Fulham sinkhole: What is a sinkhole and was the west London 'collapsed pavement' one?

The exact origin of the “collapsed pavement” remain unclear, but it has sparked renewed interest in sinkholes – especially as the worldwide phenomenon appears to be coming over to our shores.

Earlier this month a sinkhole appeared to open up in Dublin, while last year a 15ft hole opened up on the M2 and a 30ft crater swallowed an entire car in High Wycombe and Hemel Hempstead. These were nothing compared to those in the US, one of which was 40ft wide and 20ft and opened above a rare car museum, destroying eight vintage corvettes.

But what is a sinkhole and why does it seem that there are suddenly so many of them about?

What is a sinkhole?

A sinkhole is essentially any hole in the ground created by erosion and the drainage of water. They can be just a few feet across or large enough to swallow whole buildings. Although they’re often the result of natural processes they can also be triggered by human activity.

A sinkhole in a residential area of Napoli, Italy

What are the different types?

There are two basic types, those that are created slowly over time (a cover-subsidence sinkhole) and those that appear suddenly (a cover-collapse sinkhole). Naturally, it’s the latter type that create headlines, but both varieties are formed by the same basic mechanism. Sinkholes around the world