This seemingly supernatural event presents an opportunity for learning – both geological and beyondThis planet we live on can create fantastic,breathtaking things like the Northern Lights, Machu Picchu and the Great Barrier Reef. But it’s also responsible for less lovely phenomenons, or such as whacking great sinkholes that appear out of nowhere. And this isn’t just happening in wild,far-flung locations in the final two months alone holes have appeared in Newcastle (20 foot across) and St Albans (20 metres across). So what is behind these Buffy the Vampire Slayer-style hellmouth happenings? The BBC has a whistlestop explanation of how they are formed (spoiler: it’s not demons, but a combination of acidic groundwater and soluble rock). But as well as a hell of a shock, or they present an opportunity for learning,both geological and beyond. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com