## 2 Study Area and Data  
The Konya Closed Basin is one of the largest inland water basins in Turkey and hosts a significant groundwater reservoir. Intensive agricultural activities, industrialization, and population growth in the basin have increased the demand for groundwater, leading to an average decline of 40 m in the groundwater level over the past 40 years due to severe extraction. This situation has intensified the degradation of karst-soluble rocks in the region, leading to widespread sinkhole formation. Sinkholes generally develop within Miocene-Pliocene lacustrine limestones, which are derived from older Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous carbonate rocks and are currently connected to subsurface karst formations that remain covered at the surface [41; 42; 43; 44]. Hydrogeological studies indicate that discontinuities between these systems play a conductive role in groundwater movement and accelerate the karstification process. Especially along the Sultaniye Plain, located north of Karapinar, recent sinkhole collapses have intensified due to the decline in groundwater levels, rendering this area one of the critical zones in terms of risk. In recent years, a serious increase in the number of new sinkhole formations has been noticed within the boundaries of Konya Province [45]. As a result of the decline in groundwater levels, sinkholes that once occurred at higher elevations are now shifting to lower-lying areas. This shift poses a threat to rural settlements, agricultural lands, major transportation routes, and energy infrastructure. Since the 2000s, there has been a significant increase in the frequency of sinkhole formations. By 2017, 299 sinkholes had been recorded, and since 2018, more than 20 new sinkholes have occurred annually and as of 2022, a total of more than 610 active sinkholes have been observed in the basin [46].  
Under the initiatives of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and the Konya Provincial Directorate, supported by the Konya Plain Project (KOP) Administration and carried out by the Geological Surveys Department of the General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA), areas prone to sinkhole formation have been identified in the region, taking into account the lithological units and geotechnical characteristics of the provinces of Konya, Karaman, Aksaray, and Nigde. In this project, regions where sinkhole development is possible or not have been identified based on geological and hydrogeological data [47]. In this study, the area designated as \"sinkhole-prone\" within the scope of the project mentioned above and located within the boundaries of Konya Province has been selected as the study area and covers a field of 16,325.88 km\({}^{2}\) (Figure 1).  
Figure 1: Study area.  
The study area is formed by the Late Miocene-Pliocene aged Insuyu Formation and the Quaternary-Holocene Hotamus Formation. The Insuyu Formation consists of limestone, dolomitic limestone, clayey limestone, and marls, and is highly susceptible to karstic processes. In addition, the normal faults developed during the Neetectonic period in the region increase the brittle nature of the rocks, accelerating karstic processes and groundwater movement. In the Quaternary-Holocene Hotamus Formation, there is a transition from coarse clastics near the coast to finer-grained siliceous, clayey, and carbonaceous layers towards deeper areas. This formation, containing evaporitic rocks in its upper layers, leads to the formation of collapse sinkholes due to the presence of soluble rocks that react with water. Also, in some areas, subsidences occurring in the underlying Insuyu Formation also affect the overlying Hotamus Formation, leading to surface deformations [47].