Carlos Moreno

Natural Disasters
GEOG-1700-021
Instructor: Arlene Wallace

Reflection Essay

I have to confess that I didnt know about this subsidence in my country how this work and how
these issues affect the population, areas and economy in my country, I didnt know about the
Cave of the Ghost and how this cave is a wonderful place to visit if you like to know things that
nobody knows in the world, its large enough for two helicopters to land in the cave Its not
technically a cave, but rather a collapsed steep gorge caused by the erosion of underground
streams. This cave is located in Southern Venezuela people go to this place to hiking and flying.
Venezuelans use this area to provide jobs with the tourism because many people spend money,
take pictures and pay taxes for the government.
Lake Maracaibo
Lake Maracaibo is my homeland I knew that we are a rich zone cause the oil industry but I didnt
know that is the largest lake on the South American Continent, one of the oldest lakes on earth at
20-36 million years old and for my surprise is the major oil-producing area of the world
Ground subsidence associated with oil production in the East Coast of Lake Maracaibo was
detected as early as 1929. Due to the massive volume of oil removed in the Maracaibo Basin,
some oil-producing areas adjacent to Lake Maracaibo have sunk, changing the geography of the
region.
This required oil companies to build dikes and drain the land in order to build their facilities
Due to the negligence of maintenance to the dike, many consider it to be a disaster in waiting,
with the potential of an Earthquake causing soil liquefaction and submerging to large population.
Guacharo Caves
Limestone cavern over 10km long with a number of large chambers and spectacular rock
formations, home to thousands of Oilbirds, they are found no where else in the world designated
as Venezuelas first National Monument in 1949, the temperature in the cave can reach and
remain 19 degrees C and a humidity of 100%.
Oilbirds are nocturnal although it forages by sight, the Oilbird is one of only a few birds, and the
only nocturnal one, known to navigate by echolocation in sufficiently poor light conditions,
using a series of sharp audible clicks for this purpose it also produces a variety of harsh screams
while in its cave.
*Echolocation: Animals emit calls out to the environment and listen to the echoes of those calls
that return from various objects nearby.
Jaua Sarisariama National Park
Belongs to the largest formation on the Earth, Guiana Shield formed of sandstone has four large
sinkholes on top of the mountain; the larges sinkhole is 1150 feet across and 1000 feet deep
formed almost in perfect circles have their own ecosystem the summits of these plateaus are
characterized by flat expanses in some sectors and areas crossed by deep cracks or potholes huge
(deep cavities in the earth), unique in the world.

The sinkhole seems like a sign of a time long forgotten. Not only are the sinkholes perfectly
round, they also serve as rich habitats for a variety of unique animal and plant species. In fact, it
is the existence of the sinkholes themselves why naturalists are attracted to them in the first
place. It is also though that the unique species that call the sinkholes their home evolved to cope
with an environment that was different from their counterparts above ground.
Adding to the mystery of the place is the local legend that gave the tepui its name. According to
natives to the area, a flesh-eating evil spirit lived on the mountain, which made the sound Sari
Sari when he was consuming human meat.
Since the holes were spotted in 1961, many expeditions into the jungle have occurred. Whether
cursed by spirits, or just unprepared for the harsh jungle landscape, many of these have ended in
disaster, including one fateful mission in which a number of men became trapped after lowering
themselves into one of the larger sinkholes.
Considering the thickness of the jungle and the dangerous unknowns of Sarisariama, forays into
the area are not recommended without a guide and a bit of luck to keep yourself from falling
1000 feet into one of the massive sinkholes.