2019 - 2020 ANNUAL REPORT

www.nckri.org Table of Contents Executive Director’s Report...... 1 NCKRI’s New Look...... 2 NCKRI Research...... 4 Geoarchaeological Studies of and at Chichén Itzá...... 4 Management and Conservation in the Philippines...... 6 Geophysics and Chemistry of the San Solomon Springs’ Aquifer...... 8 Vision and Values Conglomerate Karst Hydrologic Study: Black River.... 10 The National Cave and Karst Research Institute Searching for Desert Groundwater Fauna...... 11 (NCKRI) will be the world’s premier cave and karst New Data Loggers in NCKRI Bat Roost...... 12 research organization. NCKRI promotes and performs Karst Information Portal...... 13 Installing NCKRI’s Laboratory...... 14 projects of national and international application, of the Mapping Endangered Karst Species...... 14 highest quality and integrity, through dedicated staff and Cave Geomorphology of the Klamath partners. Mountains, California...... 15 National Cave Sample Archive...... 15 NCKRI Research Grant Program...... 16 Organization and Mission NCKRI National Seed Grants...... 16 NCKRI was created by the US Congress in 1998 NCKRI Scholar Fellowships...... 17 in partnership with the National Park Service, State of NCKRI-NMT Internal Seed Grants...... 19 New Mexico, and the City of Carlsbad. Federal and state Education Program...... 20 Cave Exploratorium: NCKRI’s Science Center...... 20 funding for NCKRI is administered by the New Mexico The DropZone at the Cave Exploratorium...... 20 Institute of Mining and Technology (a.k.a. New Mexi- Guadalupe Mountains 4th Annual co Tech or NMT). Funds not produced by agreements Youth Poster Contest...... 21 through NMT are accepted directly by NCKRI, Inc., our NCKRI Educational Tools...... 21 National Workshops...... 22 non-profit, 501(c)(3) affiliate. International Workshops...... 22 NCKRI Partners and Friends...... 23 NCKRI’s enabling legislation, the National Cave and Conferences and Meetings...... 24 Karst Research Institute Act of 1998, 16 U.S.C. §4310, Student Activities...... 25 Cave and Karst Studies at NMT...... 25 identifies NCKRI’s mission as to: Student Research Projects...... 25 1) further the science of ; Cave and Karst Research Fellowships 2) centralize and standardize speleological information; for NMT Undergraduates...... 26 3) foster interdisciplinary cooperation in cave and karst NCKRI Seminar Series at NMT...... 28 National Park Service - NCKRI Liaison Program...... 29 research programs; Technical Assistance Requests...... 29 4) promote public education; NPS Web Pages...... 30 5) promote national and international cooperation in COVID-19 NPS Cave Response Management...... 30 protecting the environment for the benefit of cave Outreach...... 31 International Year of Caves and Karst...... 31 and karst landforms; and NCKRI News...... 31 6) promote and develop environmentally sound and Professional Partnerships and Karst Standards...... 31 sustainable resource management practices. Professional Meetings...... 31 International Involvement...... 32 National Involvement...... 33 NCKRI Annual Report Series Community Involvement...... 33 NCKRI produced this publication as part of its Media...... 33 annual reporting of activities. The reporting period Board of Directors Chairman’s Report...... 34 covers NCKRI’s fiscal year, from July 1, 2019 to June NCKRI Staff...... 34 Continuing Education...... 34 30, 2020. Digital copies of this, previous annual reports, Staff Publications...... 35 and other NCKRI reports are available for free at www. 2019–2020 State and Federal Budget...... 37 nckri.org. Cover Photo Caver Adam McLeod on rope in one of the longest caves in Great Smokey Mountains National Park. This is one of many premier photos on the National Park Service (NPS) cave and karst website, developed NCKRI is a proud institute of: through the new NPS-NCKRI liaison program (see report on pages 29–30). Photo courtesy of Matt Tomlinson.

Back Cover Photo The ancient Maya saw this column and surrounding in Grutas de Balankanche, Mexico, as “The World Tree,” which shored up the heav- ens to release rain and support the cycle of life. Caves were sacred to the Maya, as shown in one of this year’s projects (see report on pages 4–5). NCKRI photo by George Veni. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

I first visited the ancient Maya city of Chichén Itzá as a tourist in 1988 as I drove to Belize for a caving expedition. I remember looking up at the Osario, reading on a sign that a hole at the top of the temple led to a cave below, never dreaming that 31 years later I would rappel down through the temple and conduct the first hydrogeologic assessment of the cave. It is now a year after that trip, and I recall thinking what a fabulous por- tent that study was of more great things to come as NCKRI had just started its fiscal new year. Sadly, it didn’t work out quite that way. I’ve often joked, “It’s bad luck to be superstitious,” and some projects, plans, activities, and dreams for NCKRI were canceled or postponed by the COVID-19 virus. I always write these Executive Director’s reports after collecting and reviewing all the other annual report material. While we did suffer some disappointments and losses, after looking through these pages it is clear we actually had a great year. Most importantly, everyone still has their health and jobs, which tragically can’t be said for millions of others. This edition of the annual report has packed in more news on projects and programs than ever before. We eliminated our usual staff biographies at the end to make room, and this is still our longest annual report to date! In last year’s annual report, I predicted good things for this year, thanks Photo courtesy of Allan Cobb. in large part to a major boost in our federal support. We hired more staff and acquired much needed equipment. Our new team members quickly climbed beyond their learning curves and are now splendidly productive in both the quality and amount of their accomplishments. The following pages document the growing diversity in NCKRI’s projects as well as its national and international scope. Two new sections were added to this annual report. The first covers our new research grant program. The second is on our liaison role with the National Park Service, assisting with and coordinating its national level cave and karst programs. Certainly, COVID-19 is mentioned in this report where it affected some projects and programs, but not nearly to the degree many would expect. NCKRI is stronger than ever and will continue to excel as the world recov- ers from this pandemic. We are humbled by the support we have received from so many people during these difficult times, boosting our confidence that we’ll come through this stronger still. On behalf of everyone at NCKRI, we send you our best hopes for your good health, safety, and success throughout and long after this global crisis passes.

George Veni, Ph.D.

