Sinkholes

By Ariell Mckenzie

A Cenote is a hole formed in the ground due to a caving in of the upper level of the surface caving in. This natural environmental wonder is also referred to as a sinkhole and without makes for great eco-tourism sites in the Bahamas, most commonly in the proximity of the Primeval National Forest and Park. Sinkholes vary in sizes ranging from 1-600 m in depth and diameters.

The natural phenomenon is described as having a soil- lined bowl shape or a bedrock-bedrock-edged chasm. At the Primeval Forest, it is an absolute hit for visitors who become floored at the beauty of the outer layer of this eco-attraction as well as the curiosity of what lies beneath this conservation site. It can form in two ways such as natural and artificial processes. Natural processes would include erosion of water tables whereas groundwater break down the particles within the carbonate segmented structure which would gradually remove substances responsible for keeping the segment together and further causing a void to form in the earth’s surface. Artificial processes would include the mere existence of a sinkhole in the first place or the unplanned or unintended contribution to the formation of a sinkhole in particular locations. This processes sometimes can be incorrectly referred to as something like as a salt cavern storage commonly found in salt domes. Sinkholes formed through artificial processes can randomly form anywhere such as roads due to human activity which include but are not limited to a change in water deviation systems or something as simple as sewerage breaks due to the natural wear and tear of old pipe materials.