Sat Mar 23, 2024 11:33 pm by globalturbo
Russian city being ‘eaten alive’ by epidemic of sinkholes
RUSSIA – They may look like stills from an apocalyptic horror film, but these images have become a daily reality for residents in a Russian city. Citizens of [url=http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=53.2027777778,50.1408333333&spn=0.1,0.1&q=53.2027777778,50.1408333333 (Samara, Russia)&t=h]Samara[/url], in south east [url=http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=55.75,37.6166666667&spn=10.0,10.0&q=55.75,37.6166666667 (Russia)&t=h]Russia[/url], live in fear of the ground literally disappearing beneath them after huge sinkholes have started to appear all over their city, leaving devastation in their wake.
The yawning underground caverns are all believed to have sprung up in
recent weeks swallowing cars, buses and claiming at least one life.
The sinkholes, some large enough to swallow an entire truck, are
believed to have been caused by ground subsidence. It is thought the
holes have been caused as ice thaws and melts into the ground, with the
excess water causing soil decay underneath Samara’s roads. The massive
craters have appeared in car parks, busy intersections, by the sides of
roads, and on major and minor thoroughfares.
It is believed at least one person has lost their life as a result of one of the crashes caused by the sinkholes.
The citizens of the city have now signed a petition urging
authorities to find a solution. Sinkholes are common hazards in mining
regions, plaguing areas where miners have burrowed into layers of
soluble minerals and accidental floods have followed. But natural
sinkholes can take thousands of years to form and vary in size. They are
usually the result of what are known as Karst processes, which occur when a layer of rock such as limestone underneath the ground is dissolved by acidic water.
Typically rainfall seeps through the soil, absorbing carbon dioxide
and reacting with decaying vegetation. As a result, the water that
reaches the soluble rock is acidic. The acidic water then erodes the
soluble rock layers beneath the surface creating cavernous spaces. Then,
when it is no longer supported because of the cavity below, the soil or
sand over the limestone collapses into a sinkhole. The collapse of the
surface can happen suddenly or over a few hours. Heavy rainfall or poor
drainage systems can trigger a collapse. Citizens in Berezniki,
Russia, have also been plagued by sinkholes. Census data, though, shows
that about 12,000 people left the town between 2005 and 2010, after a
number of holes opened up.
They are also common in [url=http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=28.1,-81.6&spn=3.0,3.0&q=28.1,-81.6 (Florida)&t=h]Florida[/url], [url=http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=38.8833333333,-77.0166666667&spn=10.0,10.0&q=38.8833333333,-77.0166666667 (United States)&t=h]America[/url]. Jeff Bush, 37, was swallowed into a sinkhole and killed while he slept in his bed in February in the [url=http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=28.0,-82.3&spn=1.0,1.0&q=28.0,-82.3 (Tampa Bay Area)&t=h]Tampa Bay area[/url] of Florida. –Daily Mail
