Oct 24 2011

Large and visually unusual holes have been known to us since the ancient times. A natural depression or hole in the Earth’s surface caused for one or the other reason has been the topic of interest for human beings since ages.

Man has always been in the quest to search for mineral wealth thereby creating many enormous holes. Not only this, nature too has played a major role in creating these gigantic holes.

Few good number of holes can be found scattered across the globe. While some of them are smaller in size there are lot many that are so huge that they can be seen by astronauts with the unaided eye. Some of them signal a subterranean fire, open pit diamond mines, and others are sinkholes.

From Chand Baori in India to Great Blue Hole in Belize; there are lot many massive holes- brought about by mankind, made by nature like craters or collapsed cave systems. Here we have listed 10 most spectacular natural and manmade holes on the Earth.

These massive man made and natural holes make me recall the ‘10 Greatest Impact Craters Caused By Asteroid Attacks On Earth’. If you are the one interested in such geographical astonishing facts, this one is for you. Take a look!

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1. 200ft Sinkhole (Guatemala)

The gigantic crater appeared in the Central American country’s capital, Guatemala City when a 200ft deep sink hole swallowed up a three-storey building. Agatha was the first named storm of the 2010 Pacific season that slammed into Guatemala and neighboring El Salvador dumping more than three feet of rain in the region.

2. Well Of Chand Baori (India)

Chand Baori is a famous stepwell situated in the village of Abhaneri near Jaipur in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Built back in the 10th century, the well of Chand Baori in India was a practical solution to the water problems faced by the local residents. Chand Baori well is 30 meters deep, has 13 floors and 3,500 steps. It is said that the ghosts build it in one night and it has huge number of steps.

3. Bingham Canyon Mine, Salt Lake City, Utah-US

The Kennecott Copper Mine is an open-pit mine located in Salt Lake County, Utah southwest of West Jordan. Located 28 miles southwest of Salt Lake City it is the large layered multi-color, barren protrusion on the side of the Oquirrh Mountains on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley. Currently, it is the largest open-pit mine in the world and the world’s largest man-made excavation.

4. Glory Hole, Monticello Dam (California, US)

Located in northern California, the Monticello Dam’s is the largest morning glory spillway all over the world. The funnel-shaped outlet, allows water to bypass the dam when it reaches capacity, as it swallows a rate of 48,400 cubic feet per second. The distance from the funnel to the exit point which is situated in the south side of the canyon is about 700 feet. The hole’s largest diameter is 72 feet and narrows to about 28 feet.

5. Morning Glory Hole (Wyoming, US)

The Morning Glory Pool is one of the most prominent and prettiest thermal pools but is in danger of losing its colors when the Grand Loop Road used to pass close to it. Visitors from across the world come to see the pool and witness its glory but the fact that they throw coins into it causes the pool to cool and jeopardize the existence of the color-causing bacteria that thrive within.

6. Mirny Diamond Mine (Siberia)

It’s an absolute beast and holds the title of largest open diamond mine in the world. The mine is 525 meters (1,722 ft) deep and has a diameter of 1,200 m (3,900 ft), and is the second largest excavated hole in the world, after Bingham Canyon Mine.

7. Diavik Mine (Canada)

Diavik Diamond Mine about 300 kilometers north of Yellowknife in Canada. Producing 8 million carats of diamonds on yearly basis, the mine is in a remote area and is huge with its own airport.

8. Burning Gates (Turkmenistan)

Derweze-The Gate also known as Darvaza is a Turkmenistan village of about 350 inhabitants located in the middle of the Karakum desert about 260 km north from Ashgabat. The Derweze area is rich in natural gas. In the year 1971, while drilling the geologists tapped into a cavern filled with natural gas, the result of which was the ground beneath the drilling rig collapsed thereby leaving a large hole with a diameter of about 70 metres.

9. Kimberley Big Hole (South Africa)

Kimberley is the home of De Beers Consolidated Diamond Mines, some of the world’s richest diamond mines, and it is still considered to be the capital of the world’s diamond industry. Till date, it is considered to be the capital of the world’s diamond industry. In the year 1871 a diamond was found on a small hill called Colesberg Koppie. Digging further they plunged down into the earth to a depth of 1100 metres and created what came to be known simply as the ‘Big Hole’.

10. Great Blue Hole (Belize)

Located in Belize’s Barrier Reef Reserve System, the Great Blue Hole is 60 miles away from Belize City. Measuring 125 meters deep and 300 meters wide, it is believed to be the world’s largest sea-hole. Some 65,000 years ago it was created as a cause of sea level increase. Circular in shape, it is one of the major tourist attractions and is one of the attractive spot for scuba divers.