How Do Sinkholes Form?

Spread The Viralist



Sinkholes form through both natural and human-made processes.

Most of us think about erosion on the surface of the earth, but erosion can occur in the subsurface as well. In fact, scientist and engineers have a very creative name for just such a process: internal erosion. If just the right factors come together in the subsurface, some very interesting things can occur, including sinkholes.

Watch this video and the entire Practical Engineering catalog ad-free on Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/practical-engineering

-Patreon: http://patreon.com/PracticalEngineering
-Website: http://practical.engineering

Memories by SNDR & Joey Shigrov is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1Q2PpM5To8

Tonic and Energy by Elexive is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6fBPdu8w9U

This video is sponsored by Blue Apron.

source

Recommended For You

About the Author: Practical Engineering

36 Comments

  1. I’m from North Florida and we have WONDERFUL open fresh water spring limestone sink holes to swim in all over the (secret places) in the woods. Sorry to be late to the channel

  2. I'm a 5th generation Florida Native and I've seen plenty of genuine sinkholes. What bothers me is when the news media reports a routine water main break and refers to it as a sinkhole. The earth didn't sink, it was washed out by high water pressure. I've seen sinks that were as small as single parking spot that swallowed just one car and I've seen both an entire home and as many as three homes nextdoor to each other all swallowed up by a sinkhole. West central Florida is probably the most common area in Florida for sinkholes.

  3. I just would like to add, even if the flow is confined you can still have erosion at the exit due to the high hydraulic gradient locally. Great video!

  4. This aint the only way sink holes form. If you're in an area above deposits of limestone all it will take is time. Especially in a more urban area where run off water is more acidic. The acidic rain runoff will dissolve the limestone leaving behind gypsum which is basically cryalized chalk. Once enough has dissolved and you hit a critical point the ground sinks in and collapses.

  5. Why is that engineers never admit fault and are arrogant when questioned by more experienced trades for obvious faults. The buck always falls on the contractor not the engineer who made horrible prints which is usually the case

Comments are closed.