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Comparing Manual And Automated Methods In Sinkhole Delineation: A Cantabrian Mountains (Spain) And Tasman Mountains (New Zealand) Case Study, Mario Puente-Sierra, Javier Santos-González, Rosa B. González-Gutiérrez

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Studies of karst landforms, such as sinkholes, have advanced in recent years due to technological advances and the rise of automated detection methods. Such methods offer notable time-saving strengths, but their limitations in complex terrains are frequently overlooked in modern literature. To compare these automated methods to traditional manual methods, we selected four karst massifs in the Cantabrian Mountains (Spain) and two in the Tasman Mountains (New Zealand) as study areas. High-resolution LiDAR-derived Digital Elevation Models were used to identify and map sinkholes. Automated detection was performed using a Geographic Information System and included: i) a depression-filling method; ii) a …

Statewide Sinkhole Susceptibility Mapping In Florida Using Explainable Geoai, Osama M. Altarawneh, Weiwei Zhan, Clint Kromhout

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Sinkholes cause persistent damage to infrastructure, property, and groundwater resources across Florida. Statewide sinkhole hazard mitigation has been constrained by incomplete inventories and the absence of a high-resolution susceptibility map. This study presents a statewide sinkhole susceptibility assessment using an explainable GeoAI framework that integrates the citizen-reported Subsidence Incident Reports (SIR) database and a geologist-confirmed collapse-type sinkhole inventory from the Florida Geological Survey (FGS). Random Forest (RF) is used as the primary learner with ten geologic, hydrologic, topographic, and anthropogenic predictors. The influence of negative-sample buffer geometry on model behavior is evaluated across five annular buffer conditions (100-1000 m through …

Mobile Lidar Scans Of Caves: Methods For Tying In Ground Control Points, Robert E. Salaz, Jake Slyder, Ellen Trautner, Georgia Schneider

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Mapping cave passages using modern techniques such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and photogrammetry are still in the juvenile stages. Newer technologies such as Simultaneous Location and Mapping (SLAM) LiDAR and faster computers have enabled speleologists to map caves much faster than traditional methods. From a land management perspective, the ability to efficiently collect detailed cave maps with reasonable precision quickly is crucial for decision making. The ongoing challenge with digital cave mapping using mobile LiDAR and photogrammetry techniques is geolocating the point-cloud underground. Mobile scanning methods can be tied to ground control points on the surface using high …

Mapping Sinkholes And Closed Depressions In The Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone: Comparison Of Lidar-Based Semi-Automated Detection Methods And Field Validation, Enzo Franceschi Genesi, Horia G. Olariu, Bradford Wilcox

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Sinkholes and closed depressions play a critical role in karst hydrology by facilitating rapid recharge to aquifer systems (Ford & Williams, 2007; White, 1988), yet their spatial distribution is often poorly quantified in large recharge zones, and the automated methods used to detect them vary widely in approach and reliability. This study compares three LiDAR-based automated detection methods to determine their relative performance for mapping sinkholes and closed depressions within the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, using a 0.5-meter resolution bare-earth Digital Elevation Model derived from high-density airborne LiDAR point cloud data (12.66 points/m²) obtained from OpenTopography. The three methods evaluated …

Springs Of The Catskill Mountains: A Conduit Flow System In Predominantly Siliciclastic Strata, Daniel H. Doctor, Joshua R. Benton, Martin A. Briggs, William E. Odom, Neil C. Terry

Sinkhole Conference 2026

The Catskill Mountains of New York state are composed of thick sequences of interbedded mudstone, sandstone, and siltstone that are intercalated with thin beds of paludal limestone and calcareous mudstone. Sandstones often contain rip-up clasts of calcareous material at their bases and contain minor amounts of carbonate cement throughout their mass. This minor amount of calcareous material weathers out to produce thin zones of solutional porosity and permeability integrated within perched aquifers that feed perennial hillslope springs. Solutional features are evident within thin carbonate lenses and along fractures in sandstones, occasionally resulting in explorable cave-sized conduits. This study focuses on …

Karst At A Potential Construction Site Adjacent To The Delaware River Near The Glacial Terminus, New Jersey, Usa, Ira D. Sasowsky

Sinkhole Conference 2026

The state of New Jersey is not known for extensive karst landscapes, but there are over 100 caves listed in a survey of those features. Numerous sinkholes have also been identified, though no comprehensive database yet exists. Occasional news stories have reported damaging collapses, many of which seem infrastructure related, in several counties. This paper reports on the conditions at a proposed major construction site in a glaciated limestone terrane, Warren County. The area is underlain by the Allentown Dolomite and the Beekmantown Group carbonates (Cambrian/Ordovician age), and covered with a variable layer of glaciofluvial sediments. The area is of …

