These holes are not only amazing, but some of them are really terrifying! The sheer magnitude of these gaping holes reminds us of how men will scar the earth to pursue their quest for power and wealth.

Apparently the largest ever hand-dug excavation in the world, this 1097 meter deep mine yielded over 3 tons of diamonds before being closed in 1914. More Info – Wiki Link

A glory hole is used when a dam is at full capacity and water needs to be drained from the reservoir. This is the ‘Glory Hole’ at Monticello dam, and it’s the largest in the world of this type of spillway, its size enabling it to consume 14,400 cubic feet of water every second.

This is supposedly the largest man-made excavation on earth. Extraction began in 1863 and still continues today, the pit increasing in size constantly. In its current state the hole is miles deep and 2.5 miles wide.

This incredible geographical phenomenon known as a blue hole is situated 60 miles off the mainland of Belize. There are numerous blue holes around the world,
but none as stunning as this one.

I’m pretty sure most people have seen this one. It’s an absolute beast and holds the title of largest
open diamond mines in the world. At 525 meters deep, with a top diameter of 1200 meters, there’s
even a no-fly zone above the hole due to a few helicopters having been sucked in.

The mine is so huge and the area so remote that it has its own airport with a runway large enough to accommodate a Boeing 737. It looks equally cool when the surrounding water is frozen.

These photos are of a sinkhole that occurred early this year in Guatemala . The hole swallowed a dozen homes and killed at least 3 people.

That’s all the holes we’ve got for you. Know of any others? Tell us about them in the comments.

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Study Guide for Biological Science

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From MSNBC:

Today, cutting-edge astronomers use space-based observatories to gain a sharp view of the stars and advance our understanding of the cosmos. But appreciation for celestial bodies dates back to ancient times. Many cultures built structures in ways that suggest they were in tune with Earth’s annual trek around the sun. Other structures appear to take constellations and planets into account. Click the “Next” arrow above to learn about 10 of these ancient observatories. Each page includes an image taken by GeoEye’s Ikonos satellite, shown in this artist’s conception, as it flew 423 miles above Earth at an average speed of 17,000 miles per hour.

See the List

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Principles of Environmental Science

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