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Oceanographers have confirmed that the Taam Ja’ Blue Hole in Mexico’s Chetumal Bay is the world’s deepest underwater sinkhole. The hole, which is located near the Chicxulub crater where an asteroid struck and killed off dinosaurs 66 million years ago, has been studied extensively by researchers who have determined its true depth.
The Taam Ja’ Blue Hole is at least 420m deep, surpassing the Dragon Hole in the South China Sea, which is about 300m deep. Blue holes are formed when water seeps through cracks in the seafloor, dissolving minerals and creating sinkholes.
Initially discovered in 2021, the Taam Ja’ Blue Hole was initially believed to be only 275m deep. However, a more intensive study revealed its true depth using new technology that involved anchoring a vessel near the hole and dropping a line in. Researchers also dove into the hole with instruments to profile the water’s conductivity, temperature, and depth.
The results of these studies showed that the pit is at least 420m deep but could be even deeper. The water in the hole has layers of varying temperature and salinity, with one layer at around 400m deep having values similar to those found in nearby Caribbean Sea. This suggests that there may be an underwater seabed connecting these two bodies of water.
Researchers concluded that there may be unique biodiversity within this depths of Taam Ja’ Blue Hole waiting to be explored and linked to physicochemical and geomorphological processes.