DOCSLIB.ORG

CARBONATE-ROCK AQUIFERS— Continued

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
CARBONATE-ROCK AQUIFERS— Continued CARBONATE-ROCK AQUIFERS— Continued Some of the common types of karst features that develop on the land surface where limestone is exposed in the Mam- 39° ° ° moth Cave area of central Kentucky are shown in figure 28. 85 83 Recharge water enters the aquifer through sinkholes, swallow Spring Natural bridge holes, and sinking streams, some of which terminate at large Sinkholes 87° Karst valley depressions called blind valleys. These depressions, along with Sinking y stream karst valleys and sinkholes, form when all or part of a cavern K E N T U C K Y Blind valleyy roof collapses. Uncollapsed remnants of the cavern roof form 89° Mammoth Cave Area ° yy 37 natural bridges. Surface streams are scarce because most of yy yyySpring y the water is quickly routed underground through solution open- yyShale Blind valley yy y y ings. In the subsurface, most of the water moves through cav- yyyyyyy Swallow yyy y hole erns and other types of large solution openings. yy y yyyy Sinkhole y Solution cavities riddle the Mississippian limestones that yyLimestone Cavern y yy underlie the Mammoth Cave Plateau and the Pennyroyal Plain y yyyyyyyyy yyy yNOT TO SCALE y that borders the plateau to the south and southwest. Some of y these cavities form the large, extensive passages of Mammoth y y y y Cave (fig. 29), one of the Nation’s largest and best studied y yyyyy cave systems. As the cave’s network developed, surface yy yyy yy streams were diverted into the passages through sinkholes and yyShale Figure 28. The dissolution of exposed limestone flowed as underground streams through openings along bed- yyy y yyy ding planes. Sand and other sediment carried by the under- forms characteristic land-surface features, such as sinkholes, y karst valleys, and sinking streams. Solutionyy features are rare where the ground streams abraded the limestone, thus further enlarging limestone is covered with noncarbonate rocks. Few surface streams occur because yy the solution openings through which the stream flowed. Verti- most of the precipitation is quickly routed into and through solution openings in the limestone. Modified from Lloyd and Lyke, 1994 cal passages, usually developed at the intersections of joints, yyy connect the horizontal bedding plane openings. Dissolution yy yy and erosional processes are still active at Mammoth Cave. y yy Aquifers in carbonate rocks of Cretaceous to Precambrian yyyyy age yield water primarily from solution openings. Except for y a basal sandstone aquifer, the Ozark Plateaus aquifer system yyy consists of carbonate-rock aquifers whose hydrologic charac- 35° 85° Greenville 80° teristics are like those of the limestones at Mammoth Cave. ● The Silurian–Devonian aquifers, the Ordovician aquifers, the Upper Carbonate aquifer of southern Minnesota, the Arbuckle– S O U T H Simpson aquifer of Oklahoma, and the New York carbonate- ★Columbia ★Atlanta rock aquifers are all in layered limestones and dolomites of Pa- Birmingham C A R O L I N A ● leozoic age, in which solution openings are locally well devel- Augusta ● oped. The Blaine aquifer in Texas and Oklahoma likewise G E O R G I A yields water from solution openings, some of which are in ● A L A B A M A Charleston carbonate rocks and some of which are in beds of gypsum and ★Montgomery anhydrite interlayered with the carbonate rocks. n a Savannah ● e Aquifers in carbonate rocks of Tertiary and younger age c have different permeability and porosity characteristics than O c aquifers in Cretaceous and older carbonate rocks. The aquifers i t in Tertiary and younger rocks are the Castle Hayne aquifer of n a North Carolina (in Eocene limestone), the Biscayne aquifer of l t South Florida (in Pliocene and Pleistocene limestones and A ★Tallahessee interbedded sands), the North Coast limestone aquifer system F Jacksonville● Base modified from U.S. L in Puerto Rico (in limestone of Oligocene to Pliocene age), and Geological Survey digital 30° O data, 1:2,000,000, 1972 the Floridan aquifer system of the southeastern United States R (in limestone and dolomite of Paleocene to Miocene age). The I ulf of Mex D strata that comprise these aquifers were deposited in warm ma- Joe Meiman, U.S. National Park Service, G ico A rine waters on shallow shelves and are mostly platform carbon- Mammoth Cave, Ky. Figure 29. Where solution openings in limestone are large and ate deposits