Earth Sciences Commons^™

Geogram 2005, David J. Keeling Editor, Wku Department Of Geography And Geology

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Publications

No abstract provided.

Spatial And Temporal Variations In Epikarst Storage And Flow In South Central Kentucky’S Pennyroyal Plateau Sinkhole Plain, Chris Groves, Carl Bolster, Joe Meiman

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

The well-developed karst aquifers of south central Kentucky’s Pennyroyal Plateau are impacted by contamination from animal waste and other agricultural inputs. Understanding fate and transport of these and other contaminants first requires knowledge of flow and storage behaviors within the impacted aquifers, complicated by significant heterogeneity, anisotropy, and rapid temporal variations. Here we report on spatial and temporal variations in vadose zone flow and water chemistry (or quality) within Cave Spring Caverns, Kentucky beneath agricultural lands on a well-developed sinkhole plain. Weekly sampling of three underground waterfalls show statistically significant differences in water quality, though the sites are laterally within …

Hydrologic And Geochemical Cycling Within Karst Versus Non-Karst Basins Within The Interior Low Plateau Province Of South-Central Kentucky, David Ek

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis summarizes my research in which I investigated differences and characteristics in hydrologic, nutrient and geochemical cycling between karst versus nonkarst basins within the Interior Low Plateau Province. Field data including stream discharge, evapotranspiration, and dissolved major ion concentrations were collected for a period of one year for two basins within Mammoth Cave National Park. Twelve percent carbonate rocks underlie one basin, while the other consists of 48 percent carbonate rocks. The carbonate rock exposures within both basins exhibit karstification. The hydrologic and geochemical differences between these basins were compared to determine to what extent that cycles are modified …

Evaluating Uranium Depth Versus Socio-Economic Statistics For Residential Radon Vulnerability In Warren County, Kentucky, Anthony Iovanna

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Residences in Warren County, Kentucky, are characterized by high levels of residential radon, which is one of the radioactive daughter products of uranium. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), radon exposure causes approximately 22,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States per year. The City of Bowling Green, in Warren County, is underlain by karst, an easily soluble limestone subsurface, which allows radon gas to travel easily through cracks and fissures. Carbonate rocks under Bowling Green are underlain by the Devonian Chattanooga Shale, a low-grade uranium ore and a potential source of radon gas. A digital …

Geogram 2004, David J. Keeling Editor, Wku Department Of Geography And Geology

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Publications

No abstract provided.

Karst Of Western Cuba: Observations, Geomorphology, And Diagenesis, Larry D. Seale, Limaris R. Soto, Lee J. Florea, Beth Fratesi

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

In Cuba, we observed many karst features in a variety of hydrogeologic settings. These hy-drogeologic settings occur in close proximity only because of the complex tectonic history of the is-land. We observed caves within rocks ranging from Pleistocene to Jurassic, and representing a range of diagenetic ages from eogenetic to teloge-netic. Our observations are from the western one-third of the island of Cuba; however, we believe they are representative of hydrogeologic settings found throughout the island.

Atrazine Contamination In A Rural Source-Water Supply: Spa Lake, Lewisburg, Kentucky, Kathryn Seadler

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In 1998, Western Kentucky University (WKU) worked in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Drinking Water Protection Division, to investigate methods to improve source-water quality for rural-water supply systems (RWSS). Through partial funding from the EPA, WKU developed a Technical Assistance Center for Water Quality (TACWQ), which focused resources and expertise toward assisting RWSS in achieving and maintaining capacity development goals and protecting public health. The TACWQ established the Source Water Protection Initiative (SWPI) to assist RWSS in acquiring and monitoring the technical, financial and managerial capacity needed to provide safe drinking water and achieve the public health protection …

Light & Dark: The Hidden Wonders Of Buck Creek, Lee J. Florea

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

As early morning mists rise from the banks of its supple waters, beams of light penetrate the Buck Creek valley illuminating its beauty. While light illuminates most of the land, there are secret places, nestled within the forest where darkness reigns supreme. Places beyond the touch of the sun, beyond the influence of seasons. Here time is measured not in cycles of light but by the flow of water and fall of rock. These are the caves, conduits for water past and present. Nestled in the hills of south-central Kentucky the caves along Buck Creek provide the lifeblood for a …

