Tennessee’s karst landscapes are among North America’s most dynamic. In Fentress County, the soluble limestone bedrock is perfect for sinkholes. Over 445 documented depressions show the area’s unique patterns. USGS surveys found sinkhole clusters along water paths. A 2013 elevation model showed how surface water relates to underground voids. Now, LiDAR can spot millimeter-level ground […]
Tennessee’s unique geology makes it perfect for sinkholes, thanks to its karst topography. This topography has soluble bedrock that water can slowly break down. USGS surveys show 25% of Tennessee sits on carbonate formations that dissolve easily. Studies have found sinkhole activity varies by county. Some areas see thousands of sinkholes, while others have fewer. […]
Middle Tennessee’s karst landscape is one of North America’s most dynamic. The Cumberland Plateau, shaped by limestone dissolution, has thousands of sinkholes. These natural depressions form when water erodes bedrock, creating voids that collapse over time. Bradley County’s terrain shows this process well, with 129 documented formations. These are just a few of the many […]
Karst landscapes shape Decatur County’s geology, thanks to limestone dissolving over time. This creates underground voids that sometimes collapse into sinkholes. Tennessee has over 54,000 sinkholes, with 47 verified cases in Decatur County. A 2013 study used ArcMap to find 23 sinkholes deeper than 3 meters. These findings match Shofner’s maps, showing risk zones near […]
Tennessee’s karst terrain poses unique geological risks, thanks to its limestone-rich areas. Chester County is one such area, where the soluble bedrock slowly shapes the landscape. Over the last 20 years, Chester County has seen three major sinkhole events. This is much less than Anderson County’s 625 visible collapses. USGS 10-meter digital elevation models show […]
Eastern Tennessee’s unique geology makes it perfect for sinkhole formation. The area is part of a 400-mile karst corridor from Alabama to Virginia. Here, water slowly dissolves limestone, creating underground cavities that sometimes collapse. This collapse forms surface depressions that are key to local water flow. Recent tech has changed how we study sinkholes. Between […]
Tennessee’s karst landscape poses unique geological risks, like in Cannon County. This area has soluble limestone bedrock, a key feature of Tennessee’s karst regions. Groundwater dissolves this rock, creating underground voids that collapse into depressions on the surface. Recent surveys found 41 verified sinkholes in the county, with 15 over 3 meters deep. These sinkholes […]
This area’s landscape has a hidden story. Karst terrain, made of soluble limestone, shapes the underground. USGS surveys show that the ground is more at risk because of this. Recent studies of detailed sinkhole maps show interesting patterns. In 2023, a big sinkhole on Disney Lane was 6.5 meters deep. It took 27 truckloads of […]
Chattanooga: Heritage Landing/Veterans Bridge Sinkhole A large sinkhole opened on Heritage Landing Drive under Veterans Bridge, closing a major entrance to a Northshore neighborhood. The closure, marked by caution tape and barrels, forced hundreds of cars daily through previously quiet residential streets, raising safety concerns for children and pedestrians. Residents described the sinkhole as a […]