Sinkhole risk in Lawrence County, TN: Pockets of it

Pockets of it

Soluble rock at the surface or under thin cover in part of the county.

On soluble rock: 21%
At or near the surface: 21%
Buried under cover: 0%

What to do about a house in Lawrence County

Check the parcel against your state survey sinkhole map, and ask for an inspection if cracks, depressions or sticking doors show up.

That works out to roughly 130 of Lawrence County's 617 square miles on soluble rock, 130 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 46,467 residents (75 per square mile), homes are spread across towns and farmland, and a mapped unit may or may not reach the developed parts. The figures come from 346 map points about 1.3 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Counties around Lawrence County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Giles County, TN, about 20 miles east, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. 3 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Giles County, TN 20 mi east · 62% at surface
Lewis County, TN 22 mi north · 24% at surface
Wayne County, TN 24 mi west · 15% at surface
Lauderdale County, AL 26 mi southwest · 37% at surface
Maury County, TN 33 mi northeast · 84% at surface
Limestone County, AL 37 mi southeast · 50% at surface

Which formation it is

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the St. Louis Limestone and Warsaw Limestone (limestone), Mississippian in age, covering about 16% of the county. Next is the Silurian Formations, including Decatur Limestone, Brownsport Group (Lobelville Formation, Bob Limestone, Beech River Formation), Wayne Group (Dixon Formation, Lego Formation, Waldron Shale, Laurel Limestone, Osgood Formation) and Brassfield Limestone at 3%.

Against the rest of Tennessee

Lawrence County ranks 66 of 95 in Tennessee for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 75% of US counties on that measure.