Ground fissure near Picacho, Arizona.
The Arizona Geological Survey has produced a new fissure map for the Dragoon Road study area in Cochise County. You can see the map at http://azmap.org/fissures.
Fissures develop when the ground settles following drops in the groundwater table. The Dragoon Road fissure is close to an agricultural area that uses a lot of water.
The first fissure was noticed in Arizona in 1927. Ground fissures can be found in six southwestern states and in other countries such as China, Greece and Kenya.
Don Grafues
Resource: AZ Geological Survey
Resource: AZ Geological Survey
The new and improved Earth fissure viewer resides at azgs.az.gov/efv .
It’s hosted in a google maps environment that includes an address locate function. More than 330 miles of fissures are displayed in Pinal, Maricopa, and Cochise County. Mapping continues in earth fissure study areas in Pinal, Pima, and Cochise Counties. Mapping in Maricopa County is complete.
Mike Conway
Arizona Geological Survey
02.16.2010
Comment by Mike Conway — February 16, 2010 @ 4:06 pm