Sinkhole distribution and characteristics in Pasco County, Florida

A statistical analysis of size, depth, date, frequency, and location was conducted of 168 reported new sinkholes in Pasco County. An average of twenty-four new sinkholes can be expected to form each year in Pasco County. The average sinkhole size is 10.23 feet in length, 9.15 feet in width, and 7.80 feet in depth. Seventy-five percent of these sinkholes will range from 0 to 10 feet in length providing a threshold target for foundation design engineers to limit sinkhole damage. Sediment cover thickness is the major factor controlling sinkhole development in Pasco County. Sinkholes are most common in the western half of Pasco County on the Gulf Coastal Plain where cover sediment thickness ranges from 0 to 100…