How does sinkhole appear

Contact DEP. Page Content. What causes a sinkhole? Sinkholes are all about water. Water dissolved minerals in the rock, leaving residue and open spaces within the rock. This is called "weathering".

Water washes away the soil and residue from the voids in the rock. Lowering of groundwater levels can cause a loss of support for the soft material in the rock spaces that can lead to collapse.

Changing groundwater gradients due to removing or introducing water to the system can cause loose material to flush out quicker from the voids and the surface to collapse in response. Any change to the hydrologic system putting more water in or taking it out causes the system to become at least temporarily unstable and can lead to sinkholes.

Sinkholes can result from seasonal changes in the groundwater table, freeze and thaw of the ground, and extremes in precipitation drought vs heavy rain.

Water impoundments - basins, ponds, dams Heavy loads on the surface - structures, equipment Sometimes several factors combine to cause a sinkhole. A sinkhole is not a hole in the rock A common misunderstanding is to think that a sinkhole is the hole in the rock. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. What causes the shift?

Here's where it gets a little more in-depth. There are three main situations that cause sinkholes: If the rocks below the surface are made of materials that dissolve in water, such as limestone or gypsum. Giant sinkhole opens near PM's home in Sydney. Giant sinkhole swallows two front yards in US.

Giant sinkhole collapses road in Japanese city. More on:. Top Stories 'I think they're going to sit it out': Family bogged in desert likely to be there all weekend.

A former cop calls it 'the number one threat to society'. But it's a crime no-one talks about. But disaster could strike come March. Sinkholes are often funnel-shaped, with the wide end open at the surface and the narrow end at the bottom of the pool.

Sinkholes vary from shallow holes about 1 meter 3 feet deep, to pits more than 50 meters feet deep. Water can drain through a sinkhole into an underground channel or a cave. When mud or debris plugs one of these underground caves, it fills with water to become a lake or a pond. Sinkholes occur naturally, especially where there is abundant rainfall, and the rock beneath the surface soil is limestone.

For instance, a cenote pronounced "seh-NOH-tay" is a type of sinkhole that forms when the roof of an underground cave collapses, exposing the water to the surface. Cenotes are very common on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. There are more than 2, cenotes on the Yucatan, and they are a main source of fresh water for people there.

Ancient Mayans believed cenotes were passageways to the underworld. People can create sinkholes when building road s, aquifer s, or other types of construction. Altering land in these ways can weaken the underlying rock and make it more susceptible to sinkholes. Sinkholes can open up in the middle of busy streets or in neighborhoods, especially during heavy rainfall. The land surrounding the Dead Sea in the Middle East is prone to sinkholes because of the prevalence of rock salt , which is easily dissolved by water.

Tourists who are unaware of sinkholes and even scientists studying sinkholes have been injured by falling into them. Daisetta Sinkhole Some parts of the United States are very susceptible to sinkholes. In May , a large sinkhole formed in Daisetta, Texas, a suburb of Houston. The sinkhole formed when an underground mound of rock salt collapsed. The sinkhole swallowed several cars, oil drilling equipment, and oil tanks.

In one day, the Daisetta sinkhole had grown to meters feet in diameter and 75 meters feet deep. Skip to main content. How sinkholes form. Educational resources. Removing too much groundwater can leave underground holes, leading to sinkholes. What is a sinkhole? How do sinkholes form? Sinkholes can be triggered by human activities such as: Overwithdrawal of groundwater Diverting surface water from a large area and concentrating it in a single point Artificially creating ponds of surface water Drilling new water wells In urban or suburban areas, sinkholes are hazardous because they can destroy highways and buildings.