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 1 NCKRI’S NEW LOOK

We are excited to announce two becoming the world’s premier Launching Our important projects led by NCKRI’s cave and karst institute. With our New Identity Education Director, Dianne Joop: move out of the National Park “Vision without action is just a our new logo and upcoming new Service and into NMT, a new logo dream, action without vision just website. You may have noticed some seemed appropriate and in 2008 we passes the time, and vision with changes with the look of our Annual transferred the themes of the original action can change the world.” Report. The new logo is on the cover logo into a more abstract form that Nelson Mandela and Joel A. Barker and inside, with minor variations in has served us well for the past 12 color to fit the white or backgrounds. years (see below). Our logo is our face, but our We believe our new look better With the year 2020 approaching, website is our window to the world. matches what we’ve become since we began looking inward, assessing In thinking about how vision with our founding in 1998—an institute actions we could take to sharpen action can change the world, we promoting and facilitating cave our focus and update our brand. We view our website as a vital tool to and karst research, education, and asked if our logo resonates with our help us improve the world for caves sustainability. audience and communicates who and karst and improve the world by So, why the new look? From we are and where we are going. The educating it about caves and karst. the beginning, our Congressional impetus of a new website further We see the website as a vehicle to mandates have driven NCKRI’s pushed our decision to refresh the achieve our vision; as a catalyst for work and direction. Our first NCKRI logo. We considered more the advancement of cave and karst Executive Director, Dr. Louise than 40 options with our design knowledge. Hose, oversaw NCKRI as a research team. After polling our many We need to elevate our website facility within the National Park constituents, partners, and staff for to raise our profile as the go-to Service and laid the groundwork feedback we agreed on a revised source on caves and karst. Our for NCKRI to be established within look based on our 2008 logo. current content falls short. To do the New Mexico Institute of Mining It was crucial that our new logo better requires updated software and and Technology (NMT). In 2003 she concisely convey caves, karst, and state-of-the art information. Our led the development of NCKRI’s everything that NCKRI stands for, Education Director, Dianne Joop, is first logo (see below), illustrating while resonating with the scientific leading the charge. the major thematic elements of and academic communities as well This year she worked with our water connecting the surface and as the general public. We wanted design team and staff to rebuild subsurface aspects of karst. to respect the success we’ve NCKRI’s website with engaging Our current Executive Director, achieved in the first twenty-two content and layout, while offering Dr. George Veni, envisioned NCKRI years of operations while looking a better user experience. We wrote ahead and planning for our future. dozens of new pages of in-depth Simplicity was essential for us materials on the origins and types while revitalizing a recognizable of caves and karst, and their many brand and logo. We feel the new values, to inform the world about logo stays true to our roots, while these amazing places —illustrated reflecting NCKRI’s evolution, and with dozens of stunning photos. will help raise NCKRI’s profile as We are so excited about the new the national authority on caves and website and can’t wait to launch it karst. The new logo is shown on the this upcoming year to elevate the next page with explanations of some world’s knowledge of caves and considerations in its design. karst.

2 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 3 NCKRI RESEARCH

Geoarchaeological that some communities have exca- Cueva del Osario Studies of Caves and vated tunnels to create the cultural (Cave of the Ossuary) Karst at Chichén Itzá equivalent of caves where natural This cave is one of the longest The Maya Mesoamerican region caves do not exist. Further, studies known caves in the area, first report- extends across Belize, Guatemala, of some chultuns, constructed cav- ed in 1897. Our study was the first and parts of El Salvador, Honduras, ities initially envisioned for water time a karst hydrogeologist examined and Mexico. Approximately 70% of storage, found them impractical or the cave. The cave’s entrance is under this area is karst, characterized by unable to hold water and are reinter- El Osario, a flat-topped pyramid that caves and little to no surface water. preted as another form of artificial is 24 m long at its base and about 9 m With most access to water being cave—even in cavernous areas—for tall. The cave is accessed through through caves and related features the sacred value they give to a site. a 1-m square shaft at the top of the like cenotes (large sinkhole collaps- In August 2019 Projecto Gran pyramid that drops through the core es that expose the water table) and Acuífero Maya (GAM) invit- of the structure to the cave (see Ex- springs, the importance of caves to ed NCKRI’s Dr. George Veni to ecutive Director’s report for a photo ancient Maya culture has long been conduct a preliminary geoarchae- of Dr. Veni rappelling into the cave at recognized. ological investigation of known the top of the temple). Caves were used by the Maya as and newly found caves and karst Below the pyramid, the natural sources of water and for religious, features and archaeological sites in entrance is a 2-m deep pit with steps calendric, ascension, and other ritu- and around Chichén Itzá. Dr. Veni is built into one side to give access to als (see back cover). Especially sa- well known for his many years of re- the narrow top of a 12-m deep pit. cred areas of caves were frequently search of caves of the Maya region. At the bottom is a small room with hidden or obstructed by constructed He was assisted by his long-time geologic and airflow corrosion fea- walls. The most famous such cave colleague and Maya cave expert Mr. tures pointing to where excavation is Grutas de Balankanche near the Allan Cobb. Their work and access may lead to new passages. archaeological site of Chichén Itzá, to field sites was facilitated by GAM in Yucatan, Mexico. directors Dr. Guillermo de Anda and Cueva Xtoloc Caves have also been identified Dr. Jim Brady, with assistance from Drs. Jim Brady, Kevin Thuesen, as significant elements in the sacred Pedro Almada, Ana Celis, Karla and George Veni surveyed this cave symbolic geography and layout of Ortega, and other GAM members. in 1992, which was revisited during major structures in Mayan commu- The following are sites visited, and this study. The cave is in the wall of nities, even to the extreme degree their preliminary findings. Cenote Xtoloc, about 20 m down from the top of the cenote and 6 m above its lake. The depth of the cenote’s lake is not known. The cave averages 1 to 1.3 m high by 2 m wide. The entrance passage goes west 5 m to a “T” intersection. In each direction the cave extends about 80 m. During this project, the 1992 survey was extended overland to the lake, the rim of the cenote, and some exposed structures within the cenote. The cave’s origin predates the cenote. The direction of groundwa- ter flow that created the cave is not clear, possibly because of a flow reversal when the cenote collapsed, allowing water to drain from the entrance. The entrance passage was NCKRI photo by George Veni. enlarged by the Maya to gain access Like many ritually important caves in the Maya area, Grutas de Balankanche to the main part of the cave. was once sealed and hidden. A tourist trail now cuts through the ancient wall. Given the historic long-time easy

