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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Joint Map Of Hardin County, Kentucky, Steven L. Martin, Emily Morris
Joint Map Of Hardin County, Kentucky, Steven L. Martin, Emily Morris
Map and Chart--KGS
New field mapping of joints with previously published joint and fault locations. This fracture map can be used as a critical data source for hydrological, karst or geotechnical applications. Joint orientations were measured in 2009, 2022 and 2023, and are combined with joint and fault locations for Hardin County, Kentucky from 1:24,000-scale USGS geologic quadrangle maps that were published from 1962 to 1977. The geologic quadrangle maps for the county were digitized from 2002 to 2007.
The geology of Hardin County consists of Upper Devonian New Albany Shale overlain by Lower to Upper Mississippian-age sequences of limestone, dolomite, sandstone and …
Kentucky Karst Dye Trace Database, Sarah M. Arpin, Benjamin W. Tobin, Maaz Fareedi, Adam Link, James C. Currens
Kentucky Karst Dye Trace Database, Sarah M. Arpin, Benjamin W. Tobin, Maaz Fareedi, Adam Link, James C. Currens
Research Data--KGS
This dataset provides the geographical locations of karst groundwater basins, groundwater flowpaths, and dye injection/recovery points in Kentucky. Dye tracing is a common method used for understanding groundwater movement. Dye is poured (or injected) into a sinking stream, well, sinkhole, or body of water, where it is carried down-gradient by flowing water. The locations at which dye is recovered (typically at artesian springs) indicates a connection from injection to recovery site. This connection is refered to as a groundwater flowpath. Conducting multiple dye traces across an area allows for the interpretation of regional groundwater flow by assessing where flowpaths either …
Hydrology Data For Fern Cave, Alabama (2020-2022), Benjamin Tobin, Benjamin V. Miller, Matthew Niemiller, Andrea Erhardt
Hydrology Data For Fern Cave, Alabama (2020-2022), Benjamin Tobin, Benjamin V. Miller, Matthew Niemiller, Andrea Erhardt
Research Data--KGS
Dataset includes water level from four sites within Fern Cave in Jackson County Alabama. Additionally, it includes chemistry of water, sediments and cave-adapted isopods.
Predictive Modeling Of Cave Entrance Locations: Relationships Between Surface And Subsurface Morphology, William Blitch, Adia R. Sovie, Benjamin Tobin
Predictive Modeling Of Cave Entrance Locations: Relationships Between Surface And Subsurface Morphology, William Blitch, Adia R. Sovie, Benjamin Tobin
Faculty, Staff, and Affiliated Publications--KGS
Cave entrances directly connect the surface and subsurface geomorphology in karst landscapes. Understanding the spatial distribution of these features can help identify areas on the landscape that are critical to flow in the karst groundwater system. Sinkholes and springs are major locations of inflow and outflow from the groundwater system, respectively, however not all sinkholes and springs are equally connected to the main conduit system.
Predicting where on the landscape zones of high connectivity exist is a challenge because cave entrances are difficult to detect and imperfectly documented. Wildlife research has a similar issue of understanding the complexities of where …
Hypogene Speleogenesis In The Grand Canyon; Observational, Mineralogical, And Geochemical Investigations From The Bopper Cave System, Sierra Heimel
Hypogene Speleogenesis In The Grand Canyon; Observational, Mineralogical, And Geochemical Investigations From The Bopper Cave System, Sierra Heimel
Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences
One of the most prominent features of the Grand Canyon is the iron-stained Redwall Limestone, which has been documented to contain extensive cave systems with significant storage potential in the karstic Redwall-Muav (R-M) aquifer. The hydrogeologic relationships between the R-M aquifer and cave formation in the Grand Canyon via descending (epigenic) surface waters have been well documented. However; the potentially large role of deeply sourced (hypogenic) waters rising from depth in relation to cave formation is poorly understood. The Bopper Cave System (BCS) is a relict feature of the ancient abandoned hydrologic system at Grand Canyon and displays unique network …
