Turkmenistan Darvaza Gas Crater Seen by VIIRS Nightfire

Payne Institute Earth Observation Group Director Christopher Elvidge uses VIIRS Nightfire to look at the Darvaza Gas Crater in Turkmenistan, also known as the “Gates of Hell.”  The nightly temporal profile shows a gradual decline in the activity levels and an indication of annual cycling. The temperature has been steady near 1224 K. That is about 400 K cooler than the typical gas flare, perhaps an indication of inefficient combustion.  June 14, 2023.