Susceptibility Of Sinkholes In The United States

Any rainfall increases fluvial erosion. When rain does fall, this creates ephemeral streams causing water erosion due to fast forces of water. Flash floods are possible as well creating even more erosion.

The Buffalo River area is a karst environment with attendant sinkhole and cave formation. Limestone, composed primarily of CaCO3 and dolomite composed primarily of CaMg(CO3)2, are the two soluble rock types in the area that host the karst features. Water in contact with air picks up carbon dioxide some of which transforms to carbonic acid, and this acid then dissolves the carbonate minerals, carrying the ions out in solution (e.g. Trudgill 1985). Limestone and dolomite layers vary in impurities and grain size so that different layers are more or less prone to dissolution, with dolomite generally being less soluble than limestone. To erode these rock formations with very low intergrain porosity and permeability, there has to be exposed surface area and so faults and joints within the rock greatly increase the rate in which the rock will dissolve, and partly control the location of

Soluble carbonate rocks under the surface and the collapse of old mines are common causes for sinkholes. Much of Alabama’s land is underlain by limestone, which is vulnerable to dissolution and leads to the formation of caves or sinkholes. The largest sinkhole recorded in the state developed near Calera in 1972 and was 325 feet long, 300 feet wide, and 120 feet deep. Northeast Alabama also suffers from earthquakes due to the state’s proximity to the Southern Appalachian Seismic Zone that runs along the Appalachian Mountains. The largest earthquake recorded occurred October 1916 at a 5.1 magnitude and spanned multiple states. The second largest earthquake in Alabama occurred October 24, 1997 at a 4.9 magnitude. In addition to sinkholes and earthquakes, the state suffers landslides due to rock strength. Most of the state is categorized as argillaceous rocks such as shales, clayey soil, and poorly compacted fills. A few areas are classified as weakly cemented rocks and soils such as sandy soils and poorly cemented sandstone. Though there are clusters of strongly cemented rocks, much of the state is included in the weaker categories. This means that they are more susceptible to landslides when earthquakes occur. (Geological Survey of

Saltwater intrusion leading to contaminated drinking water wells has long been feared in South Florida. Saltwater intrusion occurs naturally to some degree in most coastal aquifers, owing to the hydraulic connection between groundwater and seawater. Because saltwater has a higher mineral content than freshwater, it is denser and has a higher water pressure. There are three primary mechanisms by which saltwater contaminates the freshwater reservoir in the unconfined, surficial aquifers of the region: one, subsurface movement of seawater (lateral large-scale intrusion), two, seepage of seawater from tidal canals and streams, and three, upward movement of connate saltwater (water remaining from the

A hazard is an event that threatens to cause death, injury, property damage, socio economic disruption and environmental degradation.

Initially, earthquakes shape the Earth’s surface by creating mountains and geysers. In the article “Historic Earthquakes,” it reads, “High intensities were observed in the northwest section of Yellowstone National Park. Here, new geysers erupted, and massive slumping caused large cracks in the ground from which steam emitted” (Stover 3). Consequently, when the geo-process of earthquakes occurs, it molds and changes the earth by creating new geothermal

The karst terrain which creates the geomorphic conditions for sinkholes is a broad topic in the field of geology, and encompasses the study of groundwater, drainage, chemical processes, and many other considerations. Essentially, karst regions are located where the rock below the earth can be dissolved by the acidic groundwater which percolates through it (The Science of Sinkholes). These areas are underlain by soluble rocks such as gypsum, limestone, and dolomite which typically react with carbonic acid (H2CO3) from groundwater to dissolve the rock. Presence of limestone is

Paragraph 1: Hydraulic fracking is a hot topic across the state of Texas. There are debates whether fracking is the actual cause of the sudden earthquakes in Texas. Fracking is an intense process where natural gas is extracted deep from within the earth. Drillers from oil and gas companies use a horizontal drilling technique that is initiated as a vertical casing and then makes a 90 degree turn. This allows the well to follow the natural fractures of shale rock. A fracking fluid mixed of water, sand, and chemicals is injected with high-pressure down the well. The fluid produces several small cracks in the shale, creating a pathway for the gas to enter and flow out of the well casing. Each well can

After running scientific experiments, scientists have concluded that about 50% of these potholes lead to various points in time, space, and dimension. For months, scienctists had no clue why. That until now.

Groundwater is a primary source of water for farmers and many citizens in california.But it causes ground sinkage and creates a risk for sinkholes. Groundwater is needed, but it does need at least some sort of restriction or regulation because people pump as much as they want with no restraint. Pumping and drilling groundwater causes major safety problems for the state of california. One of the consequences for drilling wells is that the ground can sink, which may lead to many more sinkholes in california. These are the main reasons groundwater and well drilling should be regulated in the state california.

needs to do is to take a class about Geology or Meteorology to know why these

The excessive pumping of groundwater can create subsurface voids because of the lowering of the water table, which can lead to the development of sinkholes due to gravity and a loss of fluid-pressure support (Tihansky, 1999, p. 132). Waltham et al (2005) contend, “The most widespread cause of induced sinkholes is any form of water table decline, where the vertical drainage is quite literally drawn down to greater depths” (p. 165). In brief,

The extent to which tectonic processes represent a hazard depends upon when and where they are experienced (40)

While we do not have historical record of all of the natural hazards that have impacted the United States, we do know that for multitudes of years, the United States has been hit by many natural hazards – hurricane, tornado, drought, wildfire, flood and earthquake, to name a few. As each of these natural hazards occur, multiple issues arise – relative to the core components of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. Yet, even with prior knowledge from years past and the destructive events that have occurred, we as a nation continue to struggle with natural hazards that more often than not become natural disasters. For too long it seems as if we have settled in to a rhythm of responding, attempting to recover, rebuilding and then repeating the cycle as another natural hazard strikes.

contaminating water and destroying land caused by digging into the ground or even what could