JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Jackson’s issues with infrastructure may explain some of the capital city’s sinkholes, but research also revealed that the ground the city’s infrastructure rests on may also be to blame.
In many areas of Jackson, Forest Hill Sand is at the ground’s surface. Though this soil mixture does contain sand, it also contains clay. Under that layer is Yazoo Clay; however, it does often appear at the ground surface. It is composed of a myriad of different minerals, including clay-based minerals. Yazoo Clay beneath the surface of the ground typically has a much higher clay content, according to research from Mississippi State University.
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The makeup of sediment, like Forest Hill Sand and Yazoo Clay, poses issues to construction. The makeup of Yazoo Clay causes it to be susceptible to moisture. For instance, the clay-based minerals within it expand when exposed to water. When dry, it shrinks and cracks. As a result, both an abundance and a lack of precipitation or groundwater can exacerbate those problems.
This presents issues for building anything above the surface or underground and existing structures. Changes in weather patterns, construction or irrigation systems can cause damage. Some projected that Yazoo Clay has caused millions of dollars of infrastructure damage. Due to different infrastructure conditions, the different sedimentary makeup across the city and the weather-caused erosion, it is hard to predict how Yazoo Clay or any clay-based sediment will react…