4 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE high and wide and formed below the Like Balankanche, Balamku be- water table. Elevated levels of carbon comes wet at its southern end. At this dioxide occur throughout the cave. point Balamku is only muddy and The primary reason for studying no significant pools are known. The this cave was to assess the potential description of the end of Balamku is for additional sacred passages hidden conflicting; it is not clear if the cave by the Maya. The considerable effort ends or continues so small it can only and difficulty to carry the large -ce be traversed with difficulty. Pools, ramic vessels throughout the known that would have been sacred to the small passages with high levels of Maya, probably exist beyond the carbon dioxide, and with relatively current limit of exploration. If they little resulting damage, requires the are humanly accessible, then notable consideration of a possible hidden cultural materials may be present. entrance. While all passages were not explored, the cave’s morphology, Summary Results description, and map of unvisited The several conclusions and areas suggest no additional entrances recommendations from this study are are likely. Much of the area over the summarized here into four groups: NCKRI photo by George Veni. cave was walked and two depressions 1. A variety of karst features and areas Ana Celis, of Projecto Gran Acuífe- were discovered above the cave’s within caves are suggested for exca- ro Maya, in Cueva Xtoloc next to current southern limit but excavation vation as likely areas for containing pockets of probably rare gray-green by GAM did not reveal entrances. undiscovered cultural materials. attapulgite clay in the cave wall. Geologic observations suggest 2. Geophysical surveys will identify access to the cave, any significant at least one area where a hidden additional unknown culturally cultural materials in the cave were passage may be located. Additionally, important caves, but also yield probably looted long ago. What may the weathering pattern on a roughly- important insights to cave and be a partial constructed wall exists in carved 1-m long probable aquifer development in the region. the southwest part of the cave and may in the entrance room suggests it was 3. While this study focused on have once blocked access to a short brought in from a cenote or rejollada geoarchaeological insights for the side passage. Throughout the cave is (a large collapsed sinkhole like a Chichén Itzá area, not regional a gray-green clay not found in most cenote, except with a dry floor) where hydrogeology, those insights pro- caves. It appears to be attapulgite, the stalactite grew in an environment duced recommendations for local also known palygorskite, a magne- open to surface weathering. Other to regional aquifer studies. sium aluminum phyllosilicate clay karst features were found in the area 4. Mineralogical studies of several known for use by the Maya for “Maya that might contain Maya artifacts if geological materials in the area Blue” pigment and medicinally for excavated. will advance both geological and its anti-diarrheal properties; it is an cultural understanding of the active ingredient in several modern Grutas de Balankanche caves and their use. medicines. It is possible this clay was A short visit was made to this We thank GAM for their invita- more abundant and excavated from the famous (see back cover tion and support and look forward to cave, but there is no direct evidence to photo) as a comparison to Balamku. working with them again. support this hypothesis at this time. Morphologically, the caves are quite similar, except that passages in Bal- Balamku ankanche are much larger. Both caves Balamku (Yucatec Maya for have high levels of carbon dioxide and “Jaguar God”) is a newly re-dis- drain to the south, suggesting a subtle covered cave that contains multiple structural control of cave development caches of incense burners and other in the area that would require highly ceramic vessels. Within about 15 m detailed and precise geologic map- from the entrance, the cave reaches ping to confirm. At its southern limit, a depth of about 12 m and maintains Balankanche turns along an east-west NCKRI photo by George Veni. Balamku contains caches of ceramic that approximate depth throughout trend, suggesting Balamku may also vessels, especially incense burners, its surveyed length of about 500 m. turn and drain to the east beyond its some still holding incense ash burned The passages range from 0.4 to 3 m current limit of exploration. in the cave hundreds of years ago.

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 5 Cave Management and skills. They organize food, Conservation in the transportation, accommodation, Philippines guides, drivers and much more. Since 2014, Philippine and Education and outreach are a big American cave experts have worked part of the project with many to document and understand a large training and educational seminars region of tropical karst and caves in offered by the American and Sultan Kudarat Province on Mind- Philippine team. Presentations to the anao Island, in the southern Philip- local towns happen nightly during pines. The international team has the expeditions with hundreds of worked very closely with local gov- Philippine residents attending each ernments and provincial leaders up evening. to the governor. These government NCKRI’s Cave and Karst offices have provided tremendous Management Scientist, Joel Despain, support to the project, including visited the Philippines in January vehicles, accommodations, food and 2020 as part of the fifth Philippine- supplies that have made the work in American expedition to the caves of Sultan Kudarat possible. Sultan Kudarat Province. The caves The expeditions have also of the region are most often long, Photo courtesy of Dave Bunnell. worked with the local people to map sinuous underground rivers with Spathite in Makioman Cave. This rare and photodocument the caves and to rapids and waterfalls (see photo on is about 0.5 m long. initiate other projects in the area. A the next page of Agsamosan River key partner has been the Saranganai Cave). There are also many pits Many of the region’s caves are Bay Area Outdoor Club. These in the area and some of the longer highly scenic with big rooms and cavers lead the trips with great caves have pit entrances, which add passages, well-decorated with large organizational and communication another dimension to the caves. such as stalactites and . Some caves also contain rarer types of speleothems such as splattermites. These form when splattering water makes fin-like crystalline projections that grow on the side of other speleothems such as stalagmites. Small examples are in the photo to the left. Spathites (see photo above) also occur in the Sultan Kudarat caves. These rare stalactites form with a high content of the mineral aragonite, which gives spathites an odd twisted shape with small inverted cups that hold over-sized drops of water. Overall to date the project has mapped more than 25 km of cave passages in more than 50 caves, completed approximately a dozen cave maps, taken hundreds of photos, completed more than 30 presentations on the project and caves, published numerous articles on the caves and the project, and Photo courtesy of Dave Bunnell. initiated biologic, geologic and Small petal-like splattermites are in front of the caver in a speleothem wall in hydrologic research. Lagbasan Cave. Lagbasan Cave is an excep-

6 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE on cave management to government staff and university students at the local college after the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the Treasures of the Sultan: The Amazing Caves of Sultan Kudarat Province book project is off and running with multiple completed articles, dozens of high-quality photos and layout for the first 50 pages completed. Authors include both Philippine and American writers, photographers and cartographers with sections on peoples’ lives and experiences in Photo courtesy of Shane Fryer. Mapping in Agsamosan River Cave in January 2020. association with the caves, the caves themselves, and cave science and tion to the river caves in Sultan photo trip to Lagbasan Cave, which management. Publication is slated Kudarat Province. It is dry, very was not easy since the cave was for 2021, during the International old, and the passages are huge— a 9-hour drive away. He made 11 Year of Caves and Karst. more than 50 m wide (see photo presentations to various government Plans for the 6th expedition, below). But it is what is inside officials, ranging from the Governor when the pandemic is over, are of the passages that especially to teachers and small-town mayors, under review by Philippine govern- gets peoples’ attention. The cave about the caves, the book project, ment officials. With the expeditions, contains many huge speleothems, and cave management for Lagbasan book, and educational effort, it is including stalactites tens of meters Cave. hoped that the caves and karst of long and stalagmites tens of meters Since the end of the trip, Mr. the region will be well managed and tall. Lagbasan has what may be Despain has completed multiple respected, and become international- some of the largest splattermites reports for government officials in ly appreciated. With good manage- on Earth. the area concerning the results of the ment and science from NCKRI and Curiously, beneath the many expedition and on Lagbasan Cave. our partners in the Philippines and giant speleothems in Lagbasan He and Dr. Patricia Kambesis, from the USA, the caves and karst of the Cave are older broken speleothems Western Kentucky University, have Sultan Kudarat will benefit the local often lying on their sides with been invited back to teach a class people for generations to come. new speleothems growing on top. What caused these broken masses of calcite crystals is unknown but earthquakes are suspected. Speleothems have been documented breaking in response to earthquakes and the Philippines is a tectonically active country with many temblors. During the January 2020 trip, Mr. Despain launched a book project on the caves of the area to be pub- lished by NCKRI. He also assisted with important management deci- sions for Lagbasan Cave. Lagbasan could be a significant economic as- set to the region as a show cave. He of course assisted with the mapping and geologic assessments of several Photo courtesy of Dave Bunnell. caves in the area and organized a Beautiful and profuse speleothems inside the massive Lagbasan Cave.