Geospatial Applications Of Cave Resource Data To Better Understand Epikarst And Unsaturated Zone Groundwater Flow Path Development, Sierra M. Heimel, Benjamin W. Tobin
Geospatial Applications Of Cave Resource Data To Better Understand Epikarst And Unsaturated Zone Groundwater Flow Path Development, Sierra M. Heimel, Benjamin W. Tobin
Faculty, Staff, and Affiliated Publications--KGS
The unsaturated zone is a critical component of karstic groundwater systems and is shown to provide substantial storage capacities. Understanding the spatial patterns and controls on flow path activation is often a challenge. Previous research focused on remotely sensed data or inferential analyses to quantify these patterns. Here, we use two cave systems—one in Arizona, USA and a second in Kentucky, USA—to show the value of the cave survey and inventory data in the direct observation of speleogenesis and unsaturated zone processes. Using geospatial statistical analyses, we show that passage size varies with distance from some faults, indicating that these …
Surficial Geologic Map Of The Flaherty 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Kentucky, Ann Hislop, Matthew Massey, Maxwell L. Hammond Iii, Antonia E. Bottoms, Michele Mchugh, Emily Morris
Surficial Geologic Map Of The Flaherty 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Kentucky, Ann Hislop, Matthew Massey, Maxwell L. Hammond Iii, Antonia E. Bottoms, Michele Mchugh, Emily Morris
Contract Reports--KGS
The Flaherty 7.5-minute quadrangle is located southwest of Louisville and northwest of Elizabethtown along the boundary between Hardin and Meade Counties. The quadrangle includes mostly the Pennyroyal region of the Mississippian Plateau and also smaller areas of the Mammoth Cave plateau and the highly dissected Dripping Springs escarpment in the western half of the map area (McDowell, 1986). Topography is mostly characterized by pervasive sinkhole development in a lower elevation and low-relief plain, and high-relief plateaus, ridges, and knobs of the Dripping Springs escarpment scattered along the west side of the quadrangle. Swadley (1963) mapped the bedrock geology of the …
Topographic Gradients In Bulk Soil Properties In Central Kentucky Karst Sinkholes, Anne Kathryn Mcgraw
Topographic Gradients In Bulk Soil Properties In Central Kentucky Karst Sinkholes, Anne Kathryn Mcgraw
Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences
The Bluegrass physiographic region of Kentucky is underlain by the late Ordovician Lexington Limestone formation. This area has many identifiable karst features, including sinkholes. Karst sinkholes and associated soils coevolve, which may influence the distribution of bulk soil properties and storage of carbon across karst landscapes. Two sinkholes on the University of Kentucky’s C. Oran Little Animal Research Center in Woodford County, central Kentucky, were selected for analysis. We described and sampled nine pedons at the dominant landscape positions (e.g., summit, shoulder, backslope, footslope, and toeslope) within the two sinkholes; we characterized the physical, chemical, and mineralogical soil properties across …
Variability In Groundwater Flow And Chemistry In The Houzhai Karst Basin, Guizhou Province, China, Joshua M. Barna
Variability In Groundwater Flow And Chemistry In The Houzhai Karst Basin, Guizhou Province, China, Joshua M. Barna
Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences
Understanding how karst aquifers store and transmit water and contaminants is an ongoing problem in hydrogeology. Flowpath and recharge heterogeneity contribute to the complexity of these systems. This thesis explores karst-conduit connectivity and water chemistry variability in the Houzhai catchment in Guizhou province, China. Artificial tracer tests were conducted during both the monsoon and dry seasons to understand temporal variability in connectivity and water velocity between karst features. Multiple flowpaths through the catchment are activated during the monsoon season and partially abandoned during the dry season. Additionally, gradient reversals during monsoonal high-flow events and as a result of pumping can …
Rethinking Karst Hazard Assessment In Kentucky, William P. Pierskalla Jr.
Rethinking Karst Hazard Assessment In Kentucky, William P. Pierskalla Jr.
Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences
Current karst hazard maps in Kentucky reflect the general lithology of the state and ignore or significantly reduce the impact of the actual sinkholes present within these areas. These maps rely on equal weighting, by area, of the Karst Potential Index (KPI) map and the sinkhole inventory map. The KPI is based on a 1:500,000 geologic map and less than 500 data points of carbonate rocks. The sinkhole inventory is derived from topographic maps updated in the 1970s with approximately 10-foot resolution. This method gives a preferential weighting of the KPI over the sinkhole data. Consequently, the current method is …
Characteristics Of Cover-Collapse Sinkholes In Kentucky, James C. Currens
Characteristics Of Cover-Collapse Sinkholes In Kentucky, James C. Currens
Report of Investigations--KGS
Sudden collapse of unconsolidated earth materials over soluble bedrock, known as cover collapse, damages buildings, roads, utility lines, and farm equipment in Kentucky. It has also killed livestock, including Thoroughbred horses, and injured people. The estimated annual cost of sinkhole cover collapse in Kentucky ranges from $20 million to $84 million and is sensitive to rare but expensive events such as the 2014 National Corvette Museum collapse. The Kentucky Geological Survey began developing a catalog of case histories of cover-collapse occurrences in 1997, and receives an average of 24 reports each year. Three hundred fifty-four occurrences of cover-collapse sinkholes throughout …
Performance Of The Grout Curtain At The Kentucky River Lock And Dam No. 8, Robert C. Hatton
Performance Of The Grout Curtain At The Kentucky River Lock And Dam No. 8, Robert C. Hatton
Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering
Karst bedrock conditions and deterioration of the lock and dam structures have resulted in significant leakage through, underneath, and around Lock and Dam No. 8 on the Kentucky River. During severe droughts, the water surface in Pool No. 8 has been observed to drop below the crest of the dam, resulting in water supply shortages and water quality issues for surrounding communities reliant on the pool. Presently, the primary purpose of Lock and Dam No. 8 is water supply. Pool No. 8 is currently where the cities of Nicholasville (Jessamine County, KY) and Lancaster (Garrard County, KY) draw their water. …
Mobility Of Escherichia Coli Within Karst Terrains, Kentucky, Usa, Ashley M. Bandy
Mobility Of Escherichia Coli Within Karst Terrains, Kentucky, Usa, Ashley M. Bandy
Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences
Bacterial contamination of karst aquifers is a concern as water quality across the globe deteriorates in the face of decreasing water security. This study examined the transport and attenuation of two non-virulent isolates of Escherichia coli in relation to traditional groundwater tracers such as rhodamine WT dye and latex microspheres in two karst regions in Kentucky. Differential movement between the four tracers was observed in both epikarst and karst aquifer traces, with differences in behavior dependent on flow conditions. Attenuation was greater for the bacterial isolate containing the iha gene, compared to the isolate containing the kps gene. Microspheres of …
Mapped Karst Groundwater Basins In The Hopkinsville 30 X 60 Minute Quadrangle, James C. Currens, Joseph A. Ray, Phillip W. O'Dell, Robert J. Blair
Mapped Karst Groundwater Basins In The Hopkinsville 30 X 60 Minute Quadrangle, James C. Currens, Joseph A. Ray, Phillip W. O'Dell, Robert J. Blair
Map and Chart--KGS
No abstract provided.
Model Ordinance For Development On Karst In Kentucky: Guidance For Construction On Karst Terrain And The Reduction Of Property Damage And Threat To Human Health Resulting From Karst Geologic Hazard, James C. Currens
Information Circular--KGS
I have dealt with hundreds of incidents of karst-related geohazards; some have caused major damage to buildings and infrastructure. Although cases are largely limited to the ground surface being made unusable, a significant number of structures are damaged by karst flooding or cover collapse each year, which is devastating to families who have lost their homes. Most of these events should never have happened, because the karst hazard could have been avoided by selecting a better building site or designing the building to withstand the damage from the hazard. Furthermore, most of the planning authorities I have had experience with …
Integrated Geophysical Investigation Of Karst Features – Inner Bluegrass Region Of Kentucky, Jamin C. Frommel
Integrated Geophysical Investigation Of Karst Features – Inner Bluegrass Region Of Kentucky, Jamin C. Frommel
Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences
High-resolution electrical-resistivity, seismic-refraction, and seismic-reflection surveys were performed at three locations in the Inner Bluegrass Region of Kentucky along coincident survey lines in order to correlate results and determine which method is most effective at locating karst features in this area. The first two survey locations at Slack’s Cave and the Kentucky Horse Park were chosen in order to investigate known karst features. High and low electrical-resistivity anomalies were correlated to air- and water-filled karst voids, respectively. Seismic velocity anomalies, including parabolic time suppressions, amplitude terminations, and surface-wave backscatters, were also observed and correlated to these karst voids. These findings …
Fate Of Stable Isotope Label During Predation Of 15N-Tagged Wild-Type Escherichia Coli By Protozoa, Ashley M. Barton
Fate Of Stable Isotope Label During Predation Of 15N-Tagged Wild-Type Escherichia Coli By Protozoa, Ashley M. Barton
University of Kentucky Master's Theses
Currently, bacterial movement in karst aquifers is not well understood. Use of stable isotopes to label non-pathogenic Escherichia coli as a particulate groundwater tracer in karst systems has been examined in previous studies. Loss of the stable isotope signal is anticipated in traces greater than 500 m in length. Potential loss of 15N due to predation by protozoa was examined. Filter-sterilized water from Royal Spring in Georgetown, Kentucky, was inoculated with a mixture of either Tetrahymena pyriformis or Colpoda steinii and 15N-enriched E. coli and stored in the dark at 14°C. Samples were analyzed for their nitrogen isotope …
Geology Of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Matthew M. Crawford, Hanna Hunsberger
Geology Of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Matthew M. Crawford, Hanna Hunsberger
Map and Chart--KGS
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is located in parts of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. The park was authorized by President Franklin Roosevelt on June 11, 1940, and is now the largest historical park in the National Park System. It contains 24,000 acres along Cumberland Mountain near Ewing, Va., proceeding southwest toward Fern Lake in Tennessee, a distance of approximately 20 miles. The average width of the park is only 1.6 miles.
