The scariest and biggest hole. The biggest holes in the earth

Our planet is amazing. Undoubtedly, pits and holes on the surface of the earth, whether man-made or created by nature, have always been unusual. TravelAsk will tell about the deepest holes today.

TOP-1: Mir kimberlite pipe in Yakutia

Even from one look at this diamond quarry it becomes scary. Imagine how you feel when you stand on its edge. This is one of the deepest quarries in the world, its depth is 525 meters and its diameter is 1.2 kilometers. True, diamond mining was stopped here back in 2001, and now underground mines are being built here, some of them have already been put into operation, since open-pit mining is already unprofitable. With the help of such mines, they plan to work out the remnants of diamond reserves under the quarry.

TOP 2: Big Hole Kimberlite Pipe in South Africa

This is a huge diamond quarry, which is made by hand. It is considered the largest mine in the world, made without the use of special equipment. It is located in the city of Kimberley in (by the way, it was this city that gave the names to the rest of the kimberlite pipes in the world).

Now the quarry is not working, but for almost 50 years (from 1866 to 1914) about 50 thousand miners managed to work here. They dug this shaft with shovels and pickaxes, mining a huge amount of diamonds: 2,722 tons.

Quarry area is impressive: 17 hectares. It is 463 meters wide and 240 meters deep. However, the hole was covered with waste rock, thereby reducing the depth to 215 meters. Later, the bottom of the "Big Hole" was filled with water.

Today, the quarry attracts tourists, but it only creates problems for the region: after all, its edges can collapse, and it’s dangerous to drive along the roads that are laid nearby. Therefore, trucks have long been banned from passing through this territory, and cars are advised to choose other routes.

By the way, it was here that the largest diamonds were found: De Beers at 428.5 carats, known for its bluish-white Porter Rhodes at 150 carats, as well as the orange-yellow Tiffany at 128.5 carats.

TOP 3: Great Blue Hole in Belize

This is one of the most beautiful places on the planet and the main attraction of Belize. Tourists from all over the world come to see it. Moreover, despite the fact that the Great Blue Hole is located almost 100 kilometers from Belize, diving enthusiasts still come here.

Once they were limestone caves that were formed during the last ice age. After raising the level of the world's oceans, the arches of the cave simply collapsed, and this is how this karst funnel was formed.

The blue hole has an almost perfect round shape, surrounded by white-green rock protruding above it. It goes to a depth of 120 meters, and a diameter of 305 meters.

TOP 4: Drainage in the Monticello Dam

This is the largest water drain in the world, look how powerful it is, it feels like nothing will be left of the lake in a few minutes.

This artificial funnel functions as a valve and releases excess water from the dam reservoir.

In fact, this is a giant pipe made of concrete with a depth of about 21 meters. In its shape, it resembles an inverted cone with a base of 9 meters and a top of 22 meters. The pipe brings water out of the other side of the dam for about 200 meters when the reservoir is overflowing with water.

Top 5: failure in Guatemala

And this failure was formed just in one day. Just imagine, on the night of February 27, 2007, the ground on one of the streets of Guatemala simply collapsed. Several houses went into the pit, people died. The depth of this giant funnel was approximately 150 meters, and the diameter was 20 meters.

As the results of geologists' research have shown, the reasons for this failure are groundwater. The downpours that hit the city also contributed to the tragedy. By the way, some time before the failure, people began to feel strange noises and hum coming from the ground. And it simply washed out the soil. Under your feet.

And our TOP did not include two huge man-made pits:

1. Kimberlite pipe "Mir" (Mir diamond pipe), Yakutia.

The Mir kimberlite pipe is a quarry located in the city of Mirny, Yakutia. The quarry has a depth of 525 m and a diameter of 1.2 km and is one of the largest quarries in the world. Mining of diamondiferous kimberlite ore was stopped in June 2001. Currently, an underground mine of the same name is being built on board the quarry to develop the remaining under-quarry reserves, the extraction of which by open pit is unprofitable.

