Unveiling the Secrets Beneath: A Deep Dive into Earth’s Depths

Our exploration delves into the profoundest depths of the Earth, as we examine the deepest underground structures known to man. Among these remarkable feats of engineering are the world’s deepest mines, metro stations, and bunkers, each revealing the capabilities of human ingenuity.

Join us at the astonishing depths of these structures, culminating in the revelation of the Kola Superdeep borehole, which extends 40,000 feet into the Earth’s crust. This journey not only highlights the extremes of our subterranean endeavors but also underscores the scientific and practical motivations behind such excavations.

Join us as we traverse the layers of the Earth, discovering the hidden underworld that lies beneath our feet. Find out what you get when you try to dig your way to China.

Read the story on GoNOMAD https://www.gonomad.com/234077-deepest-underground-structures

The discourse begins with the Sydney Opera House, a cultural landmark that conceals the deepest parking garage globally, situated over 120 feet underground. As the exploration deepens, we uncover the depths of metro systems, including the St. Petersburg station at 282 feet, the Kiev metro at 346 feet, and the Pyongyang metro, which plunges to 360 feet.

These urban infrastructures not only facilitate transportation but also serve as fortified shelters, reflecting the critical intertwining of architecture and safety in volatile geopolitical climates.

Transitioning from urban structures to military fortifications, we delve into the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, a military installation that extends 2,000 feet beneath the earth, designed to withstand nuclear threats. This segment underscores the profound implications of such constructions for national security and emergency preparedness. Additionally, we examine the burgeoning market for luxury bunkers, such as those offered by Vivos, which cater to a clientele eager to invest in their safety and comfort amidst global uncertainties, illustrating a stark contrast between survival and opulence.

The episode ends with a focus on the Kola Superdeep Borehole, an extraordinary scientific endeavor that has penetrated nearly 40,000 feet into the Earth’s crust. This borehole, a testament to humanity’s quest for knowledge, serves as a pivotal point in our understanding of geological processes and the planet’s inner workings.

Takeaways:

  • In this episode, we explore the world’s deepest underground structures, revealing astonishing depths.
  • The Kola Superdeep borehole represents the deepest man-made structure, reaching over 40,000 feet.
  • China’s Nuclear Command Bunker is designed to accommodate a million people during a nuclear crisis.
  • The deepest mines are primarily gold mines, some exceeding depths of 13,000 feet underground.
  • Underground facilities like the Large Hadron Collider serve critical scientific research purposes, delving into particle physics.
  • Ultimately, the extreme depths explored in this episode highlight human ingenuity and the limits of our exploration.
Transcript
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Today on Gonomad, we join travel writer Sara Arxie as she does a deep dive to learn all about the deepest underground structures on Earth.

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Most of us are familiar with the Sydney Opera House.

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Did you know that it houses the deepest parking garage on Earth and over 120ft underground?

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Regardless, this number will seem tiny by the time we reach the end of our list.

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Unsurprisingly, many of the world's deepest structures are subway stations.

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The the third deepest is found in St.

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Petersburg, reaching 282ft underground.

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And a second place is held by a subway station in Kiev, Ukraine at 346ft underground.

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Just beating this is the metro system in Pyongyang, North Korea, parts of which reach 360ft down.

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These stations and tunnels were designed in a manner that would enable them to double as nuclear shelters.

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One of the deepest known bunkers on Earth is the Cheyenne mountain complex, a US military bunker that sits 2,000ft beneath Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado.

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One somewhat dystopian real estate company, Vivos, offers the unique opportunity to purchase your very own private bunker and their most luxurious location.

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Vivos Europa 1 lies nearly an impressive 400ft beneath the mountains in Rothenstein, Germany.

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These bunkers have been compared to superyachts in terms of design and will contain cocktail bars, pools and theaters.

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Spaces in the shelter are estimated to go for $5 million a person.

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For those seeking a more affordable option, Vivos X Point in South Dakota offers underground units which house up to 24 people for just around $35,000.

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The deepest bunker known to the public is China's Nuclear Command Bunker, which is designed to house an impressive 1 million people in the event of a nuclear attack.

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It's essentially an underground city and the largest in the world.

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The threat of nuclear warfare has also resulted in other types of deep underground buildings, such as the Ankalo spent nuclear fuel repository in Finland.

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Located at a depth of nearly 2,000ft, the deepest building of its kind, this facility will be capable of accepting nuclear waste, which will be handled by robotic vehicles for the next 100,000 years.

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Of most interest to tourists is the Wallachia salt mine in Poland, which reaches over 1,000ft underground, greater than the height of the Eiffel Tower.

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This mine is open to the public and its underground restaurant, salt carved chapels and concert venue draws nearly 2 million visitors.

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A Our next category is research facilities, many of which lie far beneath the earth's surface.

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One of the most well known is the Large Hadron Collider, which is part of the CERN laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland.

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574ft down at its deepest point, the Large Hadron Collider serves to accelerate particles close to the speed of light in order to cause and study particle collisions.

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It's 27km around.

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Found nearly 10 times deeper underground is Canada's Sudbury Neutrino Observatory.

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The research center, which reaches nearly 7,000ft in depth, was established to study solar neutrinos, particles that originate from our sun.

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The deepest and largest research laboratory on Earth is China Jinping Underground Laboratory, which reaches over 7,800ft underground and exists for the purpose of researching dark matter, the mysterious substance that makes up over 80% of our universe.

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And we've now reached a point at which most human activities can be no longer conducted.

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The deepest spots on the planet are by far these mines.

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The four deepest mines in the world are all gold mines.

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Though it's possible for gold to be harvested at the near depth as well.

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Most of the Earth's gold is found at least a half mile underground.

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Kolar gold fields in India and Totona mine in South Africa, as well as California's Empire Mine Historic State park, all are located well over 10,000ft underground.

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The deepest mine in the world is located in South Africa.

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Phnom Penh gold mine is 13,100ft underground.

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This is close enough to the Earth's core that in temperatures can reach 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

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At the mine's deepest point, it's hot enough to fry an egg.

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We'll end this list of the deepest places with a bonus round.

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While not technically a building, the deepest structure on Earth is the Kola Superdeep borehole, which stretches 40,000ft towards the Earth's core, eight times deeper than the Mariana Trench.

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Built purely for research purposes, the hole is so deep that further drilling is impossible with current technology.

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The heat melts stone.

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And there you have it.

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The deepest places on Earth.

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We're glad to be able to provide this type of information, even though it's not about places you're ever going to really go.