The Darvaza crater in Turkmenistan, known as the Gates to Hell, is seeing a decline in flame intensity. While the government attributes this to new gas extraction wells, satellite data suggests the dimming may be due to natural factors. This shift raises climate concerns. The fires convert potent methane into carbon dioxide. As the flames dim, raw methane emissions may increase, contributing more significantly to global warming despite the site representing a small fraction of the country's total emissions.
