The sudden opening of a depression or hole in the ground as the surface collapses into an underlying cavity, most often where soluble bedrock such as limestone has been slowly dissolved away by groundwater, leaving a void too weak to support the ground above. A collapse can happen with startling speed, swallowing roads, buildings and vehicles within seconds, and is a recognized hazard across karst landscapes worldwide.
Facts
PeriodicityMay form gradually over long periods or suddenly and without warning; not tied to a season, and found worldwide wherever the right geology and water conditions occur. 1 ScaleRanges from small depressions a few meters across to enormous tiankengs; the deepest known, Xiaozhai Tiankeng in Chongqing, China, plunges 662 meters (2,172 feet) with near-vertical walls. 1 Open Questions
First DescribedNo single first scientific description found in the source consulted.
No source found naming who first scientifically described or classified sinkholes; the Wikipedia article gives modern karst-process classification and named local terms (dolina, cenote, tiankeng) but no historical first description, checked this pass. Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceUsually circular, ranging from tens to hundreds of meters in diameter and depth, and varying in form from soil-lined bowls to bedrock-edged chasms. 1 Sources
1. Sinkhole (Wikipedia)
Wikipedialead section (formation-timing sentence)
Sinkholes may form gradually or suddenly, and are found worldwide.
Occurrence section (Xiaozhai sentence)
In such conditions, the largest known sinkholes of the world have formed, like the 662-metre-deep (2,172 ft) Xiaozhai Tiankeng (Chongqing, China), giant sótanos in Querétaro and San Luis Potosí states in Mexico and others.
lead section (form sentence)
Sinkholes are usually circular and vary in size from tens to hundreds of meters both in diameter and depth, and vary in form from soil-lined bowls to bedrock-edged chasms.
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