The Great Guatemalan Sinkhole
BY ADMIN | MAR 15, 2018
Mother Nature is always unpredictable, and in some corners of the Earth, extremely unforgiving too. Some places in this world experience horrendous hurricanes or catastrophic earthquakes, whereas others experience extensive droughts or devastating tsunamis. But, if you happened to be in Guatemala in 2010, you would have been a witness to something much more bizarre – a direct tunnel to the core of our planet.
Just south of Mexico is the sunny region of Guatemala, a country which is jam-packed with beautiful attractions and scenic views. If you’re looking for a tranquil getaway, then Lake Atitlan would be a perfect option. Alternatively, if you want to hop in a time machine and travel back through history, the ancient Mayan City of Tikal would fit the bill.
But, one thing that Guatemala has an abundance of is volcanoes, and that’s exactly what the residents of Guatemala City fear the most. You see, when it comes to volcanoes, most people would be petrified about the possibility of a ferocious eruption with tons of fresh lava spewing out. However, with Guatemala City, it’s the fact that it’s situated on top of weak volcanic pumice.
Now, you’re probably wondering why that’s such a bad thing, right? Well, as the foundations are so unstable, the area has a serious problem with sinkholes. If you’re not aware of what they are, just imagine a ginormous hole in the ground; they happen because the weak pumice succumbs to the pressure from above. On Sunday 30th of May 2010, though, a particularly bad sinkhole opened up.
With no warning or prior indication, the Earth just suddenly crumbled, and within seconds there was a huge hole in the ground that dug down miles and miles. Let’s just say, anyone or anything that dropped down there would never be coming back up. Smack-bang in the middle of the city is where it occurred, and the rough size of the thing was 60-feet wide and 30-stories deep.
Unfortunately, as it was in the middle of the city, it meant a three-story building and an innocent individual’s abode was sucked into it. Of course, panic erupted, partly because there’s a big dangerous hole present and partly because they knew it was going to be there for a while. Why? Because it’s fair to say Guatemala isn’t exactly blessed with great finances, and the current state of the infrastructure there means sinkholes are difficult to fill in.
So, if you ever take a trip to Guatemala, be sure to keep a beady eye out for humungous holes in the ground that just casually blend into the surroundings. Oh, and if you live in Guatemala City, just pray the event of 2010 doesn’t repeat itself because the last thing you want is your home spiraling into the depths of a sinkhole.
I got this story from the folks at Knowledgenuts, where you can see another picture of it from the air.
Coffee out on the patio again this morning.
Sinkholes are pretty scary. There was one, not nearly as large as this that opened up within 50 miles of where I live, and that is to close for me. The patio sounds nice. We had some mild storms yesterday and the temps dropped a bit, but still pleasant:))
ReplyDeleteDon't think I will be going there any time soon. Will be happy to join you all on the patio as it's raining here again. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteYikes! is all I can say.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about what it would take to fill in a hole 60' wide & 30 stories deep... lot's of trucks I'll bet!
ReplyDeleteI wonder where the stuff that was originally in the hole went?
On the other hand if you live nearby you don't have far to go to find a place to dump your trash...
Hey Mamahen...
ReplyDeleteI would rather not be anywhere around them, if ya know what I mean.
Thanks for stropping by this morning!
Hey Linda...
I don't have any trips planned in that direction either.
Thanks for coming by this morning!
Hey Momlady...
Not something you want in your front yard, for sure!
Thanks for the visit today!
Hey Rob...
ReplyDeleteVery good point. It would take a lot of dirt to fill it in, but I don't want to drive the truck backing up to that crater!
Thanks for coming over this morning!
I remember this story from when it happened. I can't imagine how horrifying that had to be for those people. I don't remember if any lives were lost and this article doesn't mention it either.
ReplyDeleteIt is 63 beautiful degrees here this morning. See you on the patio!
Hey Jo...
ReplyDeleteSorry that you are getting the remnants of the hurricane, but hopefully you won't get the floods that sometimes come with it. Take care, sweetie. Enjoy the good weather while you can.
Thanks for dropping by today!
Sometimes, Mother Nature has a mean streak.
ReplyDelete