Hole in the Ground

[Wise Young]

What could have caused this?
http://cellar.org/2007/guatsinkhole.jpg
http://cellar.org/2007/guatsinkhole.jpg

All that I can find out about this picture is that it is a sinkhole from Russia. According to Wikipedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinkhole
A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline (in the Slovene language dolina means valley) or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the surface topography caused by the removal of soil or bedrock, often both, by water. Sinkholes may vary in size from less than a meter to several hundred meters in diameter and depth, and vary in form from soil-lined bowls to bedrock-edged chasms. They may be formed gradually or suddenly, and are found worldwide.

Mechanisms of formation may include the gradual removal of slightly soluble bedrock (such as limestone) by percolating water, the collapse of a cave roof, or a lowering of the water table. Occasionally a sinkhole may exhibit a visible opening into a cave below. In the case of exceptionally large sinkholes, such as Cedar Sink at Mammoth Cave National Park, USA, a stream or river may be visible across its bottom flowing from one side to the other.

Sinkholes may capture surface drainage for running or a standing water, but may also form in currently high and dry locations. The state of Florida in the USA is known for having frequent sinkholes, especially in the central part of the state. The Murge area in southern Italy also has numerous sinkholes.
A special type of sinkhole - formed by rainwater leaking through the pavement and carrying dirt into a ruptured sewer pipe.
A special type of sinkhole - formed by rainwater leaking through the pavement and carrying dirt into a ruptured sewer pipe.
Sinkholes near the Dead Sea, formed by dissolution of underground salt by incoming freshwater, as a result of a continuing sea level drop.
Sinkholes near the Dead Sea, formed by dissolution of underground salt by incoming freshwater, as a result of a continuing sea level drop.

Sinkholes are usually but not always linked with karst landscapes. In such regions, there may be hundreds or even thousands of sinkholes in a small area so that the surface as seen from the air looks pock-marked, and there are no surface streams because all drainage occurs sub-surface.

Sinkholes have been used for centuries as disposal sites for various forms of waste. A consequence of this is the pollution of groundwater resources, with serious health implications in such areas.

Sinkholes also form from human activity, such as the rare but still occasional collapse of abandoned mines in places like West Virginia, USA. More commonly, sinkholes occur in urban areas due to water main breaks or sewer collapses when old pipes give way. They can also occur from the overpumping and extraction of groundwater and subsurface fluids.

When sinkholes are very deep or connected to caves, they may offer challenges for experienced cavers or, when water-filled, divers. Some of the most spectacular are the Zacatón cenote in Mexico, the Boesmansgat sinkhole in South Africa, Sarisariñama tepuy in Venezuela, and in the town of Mount Gambier, South Australia.

Here is another sinkhole in Guatemala city.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17303991/
http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/j/ap/046608af-15bd-4fa9-91b9-62d1f3696070.hmedium.jpg
Two teens died and a dozen homes were swallowed up Friday by this sinkhole in Guatemala City.
(February 24, 2007)

[Hellonwheels]

Looks like it was drilled or something, the walls are so smooth. And what are those cut lines adjoining it on the right? There may be more to this story than meets the camera.

[Rbrauer]

Looks like a sink hole all right.

What with lowering water tables and such, I'm surprised we haven't had
more.

[adi chicago]

the hole was made by humans ....if a meteorit ,asteroit did that i will walk again tomorrow

[justadildo]

....alien deep boring spacecraft embedding itself deep in the earth's crust to observe humans from sub-terrain site.....:alien:

[justadildo]

or wait, even better....."i would say this region has a complete injury due to obvious lack of any rectal tone"

[rfbdorf]

That last one was very good, j.a.d.!
I suspect that the sinkholes pictured are rooted (so to speak) in many years of leaking water and sewage pipes, together of course with the prerequisite dissolvable soil/rock.

[CLC379]

have a few small sink holes around here sometimes



found one in my field a cpl months ago, not sure what caused it, maybe rain water washing down into trees that were covered up several years ago, its about 3ft diameter was almost perfectly round havnt seen it since the last few rains.

[Wise Young]

CLC, yes, it seems that oklahoma has quite a few sinkholes. Apparently, certain types of rocks are particularly susceptible to water erosion causing sudden sinkhole collapses:
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthgwsinkholes.html
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/graphics/sinkholemap.gif

There is even a website dedicated to helping homeowners deal with sinkholes (Source (http://www.sinkhole.org/)). I was looking for the deepest sinkholes and found a 200m limestone sinkhole known as Dean's Blue Hole. He did a free dive down to 81 meters, a world record (Source (http://www.stuff.co.nz/4021806a1823.html)). But, apparently, the deepest sinkhole in the world is called El Zacaton.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/search/s_451536.html
DepthX wish

By Jennifer Bails
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, May 8, 2006

The search for life beneath the icy crust of Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, is beginning in an unlikely place -- 1,140 feet below the Earth's surface.

On a private cattle ranch in the coastal plains of northeast Mexico lies the world's deepest sinkhole. This immense pit filled with groundwater is so deep it could easily hide Pittsburgh's U.S. Steel Tower.

The sinkhole is called El Zacaton, named for the islands of tall, floating grass, or zacate, drifting across its sulfury waters.

Carnegie Mellon University engineers are working on a new robot they hope will unlock the ancient secrets of Zacaton during a three-month field expedition planned for December.

Scuba divers have gone to the depth of 925 feet without touching bottom. So, Carnegie-Mellon University got a $5.3 million 3-year NASA grant get to the bottom (Source (http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/search/s_451536.html)).

[1 Fine Spine RN]

When I lived in St. Louis area, it was determined that my house was built on a ridge laying mostly on a limestone foundation which in fact was the top of a hollow cavern. I promptly moved to Virginia. That same year, the street in front of the Busch Brewery opened up wide and swallowed up a truck full of Budweiser. I wonder if my house is still there..:confused:

[justadildo]

That same year, the street in front of the Busch Brewery opened up wide and swallowed up a truck full of Budweiser.

damn, i'll bet that burp stank :drunk:

[Wise Young]

Here is a web site of the world's biggest earth holes:
http://lumq.com/09/the_biggest_earth_holes/

http://lumq.com/wp-content/images/holes/Monticello_Dam_09.jpg

[NorthQuad]

Aren't those two pictures of the same sinkhole, Dr. Young?

[ala]

I went to MTSU in Tennessee. My geology professor pointed out, with much amusement, that Peck Hall (english, history) was built over a sink hole and has been slowly sinking. He also called to our attention that all the walkways surrounding the building were now sloped down toward the structure. I wondered why my wheelchair seemed to be drawn toward Peck Hall. I though maybe my chair was telling me to change my major.

[Wise Young]

Aren't those two pictures of the same sinkhole, Dr. Young?

Hi Dave, it seems that the top three pictures of the web site are of the same sink hole. It would be very interesting if there were more than one of these. I posted the picture of it because I thought it was amazing that there is water pouring into it. Sooner or later, the sinkhole must fill with water, unless of course it is pouring out somewhere...

Wise.