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 7 Geophysics and Group is discussed by the US Modern resistivity surveys em- Chemistry of the Geological Survey in several reports ploy an array of multiple electrodes San Solomon Springs’ on the Edwards-Trinity Aquifer. connected with electrical cable. Aquifer However, regional conceptual Over the course of a survey, pairs of Over the past year, work contin- models developed by researchers at electrodes are activated by means ued in the area around Balmorhea, The University of Texas at Austin of an electromechanical switchbox Texas, on a large-scale study of suggest that baseflow from the and a resistivity meter. Specialized the hydrology of the San Solomon San Solomon Springs originates software is used to process the data Spring Group, a series of six karst from groundwater recharge in and generate resistivity profiles that springs that discharge groundwater alluvial basins over 70 km to the illustrate vertical and lateral varia- from Cretaceous limestones along west. That groundwater then flows tions in subsurface resistivity. The the northeast flank of the Davis through Permian-age carbonates presence or absence of electrically Mountains in West Texas. This work of the Capitan Reef Complex in conductive water or water-saturated is funded by Apache Corporation, the Apache Mountains, and into soil or bedrock is one of the most a Houston-based oil company that Cretaceous-age rocks which they significant factors influencing the is developing a new oil and gas dis- contact along faults underground, results of an ER survey. Air- or covery in the vicinity of Balmorhea. ultimately discharging from the six water-filled caves and conduits in The springs provide habitat for San Solomon springs. the survey area will thus display as several federally listed endangered In 2013 NCKRI personnel con- zones of higher or lower resistivity, species, including the Comanche ducted a dye trace of the system and respectively, on ER profiles relative Springs pupfish and Pecos gambusia. established a connection between to the surrounding bedrock. They also provide water resources for Phantom Lake Spring Cave and Seven ER surveys were much of the agricultural activity in groundwater discharging into the completed in the area of Balmorhea southern Reeves County, Texas. The pool at Balmorhea State Park. That State Park. Their most distinctive most upgradient spring discharges dye trace demonstrated that ground- features were an irregular zone from Phantom Lake Spring Cave, water flows through karstic conduits of low resistivity below ~995 m currently the deepest underwater in Cretaceous limestone from the elevation, including several discrete cave in the United States. The main cave to the park at a rate of approxi- low resistivity pods. These indicate San Solomon Spring flows into the mately 1,000 m/day. conduits in the Buda Limestone swimming pool at Balmorhea State Geophysical investigations of the flooded with brackish water Park. San Solomon Spring system began in formed. Their presence supports The San Solomon Springs April 2019. The pace of these investi- the conceptual model and dye trace gations increased during the last year results of groundwater flow through when NCKRI personnel, assisted karstic conduits. On some of the by staff of the New Mexico Bureau surveys, the ER images also suggest of Geology and Mineral Resources, upward leakage of brackish water conducted electrical resistivity (ER) from these conduits into overlying surveys of selected springs in August alluvium. One profile from this area and November 2019, and March is shown at the top of the next page. 2020. A principal focus of these An additional six ER surveys surveys in 2019 was the area around Balmorhea State Park. Electrical resistivity surveys are a common and effective geophysical method for the detection of subsurface voids and karstic conduits. The basic procedure involves generating a direct current between two metal electrodes (stainless steel stakes) implanted in the ground that measure differences NCKRI photo by Lewis Land. in electrical flow and voltage drop NCKRI photo by George Veni. Groundwater discharge from San Sol- Stainless steel stakes work as elec- omon Spring at Balmorhea State Park between the electrodes, from which trodes when connected to specially flows northeast through an irrigation subsurface electrical resistivity can be designed cables for electrical resistiv- canal within the village of Balmorhea. determined and mapped. ity surveys.

8 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE Electrical resistivity survey near Balmorhea State Park. Dark blue areas are likely karst conduits filled with brackish water.

Electrical resistivity survey near East Sandia Spring shows a different stratification from the Balmorhea State Park surveys. were conducted at East and West requires well data for the underlying slower and less obvious. The reasons Sandia springs, the farthest down- strata, but few wells in the area of our for this difference are unclear but gradient springs of the San Solomon surveys penetrate bedrock. Well logs invite speculation about the complex Spring Group (see above). These in the area report alluvium ranging nature of the karst aquifer which springs rise in a low-relief wetland from 23-120 m thick. feeds these springs. Almost certainly preserve. All the ER surveys con- In addition to the geophysical related to this, dye from NCKRI’s ducted in this area show a distinctive research, in November and December 2013 dye trace only appeared in three-layer stratification: 2019 NCKRI began a new phase San Solomon Spring, in spite of the • a near-surface electrically con- of the study by installing automatic fact that Giffin Spring is just 260 m ductive layer extending continu- water samplers at four of the six San away. ously across the top of the profile; Solomon springs. Water samples • an underlying higher resistivity were collected at regular intervals layer; and into March 2020 and analyzed for • a near-continuous electrically general chemistry, trace metals, conductive layer extending across stable isotopes, and potential the bottom of the profile. contaminants as part of an effort to The near surface conductive better characterize the hydrochemical layer reflects that the surveys were properties of the aquifer. in a grassy wetland area surrounding Preliminary results include the the springs, where the substrate observation that total dissolved consists of moist soil partially solids, nitrate, and uranium levels in saturated with brackish water. the farthest downgradient East San- We interpret the deeper horizon dia Spring are considerably higher along the bottom of the profile to than in the upgradient Giffin and San represent a saturated bedrock aquifer Solomon springs. In addition, mea- formed in the Buda Limestone. The surements of spring discharge show intermediate higher resistivity layer that in spite of their proximity, Giffin probably represents a fine-grained and San Solomon Springs respond NCKRI photo by Lewis Land. confining unit between the shallow very differently to rainfall. Flow The second largest of five pools cre- ated by East Sandia Spring. With West perched aquifer in the wetland area from San Solomon Spring increases Sandia Spring, it is part of a planned and the deeper bedrock aquifer. within hours of a storm, whereas the wetland nature center managed by Confirming these interpretations response of Giffin Spring is much The City of Balmorhea.

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 9 Conglomerate Karst Hydrologic Study: Black River In May 2020, NCKRI personnel began conducting a Phase 1 dye trace investigation in the Upper Black River Basin as a part of a contract with the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The purpose of the project is to begin determining how groundwater flows to the springs that feed the river, which is one of the southernmost tributaries of the Pecos River in New Mexico. BLM’s interest in the Black River stems from it providing a significant percentage of the water in the State’s southern section of NCKRI photo by Michael Jones. the Pecos River, which contributes Dr. George Veni injects uranine dye into the sinking Black River; the riverbed to New Mexico’s stream flow was dry only 100 m downstream. The disposable protective clothing is to pre- vent accidental spread of the dye which could cause false positive results. obligations to the downstream State of Texas. The Black River also These gravels were deposited during ically important to the region, and provides the only habitat in New Pliocene through Pleistocene time in essential to the survival of its endan- Mexico for the Texas Hornshell a large alluvial fan originating from gered species of mussel. However, Mussel (Popenaias popeii), a Slaughter Canyon in the Guadalupe NCKRI’s scientific interest rises species listed as endangered by the Mountains. Sinkholes in the Upper from the fact that while karst aqui- US Fish and Wildlife Service in Black River Basin probably contrib- fers formed in limestone conglom- 2018. ute to recharge to the Quaternary erates are known around the world, Most of the stream flow in the Gravel Aquifer, although the details they have seen little study. This Black River comes from a series of this conceptual model are not project may be the first dye trace in of springs that discharge from a well-understood. such an aquifer. well-cemented karstic limestone NCKRI’s interest in this study On 7 May 2020, NCKRI per- conglomerate, commonly referred is in part to better understand the sonnel injected eosine dye where to as the Quaternary Gravel Aquifer. groundwater system that is econom- Black River sinks upstream from BLM’s Cottonwood Day Use Area, where the river reappears briefly, and uranine dye a short distance downstream of Cottonwood where the river sinks a final time. Monitor- ing stations were established at four downgradient springs and two pri- vate wells. These sites are sampled every two weeks using passive dye detectors, which adsorb dye present in the water during that period. Neither of the non-toxic dyes have been found at the time this report is being prepared. This is not surprising. The dry climate of the region will result in slower ground- water velocities than in areas where most dye traces are done in wetter NCKRI photo by Michael Jones. climates. Next year’s annual report Michael Jones collects a dye detector from the outflow of Rattlesnake Spring. will include the results of this study.

