What’s the Deal With This Massive Sinkhole in Hampton, New Hampshire?

We've had some unseasonably warm weather on the Seacoast recently, and I am a huge fan. Especially since I have a fresh new baby, it's nice to get out and get some fresh air. My girl loves the feeling of fresh air on her chunky cheeks. She was born in New Hampshire, after all. It's in her blood.

We took her for a stroller walk the other day on North Beach in Hampton, and I was shocked to see the massive sinkhole in the parking lot. What the heck happened there?

What is a sinkhole?

According to nationalgeographic.com, a sinkhole is a hole in the ground that forms when water dissolves surface rock. This rock is often limestone, which is easily eroded or worn away by the movement of water.

What causes a sinkhole?

The site states the three main causes are:

• Over withdrawal of groundwater.
• Diverting surface water from a large area and concentrating it in a single point.
• Artificially creating ponds of surface water.
• Drilling new water wells.

I'm no geologist, but I'm thinking a bunch of ocean water came up over the wall and into the parking lot during a big storm and caused the sinkhole.

The good news is that it looks like they are in the process of fixing the damage as we speak, and it is nothing the town of Hampton can't handle. We have plenty of time before the tourists flood our beaches, so we can make do with a few less parking spots.