A loud roar on Monday morning signaled the opening of a giant sinkhole in Schmalkalden, a small town in eastern Germany. The sinkhole is measured at 130 feet across and 65 feet deep. When opening, the sinkhole took a car with it, and has caused nine houses (twenty-five people) to evacuate the area. The cause of the sinkhole is most likely from natural causes, but is still officially under investigation. The effort to repair this disaster is going to begin today. Officials say that "more than one thousand truckloads of gravel [will] be needed to fill the hole.
Last year was the very first time I had ever heard of sinkholes, and they still amaze and confuse me. I don't really understand what happens down, beneath the surface to make a giant sinkhole suddenly appear... does the ground shift? Are there water systems down there that move causing the surface to change? Also, I would like to know if there are certain areas that are more likely to have a sinkhole appear. I have never heard of a sinkhole happening in the United States, or any surrounding areas, they have all happened in either Europe or Africa from what I remember. I also feel for the people who are in danger because of sinkholes. This one swallowed a car, who knows how many people were in that car, they will never be seen again. It must cost a fortune to have these disasters repaired as well... Maybe through more knowledge of these events and understanding, we can become aware of sinkholes and be able to protect more people, as well as save countries money.
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/02/giant-sinkhole-opens-in-germany/?hpt=Sbin
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