On Christmas Eve, a hole the size of a football field suddenly swallowed parts of three houses and a section of road in a Detroit suburb. The sudden crater in San Francisco last week, 20 feet long 6 meters , pulled in a semi-truck. The cause of that one has not been determined. The sinkhole that killed Nishihara, 68, in San Antonio was caused by a sewer line that ruptured during heavy rains. The break happened where a year-old pipe scheduled for replacement joined a newer pipe. The city has been under a federal consent decree since to replace its aging sewer lines.
In a report last year, the American Society of Civil Engineers said that public spending is running far short of what's needed to replace water and wastewater systems that will be outmoded by In Washington, D. Most water lines in the U.
Obsolete cast iron and asbestos cement lines are now replaced with more durable ductile iron or plastic. In the Detroit suburb of Fraser, no total damage estimate has yet been compiled for the huge sinkhole that suddenly routed 22 families after a year-old sewer line collapsed at 6 a.
Officials are beginning a study of its entire pipeline system that serves , residents in 11 communities, said Macomb County Public Works chief Candice Miller. It can't wait any longer, Miller said. All rights reserved. More from Earth Sciences. Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page.
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By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Home Earth Environment. May 8, In this Jan. Oakwood Public Works department officials said the sinkhole appears to have been caused by an old storm drain that caved in.
Sinkholes are not a new phenomenon in the United States, but a recent spate of huge, sudden-appearing caverns is prompting alarm. Search training courses Other qualifications Earn new qualifications to boost your career and demonstrate your abilities.
Home News and insight Latest ice news. What are the causes of sinkholes? Updated: 14 January, Author: Andrew Panos. Recent news. You may be interested in …. Recent news Upcoming events The Infrastructure Blog. COP treat climate crisis as 'health emergency', experts say 12 November See all news from ICE. Upcoming events. Beginner's guide to load chase-down, online 16 November Event type: Webinar. See all events. The Infrastructure Blog. New global infrastructure survey finds clear role for private investment 09 November Rainfall percolating, or seeping, through the soil absorbs carbon dioxide and reacts with decaying vegetation, creating a slightly acidic water.
That water moves through spaces and cracks underground, slowly dissolving limestone and creating a network of cavities and voids. As the limestone dissolves, pores and cracks are enlarged and carry even more acidic water. Sinkholes are formed when the land surface above collapses or sinks into the cavities or when surface material is carried downward into the voids. Drought, along with resulting high groundwater withdrawals, can make conditions favorable for sinkholes to form.
Also, heavy rains after droughts often cause enough pressure on the ground to create sinkholes. In urban or suburban areas, sinkholes are hazardous because they can destroy highways and buildings. Sinkholes also can cause water quality problems. During a collapse, surface waters may leak into the aquifer, our underground source of drinking water.
Many natural sinkholes cannot be prevented.
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