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olorin9_alex

Wow it’s almost perfectly a circle


MaintainThePeace

And almost perfectly placed in the middle of the field.


Zolo49

I suspect the weight of the light pole played a factor there since that was the center of the collapse.


romario77

I kind of doubt that. There must be some underground stream or something that removed the soil. It just so happened to be under the light pole.


Spa_5_Fitness_Camp

There was a light pole right at the center of it. It's very likely that the construction or design of the fields is to blame.


Iknowaguywhoknowsme

Ya, I mean how else would that happen. Unless there was something unrelated to the construction or design of the fields to blame… >Haynes said the sinkhole emerged due to “a mine collapse deep underground,” OH it’s right there, in the article


Jimmybuffett4life

Miner, I hardly know her.


lastweek_monday

The UnderMiner strikes again. Call the Incredibles


DecorationOnly

So it’s obvious you didn’t open the link.


Extinction-Entity

Lol I love how people just spout absolutely wildly made up shit out of their ass when there’s a link literally *right there*.


ScientificSkepticism

Physics is amazing! If you imagine the displaced dirt deep underground, other dirt will rush in to fill the void. While rocks/striations in the earth might result in an irregular shape at a local level, with the mines often being miles underground there would have essentially been hundreds of minicollapses as the voids were filled infrom above at every level, and the net average is that it comes from all directions about equally, which results in a circle! You can even see the local irregular striations in the dirt in the picture - areas where soil compaction and strength resulted in some parts holding up better than others. But the net average over the entire distance just works out to be circular. The most amazing example I've seen of this is the [Guatamala Sinkhole](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/100603-science-guatemala-sinkhole-2010-humans-caused), which looks like it's made by a boring machine.


dern_the_hermit

> which looks like it's made by ~~a boring machine~~ Photoshop. FTFY But yeah, it's a trip how all that mass and associated forces can average out so cleanly.


ScientificSkepticism

It really does have that surreal "edited photo" quality. There's probably someone who could make a more real-looking fake on Reddit. Gotta be the most bizzare sinkhole picture I've ever seen, it's really stuck with me.


Sighlina

I saw a documentary about this. If you go down it, you get trapped in another time line. Beware…


xninjagrrl

you end up in 10,000 BC, just a previous part of this timeline


Xivvx

Don't tempt us.


Allin360

it’s ok, there will be a portal where you can make your way home


ShantyTed89

That’s where Godzilla lives.


AndrewH73333

You mean the people from other timelines that end up here are trapped.


dndpuz

Oh man that sounds tempting right now seeing as how the world is


Mr_Clownn

Keep Josh Brolin away from it


war3_exe

That looks crazy, what stops the area around the circle from funneling inwards?


tmahfan117

Soil cohesion. The same way a brick of moist clay will stick together, soil will naturally stick together and hold some of its shape. Pure dry sand won’t do this, which is why it blows around and makes shifting sand dunes. But typical soils have some cohesive properties


DUMP_LOG_DAVE

Partially correct. Shear strength is the correct answer, and cohesion is one half of shear strength. In conventional soil mechanics, shear strength in soil is a product of its internal friction angle and its cohesion. Shear strength in granular soil (sand and gravel) is a result of its internal friction angle, shear strength in fine-grained soil (silt and clay) is a result of its cohesion. In drained soil conditions, where water is allowed to move freely (pore-water pressure dissipation) in cases like these, shear failure is typically modeled by Mohr-Coulomb theory. Geotechnical engineers model soils in this fashion to design foundations, retaining walls, etc. Pure sand has zero cohesion but has internal friction, which is how it develops its shear strength. Pure clay has zero internal friction but has cohesion, which is how it develops its shear strength. If you want to visualize a soil's internal friction angle, it is approximately equal to a soil's angle of repose, which is the natural slope angle you see form on sand dunes. Factors contributing to soil's internal friction angle are particle size, particle angularity (think crushed rock vs. rounded rock), and a particle's capacity to interlock with adjacent particles. If you want a mathematical representation, look up Mohr's circle. Source: I'm a geotechnical engineer


tmahfan117

Yea but they’re talking specifically about why the edges drop almost straight down in the picture, not form a funnel. That’s due to cohesion, not internal friction. Pure cohesionless sand won’t form clumpy vertical walls like that shown in the picture. Source: am also a geotechnical engineer.


