PHOTOS: World's most impressive sinkholes

Sinkhole_causing_more_fd03eb81-0392-4f89-98c2-f291bad93f9b0000_JPG

A sinkhole on 50th Street near Fowler Ave. in Tampa opened up in July, 2010. It swallowed a car and forced 11 families from a nearby condo complex.
Photographer: WFTS
Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Regular Photo Size

Posted: 11/22/2010

Tampa recently experienced a sinkhole at an apartment complex that grew to 25 feet by 20 feet wide and at least 15 to 20 feet deep, but that sinkhole paled in comparison to the many phenomenal holes that have opened up across the earth.

Sinkholes are holes or depressions in the land surface that occur through the karst processes, which is the chemical disintegration of carbonate rocks or suffosion processes.

They typically occur because of a lack of rainfall, lowered water levels, or excessive rainfall in a short period of time. Sinkholes can be shallow or deep, small or large, ranging from 1 to 600 meters (3.3 to 2,000 ft) both in diameter and depth.

Here’s a look at WonderMondo’s top 10 list of the most impressive sinkholes ever.

Click here to begin sinkhole slideshow!