10 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE Searching for Desert spring about 200 m downstream, its dam and refilled Lake Carlsbad. Groundwater Fauna hidden by tall weeds and under the The city plans to drain the lake A great thing about NCKRI’s water of Lake Carlsbad. This “main” again in 3–5 years for continued location in Carlsbad, New Mexico, Carlsbad Spring rises from two con- maintenance. Information gathered is the opportunity to conduct duits, almost big enough for a person while taking advantage of the research easily on new or little- and certainly large enough for tiny drained lake will add to the body of studied karst topics. Karst in desert aquifer animals. knowledge of the Capitan Aquifer. environments has seen relatively Mr. Jones collected traps from NCKRI’s biomonitoring at little research, especially the study the main spring’s conduits on a Carlsbad Spring is an unfunded of life in desert karst aquifers. weekly basis for several weeks. He but inexpensive project. As time Carlsbad’s location is no brought them to the NCKRI Lab- and resources become available, accident. It occurs along the Pecos oratory to sort the specimens into NCKRI plans to expand its River which is dry or too saline to sample bottles with preservative. biomonitoring to other karst drink for much of its length in New The bottles were labeled with sam- springs, cave streams, and water Mexico. But one area of freshwater ple location, and date of collection. wells in southeastern New Mexico springs along the river discharges Next year, NCKRI will consult with and West Texas. We expect to learn water from the Capitan Aquifer, experts in the field of subterranean about the types of aquifer habitats recharged in the karstic Guadalupe aquatic biology to determine if mac- in the region, which will give us Mountains to the southwest. These roinvertebrates collected at the main useful information on the area’s springs made life possible for a city. Carlsbad Spring are groundwater karst aquifers to better understand If the springs can support life on the species or not. and manage them sustainably for surface, might they support life in In April 2020, the City of the needs of human and non- the Capitan Aquifer? Carlsbad completed maintenance of human species. Karst aquifers are often home to a rich fauna that tells us a great deal about the history of life in those regions—above and below ground. The Carlsbad Springs are located about 4 km upstream of NCKRI Headquarters. In 2014, with the help of then-student intern Lasha Asanidze, we conducted a preliminary study of groundwater fauna in the region. Afterward, we didn’t have a chance or the staff time to continue his work, until this year. In early 2020, the City of Carlsbad drained Lake Carlsbad for maintenance and improvement of its dam. With the lake drained, the Carlsbad Springs became more accessible again for research. During February and March, Michael Jones, NCKRI’s Cave and Karst Science Specialist, lodged special traps into the main Carlsbad Spring outlets to catch aquatic macroinvertebrates. Most people in Carlsbad think the Pecos flows from “the Carlsbad Spring.” Easily found in a city park, this spring forms a small stream that bubbles up through sand and gravel. NCKRI photo by Michael Jones. However, most of the Pecos River’s Normally under the water of Lake Carlsbad, one of the outlets of the main flow comes from a little-known Carlsbad Spring rises from a hole that may be home to a unique ecosystem.

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 11 New Data Loggers in humidity dataloggers. ONSET NCKRI Bat Roost HOBO Ethernet Remote Monitoring NCKRI Headquarters is the Stations were installed and equipped only building in the world designed with 18 temperature/relative to include a home for bats. It was humidity sensors located in three designed by Mylea Bayless, Arti- locations in each of the six crevices. ficial Roosts Coordinator for Bat This improvement allows for the Conservation International (BCI), bat roost temperature and relative and Dr. George Veni, NCKRI’s humidity data to be continuously Executive Director. NCA Architects logged, saved to the NCKRI server, NCKRI photo by Dianne Joop. adjusted that design to accommodate and uploaded to the HOBOlink Data loggers extend into a crevice construction and attachment to the cloud for immediate remote access below each hole. Corked holes in the building. and processing. background are for future datalog- gers, and the inset rectangular slots The roost has an optimal design Additionally, the new data will one day hold cameras to look into for bats and offers flexibility for loggers run on AC power, another the crevices and video bat activity. study and education. It is made of big improvement in saving time— concrete and has six crevices to eliminating the need to change temperature and relative humidity serve as bat living quarters. Each out batteries and manually save data from the old dataloggers, which crevice is 60 cm high, 6.7 m long data on a periodic basis. With the were also in three locations in each and 1.9 cm wide. The crevices are new data loggers tapping into the of the six crevices. While it will be divided by 3-cm thick panels. Hor- building’s power, and making great when the bats arrive, develop- izontal slots near the bottom of the continuous measurements, or as ing a good record of roost conditions panels let bats move from crevice close to continuous as possible at before their occupation is valuable to crevice without leaving the roost, 5-minute intervals, we can now also to the roost’s long-term study. This where they could be exposed to see small differences between the will be useful in better understand- predators. The outer walls extend sampling sites which will be useful ing roost conditions after bats move 10 cm below the roost and serve as to understand how temperature and in. Michael Jones is leading the landing pads for bats to easily access humidity change throughout the analysis of the roost data, which we the roost. roost. hope might tell us why bats haven’t During the Fall of 2019, As we wait for the bats to hang moved in yet. NCKRI’s bat roost was upgraded out with us, NCKRI staff have been Once the roost is occupied, with new temperature and relative analyzing eight years worth of NCKRI will conduct more public education and research about our bats and bats in general. Data, video, and sounds from the roost will be included as one of NCKRI’s muse- um exhibits, and you will be able to watch the bats on our website! If you would like to support NCKRI’s bat roost research, join our Adopt-A-Bat program. Adopting a bat costs only $25 and includes a Certificate of Adoption, educational information about bats and our bat roost, and your very own cuddly bat doll. All proceeds go to maintenance and equipment needed for the bat roost. We are looking to expand our monitoring program with more and better equipment and would appreci- ate your help. For more information NCKRI photo by Dianne Joop. on how to help or to adopt a bat, go Michael Jones installs new data loggers into the bat roost, located in the floor to www.nckri.org or call 575-887- behind the desk of our Operations Division Director, Vicky Gonzales. 5518.

