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Pictures: Giant Sinkhole Pierces Guatemala
nationalgeographic ^ | June 1, 2010 | Ker Than

Posted on 06/02/2010 9:39:30 AM PDT by JoeProBono

The appearance of a massive sinkhole in Guatemala City , Guatemala, on Sunday is thought to have been triggered by tropical storm Agatha, a violent tempest that struck Central America over the weekend.

From photographs, the new Guatemala sinkhole appears to be about 60 feet (18 meters) wide and about 300 feet (100 meters) deep, said James Currens, a hydrogeologist at the University of Kentucky—which explains how the sinkhole was reportedly able to swallow an entire three-story building.

Sinkholes can form when water-saturated soil and other particles become too heavy and cause the roofs of existing voids in the soil to collapse, Currens said.

Another way sinkholes can form is if water enlarges a natural fracture in a limestone bedrock layer. As the crack gets bigger, the topsoil gently slumps and develops into a sinkhole.

In either case, the final collapse can be sudden, Currens said.


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Chit/Chat; Weather; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: guatemala; sinkhole
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To: archy
Ah, the third member of the team has arrived. He'll know how to deal with this.


41 posted on 06/02/2010 4:12:51 PM PDT by archy (q)
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To: archy

Just hand me the popcorn.


42 posted on 06/02/2010 4:43:28 PM PDT by Lobsterback
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To: JoeProBono

A perfectly round hole 100+ feet deep, suddenly opens up and swallows a 3-story building without harming the two building attached to the disappeared building. What kind of building was it? Maybe something really bad happened there. Maybe that is where Obama was born.


43 posted on 06/03/2010 12:18:10 AM PDT by UnwashedPeasant (Don't nuke me, bro)
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To: JoeProBono

44 posted on 06/03/2010 12:21:36 AM PDT by UnwashedPeasant (Don't nuke me, bro)
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To: BruCru

I like to see Obama get to the bottom of this!


45 posted on 06/03/2010 12:25:47 AM PDT by UnwashedPeasant (Don't nuke me, bro)
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