Wednesday, March 6, 2013

What to know about sinkholes

Sinkhole in Seffner, Florida (AP /ABC Action News-WFTS TV)
A gaping, 16-meter sinkhole that claimed the life of Jeff Bush from Florida, after his bedroom collapsed underground, kept the news headlines around the world. However sinkholes, proved to be something more regular than you believe. This phenomenon for example, is common in Florida. Hereunder a few details about sinkholes:

1. How does a sinkhole take shape? "Cover-collapse" sinkholes emerge when groundwater leads to underground cavities and voids that grow so large the ground above can’t sustain itself. Therefore these holes can feature tremendous sizes enough to swallow a street, home, a field or a swimming pool.

2. What extra types of sinkholes? There are 2 other different kind: "solution" and "subsidence" sinkholes, which emerge due to changes to the topography that happens slowly over time without devastating outcome.

3. Which states have sinkholes? The entire Florida is exposed to sinkholes because of sitting on top of a layer of limestone rock known as karst, which is easily dissolved by acidic groundwater.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) claims that other vulnerable states include Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri, Texas, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

4. Are sinkholes something usual? Hurricanes and quakes are tracked but sinkholes are not.

5. Can people cause sinkholes? The answer is yes. Human activities such as drilling for a well or mining, which lower water levels underground, can trigger sinkholes.

A giant sinkhole reported in Guatemala was created in 2010 most likely by human actions.

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