[NMCAVER] [Texascavers] FW: Sinkhole in New Mexico

[George Veni]

Here is the scoop. Most of the news reports I've seen have the story
essentially right, so long as we don't quibble about details. The sinkhole
formed due to brine production. Fresh water was pumped about 660 ft down to
near the base of the Salado Formation (salt) and was pumped out as a brine
and used in oil and gas well drilling. The resulting cavity became too large
and unstable and collapsed. The sinkhole will continue to grow for some time
at decelerating rates. The current diameter is about 90 m and the depth to
water is perhaps 30 m (based on today's photos which have not yet been seen
outside this office).

 

The National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI) has been collecting
data on this and other such wells in the area. Dr. Lewis Land is taking the
lead on the investigation. Thanks to the generosity of some pilots in
Carlsbad who have volunteered to help us in our research, either Lewis or I
have been in the air most days photo-monitoring the sinkhole's growth.
However, due to the State's safety concerns (the sinkhole is on State land),
we have not yet been able to put scale markers on the ground next to the
sinkhole. We have spray-painted a scale on the nearby paved road, which
isn't ideal but useful. Later will we analyze the images more closely to
more accurately measure its changes in diameter and depth. We are working
with the State to possibly arrange for a closer on-the-ground approach to
the sinkhole to make some direct measurements.

 

The concerns about the photos possibly not being authentic are not
warranted. The photos from the air that I've seen posted on various websites
came either from me, Lewis, or one of the pilots, Larry Pardue. Geary's
observation about a rock fall is correct. One of the posted photos did
capture a rock fall, as do some of the others we've collected.

 

The general process for this type of sinkhole development is fairly well
understood. We plan to continue research in hopes of learning some details
not previously known, and to use this and other information to better assess
the risk that such operations pose at existing and former brine production
sites.

 

George

 

***********************

 

George Veni, Ph.D.

Executive Director

National Cave and Karst Research Institute

1400 Commerce Dr.

Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220  USA

gveni at nckri.org

www.nckri.org

001-575-887-5517 (office)

001-210-863-5919 (mobile)

001-413-383-2276 (fax)

 

 

From: Geary Schindel [mailto:gschindel at edwardsaquifer.org] 
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 3:07 PM
To: Louise Power; texascavers at texascavers.com
Subject: RE: [Texascavers] FW: Sinkhole in New Mexico

 

Louise,

 

Large sinks like this have formed before in the Wink County, Texas - Roswell
- Artesia NM area.  What is interesting about the photo is if you enlarge
it, there appears to be dust in the left side of the sinkhole.  I was
wondering if this might be from a rock fall from the edge, mist rising from
the pool of water, or if a car drove off the rim (cool but unlikely).  If
you look at the water in the bottom of the sink, you can see some large
ripples that imply that something fell in.

 

On another note, some years ago, a sinkhole opened up early one morning in a
road near Fredrick, Maryland (home of Barbara Fritchie - protector of the US
Flag).  A fellow was driving down the road around 3AM when he drove into the
sinkhole and was killed.  These things can be very dangerous.

 

Geary 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Louise Power [mailto:power_louise at hotmail.com] 
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 3:50 PM
To: Geary Schindel; texascavers at texascavers.com
Subject: RE: [Texascavers] FW: Sinkhole in New Mexico

 

Well, obviously I was wrong on this one, but the photo that was sent out
first did not look real. Sorry!

  _____  

Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:32:50 -0500
From: gschindel at edwardsaquifer.org
To: texascavers at texascavers.com
Subject: [Texascavers] FW: Sinkhole in New Mexico

Here is the link on the new sinkhole forming in New Mexico.

 

Very interesting.

 

Geary

 

http://www.krqe.com/Global/story.asp?S=8700699
<http://www.krqe.com/Global/story.asp?S=8700699&nav=menu588_2_5_2>
&nav=menu588_2_5_2 

 

 

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