The proliferation of sinkholes in Türkiye, a consequence of the gradual dissolution of underground limestone over time, resulting in voids and floor collapses, is witnessing a fast surge.
Professor Fetullah Arık, director of the Sinkhole Application Research Center at Konya Technical University, instructed Anadolu Agency (AA) that the nation now grapples with over a thousand of those geological formations.
Arık attributed the rise in sinkhole formations to components akin to drought and in depth underground water utilization, with a very alarming scenario noticed within the Konya Closed Basin. Here, over 80% of underground and floor water is channeled for agricultural functions, Arık emphasised, explaining that the basin consumes 2.45 billion cubic meters (bcm) of water yearly, leading to a median water deficit of 500 million cubic meters per yr.
“This leads to a significant reduction in our underground water resources. The primary cause is not only agricultural irrigation but also global climate change and drought. We are not receiving the desired amount of rainfall, as the basin receives only half of the national average,” he defined.
In addition to Konya’s Sinkhole Application Research Center, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) is carefully monitoring the sinkhole scenario. Arık underscored that the groundwater stage is diminishing by roughly 2 meters every year, warning of a possible extreme water scarcity sooner or later.
“Within AFAD’s Disaster Risk Research System, around 600 sinkholes have been documented in Konya. Sinkholes that occur every year are recorded here, but there are thousands of deformation and subsidence structures in the region that may be a harbinger of sinkholes or have formed in the past,” he famous.
The proliferation of sinkholes is just not confined to Konya, they’ve additionally emerged in numerous different cities, together with Karaman, Aksaray, Niğde, Nevşehir, Eskişehir and Ankara, Arık stated. Moreover, there’s been a noticeable uptick in sinkhole occurrences within the neighboring Sakarya Basin, positioned northwest of Konya.
“In addition, we see that the number of sinkhole formations has increased in regions where carbonate rocks, as well as rocks such as gypsum and halite (rock salt), are common in the country,” he added.
“We are aware that there are hundreds of sinkholes on these gypsum series in regions of Sivas, Çankırı, Çorum and Yozgat regions. We see sinkhole formations in many provinces from the east to the west of the country. We see that sinkhole formations are becoming widespread in Batman, Siirt, Diyarbakır and Erzurum, and as far as Manisa in the west,” he defined.
Arık asserted that drought stays the main reason for sinkhole formation all through Türkiye, whereas in Konya and its neighboring provinces, groundwater utilization emerges as a chief contributor.
Mentioning that the sinkholes within the Konya Closed Basin appeal to consideration with their abundance and dimension, Arık stated: “Sinkholes not only draw scientific curiosity but also concern due to their potential hazards. We anticipate the arrival of professor Francisco Gutierrez, a renowned global expert in sinkhole research, and his team to evaluate the situation in Konya.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com
