List of 10 most impressive and largest sinkholes
The giant sinkholes of Earth belong to the most impressive natural landmarks.
Wondermondo offers a unique list of 10 largest sinkholes of the world – deepest, most capacious and most unusual ones. Sinkholes are listed in alphabetic order.
1. Andros Black Hole
| Location: | Bahamas, South Andros |
| Depth: | 47 m |
| Volume: | ? |
Black holes are the only formations known in the world where microorganisms have increased the temperature of water – in Andros Black Hole it reaches 40°C. Approximately 300 m wide and up to 47 m deep round karst formation.
2. Crveno Jezero – Red Lake
| Location: | Croatia, Split-Dalmatia |
| Depth: | 530 m |
| Volume: | 30 million m³ |
One of the most impressive and largest sinkholes in the world with nearly vertical walls. Contains 280 – 290 m deep lake with endemic species of fish.
3. Dragon Hole
| Location: | South China Sea, Paracel Islands |
| Depth: | 300.89 m |
| Volume: | ? |
Currently the deepest known underwater sinkhole (blue hole) is Dragon Hole – 300.89 m deep hole in a shallow shoal in Paracel Islands.
4. El Zacatón sinkhole
| Location: | Mexico, Tamaulipas |
| Depth: | 339 m |
| Volume: | 10 million m³ |
The second deepest water filled sinkhole in the world. Total depth of sinkhole is 339 m, lake is 319 m deep. On the surface of lake there are floating several round travertine islands. Lake is formed by volcanically heated acidic groundwater.
5. Great Blue Hole
| Location: | Belize, Belize District |
| Depth: | 124 m |
| Volume: | ? |
124 m deep, perfectly round, submerged, deep blue sinkhole in the middle of atoll. At the depth of 40 meters contains numerous stalactites which provide valuable information about the past of Earth climate.
6. Minyé sinkhole and cave
| Location: | Papua New Guinea, East New Britain |
| Depth: | 510 m |
| Volume: | 26 million m³ |
Giant sinkhole in equatorial jungle. Below it is crossed by powerful underground river, opening entrances into enormous, at least 5.4 km long cave with some of the largest cave chambers in the world.
7. Sima Humboldt and Sima Martel
| Location: | Venezuela, Bolívar state |
| Depth: | 314 m and 248 m |
| Volume: | 21 million m³ (Sima Humboldt) |
Some of the oldest and most unique sinkholes in the world. Both sinkholes have formed in extremely resistant sandstone over the course of hundreds of millions of years. Bottom of sinkholes contains patches of unique rainforest with endemic, little explored species.
8. Sótano de las Golondrinas – Cave of the Swallows
| Location: | Mexico, San Luis Potosí |
| Depth: | 372 m |
| Volume: | 5 million m³ |
Sinkhole with enormous, 372 m deep entrance hole and characteristic swarms of birds spiralling up the shaft every morning.
9. Teiq sinkhole
| Location: | Oman, Dhofar Governorate |
| Depth: | 250 m |
| Volume: | 90 million m³ |
One of the largest sinkholes in the world with volume of 90 million m³, width 750 – 1000 m. Two perennial streams enter this sinkhole and disappear underground. This giant pit is especially impressive due to high perennial waterfalls falling into it.
10. Xiaozhai tiankeng
| Location: | China, Chongqing Municipality |
| Depth: | 662 m |
| Volume: | 119.349 million m³ |
Largest known sinkhole in the world, up to 662 m deep and 626 m wide pit with vertical walls. On the bottom grows unique forest.
Map of 10 most impressive and largest sinkholes in the world
Other articles about sinkholes
Sinkholes
General description of phenomena and some 60 most interesting sinkholes around the world.
List of the largest sinkholes of the world
Unique review of the largest sinkholes of the world – deepest, most capacious and most unusual ones. Tncludes table of world’s largest naturally formed sinkholes which are well pronounced (f.e. NOT included gently sloping valleys e.g. mega-dolines) and at least 150 m deep.
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