The world's largest diamond quarry.

2.Kimberlite pipe "Big hole", South Africa.

Big Hole - a huge inactive diamond mine in the city of Kimberley (South Africa). It is believed that this is the largest quarry developed by people without the use of technology. It is currently the main attraction of the city of Kimberley.

Between 1866 and 1914, about 50,000 miners dug the shaft with picks and shovels, producing 2,722 tons of diamonds (14.5 million carats) in the process. During the development of the quarry, 22.5 million tons of soil were extracted. It was here that such famous diamonds as "De Beers" (428.5 carats), bluish-white "Porter Rhodes" (150 carats), orange-yellow " Tiffany" (128.5 carats). At present, this diamond deposit has been exhausted. The area of ​​the "Big Hole" is 17 hectares. Its diameter is 1.6 km. The hole was dug to a depth of 240 meters, but then was filled with waste rock to a depth of 215 meters, currently the bottom of the hole is filled with water, its depth is 40 meters.

At the site of the mine earlier (about 70 - 130 million years ago) there was a volcano mouth. Almost a hundred years ago - in 1914, the development in the "Big Hole" was stopped, but the gaping mouth of the pipe remains to this day and now serves only as a bait for tourists, acting as a museum. And…begins to create problems. In particular, there was a serious danger of collapse not only of its edges, but also of the roads laid in the immediate vicinity of it. The South African road authorities have long banned the passage of heavy goods vehicles in these places, and now they strongly recommend that all other drivers avoid driving along Bultfontein Road in the Big Hole area. The authorities are going to completely block the dangerous section of the road. And the largest diamond company in the world, De Beers, which has owned this mine since 1888, did not find anything better than to get rid of it by putting it up for sale.

3. Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah.

The largest active quarry in the world - the development of copper began in 1863 and is still going on. About a kilometer deep and three and a half kilometers wide.

It is the world's largest anthropogenic formation (dug out by man). It is an open pit mine.

As of 2008, it measures 0.75 miles (1.2 km) deep, 2.5 miles (4 km) wide and covers an area of ​​1,900 acres (7.7 sq. km).

The ore was first discovered in 1850, and quarrying began in 1863 and continues to this day.

Currently, the quarry employs 1,400 people who extract 450,000 tons (408 thousand tons) of rock daily. The ore is loaded onto 64 large dump trucks capable of hauling 231 tons of ore, these trucks cost about US$3 million each.

4. Quarry "Dyavik" (Diavik), Canada. Diamonds are mined.

The Canadian quarry "Diavik" is perhaps one of the youngest (by development) diamond kimberlite pipes. It was first explored only in 1992, the infrastructure was created by 2001, and diamond mining began in January 2003. Presumably, the mine will last from 16 to 22 years.
The place of its exit to the surface of the earth is unique in itself. Firstly, this is not one, but three pipes at once, formed on the island of Las de Gras, about 220 km south of the Arctic Circle, off the coast of Canada. Since the hole is huge, and the island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is small, only 20 km²

In a short time, the Diavik diamond mine became one of the most important components of the Canadian economy. Up to 8 million carats (1600 kg) of diamonds are mined from this deposit annually. An airfield has been built on one of its neighboring islands, capable of receiving even huge Boeings. In June 2007, a consortium of seven mining companies announced their intention to sponsor environmental studies and begin construction on Canada's North Shore of a major port to receive cargo ships up to 25,000 tons, as well as a 211 km access road that will connect the port to the consortium's plants. . And this means that the hole in the ocean will grow and deepen.

5. Great Blue Hole, Belize.

The world-famous Great Blue Hole (“Great Blue Hole”) is the main attraction of the picturesque, ecologically perfectly clean Belize (formerly British Honduras) - a state in Central America, on the Yucatan Peninsula. No, this time it's not a kimberlite pipe. Not diamonds are “mined” from it, but tourists - diving enthusiasts from all over the world, thanks to which it feeds the country no worse than a diamond pipe. Probably, it would be better to call it not the “Blue Hole”, but the “Blue Dream”, since this can only be seen in dreams or in a dream. This is a true masterpiece, a miracle of nature - a perfectly round, twilight blue spot in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, surrounded by the lace front of the Lighthouse Reef atol.