in which intergranular porosity is present as well ● well connected, they may form networks of cave passages such as EXPLANATION Orlando as large solution openings. The Floridan aquifer system de- this one at Mammoth Cave. The openings can be enlarged at the scribed below is the most productive and most studied example Tampa bottom as the limestone is eroded by sediment-laden streams Floridan aquifer system ● of this type of carbonate-rock aquifer. flowing through them. Figure 30. The Floridan aquifer Miami ● system underlies all of Florida, large parts SCALE 1:7,500,000 of Georgia, and smaller areas in South 0 50 100 MILES Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi. 0 50 100 KILOMETERS Southwest South Carolina 25° Panhandle Georgia and Northeast East-Central West-Central South and Florida Northwest Southeast Florida Florida Florida Florida Florida Georgia The Floridan Modified from Figure 31. Miller, 1990 aquifer system can generally Upper confining unit be divided into an Upper Floridan aquifer and a Lower Floridan aquifer, separated in most places by a less-permeable confining unit. The Lower Floridan aquifer UPPER FLORIDAN AQUIFER locally contains cavernous zones that are extremely permeable. 35° 85° Figure 32. The thickness 80° Middle Middle Middle Middle of the Floridan aquifer system confining semiconfining semiconfining confining varies considerably. Some of unit unit unit unit the variations reflect major S O U T H warping of the Earth’s crust during deposition of the C A R O L I N A carbonate rocks that compose the system and some reflect LOWER FLORIDAN AQUIFER faulting after the rocks were Boulder A L A B Zone deposited. A M A G E O R G I A FLORIDAN AQUIFER SYSTEM 200 Fernandina n permeable A 400 a zone e 600 c 800 O 1000 Lower confining unit 00 c 200 6 i t 1200 1200 n 00 Modified from Miller, 1986 4 6 a yy1400 l 0 200 2800 0 0 1600 t 00 0 60 4 6 40 0 2000 00 800 1000 1800 A 0 4 1800 2400 600 0 00 1200 1400 600 600 80 0 6 00 1000 1 1600 F 0 1400 Base modified from U.S. 0 L 6 Geological Survey digital 30° 1 O data, 1:2,000,000, 1972 yy R 1800 1400 2400 I 1600 3000 D 1800 ulf of Me G xico A The Floridan aquifer system underlies an area of about meable confining unit (fig. 31). In parts of northeastern and 2000 100,000 square miles in southeastern Mississippi, southern northwestern Florida and southwestern Georgia, no confin- 2200 3 2400 00 Alabama, southern Georgia, southern South Carolina, and all ing unit exists and the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers 0 2600 EXPLANATION of Florida (fig. 30). The Floridan is one of the most produc- are directly connected. Two cavernous zones, the 30002800 2800 tive aquifer systems in the world; an average of about 3.4 Area where Floridan aquifer system is thin Fernandina permeable zone and the Boulder Zone, are 3400 billion gallons per day of freshwater was withdrawn from it present in the Lower Floridan aquifer. Low-permeability yy due to intergranular gypsum 3400 3200 during 1990. Despite the huge withdrawals, water levels in 3000 confining units bound the aquifer system above and below. Thickness of Floridan aquifer system, in feet 3400 3200 the Floridan have not declined regionally; however, large de- The thickness of the Floridan aquifer system ranges 3400 clines have occurred locally at a few pumping centers. from a thin edge at its northern limit to more than 3,400 feet 600 3000 1200 3200 3000 The Floridan aquifer system is extremely complex be- in parts of southern Florida (fig. 32). The map shows the 2800 cause the rocks that compose the system were deposited in combined thicknesses of the Upper and Lower Floridan 1800 2600 2800 highly variable environments, and their texture accordingly aquifers and the middle confining unit where it is present. 2400 SCALE 1:7,500,000 0 50 100 MILES varies from coarse coquina that is extremely permeable to Some of the large-scale features on the thickness map are 3000 micrite that is almost impermeable. Diagenesis has changed 0 50 100 KILOMETERS A' related to geologic structures. For example, the thick areas 25° the original texture and mineralogy of the carbonate rocks in southeastern Georgia and in the eastern panhandle of 3200 3000 No data 3400 in many places. The principal diagenetic processes that in- Florida coincide with downwarped areas which are called the Modified from fluence the porosity and permeability of the aquifer system Southeast and Southwest Georgia Embayments, respec- 2000 Line of