Where in the World Wednesday: The Darvaza Gas Crater, Derweze, Turkmenistan

THE DARVAZA GAS CRATER, DERWEZE, TURKMENISTAN

The Darvaza gas crater, known locally as the Door to Hell or Gates of Hell, is a natural gas field collapsed into an underground cavern located in Derweze, Turkmenistan. Geologists intentionally set it on fire to prevent the spread of methane gas, and it is thought to have been burning continuously since 1971.