The biggest hole in the earth

The creations of nature are always fascinating, especially if they are objects of gigantic proportions. There are huge holes in the earth's crust of incredible dimensions. However, their authorship does not always belong to nature, a man-made big hole can also cause shock among others.

Quarry in Yakutia

Scientists can not give an exact answer about the nature of the appearance of most giant natural holes. The spectacle is as impressive as it is dangerous. The abyss can open almost anywhere, absorbing at home, cars, people. Here are the most famous holes of different origin.

In Yakutia is located one of the largest quarries on the whole planet. Its dimensions are more than 0.5 km deep and almost one and a half kilometers in diameter. The name of the quarry was given to the kimberlite pipe "Mir". It was opened in the 50s of the twentieth century and worked until 2001. All this time, the kimberlite ore was mined here, which is rich in diamonds. Today, the remaining reserves of ore are unprofitable to extract, so underground mines are built. Large holes in the earth can be created by human hands.

Other man-made holes

The largest open pit on the planet, created by man, is Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine. It is located in Utah. In the open pit mining is conducted in an open way. The width of the mine is almost 8 km, and the depth reaches four kilometers. The quarry was opened in 1863, production is still in progress today, so its size is constantly increasing.

In Canada, on the islands, there is a quarry where diamonds are mined. It's called Diavik. Around him grew all the necessary infrastructure, and even the airport.

The largest quarry, which was created by a man without the use of special equipment, is in South Africa. A large hole in the past was the place of extraction of diamondiferous ore. The parameters of this mine along the perimeter are about 1.5 km, and in width - more than 460 meters. Now this mine is a means of attracting tourists to the city. The giant hole was called the Kimberlite pipe. A large hole is striking in its dimensions.

Local Attractions

In northern California there is a dam of Monticello Dam's. In the reservoir of the dam there is a funnel through which water flows. The depth of the funnel is more than 21 meters, its upper part in the cross-section is 21 meters, and the lower part is 8.5 meters. Through such a giant plum from the reservoir drain excess water. A large hole can easily become a local landmark. People like to visit places that terrify their size.

In Guatemala, a huge karst fossil was formed, provoked by heavy rains and an increase in groundwater levels. According to eyewitnesses, even a few days before the formation of the funnel, locals heard from the ground hum and felt the shifts of the soil. As a result of the tragedy, people were killed and more than ten houses were destroyed.

A large blue hole is in the atoll of Lighthouse Reef. In fact, this is a karst deepening up to 120 meters deep, having more than 300 meters across. The discoverer of this funnel was the famous scientist Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The nature of the formation of the blue hole is scientifically explained. During the glacial period, this relief had the appearance of a system of calcareous caves. Over time, when the ocean level rose significantly, the caves were flooded, and its vaults, consisting of porous limestone, collapsed. The blue hole is one of the ten most successful places for scuba diving.

Holes of unknown origin

Holes in the earth appear both in desert areas and in areas that are densely populated by people. Unfortunately, often the appearance of such faults leads to tragic victims. Here are some of these cases of holes in the earth:

1. In 2010, Guatemala had a huge round funnel that destroyed the garment factory. The reason for the appearance of this fault was storm rains. Of course, the big blue hole is more large, but these formations also cause horror among the local population.
2. In New Zealand, the abyss opened at a depth of fifteen and a width of fifty meters. In the failure the house fell, together with the family that was in it. Miraculously managed to avoid the victims. The reason was the collapse of an abandoned mine.

Funnels in the Middle Kingdom

In 2010, a big hole opened in China right in the middle of the road. Because of the soil shift, after a while, the hospital was destroyed.

In 2012, too, in China on the road appeared a hole, which hit a large truck. The driver managed to avoid falling into the abyss due to the fact that the cabin remained on the surface, and only the trailer hung in the pit.

In 2013, a Chinese rice plantation in Huan Province formed a large hole up to 20 meters across. Less than six months in this area, there were about twenty such failures. It turned out that industrial activity in this area violated the groundwater balance, which led to the formation of holes.

Huge holes in the earth can be a beautiful sight, if they are in the wild. Such places often become tourist attractions. But the holes that appear as a result of human activity can be extremely dangerous. Therefore, in carrying out their industrial activities, one should always think about the consequences to which it can lead.