equal thickness of Floridan aquifer Miller, 1986 are dolomitization (which increases the volume of connected tively. In north-central peninsular Florida, the aquifer sys- system—Interval 200 feet pore space in fine-grained limestones) and calcite or dolo- tem thins over an upwarp which is called the Peninsular Fault—Vertical or nearly so. Bar and ball on mite overgrowths (which fill part or all of the connected pore Arch. Faults in southern Georgia and southwestern Alabama downthrown side space in pelletal limestone or coquina). Dissolution of the form the boundaries of trough-like grabens. Clayey sedi- AA'Line of hydrogeologic section—Section limestone has produced small to large conduits at different ments within these downdropped structural blocks have shown in figure 33 levels in the aquifer system.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Introduction to Virginia's Karst
    Introduction to Virginia’s Karst A presentation of The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Karst Program & Project Underground Karst - A landscape developed in limestone, dolomite, marble, or other soluble rocks and characterized by subsurface drainage systems, sinking or losing streams, sinkholes, springs, and caves. Cross-section diagram by David Culver, American University. Karst topography covers much of the Valley and Ridge Province in the western third of the state. Aerial photo of karst landscape in Russell County. Smaller karst areas also occur in the Cumberland Plateau, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain provinces. At least 29 counties support karst terrane in western Virginia. In western Virginia, karst occurs along slopes and in valleys between mountain ridges. There are few surface streams in these limestone valleys as runoff from mountain slopes disappears into the subsurface upon contact with the karst bedrock. Water flows underground, emerging at springs on the valley floor. Thin soils over fractured, cavernous limestone allow precipitation to enter the subsurface directly and rapidly, with a minimal amount of natural filtration. The purer the limestone, the less soil develops on the bedrock, leaving bare pinnacles exposed at the ground surface. Rock pinnacles may also occur where land use practices result in massive soil loss. Precipitation mixing with carbon dioxide becomes acidic as it passes through soil. Through geologic time slightly acidic water dissolves and enlarges the bedrock fractures, forming caves and other voids in the bedrock. Water follows the path of least resistance, so it moves through voids in rock layers, fractures, and boundaries between soluble and insoluble bedrock.
    [Show full text]
  • Lascaux Cave, France  Complex Hunter Gatherers at the End of the Paleolithic  Dates: 47/45,000 – 20/18,000 B.P
    Lascaux Cave, France Complex Hunter Gatherers at the End of the Paleolithic Dates: 47/45,000 – 20/18,000 b.p. (Epipaleolithic=20/18,000-10,000 bp) Industries include microliths and bone tools—not found in previous periods Raw materials were exchanged over long distances in this period Wide range of materials, other than flint, come into use: bone tools, stone vessels, ochre, shells Some probably for ritual purposes In contrast to early modern humans (and Neanderthals): Size of teeth reduced Size of jaw reduced Muscularity diminishes Less skeletal trauma Increased longevity Cro-Magnon cranium Upper Paleolithic Artwork Cave Art Includes spectacular images of animals and abstract forms and, rarely, humans Mobiliary Art These portable art objects include Venus figurines Body Ornamentation: Pierced shells, pierced animal teeth, and bone beads were most likely work as necklaces or attached to clothing Horse, Cosquer Cave, France Penquin or Auk, Cosquer Cave, France Bear Bison ‘Venus’ figurines Dolni Vestonice Lespugue Willendorf . Appear around 25,000 bp, Europe . Carved in ivory, wood, stone, modeled in clay . Breasts, hips, buttocks, thighs, usually large . Head, arms, hands, legs & feet are only schematic . Some are pregnant, others are not 4.48.jpg Dwellings Huts with bone frameworks Floors with inlaid stone Stone-lined pits for hearths Tailored clothing Long-distance trade Blade technique Long, parallel-sided flakes are struck off the edges of a specially prepared core Blades: long flake, twice as punch long as wide • Sharp parallel edges • Removed from core like peeling carrot (sort of) • Blades provide “blank” or form, which may then be shaped into different tools: .
