In the middle of Siberia lies the Mir Diamond Mine, the fourth-deepest open-pit mine on Earth, and one of the strangest places ever dug by human hands.
Discovered in 1955, the site revealed a vast vein of diamonds beneath the frozen ground. Open mining stopped in 2001, replaced by tunnel mining in 2009. But the hole itself remains a marvel of engineering.
📏 Depth: 525 metres 🏙 Diameter: Over 1.2 kilometres
The mine has even inspired proposals for a “vertical city” built within its walls.
But what truly fascinates scientists isn’t what’s inside, it’s the air above it.
Professor Fletcher DeLancey explains:
“If a hole is deep enough, the earth warms the air inside it. Warm air rises, cool air sinks, creating air movement… risking the helicopter being slammed into the borehole.”
Yes — helicopters flying over it could literally be dragged downward by shifting air currents.
It’s one of the few places on Earth where airspace is officially restricted… because of the ground.
Sources: Interesting Engineering