A
sinkhole, also known as a
cenote,
sink,
sink-hole,
shakehole,
swallet,
swallow hole, or
doline (the different terms for sinkholes are often used interchangeably), is a depression or hole in the ground caused by some form of collapse of the surface layer. Some are caused by
karst processes—for example, the chemical dissolution of
carbonate rocks or
suffosion processes. Sinkholes vary in size from both in diameter and depth, and vary in form from soil-lined bowls to bedrock-edged chasms. Sinkholes may form gradually or suddenly, and are found worldwide. On 2 July 2015, scientists reported that active pits, related to sinkhole collapses and possibly associated with outbursts, were found on the
comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by the
Rosetta space probe.