12 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE Karst Information Portal oped a new Windows application, with our custom alternative public The Karst Information Portal nicknamed “KIPcat,” to program- interface) is installed at least month- (www.karstportal.org) is a NCKRI matically build data packages ly. The Digital Collections reposito- project in partnership with the Uni- for submission into the incoming ry on which the Portal is hosted has versity of South Florida Libraries processing queue for the system. been migrated to the Amazon Web (USF), University of New Mexi- The app accesses the Google Sheets Services platform this year to allow co, and the International Union of spreadsheets/sheets (via API) which more flexibility in development and Speleology. The Portal is part of the contains the metadata created by storage capacity. USF Libraries Digital Collections the USF Libraries cross-department The Karst Information Portal’s interface and serves as a one-stop metadata team. This team is com- usage is measured through Google shop for open, online access to cave prised of students and staff from Analytics and other tools. Usage and karst research. multiple USF departments, led by of the Portal continues to increase. NCKRI has been sending doc- digital collections cataloger Xiying Items in the Portal have been down- uments, links, and spreadsheets of Mi, with initial metadata originally loaded a record 322,195 times this citations to the USF Libraries team gathered by Alex Onac. Automat- past year. Of those uses, 206,191 over the course of the past year. ing the process has allowed USF to uses came from 67 different search Once received, the USF Libraries jump ahead and begin to catch up on engines in 25 countries that have staff do copyright clearance on these the backlog of items waiting to be discovered the Portal. KIP usage by items to determine which ones can entered into the Portal. human users is coming from 177 be posted with full-text and which The repository software for Dig- of 195 countries, with most of the need to just be citations. Metadata ital Collections/KIP is in continual usage being in the United States, are created for each item, and these development. The design/func- followed by Germany and China. are uploaded to the Portal. This year, tionality review committee for the The Karst Information Portal is truly we have added 989 items to the Por- interface meets monthly to provide reaching a worldwide audience! tal, bringing the total to 5,212. feedback and guidance. An updated The chart below shows the top 10 The USF programmer for the version of the software (using the countries’ usage for the Portal in the interface, Richard Bernardy, devel- open-source software SobekCM, past year.

Useage of the Karst Information Portal by Country

United States 18,501

Germany

China

France 1,165 1,182 Australia 1,263 1,264 India 1,784

Russia 2,390

Ukraine 3,891

United Kingdom 51,530 4,956 Canada

Other 10,678

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 13 Installing NCKRI’s Laboratory Mapping Endangered Thanks to our federal funding Karst Species boost from the previous year, this In 1988 and 1993, the US Fish year NCKRI purchased a wide va- and Wildlife Service (USFWS) riety of equipment and supplies to listed a total of seven invertebrate convert NCKRI’s empty lab room karst species as endangered. These space into a functioning laboratory. species are only known to occur in Dr. Dan Jones took the lead the Austin, Texas, area in Travis and on identifying and purchasing Williamson counties. These counties Photo courtesy of Dr. Jean Krejca. the necessary lab equipment. He were being urbanized rapidly and Tartarocreagris texana, the Tooth identified not just NCKRI’s needs many caves were at risk of being Cave pseudoscorpion, is known only from five caves on the Jollyville but consulted with cave and karst sealed, destroyed, or adversely af- Plateau on the west side of Austin, scientists around the country who fected by degraded water quality and Texas. This fascinating tiny creature often conduct research in the other impacts. is one of seven endangered karst Carlsbad area so our lab could also Following the listings, USFWS invertebrates NCKRI is studying for the assist their efforts. developed maps that outlined “karst USFWS. As the materials arrived, fauna regions,” which contain distribution of the seven listed Michael Jones organized the similar and likely interconnected species, plus 32 non-listed species, supplies steadfastly but set some underground ecosystems, and in 479 caves and karst features in aside to focus on assembly of “karst zones,” which identify the seven counties to fully constrain the our lab furniture and fume hood. probability of encountering the limits where the listed species might The two large lab benches were listed species in any particular area. occur. This study is using powerful positioned in their appropriate The “region” maps have been used GIS tools not available during the locations, their sinks added and extensively to better manage and set initial mapping in 1992, which will attached to the drains (specially recovery standards for the species. assure the boundaries are as accurate designed for chemicals), spacers The “zone” maps are attached to as possible. The report will be com- installed to attach the cabinetry, various regulatory needs and are plete by the end of 2020, and should and the acid-resistant counter tops the primary tool to help guide serve as a template for developing were leveled precisely and epoxied urbanization away from sensitive biogeographic management strate- in place. Meanwhile the fume areas, allowing opportunities for gies in other karst regions. hood, an older but fully working purchase and protection of the For more information about the unit provided by New Mexico karst by governmental and private endangered karst species in Texas Tech, was cleaned and repainted. organizations. and to see the current region and Meanwhile, amid the arrival As new information has become zone mapping, visit https://www. and assembly of materials, the lab available, NCKRI was contracted fws.gov/southwest/es/AustinTexas/ has been used partially to rinse to update the mapping. This work ESA_Sp_KarstInverts.html#Karst_ sample bottles using our new DI/ involves study and analysis of the zones. RO water filtration system, and for field work preparation. The acid-resistant sinks have already been useful to acid wash sample bottles for research. Additionally, the lab houses a new refrigerator which preserves samples from on- going groundwater and biological monitoring projects. Currently, countertop shelves and drying racks are being in- stalled above the lab benches. By the time you read this, the fume hood will be installed, and all equipment organized. The set-up of the NCKRI Laboratory will NCKRI photo by George Veni. soon be complete! The NCKRI laboratory is equipped and getting assembled.

