Govind Tekale
Deep within Siberia's Chersky Range, a colossal chasm swallows one million cubic feet of earth annually, reaching depths of 328 feet in some sections.
Photo Source- USGS
What started as a small ravine in the 1970s has transformed into the world's largest thaw slump, stretching 0.6 miles long and 0.5 miles wide.
Could this massive permafrost crater, which releases 5,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases yearly, forecast the Arctic's future?
Scientists discovered 650,000-year-old ice inside the Batagaika crater, alongside preserved remains of ancient bison, horses, and mammoths.
Local resident Erel Struchkov witnessed the transformation: "We locals call it 'the cave-in' - it started expanding in the heat of sunny days."
Roads buckle and houses split apart as permafrost thaw disrupts infrastructure across northern Russia, while the crater's headwalls retreat up to 49 feet annually.
Why did deforestation and off-road vehicle traffic in the 1960s trigger this massive permafrost collapse?
Russia's temperatures climb 2.5 times faster than global averages, accelerating the crater's growth and carbon release.
From 63 similar formations in 1983 to over 4,077 today - how rapidly are these megaslumps multiplying across the Arctic?