Massive sinkhole in China reveals ancient forest world

A group of cave explorers have uncovered a massive 192m sinkhole which could contain undiscovered life forms.

The spot where the sinkhole formed to expose the ancient forest.

Chinese spelunkers have discovered a massive 192m sinkhole that has its own forest at the bottom.

The pit is located in Leye County, in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Xinhua News Agency reported.

“I wouldn’t be surprised to know that there are species found in these caves that have never been reported or described by science until now,” Chen Lixin, who led the Guangxi 702 cave expedition team that discovered the chasm, told Live Science.

On Friday, the team rappelled 100m and then hiked for several hours to reach the base. They returned safely to the surface that same evening, New York Post reports.

There are several large sinkholes in the area. Picture: Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images

According to Zhang Yuanhai, a senior engineer with the Institute of Karst Geology of China Geological Survey, the “large” sinkhole measured over 305m long, 150m wide and 192m deep.

The team also found the sinkhole harboured three interior caves, which were likely to have formed by erosion when the pit first appeared.

Perhaps the most impressive feature was a “well-preserved primitive forest” at the pit’s base, which was home to prehistoric-like trees measuring over 40m tall, according to the researchers. The dense undergrowth, meanwhile, came up to the explorers’ shoulders.

And trees might not be the only things living in the abyss. George Veni, executive director of the National Cave & Karst Research Institute in the US, who wasn’t affiliated with the expedition, said such sinkholes can provide a veritable oasis for life.

Chinese spelunkers have discovered a massive sinkhole with an ancient forest growing at the bottom. Twitter/@CGTNOfficial

Giant sinkholes, also known as dolines or giant pits, are reportedly caused by multiple cave-ins in karst regions – areas where bedrock is susceptible to dissolution by groundwater. They are primarily found in China, Mexico and Papua New Guinea, Xinhua reported.

“Because of local differences in geology, climate and other factors, the way karst appears at the surface can be dramatically different,” Mr Veni said. “So in China, you have this incredibly visually spectacular karst with enormous sinkholes and giant cave entrances and so forth.”

He added: “In other parts of the world, you walk out on the karst and you really don’t notice anything. Sinkholes might be quite subdued, only a metre or two in diameter.”

This article originally appeared on the New York Post and has been republished with permission