Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Why I Love Grasshopper Sparrows, Michele Patenaude

UVM Libraries Conference Day

Since 2001, Michele (a library circulation supervisor in her day job) has conducted a summer breeding-bird survey of Grasshopper Sparrows at Camp Johnson in Colchester, VT. Named Grasshopper Sparrows because their breeding call sounds like a grasshopper, this little brown bird is endemic to certain types of scrubby grasslands which are becoming more scarce in the Northeast. The Grasshopper Sparrow is also declining and the species is not on the list of Vermont Endangered Birds. Come to this presentation and learn about the bird, how Michele surveys them, why they are endangered, and why Michele loves these quiet, little brown …

Sump Diving “River Caves”, Mark Wenner

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Note: “Sump” is a term used in caving to describe a passage in a cave that is submerged under water.

Sump diving, and “lure of the sump” originated in the UK in the early 1920’s, as did the use of “rebreather’s, and the “self-contained underwater breathing apparatus”, S.C.U.B.A. The techniques developed by cavers, and “sump divers” in Europe, and then used in British cave systems like Wookey Hole set a cave diving precedence; the development of a unique style, and system for diving caves. These diving practices and techniques influenced the exploration of resurgences, springs, siphons, and river caves throughout …

Sable Melodists, Janet Bass Smith

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Inside Mammoth Cave on Broadway Avenue, between the last TB hut and Star Chamber, the name Sable Melodists is inscribed on the wall, using what appears to be charcoal. Next to Sable Melodists are the names of two men: R. H. Condon, and J. M. Foans. (See Figures 1, 2, and 3) When the name Sable Melodists was researched several years ago, the only information available was that it was a minstrel group. A recent search revealed more information, and provoked a more complete investigation of minstrel groups and minstrel shows, and their evolution.

Pre-Service Teachers Learn About Karst Geology At Mammoth Cave National Park, Jeanine Huss, Cheryl Messenger

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

All Preservice elementary science methods students at Western Kentucky University participate in a one-day or two-day experience at Mammoth Cave National Park. This trip has occurred over the past seven semesters. Through this experience, students gain knowledge about their local unique karst environment.

Using Interactive Simulation To Extend Access To Learning Along The Historic Tour Route Of Mammoth Cave National Park, Christopher L. Atchison, Don Stredney, Karen E. Irving, Rick Toomey, Alan Price, Thomas Kerwin, Bradley Hittle, Phillip J. Reed

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

This poster presentation displays work of a current project to address the problem of limited inclusion to field-based learning experiences for students with physical disabilities. Led by researchers at Georgia State University, Ohio State University and Mammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning, the overall objective of the project is through integration of emerging simulation technologies and techniques, to provide a rich virtual environment of a geological field site for students with mobility impairments. Through the development of a synthetic field-based module that employs a virtual environment that interchangeably uses two and three-dimensional representation for presenting an alternative to …

Mammoth Cave National Park Backcountry Trail And Stream Monitoring, 2009-2012, Larry Johnson, Student Conservation Association Conservation

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

This project conducted an assessment of backcountry trail conditions on the north side of the Green River in Mammoth Cave National Park during summers of 2009-2012. The project included assessing physical parameters of trails, (width, depth, etc.) and conducting an assessment of water quality of streams in proximity of backcountry trails. The project was conducted by Student Conservation Association resource assistants (12 weeks each) supervised by a natural resource specialist from the Mammoth Cave Division of Science and Resources Management. Trail assessment procedures were based on techniques developed by Jeff ery L. Marion, Ph.D, USGS, Virginia Tech (et al.) and …

Mammoth Cave National Park Npscape, Lillian Scoggins, Shepard Mcaninich

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

NPScape is designed to address questions related to resource conservation Vulnerability and Opportunity. These dynamics are shaped at the landscape scale by three major factors: Natural Systems, Human Drivers, and Conservation Context. Consider by way of example a focal resource occurring inside a park. That resource is capable of persisting in part because of the ecological attributes of the larger natural system within which it exists. However, the value of the natural system with respect to the focal resource can be challenged by human-mediated drivers of landscape change. Precisely how these drivers interact with the natural system to impact the …

