Creations of nature are always fascinating, especially if they are objects of gigantic proportions. There are huge holes in the earth's crust of simply incredible size. However, their authorship does not always belong to nature, a man-made big hole can also cause shock to others.
Quarry in Yakutia
Scientists cannot give an exact answer about the nature of most giant natural holes. The sight is as impressive as it is dangerous. The abyss can open up almost anywhere, swallowing up houses, cars, people. Here are the most famous holes of various origins.
Yakutia has one of the largest quarries on the planet. Its dimensions are more than 0.5 km in depth and almost one and a half kilometers in diameter. The quarry has been given a name - the Mir kimberlite pipe. It was opened in the 1950s and worked until 2001. All this time, kimberlite ore, which is rich in diamonds, was mined here in an open way. Today, it is unprofitable to extract the remaining ore reserves by open pit mining, so underground mines have been built. Large holes in the ground can be created by human hands.
Other man-made holes
The largest man-made quarry on the planet is the Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine. It is located in Utah. In the quarry, mining is carried out 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 and is still being mined today, so its size is constantly increasing.
In Canada, there is a quarry on the islands where diamonds are mined. It's called Diavik. All the necessary infrastructure has grown around it, and even an airport.
The largest quarry created by a man without the use of special equipment is located in South Africa. The big hole used to be a mining site for diamond 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 is called the Kimberlite Pipe. A large hole is striking in its dimensions.
Local Attractions
Monticello Dam's in northern California. There is a funnel in the reservoir of the dam through which water is drained. The depth of the funnel is more than 21 meters, its upper part in diameter is 21 meters, and the lower part is 8.5 meters. Through such a giant drain, excess water is drained from the reservoir. A big hole can easily become a local attraction. People love to visit places that are terrifying in their scale.
A huge karst sinkhole formed in Guatemala, provoked by heavy rains and rising levelsground water. According to eyewitnesses, even a few days before the formation of a funnel, local residents heard a rumble from under the ground and felt shifts in the soil. As a result of the tragedy, people died and more than ten houses were destroyed.
The big blue hole is located in the Lighthouse Reef Atoll. In fact, this is a karst depression up to 120 meters deep, having more than 300 meters in diameter. The pioneer of this funnel was the famous scientist Jacques-Yves Cousteau. The nature of the formation of a blue hole is scientifically explained. During the ice age, this relief looked like a system of limestone 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 top 10 dive sites.
Holes of unknown origin
Holes in the ground 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 ground:
- In 2010, a huge circular crater appeared in Guatemala, destroying a garment factory. The reason for the appearance of such a fault was storm rains. Of course, a large blue hole is larger, but these formations also cause horror among the local population.
- In New Zealand, the abyss opened up to a depth of fifteen and a width of fifty meters. The house fell into the hole, along with the family in it. Miraculously, casu alties were avoided. The reason wasabandoned mine collapse.
Funnels in China
In 2010, a large hole opened up right in the middle of the road in China. After some time, the hospital was destroyed due to a shift in the soil.
In 2012, also in China, a hole appeared on the road, into which a large truck fell. 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 large hole up to 20 meters across formed in a Chinese rice plantation in Huan Province. In less than six months, about twenty such failures appeared in the area. It turned out that industrial activity in the area had disturbed the balance of groundwater, leading to the formation of holes.
Great holes in the ground can be a beautiful sight if found 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, while conducting his industrial activity, a person should always think about the consequences to which it can lead.
