Sinkholes
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SOTT Focus: Sinkholes - A Sign of the Times?

Jörg Klinger
Sott.net
Sat, 11 Jun 2011 20:00 UTC

Bizarre reports of gaping holes in the ground continue to come in from all over the place - in cities, on the open roads, in the countryside. Many of the 'sinkholes' you'll see below have been individually explained away as happening due to heavy rainfall during storms, old leftover constructions from mining and subsidence caused by some nearby disturbance - either natural or man-made. The cause of others, however, remain mysterious. I think the important thing to consider is why so many of these sinkholes are appearing at once.

If you consider that the universe speaks to us in symbols, then perhaps there may be a deeper meaning behind their appearance at this evolutionary crossroads for humanity? With all the other Earth Changes going on before our very eyes, I think sinkholes provide more evidence that an old stable system -- namely, Earth's surface -- is breaking up. Have a look at this collection of images gathered on SOTT from recent years and months (days even!) and see what you think.

Rift more than six miles long and three miles across opens near Puyehue volcano, Chile

Associated Press
Sun, 05 Jun 2011 05:09 UTC

There are no reports of injuries so far, but more than 3,500 people have evacuated their homes near an erupting volcano in southern Chile.

Authorities say a rift more than six miles long and three miles across was torn in the earth's crust about 2½ miles from the peak originally thought to be erupting. The violent eruption sent smoke and ash billowing into the sky.

About 600 people were evacuated when the first alert went up and hundreds more left their homes after the eruption began.

Wind carried ash across the Andes to an Argentine tourist town, which had to close its airport. Officials in the town warned residents to take precautions against a possible prolonged ashfall.

The eruption is nearly 620 miles south of Chile's national capital, Santiago.

Big Apple, Cracked! New York, US: Midtown sinkhole stops rush hour traffic, baffles investigators

Meagan Watson
NY Daily News
Tue, 07 Jun 2011 08:37 UTC

A midtown sinkhole snarled rush hour traffic Monday night on W. 57th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues - its second appearance in a year.

No one was injured when the near five-foot by three-foot hole appeared mid-block around 2 p.m., officials said.

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection, was on the scene, but could not explain the sinkhole. They said no leaks had been detected and promised to investigate the problem.

A collection of sinkhole images from around the world

Yahoo! News
Tue, 31 May 2011 16:39 UTC

Powerful thunderstorms and widespread flooding caused this sinkhole to open up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Lorry Swallowed By Hole In Chinese Bridge

Sky News
Mon, 30 May 2011 16:10 UTC

An investigation is under way in northeast China after a giant hole opened up in a road bridge, swallowing a passing lorry.

Two men who were inside the lorry were injured when the road collapsed beneath their vehicle, causing them to plunge into the river below.

The hole in the bridge measured approximately 14 metres by five metres, and developed in a section of the bridge that was built as an extension in 1995.

Local media reported that authorities suspect the lorry, which was carrying steel pipes, was overloaded.

However, the dramatic hole in the bridge across the Yitong River in Changchun city, the capital of Jilin province, is not the only such incident of a road structure failure in China in recent months.

Comment: Huge sinkhole appears in Germany! Usedom Island has a 'Grand Canyon' now

Florida: Sinkhole Opens up in Venus Backyard

Miraculous escape for driver as car falls 20ft into sinkhole at traffic lights during storm

Canada: Mysterious Craters Endanger Quebec Residents, Stump Experts

Global Winnipeg
Fri, 27 May 2011 00:00 UTC

They began appearing last week - massive, mysterious craters on a hill in Quebec City.

"I've lived here 30 years, it's a mystery," said resident Edwin Richard.

About 40 sinkholes between five and eight meters wide began eating out a hill in the Charlebourg borough. They're so big, they've put nearby homes in danger. On Friday, experts were on hand to try to figure out what's causing the craters.

"We have a problem here, it's not possible to say the cause," said city engineer Marcilio Gama Coehlo.

"We spoke to specialists at the ministry and at the university - they have no idea," said city engineer Daniel Lessard.

The only thing they do know is that the hill used to be the site of a sand pit.

For now, the only thing they can do is more tests.

Canada: Sinkholes Have Residents Fleeing Quebec City Neighborhood

CBC News, Canada
Fri, 27 May 2011 10:20 UTC

Officials in Quebec City are trying to figure out what's caused dozens of sinkholes to appear in a north-end neighbourhood.

They served evacuation papers on Wednesday to about 15 homes and one business in the city's Charlesbourg district.

Almost 40 holes between five and eight metres wide appeared in the last week. The holes were mostly found in a field, but another was in a resident's driveway. One is big enough to fit a car.

"The field is is like, there is nothing, no trees or anything and you see everywhere some holes, some deeper than others, like 30 or 40 holes everywhere on the field. You can see this is not normal. You can see this is a problem on this land," said city spokesperson François Moisan.

UK: Mysterious hole sparks fears in Harlesden

Kate Ferguson
London 24
Wed, 11 May 2011 19:25 UTC

Residents were shocked to find this gaping hole as they arrived back from work late one afternoon.

The crevice, which is some 3ft deep and 2ft wide, appeared in Leopold Road, Harlesden without any sign of what caused it.

Concerned residents spotted the hole shortly before 5pm last Wednesday, and rushed out to put up makeshift barriers and scrawled a 'danger' sign warning motorists and pedestrians of the hazard.

Huge sinkhole appears in Germany! Usedom Island has a Grand Canyon now

Matthais Bannert
bild.de
Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:14 UTC

About 50 meter long and four meter deep! On the Baltic Sea island Usedom (Mecklenburg-Western-Pomerania) the earth has opened up. The gaping ravine looks like the little brother of the Grand Canyon in the USA.

Did ancient hollows collapse? Or did a meteorite hit there? The hole gapes right in the middle of a field close to Zirchow. BILD reporter Andreas Weihrauch (21) discovered it while going for a walk. He believes: "Sand has collapsed here. There are patterns on the walls of the sinkhole." And: The ravine runs square into a little lake. "Mysterious bubbles are rising up there."