With all the talk about the
new 100 foot diameter hole appearing in the Yamal Peninsula in northern Siberia, one would assume that (1) climate change is a new concept and (2) holes in the Earth are unusual. In terms of the first point, I am not sure why we are surprised that a northern Russian region with permafrost may experience some settling and melting as areas on the Earth continue to warm.
And as far as holes go, I am much more concerned about sink holes appearing in populated areas, such as the hole below in Guatemala City formed in June 2010 after Tropical Storm Agatha.
And how about man-made holes? The hole below is a more amazing image as it sits at the edge of a city. This hole is found in the Siberian town of Mirny, though this one is a man-made diamond mine about 3,900 feet in diameter. The air space is closed above the Mirny mine since it is known to modify the air temperature in such a way that is can suck in aircraft (as it did with a helicopter years back). Now that is scary.
