Comments on: Underground “sonic booms” in Wisconsin https://habitablezone.com/2012/03/21/underground-sonic-booms-in-wisconsin/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:41:18 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2012/03/21/underground-sonic-booms-in-wisconsin/#comment-12817 podrock Fri, 23 Mar 2012 23:40:38 +0000 http://habitablezone.net/?p=11447#comment-12817 <p>USGS says: earthquake</p> <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/23/us/wisconsin-noises-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t3" rel="nofollow">http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/23/us/wisconsin-noises-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t3</a> USGS says: earthquake

http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/23/us/wisconsin-noises-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

]]> By: bowser https://habitablezone.com/2012/03/21/underground-sonic-booms-in-wisconsin/#comment-12773 bowser Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:50:19 +0000 http://habitablezone.net/?p=11447#comment-12773 The "Jefferson Process" - "Movin' On Up". The “Jefferson Process” – “Movin’ On Up”.

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2012/03/21/underground-sonic-booms-in-wisconsin/#comment-12763 podrock Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:35:07 +0000 http://habitablezone.net/?p=11447#comment-12763 Ooops...I was wrong...a closer look at the geology map of the state, and local reporting, the bedrock in the area is mostly sandstone on top of granite. The younger dolomites are just to the east of this area. However, there can be caves in granite, formed by the erosion of weathered granite along fractures, faults, and joints. Ooops…I was wrong…a closer look at the geology map of the state, and local reporting, the bedrock in the area is mostly sandstone on top of granite. The younger dolomites are just to the east of this area.

However, there can be caves in granite, formed by the erosion of weathered granite along fractures, faults, and joints.

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2012/03/21/underground-sonic-booms-in-wisconsin/#comment-12741 podrock Thu, 22 Mar 2012 01:47:05 +0000 http://habitablezone.net/?p=11447#comment-12741 What caught my eye was the article said they had about twenty reports, which is similar to my relative's situation. It was neighborhood in scale. I did catch a glimpse of a map on the network news with locations of the calls, but have not been able to locate a copy of it. That's good information for locating the hypothesized cave collapse. GIS geek, as always. Also, I'm of the opinion that collapses of caves in dry years is louder due to air-pressure waves in the dry caverns. Just a thought. What caught my eye was the article said they had about twenty reports, which is similar to my relative’s situation. It was neighborhood in scale. I did catch a glimpse of a map on the network news with locations of the calls, but have not been able to locate a copy of it. That’s good information for locating the hypothesized cave collapse. GIS geek, as always.

Also, I’m of the opinion that collapses of caves in dry years is louder due to air-pressure waves in the dry caverns. Just a thought.

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2012/03/21/underground-sonic-booms-in-wisconsin/#comment-12740 podrock Thu, 22 Mar 2012 01:33:53 +0000 http://habitablezone.net/?p=11447#comment-12740 Gone? No, just eroded a bit, leaving a pile of rubble. Completely natural process. I can show you outcrops of similar cave collapse sediments that are hundreds of millions of years old. Yes, groundwater withdraw by humans contributes, but so does drought. Precipitation has been low up there, or so I've heard. As fare as mining goes, nobody just dumps the water out into a field. ALL of the mines I have worked for or visited had water treatment plants that released water that was to drinking water standard, far cleaner than what came out of the ground, cleaner than the creeks recieving this discharge. Sometimes, a whole lot cleaner. There is a case out in New Mexico, though, where a coal mining project was halted because it would have altered the groundwater to a really cool salt lake. Which is also held sacred by just about every Native American tribe within a hundred miles of the place. It's called Zuni Salt Lake, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zuni_Salt_Lake)and I'd like to see it someday. Gone? No, just eroded a bit, leaving a pile of rubble. Completely natural process. I can show you outcrops of similar cave collapse sediments that are hundreds of millions of years old. Yes, groundwater withdraw by humans contributes, but so does drought. Precipitation has been low up there, or so I’ve heard.

As fare as mining goes, nobody just dumps the water out into a field. ALL of the mines I have worked for or visited had water treatment plants that released water that was to drinking water standard, far cleaner than what came out of the ground, cleaner than the creeks recieving this discharge. Sometimes, a whole lot cleaner.

There is a case out in New Mexico, though, where a coal mining project was halted because it would have altered the groundwater to a really cool salt lake. Which is also held sacred by just about every Native American tribe within a hundred miles of the place.

