The Qattara Depression in Egypt is the world’s largest sinkhole, measuring 50 miles long and 74 miles wide. Other sinkholes include Berezniki in Russia, Guatemala City, and Daisetta in Texas.
The largest sinkhole in the world is the Qattara Depression near Cairo, Egypt. The sinkhole, which is filled with mud and quicksand, measures nearly 50 miles (80 kilometers) long and 74 miles (120 kilometers) wide. The depression covers an area of approximately 7,000 square miles (18,130 square kilometers) – about the size of Lake Erie.
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Another great chasm in the world continues to grow. The sinkhole near Berezniki, Russia began in 1986 and continues to grow every year. It measures more than 656 feet (200 meters) deep, 262 feet (80 meters) long and 131 feet (40 meters) wide. If the sinkhole gets much larger, it will threaten rail lines from one of the largest potash, or potash, mines in the world.
One of the more recent sinkholes to be developed is one located in Guatemala City, Guatemala, where a sinkhole suddenly engulfed a three-story building. Geologists believe this sinkhole was the result of human activity: The burst pipes may have eroded the soil beneath the city, which is mostly composed of pumice from previous volcanic eruptions. In fact, since the underlying ground wasn’t solid bedrock, this hole may not technically be a sinkhole. The hole is about 300 feet (100 meters) deep and 60 feet (18 meters) wide.
A sinkhole in 2008 threatened to engulf an entire town in Texas. Daisetta, Texas was built on top of a salt dome, and several small sinkholes have developed from cave-ins in the salt dome since the city was founded. The 2008 sinkhole, however, grew to 600 by 500 feet (180 by 160 meters) with a depth of about 150 feet (45 meters). Local officials still see the sinkhole as a threat to the city.
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