Deep in Siberia, there’s a place locals call the gateway to the underworld — and it’s getting bigger every year. The Batagay megaslump, a massive crater in the permafrost, is expanding by more than 35 million cubic feet annually as the frozen ground melts away. Scientists say its walls are retreating 40 feet each year, exposing ice and soil that have been frozen for over 650,000 years — the oldest permafrost in Siberia. This isn’t just a hole in the Earth; it’s a time machine revealing our planet’s ancient past — and a chilling sign of its future.

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