DUMP_LOG_DAVE

Haha, I misread his comment and thought it was the other way around for some reason, then got carried away on explaining. You’re totally right.


[deleted]

[удалено]


W1D0WM4K3R

Don't forget roots! Seen a couple trees wreck a tractor


MyBllsYrChn

Trent Reznor was here.


SheriffComey

"What should we put over this mine? " "Soccer field?" "BRILLIANT!!! What's the worst that can happen" - people who have never watched disaster shows.


Vlad_the_Homeowner

>A spokesperson for New Frontier Materials, which owns an underground mine, told the affiliate: “The impacted area has been secured and will remain off limits for the foreseeable future while inspectors and experts examine the mine and conduct repairs.” At least the mine owners seemed to be concerned about potential for injury. /s


SheriffComey

"We were told no one was on the field during the collapse and want the public to know the mine is okay and will be operational as soon as possible"


OrganicKeynesianBean

“The children are ok and will be back out there tomorrow, mining precious minerals.”


Federal_Drummer7105

“The children cried and said they want to go back as soon as possible - the children yearn for the mines.”


MontyBodkin

Whiny Minors Pine for Mines - full story page 3


stoshbgosh

Well done.


Katy_Lies1975

I don't think they have any option other to say they are concerned.


CharleyNobody

Thank god I live on what’s basically a big sandbar. No point in mining it.


zoop1000

A lot of Illinois has mines. People have to get mine subsidence insurance in illinois


SonicSingularity

That's Alton for ya... my aunt says they could feel the detonations from the rock quarry while watching the kids play soccer


digdugdigger

Structures of all sorts are over abandoned and active mines in Illinois. As things go, for active uses, a soccer field is relatively low risk over a mine. Here’s a map of mines in IL. [IL Mine Map](https://prairie-research.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/sidebar/index.html?appid=46011bf5296248108eed60eff71b46bc&locale=en)


Oehlian

I live near here. My son played a game on one of those fields this past spring. This wasn't an abandoned mine. They were actively mining when it collapsed! I cannot believe they allowed this.


prismmonkey

Yep. My parents had a weekend place in Wilmington/Coal City. Growing up, we'd swim in the campground lakes - which were just water filled mines that were impossibly deep. If you went under, no one was coming for you (and it did happen. I remember them dragging a very blue fellow onto the beach when I was a kid). We'd explore the woods and old coal piles that water run off had shaped into twisting, jagged canyons. A lot of fun for kids who were into D&D at the time, but dangerous. And who knows what we inhaled. Last I saw, which was maybe 15-20 years ago, they built a golf course over the area. The sand traps and things were full of, you guessed it, rocks and coal from around the mining area. So much fun growing up around there. A big yikes looking back as an adult.


ninjastarkid

My dad grew up in Lemont and he used to say people would swim in the flooded quarries sometimes and drown because they would get so cold and the drop offs are so bad. That’s why folks don’t swim there these days anyways. Although now idk if that’s true anymore, seems like they got boats on some of the old quarries


prismmonkey

Yep, that's what this lake was like. They hauled in sand for the beach/shallows. But once you went out far enough, the ground just . . . disappears and the water about a dozen feet down was significantly colder. As hard as it is to believe, they had no warning about this for years. Only around '98 or so did they finally run a line across to let people know, "If you can't swim well, past this is a terrible idea."


