Darvaza gas crater

A gas-filled cavern collapsed in the Karakum Desert and was set alight, probably in the early 1970s. It has been burning ever since.

Exact start date is uncertain.

Context

The Darvaza crater lies in the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan, which was part of the Soviet Union at the time. The common account is that Soviet geologists were drilling for natural gas and the ground gave way, leaving a hole roughly 70 metres wide and about 20 metres deep. To stop poisonous gas from spreading, they are said to have set it alight, expecting it to burn out within days.

Much of this story is hard to confirm. The date is generally placed in the early 1970s, but no clear records exist, and some locals and officials have given different versions. Because of this, the 1971 date should be read as approximate.

The fire is fed by natural gas seeping up from the underlying rock. In 2013 the Canadian explorer George Kourounis went down into the crater and collected soil samples, finding that living microbes survive at the edge of the heat.

Turkmen leaders have spoken more than once about putting the fire out, partly because it wastes gas and affects the environment. Reports of its current status differ, so check recent news before assuming it is still burning at the same intensity.