The largest hole in the world. The worst big holes in the ground

The recent discovery of the third hole in Siberia has puzzled many scientists, led conspiracy theorists, and forced ordinary people to take a fresh look at the stability of the earth under our feet. The surface of the Earth is riddled with holes: some under water, some on the ground, and some generally look like doors to the other world.

Holes in Siberia

Hole in the ground Yamal funnel Giant Hole in the ground Yamal Russia

More recently, three strange holes have been found in Siberia. The first, 50-100 meters across, was found at the bottom of the lake. The second hole, a few kilometers from the first, was only 15 meters wide. The third hole, accidentally found by reindeer breeders, turned out to be an almost perfect cone-shaped hole about 4 meters wide and 60-100 meters deep.

A ring of debris and dirt around each hole indicates that the massive holes were made by forces that came from the interior of the Earth and burst out. Of course, curious theories were also born. Some believe that the holes are related to the development of gas in the region, but the holes are so far from the gas pipelines that scientists rejected the guess. Other theories include crazy rockets, pranksters, and, of course, extraterrestrial invasion.

The real reason may be more mundane, but no less strange from that. One of the working theories about holes is that they are kind of back funnels. In this case, the holes were caused by underground destruction caused by the melting of the permafrost. They were then filled with natural gas, and when the pressure became too great, dirt and debris burst into the air instead of falling into the underground space.

According to local residents, the holes are far from new, and scientists, in principle, admit such a possibility, looking at the vegetation around - they could have been for several years. The second hole discovered is fondly called the “end of the world,” and the locals allegedly saw it back in September 2013. The testimony is different: some say they saw something falling from the sky, others that the explosion was on the ground.

Kola superdeep well

Not all holes in the earth's crust were formed for natural or unknown reasons. During 1970-1994, Russian geologists dug the largest hole on Earth that could be imagined in the name of science. As a result, the Kola superdeep well appeared, which eventually reached a depth of 12 kilometers.

On the way, scientists discovered a number of curious things. Digging a tunnel through a stone is like digging through history. Scientists have found the remains of life that existed on the surface two billion years ago. At an impressive depth of 6,700 meters, biologists have discovered tiny plankton fossils. While a wide variety of rock types were expected to be found on the way down, it is incredible how fragile organics have survived under tremendous pressure for thousands of years.

Drilling through pristine rock proved to be difficult. The samples of the stone pulled out from the high pressure and temperature area were deformed after falling outside. Pressure and temperature also rose much higher than expected. By the time it reached 10,000 meters, the temperature had soared to 180 degrees Celsius.

Unfortunately, drilling stopped when it became impossible to combat the heat. The hole is still there, near the town of Zapolyarny, but it is covered with a metal cover.

German Continental Deep Drilling Program and Pulse of the Earth

What Does It Sound Like 6 Miles Under the Earth "s Surface

In 1994, the drilling of a German ultra-deep well, originally conceived as one of the most ambitious geophysical projects, was stopped. The goal of the project is to give scientists the opportunity to study effects such as the effects of pressure on rocks, the presence of anomalies in the earth's crust, the structure of the crust and how it was exposed to heat and pressure. The $ 350 million project left Windischenbach with a hole 9,100 meters deep and a temperature of 265 degrees Celsius.

Among the various scientific experiments, there was one unusual: the Dutch artist Lotte Geeven wanted to know what the planet sounds like. Although the scientists told her that the planet was silent, Geeven insisted on her own. She lowered the geophone into the hole to record ultrasonic waves beyond the auditory capacity of the human ear. After converting the data on the computer into frequencies that can be heard, Lotte heard the sounds of the Earth. It was like the sounds of a thunderstorm in the distance, like a frightening heartbeat.

Dead Sea sinkholes

No one knows exactly how many holes have appeared around the Dead Sea, but it is believed that around 2,500 have appeared since 1970, and about 1,000 in the last 15 years alone. Like holes in Siberia, these holes are signs of environmental changes.

