Bayou Corne sinkhole, Industrial sinkhole near Bayou Corne, Louisiana.
Bayou Corne sinkhole is a doline in Louisiana, United States, covering roughly 40 acres (16 hectares) of water surface surrounded by swamp vegetation. The depression holds murky water and releases methane gas while trees and plants at the edge slowly slide into the void.
The collapse happened on August 3, 2012, when an underground salt dome cavern gave way and triggered immediate evacuations. The operating company had mined salt from below years earlier and left behind hollow spaces.
The event forced families to leave their homes and changed how fishers and hunters use the surrounding wetlands every day. Now the site serves as a reminder of industrial risks and draws researchers from across the country.
The area remains closed off and accessible only with official permits because geological monitoring continues around the clock. Visitors should take methane warnings seriously and stay within marked safety zones.
Seismometers regularly record faint tremors caused by material shifting beneath the surface. Occasionally gas bubbles form and rise to create small fountains at the water surface.
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