A glory hole is a large excavation area created during mining or construction projects. It can be used to create an ore shaft or open pit mine, and can also occur as a result of the block caving method. The term can also refer to excavations for building basements.
A “glory hole” is a term used in the mining industry to describe several types of excavations that commonly occur during the process of creating an open pit, drilling a mine shaft, or using the block caving method to create and manage a mine. Most underground mining methods are likely to produce some sort of glory hole, although this type of open excavation can also be part of a surface mining project. The term is also sometimes used to describe the result of excavation as part of work on a building project.
One of the main features of a glory hole is that the resulting excavation area is usually large and visually impressive. This type of excavation can be used in deep mining to create an ore shaft that opens up a large and relatively open working space underground, allowing for relatively easy transportation of surface-gathered ores, coal, or other materials. This is in contrast to a mine shaft which is quite narrow and does not allow for the use of heavy equipment to haul the mined materials to the surface.
A glory hole can occur in the form of what is known as an open pit mine. This approach involves creating a large pit through excavation that covers a significant amount of area. Pit mining is common in many operations, allowing you to dig deeper to locate and remove needed materials. Technically, this type of mining can begin by digging a pit from the surface or digging into an underground chamber which is reached by drilling a shaft directly into the chamber.
Another example of the glory hole has to do with the block caving method. In this scenario, minerals or ores found in the ceiling of a mine shaft collapse directly into the shaft. As the material is removed, the ground surface above the tree can become somewhat weak, eventually leading to a collapse resulting in a large hole exposing the tree. The end result is a large open pit which can then be dug from the surface for any remaining ore.
Along with mining operations, a glory hole can also be created as part of a construction effort. For example, excavating a tract of land in preparation for building construction may require excavating an area that will eventually contain a basement. When this is the case, the excavated area may be referred to as a glory hole.
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