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A sinkhole is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. The term is sometimes used to refer to doline, enclosed depressions that are also known as shakeholes, and to openings where surface water enters into underground passages known as ponor, swallow hole or swallet.
3 Jul 2024 · A sinkhole is a hole in the ground that forms when water dissolves surface rock. Often, this surface rock is limestone , which is easily eroded , or worn away, by the movement of water. In a landscape where limestone sits underneath the soil, water from rainfall collects in cracks in the stone.
A sinkhole is a depression in the ground that has no natural external surface drainage. Basically, this means that when it rains, all of the water stays inside the sinkhole and typically drains into the subsurface. Sinkholes are most common in what geologists call, “karst terrain.”
What causes a sinkhole to form? They can be a life-threatening disaster—or a pricey nuisance. Here’s what you need to know about the depressions and holes that can form beneath our feet.
9 Jan 2016 · What is a sinkhole They go by called many names (snake hole, swallow hole, or doline). They’re big, they appear seemingly out of nowhere, and they can “devour” houses in the blink of an eye.
8 Apr 2024 · A sinkhole is basically a hole which appears to suddenly open up in the ground. However, the process that leads to a sinkhole is not so sudden and may have been developing over a...
9 Jun 2018 · A sinkhole is an area of ground that has no natural external surface drainage--when it rains, the water stays inside the sinkhole and typically drains into the subsurface. Sinkholes can vary from a few feet to hundreds of acres and from less than 1 to more than 100 feet deep.
28 Jun 2024 · Sinkhole, topographic depression formed when underlying limestone bedrock is dissolved by groundwater. It is considered the most-fundamental structure of karst topography. Sinkholes vary greatly in area and depth and may be very large.
Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania are most sinkhole-prone because of their bedrock. Human-induced sinkholes can develop anywhere due to careless practices. How does geoscience help? Geoscientists study how sinkholes form in order to warn the public.
Sinkholes are classified in accordance with their formational processes. The rate at which they form is guided by the size of openings though which fluids flow, the head that is driving the flow system and the geochemistry. For example, limestone rocks dissolve when attacked by rainfall or groundwater that is acidic.
