Mirni Diamond Mine in Siberia holds the title of being the largest open diamond mine in the world. It is 1200 meters wide and over 500 meters deep. The sheer size of this is amazing as can be seen in these pictures and also in these pictures.
That we can have such a dramatic effect on the surrounding environment is scary.
"A good scientist is a person with original ideas. A good engineer is a
person who makes a design that works with as few original ideas as
possible" - Freeman Dyson