Sinkholes - A Sign of the Times?

Bizarre reports of gaping holes in the ground continue to come in from all over the place - in cities, on the open roads, in the countryside. Many of the 'sinkholes' you'll see below have been individually explained away as happening due to heavy rainfall during storms, old leftover constructions from mining and subsidence caused by some nearby disturbance - either natural or man-made. The cause of others, however, remain mysterious. I think the important thing to consider is why so many of these sinkholes are appearing at once.

If you consider that the universe speaks to us in symbols, then perhaps there may be a deeper meaning behind their appearance at this evolutionary crossroads for humanity? With all the other Earth Changes going on before our very eyes, I think sinkholes provide more evidence that an old stable system -- namely, Earth's surface -- is breaking up. Have a look at this collection of images gathered on SOTT from recent years and months (days even!) and see what you think.

© unknown
2006. After a 6.7 tremblor struck Hawaii.

© unknown
2006. Nixa, Missouri.

© Moises Castillo/AP
23. February 2007. Guatemala City. Depth about 328 feet (100m).

© NICK UT/AP
September 8th 2009. Los Angeles.

© DDP
July 18th, 2009. Nachterstedt, Germany. The enormous hole in the ground opened up to a hole about 1,150 feet (350m) in diameter and 500 feet (150m) deep.

© AP Photo/Mark Was
July 25th 2010. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. About 19 feet (6m) in diameter.

© ddp
April 3rd 2010. Bernburg, Germany. Depth about 131 feet (40m).

© AP/Clackamas Fire District 1
September 14th 2010. Oregon, USA. Depth is about 6 feet (2m).

© Deutsche Presse-Agentur
November 1st 2010. Tiefenort, Germany. Depth is about 65 feet (20m).

© Logan Mock-Bunting/Getty Images
December 3rd 2010. Maryland, USA.

© unknown
Sept. 23, 2010. Near Kim Lane in Owatonna, Minnesota

© unknown
2010. Guatemala City. A bird's-eye view of the giant sinkhole which swallowed a 3-storey building.

March 25, 2011. Workers inspect a sinkhole in Capitola, California.

Feb. 8, 2011. Workers try to attach chains on a City of Houston Public Works dump truck, after it fell into a sinkhole caused by a cave-in in Houston, Texas. Officials said the truck was carrying gravel to repair portholes on the street when the road fell out beneath the truck, which fell into the hole backwards.

© AP
Pennsylvania, USA. Depth is about 60 foot (18m).

© unknown
Sinkhole Swallows SUV

© Radio-Canada
May 27th 2011. Quebec, Canada.

© Unknown
May 30th 2011. China. The bridge collapsed in the early hours of Sunday morning, injuring two men.

© Gründling/usedomfotos
May 2nd 2011. Usedom, Germany.

© Brennpunktfoto
May 23rd 2011. Braunsdorf, Germany.

© unknown
May 18th 2011. Everett, Washington, USA.

© El Comercio
May 25th 2011. Punu, Peru. Width is about 328 feet (100m) times 2 miles (3km).

© Tampa Bay Online
March 23rd 2011. Lithia, Florida. Depth is about 59 feet (18m).

© Andrew Savulich/News
June 7th 2011. Manhattan, New York.

© sott.net
June 10th 2011. Brussels, Belgium.

January 07th 2011. Michigan, USA.

March 07th 2011. Seagi Gulistan, Pakistan.