Sinkhole risk in Roosevelt County, NM: Not karst, but voids possible
Not karst, but voids possible
No soluble bedrock; some pseudokarst (piping or lava-tube ground).
- On soluble rock
- 0%
- At or near the surface
- 0%
- Buried under cover
- 0%
What to do about a house in Roosevelt County
Not true karst, but soil piping or lava tubes can still open voids - mention it to an inspector.
Across 2,446 square miles, under one square mile of Roosevelt County maps onto soluble rock. With about 18,713 residents (8 per square mile), much of the land is open, and the mapped rock may sit far from where people actually live. The figures come from 264 map points about 3.0 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.
Read next: why gypsum and salt move faster than limestone, and how ground with no limestone still opens up.
Counties around Roosevelt County
The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Eddy County, NM, about 118 miles southwest. 5 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band, so this is a regional pattern rather than a local quirk.
- Bailey County, TX 38 mi east · 0% at surface
- Curry County, NM 39 mi north · 0% at surface
- Cochran County, TX 47 mi southeast · 0% at surface
- Parmer County, TX 53 mi northeast · 0% at surface
- De Baca County, NM 56 mi northwest · 23% at surface
- Lamb County, TX 65 mi east · 0% at surface
Against the rest of New Mexico
Roosevelt County ranks 33 of 33 in New Mexico for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 0% of US counties on that measure.
- Lincoln County 65%
- Otero County 59%
- Chaves County 45%
- Eddy County 41%
- Cibola County 29%