Pozzo del Merro
| Pozzo del Merro | |
|---|---|
| File:Pozzo del Merro sinkhole - aerial view.jpg | |
| Lua error in Module:Infobox_mapframe at line 197: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Location | Sant'Angelo Romano, Lazio, Italy |
| Coordinates | Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. |
| Depth | c. 392 m |
Pozzo del Merro is a flooded sinkhole in the countryside northeast of Rome, Italy. Situated at the bottom of an 80 m conical pit, at 392 m (1,286 ft) it is the second deepest underwater vertical cave in the world. In 2000 two ROVs were sent to explore its depths; the first, the "Mercurio (Mercury)" reached its maximum operative depth of 210 m (690 ft) without reaching the bottom. The second ROV, "Hyball 300", reached 310 m (1,020 ft) without touching down either.[1] A third dive in 2002 with the more advanced "Prometeo" robot reached the bottom at 392 m (1,286 ft), but discovered a narrow passage continuing horizontally.[1]
The sinkhole, similar to the Zacatón cenote, was formed by volcanic activity eroding the carbonate rock.[2]
The sinkhole is part of the natural reserve Macchia di Gattaceca e Macchia del Barco (created in 1997).[3]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 489: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
