Sinkhole risk in Ripley County, IN: Pockets of it

Pockets of it

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

On soluble rock: 88%
At or near the surface: 6%
Buried under cover: 82%

What this means before you buy

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 392 of Ripley County's 446 square miles on soluble rock, 25 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 29,214 residents (65 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 320 map points about 1.2 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Worth reading for this county: why the 82% under cover still counts, and the signs to look for and how an inspection works.

Counties around Ripley County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Kenton County, KY, about 41 miles east. 2 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Dearborn County, IN 16 mi east · 10% at surface
Decatur County, IN 19 mi northwest · 2% at surface
Ohio County, IN 19 mi southeast · 12% at surface
Jennings County, IN 21 mi west · 7% at surface
Switzerland County, IN 23 mi southeast · 13% at surface
Franklin County, IN 24 mi northeast · 2% at surface

The rock underneath

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Louisville Limestone through Brassfield Limestone (limestone), Silurian in age, covering about 46% of the county. Next is the Whitewater Formation at 42%.

Against the rest of Indiana

Ripley County ranks 17 of 92 in Indiana for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 63% of US counties on that measure.