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Sinkhole Facts

Sinkhole Facts
A sinkhole is a hole or depression in the ground that forms either gradually or instantly. They range in size from 3.3 feet to 2,000 feet in diameter and in depth, and most are the result of erosion, removal of rock by water, collapse of rock, decreasing water table, or even human activity such as mining, water main breaks, sewer pipe collapses, and over-pumping of groundwater. Some civilizations have used sink holes as waste disposal sites and human sacrifices pits, and uses such as these can result in contaminated water. Some sink holes that are water-filled are popular with cave divers. Sinkholes can be referred to as sinkholes, black holes, blue holes, cenotes, Sotanos, Tiankengs, and Tomo.
Interesting Sinkhole Facts:
The Black Holes are a group of water-filled pits in the waters of the Bahamas. These circular sinkholes are darker in color than the surrounding water because of a layer of microorganisms that 'swallow' the light.
'Blue holes' refers to the deep, water-filled pits that have formed in carbonate rocks and create a deep blue color.
Cenotes are the sink holes in the waters of the Yucatan Peninsula in Belize, where limestone deposited in the shallow water.
The Sotanos are sinkhole pits in Mexico.
Tiankeng refers to the very large sinkholes that are often the result of underground caverns collapsing. Tiankeng means 'sky hole' in Chinese, and most of these large sinkholes are found in China.
In New Zealand the term 'Tomo' refers to potholes in karst regions.
The largest sinkholes are found all over the world, including those found in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, North America, South America, and Oceania.
The Dragon Hole in Asia is the deepest known underwater sinkhole on earth.
The deepest water-filled sinkhole in the world is Zacaton, located in Mexico. Its depths reach 1,112 feet.
Winter Park Sinkhole in Florida appeared in May of 1981 and is now referred to as Lake Rose. It is 350 feet in width and 75 feet in depth and one of the largest to form in recent history in the U.S.
New Zealand's Harwood Hole is 600 feet deep. It is a sinkhole located in Abel Tasman National Park.
The largest sandstone sinkhole in the world is Sima Humboldt, located in Venezuela, at 1.030 feet in depth. This sinkhole has vertical walls and a forest at its bottom floor.
Florida is a common place for sinkholes too occur. The bedrock is limestone and easily dissolved by groundwater, resulting in dissolved ground. They are not usually deadly but people have been swallowed up - including one man who was in bed when his house disappeared.
A sinkhole can be stopped if caught on time. Injecting grout into the developing hole can save the structures above if they are caught early enough.
Signs of a sinkhole under a building such as a house include windows and doors that refuse to close properly, sagging fence posts, leaning trees, or rain water beginning to collect in a spot on the ground where it never used to collect.


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