8 of the Most Impressive Holes in the Earth's Surface (9 Photos)

Massive sinkholes, open-pit mines, and deep chasms—these colossal holes in the Earth's crust awe with their immense scale. Spotlighting this collection is the legendary Mir kimberlite pipe in Yakutia, around which an entire city was built. We’ve rounded up seven more of the most impressive holes in the Earth's surface, both natural and man-made. Like scars carved into the planet, these mesmerising sights are impossible to look away from.







1. Mir Kimberlite Pipe

Located in Mirny, Yakutia, this open-pit mine plunges 525 metres deep and spans 1.2 kilometres across.

"Smoked the pipe of peace, tobacco is excellent. Avdeenko, Elagina, Khabardin"

—read the famous telegram announcing the discovery of the Mir diamond deposit on June 13, 1955.





2. Great Blue Hole, Belize

This giant marine sinkhole is a near-perfect circle measuring 305 metres across and 120 metres deep. It sits near the centre of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll within the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System.



3. Diavik Diamond Mine, Canada

Set on a island, this open-pit mine boasts its own self-contained infrastructure, including an airport capable of landing Boeing passenger jets. It yields roughly 7.5 million carats of diamonds each year.



4. Darvaza Gas Crater, Turkmenistan

Locals and travellers alike call this fiery natural gas crater the "Gates of Hell". The crater measures roughly 60 metres across and plunges to a depth of about 20 metres.



5. Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah, USA

Plunging 1.2 kilometres deep and stretching 4 kilometres wide, this massive copper mine covers 1,900 acres, making it the largest man-made excavation on Earth.



6. Monticello Dam, California, USA

The construction of the dam submerged the town of Monticello, which now lies entirely beneath Lake Berryessa. The dam is famous for its striking spillway—a giant, funnel-shaped hole with a diameter of 22 metres.



7. The Big Hole, South Africa

Discovered in 1871, this massive, inactive diamond mine in Kimberley, South Africa, is widely considered the largest pit ever excavated by hand. Hard as it is to believe, workers dug it out using only picks and shovels. By the time mining ceased, it reached a depth of 240 metres and a width of 463 metres. Today, it is gradually filling with water, sitting right where a volcanic vent stood nearly 100 million years ago.



8. Guatemala City Sinkhole

This terrifying sinkhole opened up in Guatemala City following Tropical Storm Agatha in 2010, swallowing a three-storey building whole. Measuring roughly 20 metres wide and as deep as a 30-storey building, the cavernous hole was caused by torrential waters eroding the soft soil and underlying bedrock.