Karst Sinkholes And Civil Engineering: Overview Of Characterization And Treatment Options From A Geophysical And Geotechnical Viewpoint, Mia Painter, Stephen Welsh

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Sinkholes pose a significant geohazard to civil engineering infrastructure in regions underlain by carbonate karst terrain. Selecting an appropriate stabilization method requires balancing site conditions, infrastructure risk, environmental considerations, and cost, all of which depend on a thorough understanding of the planned or existing infrastructure and subsurface conditions. This paper provides an overview of common sinkhole characterization and stabilization methods used in the Mid-Atlantic and Appalachian regions of the United States from both geotechnical and geophysical perspectives. The application of geophysical methods in conjunction with intrusive investigations is reviewed as a means of reducing subsurface uncertainty and refining treatment designs. …

Sinkhole Hazards, Risks, And Remediation: A Fifty-Year Case Study In New Jersey, Usa, Oladoyin Kolawole, Rita L. Sousa, Christina Comuso, Mohab Hussein

Sinkhole Conference 2026

New Jersey presents a uniquely complex sinkhole and ground subsidence hazard shaped by intersecting geological, industrial, and anthropogenic forces. Sinkhole herein refers primarily to collapse sinkholes, that is, the abrupt or progressive downward failure of the ground surface into subsurface voids, as distinct from solutional closed depressions of purely karst origin. This paper synthesizes five decades (1976-2026) of documented sinkhole and ground subsidence records across the state, examining root causes, societal and environmental impacts, and remediation strategies employed in response to such hazards. The review shows that New Jersey’s hazard is governed by three dominant mechanisms: karst dissolution in carbonate …

Creating A Karst Features Map Of A 7.5-Minute Quadrangle In Northern New Jersey, Zachary Schagrin

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Extensive areas of northern New Jersey are underlain by carbonate rocks, ranging from Proterozoic marbles to Paleozoic limestones and dolomites. These areas include large portions of Sussex and Warren Counties, as well as smaller areas within Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, and Somerset Counties. As part of its efforts to map the geology of the state, the New Jersey Geological and Water Survey (NJGWS) has undertaken efforts to create karst features maps of quadrangles within this area—known as the Karst Susceptibility Project Area. Through field mapping, GIS analysis, and interpretation of past data collection, NJGWS began publishing these 1:24,000-scale maps in 2023. …

Production Variability In The Edwards Aquifer, South-Central Texas, Usa, Jennifer Raye (Adkins) Schudrowitz, Linda K. Bevis

Sinkhole Conference 2026

The San Antonio Water System (SAWS) serves more than two million people and is among the largest water utilities in the United States. Much of SAWS’s supply is sourced from the Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone) Aquifer (Edwards BFZA), a major sole‑source karst aquifer in south‑central Texas. The aquifer exhibits pronounced spatial heterogeneity in well performance due to its karstic nature, structurally complex setting, and variable depositional facies. Recent severe drought and pumping restrictions have emphasized the need to understand where within the aquifer to drill and how inter‑station performance differs under stress. This study evaluates production variability across SAWS pump‑station …

Remediating Groundwater In A Karst Terrane: Encouraging Results And Lessons Learned, Urvi Tulsiani, Jason M. Tillotson, Allison Nelan, Keith A. White

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Karst aquifers, characterized by a combination of multiple porosity types, discrete flow paths, and variable hydraulic conductivities, create a highly complex and heterogeneous environment that influences both the storage capacity and transport of contaminants in the subsurface. These complexities of karst aquifers present unique challenges for remediating contaminated groundwater. Pilot studies were performed at eight sites at Redstone Arsenal (RSA) in Huntsville, Alabama, to assess the viability of in situ injection-based remedies to treat groundwater impacted by chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) and perchlorate in the epikarst, the uppermost, highly weathered rind of karst bedrock. The studies assessed effectiveness of …

A Simple Approach To Assessing Groundwater Discharge Behavior At Government Spring, Central New Mexico, Matthew T. Kaspar, Benjamin Tobin, Margaret Furtner

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Government Spring is the complex perennial source of the lower Rio Bonito in central New Mexico with numerous ephemeral sources and a complex surface water – groundwater interface. Discharge from this karst spring is critical in maintaining downstream agricultural activities and communities. As part of a larger study to document the groundwater basin of this spring, this study focuses on simple repeated measurements to assess the surface water – groundwater interactions along the spring run. We established 12 repeatable measurement sites for discharge, temperature, pH, and specific conductivity. Data collected at a monthly interval provides a snapshot of surface water …

