Water is the mighty earth shifter. You’ve probably seen pictures of cars tipped into sinkholes. Why did the ground suddenly open up? Water.

Areas where soil is high in limestone or salt are more prone to developing sinkholes. These minerals dissolve quickly when groundwater moves through them, like after heavy rains or if a buried pipe leaks. As the minerals dissolve, spaces in the soil open up. Water fills the gaps. Swoosh! Look out! Cave in!

In 2008, a sinkhole in Daisetta, Texas, swallowed cars, oil drilling equipment, and oil tanks. The town sits on soil filled with salty minerals that lie over a rocky base deep below. Some scientists think an oil company stored too much salty wastewater underground in wells. Those wells may have leaked. As water seeped out, salt in the soil dissolved. The hole formed. This giant sinkhole spread to be longer than two football fields! After a few weeks, a lake formed. (A seven-foot alligator even moved in!)

There are often warning signs before sinkholes happen. Look for leaning fences and trees, cracks in buildings, and wilting plants. These suggest groundwater levels may be changing.

Sometimes water can make sinkhole treasures. Last year in Mengzi City, China, a sinkhole was found to be home to rare plants. Some had not been seen in over 100 years. This May, explorers of a sinkhole near Ping’e village in China found a primitive forest. The trees were almost 130 feet tall. Scientists hope to find new species of animals and plants there too!

Why? Water is a blessing given by God. It can also make major changes to land. The next time it rains, watch how water flow impacts your area.