• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Geography / What Is a Sinkhole, How Are Sinkholes Formed, and Where Do Sinkholes Occur In the United States?

What Is a Sinkhole, How Are Sinkholes Formed, and Where Do Sinkholes Occur In the United States?

June 28, 2020 by Karen Hill

Sinkholes are common in humid areas where limestone forms the underlying bedrock.

Geologists refer to these areas as karst.

Sinkholes are formed when ground water reacts chemically with the limestone and dissolves it over time, causing either a depression or a hole in the ground.

Large holes result when the dissolved limestone is part of the roof of a cave.

Sinkholes can be shallow depressions of about 3 feet (1 m) or so to straight-sided holes more than 100 feet (30 m) in diameter and more than 150 feet (46 m) deep.

Sinkholes are common and frequently cause property damage in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

Related Facts

  • Where Do Most Earthquakes In the United States Occur and Can Earthquakes Occur In Illinois and Missouri?
  • How Many Earthquakes Occur In the World Each Year and Where Do Most Earthquakes Occur On Earth?
  • What Was the Most Powerful Earthquake To Ever Occur In the United States and When Did It Hit?
  • What Was the Worst Earthquake In the United States and Where Did the Good Friday Earthquake Occur?
  • What Causes a Tsunami and Do Tsunamis Occur In the United States?
  • What Was the Largest Earthquake In the United States and When Did the Earthquake In Missouri Occur?
  • Does Mexico Have States Like the United States and How Many States Does Mexico Have?
  • How Was Niagara Falls Formed and Is Niagara Falls Located In the United States or Canada?
  • How Was Kudzu Introduced To the United States and Why Is Kudzu Such a Pest In the Southern States?
  • How Does Australia Compare With the United States and How Many States Does Australia Have?
  • Which States Were Part of the Louisiana Purchase and How Much Land Did It Add To the United States?
  • How Much Gold Is Mined In the United States and Which States Produce the Most Gold?

Filed Under: Geography

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Is the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea Part of the Atlantic Ocean?
Next Post: Where Is the Highest Waterfall In the United States and How Tall Is Yosemite Falls? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy