He cited environmental damage, negative effects on local health, and the significant loss of valuable natural gas resources as key motivators for this decision.

A commission was established to investigate the optimal techniques for putting out the fire. However, despite these ambitious intentions and ongoing discussions, the Darvaza gas crater remains open and burning to this day, presenting a formidable challenge to engineers and environmentalists alike.

Authorities have previously pursued measures such as drilling wells around the crater to capture methane and have, at one point, even declared a significant reduction in the fire's size. Yet, the persistent glow in the Karakum Desert reminds us of the challenge of taming such a powerful natural phenomenon.

A Desert Icon and Tourist Magnet

Far from being just an environmental anomaly, the Darvaza gas crater has embraced a surprising new identity: a major tourist attraction. It draws adventurers from around the globe, eager to witness its apocalyptic beauty firsthand.

The region around the crater was even declared a natural reserve in 2013, solidifying its status as a unique landscape. While the road leading to it is rudimentary and signage scarce, this only adds to the sense of an off-grid expedition. Simple yurts have been set up nearby to accommodate nocturnal visitors, offering a truly immersive experience.

The crater has even featured in high-profile events. In 2018, it served as an overnight stop during the Amul-Hazar automobile rally, and in 2019, it famously became the backdrop for President Berdimuhamedow's impressive driving stunts on state television, aimed at dispelling rumors of his death.

Daring Descent: Into the Inferno

In 2013, Canadian explorer George Kourounis achieved a remarkable feat: he became the first person known to set foot at the very bottom of the burning crater. This audacious journey, sponsored by National Geographic, was documented for their series 'Die Trying.'

Equipped with a custom-made Kevlar harness, multiple Technora ropes, and a full-body aluminized suit designed for extreme heat, Kourounis also relied on a self-contained breathing apparatus to survive the intense conditions. His mission: to gather soil samples for the Extreme Microbiome Project, seeking out life in the most inhospitable environments.

The expedition revealed fascinating insights into extremophile microbes thriving at the crater's base—organisms adapted to survive in extreme heat and methane-rich conditions. Kourounis has since expressed a desire to return, equipped with even more advanced gear, to further profile the unique biome of this fiery underworld.

Article

Darvaza gas crater

The Darvaza gas crater (Turkmen: Garagum ýalkymy), also known as the Door to Hell or Gates of Hell, officially the Shining of Karakum, is a burning natural gas field collapsed into a cavern near Darvaza, Turkmenistan. Hundreds of natural gas fires illuminate the floor and rim of the crater. The crater has been burning since 1971. Drilling punctured a natural-gas cavern, the cavern's roof collapsed, and some sources state that engineers ignited the crater to prevent poisonous gases from spreading.

The crater is near the village of Darvaza in the middle of the Karakum Desert. Located about 260 kilometres (160 mi) north of Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, it has a diameter of 60–70 metres (200–230 ft) and a depth of about 30 metres (98 ft). Another nearby gas crater is fenced off and has a distinct odor.

History

Darvaza gas crater

The early years of the crater's history are still being determined. Relevant records are either absent from the archives, classified, or inaccessible. Some local geologists have claimed that the collapse of a crater happened in the 1960s; it was set on fire only in the 1980s to prevent the emission of poisonous gases. Others assert that the site was drilled by Soviet engineers in 1971 as an oil field but collapsed within days, forming the crater, with the engineers choosing to flare the crater to prevent the emission of poisonous gases but underestimating the volume of the gas.

Controlling the burn

In April 2010, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow recommended that measures be taken to limit the crater's influence on the develop­ment of other natural gas fields in the area. In January 2022, Berdi­muha­medow announced plans to extinguish the crater, citing deleterious effects on local health, the environment, and the natural gas industry. A commission was established to find the optimal technique. Despite Berdimuhamedow's intentions, the crater remains open and burning.

In 2025, authorities declared that the size of the fire had been reduced three-fold over an unspecified timeframe, while several wells were drilled around the crater to capture methane. By August, the crater, which was said to have been the country's top tourist attraction, had only a few pockets of small fires. Infrared images taken in 2026 show the fires are on the decline. The intensity of heat from the flames has diminished by more than 75 percent over the last three years, according to an analysis by Capterio, a company that monitors natural gas flares.

Tourism and culture

Darvaza gas crater

The Darvaza gas crater and the surroundings. Tents are visible, which facilitate nocturnal trips to the site.

A crater filled with water; gas bubbles are visible. About 23 km from the Darvaza gas crater.

The mud crater. About 10 km from the Darvaza Gas Crater.

The crater is difficult to visit. All foreigners need a visa to enter Turkmenistan, and the crater is approximately a four hour drive from the capital Ashgabat. Nevertheless, in post-Soviet Turkmenistan, the crater has become a major tourist attraction, perhaps aided by the declaration of the region as a natural reserve in 2013. A crude road without signage runs out to the crater, and yurts have been set up nearby.

In 2018, the gas crater was used as an overnight stop in the Amul-Hazar automobile rally. In 2019, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov appeared on state television apparently driving around the crater in a truck doing doughnut stunts to disprove rumors of his death, but the footage was cut in such a way that he was never actually seen driving near the crater itself.

Exploration

In 2013, George Kourounis became the first person to set foot at the bottom of the crater; he was gathering soil samples for the Extreme Microbiome Project. The descent was sponsored by National Geographic and featured in an episode of the National Geographic Channel series Die Trying.

Kourounis used a custom-made Kevlar harness and multiple Technora ropes attached to a full-body aluminized suit with a self-contained breathing apparatus. He has since wished to descend into the crater again, carrying more equipment for better profiling of the local biome.

Data from Carbon Mapper, a nonprofit organization based in Pasadena, California, shows that the crater emitted an average of about 1,300 kilograms of methane per hour from 2022 to 2025. Data collected in October 2025 shows methane emission of 1,960 kilograms per hour. Turkmenistan has one of the highest levels of global methane emissions according to International Energy Agency.