Information AboutBlue Hole |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT BLUE HOLE | |
| cave geology | |
| marine geology | |
| sea caves | |
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A blue hole is a submarine Cave or Sinkhole . They are also called black holes, or vertical caves. Blue holes are roughly circular, steep-walled depressions, and so named for the dramatic contrast between the dark blue, deep waters of their depths and the lighter blue of the shallows around them. Their water circulation is poor, and they are commonly Anoxic below a certain depth; this environment is unfavorable for most sea life, but nonetheless can support large numbers of Bacteria . FORMATION Blue holes formed during past Ice Age s, when Sea Level was as much as 100-120 Meter s lower than at present. At those times, these formations were subjected to the same Chemical Weathering common in all Limestone -rich terrains; this ended once they were submerged at the end of the ice age. Blue holes are typically found on shallow Carbonate Platform s, exemplified by the Bahama Banks , as well as on and around the Yucatán Peninsula , such as at the Great Blue Hole at Lighthouse Reef Atoll, Belize . The deepest blue hole in the world is Dean's Blue Hole at 663ft. The next deepest holes are only around 360ft making Dean's Blue Hole something of an anomaly. SEE ALSO REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS |
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