One of the most scary things which we could think happen to us is, that our living quarters are just disappearing in a big dark hole down in the ground. The nightmare of all nightmares…

Could it happen to us? Technically, yes. In the strictly geological sense, sinkholes occur when water erodes solid bedrock, creating an underground cavity that collapses inward.  Most of the time, sinkholes are not that dramatic. Some other times, they are indeed very dramatic.

In Florida they happen all the time. The problem is the type of rock which is the foundation of Florida. It is limestone, which can easily be dissolved by water with an acid balance. In Scandinavia we have a bedrock which consists of granite or gneiss. Try to dissolve that with acid water! The Scandinavian volcanic bedrock is more than 2.5 billion years old. I am confident this bedrock will last at least a few hundred years more…

In Florida however, sedimentary rocks are the most common type of rock. These rocks are made up of cemented mineral particles. Although Florida was formed about 530 million years ago by a combination of volcanic activity and marine sedimentation during the early Ordovician Period; throughout most of its history, Florida has been under water.

But there is a big difference: some parts of Florida are more susceptible for sinkholes. It also depends on the type of building construction used. It is quite common that older, simple type of houses were just built smack down on the plain land with no stabilizing foundation. But have you ever heard about a highrise somewhere in Florida, being exposed for sinkhole problems? No. The difference: these buildings have a very rigid and stable foundation with many, many supporting metal or concrete supporters piled down in the ground.

If you would like to read more about sink holes, follow this link to a report on our cloud: Report on Sinkholes