The following is a list of sinkholes, blue holes, dolines, crown holes, cenotes, and pit caves. A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. Some are caused by karst processes—for example, the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks[1] or suffosion processes.[2] Sinkholes can vary in size from 1 to 600 m (3 to 2,000 ft) both in diameter and depth, and vary in form from soil-lined bowls to bedrock-edged chasms. Sinkholes may form gradually or suddenly, and are found worldwide.[3]

The Great Blue Hole, a giant submarine sinkhole, near Ambergris Caye, Belize

Australia

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Brazil

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Canada

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China

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Croatia

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Czech Republic

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France

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  • Padirac Cave - very deep pit cave in Massif Central, with subterranean river

Germany

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Greece

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Guatemala

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The 2010 Guatemala City sinkhole
  • 2007 Guatemala City sinkhole – a 100 m (330 ft) deep sinkhole which formed in 2007 due to sewage pipe ruptures.
  • 2010 Guatemala City sinkhole – a disaster in which an area approximately 20 m (65 ft) across and 90 m (300 ft) deep collapsed, swallowing a three-story factory.

Italy

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Malaysia

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Mexico

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Namibia

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  • Lake Guinas – a sinkhole lake, created by a collapsing karst cave, located 38 km (23+12 mi) west of Tsumeb
  • Otjikoto Lake – a sinkhole lake that was created by a collapsing karst cave

South Africa

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Turkey

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A view of the Akhayat sinkhole

United States

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Venezuela

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Other locations

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Dean's Blue Hole is the world's second deepest known salt water blue hole with an entrance below the sea level.

Notes

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  1. ^ Claimed by the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Vietnam.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Lard, L., Paull, C., & Hobson, B. (1995). "Genesis of a submarine sinkhole without subaerial exposure". Geology. 23 (10): 949–951. Bibcode:1995Geo....23..949L. doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1995)023<0949:GOASSW>2.3.CO;2.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "Caves and karst – dolines and sinkholes". British Geological Survey.
  3. ^ Kohl, Martin (2001). "Subsidence and sinkholes in East Tennessee. A field guide to holes in the ground" (PDF). State of Tennessee. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  4. ^ Graves, Russell A. (January 2008). "When the Earth Opens". Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  5. ^ "Chile sinkhole grows large enough to swallow France's Arc de Triomphe". Reuters. 2022-08-08. Retrieved 2022-08-11.