1. Created By: Marcous Phillips
Sinkholes
Created By: Marcous Phillips

2. What is a sinkhole
A sinkhole is a depression in the ground that has no natural external surface drainage.
Water drains to the subsurface

3. Causes of sinkholes
Underneath soil/rock is dissolved by groundwater flowing through the material.
Human involvement

4. Factors in sinkholes Aquifer systems
The soil above the system is balanced by the water pressure in the aquifer. When water is removed from system it destabilizes the pressure, increasing the chance of a sinkhole forming
Higher chance in urban

5. Factors in sinkholes Karst Terrain
landscape formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks like limestone and gypsum.
characterized by sinkholes, caves, and underground drainage systems

6. Types of Sinkholes Dissolution sinkholes ground with little overburden
Water erodes the rock away
deep impression in the ground forming a basin

7. Types of Sinkholes Cover-collapse sinkhole
Water erodes rock away underneath overburden
Overburden soil loses stability
Rapid and sudden collapse
Can take weeks or years to reach point of collapse

8. Types of Sinkholes Human involvement Leaky pipes Sewer leakage
Pumping of groundwater
Construction
Water diversion
These are majors in formation of a sinkhole

9. Most Effected Areas
Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania are most prone.

10. Prevention of Sinkholes
Natural Sinkholes are very hard to prevent
Human made sinkholes can be avoidable
Proper construction and maintenance of any underground pipes
Proper groundwater usage
Helps keep water table high and supports overburden
When a sinkhole occurs make sure it is kept trash free
Sinkholes usually have a direct link to drinking water which trash thrown into the sinkhole can lead to pollution of drinking water

11. Famous Sinkholes Guatemala City’s Sinkholes, Guatemala
Happened in 2007, 300 ft. down

12. Famous Sinkholes Devil’s Sinkhole, Texas, U.S.A.
40 ft. by 60 ft. opening , 400 ft. down

13. Sources http://water.usgs.gov/edu/sinkholes.html