Another giant Guatemala sinkhole? Geologists brace for it.
The giant Guatemala sinkhole isn’t actually a sinkhole, says one geologist studying the gaping chasm.
“Sure, it looks a lot like a sinkhole,” geologist Sam Bonis told Discovery News. “And a whale looks a lot like a fish, but calling it one would be very misleading.”
Mr. Bonis's argument goes like this: A true sinkhole is an entirely natural phenomenon. The 60-foot wide, 330-foot deep sinkhole that opened up in Guatemala City May 30 was likely caused by human activity.
IN PICTURES: Guatemalan sinkhole
Though the cause of the sinkhole is not yet known definitively, leading theories suggest that a burst pipe or storm drain likely hollowed out an underground cavity. Then, when Tropical Storm Agatha swept through the city, the water further weakened the ground above this cavity, causing it to collapse.
To read more about this sink hole that swallowed a factory and city streets, go to the Christian Science Monitor online.
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