Have you ever wondered what lies deep under the sea or in the belly of the Earth? Here is a list of the 10 deepest places on Earth to answer all your questions about those deep dark places.
Deepest Places on Earth
1. Kola Superdeep Borehole
This well is the deepest place on Earth and is a manmade well that extends 40,230 feet below the surface of the Earth. The interesting fact about this well is that has never been accessed by human beings and was completely drilled by machines. The original plan chalked out in 1970 was to reach 49,000 feet, but the temperatures have seen that deep were more than initially calculated and the project had to be stopped in 1992 since no drill could work at temperatures above 500 degrees Fahrenheit. This depth is about one-third of the way down to the Earth’s crust and it appears impossible to go any further down as of now.
2. Mariana Trench
This famous trench is the deepest natural formation on the Earth and at its deepest is about 35,000 feet under sea level. However, despite this depth, humans have ventured to the bottom of the trench. A few years back, there was an intense competition between entrepreneur Richard Branson and film director James Cameron as to who could reach the bottom first and Cameron won, reaching the bottom in March 2012. It took 2 hours 36 minutes to go to the bottom of the trench and he spent a few hours there taking samples and observing life forms. He reported seeing many unusual beings like camouflaged sea cucumbers and foot-long amphipods. However, much of the trench lies unexplored and is a golden opportunity for scientists to go down and see what the world under the sea looks like.
Related: Top 10 Largest Seas and Oceans in the World
3. Milwaukee Deep
This geological formation is the deepest point in the Puerto Rico Trench and is located in Central America, off the coast of Puerto Rico. The depth of this trench is 28860 feet, making it one of the deepest places on Earth. This deep is named after the USS Milwaukee, a US naval vessel that discovered the deep on February 14th, 1939 and recorded the first-ever reading of 28,860 feet. This trench is formed between two tectonic plates and scientists believe that an earthquake in this region may trigger a massive tsunami causing great loss of life in the Caribbean and the Americas.
4. Litke Deep
Another wonder of nature located under the sea, this is one of the deepest places on Earth and is located in the Arctic Sea. It is part of the Eurasian Basin and has a depth of 17,881 feet. Since it is located very far North and very deep down, it is also one of the coldest places on Earth and the flora and fauna ia estimated to be very different from what is normally found in other oceans. It was named after the ice-breaking ship that discovered it in 1955 – the Fyodor Litke. This ship was regularly used by the Soviet Union and also served in the World Wars, being decommissioned in 1960.
5. Kidd Mine
The Kidd Mine located in Ontario Canada and though it is not the deepest mine in the world (that honor belongs to the Mponeg Mine in South Africa), it goes more than 8,000 feet below sea level, making it one of the deepest places on Earth when measured from sea level. The total depth of this mine is more than 10,000 feet. It was opened in 1964 and since then has been dug deeper and deeper over the years. Today, it is the biggest and deepest copper mine in the world.
6. Krubera Voronya Cave
If you are scared of deep dark places, this one is definitely not for you. This cave in Georgia is the deepest in the world and is estimated to be more than 7,200 feet deep. It was discovered by Russian geographer Alexander Kruber in the 1960s but later explorers called it “Voronya Cave” which means “Cave of Crows” since many crows gathered at the mouth of the cave. In the 1980s, there were several expeditions to gauge the depth of the cave and each subsequent team ventured deeper than the previous. Most of this cave is still unmapped and it will take many more years to figure out how this cave looks from the inside.
7. Lake Baikal
This lake in Russia is one of the deepest places in the world and also the deepest freshwater lake in the world, reaching a distance of more than 5,300 feet. The record for the deepest freshwater dive was set in this lake when Anatoly Sagalevich reached 5,371 feet in 1990. Subsequently, the Russian Academy of Sciences explored this lake by sending small submersible craft down in 2008 and they reached a depth of 5,180 feet. This lake is also turning out to be a huge tourist attraction and many resorts, adventure parks, and luxury homes are being built on its shores. This lake has famously acquired the name ‘Pearl of Siberia’.
8. El Zacaton
This natural structure in Mexico has been around since the Pleistocene Epoch and is one of the deepest places on Earth. It is also one of the oldest sinkholes and is currently filled with water. It goes down to 1112 feet below sea level, which was measured by an automated robot. Over the years, many divers have tried to venture to the bottom but none have succeeded so far. The deepest dive was made by two divers in 1994 and they reached 925 feet, however, one of them died at 900 feet due to the intense pressure. Since 1994, no one has attempted to dive to the bottom of this sinkhole. It is one of the major natural tourist attractions in Mexico.
9. Tegabau Hambach
This mine is the deepest open mine in the world and is located in Elsdorf Germany and it reaches to a depth of 1213 feet of which 961 is below sea level. This mine is a treasure trove of world records since it has the largest excavator in the world that excavates around 24,000 tons of lignite every day. A large hill has been constructed nearby from where tourists can peek into the mine and this is the largest man-made hill in the world with a height of over 900 feet above sea level. This mine is not only the deepest place on Earth but also one of the highest!
10. Woodingdean Well
This well is a feat of mankind since it is not only one of the deepest places in the world but also the deepest hand-dug mine. The construction started in 1858 and it was originally planned to dig only 400 feet but the final well went over 1200 feet below sea level. The process of construction was undertaken by paupers in the nearby workhouses and most of them had no choice but to work in the highly unsafe conditions. There was no safety equipment or protection in case of a collapse since the work was done with shovels standing on wooden ladders. This well is now covered and not accessible to the public.
You may have thought that deep places are always scary and inaccessible, but most of the places on this list are tourist attractions! Though it may not be possible for everyone to explore the depths of these places, it is certainly a delight to watch them from above and marvel at these amazing creations.