View from space.

Width 400 meters, depth 145 - 160 meters.

6. Drainage hole in the reservoir of the Monticello dam.

A large man-made hole is located in Northern California, USA. But it's not just a hole. The drain hole in the reservoir of the Monticello Dam is the largest spillway in the world! It was built about 55 years ago. This funnel-shaped exit is simply indispensable here. It allows you to quickly dump excess water from the tank when its level exceeds the allowable rate. A kind of safety valve.

Visually, the funnel looks like a giant concrete pipe. It is capable of passing through itself in a second as much as 1370 cubic meters. m of water! The depth of such a hole is about 21 m. From top to bottom, it has the shape of a cone, the diameter of which at the top reaches almost 22 m, and narrows down to 9 m and exits from the other side of the dam, removing excess water when the reservoir overflows. The distance from the pipe to the exit point, which is located slightly to the south, is approximately 700 feet (about 200 m).

7. Karst failure in Guatemala.

A giant funnel 150 meters deep and 20 meters in diameter. Caused by groundwater and rain. During the formation of the failure, several people died and about a dozen houses were destroyed. According to local residents, from about the beginning of February, ground movements were felt in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe future tragedy, and a muffled rumble was heard from under the ground.

Among the amazing natural phenomena, one can certainly include holes periodically opening up in different places on the globe.

1. Kimberlite pipe "Mir" (Mir diamond pipe), Yakutia.

The Mir kimberlite pipe is a quarry located in the city of Mirny, Yakutia. The quarry has a depth of 525 m and a diameter of 1.2 km and is one of the largest quarries in the world. Mining of diamondiferous kimberlite ore was stopped in June 2001. Currently, an underground mine of the same name is being built on board the quarry to develop the remaining under-quarry reserves, the extraction of which by open pit is unprofitable.

The world's largest diamond quarry is amazing.

2.Kimberlite pipe "Big Hole", South Africa.

Big Hole - a huge inactive diamond mine in the city of Kimberley (South Africa). It is believed that this is the largest quarry developed by people without the use of technology. It is currently the main attraction of the city of Kimberley.

Between 1866 and 1914, about 50,000 miners dug the shaft with picks and shovels, producing 2,722 tons of diamonds (14.5 million carats) in the process. During the development of the quarry, 22.5 million tons of soil were extracted. It was here that such famous diamonds as "De Beers" (428.5 carats), bluish-white "Porter Rhodes" (150 carats), orange-yellow " Tiffany" (128.5 carats). At present, this diamond deposit has been exhausted. The area of ​​the "Big Hole" is 17 hectares. Its diameter is 1.6 km. The hole was dug to a depth of 240 meters, but then was filled with waste rock to a depth of 215 meters, currently the bottom of the hole is filled with water, its depth is 40 meters.

At the site of the mine earlier (about 70 - 130 million years ago) there was a volcano mouth. Almost a hundred years ago - in 1914, the development in the "Big Hole" was stopped, but the gaping mouth of the pipe remains to this day and now serves only as a bait for tourists, acting as a museum. And…begins to create problems. In particular, there was a serious danger of collapse not only of its edges, but also of the roads laid in its immediate vicinity. The South African road authorities have long banned the passage of heavy goods vehicles in these places, and now they strongly recommend that all other drivers avoid driving along Bultfontein Road in the Big Hole area. The authorities are going to completely block the dangerous section of the road. And the largest diamond company in the world, De Beers, which has owned this mine since 1888, did not find anything better than to get rid of it by putting it up for sale.

3. Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah.

The largest active quarry in the world - the development of copper began in 1863 and is still going on. About a kilometer deep and three and a half kilometers wide.

It is the world's largest anthropogenic formation (dug out by man). It is an open pit mine.

