What are earth fissures?
• In general terms, fissures are long, narrow cracks or openings in the earth. • Earth fissures are associated with land subsidence that accompanies extensive ground water pumping. • Earth fissures may be more than a mile in length, up to 15 feet wide, and hundreds of feet deep. • During torrential rains they erode rapidly presenting a substantial hazard to people and infrastructure. • Fissures provide a ready conduit to deliver runoff and contaminated waters to basin aquifers. • Rapid population growth in central and southern Arizona is increasingly juxtaposing population centers and fissures. What is the latest information? • In August 2005, a 1.5 mile long fissure in unincorporated Maricopa County (near Queen Creek) was reactivated as a result of heavy rains. • In response to that event, the Arizona Legislature passed legislation to map earth fissures in Arizona. House Bill 2639 charges the Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS) with the following: • A comprehensive mapping of earth fissu