14 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE Cave Geomorphology of in Kansas, completed and continue the Klamath Mountains, to work on a series of projects. California Local karst springs were sampled to Joel Despain is leading a determine if any are currently rich in research project examining the caves sulfate or other indications of hypo- of the McCloud Limestone, found gene origins. The caves of the area between Redding and McCloud were mapped carefully in detail, California in the eastern Klamath allowing the use of fractal analysis Mountains. Here, two distinct to compare the shapes of the caves groups of caves have formed. One and mathematically differentiate set lies low on the landscape and them by origin. The McCloud lime- often contains streams. The other stone has numerous dikes of diorite. group is far above the McCloud These have been heavily weathered NCKRI photo by George Veni. River and contains multiple vertical in the caves by hot and chemically Michael Jones installs NCKRI’s newly passages, large rooms, sudden reactive fluids that may indicate donated archival sample cabinets. passage terminations, phreatic the nature of the water that made bedrock features, and many large the caves. These rocks have been the physical collection from the speleothems. It is believed that sampled and are being thin-sec- temporary shipping containers these caves are much older than tioned and analyzed to answer the into proper archival storage the first group and that they formed question. The team hopes to publish cabinets, NCKRI is developing hypogenically. its research in 2021. sample management standards that Hypogene caves form by comply with National Park Service rising water, often with unusual National Cave Sample (NPS) protocols. NCKRI hopes chemistries, from deep within the Archive to become a NPS-accredited or Earth. What causes such water Two years ago, NCKRI received accepted archive, which should also to rise and make caves? In the a fabulous donation of 1,056 cave qualify us for other accreditations. case of the McCloud caves, the minerals from Dr. William B. White Our standards must also offer suspect is the active 4,322-m tall as the seeds for NCKRI’s National flexibility where needed, where NPS Mount Shasta Volcano through Cave Sample Archive. The pur- protocols do not apply to us and/or “volcanogenic karstification.” This pose of the archive is to collect and unnecessarily restrict us, yet without process increases sulfur compounds preserve any type of material from violating any protocols when NPS and carbon dioxide in groundwater, caves and karst, and their associated materials are concerned. creating acidic solutions potentially analyses, and make them available to As development of our National much stronger than those found in qualified scientists for study. Cave Sample Archive Protocols the development of normal cave Thousands of samples have been nears completion, we will soon streams. collected from caves and some are begin the digital and physical ar- To investigate these caves at risk of loss for lack of adequate chiving of the collection. The digital Despain and colleagues Dr. Patricia or permanent storage facilities. archive will be integrated with other Kambesis, from Western Kentucky Additionally, many caves are need- digital databases involving cave University, and Dr. Jonathan Sum- lessly resampled for materials when samples. rall, from Fort Hays State University specimens already exist but are not Lastly, as we are now getting known to the greater scientific com- off the ground with our archive, munity. The National Cave Sample if you have suggestions on po- Archive will reduce and hopefully tential collaborations we may be one day eliminate those problems. able to join or assist with, please During the past year, NCKRI let us know. NCKRI is continuing received a major and vital dona- discussion with other scientists who tion of 20 surplus sample storage are considering preserving their ma- cabinets from the US Geological terials with us. If you would like to Survey. With these in place we can discuss contributing cave samples to now begin to convert the boxes of the archive or collaborating on this Photo courtesy of Heather Veerkamp. Joel Despain collecting a water sam- specimens into a proper archive for project in other ways, please contact ple from a karst spring in the McCloud research and broad use. Dr. George Veni at [email protected] Limestone, Shasta County, California. However, prior to moving or by calling 575-887-5517.

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 15 NCKRI RESEARCH GRANT PROGRAM

In 2019, NCKRI initiated three bacteria) and chemical (nutrients under variable flow conditions. new grant programs designed to and toxic metal) pollutants, but they They hypothesize that microplastic facilitate and support cave and karst may also be significant sources of loads increase during flood events research at academic and research emerging contaminants like micro- as higher flows mobilize materials institutions across the United plastics (plastics smaller than 5 mm from the surface into the aquifer States: in diameter). and, potentially, from stores within • The NCKRI National Seed Grant Plastic debris can cause sig- the aquifer. Program is designed to enable nificant harm to aquatic life when Dr. Hasenmueller and her investigators to initiate new cave organisms become entangled in the students will use sediment and karst research as well as plastics or consume them. Little characteristics and dissolved encourage new principal investi- is known about the transport and organic carbon concentrations gators to enter the field. sourcing of microplastic contami- to establish if microplastics are • The NCKRI Scholar Fellowship nation in karst aquifers, with only sourced from the surface and/ Program supports cave and karst a single previous study noting the or remobilized from within the research by exceptional graduate presence of microplastics in karst aquifer. Additionally, they will and undergraduate students. groundwater during periods of low test if microplastics co-occur with • The NCKRI-NMT Internal Seed flow. Further research on micro- chemical tracers indicative of Grant Program creates opportu- plastic contamination of karst is human inputs from agriculture, nities for investigators at NCKRI therefore critical given that karst wastewater, or roads. and New Mexico Tech (NMT) aquifers experience rapid changes The study also intends to to initiate new cave and karst re- in flow during flood events, are help resolve an ongoing need search. It also expands NCKRI’s highly connected to the surface in the microplastics community research footprint by enhancing where pollutants are sourced, offer to standardize procedures for collaborations with NMT faculty unique habitats, and provide drink- monitoring microplastic debris, and students. ing water. especially for groundwater systems NCKRI’s research grant pro- Dr. Hasenmueller is an where there is very limited prior gram is managed by Dr. Daniel Associate Professor in the work and a lack of quality control Jones. Application and other infor- Department of Earth and measures. Their research will mation is posted at https://www. Atmospheric Sciences at Saint provide a baseline for future nmt.edu/research/organizations/ Louis University, Missouri. She and work related to the transport and nckri.php. her students propose to quantify fate of microplastics in karst and Following are the recipients and characterize microplastics groundwater environments and can of the first NCKRI grants with (including their size, shape, and be used to inform debris mitigation descriptions of their research polymer type) in a karst aquifer strategies. projects. Dr. Dylan Ward and NCKRI National Mx. Rachel Bosch: Seed Grants Stream Capture from Below: Formation of the Dr. Elizabeth Hasenmueller: Sinkhole Plain, Kentucky, Quantifying Microplastic Through the Lens of Relict Debris Transport and Topography Sourcing for a Karst Aquifer In areas with many close- Karst aquifers are unique hab- ly spaced sinkholes, such as the itats and important drinking water Sinkhole Plain near Mammoth sources, but high connectivity Cave in Kentucky, surface river between the surface and subsurface Photo courtesy by Elizabeth networks cannot develop because in these systems makes them sus- Hasenmueller. streams encounter sinkholes and ceptible to contamination. Agricul- Dr. Elizabeth Hasenmueller and their water and sediment are carried her students collect microplastics tural runoff and leaking wastewater samples during a flood in Cliff Cave, into the subsurface system of cave infrastructure can impair karst an urban cave system in St. Louis, passages. As younger limestone aquifers with biological (fecal Missouri. layers are revealed by erosion of

