Sinkhole Tragedy (01:52)

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In February 2013, a sinkhole opened under Jeff Bush's Florida home. Professor Iain Stewart will investigate geological conditions that caused the phenomenon.

Florida Natural Disaster (02:06)

Family members of Jeff Bush recall the night the sinkhole opened under his bed.

Trapped in a Sinkhole (04:33)

Hear the 911 call. A local sheriff describes it as something alive. Bush's body was never recovered.

Exploring a Sinkhole (05:30)

Stewart notices more sinkholes in the news—the majority in Florida. He descends into a cave to understand how subterranean erosion causes a thin surface layer to collapse

Sinkhole Landscape (04:10)

Stewart flies over a Tampa suburb for a bird's eye view of lakes formed from limestone caverns; there are thousands in Florida.

Florida Geology (02:17)

Stewart explains how carbonate mud is formed. The peninsula consists of limestone, causing sinkholes.

Limestone Erosion (02:22)

Stewart visits a Florida quarry and demonstrates how slightly acidic rainfall dissolves bedrock, creating caves and sinkholes.

Florida Aquifer (02:58)

Florida is on eroding limestone. Stewart visits Peacock Springs to learn about its underwater cave system.

Subterranean Cave System (04:07)

On dry land, Stewart follows cave divers exploring a Florida sinkhole. Erosion causes the limestone caverns to expand continually.

Karst Swamp (04:45)

Stewart contemplates the Florida cave system as he waits for divers to surface from a sinkhole.

Winter Park Sinkhole (04:45)

View footage of a 1981 sinkhole outside Orlando. Stewart explains how clay sediment forms a temporary bridge before causing the ground to cave in.

Sinkhole Triggers (02:47)

Geologists search for clay beneath Florida residences. Water demand causes aquifers to sink, drying clay. Water saturation can also cause clay to collapse.

Poor Urban Planning (02:32)

As Florida's population expands, homes are built over sinkholes—few collapse without warning. Buildings are often condemned when cracks appear.

Sinkhole Casualty (04:41)

A structural engineer explains why natural conditions that caused Jeff Bush's death are rare in Florida.

Credits: Swallowed By a Sinkhole (00:42)

Credits: Swallowed By a Sinkhole