For some reason, in the last decade,sinkholeshave been appearing in the headlines more and more frequently. It could be that news outlets are just faster at reporting news, but it’s possible that mining, fracking and other human operations have been weakening the ground below us. Cars, houses and roads are being swallowed by sinkholes at an alarming rate. You may think that you’ll never encounter one of these dangerous phenomena yourself, but experts estimate that thousands of sinkholes form every year in Floridaalone. What about the rest of the United States? And the world?
由于某些原因，在过去的十年中，“天坑”越来越频繁的成为新闻的头条。这些“天坑”正在以惊人的速度吞噬汽车，房屋和道路。你可能会认为，你永远不会遇到这些危险的情况。有专家估计，佛罗里达州每年有成千上万的这种“天坑”。一个州都有这么多，那么整个美国呢？甚至全世界呢？
An ariel view of a sinkhole is absolutely terrifying. It looks like a gateway to Hell. This giant sinkhole in Guatemala City on May 31, 2010.
这个天坑看起来非常的可怕，像通往地狱的大门。这个巨大的天坑2010年5月31日出现在危地马拉城。
Casa Presidencial / Handout / Reuters
This massive sinkhole formed in the middle of the Gran Marical de Ayacucho highway in Venezuela.
2010年11月26日，委内瑞拉首都加拉加斯市附近，平民居住区内发生路面塌陷，人们正在围观，有一只狗跌入坑中。周五当地媒体和救援官员公告称，委内瑞拉首府圣奥古斯汀平民窟区塌方共造成3名儿童死亡，该塌方是由之前数日暴雨造成的。
A truck was nearly swallowed hole in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, China.
陕西省西安市，一辆卡车陷入了天坑
A construction vehicle fell into a sinkhole on Saint-Catherine Street in downtown Montreal.
在蒙特利尔市中心圣凯瑟琳街，一辆施工车掉进了天坑。
A woman named Pamela Knox had to be rescued from a sinkhole that swallowed her car in Toledo, Ohio in July 2013.
2013年7月在俄亥俄州托莱多，一名女子驾车时被天坑吞噬了。
Lt. Matthew Hertzfeld / Toledo Fire and Rescue / Handout via Reuters
Most often, sinkholes form as a result of rainfall or flooding, where water seeps into the ground. Because of various chemical compositions, the ground will dissolve and form a network of cavities.
2008年9月7日，广州路面塌陷，并困住一辆汽车，坑深5米，直径15米。
Reuters / China Daily
Far too often, a sinkhole forms when bystanders are completely unaware.
很多时候，人们都不知道附近有天坑正在形成。
Reuters / China Daily
That results in people being trapped in these large, dangerous holes.
这导致人们常常被困在这些危险的“天坑”中。
Reuters / China Daily
Reuters / China Daily
Many sinkholes, like this one, occur after a massive storm, typhoon or tidal wave. The excess water weakens the ground.
天坑常常形成于风暴，台风或大潮之后。
Punit Paranjpe / Reuters
A sinkhole in San Diego damaged an on-ramp and continued to grow.
Reuters
In the German village of Nachterstedt, houses were lost when a lake’s shoreline collapsed. Three residents were missing and an entire neighborhood was teetering on the edge of destruction.
2月24日圣地亚哥市的巨型坑，该坑在2月25日还在扩大。由厄尔尼诺天气影响带来的巨量降水造成排水管爆裂而形成的。坑长800英尺，宽40英尺，深70英尺。
Alicia Morrison / Reuters
Santiago Ferrero / Reuters
The most terrifying thing about these sinkholes is that they seem quite difficult to predict, once they begin forming you can’t really stop them… and they can happenanywhere.
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