Top Holes in the Earth

I’m not sure how Xinhua came up with this “top 10 amazing holes in the earth”—I mean, what are the standards?—but the article does contain a fun collection of pictures. So below are Curzon’s top 3 pictures of the Xinhua top 10 (based on the standards of what I like, balanced with what pictures are cool, and keeping the three pictures diverse).

1. Darvaza Gas Crater-Turkmenistan

In 1971, geologists discovered a massive underground deposit of natural gas on this site. Whilst excavating the hole to tap the gas, thedrilling rig collapsed leaving a massive hole. To prevent poisonous gasses from escaping, the hole was allowed to burn. It continues to burn to this day and has done so without ceasing.

5. Great Blue Hole-Belize

The Great Blue Hole is an underwater sinkhole off the coast of Belize. The hole is 1,000 feet across and 400 feet deep. It was formed as a limestone cave during the last iceage.

6. Mirny Diamond Mine-Siberia

The Mirny Diamond Mine is 525m deep and has a diameter of 1200m. It was the first, and one of the largest, diamond Pipes in the USSR. It is now abandoned. While it was still operational, it would take two hours for trucks to drive from the top to the bottom of the mine.