Chile’s huge sinkhole

Huge sinkhole discovered in Chile
Credit photo: REUTERS/Johan Godoy

The 200-meter-deep depression is tennis court-sized. How did the hole form?

The round hole that formed in northern Chile on Saturday seems supernatural or otherworldly. The Alcaparrosa mine in Atacama fell abruptly. The opening is 25 meters wide and 200 meters deep, Sernageomin tweeted.

The stunning photographs raised alarm in the area. The closest dwelling is 600 meters away, but what if it occurs on a street or at a school? Tierra Amarilla mayor Cristóbal Ziga asked on radio.

It’s unknown whether the hole was natural or produced by Lundin Mining’s copper mine. Watson reports that the opening hasn’t affected the mine. Subsidence should stop 200 meters up. The affected area has been sealed off and plant operations halted.

Occasionally, the earth opens up in nature. Geologists call them dolines or sinkholes. When water-soluble carbonate rock weathers, chimney, funnel, or bowl-shaped depressions occur.

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