Mirip Cenote-Like Sinkhole Appears in Situjuah, Geological Agency Soroti Underground Erosion

PADANG - The Geological Agency, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) has found a number of unique phenomena related to sinkholes or land that suddenly subsides and forms a hole or basin in Jorong Tepi, Nagari Situjuah Batua, Limapuluh Kota Regency, West Sumatra.

"From the results of the quick survey that we conducted, in fact, the sinkhole in Situjuah is a unique category," said Taufiq Wira Buana, a technical geologist from the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, quoted by Antara, Sunday, February 8.

The sinkhole phenomenon in Nagari Situjuah Batua is a pseudokarst or pseudo-karst. In a quick study conducted from January 9 to 11, 2026, the Geological Agency also found another uniqueness, namely that the sinkhole occurs in volcanic material (volcanic deposits) and not in limestone (karst).

"Usually these sinkholes occur in limestone, but the Situjuah sinkhole occurs in limestone," he said.

There are underground rivers that form cavities in volcanic material (tuflapi-li), the main mechanism due to bamboo erosion is internal erosion that erodessoil particles and forms natural channels or "pipes".

Furthermore, researchers also found a sinkhole filled with water and a blue-colored impression in the water. This phenomenon in the karst landscape is called a cenote. The last finding is the acidity of the water (pH) which is included in the category of slightly acidic to neutral.

"Because of this uniqueness, the Geological Agency named it Situjuah Sinkhole," said Taufiq.

In general, there are two factors that cause the emergence of sinkhole phenomena in Limapuluh Kota Regency, namely the water factor and soil stability. For the water factor is influenced by abundant water supply (rain and groundwater) that constantly dig, as well as the strength of groundwater that slowly erodes the soil from the inside.

Meanwhile, for the soil stability factor is related to the type of soil in the area (tuff / volcanic ash) which is easily eroded by water. Then there are cracks in the soil that facilitate the erosion of bamboo, as well as changes in cavity pressure below the tolerance threshold so that it is not strong enough to withstand the load on it.