Sinkhole in Guatemala

Every day we see more and more about emergence in Earth of numerous strange holes - failures gaping by an abyss in which one see in these events the Lord's tribute punishing us, people, for unreasonableness and the consumer relation to the nature.
Others are afraid of the beginning of that end.

The third say that is all natural geological processes since ancient times going on a planet, and you shouldn't be afraid (about 200 m) the.gigantsky funnel was formed in Guatemala of 150 in depth, and with a diameter of 20 meters. It is caused by underground waters and rains. During formation of a failure some people were lost and are destroyed about ten houses. According to locals, approximately since the beginning of February around future tragedy soil motions were felt, and from under the earth the muffled rumble was heard. Eyewitnesses who by miracle didn't suffer told that If heavy rain began at some o'clock earlier, it would turn back the big tragedy". Inhabitants of neighboring houses still are afraid to come back. The same who didn't leave the dwellings, live in dread that their house can appear in a flash at the bottom of a hole. "At night I wake up every ten minutes, – one of locals tells. – I am frightened each rustle – it seems to me that it is a rain drums by a roof".Эксперты couldn't determine the exact reason of emergence of an opening. Geologists claim that in porous structure of limestone – the main component of the soil in Syyudad-Nueva – rain water year after year arrived, gradually increasing openings. And heavy rain worked as the catalyst.

Monticello dam (California)

The big man-made hole is in Northern California, the USA. But it not simply hole. Drain opening in the tank of a dam of Montichello — the biggest spillway in the world! It built about 55 years ago. This funneled exit is simply irreplaceable here. He allows to dump quickly surplus of water from the tank when its level exceeds admissible norm. Such protective valve. Waters merges with an improbable speed capable to bear all on the way, it dread to think that will be if the person gets up opposite to a pipe from which the thick stream of water beats out. But most it is terrible if somebody fails in this pipe, or will climb specially having counted it as a waterslide...

Visually the funnel looks, as a huge concrete pipe. It is capable to pass through herself in a second already 1370 CBM of water! Depth of a such hole — about 21 m. From top to bottom it has the cone form which diameter at top reaches nearly 22 m, and from top to bottom is narrowed to 9 m and leaves on the other side of a dam, removing at reservoir overflow surplus of water. Distance from a pipe to point of an exit which is located a little to the south, about 700 foots (about 200 m).

Great Blue Hole (Belize)

Worldfamous Great Blue Hole ("A great blue hole") – the main sight picturesque, ecologically ideally clean Belize (the former British Honduras) – the states in Central America, on the peninsula Yucatan. No, this time it not kimberlitovy tube. From it "extract" not diamonds, and tourists – fans of diving from all over the world thanks to what she feeds the country not worse than a tube diamond. Probably, it would be better to call it not "A blue hole", and "Dreamboat" as such can come in dream unless in dreams or in a dream. It is an original masterpiece, a nature miracle – ideally round, sumerechno a becoming blue spot in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, surrounded with a lacy shirtfront of the atoll of Lighthouse Reef.Предполагается that this geological education initially was system of the calcareous caves created during the last ice age. The sea level then was much lower but when the ocean rose and the arch of the flooded cave fell off, the karstic funnel — quite widespread form of a relief along the coast of Belize was formed. There was also a version that the Blue hole of Belize - a huge vessel in which ancient something stored. In favor of such point of view I said that fact that hole walls rather equal for casual education. In three-dimensional space it can be presented as the big cylinder representing a certain tank. The big blue hole is considered the biggest among similar karstic ditches and therefore was entered by UNESCO in the list of the world heritage.But, as a rule, divers make immersions no more, than on 30 m is is connected with that at a depth isn't enough oxygen and therefore life prospers only closer than a surface. Divers can meet some interesting species of fish, including a huge gruper, sharks nurses and some species of reef sharks, for example the Caribbean reef shark.

Diavik (Canada)

The Canadian pit of "Diavik" – perhaps, one of the youngest (on development) diamond kimberlitovy tubes. For the first time it was investigated only in 1992, the infrastructure is created by 2001, and production of diamonds began since January 2003. Allegedly the mine will serve from 16 to 22 years.
The place of its exit to an earth surface in itself is unique. First it not one, and at once three tubes formed on the island of Las de Gras — approximately in 220 km to the south of the Polar circle, at coast of Canada. As a hole huge, and the island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean small, only 20 km

For short term the diamond mine Diavik became one of the most important components of economy of Canada. From this field about 8 million carats (1600 kg) diamonds in a year are got. On one of the islands neighboring to it the airfield, capable to accept even enormous Boeings is constructed. In June, 2007 the consortium of seven companies of the mining industry declared the intention to sponsor ecological researches and to start construction on the northern coast of Canada of large port for reception of cargo vessels with the displacement up to 25 000 tons, and also – 211 km of an access road which will connect port to consortium plants. And it means that the hole at the ocean will grow and go deep. The Harry Winston Diamond Corporation company declared that Diavik Diamond Mines decided to cancel a stop of production planned for winter on the diamond mine Diavik located in the Canadian northern territories.