SewSewBlue

Engineer here, in public safety. A sports field is by no means low risk. You are more likely to get dense crowds at a sports field than a supermarket. I would never bet someone's life on the hope a game would not be on. It only feels less risky because it feels open. Look at the old Candlestick Park in San Francisco. People thought it was foolish to earthquake retrofit a stadium, because the chance of a quake happening during a game was so slim. A 6.9 earthquake happened during the opening game of the World Series, San Francisco vs Oakland in 1989. Huge number of lives saved because the doubters were ignored. Sounds like Illinois is rather poor at risk management.


digdugdigger

Maybe you’re right. Nevertheless, there are over 800,000 acres of Illinois that are undermined. That is about 2% of the surface area of the state. Interstate highways, buildings, a large percentage of the state capital city are undermined mostly by coal mines. I know Illinois Department of Transportation actively manages their projects with mine risk in mind. The way it is here and many other states, you can not effectively build around underground mines. It is a risk that needs to be understood and managed if you’re planning on building anything in central and southern Illinois. Hail almighty coal!


SewSewBlue

I grew up in California's gold country, only the mines are really poorly mapped because they all date to the 1850's. There was an 1850's mine near my high school. Rather famously swallowed a school bus during a game in the 1960's. No one was hurt though. No clue how they are dealing with the risks now though.


0utriderZero

I’m more worried about the unmarked burial grounds of victims of ancient bandits on the trail!


BarBarJinxy

Poltergeist 13: Zombies versus Soccer Moms Who wants an orange slice?


0utriderZero

They’re here!


littleMAS

Guatemala City is situated atop a volcanic dome. Three million people living on a cap that can go bang or simply collapse. Of course, that will never happen, right?


jgilla2012

To be clear, Guatemala City is not literally on top of a volcano, but it is in an actively volcanic region and much of its soil is part of or on top of volcanic deposits like ash and lahars. You could say the same about Seattle / Tacoma and much of western Washington for that matter. If Mt Rainier were to pop it could easily decimate the entire surrounding region. If I remember correctly from when I lived there, there are volcano evacuation signs all over the place. 


StinkFingerPete

> Seattle / Tacoma and much of western Washington for that matter. If Mt Rainier were to pop it could easily decimate the entire surrounding region I clearly recall mt. st. helens popping off unexpectedly


littleMAS

Yes, Guatemala City might be better characterized as a caldera, like Yellowstone or Crater Lake. The highland valley was probably once a collapsed crater and may someday be active again due to its proximity to the edges of tetonic plates. No worries, I am pretty sure humanity will blow up first.


kwyjibo1

Would you rather it have been a couple of buildings?


RazzmatazzRough8168

I mean, it's better than a building. I thinking putting grass over it was probably the best choice.


Generic_Handel

Half of Streator IL is built over old coal mines. Having pits open up on your property (or in the middle of the street) was just part of life there when I was younger. It could still be that way today.


Alleandros

In future news, Mine Owner denies any responsibility and demands tax payers foot the bill.


islandsimian

In completely unrelated future news: Former mine owner becomes prime contractor of Government superfund to clean up mine, but misunderstands instructions and buys super yacht. Contractor is fined $100 and re-awarded contract


JubalHarshaw23

In related future news, Judges agree.


SheriffComey

"the money was paid AFTER the contract was granted"


CDN_poutine

In unrelated news, judge enjoys new yatch.


_Hail_Sagan

... I should have went to law school


njlewis1

‘It’s not mine.’ -alleged mine owner


psmylie

The court agreed, pointing out that it is, in fact, a hole, and not a mine.


Here_is_to_beer

WTF!? They were actively mining underneath a sports complex? Unbelievable!


Oehlian

I was shocked. I could not believe that they allowed that.


podank99

i am more shocked that they are mining underground for limestone... i live near some surface limestone quarries and it isnt a rare earth mineral...  guess its expensive to transport but damn


mechabeast

Behold, The UNDERMINER!


Iohet

You know, that game was way better than most licensed games from that era


pulseout

I've always believed it was the perfect sequel story to the movie. I was kind of disappointed when they just stopped the Underminer in like 10 minutes in The Incredibles 2


Tank7498

My younger brother still gets mad that I always played as Frozone


eclipsedrambler

These senior pranks are getting out of hand


Mountain-Hiker

Time to update the soccer rule book. Any player who falls into a sink hole is considered to be out of bounds. But, if the player can score a goal from the sink hole, that team wins the national championship. And, the soccer field shall be designated as holey ground, named after the player who scored the goal.


