Discovering the deepest sea hole in the world in Mexico | The world and science

On the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, near the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System and surrounded by the waters of the Caribbean Sea, is the world's largest blue hole, Tam Ga. Even without reaching the deepest point of the crater, scientists were able to measure a depth of more than 420 metres, which is equivalent to the height of 11 Christ the Redeemer heights one above the other.

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Blue holes are types of underwater holes, similar to holes on Earth. The study, conducted by researchers from Mexico, raises the possibility that the site contains a hidden underground network that connects Tam Ga water to the water of other bodies of water.

In September 2021, an expedition to Tam Ga recorded that the site was 274.4 meters below sea level. Therefore, the hole was less than 300 meters deep than the Sansha Yongli offshore hole, located in the China Sea.

They used an echo sounder that calculates the depth of marine areas by sending a wave to the sea floor and knowing how long it takes to return. However, this method tends to have limitations in more complex marine environments, such as the holes themselves.

In the new research published in the journal Frontiers in Science on April 29, 2024, the researchers used a conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) measurement instrument. In the new mission, researchers also failed to reach the end of Taam-Ja'. But the recorded depth was enough to surpass Sansha Yonglei's depth.

Tam-ja has an almost circular shape, with an area of ​​13,690 square metres. At the mouth of the hole, the properties of the water change dramatically. But research has also found that in layers of water less than 400 meters deep, temperature, salinity and water density conditions increase again.

As a result, they are close to those represented by the surface of the Caribbean Sea, the coral lagoons and the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. This indicates an underground connection between these bodies of water and the crater.

Another hypothesis discussed that explains the increase in temperature in layers less than 400 meters deep is geothermal activity.

The surface of the crater has turbidity that diminishes at a depth of four metres, where the rim can now be clearly seen.

The walls of the first few meters of the crater consist of fragile and fragile sedimentary rock. Between 25 m and 30 m, the walls are already fixed, but without biological cover due to reduced light penetration.