    [Show full text]
  • Hang Son Doong,Vietnam by Sarah Collinge
    Hang Son Doong,Vietnam By Sarah Collinge Have you ever explored a cave? A cave is an underground chamber in a hillside or clif that has been formed over time by rainwater, ocean waves, lava, or oil-eating bacteria. Places where the earth is made up of large amounts of limestone are known for having many caves. Limestone is made from the remains of shells and skeletons of sea creatures. Tis sedimentary rock is easily dissolved by slightly acidic water. Where limestone dissolves, an underground chamber forms. No one knows how many caves there are on Earth, probably millions. Many natural caves re- main undiscovered. Te largest known cave in the world is Hang Son Doong, located in the country of Vietnam. Tis cave was frst discovered 20 years ago and is more than 2.5 miles long. Its widest chambers are 300 feet wide and over 600 feet high—big enough to easily hold an entire New York City block of skyscrapers. A very large “room” in one section of the cave is equal to the size of the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Te name Hang Son Doong means Mountain River Cave. Te cave was originally discovered by a local man who heard a whistling sound made by an underground river. Flowing through the cave is a fast-fowing, subterranean river, the Rao Tuong River. During the fooding season, the river can rise close to 300 feet. References: Groleau, R. (October 1, 2002). How caves form. Retrieved June 23, 2012, from http://www.pbs.org/ wgbh/nova/earth/how-caves-form.html.
    [Show full text]
  • Download a Pdf of the Subterranean Renovations Publication
    SUBTERRANEAN RENOVATIONS THE UNIQUE ARCHITECTURAL SPACES OF SHOW CAVES Under America’s surficial terrain, another landscape lurks, where built and natural forms blend to create unusual spaces, in some of the more compelling tourist caves in the United States. ike an elaborate stage for an audienceless performance, spectacular natural caves L formed and transformed over the ages in the unseen world of the underground. Typically evolving drop by drop, as the earth melted away with the natural dissolution of limestone, strange sculptural creations grew in hollow cracks and capacious chambers; white curtains of speleothems like frozen waterfalls and delicate dioramas of stalactites mutated in geologic slow motion. Shallow pools of still water would mirror seemingly limitless distances, were it not for the absence of light, and sounds would echo, oddly magnified, except for the near total silence. When modern humans came into this subterranean world, first as explorers, then as tour- ists, they brought with them both light and sound, as well as shovels, cement, electricity, postcards, and even fried chicken. From the first lantern-led tours through Mammoth Cave in the early 1800's to the drive-through caves of today, the two hundred or so caves in the country that have been opened to the public (out of over 30,000 caves discovered in the United States so far) have been transformed by the interests of tourism and the fancy of cave owners and promoters. Most modifications to the natural cave are of a practical nature, made in order to accom- modate visitors. New cave entrances are blasted to allow more convenient access, path- ways are installed to allow visitors to move easily along the otherwise uneven cave floor, and lighting of some type is installed to make the formations and pathways visible.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding Aquifers: Demonstration Using a Physical Model
    Understanding Aquifers: Demonstration using a Physical Model Part I: Aquifers Explained Geology is the science of planet Earth, its history, and all the processes that act on it. Hydrogeology is the branch of geology which studies how water and rocks interact underground, mainly in aquifers An aquifer is a rock unit that holds enough water to supply water to wells. Aquifers can be found in many types of rocks, such as sandstone, conglomerate, unconsolidated sand and gravel, and fractured rocks composed of limestone or igneous rocks. Here at Barton Springs in Austin, Texas, we are standing on top of the Edward’s Aquifer, composed mostly of fractured limestone. These fractured rocks dissolve overtime and can create large, cave-like systems called Karst aquifers. So when you hear the word Karst, think cave. Some of these caves are big, some of them are small. Karst aquifers are different from sedimentary aquifers, where water flows mostly through the gravel and sand grains similar to a sponge. Hydrogeologists use two terms when investigating aquifers—porosity and permeability. Porosity is all the empty pore space inside a rock given in a percent volume. Porosity represents the volume of water a rock formation can potentially hold. Permeability is how well a fluid can flow within the pore spaces of the rock within the aquifer. For water, we describe this property as hydraulic conductivity. For example, clay and rocks like pumice may have high porosity, but because the pores do not connect with each other, the permeability of these rocks is usually low. Layers of low-permeability material such as clay and shale typically act as barriers to groundwater flow and may often function as an aquitard within a groundwater flow system.