The Dead Sea is fed by the Jordan River, and less and less water flows into it every year. The sea itself is now three times smaller than it was in the 1960s, and drainage of the reservoir has caused sinkholes, along with the demise of resorts and hotels that once flourished in abundance on the shores. When the salt water of the sea seeps through the land, fresh water meets it. When this fresh water enters the earth with a high salt content, most of the salt dissolves. The earth weakens and begins to collapse.

The Dead Sea has always been in a state of flux. It once connected with the Sea of \u200b\u200bGalilee, but this connection dried up about 18 thousand years ago. Now, change is more often driven by human actions. Water that once flowed into the sea in a delicate equilibrium is now being redirected across Jordan and Syria, with the sea receiving only 10 percent of the water it needs to sustain it.

At one time, this sea was a very popular place for those who made a religious pilgrimage or wanted to be healed in the mystical waters of the sea. Now, more often you can find signs warning of the danger of spontaneously arising craters. But there is a bright side: if a funnel swallows you, it will be named after you.

Dean's blue hole

The deepest blue hole (the so-called holes located under water) is Dean's blue hole in the Bahamas. At 202 meters deep, this blue hole is almost twice as deep as other blue holes, making it a favorite spot for professional divers.

In 2010, William Trubridge set the record for diving 101 meters into a hole without external oxygen or other equipment. A Brooklyn diver died while trying to break the record in 2013 after being underwater for more than three and a half minutes, surfaced and immediately lost consciousness. Every year more than 30 divers meet in this blue hole to participate in various competitions as part of the Vertical Blue event.

Although the hole attracts adventure lovers from all over the world, those who live near Dean's blue hole try to stay away from it. According to legend, this hole was dug by the devil and he is still there, grabbing people who dare to dive.

Mount Baldy's random holes

In 2013, a six-year-old boy explored the sand dunes of Mount Baldi in Indiana Dunes National Park and was swallowed by a crater that suddenly appeared beneath him. The boy was rescued after a three-hour trial, in which he was buried under a three-meter layer of sand. More funnels have appeared since then.

Geologists cannot explain the phenomena of Mount Baldi. Since the landscape is sand, which does not create air pockets, none of the conditions required for craters to form are met. When a funnel appears, it fills with sand throughout the day. The use of underground radar revealed no evidence.

A year after the first crater, they not only continued to appear, but also began to arise with such frequency that the park was closed. In an attempt to stabilize the sand dunes, experts planted grasses in the hope that their root system would stop erosion and earth displacement. Some scholars believe that the instability of the sand dunes may have something to do with their legendary history, which includes, among others, the story of the supply of massive amounts of sand to create Mason jars.

Devil's funnel

The Devil's Funnel is a massive underground chamber located in Edwards, Texas. The 15-meter-wide hole leads to a 106-meter-deep cavity, which now plays a unique ecological role as home to one of the largest known colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats. Visitors who, of course, cannot get into the cave can see over three million bats fly out of it every night during the summer months.

The history of the funnel is shrouded in mystery. The cave was raided by treasure seekers and artifact hunters before becoming a protected site. Arrowheads and dartheads found there date from 4000-2500 BC. e. Later, this funnel served as a haven for cowboys who rode west on horseback, as well as for people of a darker kind of employment. Much of the funnel's history was wiped out when ammonia producers began collecting mouse guano in the cave.

The Sawmill Sink

The so-called Sawmill Sink is another blue hole in the Bahamas, which, however, has much more scientific value than just attracting extreme athletes. This blue hole was an archaeological site that changed the scientific understanding of what the landscape was like 1,000 years ago.

The Soumill funnel is unique in that it was once dry, and when the water began to rise, it began to fill, slowly hiding the bones that were there. The fossils found there include the remains of a giant tortoise that was not even supposed to be found there, as well as birds, seeds and plants that have retained their green color.

