Adam speculated on the last No Agenda that the sink hole was caused by a beam weapon in space. If true, it must be a truly remarkable weapon since it left the corner of a building untouched and hanging over the hole. It is odd, however, how round the hole is. Here’s a tad more reasonable explanation:
A sinkhole, 65 feet across and 100 feet deep, swallowed up a small factory and some telephone poles in Guatemala City last weekend. Police have been stationed around the hole to prevent bystanders from falling in, and those who live nearby are staying elsewhere for the time being. How do you fill a massive sinkhole in the middle of a major urban area?
With cement or rocks. Sinkholes develop when water flows through pores in bedrock and gradually enlarges them. When these subterranean cavities get big enough, the ground above collapses and fills them in. [...] A 6,500-cubic-foot wad of concrete may serve to concentrate water runoff in other areas, leading to more sinkholes. Many engineers prefer the graded-filter technique, in which the hole is filled with a layer of boulders, then a layer of smaller rocks, and, finally, a layer of gravel. This fills the hole, more or less, while permitting water to drain through the area.
No matter what is used to fill the crater, more sinkholes are on the way. Guatemala City’s location and leaky sewage system make it particularly prone to these events. The capital lies downhill from seven major volcanoes, two of which are active members of the Pacific Ring of Fire. For hundreds of thousands of years, the gargantuan Amatitlan Caldera dumped volcanic ash on the ground where the city now sits. As a result, the local bedrock consists mostly of loose volcanic pumice. (Many cities sit atop volcanic deposits, but the ash from Amatitlan has not had the time or the appropriate pressure and temperature conditions to compress into a solid, reliable foundation.)
The correct answer as to who really caused this is either Obama or Bush, depending on your political proclivity.
>> The Guatemalan Sink Hole
>> …who really caused this is either Obama or Bush, depending on your political proclivity.
In this case, it’s probably disengaged government. They know they have this problem but they apparently wait until it swallows up a block before they do something about it.
(I don’t know about Guatemala for sure — but I’ve seen this so much in the developing world.)
And that’s ultimately the problem with conservative governing philosophy — they believe the government only makes things worse. So less government is better government. They want America to govern like Haiti or Somalia or Pakistan.
Well, until we have a big crisis like this oil disaster, and then the conservative cry “why isn’t Obama doing more?”
Maybe we could shove mexico down there.
Guess they can’t afford the yellow crime scene tape in Guatemala.
nolimit662 said “Maybe we could shove Mexico down there.”
Hillaryous
# 1 gonzoearth:
“What about Karst Topography as well?”
Yes. The linked Salon article mentions that areas with limestone geology have problems with sinkholes as well, with Florida and Kentucky having the most in the U.S.
For all our vaunted technology, we are like ants crawling around on a dirt hill, swamped by storms, our “hives” collapsing on us in earthquakes, and otherwise overwhelmed by so many natural events.
Adam believes in a lot of goofy stuff. Magic earthquake machines, 9/11 troofer crap… you name it.
Volcanoes and abysses, suitable subjects for Ernest Hemingway, as photographed by Yousuf Karst.
“The correct answer as to who really caused this is either Obama or Bush, depending on your political proclivity. ”
hahaha made my day!
# 27 jbellies:
“Volcanoes and abysses, suitable subjects for Ernest Hemingway, as photographed by Yousuf Karst.”
A+ !
(Though it’s a bit off-topic, check out the beautiful work of the famous portrait photographer at karsh.org)