The park hosts a distinctive range of geologic processes and features. Unique structural geology, caves and karst, surface and groundwater erosion, and mass wasting are just a few of …
Feasibility Of Using 15N-Enriched Escherichia Coli As A Bacterial Tracer In The Cane Run/Royal Spring Basin, Kentucky, John G. Warden
Feasibility Of Using 15N-Enriched Escherichia Coli As A Bacterial Tracer In The Cane Run/Royal Spring Basin, Kentucky, John G. Warden
University of Kentucky Master's Theses
A novel tracer method has used 15N to label Escherichia coli and track the transport of bacteria, a common contaminant, through karst aquifers. Use of this method could provide valuable insight into the movement of bacteria in aquifers, which would help improve remediation methods and strategies. A wild strain of E. coli was isolated from the Cane Run/Royal Spring basin in the Inner Bluegrass region of Kentucky. The strain was serotyped O-:H- and virulence testing showed the strain did not have virulence factors of E. coli commonly pathogenic to humans. Five karst microcosms were filled with …
Latest Quaternary Paleoclimate Reconstruction Utilizing Stable Isotopic And Trace Element Proxies In A Stalagmite From Culverson Creek Cave, West Virginia, Ashley Nicole Gilbert
Latest Quaternary Paleoclimate Reconstruction Utilizing Stable Isotopic And Trace Element Proxies In A Stalagmite From Culverson Creek Cave, West Virginia, Ashley Nicole Gilbert
University of Kentucky Master's Theses
A reconstruction of regional climate variability in southern West Virginia that spans the last glacial/interglacial transition is presented. Paleoclimate interpretations obtained from the 50-cm long stalagmite provide key insights regarding the timing, magnitude, and forcing mechanisms responsible for past climate variability. Stable isotopic (δ18O and δ13C) and trace element (Ba, Sr, Mg) signatures from samples contiguously milled along the growth-axis of a 230Th-dated stalagmite which grew between approximately 20 and 5 thousand years before present (kyr BP) provide critical constraints for above-cave mean annual temperature, seasonality of moisture mean annual precipitation, and potential vegetation shifts. …
Four Rivers Basin: Cumberland, Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi, Daniel I. Carey
Four Rivers Basin: Cumberland, Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi, Daniel I. Carey
Map and Chart--KGS
The Four Rivers Basin includes over 4 ,700 square miles in all or parts of 17 counties. The basin contains more than 10,700 miles of streams.
More than 720 miles of streams assessed in the basin by the Kentucky Division of Water do not support designated uses for warm-water aquatic habitat, fish consumption, primary contact recreation, or secondary contact recreation. Not all streams have been assessed. The percentage of assessed streams not supporting uses was: warm-water aquatic habitat (58 percent); fish consumption (14 percent); primary contact recreation (76 percent); secondary contact recreation (30 percent). Nearly 125 miles of streams have …
Salt River Basin, Daniel I. Carey
Salt River Basin, Daniel I. Carey
Map and Chart--KGS
The Salt River Basin and adjacent Ohio River drainages include over 4,150 square miles in all or parts of 19 counties. The basin contains more than 9,600 miles of streams.
Over 660 miles of streams assessed in the basin by the Kentucky Division of Water do not support designated uses for warm-water aquatic habitat, fish consumption, or primary contact recreation (swimming). Not all streams have been assessed. The percentage of assessed streams not supporting uses was: warm-water aquatic habitat (38 percent); fish consumption (36 percent); primary contact recreation (86 percent). Over 100 miles of streams have been declared special use …
Geology Of Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, Matthew M. Crawford, Rickard A. Olson, Rickard S. Toomey Iii, Lillian J. Scoggins
Geology Of Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, Matthew M. Crawford, Rickard A. Olson, Rickard S. Toomey Iii, Lillian J. Scoggins
Map and Chart--KGS
Mammoth Cave National Park in south-central Kentucky was authorized as a national park in 1926 and was fully established in 1941 to protect the cave system, scenic landscape, and diverse flora and fauna. The park contains 52,830 acres and most of the longest recorded cave system in the world, with more than 390 miles of mapped passages as of 2013. Even though Mammoth Cave is famous, people are often unaware of the park's intricate connection to the outside region. This poster shows the geology of Mammoth Cave and the interconnected issues that are important to the park and its visitors. …
Geologic Hazards In Kentucky, Daniel I. Carey, Terry D. Hounshell, John D. Kiefer
Geologic Hazards In Kentucky, Daniel I. Carey, Terry D. Hounshell, John D. Kiefer
Map and Chart--KGS
Geologic data were derived from the Kentucky Geological Survey-U.S. Geological Survey areal geologic mapping project. Nearly 190 geologists mapped the geology of Kentucky from 1960 to 1978. KGS geologists converted the resulting 707 geologic quadrangle maps into digital format at part of the STATEMAP component of the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program of the United States Geological Survey.
