What unique geological feature is Bimmah Sinkhole (Hawiyat Najm), located near Dabab in the Muscat Governorate?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. A limestone doline sinkhole formed by subterranean cavern collapse

  1. Step 1: Hawiyat Najm (Bimmah Sinkhole) is a spectacular limestone sinkhole (doline) measuring about 50 by 70 meters with turquoise brackish water.
  2. Step 2: Geologically, it formed through natural dissolution of limestone bedrock and subsequent roof collapse of an underground karst cavern.
  3. Step 3: Local folklore poetically attributed its creation to a falling meteorite.
Answer
A limestone doline sinkhole formed by subterranean cavern collapse.
Why not the others: 'An ancient volcanic caldera with solidified basaltic lava' describes igneous volcanic structures; 'A meteorite impact crater formed during the Pleistocene' is a local mythological legend, not the scientific geological mechanism; 'A man-made open-pit copper quarry from the Majan era' confuses karst geography with mining archaeology.

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