Improvements To The Rv Waste-Transfer Station Design To Reduce Contaminated Storm Runoff, David Solomon, Sean Mcmillian, Ashley West, Lonnie Sharpe

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Mammoth Cave in Central Kentucky is the world’s longest cave system and has been designated an international biosphere. It has unique organisms that live in the cave system and they are dependant upon high quality water supplied through rain recharge. We have documented quaternary ammonia compounds (QAC) levels ranging from 0.2 to 22 mg/L in storm fl ow, as well as, other chemicals coming from the RV waste-transfer station. The objective of this project was to re-design the drain system around the dump station to prevent spillage from washing down into the cave. The first design feature is a v-trench …

Use Of Sorption Isotherms To Improve The Efficacy Of The Storm-Water Filters, Hung-Wai Ho, Rick Toomey

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Sorption has been widely used as an inexpensive and environmental friendly water treatment technology. A large variety of adsorbents with different adsorption mechanisms have drawn interests, and combinations of adsorbents will enhance sorption of mixed solutions. However, current sorption research tends to focus on single material. The objective of this study was to develop sorption isotherms for ZPG®, (Zeolite, Perlite, Granular Activated Carbon), used in a stormwater filter cartridge. Contaminants of concern include Cu2+ and quaternary ammonia compounds (QAC). Adsorption isotherms were established for Cu2+ and QAC, and the best fit for the isotherm data was a Langmuir isotherm for …

Water Quality Monitoring At Mammoth Cave National Park, Brenda Wells, Joe Meiman

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Since the main objective of the monitoring program for Cumberland Piedmont Network (CUPN) is to detect, and understand changes in major ecosystem resources, the poster information will show results of what has occurred with water quality in the park since 2004. The data cover 13 sites, sampled once a month for 2 years on and 5 years off . The main parameters monitored for MACA include: air and water temperature, pH, fl ow, dissolved oxygen, specific conductivity, E. Coli, nitrates and turbidity. The data are compiled and analyzed at the end of every sampling cycle ultimately for addressing park management …

Three Examples Of Chemical Transport In Storm Runoff At Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, Ashley West, David Solomon, Hung-Wai Ho, Victor Roland, Irucka Embry, Rick Toomey, Roger Painter, Lonnie Sharpe, Dafeng Hui

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

The karst landscape at Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, was formed by water through the dissolution of soluble rocks forming sinkholes, disappearing streams, emerging springs, closed depressions, and a combination of wet and dry caves. The Park’s cave streams and pools provide a home to unique organisms. Surface waters in the Park tend to rapidly drain into subsurface geologic features and caves. This rapid infiltration makes the subsurface vulnerable to contamination. The objective of this investigation was to characterize chemical transport from the surface into the cave. The preliminary results were achieved by tracer studies and monitoring water chemistry along …

Multiple Storm Event Impacts On Epikarst Storage And Transport Of Organic Soil Amendments In South-Central Kentucky, Jason Polk, Sean Vanderhoff, Chris Groves, Benjamin Miller, Carl Bolster

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

The groundwater in agricultural karst areas, such as Kentucky’s Pennyroyal Plateau, is susceptible to contamination from organic soil amendments and pesticides. During 2011, water samples and geochemical data were collected every four hours before, during, and between storm events from a waterfall in Crumps Cave from January to September to track the transport and residence time of epikarst water and organic soil amendments during variable fl ow conditions. Geochemical data consisting of pH, specific conductivity, temperature, and discharge were collected continuously at 10-minute intervals, along with rainfall amounts. The changes in geochemistry indicate simultaneous storage and transport of meteoric water …

Spill Retention And Routine Runoff Filtration Structures On Interstate 65 In The Vicinity Of Mammoth Cave National Park, Rick Olson

