1 Darvaza Gas Crater, Turkmenistan
In 1971, geologists discovered a massive underground deposit of natural gas on this site. Whilst excavating the hole to tap the gas, the drilling rig collapsed leaving a massive hole. To prevent poisonous gasses from escaping, the hole was allowed to burn. It continues to burn to this day and has done so without ceasing. Locals have dubbed the cavern "The Door to Hell".
2 Kimberley Diamond Mine, South Africa
The Kimberley Diamond Mine (also known as the Big Hole) holds the (disputed) title of being the largest hand-dug hole in the world. From 1866 to 1914 50,000 miners dug the hole with picks and shovels, yielding 2,722 kg of diamonds. Attempts are being made to have it registered as a world heritage site.
3 Monticello Dam, California
The Monticello Dam is a dam in Napa County, California, United States most noted for its large circular spillway with a rate of 48,400 cubic feet per second.
4 Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah
The Bingham Canyon Mine is a copper mine in the Oquirrh mountains, Utah. The mine is 0.75 mile (1.2 km) deep, 2.5 miles (4 km) wide. It is the world’s largest man-made excavation.
5 Great Blue Hole, Belize
The Great Blue Hole is an underwater sinkhole off the coast of Belize. The hole is 1,000 feet across and 400 feet deep. It was formed as a limestone cave during the last iceage.
6 Mirny Diamond Mine, Siberia
The Mirny Diamond Mine is 525m deep and has a diameter of 1200m. It was the first, and one of the largest, diamond Pipes in the USSR. It is now abandoned. While it was still operational, it would take two hours for trucks to drive from the top to the bottom of the mine.
7 Diavik Mine, Canada
The Diavik Mine is a mine in the Northwest territories of Canada. The mine opened in 2003 and produces 8 million carats or about 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) of diamonds every year.
8 Sinkhole, Guatemala
In February 2007, a very large, deep circular hole with vertical walls opened in a poor neighborhood in northeast Guatemala city, killing three people. This hole, which is classified by geologists as either a "piping feature" or "piping pseudokarst" and incorrectly referred to as a "sinkhole" by the popular press, was 100 metres (330 ft) deep, and apparently was created by fluid from a sewer eroding uncemented volcanic ash and other pyroclastic deposits underlying Guatemala City.
9 Udachnaya Pipe, Rusia
The Udachnaya Pipe is a diamond mine in Russia.The mine was discovered in 1955. It is more than 600 metres (1,970 ft) deep, make it be the 3rd deepest open-pit mine in the world (after Bingham Canyon Mine and Chuquicamata).
10 Chuquicamata, Chile
Chuquicamata is an open pit copper mine in Chile. It is the mine with the largest total production of copper in the world – though it is not the largest copper mine. The mine is over 850 meters deep, make it be the 2nd deepest open-pit mine in the world (after Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah, USA).
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