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Wonder
Keek sinkhole
© Acheloos Geo Exploring
In short
Amazing feature of the unique Aouk Underground River is narrow, deep hole through the rainforest and deep in the ground – Keek sinkhole.
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Map of the site
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In detail
This deep sinkhole in the Arfak Mountains was formed when the ceiling of a cave above the Aouk Underground River collapsed. This hole is some 150 m long and 110 m wide, approximately 160 – 180 m deep. The sinkhole is bell-shaped – below it is wider, but its mouth above is more narrow – just 100 by 60 m wide. Its volume is approximately 1.4 million m3.
The size of this sinkhole exceeds 100 m and also the depth exceeds 100 m – thus Keek sinkhole can be considered to be a true tiankeng.
The whole floor of this sinkhole is just a fast river – this hole in the ground is a window to the underground stream of Aouk. The stream of Aouk comes from the south after passing through some 1.7 km long underground passage from Wakut – the gloomy entrance in Aouk Underground River.
Nearby are two more giant sinkholes: Hafasu Tiankeng and Kuom Tiankeng.
References
- Papua 2017 Aouk Underground River – Acheloos Geo Exploring, Petzl. Accessed in 14 January, 2019
- Andrea Benassi e Ivan Vicenzi, Papua 2017 Aouk Underground River – Acheloos Geo Exploring, cronache ipogee. Accessed in 16 January, 2019
- Il Tiankeng dell’Aouk, Speleologia Casolana. Accessed in 16 January, 2019
- Graham Mullan, News: Exploring Large River Caves in West Papua, Darkness Below. Accessed in 16 January, 2019
Keek sinkhole is included in the following article:
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