Friday, April 25, 2014

most amazing holes in the world

Open pit mining but also nature made large holes. Enjoy this fantastic collection !
10. Chuquicamata, Copper Mine, Chile 
Chuquicamata is an open pit copper mine in Chile. This is a mine that total production of copper is the largest in the world, though not the largest copper mines. The depth of the mining hole is more than 850 meters.
9. The Udachnaya Pipe Diamond Mine, Russia
The Udachnaya Pipe is a diamond mine in Russia. The owner of the mine plan to stop operations in 2010 – to support underground mining. The mine was discovered in 1955 and more than 600 meters in depth.
8. Guatemala Sinkhole
In 2007, natural disasters create a depth of 300 feet sinkhole swallowed a dozen homes in Guatemala – killing 2 and causing thousands of people were evacuated. The sinkhole was caused by rain and underground waste stream.
7. The Diavik Diamond Mine, Canada 
The Diavik Mine is a mine in the Northwest Territory of Canada. Mine (opened in 2003) produces 8 million carats or about 1,600 kg (3500 lb) of diamonds every year.
6. The Mirny Diamond Mine, Russia
The Mirny Diamond Mine is 525 meters depth and has a diameter of 1200 meters. This is the first, and one of the largest, diamond pipe in the Soviet Union. Now abandoned. While It was still operating, it will take two hours for trucks to drive up and down the mine.
5. The Great Blue Hole, Belizeis a large underwater sinkhole off the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is circular in shape, over 300 metres (984 ft) across and 125 metres (410 ft) deep.[1] It was formed as a limestone cave system during the last glacial period when sea levels were much lower. As the ocean began to rise again, the caves flooded, and the roof collapsed.Believed to be the world’s largest feature of its kind, the Great Blue Hole is part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
4. The Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah, USA
The Bingham Canyon Mine is an open-pit mining operation extracting a large porphyry copper deposit southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, in the Oquirrh Mountains. It is owned by Rio Tinto Group, an international mining and exploration company headquartered in the United Kingdom. The copper operations at Bingham Canyon Mine are managed through Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation which operates the mine, a concentrator plant, a smelter, and a refinery. The mine has been in production since 1906, and has resulted in the creation of a pit over 0.75 miles (1.2 km) deep, 2.5 miles (4 km) wide, and covering 1,900 acres (7.7 km²). According to Kennecott, it is the world’s largest man-made excavation.It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966 under the name Bingham Canyon Open Pit Copper Mine.
3. The Monticello Dam, Napa County, California, US
The Monticello Dam is a dam in Napa County, California, United States that well known for large circular valve that swallow water at the rate of 48,400 cubic meters per second.
2. Kimberley Diamond Mine, South Africa
The Kimberley Diamond Mine (also known as the Big Hole) is an open-pit mine in Kimberley, South Africa and is claimed to be the largest hole excavated by hand. This 1097 meter deep mine yielded over 6,000 lb of diamonds before being closed in 1914.
1. Flaming Crater, Darvaza Turkmenistan- The Door to Hel
In 1971, geologists discovered a huge underground deposit of natural gas on this site. And while excavating, a whole drilling rig fell into an underground cavern. Natural gas started coming up from the hole. To prevent gasses from escaping, it was set alight and it continues to burn even today. The crater measures roughly 60 meters in diameter and 20 meters deep and is located in Turkmenistan.