Researchers from Indiana University suggested a sinkhole that swallowed a six-year old boy last summer might have been caused by decomposing trees, old houses, and other items buried nearby over the past 70 years.
The team attempted to figure out how the deadly sinkhole at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore appeared, and why the boy was pushed 11 feet under the sand. He was trapped there for almost 3.5 hours. In their quest for an answer, the scientists used ground-penetrating radar that could reach as deep at 75 feet below the sand dunes. The radar was then used to create a three-dimensional map of what's beneath, which could be trees, old houses, and other items.
"There may be houses underneath where we're standing," G. William Monaghan told National Geographic as he stood at a sand dune, located south of Lake Michigan. Monaghand is part of the research team and a senior scientist working with the Indiana Geological Survey.
After the initial investigation, the team was able to grab an image of a home buried in the sand. They speculated that there could be more items hidden when the sand dunes took over the park's topography.
The process of the researchers' investigation was compared by assistant director of the Indiana Geological Survey, Todd Thompson, to a CT scan. He explained that CT scans would allow them to create an X-ray vision of the area so they could perform a sand biopsy.
A sand biopsy involves sticking plastic tubes into the soil to gather sand, dirt, and whatever material is buried below. Monaghan stated that the team will not be surprised if their sand biopsy will lead them to a shingle.
To date, the researchers have discovered six more holes and they believe that there could be more than that. The team will present their final report to the National Park Service next summer.
