sinkholes -Louisiana Sinkhole
(+2 rating, 2 votes, rated)You need to be a registered member to rate this post.
Loading ...March 5, 2013 in Outdoors
A truck hangs over the edge of a sinkhole that opened up in the parking lot of Hughes Relocation Services in Salt Springs, Florida, in June 2012
picture: AP Photo/The Ocala Star-Banner, Alan Youngblood
A tourist peers into the Darvaza Gates Of Hell gas crater in the Karakum Desert, Turkmenistan. The eerie cavern has been on fire for more than 40 years. It was discovered in 1971 by Soviet geologists when the ground beneath their drilling rig suddenly collapsed, leaving a large hole with a diameter of 70 metres (230 ft). As the huge crater was filled with potentially poisonous natural gas the decision was made to set it alight. Scientists expected it to burn itself out within a few days, but the fire is still as fierce as ever.
Picture: Amos Chapple / Rex Features
In May 2010, a huge, almost perfectly circular, sinkhole measuring 66 feet (20 m) wide and 100 feet (30 m) deep suddenly opened up, swallowing a three-storey building and a house in Guatemala City. Authorities blamed heavy rains caused by tropical storm Agatha.Picture: Guatemala’s Presidency, Luis Echeverria/AP
An aerial photo shows a massive crater that appeared in a residential street in Schmalkalden, Germany, in November 2010Picture: Jens Meyer/AP
June 2012: A car sits in a giant sinkhole in Duluth, Minnesota, after flash floods caused by torrential rain
Picture: The Star Tribune, Brian Peterson/AP
In September 2009, four firefighters escaped injury when their fire engine sunk into a large hole caused by a burst water main in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles
Picture: Nick Ut/AP
What Can Trigger a Sinkhole?
Sinkholes can form from a variety of causes including natural and man-made activities and include ground collapse related to:
Naturally dissolved voids in rock
A drop in the water table from drought or pumping of nearby wells
Heavy construction or weight at the ground surface
Drainage problems
Collapse of underground mines
Excessive rainfall
 |
Tectonic SettingThe NMSZ coincides with an ancient rift complex that formed during the late Precambrian and was reactivated during the Mesozoic (~160 million years ago) when the supercontinent Pangaea was breaking apart to form theAtlantic Oceanand the separate continents we now have. During that time, scientists believe that a mantle plume (an upwelling of hot magma similar to that beneathHawaii) developed under the New Madrid. The upward push and the extensional pull thinned the crust and allowed magma to push its way up through faults, forming igneous plutons. As North America drifted past the hot spot, the New Madrid crust began to cool and sink, warping downward. Today, the region is undergoing compressional stress which is further allowing movement along the faults (left). | ||
| The NMSZ is comprised of multiple fault segments. Seven faults have been identified: four buried faults interpreted from seismicity, and three visible at the surface. The New Madrid region has more earthquakes than any other part of the U.S.East of the Rocky Mountains– 100 to 200 quakes detected per year. Data recorded from these earthquakes is used to learn more about the structure and faults underground. To learn more about how the subsurface faults were identified, watch the video below (or click here). | |||
Gary Hecox, geologist working on the issue for the State of Louisiana: The last thing I’m going to talk about here is the cavern stability, that’s part of what we’ve got to look at.
We’re now looking at the stability of 7 salt caverns by giant sinkhole — We used to be mainly worried about just one — “A lot of things going on”
We started off back in September everybody was mainly worried about the Oxy 3 cavern.
Because of a lot of things going on, we’ve expanded the scope; we’re now looking at all the caverns shown here.
We’re looking at Oxy 3 obviously, Oxy 1, 2, 9, 10; Crosstex 2 and 1.
We’re now looking at the stability of 7 salt caverns by giant sinkhole — We used to be mainly worried about just one — “A lot of things going on”
We started off back in September everybody was mainly worried about the Oxy 3 cavern.
Because of a lot of things going on, we’ve expanded the scope; we’re now looking at all the caverns shown here.
We’re looking at Oxy 3 obviously, Oxy 1, 2, 9, 10; Crosstex 2 and 1.
They’re all included in the analysis from livescience Sea level rising faster than predicted on average of 6.6 ft by 2100. Sinkhole is 7.5 ft above sea level now. **Note-Sea water= melted salt domes=total collape=new coast line into the Mississippi.
Falcon57 said on March 6, 2013
Another great article on sink holes can be found on Answeres In Genesis:
http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2013/03/05/florida-sinkhole-tragedy
rosso said on March 5, 2013
plate shift causing the ground to rise or fall in,ground collapse by natural and man-made activities
Brian said on March 5, 2013
Any ideas on why this is occurring all over the place?