The "hellish" sinkholes on Earth

Darvaza gas field, Turkmenistan

The Darvaza gas field, also known as "The Gates to Hell," is a natural gas field in Derweze (Ahal, Turkmenistan). In 1971, Soviet geologists drilled into a gas pocket, causing the ground beneath the rig to collapse and create a large crater up to 70 meters in diameter. To prevent gas leaks and potential poisoning, it was decided to burn it, hoping the fire would consume all the gas within a few weeks. However, the fire has continued for almost 50 years and shows no sign of stopping. The glow from the fire is clearly visible at night from several kilometers away.

Glory Hole, USA

The Hole of Glory is located at the Monticello Dam on Lake Berryessa, the largest lake in Napa County, California. Built over 50 years ago, this giant man-made hole is capable of discharging thousands of liters of water in seconds. Despite being just a drainage hole, its beauty attracts many visitors every year.

Sawmill Sink, Bahamas

Sawmill Sink is a deep blue pit in the Bahamas, a site of immense historical value, helping scientists conduct archaeological investigations and learn about the Earth 1,000 years ago. No other pit in the world has the quantity and quality of fossils found in Sawmill Sink.

St. Patrick's Well, Italy

St. Patrick's Well is located in Orvieto, Umbria, in central Italy. It was built by the architect Antonio da Sangallo between 1527 and 1537 on the orders of Pope Clement VII. This elaborate well features 248 steps, 70 windows for light, and a depth of over 13 meters. It also serves as the primary water source for the entire Orvieto region.

Great Blue Hole

Located on the Belize Atoll in the Caribbean Sea, the Great Blue Hole is almost perfectly circular, with a diameter of 305 meters and a depth of 122 meters. Discovered by the renowned French diver Jacques-Yves Cousteau, it has become a popular diving destination for explorers, despite being known as the "graveyard of divers" and "graveyard of marine life" due to its extremely harsh environment, filled with hydrogen sulfide gas and lacking oxygen in the water.

The inverted tower at Masons, Portugal

This inverted tower is located within the Quinta da Regaleira castle in the center of Sintra, Portugal. It is actually a 27-meter-deep well that is empty, but has a spiral staircase leading down to the bottom. Looking down from the well's opening, visitors get the impression that the tower is upside down. In the past, sacred religious ceremonies took place here, and it is now a popular tourist attraction in Portugal.

Er Wang Dong Cave, China

With a length of over 42,000 meters and a depth of 441 meters, Er Wang Dong Cave is so large that it has its own weather system and independent ecosystem. Inside the cave are forests with rich flora and fauna not found elsewhere, along with a perpetual sky, thin clouds, and mist.

Sinkhole in Guatemala City, Guatemala

In June 2010, a sinkhole suddenly appeared in Guatemala City, approximately 20 meters in diameter. Many attributed it to the city's aging groundwater system, while geologists claimed it was due to severe calcification of the underlying soil, causing groundwater to erode it. However, the exact cause remains undetermined, and most residents living near the sinkhole have relocated for safety.

Bingham Canyon, USA

Bingham Canyon is an open-pit copper mine in Utah, USA. It is considered the world's largest man-made mine, with a diameter of over 4,000 meters and a depth of nearly 1,000 meters. It has also produced more copper than any other mine in history – over 19 million tons. Bingham Canyon was designated a National Historic Site in 1966.

Xiaozhai Pit, Tiankeng, China

The Xiaozhai Tiankeng Pit, also known as the Heavenly Pit, located in Fengjie District, Chongqing City, is the world's deepest sinkhole, exceeding 600 meters in depth and formed 128,000 years ago. It has become an ideal destination for skydiving enthusiasts and a popular tourist attraction.

Mir mine, Russia

The Mir mine is one of the largest diamond deposits in Mirny (Sakha Republic, Siberia, Russia). The mine is over 525 meters deep, 1,200 meters in diameter, and the second largest man-made pit in the world. Due to the frigid Siberian climate, diamond mining is no easy task; experts must use jet engines to drill through the rock or use explosives to blast it open. Remarkably, the diamonds extracted from the Mir mine are incredibly uniform in size and shape. However, no one has yet explained the reason for this phenomenon.