It’s called Zuni Salt Lake, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zuni_Salt_Lake)and I’d like to see it someday.

]]> By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2012/03/21/underground-sonic-booms-in-wisconsin/#comment-12739 ER Thu, 22 Mar 2012 01:11:11 +0000 http://habitablezone.net/?p=11447#comment-12739 Your concern is very valid. Much of Florida is Karst topography, and when the water table is dry, underground caverns drain and collapse, causing sinkhole lakes. The process occurs naturally, but is greatly accelerated during dry spells or over-pumping of the acquifer. Check out Lutz, Florida on Google Earth. Its almost impossible to get sinkhole protection on your homeowner's insurance, even in S. FL where I live, even though there are no underground caves here. These sinkholes appear overnight, sometimes in a matter of seconds, and can easily swallow up entire homes or businesses. When I lived in Winter Haven, FL (near Cypress Gardens) one opened up under a Porsche dealership. Scores of beautiful roadsters and a fine showroom wound up under water. But we never heard these things like the folks in Wisconsin are reporting, (unless you lived next door to the collapse). Your concern is very valid. Much of Florida is Karst topography, and when the water table is dry, underground caverns drain and collapse, causing sinkhole lakes.

The process occurs naturally, but is greatly accelerated during dry spells or over-pumping of the acquifer.

Check out Lutz, Florida on Google Earth. Its almost impossible to get sinkhole protection on your homeowner’s insurance, even in S. FL where I live, even though there are no underground caves here.

These sinkholes appear overnight, sometimes in a matter of seconds, and can easily swallow up entire homes or businesses. When I lived in Winter Haven, FL (near Cypress Gardens) one opened up under a Porsche dealership. Scores of beautiful roadsters and a fine showroom wound up under water.

But we never heard these things like the folks in Wisconsin are reporting, (unless you lived next door to the collapse).

]]> By: VelociraptorBlade https://habitablezone.com/2012/03/21/underground-sonic-booms-in-wisconsin/#comment-12725 VelociraptorBlade Wed, 21 Mar 2012 23:24:17 +0000 http://habitablezone.net/?p=11447#comment-12725 And another geological formation is gone. Normally I wouldn't care (these things happen all the time naturally), but personally, i'm worried that continued usage of the water tables as a source of water is lowering them more than they should. The same thing also happens with mining operations; if they need to get to a deposit that's too deep, they lower the water table dramatically, usually wasting the drained water by pouring it out in some field. Do you guys think my concerns might be valid? Also, if so, how do we put a stop to it? I'd like to explore some of these caves someday. And another geological formation is gone. Normally I wouldn’t care (these things happen all the time naturally), but personally, i’m worried that continued usage of the water tables as a source of water is lowering them more than they should. The same thing also happens with mining operations; if they need to get to a deposit that’s too deep, they lower the water table dramatically, usually wasting the drained water by pouring it out in some field.

Do you guys think my concerns might be valid? Also, if so, how do we put a stop to it? I’d like to explore some of these caves someday.

]]> By: podrock https://habitablezone.com/2012/03/21/underground-sonic-booms-in-wisconsin/#comment-12714 podrock Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:28:17 +0000 http://habitablezone.net/?p=11447#comment-12714 Cave Collapse, probably. This area of the state has lots of dolomite bedrock, and is known for karst formation. Here's a link: http://wisconsingeologicalsurvey.org/karst.htm. Follow the maps link to find a map of dolomite / carbonate bedrock in the state. Something similar happened to a relative in Tennessee. Very loud booms. One look at an airphoto showed obvious signs of caves in the area, like sinkholes and depressions. Over time, a sinkhole has been growing near the neighborhood. These things tend to happen more when the water table is down, as there is less hydrostatic support of the cave roof. Cave Collapse, probably. This area of the state has lots of dolomite bedrock, and is known for karst formation. Here’s a link: http://wisconsingeologicalsurvey.org/karst.htm. Follow the maps link to find a map of dolomite / carbonate bedrock in the state.

Something similar happened to a relative in Tennessee. Very loud booms. One look at an airphoto showed obvious signs of caves in the area, like sinkholes and depressions. Over time, a sinkhole has been growing near the neighborhood.

These things tend to happen more when the water table is down, as there is less hydrostatic support of the cave roof.

]]>