Water filled Sinkholes ?

[Maybole]

Just west of the Hang Dong-San Pa Tong Bypass Road (Rural Road 3035) a continuation of the Canal Road, are a series of deep holes filled with water. One of them has been turned into Grand Canyon Water Park. I am puzzled as what caused them. At first, I thought them to be old abandoned gravel or stone quarries, but their vertical sides seem wrong. The only thing that I can think of is sinkholes caused by mining subsidence, but they are not quite right for that either. Could they be a result of siesmic activity? Northern Thailand has frequent minor earth tremours.

Are there any experts who can explain what caused them ?

[eyecatcher]

They are limestone quarries.

If you have ever been its quite obvious its an old quarry, but some were further excavated to create the features they required for the water park.

This area provides the largest quantity of stone fill  for chiang mai still.

[sfokevin]

I am not familiar with the Grand Canyons history but agree it is not natural... If you are interested in a natural feature such as this take a road trip out to Pha Chor (Mae Wang National Park)
https://goo.gl/maps/F7PhH7GDCf4DHeiKA

 

This sis an excellently maintained park with moderate hiking - Take the kids and bring a picnic lunch as there is great picnic area...

 

 

Edited September 27, 2019 by sfokevin

[XLance]

2 hours ago, eyecatcher said:

They are limestone quarries.

No limestone there,

 

These quarrries are in the Oligocene conglomerate that forms most of Mae Ping valley in Chiang Mai area. Similar formation than in Pha Chor; sedimentation modalities are generally more energetic elsewhere (means more pebbles than Pha Chor which is an alternance of coarse sandstone & medium conglomerate).

 

From what I've heard, these quarries (karstic sinkholes are very rare in non-carbonate rocks) are the result of extraction to build roads and railways more than 20 years ago. I didn't see the records for that.

As for the edge of those quarries, it depends on areas, but the rock matrix is quite coherent to have an exploitation front quite vertical.

 

[sfokevin]

Also the Thais think that quarry is haunted... As many people in the past have drowned in it...

[eyecatcher]

8 hours ago, XLance said:

No limestone there,

 

These quarrries are in the Oligocene conglomerate that forms most of Mae Ping valley in Chiang Mai area. Similar formation than in Pha Chor; sedimentation modalities are generally more energetic elsewhere (means more pebbles than Pha Chor which is an alternance of coarse sandstone & medium conglomerate).

 

From what I've heard, these quarries (karstic sinkholes are very rare in non-carbonate rocks) are the result of extraction to build roads and railways more than 20 years ago. I didn't see the records for that.

As for the edge of those quarries, it depends on areas, but the rock matrix is quite coherent to have an exploitation front quite vertical.

 

I may have misread the wicki text on the history. Yes sandstone is the most obvious stone and i should know better than to suggest linestone is used on roads.

However, if wicki is wrong I suggest you can edit their text if your geology is more accurate.

[Maybole]

I stand corrected, thank you all.