California Sinkhole Swallowed Pond

Newcastle, CA – A sinkhole swallowed a pond in northern California on Sunday. In a span of just four to five hours, the sinkhole managed to drain the entire pond. Homeowner Mark Korb was more than a little shocked to wake up and see the entire pond gone.

Korb had made the pond that was swallowed by the sinkhole himself. He noted during media interviews that the area now looks like the face of the moon. When the Newcastle homeowner drained the pond several years back, it took him seven days to complete the task.

Mark Korb lives near Dutch Ravine, an old mining region. The area has long been known as Gold Country. Sierra College geology professor Alex Amigo believes the sinkhole depression may have been caused by an underground chamber dating back to the California mining era.

The speed in which the California sinkhole was able to swallow up the massive amount of water was possibly feasible due to a pre-existing fracture. Sinkholes reportedly often occur when groundwater dissolves rock and mineral beneath the surface.

The California sinkhole made short work of the pond, quietly draining it dry while the unsuspecting homeowner slept. The lost pond story comes just several weeks after a Florida sinkhole tragically swallowed Jeff Bush.

Another sinkhole appeared in between two houses in Hillsborough County after the Bush tragedy. The second Florida sinkhole went about five feet deep and reportedly did not pose a danger to anyone. An Illinois sinkhole on a golf course caused one man to be injured man to be injured, but he was rescued and survived.

The US Geological Survey notes that the states which are most likely to be affected by sinkholes include Florida, Missouri, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Alabama. Construction and groundwater pumping are reportedly the most reasons most sinkholes occur. Altering water drainage systems can also prompt sinkholes.

What do you think about the California sinkhole that swallowed a pond?