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Wonder

Keek sinkhole

Keek Sinkhole, Aouk Underground River
Keek Sinkhole /
© Acheloos Geo Exploring

WorldBlue  In short

Amazing feature of the unique Aouk Underground River is narrow, deep hole through the rainforest and deep in the ground – Keek sinkhole.

4.1 out of 10 stars 40.8%

GPS coordinates
0.9527 S 132.3372 E
Location, address
Asia, Indonesia, Western New Guinea, southern part of Tambrauw Regency, Aouk Underground River
Alternate name
Keek
Depth
Approximately 180 m
Volume
1.4 million m³

Map of the site

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WorldYellow In detail

This deep sinkhole in the Arfak Mountains was formed when the ceiling of a cave above the Aouk Underground River collapsed. This hole is some 150 m long and 110 m wide, approximately 160 – 180 m deep. The sinkhole is bell-shaped – below it is wider, but its mouth above is more narrow – just 100 by 60 m wide. Its volume is approximately 1.4 million m3.

The size of this sinkhole exceeds 100 m and also the depth exceeds 100 m – thus Keek sinkhole can be considered to be a true tiankeng.

The whole floor of this sinkhole is just a fast river – this hole in the ground is a window to the underground stream of Aouk. The stream of Aouk comes from the south after passing through some 1.7 km long underground passage from Wakut – the gloomy entrance in Aouk Underground River.

Nearby are two more giant sinkholes: Hafasu Tiankeng and Kuom Tiankeng.

References
  1. Papua 2017 Aouk Underground River – Acheloos Geo Exploring, Petzl. Accessed in 14 January, 2019
  2. Andrea Benassi e Ivan Vicenzi, Papua 2017 Aouk Underground River – Acheloos Geo Exploring, cronache ipogee. Accessed in 16 January, 2019
  3. Il Tiankeng dell’Aouk, Speleologia Casolana. Accessed in 16 January, 2019
  4. Graham Mullan, News: Exploring Large River Caves in West Papua, Darkness Below. Accessed in 16 January, 2019
Keek sinkhole is included in the following article:

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