2007 Guatemala City sinkhole
The 2007 Guatemala City sinkhole is a 100-metre deep sinkhole which formed in Guatemala City in 2007, due to sewage pipe ruptures. Its collapse caused the deaths of five people, and the evacuation of over a thousand.
Formation
The sinkhole was created by fluid from a sewer eroding uncemented volcanic ash, limestone, and other pyroclastic deposits underlying Guatemala City.[1][2] The piping feature has since been mitigated[how?] and plans to develop on the site have been proposed. However, critics believe municipal authorities have neglected needed maintenance on the city's aging sewerage system, and have speculated that more piping features are likely to develop unless action is taken.[3]
Several rainstorms also contributed to the sinkhole's collapse, as stormwater percolated into the ground, further dissolving the rocks beneath Guatemala City. Citizens of Guatemala City near the sinkhole also reported hearing rumblings a few weeks before its collapse.[4]
Collapse
In February 2007, the sinkhole collapsed, forming a very large, deep circular hole with vertical walls (14°39′1.40″N 90°29′25″W / 14.6503889°N 90.49028°W) and killing five people. Its location was in a poor neighbourhood in northeastern Guatemala City. This hole, which is classified by geologists as either a "piping feature" or "piping pseudokarst", was 100 metres (330 ft) deep.[1][2] As a result, one thousand people were evacuated from the area.[5] As a result, one thousand people were evacuated from the area.[6] Police established a 500-yard (457-meter) no-go zone around the sinkhole.[4]
- ^ a b Waltham, T., 2008, Sinkhole hazard case histories in karst terrains. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology. vol. 41 no. 3, pp.. 291-300.
- ^ a b Halliday, W. R., 2007, Pseudokarst in the 21st century. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies. vol. 69, no. 1, p. 103–113.
- ^ Constantino Diaz-Duran (2010-06-01). "Sinkhole in Guatemala City Might Not Be the Last". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2010-06-03.
- ^ a b Chamberlain, Ted (February 26, 2007). "Photo in the News: Giant Sinkhole Swallows Guatemala Homes". National Geographic. Retrieved 2013-05-05.
- ^ David L Miller (2009-07-04). "Massive Guatemala Sinkhole Kills 2 Teens". CBS News. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
- ^ David L Miller (2009-07-04). "Massive Guatemala Sinkhole Kills 2 Teens". CBS News. Retrieved 2009-07-08.