Dave Petley, writing on the American Geophysical Union’s “Landslide Blog”, concurred that water likely “did play a role” but said that doesn’t mean this was a sudden thing. Chamois Andersen, a public information specialist, said that though the internet often goes overboard with such mysterious occurrences, in the case of the Wyoming crack it could possibly be right. She states that geologists said: “It appears this may be due to groundwater has created weakness in what is already a saturated hillside”. The site is considered an active landslide and people should stay away. SNS Outfitters and Guides shared the images of fissure on Facebook and informed that during a hunting trip, their team found the massive fissure. I think it just lets you know that the earth is not fixed like we believe it is. “I think the reason it’s so fascinating is it’s so big”. And it’s not like it’s just one crevice suggesting the ground broke cleanly; rather, there are a few different levels with huge steps.
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A giant crack has opened up in the ground near Lysite in central Wyoming, caused by gravity and a rainy spring.
A guide from SNS Outfitter & Guides first stumbled upon the crack while hunting in the Bighorn Mountains in early October.
According to the SNS, locals have been referring to the newly formed trench as “the gash”. Photos linked by locals reveal steep cliffs, and huge boulders scattered across the bottom of the site. Social media users speculated that the formation represented an impending volcanic eruption or an quake, but experts were quick to allay their fears. An engineer from Riverton, WY came out to shed a little light on this giant crack in the earth.
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The engineer who first sized up the fissure agrees, noting that multiple springs may have lubricated the sand and rock, causing a massive slide to the north. These kinds of slides happen regularly in Wyoming, although they’re typically smaller and happen in the spring, he added. He assessed 15 to 20 million yards of development. As of now, the crack, which is puzzling geologists and Wyoming residents alike, is a remarkable 600 meters long and 50 meters wide.
