Giant sinkholes, some dozens of meters deep, are opening across Turkey, sparking concern and, for some, interpretations linked to biblical prophecy.
Specifically, the Book of Numbers in the Old Testament describes the earth opening and swallowing rebels as a form of divine punishment—an account that some people have associated with the growing number of ground collapses in the Konya Plain, Turkey’s main wheat-producing region.
Many have interpreted this increasing phenomenon as a sign that “God is moving,” according to Daily Mail.
However, scientists offer a very different explanation.
Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority has reported 648 massive sinkholes in the Konya Plain, largely caused by severe drought and excessive groundwater extraction.
Before the year 2000, only a few sinkholes appeared each decade. Over the past 25 years, climate change and prolonged drought have been identified as the primary drivers behind their dramatic increase.
Today, dozens of major collapses are recorded annually, some exceeding 30 meters in width.
The phenomenon is driven by falling groundwater levels, which are drying up wells, straining ecosystems, reducing agricultural yields, and causing land subsidence.
Farmers pumping increasing amounts of water to save crops such as sugar beet and corn are further worsening the situation.
According to NASA’s Earth Observatory, Turkey’s water reservoirs reached their lowest levels in 15 years in 2021.
Scientists warn that similar risks could emerge in other parts of the world, including regions of the United States, Asia, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Australia, where declining groundwater levels are threatening communities and ecosystems.
These same challenges are already affecting the United States, with significant groundwater declines recorded in the Great Plains, California’s Central Valley, and the Southeast.