Perhaps the most intriguing find was the remains of giant crocodiles, which were believed to have been destroyed by the people living at the time. In this blue hole, the remains of one of the oldest known residents of the Bahamas were also found, who, according to various estimates, is about 1050 years old.
The island itself is inhospitable, for the most part consists of mud, so it is generally impossible to reach the Andros black hole without a helicopter and special equipment. It was first investigated by scientist and diver Steffi Schwabe. She was the first to cross the curdled ink layer of bacteria. There was a layer of clear water underneath and another purple layer that looked like jelly.

Strange layers of water have very high levels of toxic hydrogen sulfide. They also contain bacteria that not only thrive between water levels, but have maintained water conditions for the past 3.5 billion years.

Seongdong Cave

Technically a cave system, Son Dong is accessible through several large openings on the Earth's surface. It was first found in 2009 after one of the holes was discovered by a local farmer. The cave system was so carefully buried in the jungle that it was pure luck that someone found it at all. When members of the British Cavers' Association entered the hole, they discovered something completely indescribable.

The cave was declared the largest in the world and was extremely difficult to explore. It appeared somewhere between two and five million years ago, carved by an underground river in limestone. In some places, the erosion reached the surface so close that parts of the cave roof collapsed, forming even more holes. These holes let in enough sunlight for the jungle to grow into the cave. In addition, the cave has a 60-meter calcite wall, an underground river and waterfalls, as well as stalagmites and stalactites that have grown to 80 meters in length.

This cave jungle is also home to an impressive array of wildlife, including venomous centipedes and whitefish. Some large cells can fit entire neighborhoods along with skyscrapers; there you can find bamboo forests and giant pearls. The very fact that the whole lost world was discovered only in 2009 reminds us, the inhabitants of the Earth, that the planet has not yet been fully explored.

The Big Hole kimberlite pipe (South Africa). The largest of those dug by "hands" is 1097 meters deep. More than 22 million tons of rock were moved to the surface. and mined 3 tons of diamonds. The development was completed in 1914.

Quarry Kennecott. Utah. Largest operating quarry in the world - copper mining began in 1863 and is still ongoing. Approximately a kilometer deep and 3.5 wide.

Diavik quarry, Canada. Diamonds are mined. The quarry is located on the islands and has its own infrastructure with an airport capable of receiving passenger Boeings.

Great Blue Hole, Belize. Width 400 meters, depth 145 - 160 meters. A point of attraction for professional divers from all over the world.

Gutter hole in the reservoir of the Monticello dam. Serves to discharge excess water in the reservoir reservoir. A kind of safety valve.

Karst sinkhole in Guatemala. Caused by groundwater and rainfall. During the formation of the failure, several people died and a dozen houses were destroyed.

The kimberlite pipe is the largest diamond quarry located in Yakutia. One fourth of all diamonds in the world are mined here.

The Mir quarry is one of the deepest on our planet.
The dimensions of the open pit in its upper diameter are 1200m, and the lower - 50m. The depth of the Kimberlite pipe is 515m.

Helicopters do not fly over the quarry: this funnel is capable of sucking in even aircraft from space.
In the national Yakut folklore there is a legend that once a god froze his hand, flying over Yakutia from the very cold. From his frozen hands, he dropped a bag of gifts, which were scattered over the mountains, tundra and river valleys.

In 2001, diamond mining at the Kimberlite pipe was stopped - the Mir open pit became very deep and dangerous for workers. The Kimberlite Pipe is now a local landmark. Observation platforms and a memorial sign are installed here.

The last explosion over the quarry occurred in 2001. 41 thousand explosives and 100 thousand tons of diamond ore - these are the results of the final mining.