Hydrochemical Variations During Flood Pulses In The South-West China Peak Cluster Karst: Impacts Of Caco3–H2o–Co2 Interactions, Chris Groves, Zaihua Liu, Daoxian Yuan, Joe Meiman, Guanghui Jiang, Shiyi He, Qiang Li

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

High-resolution measurements of rainfall, water level, pH, conductivity, temperature and carbonate chemistry parameters of groundwater at two adjacent locations within the peak cluster karst of the Guilin Karst Experimental Site in Guangxi Province, China, were made with different types of multiparameter sonde. The data were stored using data loggers recording with 2 min or 15 min resolution. Waters from a large, perennial spring represent the exit for the aquifer's conduit flow, and a nearby well measures water in the conduit-adjacent, fractured media. During flood pulses, the pH of the conduit flow water rises as the conductivity falls. In contrast, and …

Using Cesium 137 To Understand Recent In Cave Sedimentation In The Tongass National Forest, Southeast Alaska, William Curry

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Removal of vegetation and subsequent erosion in karst regions such as central Kentucky or southeastern Alaska often leads to increased sedimentation in karst features such as caves and dolines. This sedimentation can impact the ground water by altering flow paths and the bio-geochemistry of the karst aquifer itself. Various methodologies have been used to obtain quantitative erosion and sedimentation rates for surface areas in karst and non-karst settings, but few quantitative studies have taken place in caves. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of timber harvesting and development upon the caves and karst of southeastern Alaska …

Geogram 2003, David J. Keeling Editor, Wku Department Of Geography And Geology

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Publications

No abstract provided.

Geographic Information System Methodologies To Evaluate Relationships Between Land Use And Groundwater Quality In South Central Kentucky, Rhonda Pfaff

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The development of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology has provided techniques for a holistic approach to the study of karst groundwater contamination. While karst groundwaters supply water to a large percentage of the earth's population, its complex environments often have lacked the scientific examination and conservation measures typical of non-karst regions. In this study, GIS methodologies were explored to examine the relationships between land-use and water quality in karst watersheds. Eight watersheds throughout southern and western Kentucky were examined. The study areas included the Mammoth Cave Karst Aquifer, which is the watershed that drains the Mammoth Cave System, and seven …

Preliminary Investigations Of Seasonal Changes In The Geochemical Evolution Of The Logdson River, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, Chris Groves, Darlene M. Anthony, Joe Meiman

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

Many geochemical studies have been made of karst waters worldwide. Most data that provide the framework for our current understanding of the evolution of karst waters have come from sampling at discrete times and locations, such as springs or wells. Relatively few studies have been made of the geochemical evolution of groundwater as it moves through an open flow system. This paper addresses the seasonal changes in the geochemistry of the Logsdon River conduit as it passes through nearly 10km of the carbonate aquifer of south-central Kentucky . The most important control on the ability of groundwaters to dissolve limestone …

Could Mammoth Cave Be Reduced To A Single Equation?, Chris Groves, Joe Meiman

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

Since the evolution of any cave system is largely deterministic, in theory the processes responsible for this development could be described mathematically. In a practical sense, we will never have such a model to realistically describe the evolution of the Mammoth Cave System in detail. However, the search itself can provide a framework within which to understand what processes areimportant. This can guide the design of rate process studies that would eventually be coupled to provide a comprehensive understanding of the cave's evolution. Data gaps, as well, are identified during this process. The geometry of a cave system depends on …

Ua66/8/3 Geogram, Wku Geography & Geology

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about the WKU Geography & Geology highlighting activities of faculty, students and alumni.

