Radar images from planes, satellites could help predict sinkholes

Researchers suggest that radar images taken from planes or satellites could some day be used to predict where sinkholes might form.

The possibility of an early-warning system stems from new NASA research into a monstrous sinkhole that opened in Louisiana in 2012, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents.

Two NASA researchers examined radar images of the sinkhole area near Bayou Corne, News.com.au reported.

Cathleen Jones and Ron Blom discovered that the ground near Bayou Corne began shifting at least a month before the sinkhole formed - as much as 25 centimetres towards where the sinkhole started.

Since its formation, the sinkhole has expanded to 25 acres and is still growing.

The NASA findings raise the possibility that engineers eventually could develop a way to predict the location of sinkholes.

It would require the constant collection and monitoring of the Earth's surface with radar data collected from planes or satellites.