“We lit a pipe of peace. The tobacco is excellent, ”- with such a secret radiogram in 1955 Soviet geologists reported to Moscow about the discovery of the richest diamond-bearing kimberlite pipe“ Mir ”. “We did not have a special code for this case,” recalled the head of the geological party, Yury Khabardin. - And we composed the text so that it would be clear what we found - "lit a pipe" and gave it the name - "Peace". The phrase "excellent tobacco" spoke of the rich diamond content. "
It was a find of extreme importance. It was believed that the use of diamond tools doubled the economic potential of the state, and the USSR was in need of industrial diamonds since the 1930s, after industrialization began in the country.
In February 1957, the first convoys began to arrive in the village of Mirny, which arose near the field. To get here, they had to overcome 2,800 km of off-road. The deserted area of \u200b\u200bYakutia began to quickly populate. Soon the first ladle of ore was mined from the Mir pipe, and already in the early 1960s, more than $ 1 billion worth of diamonds were mined in the USSR annually. The settlement of Mirny became the center of the Soviet diamond mining industry. Now it is a city with a population of 40 thousand people.
It is generally accepted that diamonds crystallized under enormous pressure deep in the bowels of the Earth - in the mantle, and were subsequently carried to the surface from a depth of 150–600 km. Kimberlite pipes are channels left over from such an outburst (kimberlite is the complex igneous rock that fills these channels). True, there are hypotheses suggesting that the diamonds were not formed in the depths of the Earth, but at the moment they were thrown onto the surface as a kind of "soot" from burning methane. But whatever the diamonds are - "methane soot" or "graphite stamping" - the enormous profitability of their mining forces a person to bite deep into the earth, leaving traces comparable only to the result of a giant meteorite falling.
Kimberlite canals really resemble either a gigantic smoking pipe with a straight shank, or a giant martini glass - a cone with a thin stem extending to a great depth. Today, the outer diameter of the Mir open pit is 1200 m. Recently, huge trucks have been "winding" along a spiral road 8 km from the bottom to the surface, taking the precious ore out of a pit half a kilometer deep. Now open pit mining has been stopped, and the mine is on mothballing for the preparation of underground mining of deeper horizons - since it has been explored that the depth of the diamonds in Mir is more than a kilometer.
This is the largest diamond mining quarry on the planet, where the most difficult tasks of removing mineralized groundwater, the so-called brines, typical of all Yakut deposits, have been successfully solved. Water arrives at a rate of 3.5 thousand cubic meters per day, and would inevitably flood the mine if it were not for the unique drainage technologies.

It so happened that periodically our planet collapses. If you're lucky, holes of different sizes and degrees of bottomlessness are formed in deserted seas, jungles, taiga and tundra, but it also happens that whole cities are threatened with going underground. In some cases, nature itself is responsible for such tricks, simply confronting a person with a fact, but more and more often the blame for such incidents remains with people. Onliner.by has selected the top of the most beautiful and terrible, large and deep dips, places where the center of the Earth is getting a little closer.

1. Dongguan, China.

It is in China that sinkholes are most common. Natural disasters in this vast country are combined with extremely intensive construction, which is often carried out in flagrant violation of all established norms and rules. Last summer, the construction of a new underground railway station in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan ended with almost an entire street going underground.

The funnel was formed in several stages. First, a minibus fell into the first hole with an area of \u200b\u200b80 square meters, and a day later, the structure of an almost erected metro station and part of a city street followed the minibus into the hole, which turned out to be four times larger. In this case, one person died, several neighboring buildings were seriously damaged, and the process of the formation of the failure itself was captured on video.

2. Meridian, Mississippi, USA.

Visitors who wished to dine at IHOP Quick Service Pancake in the provincial town of Meridian in the heart of Mississippi were definitely not prepared for the surprise that nature had presented to them. On November 9, 2015 at 19:15, a giant trench 180 meters long and 15 meters wide suddenly appeared in the restaurant parking lot. A dozen cars of clients of the institution immediately fell into it.

Most likely, the cause of the incident was the prolonged rains that had been going on in Meridian for two weeks by that time. Local media reported that a storm collector passed directly under the parking lot, apparently unable to withstand the pressure of the incoming water. According to another version, the failure could have arisen due to the construction work carried out on this site. At the time of the emergency, the IHOP restaurant had only been working for a week, and the construction of the hotel continued nearby. Fortunately, the cars were the only ones injured in this incident.

