What are ground sinks?

Ground sinks are places where the ground slowly disappears under our feet, just like when you step on a sponge and it squishes down.

Imagine you're playing in a sandbox. You dig a hole, and then you keep digging more holes nearby. Over time, that whole area might sink lower than the rest of the sand, like a little pit. That’s kind of what ground sinks do, but not with sand, they happen in real life when soil or rock moves downward, making the ground above it drop.

Think about a sponge in the kitchen. When you press on it, water comes out and the sponge gets smaller. That’s similar to how some ground sinks work: underground materials can get wet or squeezed, causing the land above to sink down slowly, just like your sponge squishing under your hand.

Sometimes, whole streets or buildings might sink a little bit over time because of this. It's not sudden or scary, it’s more like the ground is taking a long nap and slowly settling in!