Gourt Home::Gourt :: Pothole
Pothole can also be the sport of exploring vertical caves as a synonym of caving
A pothole (sometimes called kettle and known in parts of the Western United States as a chuckhole) is a type of disruption in the surface of a roadway where a portion of the road material has broken away, leaving a hole. Most potholes are formed due to fatigue of the pavement surface. As fatigue cracks develop they typically interlock in a pattern known as "alligator cracking". The chunks of pavement between fatigue cracks are worked loose and may be eventually be picked out of the surface by continued wheel loads, thus forming a pothole. Once a pothole forms, it grows through continued removal of broken chunks of pavement. If a pothole fills with water the growth may be accelerated, as the water 'washes away' loose particles of road surface as vehicles pass. In temperate climates, potholes tend to form most often during spring months when the subgrade is weak due to high moisture content. However, potholes are a frequent occurrence anywhere in the world, including in the tropics.
Potholes can grow to feet in width, though they usually only become a few inches deep, at most. If they become large enough, damage to tires and vehicle suspensions can occur.
There is also a geological formation known as a pothole, which is essentially an unusual form of cave.
There is also a formation in rivers called a pothole caused by a whirlpool eroding a hole into rock. The process is called abbrasion and is mainly caused by circular motion of small sediments such as little rocks in the river. The interiors of the potholes are smooth and regular, unlike its 'cousin", plunge pool.
See also
"Pothole"