The NR-1 Sinkhole is a giant underwater sinkhole located in the Straits of Florida 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Key West, Florida.[1] It is found at an approximate depth of 1,886 feet (575 m) of water at the foot of the Pourtales Escarpment, an area of Quaternary sediment.[1][2] It was discovered in October 1994 during a survey conducted by the American submarine NR-1, a U.S. Navy nuclear research submarine, and is named for the submarine.[2] It was first identified via side-scan sonar and near-bottom echo sounder data, prompting a second survey in May 1995 to confirm the finding.[1]
Discovery of the NR-1 Sinkhole prompted scientific interest, as sinkholes are generally believed to form only in environments which are subaerial, or exposed to the air. In contrast, the NR-1 Sinkhole is believed to be too deep underwater for the area to have been exposed to the air during formation in the Neogene.[2] It was the first documented evidence suggesting that it is possible for karst sinkholes to form entirely underwater.[1][2]
References edit
- ^ a b c d Land, Lewis A.; Paull, Charles K.; Hobson, Brett (1 October 1995). "Genesis of a submarine sinkhole without subaerial exposure: Straits of Florida". Geology. 23 (10): 949–951. Bibcode:1995Geo....23..949L. doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1995)023<0949:GOASSW>2.3.CO;2. ISSN 0091-7613.
- ^ a b c d Land, L. A.; Paull, C. K. (1 September 2000). "Submarine karst belt rimming the continental slope in the Straits of Florida". Geo-Marine Letters. 20 (2): 123–132. Bibcode:2000GML....20..123L. doi:10.1007/s003670000041. ISSN 0276-0460. S2CID 128989712.
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