The Deepest Underground Structures on Earth | Daily InfographicDaily Infographic (2024)

By Matt Gaedke| source:Here Jan 10th, 2022

The Deepest Underground Structures on Earth | Daily InfographicDaily Infographic (1)


Humans have a fascination with incredibly tall things. Skyscrapers, waterfalls, and even mountains… Have you ever thought about the deepest underground structures in the world?

Humans dig incredibly far underground for a few different reasons. You’ve got your basics like swimming pools and subway stations… but did you know there are laboratories more than 2000 meters underground?

What is the deepest underground structure in the world?

Let’s reduce this question to manmade structures, which eliminates caves. Humans also dig really deep into the earth for minerals, but for this question lets eliminate mines as well. The two leading contenders that stand above all the others are the Gotthard Base Tunnel, a railway tunnel that is 2,450 meters underground, and the China Jinping Underground Laboratory which is 2,400 meters underground.

What is the deepest underground mine in the world?

It’s no surprise that all of the deepest mines in the world are located in South Africa, one of the mining capitals of the world. The 5 deepest mines, which range from 3,380 meters to 4,000 meters are located across South Africa and mostly serve the purpose of mining for gold.

What is the deepest swimming pool?

The deepest swimming pool in terms of how far underground it goes is the Blue Abyss in Colchester U.K at 50 meters in depth.

More deep things?

There are other structures that make sense to build underground aside from your basic pools and laboratories.

  • The deepest basem*nt is the Sydney Opera House’s parking garage at more than 37 meters below ground.
  • The deepest hotel room is 155 meters below ground.
  • The deepest auditorium is 55 meters underground.
  • The deepest particle accelerator is 175 meters below ground.
  • The deepest artificial point is 12,262 meters below ground! The Kola Superdeep Borehole was an attempt to drill as deep as possible into the earth’s crust.
The Deepest Underground Structures on Earth | Daily InfographicDaily Infographic (2)

Matt Gaedke

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The Deepest Underground Structures on Earth | Daily InfographicDaily Infographic (2024)

FAQs

What is the deepest underground structure in the world? ›

The deepest borehole is Kola Superdeep Borehole in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. At 12,262 m (40,230 ft), it is the deepest artificial extreme point of Earth.

How deep can you build underground? ›

The deepest auditorium is 55 meters underground. The deepest particle accelerator is 175 meters below ground. The deepest artificial point is 12,262 meters below ground! The Kola Superdeep Borehole was an attempt to drill as deep as possible into the earth's crust.

What are the different types of underground structures? ›

The underground structures or openings can broadly be classified into three categories; (i) Tunnels, (ii) Cavern and underground openings and (iii) Cavities and mines.

What is the underground structure of the earth? ›

The internal structure of Earth is the solid portion of the Earth, excluding its atmosphere and hydrosphere. The structure consists of an outer silicate solid crust, a highly viscous asthenosphere and solid mantle, a liquid outer core whose flow generates the Earth's magnetic field, and a solid inner core.

What are the 4 main types of structures? ›

The four types of organizational structures are functional, multi-divisional, flat, and matrix structures.

What are the largest underground structures? ›

Let's look at some of the deepest and most incredible underground structures around the world.
  • Deepest Subway Station: Arsenala, Ukraine. ...
  • Deepest Basem*nt: Sydney Opera House, Australia. ...
  • Longest Underground Tunnel: Gotthard Base Tunnel, Switzerland. ...
  • Deepest Building Foundation: Salesforce Tower, SF.
Jan 7, 2021

What were the 3 main types of structures? ›

Types of structures. There are three basic types of structures: shell structures, frame structures and solid structures. But some structures are a combination.

What is the deepest structure ever built? ›

Jinping Underground Laboratory

Famed for being the deepest building in the world, this lab is located nearly 8,000 feet within the 14,500 feet high Jinping mountains in Sichuan, China.

Why don t we build homes underground? ›

The density of soil makes it difficult to breathe, and less air is found below ground, which explains why you suffocate shortly after being buried alive. This little problem and the need for sunlight are addressed through the atrium or courtyard design of earth-sheltered homes.

Can we build a city underground? ›

Yes. But it needs thoughtful design. The key issues are water, sound, vegetation, and light. The same goes for cities, although in different terms—above-the-ground and under-the-ground systems are also tightly linked.

How are underground structures built? ›

Two common techniques that are used in underground construction are known as the cut-and-cover method, and the use of tunnel boring machines (TBMs). Let's review how each of these methods works. Cut and cover construction methods involve the use of excavation machinery to dig a large hole.

How many layers are underground? ›

Earth is made up of four layers. The outermost layer is called the crust .

How deep is the earth underground? ›

The center of the earth lies 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles) beneath our feet, but the deepest that it has ever been possible to drill to make direct measurements of temperature (or other physical quantities) is just about 10 kilometers (six miles).

How deep is the deepest part of the underground? ›

Hampstead is the deepest station under the surface at 58.5 metres (64.0 yards). However, it is not the deepest below sea level as the station's surface building is near the top of a hill. The deepest platforms below sea level are the Jubilee Line platforms at Westminster which are -32 metres (-35 yards).

How do you get through the Underground Temple? ›

It is located in the Sand Kingdom, deep underground. As part of this kingdom's mission, Mario must enter the large hole at the far north reaches of the desert. This takes him and Cappy down into the temple, noticeably frosty and cold. Right behind where Mario lands is a Warp Pipe taking him back aboveground.