    [Show full text]
  • A Guide to Responsible Caving Published by the National Speleological Society a Guide to Responsible Caving
    A Guide to Responsible Caving Published by The National Speleological Society A Guide to Responsible Caving National Speleological Society 2813 Cave Avenue Huntsville, AL 35810 256-852-1300 [email protected] www.caves.org Fourth Edition, 2009 Text: Cheryl Jones Design: Mike Dale/Switchback Design Printing: Raines This publication was made possible through a generous donation by Inner Mountain Outfitters. Copies of this Guide may be obtained through the National Speleological Society Web site. www.caves.org © Copyright 2009, National Speleological Society FOREWORD We explore caves for many reasons, but mainly for sport or scientific study. The sport caver has been known as a spelunker, but most cave explorers prefer to be called cavers. Speleology is the scientific study of the cave environment. One who studies caves and their environments is referred to as a speleologist. This publication deals primarily with caves and the sport of caving. Cave exploring is becoming increasingly popular in all areas of the world. The increase in visits into the underground world is having a detrimental effect on caves and relations with cave owners. There are many proper and safe caving methods. Included here is only an introduction to caves and caving, but one that will help you become a safe and responsible caver. Our common interests in caving, cave preservation and cave conservation are the primary reasons for the National Speleological Society. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced caver, we hope the guidelines in this booklet will be a useful tool for remembering the basics which are so essential to help preserve the cave environment, to strengthen cave owner relations with the caving community, and to make your visit to caves a safe and enjoyable one.
    [Show full text]
  • Cave Painting
    Cave Painting Cave paintings from Lascaux caves (Montignac, Dordogne, France) Some of the earliest examples of art include cave paintings found all over the world. Going as far back in time as tens of thousands of years, the paintings often show animals and humans in connection with the natural environment. These images give us a glimpse of the mind of the maker, communicating natural and possibly spiritual messages through symbolic drawings. Making art is a very human cultural experience, and our expression of art has been a constant practice right from the start. Neolithic cave paintings found in Tassil-n-Ajjer (Plateau of the Chasms) region of the Sahara Be inspired by cave paintings and make your own cave art! See below for examples of cave art from the Maxwell Museum Ancestors exhibit and click here for a video tutorial for making your own cave painting. Cave painting reproductions, Maxwell Museum – Salon Noir, Niaux, France Draw your own forms or use these traditional forms for inspiration. Resources: Cave painting online exhibit – Google Arts and Culture https://artsandculture.google.com/project/chauvet-cave Cave painting lesson plan from the National Endowment for the Humanities https://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plans/cave-art-discovering-prehistoric-humans-through-pictures UNESCO page on cave art around the world https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/?search=cave+art&order=country Lascaux guided tour – French Ministry of Culture https://archeologie.culture.fr/lascaux/fr#/en/00.xml/index.html Cave Art 101 – National Geographic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjejoT1gFOc Lascaux Cave Paintings – Project #113 – United Art and Education https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1HC3UeBAng Lessons on Lascaux – Dick Blick https://www.dickblick.com/lesson-plans/lessons-on-lascaux/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0yH0Ia3NDE Lulu inspired by cave art .
