When Earth is Scarred Forever

Our planet is covered in pockmarks so deep that they can be seen from space. Some were caused by asteroid strikes, but most are the result of human meddling. Here are some of the most incredible examples of the scarred Earth.

Bingham Canyon Mine or Kennecott Copper Mine, southwest of Salt Lake City, Utah 

The deepest open-pit mine of the world has been in production since 1906, and now it has a more than 0.6 miles (0.97 km) deep and 2.5 miles (4 km) wide pit. As of 2004, ore from the mine has yielded more than 17 milllion tons of copper, 715 tons (23 million ounces) of gold, 5,900 tons (190 million ouncess) of silver and 386 kt (850 million pounds) of molybdenium.

The current mine plan will expire in 2019, but the owner Rio Tinto Group would extend the life of the mine into the 2030s.