Detecting Methane Plumes from the Darvaza Gas Crater

Deep in Turkmenistan's Karakum Desert, there is a pit of fire called the Darvaza Gas Crater. Nicknamed the "Door to Hell," the Darvaza Gas Crater has been burning for decades. The Darvaza Gas Crater measures roughly 60–70 meters across and 30 meters deep, and it has been continuously ablaze since 1971, when a Soviet drilling accident punctured an underground gas cavern.¹ Today, the Darvaza Gas Crater is a popular tourist attraction in Central Asia, where visitors can experience the marvel of the crater while camping overnight in the desert.

But this inferno isn't just a spectacle. It's a subject of cutting-edge science, including spectroscopy from orbit using hyperspectral imaging.

How is hyperspectral satellite imaging studying the Darvaza Gas Crater?

A recent study investigated the Darvaza gas crater in Turkmenistan to monitor, measure, and detect methane emissions coming from the crater.² The study also attempted to determine when the fire’s ignition started. By analyzing historical Landsat satellite imagery, the researchers determined that the fire actually began between late 1987 and early 1988, significantly narrowing the timeline.²

To measure current emissions, the team used five hyperspectral satellites, which included EnMAP, PRISMA, EMIT, GF-5A, and ZY-1E, to monitor the site between 2020 and 2025.² They detected 44 methane plumes during this period, with hourly emission rates between 1,000 and 3,000 kg.² Over the five-year observation window, total methane output was estimated at 71 ± 21 kilotons.² Projecting this rate across the crater's full burning history suggests cumulative emissions exceeding 900 ± 300 kilotons.²

The study also found that flaring intensity has gradually declined over time, though this reduction did not appear to correlate with changes in methane release. Overall, the research resolves key uncertainties about the crater's origins and behavior, offering a clearer picture of how this unusual site contributes to long-term greenhouse gas emissions. It also shows how hyperspectral satellite imaging can be used in environmental monitoring applications.

Is work being done to reduce methane emissions coming from the Darvaza Gas Crater?

Yes. The Turkmen government back in 2022, by order of then-President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, announced plans to extinguish the raging fires coming from the Darvaza Gas Crater, citing both environmental and human health concerns.³

The crater, Berdimuhamedow said, “has a negative impact on both the environment and the health of people living nearby.”³

“Valuable natural resources are being lost, the export of which could generate significant profits and be used to improve the well-being of our people," Berdimuhamedow said.³

This was a decision that was not easy for Turkmenistan to make. Because of its status as a totalitarian country, Turkmenistan does not get many tourists, but the ones that do venture to the country cite the Darvaza Gas Crater as one of the primary reasons for visiting.

However, current global politics, and Turkmenistan’s commitment to the Global Methane Pledge, have necessitated this course of action. Whether or not the extinguished Darvaza Crater results in significant losses in tourism revenue, and whether extinguishing the crater does have sizable positive environmental impacts, remains to be seen.

References

1. Yogerst, J. Turkmenistan’s Mysterious, Flaming ‘Gates of Hell’. CNN.com. Available at: https://www.cnn.com/travel/turkmenistan-flaming-gates-of-hell-darvaza (accessed 2026-04-06).
2. Valverde, A.; Irakulis-Loitxate, I.; Gorrono, J.; Pei, Z.; Guanter, L. Satellite-based assessment of methane emissions from the Darvaza gas crater. Earth ArXiv. 2026, preprint. Available at: https://eartharxiv.org/repository/view/9468/
3. RTE, Turkmenistan's Methane-spewing 'Gateway to Hell' Loses its Anger. RTE.ie. Available at: https://www.rte.ie/news/newslens/2025/0806/1527158-turkmenistan/ (accessed 2026-04-06)