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Massive 'crack in the Earth' opens up suddenly in Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains
www.mnn.com ^ | By: Bryan Nelson | October 30, 2015, 12:40 a.m

Posted on 10/30/2015 8:21:11 AM PDT by Red Badger

The crack appears like a miniature Grand Canyon up close. (Photo: Randy Becker/Facebook)

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A dramatic crack has suddenly formed in the foothills of Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains that measures an impressive 750 yards long and 50 yards wide. It was discovered recently by surprised backcountry hunters who travel frequently to the area in search of game.

First reported by SNS Outfitter & Guides, a hunting company, on their Facebook page, the mammoth chasm appeared over the course of just a couple of weeks. It's an impressive example of just how quickly very large geological events can occur under the right conditions.

"Everyone here is calling it ‘the gash.’ It’s a really incredible sight,” wrote SNS on their Facebook page.

"An awesome example of how our earth is not as stable as you might think. Awesome forces at work here to move this much dirt!!” added Randy Becker, one of the hunters to stumble upon "the gash." Becker shared a number of stunning photographs of the crack to his own Facebook page.

A shot taken from a distance and posted at SNS gives some perspective about just how wide and how deep the crack is:

"The Gash" seen from a distance. (Photo: SNS Outfitter & Guides/Facebook) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contrary to some sensational claims swirling about on social media, the crack is not an opening to the underworld or a sign that Yellowstone is about to erupt. The processes that created the crack are not even all that mysterious.

SNS is reporting that an engineer gave a more rational explanation for how the crack formed: "Apparently, a wet spring lubricated across a cap rock. Then, a small spring on either side caused the bottom to slide out. He estimated 15 to 20 million yards of movement."

Though the speed with which the large crack formed might seem earth-shattering, these kinds of landslides are not that uncommon in the area on a smaller scale. This one just happened to be especially voluminous.


TOPICS: Agriculture; Gardening; Outdoors; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: catastrophism; earthcrack; wy
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To: Red Badger

“Tremors”


61 posted on 10/30/2015 10:45:47 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: Red Badger

A little Spackle or Bondo will fix that right up.


62 posted on 10/30/2015 10:54:46 AM PDT by The Cajun (Ted Cruz, Sarah Palin, Mark Levin, Mike Lee, Louie Gohmert....Nuff said.)
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To: Red Badger

The Bighorn mountains are underlaid with limestone which is shot through and through with some pretty impressive caves. Many of the canyons are nothing more than old caves that have collapsed. Hiking along them reveals numerous small passages splitting off on either side of the main canyon.
I don’t know if I’ve ever been in this particular area but I have poked around those hills quite a bit in my younger years. The smaller caves give shelter to skunks, porcupines and snakes. It makes the exploration more interesting.


63 posted on 10/30/2015 10:57:54 AM PDT by oldfart
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

64 posted on 10/30/2015 11:21:42 AM PDT by smoothsailing
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To: smoothsailing

GREAT! Thanks!


65 posted on 10/30/2015 11:26:35 AM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra
I bet he's the one shot down the blimp.


66 posted on 10/30/2015 12:26:16 PM PDT by smoothsailing
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To: Auntie Dem

I love a woman with some well earned stretch marks


67 posted on 10/30/2015 1:40:25 PM PDT by al baby (Hi Mom)
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To: Red Badger

Where’s Dana Andrews when we need him?


68 posted on 10/30/2015 1:45:45 PM PDT by Zionist Conspirator (The "end of history" will be Worldwide Judaic Theocracy.)
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To: JRios1968

Priceless ...


69 posted on 10/30/2015 3:08:49 PM PDT by VRWC For Truth (Roberts has perverted the Constitutiion)
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To: Red Badger; 75thOVI; Abathar; agrace; aimhigh; Alice in Wonderland; AndrewC; aragorn; ...
Thanks Red Badger.

70 posted on 10/30/2015 3:18:38 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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To: SunkenCiv
big cracks:


71 posted on 10/30/2015 3:42:56 PM PDT by Fred Nerks (Fair Dinkum!)
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To: BitWielder1; Red Badger; SunkenCiv; All

I was wondering about earthquakes, but if it was actually caused by underwater spring erosion, then perhaps there would not have been enough sudden energy produced to register. My guess is that this is a thick layer of volcanic ash layers that perhaps would act more like sand than like rock?