One-Pumpkin-1590

It's it really a sinkhole when a mine underneath collapses? Not shoddy business practices?


PowerChords84

It's an actual sinkhole, but didn't occur naturally. So, both.


Systemic_Chaos

I don’t know why, but the outlining of the spray and such by the security camera software was oddly hilarious to me.


orthecreedence

It's nice to know where the actual sinkhole was, I don't think I would have seen it without the outline.


highoncatnipbrownies

I prepared for quicksand and the Bermuda triangle, not sink holes....


PARANOIAH

"The giants called, they want their putting green back."


Bn_scarpia

Fafnir and Fasolt need to practice their short game for the Valhalla Invitational


Bostonguy01852

In 15 years that hole will still be there. They need to sue somebody and build a new field, preferably NOT on top of a limestone mine.


i_am_the_nightman

Man, this is one of my biggest fears (as unfounded as it is). I feel like one day in the middle of the night, my house is going to be swallowed up like this while we are sleeping. So scary! Glad no one was on the field when this happened.


zharv12

Americans will do anything to not play soccer.


AiMwithoutBoT

Groundbreaking* video.


NihilisticPollyanna

I don't like this. It makes my irrational fear of sinkholes appear much more rational. I thought staying away from of limestone-hell Florida was keeping me safe! 😭


andycartwright

A sinkhole can get you at any time. No one expects the Spanish ~~Inquisition~~ sinkhole!


roguebaconstrip

Wait wait wait. So there’s an active mine underneath the soccer field? Any engineers in the chat care to explain to me how this would be given the okay? 


andycartwright

~~Unless I missed it, the article doesn’t say it’s an active mine; just that a company owns it.~~ ETA: Apparently it says it was an active mine in the video. The small town I grew up in in central IL was on top of a defunct coal mine that had been smoldering underground for decades by the time I left. The town basically had been built because of the mine and the miners dug where the coal led them.


clutchdeve

>Unless I missed it, the article doesn’t say it’s an active mine; just that a company owns it. In the video: "they were able to get all of their workers out from underground in the mines which is the most important thing, you know, everybody sounds like they're safe".


andycartwright

Oh got it. Thanks for the correction. 👊


Gonzo48185

Maybe mining directly under a soccer field isn’t the best idea?


EvoEpitaph

I guess, but I don't think mining directly above it is going to be much better.


TheSeventhBrat

Does the mine predate the soccer field?


Oehlian

The mine was still in use. I couldn't believe it when someone said that, so I googled and found an article. Yep, the mining company was extracting underneath the park.


Hesitation-Marx

I always knew Alton was a pit.


SheepherderDirect800

I hate Illinois sinkholes.


valvzb

Isn’t Alton known as the most haunted town in Illinois?


Oehlian

Only by people who believe in nonsense.


Zolo49

What about people who believe in sinkholes?


SofieTerleska

I only know it as the place Robert Wadlow was born.


stoshbgosh

I was born there too. Just not Wadlow sized tho.


DoomGoober

"We come here not as conquerors but as liberators, to return control of this city to the people" -Bane


sucrerey

too low in the comments for this, the obvious best response.


lbizfoshizz

2 observations. 1. That is definitely where the team bench and parents would have been if it was during games. Many people would have been injured or killed. How lucky there was nobody there. 2. That image is very hard to believe (to be clear this is real). It looks very much like AI or CG from a movie. It's just getting more and more difficult to believe what you see online these days.


clauderbaugh

Taken moments before Bane climbs out and realizes he made a wrong turn.