Ongoing Dye Tracing Prompts Major Reevaluation Of Groundwater Divides For The Lost River Karst System, Bowling Green, Ky, Usa, Lee Anne Bledsoe, Chris G. Groves, Nick Lawhon

Sinkhole Conference 2026

The Lost River Groundwater Basin located in south-central Kentucky may be one of the most thoroughly investigated karst basins in the US. Over the past 50 years, numerous studies have been conducted primarily due to the environmental challenges created by urban development on a well-developed sinkhole plain. The City of Bowling Green (pop. ~80,000) covers much of the basin but lies primarily in the northern, downstream reach nearest the main outlet of the system, the Lost River Rise. However, land use in the southern, up-gradient, portion of the basin is quickly changing from undeveloped and/or agriculture to industrial and residential. …

A Field-Inspired Investigation Of Conduit Network Impacts On Spring Flow In Karst Aquifers, Jennifer Huang, Jannes Kordilla, Marco Dentz, John Barry, Christian Langevin, Peter Kang

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Effective management of karst aquifers necessitates accurate characterization of flow and transport. However, modeling these highly heterogeneous systems is challenging due to the complex partitioning of recharge between bedrock and the embedded conduit network. The properties of conduit networks impact flow and transport, but there has not been a systematic, quantitative study of how conduit network structure and geometry impact spring hydrographs in naturalistic field conditions. In this field-inspired modeling study, we attempt to identify key geometric and structural properties of conduit networks that control flow in karst aquifers and use these insights to constrain our understanding of a nitrate …

Stratigraphic Controls On Recharge To The Confined Aquifer Of The North Coast Karst Belt Of Puerto Rico, Brian A. Smith

Sinkhole Conference 2026

The north coast karst belt of Puerto Rico is well known for its conical shaped, limestone hills (mogotes), the Río Camuy cave system, the Arecibo Observatory (now defunct) where a large reflecting antenna is situated in a large (but modified) sinkhole, and hundreds or thousands of other caves. The two main aquifers associated with the north coast karst belt of Puerto Rico provide water for industry, agriculture, municipalities, and domestic uses. Tertiary-age geologic formations associated with both aquifers consist largely of limestone. Significant karst features such as mogotes and sinkholes are common where these units are exposed at the surface. …

Characterization Of The Galena Karst Of East-Central Olmsted County, Minnesota, John D. Barry, Ronald C. Spong, Peter J. Hutchinson, Martin Larsen, Anthony C. Runkel

Sinkhole Conference 2026

The Galena Group is mostly composed of carbonate rock with subordinate beds of fine siliciclastics, mainly shale. In southeastern Minnesota, it is a source of water for domestic and agricultural use. Hydrologic and geochemical characterization of a Galena Group spring, Bear Spring, began in 1979. Recent springshed delineation through dye tracing and continuous level, temperature, and nitrate monitoring has shed light on the aquifer’s hydrologic response to precipitation, but the degree of karstification in the Galena was unclear. Current and planned future modeling require additional insight into the pervasiveness of fractures and conduits, and their properties. A suite of characterization …

Investigating Sediment Accumulation Dynamics Via Integration Of Gis And Remote Sensing Tools Along With Physical/Chemical Characteristics Of Sediments In Owl Cave, Highland County, Virginia, Dhanuska B. Wijesinghe, Spencer Schmidt

Sinkhole Conference 2026

The Valley region of Virginia, USA, features cave and karst systems. Variation in surface topography and vegetation within these systems significantly affects sediment accumulation in cave ecosystems. Remote sensing and GIS tools effectively analyze surface conditions, including vegetation cover and its influence on sediment buildup in caves. This study involved collecting high-resolution drone imagery, such as LiDAR, multispectral, and thermal data near Owl Cave in Highland County, VA, to understand the sediment accumulation process inside the cave system. High-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) were created from LiDAR point clouds, and vegetation indices like Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were calculated …

A Comprehensive Look At Ohio’S Karst Inventory Mapping—Reconnaissance, Ground-Truth, And Beyond, Brittany Parrick, Douglas Aden

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Keywords: Ohio, mapping, karst inventory, karst database, fieldwork, LiDAR, karst, GIS, geomorphology, digital elevation models The present iteration of the karst inventory mapping program at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey (herein the Survey) has been ongoing since 2009. With documentation of the Survey’s previous karst inventory mapping scattered across several decades-old publications—coupled with the karst community’s demonstrated need for a standardized database—this paper outlines the program’s evolution from its inception to the present. New Digital Elevation Models (DEM) derived from modern Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) datasets, along with modern mobile applications, have significantly improved …

Cover Collapse Sinkholes In Stormwater Infrastructure In The Urban Karst Of Bowling Green, Kentucky: Occurrence, Mitigation, And Prevention, Nick Lawhon P.G., C.F.M.

