Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
When sinkholes make the news, it’s often because of the significant inconveniences they create or the damage they cause. After all, it’s highly difficult to predict where or when they may appear. And because of their potentially enormous size, they can swallow whole buildings!
So, what are some of the deepest sinkholes on the planet? Let’s dive into the list of the most enormous sinkholes based on depth, from deep to deeper and deepest.
Brazil hosts one of the largest sinkholes in South America. Known as the Buraco das Araras or “Hole of Macaws,” it measures 328 feet deep and is the product of limestone rock erosion. But where does it get its name? From the large number of scarlet macaws living inside.
The Scarlet Macaw.
The Devil’s Sinkhole sits in Texas and drops 350 feet. First discovered in 1876, geologists continue to flock to the site to do research. Within the sinkhole are passages which house one of the largest colonies of Mexican free-tailed bats in the “Lone Star” state. This translates into approximately three million bat residents!
Egypt contains the Qattara Depression, a lowland area roughly three times larger than the state of Delaware! Descending 436 feet into the Earth, it’s the second lowest point in Africa after Djibouti’s Lake Assal. Covered with dunes, salt pans, and salt marshes, weathering and erosion have contributed to fascinating rock formations in the depression.
Qattara Depression. Credit: cheesy42 Via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Xiaozhai Tiankeng isn’t the only sinkhole in China. In 2022, China announced the discovery of another massive sinkhole in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Measuring 1,004 feet long and 492 feet deep, it houses an entire forest and a biodiverse array of wildlife that scientists have yet to explore fully.
The name of Chile’s copper mine sinkhole says it all. The massive sinkhole opened in 2020, measuring 104 feet wide and 656 feet deep. Situated at the Alcaparrosa copper mine site, it’s owned by the Lundin Mining Company.
In 2012, the Bayou Corne sinkhole was first observed in Louisiana. It emerged after months of unexplained seismic activity. What caused this hole to appear? A collapsed underground salt dome cavern. Today, it reaches 750 feet deep and even resulted in the evacuation of the city of Bayou Corne.
Although nature’s the culprit when it comes to most sinkholes. Sometimes, human intervention can lead to sinking ground. Such is the case with Berezniki in Russia. Located in the Ural Mountains, the area once housed a labor camp where workers slaved to extract potassium from the Earth. But this activity destabilized the ground, causing the sinkhole you see today. Known as the Grandfather, it started collapsing in 2007 and now plunges 780 feet deep.
Venezuela’s Sima Humboldt is another massive sinkhole. Located in the Bolívar State, it sits atop a flat-topped mountain called Cerro Sarisarinama. Stretching down 1,030 feet, the sinkhole even contains a forest at the bottom!
In Croatia, you’ll find Crveno Jezero, a sinkhole containing a karst lake. Located near the city of Imotski, the lake is a picturesque blue surrounded by steep reddish-brown cliffs. The lake supports several fish species, including the Imotski spined loach and the endangered spotted minnow. How deep does this sinkhole go? A total of 1,740 feet deep.
One of the world’s deepest sinkholes, Xiaozhai Tiankeng, is located in China. The name translates as “the Heavenly Pit,” and it holds the official record as the globe’s deepest sinkhole. All told, it measures 2,172 feet deep and was formed by an underground river that still flows beneath it. With a volume of 170 million cubic yards, it’s also the largest sinkhole. Containing 1,285 plant and animal species, it provides homes for varied species like the clouded leopard and rare ginkgo.
Xiaozhai tiankeng. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Well, we hope that was enough to really sink your teeth into. But that’s not all, looking for some more in-depth sinkhole content? Look no further, you’re not going to want to miss our recent blog all about a fantasy forest discovered inside China’s 630-foot-deep mystery sinkhole!
By Engrid Barnett, contributor for Ripleys.com