As of 2008, it measures 0.75 miles (1.2 km) deep, 2.5 miles (4 km) wide and covers an area of ​​1,900 acres (7.7 sq. km).

The ore was first discovered in 1850, and quarrying began in 1863, which continues to this day.

Currently, the quarry employs 1,400 people who extract 450,000 tons (408 thousand tons) of rock daily. The ore is loaded onto 64 large dump trucks capable of hauling 231 tons of ore, these trucks cost about US$3 million each.

4. Diavik Quarry, Canada. Diamonds are mined.

The Canadian quarry "Diavik" is perhaps one of the youngest (by development) diamond kimberlite pipes. It was first explored only in 1992, the infrastructure was created by 2001, and diamond mining began in January 2003. Presumably, the mine will last from 16 to 22 years.
The place of its exit to the surface of the earth is unique in itself. Firstly, this is not one, but three pipes at once, formed on the island of Las de Gras, about 220 km south of the Arctic Circle, off the coast of Canada. Since the hole is huge, and the island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is small, only 20 km²

and in a short time the Diavik diamond mine became one of the most important components of the Canadian economy. Up to 8 million carats (1600 kg) of diamonds are mined from this deposit annually. An airfield has been built on one of its neighboring islands, capable of receiving even huge Boeings. In June 2007, a consortium of seven mining companies announced their intention to sponsor environmental studies and begin construction on Canada's North Shore of a major port to receive cargo ships up to 25,000 tons, as well as a 211 km access road that will connect the port to the consortium's plants. . And this means that the hole in the ocean will grow and deepen.

5. Great Blue Hole, Belize.

The world-famous Great Blue Hole (“Great Blue Hole”) is the main attraction of the picturesque, ecologically perfectly clean Belize (formerly British Honduras) - a state in Central America, on the Yucatan Peninsula. No, this time it's not a kimberlite pipe. Not diamonds are “mined” from it, but tourists - diving enthusiasts from all over the world, thanks to which it feeds the country no worse than a diamond pipe. Probably, it would be better to call it not the “Blue Hole”, but the “Blue Dream”, since this can only be seen in dreams or in a dream. This is a true masterpiece, a miracle of nature - a perfectly round, twilight blue spot in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, surrounded by the lace front of the Lighthouse Reef atol.

View from space!

Width 400 meters, depth 145 - 160 meters.

As if floating above the abyss ...

6. Drainage hole in the reservoir of the Monticello dam.

A large man-made hole is located in Northern California, USA. But it's not just a hole. The drain hole in the reservoir of the Monticello Dam is the largest spillway in the world! It was built about 55 years ago. This funnel-shaped exit is simply indispensable here. It allows you to quickly dump excess water from the tank when its level exceeds the allowable rate. A kind of safety valve.

Visually, the funnel looks like a giant concrete pipe. It is capable of passing through itself in a second as much as 1370 cubic meters. m of water! The depth of such a hole is about 21 m. From top to bottom, it has the shape of a cone, the diameter of which at the top reaches almost 22 m, and narrows down to 9 m and exits from the other side of the dam, removing excess water when the reservoir overflows. The distance from the pipe to the exit point, which is located slightly to the south, is approximately 700 feet (about 200 m).

7. Karst failure in Guatemala.

A giant funnel 150 meters deep and 20 meters in diameter. Caused by groundwater and rain. During the formation of the failure, several people died and about a dozen houses were destroyed. According to local residents, from about the beginning of February, ground movements were felt in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe future tragedy, and a muffled rumble was heard from under the ground.

P ditches in the ground, discovered in Yamal in 2014, posed a mystery to scientists. The holes are explained by gas explosions, the smooth walls of the funnels look like the channel of a gun barrel.The shots from the ground happened unnoticed by people. When the reindeer herders of Yamal posted pictures of the sinkholes on the Internet, only then the holes became interested in everyone.

I must say that similar failures were found in the United States. The so-called "Devil's Hole" in Nevada is a well. Its depth cannot be measured, the cable with the load jams with a crevice.