The Mobility Of Fecal Indicator Microorganisms Within A Karst Groundwater Basin In The Inner Bluegrass Region, Kentucky, James Wade Ward
The Mobility Of Fecal Indicator Microorganisms Within A Karst Groundwater Basin In The Inner Bluegrass Region, Kentucky, James Wade Ward
University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations
This project implemented novel approaches to assess the source, age, concentration and mobility of fecal indicator microorganisms within a karst groundwater system. Research was conducted in the well-characterized Blue Hole Spring karst groundwater basin in Versailles, Woodford County, Kentucky. At this site the AC/TC ratio and fecal coliform (FC) bacteria counts were used to delineate sources of fecal inputs and determine relative age of the fecal matter. An aging experiment using indicator bacteria (total coliform (TC) and atypical colonies (AC)), which approximated subsurface conditions, indicated that changes in the AC/TC ratio are likely to be retarded during bacterial transport through …
Generalized Geologic Map For Land-Use Planning: Lee County, Kentucky, Daniel I. Carey, Peter Eclov
Generalized Geologic Map For Land-Use Planning: Lee County, Kentucky, Daniel I. Carey, Peter Eclov
Map and Chart--KGS
This map is not intended to be used for selecting individual sites. Its purpose is to inform land-use planners, government officials, and the public in a general way about geologic bedrock conditions that affect the selection of sites for various purposes. The properties of thick soils may supercede those of the underlying bedrock and should be considered on a site-to-site basis. At any site, it is important to understand the characteristics of both the soils and the underlying rock.
Generalized Geologic Map For Land-Use Planning: Monroe County, Kentucky, Daniel I. Carey
Generalized Geologic Map For Land-Use Planning: Monroe County, Kentucky, Daniel I. Carey
Map and Chart--KGS
This map is not intended to be used for selecting individual sites. Its purpose is to inform land-use planners, government officials, and the public in a general way about geologic bedrock conditions that affect the selection of sites for various purposes. The properties of thick soils may supercede those of the underlying bedrock and should be considered on a site-to-site basis. At any site, it is important to understand the characteristics of both the soils and the underlying rock.
Generalized Geologic Map For Land-Use Planning: Casey County, Kentucky, Daniel I. Carey, Garland R. Dever Jr.
Generalized Geologic Map For Land-Use Planning: Casey County, Kentucky, Daniel I. Carey, Garland R. Dever Jr.
Map and Chart--KGS
This map is not intended to be used for selecting individual sites. Its purpose is to inform land-use planners, government officials, and the public in a general way about geologic bedrock conditions that affect the selection of sites for various purposes. The properties of thick soils may supercede those of the underlying bedrock and should be considered on a site-to-site basis. At any site, it is important to understand the characteristics of both the soils and the underlying rock.
Generalized Geologic Map For Land-Use Planning: Powell County, Kentucky, Daniel I. Carey
Generalized Geologic Map For Land-Use Planning: Powell County, Kentucky, Daniel I. Carey
Map and Chart--KGS
This map is not intended to be used for selecting individual sites. Its purpose is to inform land-use planners, government officials, and the public in a general way about geologic bedrock conditions that affect the selection of sites for various purposes. The properties of thick soils may supercede those of the underlying bedrock and should be considered on a site-to-site basis. At any site, it is important to understand the characteristics of both the soils and the underlying rock.
Generalized Geologic Map For Land-Use Planning: Adair County, Kentucky, Daniel I. Carey
Generalized Geologic Map For Land-Use Planning: Adair County, Kentucky, Daniel I. Carey
Map and Chart--KGS
This map is not intended to be used for selecting individual sites. Its purpose is to inform land-use planners, government officials, and the public in a general way about geologic bedrock conditions that affect the selection of sites for various purposes. The properties of thick soils may supercede those of the underlying bedrock and should be considered on a site-to-site basis. At any site, it is important to understand the characteristics of both the soils and the underlying rock.