A massive 13.31 km² depression in Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau is North America’s largest sinkhole. It’s 140 feet deep and holds 37.7 million cubic meters of eroded limestone. Lidar surveys from 2013 confirmed it’s part of the Sequatchie Valley Anticline, a geological fold from 250 million years ago. The sinkhole was formed by water dissolving Mississippian-era […]
Tennessee’s karst landscapes are among the most active in the eastern United States. About 25% of Earth’s surface has this type of bedrock. Water slowly creates underground cavities in it. A 2013 digital elevation model (DEM) found 21,365 sinkholes in Tennessee. Dekalb County had 131 of them. Most of these sinkholes are over 3 meters […]
Tennessee’s karst geology makes unique landscapes. Clay County is known for its many sinkholes. Recent studies found 102 big depressions and 286 total features here. Karst systems form over time as water erodes limestone. Geologists like Sutherland say East Tennessee is at risk because of its old rock layers. Clay County has a lot of […]
The geology of southeastern Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau is unique. Beneath Bledsoe County lies Devonian-era limestone bedrock. This rock type is prone to gradual dissolution by groundwater. This process forms karst terrain. Such landscapes have underground drainage systems and surface depressions. About 20% of the continental U.S. has similar karst geology, according to USGS surveys. Local […]
Middle Tennessee is home to some of the state’s most exciting geological features. The area’s limestone bedrock, shaped by water over thousands of years, is perfect for sinkholes. Recent verified sinkhole distribution maps show a lot of activity near Sycamore Creek. This is because the rock layers there erode quickly underground. In 2023, data from […]
Central Tennessee’s landscape has a hidden story beneath its surface. The area sits on limestone bedrock, a rock type that water can easily dissolve. Over time, this leads to the formation of underground cavities that can collapse into sinkholes. Tennessee’s Central Basin is home to a very active karst corridor. Recent studies show 607 documented […]
Middle Tennessee’s karst landscape is perfect for sinkholes because of limestone. Coffee County has 447 documented sinkholes thanks to field surveys and modern tools. These sinkholes show the area’s dynamic underground water systems, with 71 being over 3 meters deep. Researchers have studied these sinkholes using different methods. From Shofner’s 2001 grid-based analysis to 2013 […]
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. […]