Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Stability Of Paleosinks And Karstic Carbonates In The Southern Fire Clay Mining District Of Missouri, Robert Weiser Dillon

Doctoral Dissertations

"The Southern Fire Clay District of Missouri was intensely mined during the late-1800’s to mid-1900’s for its valuable resource of high refractory clays deposited within Pennsylvanian sinkholes “paleosinks”. Mining operations have produced modifications in the Ozark aquifer, which in effect has possibly increased the instability of this paleokarst terrain and the potential of further environmental impacts to the land. Evidence supporting this hypothesis are: (1) A southerly shift in the regional groundwater divide relative to the topographic divide. This possibly is caused by the distribution of leaking clay pits, which suggests that the bedrock permeability or hydraulic conductivity has been …