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Cover collapse sinkholes are an extremely common geohazard in karst terrains. These features, formed by concentrated flows of water entering the subsurface through discrete points in the epikarst, are particularly common in stormwater infrastructure in Bowling Green, KY. There are currently 787 known stormwater basins and hundreds of miles of stormwater conveyances in this fast-developing city, all of which concentrate stormwater flows over the naturally sinkhole-prone karst system. This paper reports on the occurrence of cover collapse sinkholes in stormwater infrastructure, particularly retention and detention basins, from inspections over the past 7 years and records from City-managed sinkhole repair projects, …

Biogeomechanics Of Eicp Reinforcement Of Karstified Rock Masses, Mary C. Ngoma, Oladoyin Kolawole

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Sinkholes are among the most significant karst-related hazards, arising from the dissolution of soluble rock and subsequent collapse of overlying geomaterials, thereby compromising rock mass stability and underground infrastructure. Conventional sinkhole remediation approaches often rely on cement-based grouting to prevent failure; however, the associated environmental impacts underscore the need for eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives such as biocementation. While biocementation has been a widely applied technique in reinforcing soils and cemented structures, the potential of biocemented hybrid soil-embedded karstified rock systems remains unexplored. To address sinkhole-related post-hazard remediation, this work investigates the potential of biocementation as a sustainable reinforcement strategy for …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Stratigraphic Influence On Karst Feature Distribution And Density Across Southeast Minnesota, Usa, Julia R. Steenberg, John D. Barry, Andrew J. Retzler, Anthony C. Runkel, Robert G. Tipping, E. Calvin Alexander Jr.

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Karst features pose significant risks to infrastructure and land use, from reducing tillable acreage to causing catastrophic failures in wastewater lagoons. This study analyzes the stratigraphic and spatial distribution of karst features in southeastern Minnesota to better understand their geologic controls. By seamlessly merging raster surfaces of Paleozoic bedrock units and intersecting them with regional karst datasets in a GIS framework, we found that over 95 percent of mapped sinkholes occur where unconsolidated sediment overlying bedrock is 15 meters or less. Furthermore, 81 percent of sinkholes are concentrated in just six of the 21 mappable bedrock units, each of which …

Constraining The Groundwater Pathways Driving Cave Formation In The Water Sinks Area In Highland County, Virginia, Usa Using Electrical Resistivity Imaging, Shamsuddin Ahmed, R Shane Mcgary

Sinkhole Conference 2026

Speleogenesis in carbonate bedrock occurs when water, acidified by CO2 , dissolves calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in rocks to form voids and dissolutional conduits. The near surface geology of the Water Sinks area is dominated by Silurian–Devonian limestones, accommodating numerous karst features including sinkholes, caves, and springs. Groundwater flow and cave development in the area is thought to be guided primarily by geologic structure (folds, bedding, and joints) and low-permeability layers. In this study, we use electrical resistivity methods to detect and characterize conduits and water flow paths in the subsurface. We collect dipole-dipole and Schlumberger array data along seven transects …

Hasparos Embayment – An Example Of Intrastratal Hypogenic Speleogenesis, Peter Hutchinson

Sinkhole Conference 2026

The Hasparos Embayment contains Neogene-aged deposits that overlie the Permian-aged San Andres Formation. The Hasparos Embayment consists of thousands of subsidence sinkholes, concentrated in two tracts that are overlain with deposits provisionally considered to be part of the Ogallala Formation. The two Ogallala-covered karst fields are divided north and south by the Hasparos Canyon. The northern karst field includes 12,400 hectares, whereas the southern tract includes 6,900 hectares. Intrastratal karst is a form of hypogene speleogenesis, in which karst develops in rocks buried by younger deposits after deposition of the younger rocks. Thus during the temperate, late Pleistocene epoch, Lake …

Brine-Enhanced Hypogenic Speleogenesis And Concentrated Karst Development In The Burton Flats, Eddy County, New Mexico, Dave Decker, Garrett Jorgensen Olague, Michael Jones, Ryan Palmer

