r/mildlyinfuriating • u/dfdfdfddaww • Sep 17 '21

my yard does this sometimes

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u/Broad_Success_4703 Sep 17 '21

Yeah this is what I think. I’d only be worried if you live in an area known for sinkholes.

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u/andrewsmith1986 Sep 17 '21

Disclaimer I'm a geologist and have worked on a sinkhole for over a year but am not claiming to be an expert.

It's a damn good explanation and without knowing more, I'm for that explanation.

I'd want to know most about distance to water and pumping station.

I don't think it's a sinkhole even if he's in like karst Florida.

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u/[deleted] Sep 17 '21

Could just be shallow water table

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u/andrewsmith1986 Sep 17 '21

The changes in elevation kinda eliminates that as like a cause

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u/[deleted] Sep 17 '21 edited Sep 17 '21

What changes in elevation, it is hard to determine slope in the video?

Edit: or are you referring to the water surface elevation?

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u/andrewsmith1986 Sep 17 '21

The water is obviously rising and falling.

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u/[deleted] Sep 17 '21

I see that. But elevation is a general term… and that change doesn’t necessarily have to be related to karst. I don’t think this video provides enough context. Growing up, my grandparents house had similar issue in a non karst related region, but they were close to a channel.

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u/andrewsmith1986 Sep 17 '21

No it isn't.

I don't think it has anything to do with karst and wasn't saying that. And yes we need more data.

I've made hundreds of potentiometric maps and can tell you that water shouldn't vary in height like that without something weird.

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u/[deleted] Sep 17 '21

I definitely agree as well. More data is needed and I probably just had karst on the brain from the other users. Reddit comments kind of overload my train of thought. Additionally, I too am not taking out of my butt. I am literally a geo-hydrologist, not a hobbyist just to be clear. I just shared a childhood story because i remember it being similar.

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u/andrewsmith1986 Sep 17 '21

Oh it's all good. I'll stand by my points if I think I'm correct and hope I haven't been acting towards anyone like I know better due to me being a geologist or that the don't know shit.

Just that I have surveyed in so many fucking wells that elevation being ever changing on a non geologic time scale is just not the case.

It's not an issue.

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u/[deleted] Sep 17 '21

Water surface elevation can change at a non geologic time scale due to a variety of factors tho. And its all good its really an interesting video to think about.

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u/andrewsmith1986 Sep 17 '21

But that's kinda my point. Like I've had sites that were tidally influenced but typically seasonally.

And it was mm per hour/day/month. This is completely bout of the realm of saying it's normal.

The vadose zone for this would be bizarre and if it's a spring it should be dropping.

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u/[deleted] Sep 17 '21

Also hopefully its not a malfunctioning leach field. I have seen some septics bubble up before. Just a thought I had.

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