Utah residents watched the sky darken as hail the size of softballs slammed into cars, shattering windshields and denting roofs across the region. The freak storm struck with terrifying speed on Monday, trapping drivers on highways while a rare tornado touch-down added another layer of chaos.
In Utah, a large fissure has opened in the earth, cutting across the landscape in several rural areas. The crack, which has appeared in places like Cedar Valley and Enoch, has drawn attention from geologists but has not generated widespread public alarm. The Utah Geological Survey has studied the phenomenon and attributes it primarily to ground subsidence caused by the depletion of underground aqu…
Utah’s ground is cracking open — and it’s not earthquakes behind the destruction. These fissures tear across farmland and rural land without warning, swallowing livestock and equipment as they split for miles.
Ground fissures in Utah have been opening in rural areas for years, creating deep cracks in the earth that can stretch for miles. Scientists with the Utah Geological Survey attribute these fissures primarily to groundwater depletion, though the phenomenon has not attracted widespread national attention.The process works similarly to a sponge drying out. Underground aquifers hold water that support…