Did The Red Sphinx Wink At You?

The Sphinx formation rises over the south-facing wall of a 1,000-ft-deep sinkhole near Sedona, AZ. Sinkholes are common in areas where the rock formation below the land surface is limestone or other rocks that can be dissolved by ground water circulating through them. As slightly acidic ground water dissolves the Redwall Limestone beneath Sedona, underground spaces & caverns are formed. As the dissolved spaces & caverns grow larger, natural faults and structural weaknesses in the rock formations above the Redwall Limestone can cause the formations to pancake down into the cavity, , exposing a 1,000-ft-deep sinkhole on the surface. Aptly named Devil's Kitchen, local settlers witnessed the formation of this sinkhole in 1880, when they were frightened by a tremendous thundering sound accompanied by a massive cloud of dust. The Devil's Kitchen sinkhole is approximately 150 ft across and perhaps 80 ft deep. Resting on top of the 1,000 foot deep pile of debris, the large block of rock at the back of Devil's Kitchen on the Soldier Pass Trail collapsed into the sinkhole in the early 1970's. March 11, 2009