Ground bubbles up in strange caught-on-tape moment

By: Will Goodman
Topics: Viral Video

(CBS News) Okay, here's a really weird one for all of you. Like seriously weird. I'm not even quite sure what's going on or how to really describe it. Just watch the video and you'll see what I mean.

So what exactly is that? I mean, it looks like the ground is bubbling up or something, right? The caught-on-tape moment was posted by YouTube user UrbanGardenSupplyPDX who writes:

Found this out behind our store during a customer appreciation party with live music. Portland, Oregon.

And in terms of what eventually happened, the poster of the video wrote on Reddit that "It popped. No video that I know of. Sorry." So can any of you explain this strange phenomenon? Feel free to leave me some comment love below if you know what's actually going on here. I'd love to find out.

UPDATE: One of the most likely explanations comes from commenter "panacam" who writes:

Depending on where exactly this is, often times, landscapers will lay down plastic sheet on bad soil then plant sod on good soil laid on the plastic. If this is the case, a water line may have broke and now you have water under the plastic liner, hence the bubble. If it's not liquid, natural gas could also be a cause. The safe bet is though, there is a plastic liner under the sod and whatever is under the liner has caused the bubble.

Thanks so much for chiming in with a very likely and plausible scenario, "panacam"!

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by spoonie88 June 18, 2012 9:46 AM EDT: SOLUTION : GET ONE OF THE WALMART HEIRS TO TAKE A SHOVEL TO IT AND DIG IT UP LET THEM KEEP US SAFE IF THEY HAVE THE GUTS!!; Reply to this comment


by azfalcon55 June 16, 2012 12:26 PM EDT: I'll buy the landscaper using a weed barrier (plastic-like material) before they put down the sod. I doubt it is a broken water line, it may be a broken sprinkler line, BUT - my guess is the same landscaper covered up the drain for the roof gutters when they laid the sod. With each rain it will take some time for the water to seep through the weed barrier.; Reply to this comment


by rwsmith29456 June 16, 2012 2:03 AM EDT: Waterbed under laid sod. You can see the outline in the grass.; Reply to this comment


by djberson June 15, 2012 7:06 PM EDT: Is it me or does every online video these days contain a soundtrack of stupid music?; Reply to this comment


by rktsci3127 June 15, 2012 4:19 PM EDT: A grass waterbed. Nice.; Reply to this comment


by panacam June 15, 2012 1:23 PM EDT: Depending on where exactly this is, often times, landscapers will lay down plastic sheet on bad soil then plant sod on good soil laid on the plastic. If this is the case, a water line may have broke and now you have water under the plastic liner, hence the bubble. If it's not liquid, natural gas could also be a cause. The safe bet is though, there is a plastic liner under the sod and whatever is under the liner has caused the bubble.; Reply to this comment


by lewietrawick June 15, 2012 10:45 AM EDT: It's a leaking sprinkler line, We've got one just like it on the 14th hole at Meadowlake Golf Course.; Reply to this comment

by danny6100 June 15, 2012 9:40 AM EDT

Any fracking in the area?

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by bodettes June 16, 2012 1:50 AM EDT: Watch your tongue yound man. LOL


by spoonie88 June 18, 2012 9:49 AM EDT: COULD BE WHY NOT HAVE ONE OF THE WALMART HEIRS TAKE A SHOVEL TO IT AND DIG IT UP IF THEY HAVE THE GUTS OF A PRINCE HARRY!!


by dgammons June 15, 2012 9:09 AM EDT: Given the ages of the affected participants, I'd say it was a membrane purposefully laid down, filled with fluid and covered with sod. This, in the same vein as crop circles and UFO's.; Reply to this comment


by Emcol29 June 15, 2012 8:17 AM EDT: I wouldn't have thoght that it was anything to do with a septic tank. If there hadbeen any leak from a waste unit like that the smell would have been amazing, would you run on that in flip flops??
there was a similar one in Alabama but no where near as big...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA7iZPymiQM; Reply to this comment