Seven years and growing: Christian County, Missouri sinkhole devours more earth

KY3 News
Wed, 31 Jul 2013 05:46 UTC

© Jess Heugel / News-Leader

The sinkhole formed at about 10 feet. It's now an estimated to be about 50 feet wide and 50 feet deep.

A big sinkhole in Christian County is getting even bigger.

It's in a field in the bent-water subdivision on the north side of Nixa.

The sinkhole formed at about 10 feet. It's now an estimated to be about 50 feet wide and 50 feet deep.

Since it's on private property, it's up to the developer to decide what to do about it.

The person who lives close to the sinkhole is bringing someone in to determine its potential impact.

Comment: It's interesting to note that this sinkhole formed during a drought. When they appear now during and after storms, geologists and others are quick to claim they are caused by excess groundwater eroding the soil layers beneath the surface, but check out this quote from a geologist from when this sinkhole first appeared in 2006:

"It's weird, it's weird," he [a local resident] said of the appearance of a sinkhole where there had been no sign of the geological formations. "I think the drought had something to do with it."

That's a possibility, said Missouri State University assistant professor of geology Doug Gouzie.

"I don't know of any evidence, but it wouldn't surprise me it played a role," he said.

The fact of the matter is that they don't know how these things form, but that doesn't stop them trying to explain away this new and bizarre phenomenon as if it was 'normal'.

It's not.

It's another sign of the times.