Sinkhole

Tropical storm Agatha roared from the Pacific across Guatemala early this week, and the death toll rose above 150. A sinkhole developed right in Guatemala City which is eerie.

What is a sinkhole anyway? Wiki describes it as follows: "A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the surface topography caused by karst processes - the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks[1]. Sinkholes may vary in size from less than 1 to 300 metres (3.3 to 980 ft) both in diameter and depth, and vary in form from soil-lined bowls to bedrock-edged chasms. They may be formed gradually or suddenly, and are found worldwide. These terms are often used interchangeably though many will distinguish between those features into which a surface stream flows and those which have no such input. Only the former would be described as sinks, swallow holes or swallets. A sinkhole on a glacier is termed a moulin or glacier mill."

Now you know - interesting point is from a current National Geographic magazine showing a glacial moulin descending a mile deep into a Greenland glacier.

Oh yes, unfortunately there is likely to be more text, pictures and interest in the sinkhole, than the 150 deaths which are truly regretted. I'll try to make up for this with some worthwhile development and aid stories in the future.