Great Blue Hole – Belize
The Great Blue Hole is a massive underwater sinkhole located off the coast of Belize. It is located close to Lighthouse Reef’s center, a little atoll 70 kilometers between Belize City and the mainland. The hole is 407 feet deep, with a diameter of 1,043 feet. It is 760,500 square feet in surface area. It was created when sea levels were considerably reduced during multiple stages of the Quaternary Glacial. Stalactites from the Great Blue Hole have been analyzed, and the results indicate that they formed 153,000, 66,000, 60,000, and 15,000 years ago. The cave filled with water as the sea level rose once more. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System includes the Great Blue Hole.
Blue Hole
Blue Hole: A blue hole is an underwater, large marine sinkhole or cavern. They can cover areas bigger than cities and are hundreds of meters long. Carbonate bedrock, such as coral reefs or limestone, makes up blue holes. They may contain tidally-influenced fresh, marine, or mixed water. By releasing nutrients, some of the holes help the biodiversity in their natural surroundings. Off the coast of Mexico, a blue hole measuring 900 feet deep was found in 2021. In February 2023, a study on the blue hole was first published in the Frontiers in Marine Science publication.
In this article, we will read about Blue Hole, interesting facts about them, the formation of blue hole, their location, biodiversity, and the great blue hole of Belize.
Table of Content
- What is Blue Hole?
- Facts about Blue Hole
- Formation of Blue Hole
- Blue Hole Location
- Blue Hole Biodiversity
- Sedimentation in Blue Holes
- Fossil Preservation in Blue Holes
- Great Blue Hole – Belize