New two-mile-long earth fissure discovered in southern Pinal County

A fresh, ~ 2-mile long earth fissure occurs 10 miles south-southwest of Picacho Peak State Park on Arizona Trust Land in southern Pinal County (Figure 1a & b.). This new fissure, which is oriented roughly north-south, parallels other fissures in the Tator Hills Earth Fissure Study area. Fissures at Tator Hills were first observed in 1977, and by 2009 over 11 miles of fissures were mapped there.

The width and depth of the new fissure varies dramatically along its length; from a narrow, inch-wide crack to a shallow crevice up to 10 feet wide and 25- to 30-feet deep. At 1.8 mile in length, this newest fissure is more than a ½-mile longer than other area fissure. Unlike older fissures in the Tator Hills, this fissure is free of vegetation, commensurate with having formed over just the past several years.

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