Earlier this year, the Diavik company declared a series of reductions in connection with situation change in the market, including plans about a summer and winter stop of production. The summer stop of production came to the end on August 24, and now production of diamond raw materials on mine came to former level. The winter stop which initially had to begin on December 01, 2009 and lasts till January 11, 2010, was cancelled.

Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine (State of Utah)

The biggest operating pit in the world — development of copper began in 1863 and goes still. About a kilometer in depth and three and a half kilometers in width.
Is the world's largest anthropogenous education (the dug-out person). Represents mine which development it is conducted in the open way.
The ore body of a field is dated for the stolboobrazny rod of the quartz montsonit-porphyries with a diameter of 1800 x 2700 m which has been coolly inclined to the North. Breeds containing it are quartzites and the limestones of late coal age crumpled in folds with hades on wings 20-30 ° and crossed by 20-30 breaks of northeast and northwest pro-deleting. In sedimentary breeds zones of a kalishpatization and quartz-seritsitovogo метасоматоза are developed.
The ore body in a horizontal cut has the sizes of 1200-1500 x 1800-2100 m. Down it is opened with wells up to the depth more than 2 km. In a form the ore body is close to a thick-walled cone top up in which lower part there is a bezrudny kernel. At a depth more than 2 km the ore body is split on a series quickly выклинивающихся апофиз.
Now in career 1400 people who daily take 450000 tons (408 thousand tons) breeds work. Ore is loaded into 64 big dump trucks which are capable to transport on 231 tons of ore, these trucks cost about 3 million US dollars everyone.

Big Hole (republic of South Africa)

Big hole — huge invalid diamond mine in the city of Kimberley (Republic of South Africa). It is considered that it is the greatest pit developed by people without use of equipment. Now is the main sight of the city of Kimberley.

Since 1866 for 1914 about 50 thousand miners dug mine by means of picks and shovels, having developed thus 2,722 tons of diamonds (14,5 million carat). In the course of development of a pit 22,5 million tons of soil were taken. Exactly here such well-known diamonds, as "Bierce" (428,5 carats), bluish-white "Porter-Rhodes" (the 150th carat), orange-yellow were found by "Tiffany" (128,5 carats). Now this field of diamonds is settled. The area "Big hole" makes 17 hectares. Its diameter makes 1,6 km. The hole was dug on depth of 240 meters, but then was is filled up with dead rock up to the depth of 215 meters, now the bottom of a hole is filled by water, its depth makes 40 meters.

On a mine place earlier (about 70 — 130 million years ago) there was a volcano muzzle. Nearly hundred years ago – in 1914, development in "A big hole" was stopped, but the gaping muzzle of a tube remains to this day and now serves unless as a bait for tourists, carrying out a museum role. And … starts creating problems. In particular, there was a serious danger of a collapse not only its edges, but also the ways paved in close proximity to it. Road services of the Republic of South Africa already forbade long ago journey in these parts heavy cargo transport, and now strongly recommend also to all other drivers to avoid driving through Bultfonteyn Road around Big Hole.Власти are going to block a dangerous site of the road completely. And the largest diamond company of the world "Bierce", owning this mine since 1888, didn't find anything the best how to get rid of it, having offered for sale.

Mir diamond pipe (Yakutia)

In Yakutia, near the city Mirnyi, is the biggest on total amount a diamond pit in the world - a kimberlitovy tube "World" (the city Mirnyi appeared after opening of a tube and it was called in her honor).  The pit has depth of 525 meter and diameter of 1,2 kilometers.
Formation of a kimberlitovy tube happens during a volcanic eruption when through crust gases from a subsoil of the earth escape outside.    The form of such tube reminds a funnel or a glass.    Volcanic explosion takes out from Earth subsoil a kimberlite - the breed sometimes containing diamonds.    Breed is called so in honor of the city of Kimberley in South Africa where in 1871 diamond weighing 85 carat (16,7 grams) was found that caused Diamond fever.  
On June 13, 1955 the geologists who were looking for in Yakutia a kimberlitovy tube, saw a high larch roots at which bared the landslide. The fox dug under it a deep hole. On characteristic bluish color the scattered fox of the earth geologists understood that it is a kimberlite. The coded radiogramm was right there sent to Moscow: "Lit a pipe of peace, tobacco excellent". Soon through 2800 km. off road terrain to a place of opening of a kimberlitovy tube motorcades stretched. Round a field of diamonds the working settlement Mirnyi grew, now it is the city with the population of 36 thousand people.

In tube kimberlites the World in our country was found and studied for the first time diamondiferous эклогит where diamond is a rock-forming phase. In a tube the World was revealed and studied new type of diamondiferous breed – garnet пироксенит, and also the first find diamondiferous pomegranate - an ilmenite peridotite is made. In the same tube single xenoliths of diamondiferous peridotites, original xenoliths of ilmenite peridotites and пироксенитов with pomegranate and without it are found. Also unique sample garnet лерцолита with non-uniform structure of pomegranate is described.
On Mir mine the largest diamond found in Russia on December 23, 1980 was extracted. It weighs 342,5 carats (more than 68 g) and "the XXVI congress of CPSU" is called