A massive sinkhole is swallowing the Texas Permian Basin, expanding over abandoned oil wells. Officials say the ground collapse has grown significantly, forcing emergency crews to secure the area as cracks spread through the region.
In early 2024, a ground deformation instrument at a monitoring station in Winkler County, Texas, recorded a sudden vertical spike after nearly 11 months of stability. No earthquake, storm, or industrial accident had been reported in the area, and surrounding sensors showed normal readings. Initially treated as a possible data error, the spike was later identified as the first indication of a broad…