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

In the early 70’s, I conducted an ecological study on the Doghill-Donahue Cave System in Southern Indiana. This cave remained relatively un-impacted until Highway 37 was widened near Bedford, and the cave was engineered to be a storm sewer for highway runoff . The consequences of facilitated water entry and easy access for spelunkers via an ungated culvert entrance were severe. Sediments washed into the cave smelled like putrid rubber when disturbed, habitat for cave life was trampled, and beautiful delicate mineral features were smashed. Anticipating that I-65 would someday be widened, I was concerned about possible consequences to Mammoth …

Using S Isotopes To Identify The Source Of Gypsum In Mammoth Cave, J. Garrecht Metzger, David A. Fiske, Bob Osburn, Aaron Addison

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Many of the dry passages of the cave are lined with gypsum (CaSO4�2H2O) crystals, an evaporite mineral. However, the source of the sulfur in these gypsum deposits is poorly constrained with possible sources including pyrite, sedimentary gypsum/anhydrite, and carbonate associated sulfate (“CAS”, SO42- substituted for CO3 2- in the calcite crystal lattice). The two most abundant forms of sulfur in the bedrock above and around Mammoth Cave are pyrite (FeSs) and CAS. These phases commonly have very different isotopic signatures (δ34S)* and the δ34S values of these phases can be compared to the δ34S of the gypsum to aid in …

Potential Effects Of Hydrogen Sulfide And Hydrocarbon Seeps On Mammoth Cave Ecosystems, Rick Olson

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Recently, Mammoth Cave Guide Bruce Hatcher reported what appeared to be contaminated water seeping into Marianne’s Pass. I visited the site and concluded that it was not likely due to pollution, and that it was a natural phenomenon. To be sure, I sampled the water for fecal coliform and E. coli analyses since sewer lines are in the area. The results were <1 mpn/100ml in both cases. A sulfur spring is mentioned at this site in Rambles in the Mammoth Cave, which was published in 1845, and this predates any well drilling that could lead to hydrocarbon and sulfide pollution. Another line of evidence that the seeps are natural is that they are all deeply weathered into the bedrock, which takes a long time. The seeps support thousands of springtails, which feed on the microbial mats, and crickets are common as well. A possible effect on biodiversity will be discussed.

Particulate Inorganic Carbon Flux In Karst And Its Signifi Cance To Karst Development And The Carbon Cycle, Randall L. Paylor, Carol M. Wicks

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Chemical removal of carbonate is generally assumed to dominate the inorganic carbon cycle in karst, but mechanical removal of carbonate during storm events may be significant. To determine the significance, particulate inorganic carbon (PIC) flux in bed load and suspended load is being quantified and compared to dissolved inorganic carbon flux in three karst systems: Mammoth Cave, KY; Blowing Cave, KY; and Tumbling Creek Cave, MO

An Alternative To The Advection Dispersion Model For Interpreting Dye Tracing Studies In Fractured-Rock And Karst Aquifers, Roger Painter, Irucka Embry, Victor Roland, Rick Toomey

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Due to the complexity of groundwater fl ow in fractured-rock and karst aquifers, solute transport models for these aquifers are typically stochastic models based on tracer transport studies. Water and tracers do not fl ow at one single advective velocity but experience a wide range of velocities, from rapid fl ow in conduits to near stagnant conditions in adjacent voids. This variance of velocities is referred to as dispersion and is traditionally described mathematically by the advection-dispersion equation (ADE). Analytical solutions to the ADE are available and are referred to as advection-dispersion models (ADM).The ADM is fitted to the tracer …

Mysteries Of The Underground River, Tk Stone Middle School Students, Shannon R. Trimboli, Kim Weber, Susan Ryan, Rick Toomey

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Have you ever heard of a river that that flows backwards? Mammoth Cave, the longest cave system in the world, has an underground river exhibiting reverse fl ow patterns since at least the 1960’s and most likely earlier. Beginning in 2009, 7th graders from T.K. Stone Middle School in Elizabethtown, Kentucky have been teaming with WKU researchers to study and conduct research about this phenomenon.

