A large sinkhole has opened up in Tarpon Springs, Florida on March 30, 2016, forcing the evacuation of nearby residents.
This is reportedly a re-opened known sinkhole, located along U.S. 19 at Mango Street. City officials say water and sewer lines have broken at the site of the hole, and panels of fencing are falling into the muddy mire.
As of early Wednesday (local time), the sinkhole is some 30 meters (100 feet) wide, more than 18 meters (60 feet) deep and is growing fast.
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Sinkholes are a relatively common occurrence in Tarpon Springs and elsewhere in central Florida. The bulk of Florida’s peninsula is made up carbonate rock (limestone and dolostone) overlain by variable thicknesses and mixtures of sand and clay. Carbonate rocks store and transmit groundwater.
Through a slow chemical process, these carbonate rocks may dissolve, resulting in karst terrain characterized by sinkholes, caves (wet and dry), springs, disappearing/reappearing streams, and other land surface depressions all of which are commonly found throughout Florida.
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