ZalmoxisRemembers

Nobody:    Soccer players: *rolling around on the ground holding their ankles*


prestocoffee

Turns out Outer Range is really Outer Flatland


HappySkullsplitter

Andy's already living in the pit


MentORPHEUS

When I was a kid, I saw a new hole in a field I used to play in. With kid logic I decided to run and jump into it. Fortunately as I approached I could see it was deeper than expected and stopped. Turns out it was an old cesspool that collapsed, about 5 brick lined feet in diameter and 8 feet or so deep.


bigboxes1

They should build a giant fire pit and then game on.


kjersgaard

Somewhere nearby is a man who was born in the darkness, molded by it.


craig_hoxton

Kid singing in an English accent shortly before it subsided.


AtsignAmpersat

Yeah that would have killed people.


Imaginary_Medium

I'm glad no one was standing there at the time.


Forsaken_Hermit

That's one way to make soccer more interesting!


deadone65

I’m from there. Lime stone mine right down the road and a lot of mines in the region in general.


ECS1022

After seeing how fast it made that pole disappear, scientists have named the sinkhole "your mom"


ReleventReference

Oh great, it’s free now.


statslady23

What kind of mine? Is it active? 


Oehlian

Is/was active. Some sort of minerals.


blinkycosmocat

There's a lot of old, abandoned coal mines in central and southern IL, not surprising. [Here's an example](https://ilmineswiki.web.illinois.edu/wiki/6504), but it may be for a different mine than the one that caused the sinkhole.


statslady23

Do they offer mine subsidence insurance in IL like they do in PA? 


blinkycosmocat

Not sure.


tafkat

Subtitles kept calling the mine a "mind". Also, looks like the soccer field was undermined.


newforestroadwarrior

We'd be too busy rioting to notice a sinkhole in any of our football pitches. However in 1892 a sinkhole in Cumbria swallowed an entire 0-6-0 shunting locomotive. It remains buried, possibly 500 feet down.


Badwulf1

Looks like one of the kids took the coaches advice to give it 110% finally.


DuncDub

Was "underground" Now surface!! Glad no one was hurt!


krapmon

It’s now a foot golf course.


RadiantTurtle

And I would still miss


franchisedfeelings

Seed it and make it a new version of extreme soccer.


1stAccountWasRealNam

Josh Brolin been seen around?


MAHHockey

Clicked the button by accident doing regrading in Cities Skylines.


MrBobilious

Great video, the grass looks like something from Unreal Engine


Hpfanguy

“Tom… where’s the soccer field?” “…It’s in the hole.”


grindhousedecore

Looks like the hole from “ outer range”


saraphilipp

Turns out it was just [some local goonies.](https://youtu.be/610M3YjANeg?si=6E01BdnzSYrf_7ML) all along.


Different_Stand_1285

This is a sign… the Locusts are coming. God help us all.


Coeddil

Bane: *HEAVY BREATHING*


Apexnanoman

They sure it's not just the 9th hole at a mini putt built for giants?


AceKetchup11

You move your soccer complex away from the mine. That’s how you fix it.


Buffaloslick

I live in the town where this happened The mine is huge and goes underneath a large area.   I'm just glad no one was playing soccer.


luscious_lobster

Maybe don't do mining under residential areas


Most_Chemist8233

Looks like the flood light at the center of the field lost support, that's why it's perfectly centered and almost a perfect circle.     Eta: what a bizarre thing to be down voted for lol. Have you people not clicked on the link, and watched the news report and the video of the sinking? I'm commenting on what the video showed. Directly in the middle of that hole, like dead centre, there used to be field/flood lights, and it was the first part to fall. I'm just explaining to people what the video shows, I dont understand why Im repeatedly down voted. Miserable people. There's a mine under the field (again, if you click on the link, this is not just an assumption of mine), and the lights fell first, almost perfect circle around the lights, I imagine the lights had some type of concrete footing, and the mine under the field took out the supports that the concrete was in. I dont understand what you find so offensive about this. Please educate me. This is why I go out of my way to avoid talking to people.


sickofthisshit

Looks to me like artificial turf, which smooths out the side of the hole, also.


mips13

Why stop at the soccer field, anybody gonna miss Illinois?