Karst Hydrogeology Of The Haney Limestone, South Central Kentucky, Sarah Arpin, Chris Goves

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

South-central Kentucky has one of the world’s most intensively studied karst areas, with most work focusing on the Mammoth Cave System and the related aquifers within the Mississippian St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve and Girkin Limestones. Within much of the Mammoth Cave Plateau, these limestones are overlain by the Big Clifty Sandstone and other formations that form a protective caprock within the area’s major ridges. Above the Big Clifty, in turn, is the Mississippian Haney Limestone, typically about 12 m thick, which forms a locally important but much less well studied carbonate aquifer. This research provides the most comprehensive hydrogeologic synthesis …

Geophysical Logging Of A Park Well, Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, Michael W. Bradley

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Geophysical logs are used to measure various physical properties of the underlying rock formations or the fluids contained in the rocks. Probes that measure different properties are lowered into a well or borehole and the measured data are displayed by depth. The properties displayed in the geophysical log can then be correlated to known geologic formations, changes in rock type, or changes in rock or fl uid properties. The two types of logs run at Mammoth Cave were natural gamma and caliper. Gamma logs record the amount of natural gamma radiation emitted by the rocks surrounding the borehole. Clay and …

Paleontology And Paleoecology Of Interglacial Guano Deposits In Mammoth Cave, Ky, Chris Widga, Mona Colburn

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Mammoth Cave guano deposits contain a rich record of troglofauna spanning the last 125,000 years. In particular, chiropteran remains from Chief City provide insight into ecosystem dynamics of the cave area during the last interglacial. This paper presents results of paleontological excavations undertaken in 2008.

Sub-fossil remains (N=1134) in Chief City guano deposits are dominated by chiropteran taxa. Although all identified taxa are extant, the combination of Myotis leibii and Tadarida brasiliensis is an association without modern analogue. Stable isotope analyses of guano indicate a C3 prey signature characteristic of forested habitat. This was unexpected given the prevalence of T. …

Misconceptions Among Us: Evaluating Informal Karst Education In The United States And Abroad, Leslie A. North

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Data collected through archival research, personal communication, electronic surveys, and field-based research at four US show caves, including Mammoth Cave, indicate the existence of multiple misconceptions about education in informal learning settings. For instance, although karst educational endeavors are seemingly abundant, the number of these programs directed at children far outnumbers the quantity of programs available to adult learners. Moreover, over 54% of educational pursuits focus solely on caves, not karst terrains. Operators of many tourism facilities lack an understanding of learning outcomes from guided tour experiences or an understanding of how best to develop cave tours. Data also reveal …

Antibiotic Resistance And Substrate Utilization By Bacteria Affi Liated With Cave Streams At Diff Erent Levels Of Mammoth Cave, Petra Byl, Shannon R. Trimboli, Rick Toomey, Jacob Byl, David Solomon, Tom Byl

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Located in south-central Kentucky, Mammoth Cave is one of the most unique National Parks in the United States. The surface landscape includes complex relationships between the flora and fauna along with human influences. However, the primary ecological focus is concealed below ground. Over four-hundred miles of cave passages, created by fl owing groundwater over millions of years, host a variety of macro and micro organisms. The Green River has cut into the limestone formation over geologic time, creating a complex network of passages that are stacked, one below the other, with the newer levels of cave lying near the bottom. …

Partners In Water Quality Monitoring At Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, Thomas D. Byl, Rick Toomey, Shannon R. Trimboli, Lonnie Sharpe, Jr., Roger Painter

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Water resources are essential to landscape development and maintenance of the extraordinary ecosystem at Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky. The National Park Service has implemented many policies and management practices in an effort to maintain and improve the water quality in the park. As part of their resources management, the Park evaluates current hydrologic conditions, as well as, anticipates and responds to emerging issues. With regards to that goal, Mammoth Cave National Park Service partnered with Tennessee State University, the Mammoth Cave International Center for Science and Learning, and the U.S. Geological Survey on a series of water-related projects from …

