Largest Holes in the World – See Them Here

Many natural and man-made holes and excavations exist all around the world, and they each draw many tourists yearly. However, some of them are so dangerous that people are not allowed close to these holes. These holes will always draw people to them and even make people want to swim in them, like the Great Blue Hole. They are truly magnificent and make us stare in wonder at the creations that form all over the earth throughout the years. And some of them are impressive due to the sheer size they exhibit, representing some of the largest holes in the world.

In this post, we will show 10 of these man-made and natural phenomena that pique people’s imagination due to their size. Click Next to read more.

10 Largest Holes in the WorldImage source – Wikipedia

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Chuquicamata – Chili

10 Largest Holes in the World

Image Source – Wikipedia

This might not be the largest copper mine in the world, but it is 850 meters deep, and that makes it one of the deepest. It is an open-pit mine that can be found in Chili, and it is the largest copper mine by excavated volume. It is also the mine with the largest total copper production in the world. This mine was opened in 1882, and because of the mine, many inhabitants had to move to nearby cities.

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Udachnaya Pipe – Russia

10 Largest Holes in the World

Image Source – Wikipedia

This diamond mine can be found in the Daldyn-Alakit kimberlite field in the Sakha Republic in Russia. This mine was discovered in 1955, but mining activities only started in 1971. It is currently mined to a depth of 630 meters. This is also one of the deepest diamond mines in the world, and the open-pit mining was completed in 2015. After that, underground mining commenced to keep on mining for diamonds at parallel levels.

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Sinkhole – Guatemala

10 Largest Holes in the World

Image Source – Wikipedia

This sinkhole was created by humans but was caused by rain and underground sewage flow. In 2007, this hole just sank away and swallowed many homes in the process, causing many people to relocate. This left a sinkhole of 300 foot deep, which was caused by a burst sewage pipe or storm drain. It may also have been triggered by the deluge from tropical storm Agatha.

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Diavik Mine – Canada

10 Largest Holes in the World

Image Source – Wikipedia

This mine in the northwest region of Canada opened in 2003 and produces more than 8 million carats of diamonds per year. This mine consists of four kimberlite pipes and can be found on an island informally known as East Island. This mine was surveyed in 1992, and production commenced in January 2003. This open-pit mine is about 820 feet deep and is a joint venture of two different groups. It is mined by Diavik Diamond Mines, Inc.

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Mirny Diamond Mine – Siberia

10 Largest Holes in the World

Image Source – Wikipedia

This is also an open-pit diamond mine that can be found in Mirny, Sakha Republic, in the Siberian region of Eastern Russia. This mine is more than 1,720 feet deep and over 3,900 feet wide, making it the largest in the world. Diamond-bearing deposits were found in 1955, and mining started in 1957. This mine is located in extremely harsh climate conditions. In the short summer months, the ground turned into slush, and buildings were erected on poles.

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Great Blue Hole – Belize

10 Largest Holes in the World

Image Source – Wikipedia

The Great Blue Hole is an underwater sinkhole that is located off the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of the Lighthouse Reef. This marine sinkhole is 1,000 feet across, 400 feet deep, and circular in shape. Some people believe that it was formed during the last ice age as a limestone cave. This is quite a dangerous natural phenomena, but many people have swum in it.

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Bingham Canyon Mine – Utah

10 Largest Holes in the World

Image Source – Wikipedia

The Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah is an open-pit copper mine that is located in the Oquirrh mountains. This mine is more than 3,900 feet deep and is 13,000 feet wide. It is the world’s largest man-made excavation. Copper ores were discovered as early as 1848 by two brothers, Sanford and Thomas Bingham. However, it was not until September 1863 that extraction of ores begun, and the value of the mine was discovered.

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Monticello Dam – California

glory hole Image source: Smart Water Magazine

This is a dam in Napa County, California, that is most known for the large circular spillway of more than 48,000 cubic feet per second. This is a 304-foot high concrete arch dam that impounds Putah Creek to create Lake Berryessa in the Vaca Mountains. This dam was constructed between 1953 and 1957. The dam is 100 feet thick at the base and tapers to 12 feet at the crest.

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Kimberley Diamond Mine – Kimberley, South Africa

10 Largest Holes in the World

Image Source – Wikipedia

This open-pit diamond mine, also known as the big hole or Kimberley’s hole, is located in the northern Cape province in South Africa. The first diamond was found here by Alyrick Braswell, but the farm belonged to the De Beers brothers. This hole is just over 1,500 feet wide and was excavated to a depth of 720 feet. By 1914, after more than 14,000,000 carats of diamonds had been excavated, mining completely ceased.

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Darvaza Gas Crater – Turkmenistan

10 Largest Holes in the World

Image Source – Wikipedia

In 1971, geologists discovered a massive deposit of natural gas in the area of Durweze in Turkmenistan. This natural gas field collapsed into a cavern while they were drilling a hole to tap the gas. The whole drilling rig fell down into the hole, and they intentionally set it on fire to prevent it from leaking out. This gas hole is still burning and will continue to do so for a long time. A video of this gas hole can be seen as the hole is still burning. Also, see the following website about all the holes that were mentioned in this post.
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