The feeling of fear that grips a person near this failure arises from no one knows what. Scientific studies have established that from time to time methane emissions occur from the Devil's Hole. They also lowered a video camera with illumination into the lake under the well, but it started spinning at a depth of 230 meters and had to be pulled out. And at the same time, the water shone with a bluish light when the spotlight was turned off.

Returning to the first Yamal hole forty meters in diameter, we can say that not everything is clear with it either. There were witnesses of the ejection, they said that the air above the ground in that place first lit up, and then a fiery flash arose. But scientists deny the possibility of spontaneous combustion of gas (methane) on the surface. The “bullet” in the form of a soil plug was supposed to fly high up. Indeed, there are many pieces of rock and earth near the craters within a radius of 120 meters.

Speaking of the Devil's Hole in the USA, we can add that UFOs have been observed near it. Also not far from the failure is the mysterious "Area 51". Allegedly, the remains of alien creatures and the wreckage of their aircraft are stored there. Established in 1955, the base was originally designed to test spy planes. Then work was carried out on it using the Stealth technology. Today, "Area-51" has a special status, that is, it is still classified.

In total, there are 7 giant holes on our planet, mostly of artificial origin. In Yakutia and South Africa, two of them were created by man for the purpose of mining diamonds. There is also a deep open mine in the US state of UTA and a diamond quarry in Canada, a giant drain in the form of a hole near the Monticello Dam (USA, California).

The land in Guatemala failed (in 2007), forming a funnel with a diameter of 20 meters and a depth of 150. And, finally, there is a Belize hole - a natural karst formation in the Caribbean Sea, explored by Jacques Cousteau. The 300-meter diameter of the atoll and a depth of more than a hundred meters attract divers. High and low tides form whirlpools that are dangerous for scuba divers.

The holes that have appeared in Yamal are alarming. The ground collapses in large cities, which is especially dangerous. Human activity, its rash intervention in the natural environment sometimes leads to disasters. Natural failures have also become more frequent in recent years. Perhaps the esotericists are right in believing that the Earth is entering a "morbid fever"?

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

Holes in Siberia

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, several kilometers away from the first, was only 15 meters wide. The third hole, accidentally found by the reindeer herders, 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, interesting theories have also been born. Some believe that the appearance of holes is associated with the development of gas in the region, but the holes are so far from gas pipelines that scientists rejected the guess. Other theories include stray rockets, pranksters and, of course, an extraterrestrial invasion.

The real reason may be more mundane, but no less strange for that. One of the working theories about holes is that they are some kind of reverse funnels. In such a case, the holes were caused by underground destruction caused by the melting of the permafrost. They then filled with natural gas, and when the pressure got too high, the dirt and debris shot up 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 there for several years. The second hole discovered is affectionately referred to as "the end of the world" and was allegedly observed by locals as early as September 2013. The testimonies differ: 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 formed by natural or unknown causes. During 1970-1994, Russian geologists were digging the biggest hole imaginable on Earth in the name of science. The result was the Kola Superdeep Well, which eventually reached a depth of 12 kilometers.

Along the way, scientists discovered a number of curious things. Digging a tunnel through 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. Although it was expected that a wide variety of types of rock would be found on the way down, it is incredible how fragile organic matter has been preserved under gigantic pressure for thousands of years.

Drilling through untouched rock proved to be difficult. Pulled out of the area of ​​high pressure and temperature, stone samples were deformed after getting out. 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 fight the heat. The hole is still there, near the city of Zapolyarny, but covered with a metal cover.

German Continental Deep Drilling Program and the Pulse of the Earth

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

In 1994, the drilling of the German ultra-deep well, originally conceived as one of the most ambitious geophysical projects, was stopped. The aim of the project is to enable scientists 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 has been subjected to heat and pressure. The $350 million project left Windischeschenbach with a hole 9,100 meters deep and a temperature of 265 degrees Celsius.