3. Batagay, Yakutia, Russia.

For the first time, scientists discovered the Batagay fault in the mid-1960s. At that time, it was a relatively small ravine, but over the past five decades it has grown to cyclopean dimensions a kilometer long, 800 meters wide and up to 100 meters deep. The sinkhole, reminiscent of an overgrown tadpole, is located in a sparsely populated area, near the village of Batagay, where the extraction of tin was started by the forces of prisoners in camps even before the Great Patriotic War. The emergence of this curious object is connected with this circumstance.

For the needs of the mine, a forest was cut down in the vicinity of Batagay. Subsequently, active melting of permafrost took place in this area, as a result of which the top layer of soil fell into the formed voids. From the point of view of the ecology of the region, the ongoing process is still negative in nature, but so far rare tourists and especially scientists who have received a convenient testing ground for studying permafrost are happy with what happened. According to the Yakut tradition, the remains of a mammoth and ancient plants, whose age reaches 200 thousand years, have already been discovered here.

4. Guatemala, Guatemala.

On February 23, 2007, in Guatemala, the capital of Guatemala, nothing foreshadowed trouble until an almost perfectly round hole with sheer walls a hundred meters deep appeared right in the middle of a densely populated residential area. In this case, it was not without casualties: as a result of this tragedy, five people died at once. Worst of all, these victims were not the last.

Just three years later, in May 2010, another similar sinkhole (20 meters wide, 90 meters deep) formed in Guatemala, which completely destroyed a three-story factory building. As a result of this incident, 15 people have already died. Both tragedies were caused by a combination of factors: the leaking sewers and heavy rains that provoked the flooding simply eroded the volcanic and limestone rocks on which the city stands.

5. Ein Gedi, Israel.

If in Guatemala the case was limited to only two failures, then in the Israeli oasis of Ein Gedi, located on the coast of the Dead Sea, they count literally in thousands. The reason for their formation was the constant, continuing and today lowering of the level of the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water on the planet. At the same time, due to the ever-increasing parsing of water from the Jordan River that feeds it, the water level in the sea drops at a rate of about a meter per year. The rock salted by the sea begins to be actively eroded by fresh groundwater, which, in turn, leads to the formation of numerous and extensive voids, which are obligatory predecessors of sinkholes. It is extremely difficult to predict their appearance, which poses a serious threat to the tourism potential of the region.

6. Tianken Xiaozhai, China.

This is the deepest natural failure of the Earth. An underground river in the Diphen Cave in Chongqing, China, has eroded the limestone that forms the mountains over time. The result was logical: the resulting sinkhole is 662 meters deep and more than half a kilometer wide.

Cavers discovered it relatively recently, in 1994, after which the hole received the nickname "Heavenly Pit". In addition to tourists, the pit has been chosen by numerous plants and animals, including the rare clouded leopard.

7. Solikamsk and Berezniki, Russia.

For thirty years, starting from 1986, on the territory and in the immediate vicinity of the Ural cities of Solikamsk and Berezniki, six large gaps formed at once. Since the 1930s, active mining of potash salts has been carried out here, as a result of which settlements were surrounded by large-scale mine workings. Moreover, the cities that grew over time eventually occupied the territory over them, and they were separated from the vast underground voids only by a relatively thin, 250-350-meter cofferdam.

Underground salt rock continues to dissolve in groundwater. This process deforms the mine bulkheads left in the workings, which ultimately leads to destabilization of their structure, flooding of mines, the formation of cracks, and man-made earthquakes. Failures in Berezniki and Solikamsk continue to increase, which has already led to the resettlement of entire urban areas on the surface and the closure of a number of enterprises.

8. Sarisarinyama, Venezuela.

Tepui are specific mesas in Venezuela, the remains of an ancient plateau, isolated from the rest of the world at their foot. On their flat tops, there is a special world with endemic species of plants and animals that have evolved along their path for millennia. In addition to this circumstance, tepuis are also curious for their numerous karst sinkholes, the largest of which are located on Mount Sarisarinama in the Venezuelan state of Bolivar.

