Amazing Holes in the Earth

Here we have 12 most spectacular natural and manmade holes in the face of the earth. Some of these are the result of man's search for mineral wealth, while some are nature's work creating some astounding holes...

Chuquicamata-Chile

Chuquicamata is an open pit copper mine in Chile. It is the mine with the largest total production of copper in the world - though it is not the largest copper mine. The mine is over 850 meters deep.

Udachnaya Pipe-Russia

The Udachnaya Pipe is a diamond mine in Russia. The owners of the mine plan to cease its operations in 2010 - in favor of underground mining. The mine was discovered in 1955 and is over 600 meters deep.

Sinkhole-Guatemala

In 2007, a 300 foot deep sinkhole swallowed a dozen homes in Guatemala - killing 2 and causing thousands to be evacuated. The sinkhole was caused by rains and an underground sewage flow.

Well Of Chand Baori

Chand Baori is a famous stepwell situated in the village of

Abhaneri near Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Built in the 9th century and has 3500 narrow steps and 13 stories and is 100 feet deep.

 Diavik Mine-Canada

The Diavik Mine is a mine in the Northwest territories of Canada. The mine (opened in 2003) produces 8 million carats or about 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) of diamonds every year. It is connected by an ice road and has its own airport with a runway large enough to accommodate Boeing 737 jet aircraft.

Mirny Diamond Mine-Siberia

The Mirny Diamond Mine is 525m deep and has a diameter of 1200m. It was the first, and one of the largest, diamond Pipes in the USSR. It is now abandoned. While it was still operational, it would take two hours for trucks to drive from the top to the bottom of the mine.and there is a no-fly zone above the hole as a few helicopters got sucked in.

Great Blue Hole-Belize

The Great Blue Hole — the world’s largest blue hole — is a massive underwater sinkhole off of the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 60 miles (96 kilometers) east of the Belize mainland. The hole is near perfectly circular in shape, more than 1,000 feet (305 meters) across and 480 feet (146 meters) deep. 

Bingham Canyon Mine-Utah 

 Bingham Canyon Mine is the world's largest open pit mine or to say the world's largest man-made structure. This open-faced mine is the largest man-made excavation on earth, stretching two-and-a-half miles wide and 3,960 feet deep.

Monticello Dam-California

 

 Located in northern California, the Monticello Dam's is the largest in the world. This funnel-shaped outlet, allows water to bypass the dam when it reaches capacity, as it allows water to pass through at a rate of 48,400 cubic feet per second.

Kimberley Diamond Mine-South Africa

The Kimberley Diamond Mine (also known as the Big Hole) holds the (disputed) title of being the largest hand-dug hole in the world. From 1866 to 1914 50,000 miners dug the hole with picks and shovels, yielding 2,722 kg of diamonds. Attempts are being made to have it registered as a world heritage site.

Darvaza Gas Crater-Turkmenistan

In 1971, geologists discovered a huge underground deposit of natural gas on this site. And while excavating, a whole drilling rig fell into an underground cavern. Natural gas started coming up from the hole. To prevent gasses from escaping, it was set alight and it continues to burn even today. The crater measures roughly 60 meters in diameter and 20 meters deep and is located in Turkmenistan. 

The World's Deepest Water-Filled Sinkhole - El Zacatón Cenote

Cenote Zacaton, near the northeastern coast of Mexico, is the deepest known water-filled sinkhole in the world.
"Bottom of world's deepest sinkhole found 318 meters below surface. The world's deepest sinkhole has been discovered with the help of a robotic vehicle designed for underwater exploration by the National Aeronautic Space Agency (NASA).

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