Rerouting groundwater, for example, for something like an aquifer can disrupt the delicate balance between the overburden and water (where pressure from the water holds up the ground above it) and create a collapse. Sinkholes can also develop from manmade activity, like construction, the disrupts the natural flow of water in an area. Land Subsidence in the United States, USGSĪnother common type of natural sinkhole is a cover-subsidence sinkhole that creates a slower kind of collapse when overburden slowly trickles down into a cavity below the ground, creating an indentation in the spot over time. Like any failed relationship, there’s plenty of drama going on beneath the surface before a sudden sinkhole collapse. Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania are also top targets for sinkhole development. And in 2013, a Florida sinkhole opened up under a man’s home while he was sleeping and plunged him 20 feet below into the ground. In 2017 alone, the state experienced 32 sinkholes.
Florida, which is notoriously swampy, is a particular hot spot for sinkholes. In the U.S., about 20 percent of the land is at risk for sinkholes thanks to this kind of terrain and consistently wet conditions.
Gypsum and limestone are easily dissolved by groundwater and can leave delicate caverns in their wake. Namely, a type of terrain called “karst” - riddled with soft, porous rock like gypsum or limestone - is particularly susceptible to developing sinkholes. While sinkholes can pop up across the world, there are certain types of terrain that are more susceptible than others. The resulting indentations, or sinkholes, can be as small as a softball or massive like the one that opened up in Puebla. They may look like portals deep into the earth’s core or into the underworld, but sinkholes are actually just places where the earth has given way due to either soil erosion beneath it or a sudden loss of water. JOSE CASTANARES/AFP/Getty Images What is a sinkhole? A new sinkhole emerged last week in Mexico, barely missing a residential home.
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