Mystery in Mexico for an ever-growing crater

As noted, at the beginning the hole was only eight meters in diameter, but it grew larger over the hours until it became a sinkhole of almost 100 meters.

“We hear like a roar. We thought they were rockets, but we looked down the street and saw how the earth was moving and water was coming out, which was like waves. We ran awaySaid Magdalena Xalamihua, who lived with her husband and daughter in a house a few meters from the abyss.

socavon mexico

Thérèse de Miguel

The phenomenon alerted local authorities and the National Guard cordoned off a large area, while the military ensured that the curious did not attempt to cross the forbidden zone.

“It is a geological fault that must be treated with the greatest care, with technique and with all precautions.Said Governor Miguel Barbosa.

Meanwhile, teams of geologists from the Autonomous University of Puebla are already preparing a report on what happened: “These faults already exist inside the ground. They can exist for 5,000 or 10,000 years and then they are reactivated. It only needs nature to give it an impact for it to be discovered on the surface. This phenomenon, as I saw it, was going to happen sooner or later, ”he explained. Delfino Hernandez, Geological engineer from the Geological Hazards Laboratory of the Autonomous Metropolitan University of Mexico City.

socavon mexico

Thérèse de Miguel

He also indicated that this usually happens because some areas of the ground have “weaknesses” due to constant movement, such as Mexican territory.

“A fault is a zone of fractures along which there has been displacement of blocks of rocky crust. It is a discontinuity that forms due to the fracture of large rocks in the earth. If we say that this fault is 20 meters, this is what we can see, it is likely that downwards it will have a greater depth.“, He added.

“The state of Puebla usually has earthquakes that occur before they reach Mexico City. It is not clear whether the 2017 earthquake had consequences, but given the magnitude of the fracture, the soils may be felt and only moisture is needed for them to come off, ”the geologist explained.

The lagoon that formed was due to underground water infiltration:What you need to do is not just see the opening, you need to see the surroundings, look for other similar or minor fractures. Make an immediate survey, cartography with photographs of the areas and continue monitoring if it moves daily“Hernández recommended.