They were formed during the collapse of the vaults of the tunnels of underground rivers, literally piercing the mountain. The largest of the four sinkholes in Sarisarinam are Sima Humboldt and Sima Martel, located 700 meters apart, extending 300-350 meters deep into the tepui. At their bottom there is a life of its own, including even large trees, and this life was isolated both from the top of the plateau and from the Big Earth - a unique microcosm in a microcosm, a thing in itself, discovered only in the 1960s.

Incredible facts

Imagine that you are calmly walking down the street, when suddenly the earth begins to shake and a huge hole suddenly forms under you. This is not a horror movie script, but a phenomenon called sinkholethat can reach incredible sizes and absorb everything that ends up on the surface.

The other day in Florida, USA, a 37-year-old man was swallowed by a huge holethat opened right in his bedroom while he slept.

Karst sinkhole about 6 meters wide and more than 15 meters deep led to the collapse of the concrete floor in the house.

Five other people in the house heard a loud sound and a man screaming, but they were not hurt. The injured Jeff Bush most likely did not survive after sinking into the ground.

Karst sinkhole

The karst sinkhole that suddenly opened in Florida is a more common occurrence than we think. What causes them and how dangerous are they?

Most sinkholes formed when acidic rainwater gradually dissolves limestone and other soil, leaving a huge void that leads to the collapse of what is on the surface, be it an open field, a road or a house.

Collapse can occur suddenly, or it can simply lead to gradual subsidence or the formation of small bodies of water and salt marshes.

Holes from sinkholes are ubiquitous, especially in the United States, China, Mexico, and Papua New Guinea.

The biggest holes in the ground

Here are some photos of the huge holes that have engulfed streets, sidewalks and buildings around the world.

1. Sarisarinam Plateau, Venezuela

The Sarisariñama Plateau is located in the Jaua-Sarisarinama Park in Venezuela and is one of the most mysterious and beautiful natural wonders of the world. There are several dips on the plateau diameter up to 350 meters and depth 350 meters.

Each hole has developed its own ecosystem with unique species of animals and plants.

2. Failure in Berezniki, Russia

The sinkhole in Berezniki was formed in 1986 as a result of an accident at the mine, and every year the situation only worsened. In 2007, the size of the sinkhole at the first mine was 80 by 20 meters, depth up to 200 meters... By the end of August 2012, the fourth funnel had grown to a size 103 by 100 meters.

3. Hole in Guatemala

In February 2007, in Guatemala, a sinkhole depth of 100 meters swallowed more than a dozen houses. More than 100 people were evacuated and three people died. The hole was the result of corrosion in the sewer system deep below the surface. The failure was accompanied by loud noises, and an unbearable smell emanated from the hole.

Another hole formed in Guatemala in 2010 18 meters wide and 60 meters deep.

4. Bimmah, Oman

The Bimmah funnel is a limestone crater that is now a popular tourist attraction in Oman.

Other sinkholes

5. In May 1981, a giant hole formed during the day in Winter Park in Florida, USA. The city turned this area into a city lake.

6.In 1995, a sinkhole depth of 18 meters, measuring 60 by 45 meters, swallowed up two houses in San Francisco.

7. In the city of Dysetta, Texas in the USA, a relatively small 6-meter sinkhole widened to 270 meters away per day.

8. In November 2003, rescuers had to pull out a bus in Lisbon, Portugal after it fell into a hole depth of 9 meters, which was presumably caused by heavy rains.

9. In March 2007, the road fell into an underground network of caves in the southern Italian city of Gallipoli.

10.In September 2008, the road collapsed, forming a sinkhole 5 meters deep and 10 meters wide in Guangzhou province, China.

11.In May 2012, a hole appeared on the road in Shaanxi Province, China 15 meters long, 10 meters wide and 6 meters deep.

12. Another road in the province collapsed in December 2012, leaving a hole 6 meters deep and 10 meters wide.