Sinkhole traps car in Hobart, Indiana.

A car had to be winched out of a sinkhole after its front end became trapped in Hobart in Lake County, Indiana, on the morning of Wednesday 11 April 2018. City engineers had observed subsidence of the road earlier in the week, and made arrangements for repairs to begin, but the road collapsed before these were started, trapping the car.

Car trapped by a sinkhole on Lincoln Street, in Hobart Indiana, on 11 April 2018. Hobart Police Department.

Sinkholes are generally caused by water eroding soft limestone or unconsolidated deposits from beneath, causing a hole that works its way upwards and eventually opening spectacularly at the surface. Where there are unconsolidated deposits at the surface they can infill from the sides, apparently swallowing objects at the surface, including people, without trace.

However in this occasion the sinkhole is believed to have been caused by a ruptured sewerage pipe, which washed away unconsolidated sediments beneath the road, leading to the collapse.

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Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake beneath Lake County, California.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 5.1 Earthquake at a depth of about 14.5 km about 19 km to the northeast of North Lake in Lake County, California,slightly before 6.00 pm local time on Tuesday 9 August 2016 (slightly before 3.00 am on Wednesday 10 August GMT). There are no reports of any damage or injuries relating to this quake, but people have reported feeling it across much of northern California.

 The approximate location of the 9 August 2016 Lake County Earthquake. Google.

California is extremely prone to Earthquakes due to the presence of the San Andreas Fault, a tectonic plate margin that effectively bisects the state. The west of California, including Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, is located on the Pacific Plate, and is moving to the northwest. The east of California, including Fresno and Bakersfield is on the North American Plate, and is moving to the southeast. The plates do not move smoothly past one-another, but constantly stick together then break apart as the pressure builds up. This has led to a network of smaller faults that criss-cross the state, so that Earthquakes can effectively occur anywhere.

 The extent of and movement on the San Andreas Fault. Geology.

Witness accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events and the underlying structures that cause them. If you felt this quake (or if you were in the area but did not, which is also useful information) then you can report it to the United States Geological Survey here.

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Magnitude 4.5 Earthquake in Lassen County, California.                                              The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.5 Earthquake at a depth of about 6.9 km about 30 km to the southeast of Janesville in Lassen County, California, at about...

Magnitude 4.1 Earthquake in Napa County, California.                                              The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 4.1 Earthquake at a depth of about 13 km about 6 km to the east of Yountville in Napa...

Woman killed in cliff collapse at Point Reyes National Seashore, California.                       A woman has died and her male companion has been severely injured following a cliff collapse at the Point Reyes National Seashore to the northwest of...

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