瓜地馬拉黑洞之謎

(Community : Question & Answer)
Guatemala, Black hole, 瓜地馬拉, 黑洞,

Guatemala Sinkhole 2010 Controversy – A Sinkhole or Something Else? A sinkhole is an area where topsoil or bedrock has been washed from the earth’s surface. The so-called sinkhole in Guatemala appears to be something other than a sinkhole.  After all, if you look at the pictures of this, you will see it looks, as some Twitter users say, like a gateway to hell.

As you can see from the photos, the Guatemala city sinkhole looks a lot different than the other sinkholes.  The Guatemalan hole is blamed on rainwaters from Tropical Storm Agatha, but it is likely something else. A hole opened up in 2007 because of the sewage system, and that could be partially to blame as well.

Fixing the hole won’t be easy.  The CS Monitor reports that in order to fill the hole, Geologists will have to study the underlying area and see WHY the hole opened up.  Typically, sinkholes can be filled – but not this time.
At least 123 people have died in Guatemala, and 59 others are missing, according to the government. Nine people were killed in El Salvador and 14 in Honduras, including a woman who was electrocuted as she was helped from her flooded home.

More than 94,000 people have been evacuated from the capital.

Sink holes can appear suddenly but are thousands of years in the making, geologists said.

The gaping holes are usually caused by rainwater gradually eating away at porous rock such as limestone below the surface, weakening it, and creating a honeycomb of caverns and caves which can become packed with mud. Floodwater may have flushed away that mud - leading everything above it to collapse.

Guatemala Sinkhole 2010 – Guatemala City Tropical Storm Agatha made her mark on Guatemala City by opening up a hole that looks like a “gateway to hell” in the middle of the city.  The hole swallowed a factory and a home. There have been no confirmed reports of death.

The Guatemala City “sinkhole” isn’t believed to be a true “sinkhole.”  By definition, a sinkhole is where topsoil or bedrock is washed from the earth’s surface. However, as you can see from the photo above this is far greater than some topsoil washing away.

In 2007, a hole opened up a couple of miles from the site where the new hole opened up.  A faulty sewer line is to blame. Geologists and Guatemalan officials need to determine what caused the hole before they attempt to fill it and repair the hole.