Top 10 Biggest Holes in the World
In today’s list we’d like to show you some of the world’s biggest and
most astonishing holes on Earth. Whether dug by humans in their thirst
for greater riches and wealth or merely created by nature, the below
holes make up for some spectacular yet frightening sights.
This super hole is actually a diamond pit hole in Russia which was discovered back in 1955 and is nicknamed “ the pipe “. Ever since then the mine has dropped 600 meters in the depth of the frozen siberian soil. People would do anything in their quest for riches, isn’t it ?
Having 20 meters in diameter and with a depth of 30 meters, this hole appeared in Guatemala following a tropical storm. People living near the sinkhole were in shock, as one can easily imagine. Moreover, geologists couldn’t explain the phenomena which caused it.
This hole is yet another diamond mine located in Canada. The mine employes 700 workers and it produces 8 million carats of diamonds annually which for your information is about 1600 kg!
The great Blue Hole is situated in the middle of Lighthouse Reef, a small atol in Belize. This sinkhole has a diameter of 305 meters and a depth of 120 meters. It’s part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a World Heritage Site of the UNESCO.
The Bingham Canyon Mine is a copper mine located in Utah. It is 1.2 km deep and 4 km in diameter which makes it the world’s biggest manmade excavation. The mine has been in exploitation ever since 1906.
Yet another diamond mine makes it on our list and for good reasons with its 525 meters depth and 1200 meters diameter. This is the first quarry in Russia and one of the biggest in the country. Presently the hole is abandoned but at the time it was still operational, trucks took 2 hours only to get from the bottom to the top.
Nicknamed Chuqui, this hole makes it as the world’s biggest copper mine and it has more than 850 meters in depth. Copper has been extracted from this place for centuries as it has been proved by the discovery of a mummy dating back to year 550 and dubbed the Copper Man.
Situated in the Napa area in California, the Monticello dam was built between 1953 and 1957. The dam is a concrete arch 93 meters high, 312 meters long and contains 249.000 concrete cubic meters. The dam formed California’s biggest lake, Berryessa, having a capacity of almost 2 million cubic meters of water.
Also known as the Big Hole, it is the world’s largest diamond mine and also visible from space. Since 1866 to 1914, 50.000 miners dug this hole taking out over 2700 kg of diamonds. The mine has a surface of 17 hectares and 463 meters in diameter and diamonds dug out from here brought world fame to De Beers.
Nicknamed The Door to Hell and located in the heart of the Karakum desert, it lights up the surroundings making it visible from great distance. This hole is the result of a russian gas research accident in the 50s. It spreads a heavy sulfurous stench which can be smelled from far away only to become unbearable around the crater’s edge.
1. Udachnaya, Russia
This super hole is actually a diamond pit hole in Russia which was discovered back in 1955 and is nicknamed “ the pipe “. Ever since then the mine has dropped 600 meters in the depth of the frozen siberian soil. People would do anything in their quest for riches, isn’t it ?
2.Guatemala sinkhole
Having 20 meters in diameter and with a depth of 30 meters, this hole appeared in Guatemala following a tropical storm. People living near the sinkhole were in shock, as one can easily imagine. Moreover, geologists couldn’t explain the phenomena which caused it.
3. Diavik Mine, Canada
This hole is yet another diamond mine located in Canada. The mine employes 700 workers and it produces 8 million carats of diamonds annually which for your information is about 1600 kg!
4. Blue hole, Belize
The great Blue Hole is situated in the middle of Lighthouse Reef, a small atol in Belize. This sinkhole has a diameter of 305 meters and a depth of 120 meters. It’s part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a World Heritage Site of the UNESCO.
5. Bingham Canyon Mine, USA
The Bingham Canyon Mine is a copper mine located in Utah. It is 1.2 km deep and 4 km in diameter which makes it the world’s biggest manmade excavation. The mine has been in exploitation ever since 1906.
6. Mirny Diamond Mine, Russia
Yet another diamond mine makes it on our list and for good reasons with its 525 meters depth and 1200 meters diameter. This is the first quarry in Russia and one of the biggest in the country. Presently the hole is abandoned but at the time it was still operational, trucks took 2 hours only to get from the bottom to the top.
7. Chuquicamata copper mine, Chile
Nicknamed Chuqui, this hole makes it as the world’s biggest copper mine and it has more than 850 meters in depth. Copper has been extracted from this place for centuries as it has been proved by the discovery of a mummy dating back to year 550 and dubbed the Copper Man.
8. Morning Glory Spillway, USA
Situated in the Napa area in California, the Monticello dam was built between 1953 and 1957. The dam is a concrete arch 93 meters high, 312 meters long and contains 249.000 concrete cubic meters. The dam formed California’s biggest lake, Berryessa, having a capacity of almost 2 million cubic meters of water.
9. Kimberley diamond mine, South Africa
Also known as the Big Hole, it is the world’s largest diamond mine and also visible from space. Since 1866 to 1914, 50.000 miners dug this hole taking out over 2700 kg of diamonds. The mine has a surface of 17 hectares and 463 meters in diameter and diamonds dug out from here brought world fame to De Beers.
10. Darvaza gas crater, Turkmenistan
Nicknamed The Door to Hell and located in the heart of the Karakum desert, it lights up the surroundings making it visible from great distance. This hole is the result of a russian gas research accident in the 50s. It spreads a heavy sulfurous stench which can be smelled from far away only to become unbearable around the crater’s edge.