    [Show full text]
  • Caves and Karst in New Mexico
    Volume 3, Number 1, Winter 2003 CAVES AND KARST IN NEW MEXICO The caves of New Mexico are among rejoining) passage patterns are charac- the most outstanding, beautiful, and teristic of carbonic acid karst, branch- geologically significant in the world. In work caves being by far the most the south-central part of the state near common type. Well-known carbonic the town of Capitan are Fort Stanton acid caves include Mammoth Cave in Cave and Torgac Cave. In the south- Kentucky, Jewel and Wind Caves in eastern part of the state, southwest of South Dakota, Kartchner Caverns in the town of Carlsbad, are Carlsbad Arizona, and Fort Stanton Cave in Cavern, visitor attraction for millions, New Mexico. and Lechuguilla Cave, the deepest cave Thirty years ago cave researchers in the United States and fifth longest noted with interest the fact that many cave in the world. Also in the Carlsbad of the spectacular caves of New Mexico area is Parks Ranch Cave, the longest and Texas bore little resemblance to the gypsum cave in the United States. better-known caves of Kentucky and These caves and the landscapes in Virginia. Other similar caves had been which they occur are important geolog- noted since the 1930s. The patterns ic resources of New Mexico. In the past created by the cave passages themselves twenty years or so, they have played an were remarkably different and bore lit- important part in geologists’ growing tle relation to the known hydrologic understanding of how caves form. features of the area. Thus began the unraveling of one of the more interest- What is Karst? ing stories in the growth of our knowl- Karst is the term geologists use to edge of speleogenesis and the origin of describe a topography characterized by sulfuric acid caves.
    [Show full text]
  • Cave Paintings: the Studiowith Art from Prehistoric Times ART HIST RY KIDS
    Cave paintings: The Studiowith art from prehistoric times ART HIST RY KIDS LET’S LOOK AGAIN Take a few minutes to look at this cave art again – with fresh eyes. Looking at art once is never enough... there’s always more to see! What new things do you notice this week? You can look at everything together, or just focus on one painting. Note your new observations here. January 2019 | Week 2 1 Cave paintings: The Studiowith art from prehistoric times ART HIST RY KIDS A MAP OF THE CAVE One of the most fascinating things This organization suggests that the paintings in the about the Lascaux Cave is the layout. Lascaux Cave are more than just a collection of There’s a deliberate – and very organized – random drawings. The placement was thoughtful, composition to the placement of the art. and there was a reason for the art. Axial Gallery The Passage Hall of The Apse Diverticule of the Bulls the Felines The Shaft Entrance January 2019 | Week 2 2 Cave paintings: The Studiowith art from prehistoric times ART HIST RY KIDS LET’S MEET THE ARTISTS Who painted in the Lascaux Cave? Who painted in the Las- caux Cave? The ancient cave artists lived long ago and it is a challenge to know who they were and what their lives were like. Archaeologists have studied the people who lived in this area during the time the cave paintings were created. They’ve named this group of people the Magdalenians. Archaeologists learned that the Sitting down are two of the four boys who discovered the Lascaux Cave.