What are the 7 levels of structure? ›

It is convenient to consider the structures of the body in terms of fundamental levels of organization that increase in complexity: subatomic particles, atoms, molecules, organelles, cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organisms and biosphere (Figure 1.3).

What are 5 examples of structures? ›

Buildings, aircraft, skeletons, anthills, beaver dams, bridges and salt domes are all examples of load-bearing structures. The results of construction are divided into buildings and non-building structures, and make up the infrastructure of a human society.

What are the 2 main types of structures? ›

Forms of structure include: One-dimensional: Ropes, cables, struts, columns, beams, arches. Two-dimensional: Membranes, plates, slabs, shells, vaults, domes, synclastic, anticlastic.

Where is the longest underground? ›

At 24.5 kilometres, the Lærdal tunnel is the world's longest road tunnel. The road links Aurland and Lærdal, in the heart of Sogn, and provides a ferry-free connection between Oslo and Bergen.

Where is the world's largest underground? ›

Located in Vietnam, near the border with Laos, the largest cave in the world wasn't widely known until 2009. Join photojournalist Martin Edström, as he photographs The Son Doong Cave in 360 degrees.

What is the largest underground opening? ›

Son Doong is currently the largest underground cave in the world with a length of nearly 9km. There are cave passages with a height of over 200m, and more than 150m wide.

What is not a structure? ›

non·​struc·​tur·​al ˌnän-ˈstrək-chə-rəl. -ˈstrək-shrəl. : not part of a structure : not relating to, affecting, or contributing to the structure of something. free-standing panels and other nonstructural elements. nonstructural movable parts.

What is a human made structure? ›

Human-made structure means any structure constructed with the intent of providing shelter to persons or property. It does not include structures constructed specifically for live- burn fire training purposes.

What is the deepest a human has gone underground? ›

Humans have drilled over 12 kilometers (7.67 miles) in the Sakhalin-I. In terms of depth below the surface, the Kola Superdeep Borehole SG-3 retains the world record at 12,262 metres (40,230 ft) in 1989 and still is the deepest artificial point on Earth.

How deep is the deepest underground station? ›

The deepest station is Hampstead on the Northern line, which runs down to 58.5 metres.

How deep is the deepest underground city? ›

The ancient city of Elengubu, known today as Derinkuyu, burrows more than 85m below the Earth's surface, encompassing 18 levels of tunnels.

What cities have the deepest underground? ›

Derinkuyu, Cappadocia, Turkey

Cappadocia city, located in central Turkey, is home to no less than 36 underground cities, and at a depth of approx. 85 m, Derinkuyu is the deepest.

Is there water deep underground? ›

The finding, published in Science, suggests that a reservoir of water is hidden in the Earth's mantle, more than 400 miles below the surface. Try to refrain from imagining expanses of underground seas: all this water, three times the volume of water on the surface, is trapped inside rocks.

Can you go to the deepest part of the ocean? ›

Only three people have ever made it to the Challenger Deep. The first two did it 59 years ago this week: Navy Lt. Don Walsh, a submariner, and explorer Jacques Piccard. Walsh's engineering background allowed him to be a test pilot for the Trieste, a deep-diving research submersible purchased on behalf of the Navy.

Why haven t humans dug deeper? ›

As depth increases into the Earth, temperature and pressure rise. Temperatures in the crust increase about 15 °C per kilometer, making it impossible for humans to exist at depths greater than several kilometers, even if it was somehow possible to keep shafts open in spite of the tremendous pressure.

How deep can humans go? ›

The maximum depth reached by anyone in a single breath is 702 feet (213.9 metres) and this record was set in 2007 by Herbert Nitsch. He also holds the record for the deepest dive without oxygen – reaching a depth of 831 feet (253.2 metres) but he sustained a brain injury as he was ascending.

What depth can a human survive? ›

Scientists haven't yet determined a hard limit for how deep we can survive underwater. There have been a few instances of divers surviving ridiculous depths (not without side effects), but most professional free divers don't go past 400 feet deep.

What is the oldest underground in the world? ›

The London Underground first opened as an underground railway in 1863 and its first electrified underground line opened in 1890, making it the world's oldest metro system.

Which line is Angel on? ›

Angel is a London Underground station in the Angel area of the London Borough of Islington. It is on the Bank branch of the Northern line, between King's Cross St. Pancras and Old Street stations, in Travelcard Zone 1.

What is the longest gap on the underground? ›

Popular facts and figures 🔢
Date opened 🐣1863
Furthest distance between stationsChesham to Chalfont & Latimer (Metropolitan line) – 6.3km
Shortest distance between stationsLeicester Square to Covent Garden (Piccadilly line) – 0.3km
Furthest station from central LondonChesham
18 more rows
Jul 29, 2019

Is there a secret underground city? ›

Cappadocia in Turkey, known for its lunar-like region, has no less than 36 underground cities. Out of these 36 cities, Derinkuyu is the most impressive and deepest of all. The city remained hidden from the world until 1963.

How far underground have humans gone? ›

Humans have drilled over 12 kilometers (7.67 miles) in the Sakhalin-I. In terms of depth below the surface, the Kola Superdeep Borehole SG-3 retains the world record at 12,262 metres (40,230 ft) in 1989 and still is the deepest artificial point on Earth.

Where is the underground city in the US? ›

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: The Oklahoma City Underground (formerly the Oklahoma City Conncourse) is a tunnel system connecting nearly all of the downtown buildings in a 20-square-block area.

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