1 year, 12 months ago
Why are the Guatemala sinkholes so deep and round??
There have been numerous sinkholes in Guatemala over the years that seem so incredibly deep and round that it's mindblowing. What causes them to be this enormous in this particular region.
Yeah, yeah. I made the last one but the hole is real.
It won't seem to post or let me edit.
Yeah, yeah. I made the last one but the hole is real.
It won't seem to post or let me edit.
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M$1 Answer
First off, you can see more photos at http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/05/31/honduras.storm.emergency/index.html where reportedly the cause for this sinkhole is a poor drainage system, in combination with very large down-pours from a storm - Agatha.
- quote -
In the northern part of Guatemala City, the downpour created a giant sinkhole that swallowed up a space larger than the area of a street intersection. Residents told CNN that a three-story building and a house fell into the hole.
A local newspaper reported that a private security guard was killed when the sinkhole opened up, but authorities had not confirmed the fatality. Residents said that a poor sewage drainage system underground was to blame for the sinkhole. A similar hole opened up nearby last year, they said.
- end quote -
As you can see at http://webecoist.com/2008/08/26/incredible-strange-amazing-sinkholes/ however, the Guatemalan sinkholes are not the largest in the world. That site also explains the reason for sinkhole formation.
- quote -
Sinkholes are caused by changing geological conditions or by a failure to maintain aging underground pipes and sewage systems, but the common factor in both is usually water. Ground underlain with carbonate bedrock – limestone for example – is most prone to sinking because the bedrock erodes with repeated exposure to water. The rock corrodes and the sediment swells with water and eventually everything reaches a critical mass point.
- end quote -
It is possible that the sinkholes in Guatemala City are as round as they are due to being caused by highly localized significant water leaks, which cause erosion in a gradually increasing radius around the leak. Once the erosion extends far enough laterally, the surface soil and rock structure can no longer sustain their own weight and the round sinkhole opens up. The great depth may be due to the thickness of porous limestone layer under the surface, which allows more material to be eroded before a more stable rock formation is reached which resists the erosive force of leaking water.
- quote -
In the northern part of Guatemala City, the downpour created a giant sinkhole that swallowed up a space larger than the area of a street intersection. Residents told CNN that a three-story building and a house fell into the hole.
A local newspaper reported that a private security guard was killed when the sinkhole opened up, but authorities had not confirmed the fatality. Residents said that a poor sewage drainage system underground was to blame for the sinkhole. A similar hole opened up nearby last year, they said.
- end quote -
As you can see at http://webecoist.com/2008/08/26/incredible-strange-amazing-sinkholes/ however, the Guatemalan sinkholes are not the largest in the world. That site also explains the reason for sinkhole formation.
- quote -
Sinkholes are caused by changing geological conditions or by a failure to maintain aging underground pipes and sewage systems, but the common factor in both is usually water. Ground underlain with carbonate bedrock – limestone for example – is most prone to sinking because the bedrock erodes with repeated exposure to water. The rock corrodes and the sediment swells with water and eventually everything reaches a critical mass point.
- end quote -
It is possible that the sinkholes in Guatemala City are as round as they are due to being caused by highly localized significant water leaks, which cause erosion in a gradually increasing radius around the leak. Once the erosion extends far enough laterally, the surface soil and rock structure can no longer sustain their own weight and the round sinkhole opens up. The great depth may be due to the thickness of porous limestone layer under the surface, which allows more material to be eroded before a more stable rock formation is reached which resists the erosive force of leaking water.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
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