Karst Aquifers As Atmospheric Carbon Sinks: An Evolving Global Network Of Research Sites, Chris Groves, Joe Meiman, Joel Despain, Liu Zaihua, Daoxin Yuan

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

Karst flow systems formed in carbonate rocks have been recognized as a sink for atmospheric carbon that originates as gaseous carbon dioxide and ends up as dissolved aqueous carbon, primarily as bicarbonate. While measurements of the magnitude of the sink associated with carbonate rock dissolution have assumed that half of the dissolved inorganic carbon leaving a given catchment comes from the mineral and half from the atmosphere, consideration of the kinetics of carbonate mineral dissolution in acid solutions suggests that the ratio is enriched in mineral-source carbon to an extent that depends on the geochemical environment of mineral/fluid contact. After …

Transport Of The Herbicide Atrazine On Suspended Sediments During A Spring Storm Event In Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, Michael Anderson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examines the transport of atrazine, an herbicide used in Kentucky to control grassy and broad-leaf weeds in corn fields, on suspended sediments. Atrazine is a known carcinogen and endocrine disruptor and has been shown to be toxic at low environmental concentrations. Atrazine has the capacity to adsorb to soil particles, which in karst areas such as those found in south central Kentucky can be transported directly into the groundwater. Suspended sediments and water were collected from a well at the Hawkins River in Mammoth Cave National Park during a spring storm and tested for atrazine. Atrazine was found …

Detection Of Iapetan Rifting (Rome Trough Tectonism) By Quaternary Karstification: Pulaski County, Kentucky, Lee J. Florea

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Application Of Morphometric Relationships To Active Flow Networks Within The Mammoth Cave Watershed, John Glennon

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Numerous quantitative relationships have been formulated to describe the nature of surface-drainage networks. These parameters have been used in various studies of geomorphology and surface-water hydrology, such as flood characteristics, sediment yield, and evolution of basin morphology. Little progress has been made in applying these quantitative descriptors to karst flow systems due to the lack of sufficiently complete data and inadequate technology for processing the large, complex data sets. However, as a result of four decades of investigation, an abundance of data now exists for the Mammoth Cave Watershed providing the opportunity for broader quantitative research in the organization of …

Dye Tracing To Delineate Drainage Basins And Determine Groundwater Sensitivity, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky; With Special Reference To Potential Groundwater Contamination From Spills Along Interstate I-65, Arthur Capps

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The Mammoth Cave System of south central Kentucky encompasses more than 560 km of surveyed cave passages. The largest groundwater basin (244 km2) found within this cave system emerges from the Turnhole Bend Spring on the Green River. During high flow conditions, water from this groundwater basin will spill over into the Echo River section of the cave. Previous research, including cave mapping and dye tracing (Quinlan and Ray, 1989; Currens and Ray, 1998; Coons, 1994), has delineated the boundaries of spring groundwater basins for numerous springs along the Green and Barren Rivers. These data showed that 60% of the …

In-Cave Dye Tracing And Drainage Basin Divides In The Mammoth Cave Karst Aquifer, Kentucky, Chris Groves, Joe Meiman, Shannon Herstein

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

Karst ground-water basin divides are generally depicted as two-dimensional lines on maps, but they are better considered as three-dimensional surfaces within the subsurface. Dye traces are necessary to map out these surfaces and to locate conduits inaccessible to cave surveyors, and are indispensable for understanding the geometry of the complex networks of flow paths through the aquifer. A key reason why the Mammoth Cave System is the world's longest known cave is that its passages extend over several major ground-water basins. The divides between these basins define the drainage system geometry and precise location of them is critical for understanding …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 76, No. 35, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. Articles in this issue:

• Walsh, Erica. Chris Groves Recovering After Dramatic Cave Rescue – Sides Cave
• Lynch, Caroline. Night-long Rescue Effort Has Happy Ending – Chris Groves
• Youngman, Sam. Students Helping Bowling Green Economic Boom
• Pre-Law Club Hosting Panel
• New Support Group Forming – Eating Disorders
• Hall, Rex. New Traffic Signal Delayed – University Boulevard
• Ragan, Jason. Engineering Program A Step Closer
• Student Government Association Will Benefit from Online Voting
• Grady, Brian. Editorial Cartoon re: Virtual Voting
• Kreitzer, Debbie. Opinion Page an Instrument of Gossip
• Van der Meer, Wieb. …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 76, No. 34, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. Articles in this issue:

• Karen, Mattias. Professor Trapped in Cave – Chris Groves
• Walsh, Erica. Elections May Go Online – Student Government Association
• Hoang, Mai Beauty King – Matt Curry, Mr. Hilltopper
• Western Grad Places Eighth in Hearst – Matt Batcheldor
• Forensics Team Wins Indiana Tournament
• Moore, Brian. Race Lawsuit File Full of Discrepancies, Contradictions – Robert Dye
• Football Players Deserve Rings
• Grady, Brian. Editorial Cartoon re: Football Championship Rings
• Conger, Aaron. Teachers Should Show Compassion
• Chaney, David. Intro to Toilet Flushing – General Education
• Moore, Conrad. Geography, Geology …

Karst Genetic Model For The French Bay Breccia Deposits, San Salvador, Bahamas, Lee J. Florea, John Mylroie, Jim Carew

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Phosphorus Enrichment On The Dominant Phytoplankton Communities Of Chaney Lake, Kathy Tehrani

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Chaney Lake is a temporary karst wetland located in southern Warren County, Kentucky. Because of an impermeable chert layer between the surface and the porous limestone, Chaney Lake fills with water over the winter and spring and then gradually drains over the summer. Three experiments were conducted over the course of the 1998 flooding season to assess the effects of phosphorus addition on the phytoplankton community in Chaney Lake. Ten plastic-sided mesocosms were constructed and placed in the marsh area of the wetland at three different periods: early spring, early summer, and late summer. Phosphorus in the form of K2HPO4 …

A Quantitative Analysis Of Interstitial Fluid-Chemistry And Limestone Dissolution Rates Within The Clastic Sediment Of A Karst Aquifer Conduit, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, Kevin Vaughan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Many active stream conduits within karst aquifers transport and deposit non-carbonate, clastic sediment. However, little is known about how these sediments impact conduit development and enlargement rates. For example, can dissolution take place at the sediment/bedrock interface beneath a flowing stream? If not, cavern enlargement might be dominated by flood conditions when the bare rock of the walls and ceiling are in contact with the dissolving fluids. An approach using limestone tablet weight loss experiments, along with water sampling and geochemical modeling, has been undertaken to understand the nature of fluid movement and chemistry with the sediment beneath an active …

Ua66/8/3 Geogram, Wku Geography & Geology

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about the WKU Geography & Geology highlighting activities of faculty, students and alumni.

Seasonal Effects On The Geochemical Evolution Of The Logsdon River, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, Darlene Anthony

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The following research describes the collection and evaluation of geochemical data from the Logsdon River, an open-flow conduit that drains a portion of the Turnhole Spring drainage basin within the Mammoth Cave karst aquifer of south-central Kentucky. This spatial survey of nearly 10 km of continuous base-level conduit included seasonal sampling of carbon dioxide partial pressures (Pco2)> dissolved ions, and saturation indices for calcite (SIcal). The highest PC02 values are found at the upstream site, closest to the Sinkhole Plain recharge area, which creates under-saturated conditions. Rapid outgassing of C02 into the cave atmosphere creates oversaturated conditions for several thousand …

Measuring The Applicability Of The Seville Strategy To The Mammoth Cave Area Biosphere Reserve, Debra Kreitzer

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The dominant paradigms of the past decade involve the preservation of biodiversity through the use of landscape corridors and buffer zones, as well as the integration of economic growth through sustainable use. The International Biosphere Reserve (IBR) program, as defined in the Seville Strategy, encourages locations already involved in conservation to continue to protect biodiversity and foster harmonious relationships between humans and their environment through sustainable development. An excellent example of an IBR is the Mammoth Cave Area Biosphere Reserve (MCABR) in south-central Kentucky. In order to measure the significance of the implementation of the Seville Strategy in the MCABR, …

Forensic Soil Analysis: Characterization Of The Sand Fraction, John Baize

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this project was to develop a comprehensive analytical method for the characterization of soil by examining particle size, elemental composition, and percent organic matter in soil, and to determine its forensic applicability. In this study, five soils of varying geological locations were examined including two samples from Kentucky; two samples from Pennsylvania; and one from Washington D C A Gilson sonic sieve shaker was used to separate fractions of soil to determine particle size, and a JEOL scanning electron microscope with a Kevex EDS detector was used to determine elemental composition. These techniques coupled with percent total …