Among the various scientific experiments, there was one unusual one: the Dutch artist Lotte Geeven wanted to know how the planet sounds. Although scientists told her that the planet was silent, Geeven insisted on her. She lowered the geophone into the hole to record ultrasonic waves beyond the hearing range 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 sound of a thunderstorm in the distance, like a terrifying heartbeat.

Dead Sea sinkholes

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

The Dead Sea is fed by the Jordan River, and every year less and less water enters it. The sea itself is now three times smaller than it was in the 1960s, and the draining of the reservoir has caused sinkholes to form, along with the demise of the resorts and hotels that once thrived on the shores. When the salt water of the sea seeps through the earth, it is met by fresh water. 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. Once it connected with the Sea of ​​Galilee, but this connection dried up about 18 thousand years ago. Now, change is more often caused by the actions of people. Water that once flowed into the sea in a state of delicate balance is now being redirected throughout 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 funnels. But there is a bright side: if you get swallowed by a funnel, 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 trying to break the record in 2013 after being submerged for more than three and a half minutes, resurfacing and immediately passing out. 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 adventurers 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 in.

Random holes in Mount Baldy

In 2013, a six-year-old boy was exploring the sand dunes of Mount Baldy in Indiana Dunes National Park and was swallowed by a sinkhole that suddenly appeared underneath him. The boy was rescued after a three-hour ordeal in which he was buried under three meters of sand. Since then, other funnels have appeared.

Geologists cannot explain the phenomena of Mount Baldi. Because the terrain is sand, which does not create air pockets, none of the conditions necessary for sinkholes to form are met. When a funnel appears, it fills with sand during the day. The use of underground radar turned up no clues.

A year after the first funnel, they not only continued to appear, but began to appear with such frequency that the park was closed. In an attempt to stabilize the sand dunes, experts have planted grasses, hoping that their root system will stop erosion and shifting of the land. Some scientists believe that the instability of the sand dunes may have something to do with their storied history, which includes, among others, the supply of massive quantities of sand to create Mason jars.

Devil's Funnel

The Devil's Sinkhole is a massive underground chamber located in Edwards, Texas. The 15 meter wide hole leads to a 106 meter deep cavern that now plays a unique ecological role, being home to one of the largest known colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats. Visitors, who of course can't get into the cave, can see over three million bats that 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. The arrowheads and darts that are found there date back to 4000-2500 BC. e. Later, this sinkhole served as a haven for cowboys who traveled to the West on horseback, as well as for people of a darker kind of employment. Much of the sinkhole's history was wiped out when ammonia fertilizer manufacturers began harvesting 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 significance than just attracting extreme athletes. This blue hole was the site of an archaeological dig that changed the scientific understanding of what the landscape looked like 1,000 years ago.

The Sawmill sinkhole is unique in that once it was dry, and when the water began to rise, it began to fill, slowly hiding the bones that were there. 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 exterminated by the people living at the time. This blue hole also yielded the remains of one of the oldest known inhabitants of the Bahamas, estimated to be around 1,050 years old.
The island itself is inhospitable, mostly made of mud, so reaching the black hole of Andros without a helicopter and special equipment is generally impossible. It was first explored by the scientist and diver Steffi Schwabe. She was the first to cross the cheesy ink layer of bacteria. At the bottom, there was a layer of clear water and another purple layer that looked like jelly.

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

Shondong Cave

Technically a cave system, Son Doong is also 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 only pure luck that anyone found it at all. When members of the British Association of Cavers entered the hole, they found 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 into limestone by an underground river. In some places, the erosion reached the surface so close that parts of the cave's roof collapsed, forming even more holes. These holes let in enough sunlight for the jungle to grow in 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 cavernous jungle is also home to an impressive array of wildlife, including venomous centipedes and whitefish. Some large chambers can fit whole blocks along with skyscrapers; there you can find bamboo forests and giant pearls. The very fact that a whole lost world was discovered only in 2009 reminds us, the inhabitants of the Earth, that the planet is still far from being fully explored.