Chinese cave explorers discovered a 630-foot-deep sinkhole containing a massive ancient forest
Have you ever thought about how big the world really is? The world is still full of secrets. In China's Guangxi region, Xinhua News reported, some cave explorers found a massive ancient forest hidden inside a giant sinkhole.
"I wouldn't be surprised to know that there are species found in these caves that have never been reported or described by science until now."
- George Veni
The sinkhole measured over a thousand feet in length and was nearly 630 feet deep, Zhang Yuanhai, a senior engineer with the Institute of Karst Geology at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, told the outlet earlier this month.
Known as tiankeng in Mandarin, or "heavenly pit," sinkholes are common in South China because of the nature of the landscape. The landscape, called karst, is formed when rainwater dissolves bedrock, Veni told Live Science .
"Because of local differences in geology, climate, and other factors, the way karst appears at the surface can be dramatically different," he told the outlet. "So in China, you have this incredibly visually spectacular karst with enormous sinkholes and giant cave entrances and so forth. In other parts of the world, you walk out on the karst, and you really don't notice anything. Sinkholes might be quite subdued, only a meter or two in diameter. Cave entrances might be very small, so you have to squeeze your way into them."
