Friday, January 15, 2010

Following The Fractured Future Of The Wink Sink

Just two months ago I went on a private tour of the 2nd Wink Sink Hole. I received a call from my private tour guide informing me that some new developments have developed. If you remember correctly, we followed the fractures away from the sink which was about eight tenths of a mile. These were just buckles in the road at that time, but today these buckles have turned into cracks that continue to widen and spread.



These new cracks on County Road 201 has all of Austin in an uproar. Well, maybe not all of Austin, but a few concerned parties are wanting the city commissioner to make the call...to keep the road open or to close it.
I would think the call would be easy to make, but again my ignorance is limitless and I was told that closing the road would be a HUGE inconvenience for Apache and other oil & gas companies that got to get to well sites and check pipe lines.

I also mentioned a sub power station that had been relocated when the second Wink Sink appeared. There are TONS of fractures just behind the the sub station. Why don't we see any cracks within the fence? I did see fresh sand and gravel smoothed out, seems that Texas-New Mexico Power has just been filling in the cracks instead of seriously considering relocating again.




Look in the picture. See that HUGE fracture? That's 20 yards behind the power station, which means this is what's under the power station.

9 comments:

Durango said...

Yikes! Those look like earthquake fissures. You need to escape before the BIG COLLAPSE comes.

Cheap Tricks and Costly Truths said...

You see that one behind the sub station? They're everywhere out there! It's an incredible sight and a truly queer feeling under your feet.

Unknown said...

Sand and gravel seems to be the only tools in these fool's toolbox. Ever notice that? As if filling these ever deepening and widening cracks with sand and gravel is going to fix the problem. One of these days, the whole thing is just gonna fall in. Let's hope our friend Durango isn't being cornered by his new playmates when it happens.

Any idea how deep that fracture is?

Cheap Tricks and Costly Truths said...

It's funny that you mention that being the fool's staple tool, because Annie and I were just out riding around and she inquired as to why all the pot holes in town were filled with sand!

We have a professor from UTPB coming out to do sonar testing, then we'll know for sure how deep these fissures/fractures run. Just from dropping a rock down some of them...25 - 30 feet that I can judge with sight and sound.

I hope Durango will be visiting his friend in Hawaii when that happens. :)

Ward in the Woods said...

Curious to know, are the bottoms of therse cracks dry? Are they
straight line, or circular? Such
'good nieghbors'.If only they
could be swallowed by their own
creations.

Cheap Tricks and Costly Truths said...

From my vantage point, they look dry and they're mainly straight to jagged. It's never easy to predict whether the ground will just sink or if it will collaspe and have water. The two sink holes that we're FAMOUS for are filled with water. They are both continuing to expand.

Jovan Gonzales said...

OOO!!! Forget California breaking off from the fault lines, Wink is gonna Sink!!! I'd say, pack up and get the hell outta Dodge!!! Those cracks are pretty brutal. Those O&G people are stupid. Don't they realize that filling in with sand and gravel will only make it worse as more low-level seismic activity occurs? Liquefaction anyone!? Dummies. If you wanna build a house out in beautiful Northeast Texas on Lake Cooper, I'll allow you to stay on our land!!! (As long as we keep our mineral rights! -- you see what I did there??? CLEVER!) :D

Cheap Tricks and Costly Truths said...

Apparently the industry isn't too smart when it comes to safety or adhering to the RULES...oh, that's right they don't have any RULES to follow! What was I thinking!!! So, I can be a surface dweller? Sounds way Kewel! By the way, just got a chance to watch Split Estate, I must of got out of Colorado when the majority of all that was happening. Such a shame!

Jovan Gonzales said...

What ARE you thinking!? O&G has SO many rules to follow, it's not even funny! *wink, wink* Yes, yes. Surface dweller. I SUPPOSE you could have the mineral rights as well since you're so nice. :P Split Estate is AWESOME! It made me so mad but I loved it. Hooray for Discovery Green. I love that channel.