Sinkhole Conference 2026

The Burton Flats, a 259-km² gypsum-dominated outcrop of the Permian Rustler Formation 26 km northeast of Carlsbad, New Mexico, contains more than 3,500 documented karst features — an anomalously high density relative to surrounding areas of equivalent lithology. The proposed explanation is a two-step brine-enhanced dissolution mechanism driven by the spatial intersection of three factors: the eastward-dipping Rustler Formation outcrop, the underlying Capitan Aquifer, and the intervening Permian Salado Formation. Fresh Capitan water dissolves Salado halite, generating an NaCl-enriched brine up to three times more aggressive toward gypsum dissolution than fresh water; this brine ascends into the Rustler Formation along …

Rompiendo Fronteras: Addressing Language Barriers In Hispanic Palliative Cancer Care, Carla Mcnulty, Catherine Finlayson

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Cancer is the leading cause of death among Hispanic people, accounting for 20% of deaths (American Cancer Society, 2023). In 2024, the American Cancer Society predicted that 195,300 Hispanics would be diagnosed with cancer in the United States, and 50,400 (25%) would die from their disease, leaving approximately 144,900 (75%) living with cancer. As the Hispanic population rises in the United States, one can predict that cancer diagnoses will also increase. This is likely to result in a higher number of cancer-related deaths, as well as more individuals living with cancer. Consequently, there will be an increased demand for …

A Call To Standardization For Ventilator Waveform Education For Apps And Physician Fellows, Soraya Smith-Farmer

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Mechanical ventilation management requires accurate interpretation of ventilator waveforms to identify patient-ventilator dyssynchrony, guide clinical decision-making, and prevent adverse patient outcomes. Although mechanical ventilation is fundamental to intensive care unit (ICU) practice, traditional training may not fully prepare clinicians to recognize and manage patient-ventilator asynchrony. Competency in waveform interpretation improves with repeated exposure, deliberate practice, and clinical reinforcement; however, few training programs provide structured approaches to support continued skill development. This quality improvement project evaluated whether a structured, case-based ventilator waveform microlearning intervention would improve confidence and support retention of knowledge in waveform interpretation among advanced practice provider (APP) fellows, …

Dnp Student Implementation Of Pc4 Model In A Pregnancy Resource Center To Improve Quality Of Care, Priscilla A. Outlaw

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) play a critical role in supporting women from underserved communities but often struggle to consistently meet clients’ emotional, cultural, and psychological needs. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to evaluate the impact of implementing the Person-Centered Care and Communication Continuum (PC4) Model—an evidence-based framework designed to enhance respect, communication, and individualized attention in maternal healthcare—on client satisfaction and service engagement at a local PRC.

Guided by Watson’s Theory of Human Caring, this mixed-methods quality-improvement project assessed antenatal client satisfaction and service delivery before and after PC4 implementation. Surveys and structured observations …

Supporting Socialization & Expression In Ltc: A Scoping Review Of Language Barriers & Older Adults, Christina Oleynikov, Amanda Mcintyre

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Communication is central to socialization and the expression of cultural identity [7]. In multilingual societies such as Canada, language barriers can hinder full integration, affecting social participation and overall quality of life [6,7,9]. The proposed study focuses on language barriers faced by minority older adults in long-term care settings. Non-English speaking residents who face barriers in communication and lack the adequate support necessary to overcome them, become vulnerable to impaired meaningful interactions and social isolation [3,11]. This study plans to gather and review existing scientific literature on how these barriers affect older adults and impact their socialization needs. A scoping …

Impact Of A Video Surgical Tour On Preoperative Anxiety In Joint Arthroplasty Patients, Rose C. Fialkowski, Patricia A. Keresztes

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Preoperative anxiety is a prevalent and clinically significant concern among patients undergoing elective hip and knee arthroplasty, affecting up to 69.4% of surgical patients and contributing to poorer perioperative outcomes, including increased pain, delayed recovery, and decreased patient satisfaction. Despite routine preoperative education, many patients remain unprepared for the surgical experience, particularly due to unfamiliarity with the perioperative environment.

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project evaluates the effectiveness of a virtual surgical center tour in reducing preoperative anxiety among adult patients undergoing elective joint replacement surgery at an outpatient orthopedic center in Chicago, Illinois. Guided by Dorothea …

Hospital Falls In Hybrid Virtual Nursing Models: A Need For Future Health Outcomes Research, Lindsay E. Colby

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Hospital falls are a global health concern with adverse implications for patients’ health-related quality of life. As a nurse-sensitive indicator, hospital falls reflect the quality and safety of the healthcare system. Hybrid virtual nursing, an emerging care delivery model, utilizes digital telehealth technologies and combines in-person nursing care with remote care. There is a dearth of literature related to the impact of hybrid virtual nursing on hospital falls.

The purpose of this poster is to: explore health outcomes measures and data sources related to hospital falls; review literature related to hospital falls in hybrid virtual nursing models. …