SINKHOLESCreated By: Marcous Phillips
What is a sinkhole A sinkhole is a depression in the
ground that has no natural external surface drainage. Water drains to the subsurface
Causes of sinkholes Underneath soil/rock is dissolved by
groundwater flowing through the material.
Human involvement
Factors in sinkholes Aquifer systems
The soil above the system is balanced by the water pressure in the aquifer. When water is removed from system it destabilizes the pressure, increasing the chance of a sinkhole forming Higher chance in
urban
Factors in sinkholes Karst Terrain
landscape formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks like limestone and gypsum.
characterized by sinkholes, caves, and underground drainage systems
Types of Sinkholes
Dissolution sinkholes ground with
little overburden
Water erodes the rock away
deep impression in the ground forming a basin
Types of Sinkholes Cover-collapse sinkhole
Water erodes rock away underneath overburden
Overburden soil loses stability Rapid and sudden collapse Can take weeks or years to reach point of
collapse
Types of Sinkholes Human
involvement Leaky pipes Sewer leakage Pumping of
groundwater Construction Water diversion These are
majors in formation of a sinkhole
Most Effected Areas
Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania are most prone.
Prevention of Sinkholes Natural Sinkholes are very hard to
prevent Human made sinkholes can be
avoidable Proper construction and maintenance of
any underground pipes Proper groundwater usage
Helps keep water table high and supports overburden
When a sinkhole occurs make sure it is kept trash free Sinkholes usually have a direct link to drinking
water which trash thrown into the sinkhole can lead to pollution of drinking water
Famous Sinkholes Guatemala City’s Sinkholes,
Guatemala Happened in 2007, 300 ft. down
Famous Sinkholes Devil’s Sinkhole, Texas, U.S.A.
40 ft. by 60 ft. opening , 400 ft. down
Sources http://water.usgs.gov/edu/sinkholes.html http://
science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/sinkhole.htm
http://www.esi.utexas.edu/outreach/caves/karst.php http://
amr.edwardsaquifer.org/display_education_portal_m.php?pg=education_how_does_the_aquifer_work
www.geocaching.com http://
www.sjrwmd.com/watersupply/howsinkholesform.html
http://www.therichest.com/expensive-lifestyle/location/the-top-10-most-amazing-sinkholes-on-earth/