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Mirny Diamond Mine
The world's second largest hole
Category Geological Oddities
The second largest man-made hole in the world (surpassed only by the Bingham Copper Mine in Utah) is a diamond mine located on the outskirts of Mirny, a small town in eastern Siberia.
Excavation on the pit began in 1955, and today it is 1,722 feet (525 meters) deep, and 3,900 feet (1.25 kilometers) across. Stalin ordered construction of the mine to satisfy the Soviet Union's need for industrial-grade diamonds following the war.
The harsh, frozen Siberian landscape made working on the mine a difficult proposition at best. Jet engines were turned on the unyielding permafrost in order to melt it; when that failed, explosives were used. During its peak years of operation, the Mirny mine produced over 10 million carats of diamonds annually, a good percentage of which were gem-quality.
Although open pit mining has ceased in the pit, mining work is continuing by underground methods. The massive 20-foot (6 meter) tall rock-hauling trucks that service the Mirny mine travel along a road that spirals down from the lip of the hole to its basin. Airspace above the mine is off-limits to helicopters, after "a few accidents when they were 'sucked in' by downward air flow..."
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- Address Mirny, Russia
According to the BBC, "The town is strictly off limits to outsiders without a special permit and the authorities regard any foreigners with considerable suspicion."
Comments
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Anonymous
January 19, 2012
what will fill in the empty space http://www.narodsafariskenya.com -
Anonymous
January 19, 2012
This I dare no one can take a hike downwards
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Anonymous
January 1, 2012
But they landed a chopper in it in MW3!
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I'm pretty sure most people have seen this one. It's an absolute beast and holds the title of largest open diamond mines in the world. At 525 meters deep, with a top diameter of 1200 meters , there's even a no-fly zone above the hole due to a few helicopters having been sucked in. ________________ <a href="http://www.netpointar.com.ar/S_Seguridad/Netpoint_Security/default.asp">tarjetas plasticas</a>
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Anonymous
September 14, 2009
Hi my name is quintin im from S.Af. And we got a diamond farm with a pipe and 3 or 4 blows. And want to sell the farm. Got all the info on the farm my email is q.silvertone@gmail.com. Regards quintin morley.
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Anonymous
June 17, 2009
Your maplink points to the wrong place Here is the correct Google Maps link: http://is.gd/14kay
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