Analysis Of Kyrock For Leaching Of Impurities In Synthetic Rainwater, Santhosh Kumar

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Kyrock is a coarse grained sandstone with a complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds. Mining of Kyrock was for use in road construction and roofing. Kyrock samples were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy to obtain Elemental analysis. High levels of carbon indicate the presence of organic compounds. Analysis of an acid digestion of the samples using Inductively Coupled Plasma spectroscopy inorganic compounds such as titanium oxide, vanadium oxide along with traces of a arsenic. Elemental analysis of samples shows a six percent of carbon, and 5-6 percent sulfur with no notable traces of Nitrogen. Pyrolysis of the samples was …

Correlating Nox Levels At Mammoth Cave National Park With Solar Irradiance, Matthew Nee

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

The nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2, collectively known as NOx) are among the major air pollutants monitored because of the risks they pose to human health and as indirect contributors to global climate change (Domine and Shepson 2002). They are ubiquitous products of combustion engines and other industrial processes, and are therefore typically considered to arise from anthropogenic sources, particularly at urban centers (NO2 is responsible for the orange smog seen over certain cities during and following rush hour traffic).

In-Cave And Surface Geophysics To Detect A “Lost” River In The Upper Levels Of The Mammoth Cave System, Timothy D. Bechtel, Chet Hedden, J.D. Mizer, Ute Bellmann, Sarah Truebe, Kenneth Dresang, Ellen Bechtel

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

In early 1960, explorers accessed a significant underground river through a crawlspace beneath a ledge in Swinnerton Avenue southeast of the Duck-Under. However, later expeditions failed to find this crawlspace. Instead, the level of sediment in the passage is now generally at or above the rock ledge, leaving no openings to lower level passages other than the Duck-Under itself. Apparently recent organic material (leaves, twigs, etc.) observed in passages just below the Duck-Under may be related to open channel fl ow from storm events which could theoretically provide local sediment transport. Therefore we have used in-cave spontaneous potential (SP), ground …

The Making Of A Connection: Exploration/Survey In Whigpistle Cave System, Patricia Kambesis, Joel Despain, Chris Groves

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

The current length of the Flint Ridge-Mammoth Cave System (to be called Mammoth Cave System for the rest of this paper) has been attained by a series of connections instigated by cave explorers/mappers of the Cave Research Foundation (CRF) and Central Kentucky Karst Coalition (CKKC). Between 1961 and 2011, connections have expanded the surveyed extent of the cave system to its current “official” length of 390 miles (650 km). Connections do not happen serendipitously; rather, systematic exploration is the key to successful connections. CRF and other groups working in the Mammoth Cave area have adopted a method of systematic exploration …

Restoring The Kämper Map For The 21st Century: A Digital Approach, Tres Seymour

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

One would be hard-pressed to find any 20th Century spelunker familiar with Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave system who did not also have some passing familiarity with the Kämper Map. The work of German engineer Max Kämper, who explored extensive areas of Mammoth Cave in the company of guide Ed Bishop in 1907-1908, the meticulous hand-drawn cave map would for decades prove the most reliable tool for navigating the miles of darkness – its tangled lines of ink the equivalent of Theseus’ ball of twine in this natural labyrinth.

This effort had its inception in conversations between the author, who as the …

How Did Max Kämper And Ed Bishop Survey Mammoth Cave?, Rick Olson, Bernd Kliebhan, Rick Toomey

Mammoth Cave Research Symposia

Max Kämper made the first accurate map of Mammoth Cave showing approximately 35 miles of passages. His partner in surveying the cave was Ed Bishop, a capable caver and descendant of Stephen Bishop – the famous slave guide and explorer of Mammoth Cave. To be fair, Edmund Lee’s 1835 map was a reasonably accurate rendering of the known cave at that time, which was only 8 miles. The map is a beautiful piece of cartography, but somehow he measured Mammoth Dome as being 280 feet deep, which would put it below the level of Green River. As well, Black Snake …