    [Show full text]
  • Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Dark
    World Heritage 43 COM Patrimoine mondial Paris, 23 November 2018 Original: English / français UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION ORGANISATION DES NATIONS UNIES POUR L'EDUCATION, LA SCIENCE ET LA CULTURE CONVENTION CONCERNING THE PROTECTION OF THE WORLD CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE CONVENTION CONCERNANT LA PROTECTION DU PATRIMOINE MONDIAL, CULTUREL ET NATUREL WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE / COMITE DU PATRIMOINE MONDIAL Forty-third session / Quarante-troisième session Baku, Azerbaijan / Bakou, Azerbaidjan 30 June - 10 July 2019 / 30 juin - 10 juillet 2019 Item 7 of the Provisional Agenda: State of conservation of properties inscribed on the World Heritage List and/or on the List of World Heritage in Danger Point 7 de l’Ordre du jour provisoire: Etat de conservation de biens inscrits sur la Liste du patrimoine mondial et/ou sur la Liste du patrimoine mondial en péril MISSION REPORT / RAPPORT DE MISSION Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (Viet Nam) (951bis) Parc national de Phong Nha-Ke Bang (Viet Nam) (951 bis) 11-20 July 2018 Report on the Joint WHC/IUCN Reactive Monitoring Mission to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (11-20 July 2018) REPORT ON THE JOINT WORLD HERITAGE CENTRE/IUCN REACTIVE MONITORING MISSION TO PHONG NHA-KE BANG NATIONAL PARK (VIET NAM) FROM 11 TO 20 JULY 2018 Photo © IUCN / Remco van Merm July 2018 2 Report on the Joint WHC/IUCN Reactive Monitoring Mission to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (11-20 July 2018) TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ....................................................................................................................5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, OVERALL APPRAISAL AND LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS ................6 1 BACKGROUND TO THE MISSION ............................................................................................ 14 1.1 Inscription History ...........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Guide to Responsible Caving
    Published by the National Speleological Society Photo by Ryan Maurer 1 A Guide to Responsible Caving National Speleological Society 6001 Pulaski Pike Huntsville, AL 35810-1122 256-852-1300 • [email protected] www.caves.org Fifth Edition, 2016 Text: Cheryl Jones Design: Mike Dale/Switchback Design Photos: Selected from those accepted for show in the 2015 NSS Photo Salon Printing: Terry Raines Copies of this Guide may be obtained through the National Speleological Society website. www.caves.org © Copyright 2016, National Speleological Society FOREWORD aving can be a rewarding, safe, and fun activity when you are properly trained, equipped, and Cprepared. But there is more to being a “real” caver than having the correct skills and gear: you also must be a responsible caver. This means you show respect for the cave, and its challenges, environment, and creatures, as well as for cave owners and their property. This is critical to preserving the cave wilderness and keeping caves open to cavers for years to come. In this booklet, the National Speleological Society (NSS) provides an introduction to becoming a responsible caver. We hope these guidelines will help make your ventures underground safe and enjoyable, and pave the way for you to become a respected member of the caving community. I encourage you to join a local chapter of the NSS to develop your skills and knowledge with experienced cavers and speleologists, and become a part of the caving community. This is the fifth edition of my original booklet, A Guide to Responsible Caving. A special thank-you to my fellow cavers for their hard work and dedication: Cheryl Jones for revising and editing this publication and Michael Dale for the design and layout.
    [Show full text]
  • Characterization of the Mammoth Cave Aquifer
    Characterization of the Mammoth Cave aquifer Dr Steve Worthington Worthington Groundwater Mammoth Cave area Mammoth Cave 300 miles Martin Ridge Cave Model 1 assumptions • Karst feature are local scale • Aquifer behaves as porous medium at large scale • Useful data for calibration – 1) Heads in wells – 2) Hydraulic conductivity from well tests Water level data Hydraulic conductivity data • Matrix 2 x10-11 m/s • Slug tests (geo . mean) 6x106 x 10-6 m/s • Slug test (arith. mean) 3 x 10-5 m/s • PiPumping tests 3103 x 10-4 m/s • MODFLOW (EPM) 1 x 10-3 m/s MODFLOW - homogeneous EPM simulation K=1.1x10-3 m/s 48 wells mean absolute error = 12 m Simulated tracer paths 54 tracer injection locations Actual tracer paths f4ifrom 54 inputs to 3 springs Problems with model 1 • Major assumption incorrect • Lab studies and numerical models (e.g . Plummer and Wigley, 1976; Dreybrodt, 1996) suggest channel networks and caves should always form) • Karst aquifers are not just “features” Model 2 assumptions • Aquifer has integrated conduit network • Useful data for calibration – 1) Hea ds in we lls – 2) Hydraulic conductivity from well tests – 3)dddihi) Heads and discharge in cond diuits – 4) Tracer tests Water level data Simulated tracer paths all 54 tracer paths go to correct spring MODFLOW with high K cells K 2x10-5 to 7 m/s MbltMean absolute error 4 m Result s of M ODFL OW with “conduits cells” • Head error reduced from 11 m to 4 m • Tracer paths accurately shown • Model reasonable for steady-state • Poor performance for transient (hours) • Poor performance
    [Show full text]