72 posted on 10/30/2015 7:32:37 PM PDT by gleeaikin
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To: Red Badger

Massive crack? Big Horn? hmmm...


73 posted on 10/30/2015 7:38:18 PM PDT by ladyjane
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To: Yashcheritsiy

Bravo!


74 posted on 10/30/2015 7:42:43 PM PDT by FourPeas ("Maladjusted and wigging out is no way to go through life, son." -hg)
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To: Fred Nerks

Please, no pics of Hillary!!


75 posted on 10/31/2015 12:58:17 PM PDT by oldfart
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To: gleeaikin

Probably so...................


76 posted on 11/01/2015 11:37:34 AM PST by Red Badger (READ MY LIPS: NO MORE BUSHES!...............)
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To: fieldmarshaldj; BillyBoy; AuH2ORepublican; randita; yongin; Clintonfatigued; sickoflibs; 1010RD; ...

Rep. Cynthia Loomis (R-WY) is retiring.

In before anyone suggests carpetbagging RINO Liz Cheney as a possible replacement. Yes, she’s interested.


77 posted on 11/12/2015 6:29:13 PM PST by Impy (They pull a knife, you pull a gun. That's the CHICAGO WAY, and that's how you beat the rats!)
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To: Impy; Clintonfatigued; randita; AuH2ORepublican; BillyBoy

That’s Lummis. Seems like she just saved the seat from the Conservative, but oddly unpopular Barbara Cubin, but she’s now in her 4th term. I was thinking she was going to wait for Enzi (or Barasso) to retire, I guess not. I do hope someone can stop that liberal Cheney progeny. Maybe draft Cindy Hill, the former WY Schools Chief, a Tea Partier and sworn enemy of the RINO jackass Gov. Matt Mead. Dr. Taylor Haynes, a Black GOPer, is another possibility (he split the vote with Hill in the 2014 Guv primary).


78 posted on 11/12/2015 6:42:05 PM PST by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: Impy; fieldmarshaldj
>> anyone suggests carpetbagging RINO Liz Cheney as a possible replacement. <<

Probably the suggestions will come from the same crowd that screamed bloody murder about what a horrible out of touch RINO Pat Roberts was because his primary residence wasn't in Kansas.

Do as we say, not as we do...

>> Yes, she's interested. <<

>> I do hope someone can stop that liberal Cheney progeny. <<

Indeed, sounds like Darin LaHood all over again (who already turned traitor and voted with the RATS on the Ex-Im bank, BTW), though I'd hate to put Dick Cheney in the same category as Obama's henchman LaHood. In any case, these pampered politicians kids can't win a REAL contested election, so their useful idiot supporters just wait around to hand them an open seat on a silver platter and bully everyone else out of the race.

BTW, whatever happened to the alleged "feud" between Liz and her lezbo sister over gay marriage? You know, the one that her fans SWORE wasn't just made up to boost her conservative credentials on the campaign trail. I haven't heard anything about the "feud" since she dropped out of the race. Shouldn't Liz's sister still be hoping mad that Liz is "against" gay marriage? Hmmm.

79 posted on 11/12/2015 7:47:02 PM PST by BillyBoy (Impeach Obama? Yes We Can!)
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To: fieldmarshaldj; Impy; Clintonfatigued; randita; BillyBoy

As incredible as it sounds, Dr. Haynes may not be the most prominent black conservative Republican in Wyoming. That honor likely goes to state Relresentative Lynn Hutchings, who has served a couple of terms in the state house and has compiled a conservative voting record and received endorsements from numerous conservative groups: https://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/127281/lynn-hutchings#.VkXU72S9Kc0
For what it’s worth, Hutchings came up from the TEA Party movement and is avowed “Dittohead.”

If she’s interested in running for Congress, Hutchings would be my first choice, but the most important thing is to stop Liz Cheney from winning the seat.


80 posted on 11/13/2015 4:24:19 AM PST by AuH2ORepublican (If a politician won't protect innocent babies, what makes you think that he'll defend your rights?)
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