La. Sinkhole Code 3 Alert!

LA12 sesmic activity off the chart March 21 at Louisiana’s 10-acre sinkhole. Image credit: USGS/Univ. of Memphis

After increased seismic activity throughout this week, all work inside and around Louisiana’s giant sinkhole has stopped with the Office of Conservation, with Assumption Parish Incident Command advising the public Friday just before noon CST that Oxy 3/sinkhole monitoring alert status has been raised to Code 3.

“The Office of Conservation, in consultation with Assumption Parish Incident Command, is advising the public that the Oxy 3/sinkhole monitoring alert status has been raised to Code 3 – requiring all work inside and around the sinkhole to cease until further notice,” Assumption Parish officials announced.

The quake activity is ongoing, according to the University of Memphis USGS helicorder graphs.

“Seismic monitoring has detected elevated subsurface activity in the area around the sinkhole and Oxy 3 area indicative of fluid and gas movement below the sinkhole, and water movement in the sinkhole has been observed, along with increased bubbling along the western side of the sinkhole.

“The seismic activity is limited to the Oxy 3/sinkhole area, showing no indication of impact to the Oxy 1 area,” the officials have said.

Oxy 1 is Texas Brine’s second concerning cavern in the collapsing salt dome.

“Monitoring is constantly ongoing in the area and Conservation will advise the public of significant changes in subsurface conditions.”