Permafrost Laboratory

We venture to some of the coldest places on Earth, such as Siberia and Canada, to examine permafrost – and study it in our specialised lab at Sussex. Find out about our team, research, and consultancy services.

Inside the ‘gateway to hell’

Our fieldwork in the Batagay megaslump in Siberia, informally known as the ‘gateway to hell’, has been covered by numerous media outlets including the BBC, The New Yorker, and UNILAD. The Batagay megaslump is the largest known permafrost crater on Earth and is an important research site for us.

Our researchers regularly publish articles in high-profile international journals on the latest findings and breakthroughs in permafrost science. 

Read all media and publications

Permafrost: a symptom of changing climate

Permafrost is ground that remains at or below 0°C for at least two consecutive years. It is a geological manifestation of climate. Currently, permafrost ranges in thickness from centimetres to around 1500 metres and lies under about 15 million square kilometres of the exposed land surface.

Evidence of permafrost dates back to the Cryogenian Period (720-635 million years ago), and permafrost is extensive on cold planetary bodies like Mars. Read Professor Julian Murton's article about permafrost and its relationship to climate change.

The Batagay megaslump, Siberia

Contact

Email Professor Julian Murton at j.b.murton@sussex.ac.uk with any enquiries, and meet the Permafrost Laboratory team.

Image accreditation

  • banner image of Muostakh Island at the top of page by Thomas Opel
  • photograph of Professor Julian Murton in the Permafrost Laboratory by Stuart Robinson
  • photograph of the Batagay megaslump to illustrate media coverage by A. Kizyakov
  • all other photographs on this page and others by Professor Julian Murton.

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