The explosions that form the craters found in Siberia aren’t directly caused by climate change, but they could become more common because of it.
The explosions are most likely driven by the build-up of gas beneath frozen soil, known as permafrost.
In northwest Siberia, where these craters were discovered, there are big deposits of oil and gas. These deposits have been extracted for decades. Some deposits are kept in place by permafrost.
Thick layers of ice and permafrost act as ‘caps’ keeping gas reservoirs trapped. Any weakening of these caps could lead to gas migration and explosions due to pressure build-up.
During the short Arctic summers, surface permafrost will thaw, which can affect the movement of water in these often very flat landscapes.
Both thawing ice layers and water movement, as well as fossil fuel extraction, can impact gas migration and build-up.
The Arctic is warming two to three times faster than the rest of the world due to climate change. This warming means longer Arctic summers, longer periods of permafrost thaw and changing hydrology, which may further weaken the ice layers that trap the gas underground.
While the existence of these craters was only recently discovered, they have potentially been occurring in permafrost landscapes for millennia. And although the exact cause of gas build-up and the resulting explosions is unclear, climate change is likely playing a role in increasing their likelihood.
Current research is focusing on determining whether these explosions are specific to areas such as northwest Siberia.
This article is an answer to the question (asked by Stephanie Owens, Chippenham) 'What’s behind Siberia’s mysterious exploding craters?'
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