The Weirdand the Weary Episode 71: Lake Natron and The Darvaza Crater of Fire

Sounds like an action-packed film about adventurer, Lake Natron and his search for the mystery behind the fires of the Darvaza Crater while falling in love and saving denizens of poor slaves, but alas, it isn't. It's about two of the scariest places on Earth. Lake Natron can calcify anything that touches it and leaves behind a macabre display of art that shows the balance of life and death. And while that fun is happening in Africa, Darvaza, "The Door to Hell" is open for business in far off Turkmenistan's Karakum Desert, and has been for almost 50 years now. Soviet geologists had come upon this methane producing crater and figured setting a fire to burn the gas would be a good idea. WRONG. It is a gas pocket that continuously produces methane and has not stopped since. What a world. Check out this week's episode on Lake Natron and the Darvaza Fire Crater.