16 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE river networks in higher elevation NCKRI Scholar Fellowships areas, those river networks become increasingly disrupted by develop- Heidi Aronson: ment of sinkholes in the underlying Geochemical and limestone. Progressively more of the Cultivation-Based sediment is eroded from overlying Investigation of Gypsum- rock layers and must be transported Hosted Microbial through the developing network of Communities in the Frasassi karst conduits. Caves, Dr. Ward is an Associate Ms. Aronson is a PhD candidate Professor in the Department of at the University of Southern Geology at the University of California. Her research is focused Cincinnati, Ohio, and Mx. Bosch is on the karst at Frasassi, Italy, a PhD candidate at the university. In which hosts a dynamic sulfur their study area of central Kentucky, cycle that powers microbial multiple tributaries to the Barren chemolithotrophy—a process where River were cut off from below by the microbes consume the bedrock development of sinkholes and cave to obtain energy. While many Photo courtesy of Heidi Aronson. passages in the Sinkhole Plain. This geochemical niches at Frasassi have Heidi Aronson in the Frasassi Gorge, process diverted flow to the Green been studied extensively, much less Italy. River and, over time, migrated the is known about the geochemistry and drainage basin boundary between microbial communities associated William Coleman: the Barren and Green watersheds with gypsum deposits. Variance in Genetic westward. Ms. Aronson is measuring Diversity of an Endangered This project will use modern the concentrations of sulfide, Freshwater Beetle Before geomorphic tools to evaluate the thiosulfate, sulfite, elemental and After an Adverse quantity of rock that must have been sulfur, polysulfides, and calcium Climatic Event removed from the landscape via within the gypsum deposits. These Mr. Coleman is a PhD candidate sinkholes and karst passages to form concentrations will be used to at Texas State University. His the modern Sinkhole Plain, the time calculate the energetic yields of research focuses on the effects over which this occurred, and the reduction-oxidation reactions of adverse climatic events, such consequences for the regional river involving sulfur to determine which as severe droughts, on aquatic systems. reactions could power microbial ecosystems. He hypothesizes that metabolisms. One reaction, sulfur for animals restricted to habitats, comproportionation (the reaction of such as karst spring complexes, sulfate and sulfide to form elemental prolonged droughts may result in sulfur), is a novel microbial decreases in population size and metabolism that has not yet been a rapid loss of genetic diversity, discovered in the environment. It reducing fitness in the springs’ is thermodynamically favorable populations. within Frasassi gypsum and could Mr. Coleman’s study is plausibly be an energy source for investigating the potential impacts microorganisms. of severe drought on an aquatic Ms. Aronson is designing a endangered species known from cultivation medium using in situ only two karst spring complexes in geochemical conditions to enrich Central Texas which discharge from for and isolate a sulfur compro- the Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone) portionator from the gypsum. Her Aquifer. work will contribute to revealing the He is characterizing and contributions of gypsum-associated comparing genetic diversity of microbial communities to the overall the Comal Springs riffle beetle Photo courtesy of Dylan Ward. Rachel Bosch samples modern stream sulfur cycle at Frasassi, and how (Heterelmis comalensis) in the sediment from Little Sinking Creek, their metabolism may impact cave Comal Springs complex, before which sinks into the Sinkhole Plain. formation. and after a 2010-2015 drought.

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 17 Natasha Sekhon: concentrations of cave deposits in Decoding Dry and Wet southeastern New Mexico. Trickling Conditions in Semi-Arid rainwater, carrying surface minerals, New Mexico by Studying flows through the rock above caves. the Mineral Deposits in a The rainwater eventually makes Cave its way underground where it is Ms. Sekhon is a PhD candidate deposited as stalagmites and stalac- at The University of Texas at Austin tites over tens to hundreds of years. who is conducting her research in Similar to tree-rings, as stalagmites New Mexico. Recent studies show a grow, each growth layer drastic decrease in the water levels encapsulates important chemical of the Rio Grande and the rapid clues on what the climate was like temperature increase in New Mexico above the cave. as it becomes the 6th warmest By looking at numerous mineral US state. The interplay between concentrations in the growth rings, Photo courtesy of William Coleman. climate and hydrology of the region Ms. Sekhon will establish a paleo- The endangered Comal Springs riffle dictates the oscillation between climate record on how dry and wet beetle. drought and non-drought periods. periods have changed through time During this drought, different Instrument records, going back to in that drought-sensitive region. Her spring openings in the complex the early 20th century, allow her to first step will investigate stalagmites experienced partial or complete study dry and wet periods for that that grew at a time that overlaps drying, based on the spring time period. In order to glean pre- with instrumental data, permitting openings’ elevations. instrumental climate change, which her to develop robust relationships Mr. Coleman is also would advance understanding of the between the chemical clues and investigating changes in genetic regional climate, she is studying the known instrumental data. On estab- diversity in the San Marcos Springs’ chemistry of cave deposits. lishing this relationship, she will population over approximately the Ms. Sekhon’s research is then look at stalagmites that grew same timescale. This spring complex largely focused on understanding well before the instrumental period is at the base of the aquifer, located how pre-instrumental dry and wet (pre-1930s), thereby, developing about 30 km northeast of Comal periods have changed through time tools to investigate hydroclimatic Springs and at a lower elevation, so by investigating the various mineral trends through time. it experienced less severe drought effects. The data from this investigation will first allow Mr. Coleman to quantify temporal variance in genetic diversity within and among populations at individual spring openings, and within and among populations at the Comal and San Marcos spring complexes. Secondly, Mr. Coleman will then use next-generation DNA sequencing to generate the genomic data, which will be used to quantify changes in effective population size for the aquatic beetle. The information from this study is needed to understand the effects of adverse climatic events on endangered karst spring endemic organisms, and to inform effective Photo courtesy of Natasha Sekhon. conservation and management Stalagmite in Sitting Bull Falls Cave, New Mexico, that holds programs. hundreds of years’ worth of geochemical data.

18 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE NCKRI-NMT by the viral communities. He Internal Seed Grants hypothesizes that viral abundance is ten-fold higher than prokaryotic cell Dr. Thomas Kieft: abundance in cave pools, that cave Culture-Independent, High- pools contain novel viral sequences, Throughput Analysis of Viral and that viral communities in pools Communities in Carlsbad from portions of a cave developed Cavern Pools for tourism are distinct from those The biology of caves has re- of pools in parts of the same cave ceived considerable attention from not visited by tourists. Dr. Kieft the scientific community, particular- and his students are sampling water ly with regard to cave microorgan- from pools in Carlsbad Cavern, New Photo courtesy of Knutt Peterson. isms and animals. However, very Mexico, and using DNA sequencing Dr. Talon Newton (right) and Dr. Jacob Collison (left) pose with the new pan few cave studies have focused on to analyze the viral communities. evaporimeter in Fort Stanton Cave. viruses, which are the most common biological entities on Earth. Viruses Dr. Talon Newton and Snowy River Passage. During times that infect bacteria (bacteriophages) Scott Christenson: of high stream discharge in Eagle are likely to be the most numerous Estimating the Local Water Creek, enough water infiltrates in caves. Characterization of the Balance in Snowy River through sinkholes and stream viruses in caves will increase our Passage, Fort Stanton Cave, sediments to initiate flooding in the knowledge of cave biodiversity and New Mexico passage. Much of this water ends up will also further our understanding This study aims to increase our discharging at Government Spring of nutrient cycling. Viruses break- understanding of the hydrogeology and flows into the Rio Bonito. down host cells, thereby releasing of Fort Stanton Cave by assessing Water in the Snowy River stream is nutrients for uptake by other cells. the local water balance for a flood also lost to downward leakage and Dr. Kieft is a professor in the event in the Snowy River Passage. evaporation. Biology Department at New Mexico Since the discovery of the Snowy Dr. Newton is a hydrogeologist Tech. He proposes to quantify viral River Passage in 2001, Fort Stanton and Mr. Christenson is hydrogeo- particles in cave pools relative Cave, located in southern New Mex- logical field technician, both with to bacterial cells, to generate a ico, has become a world-class cave. the New Mexico Bureau of Geol- large database of cave pool viral There are many exceptional aspects ogy and Mineral Resources. Their sequences, and to test for human of Snowy River, including the objective is to examine hydrogeo- impacts on cave pools as evidenced crystalline white calcite formation logic processes in the Snowy River that lines the stream bed along most Passage by analysis of individual of the known length of the passage, flood events. Additionally, they will making it the longest speleothem in perform water balance calculations the world. to help test their current conceptual Over the last twenty years, cave model and constrain a two-dimen- explorers and researchers have been sional hydrologic flow model that is collecting geologic, hydrologic and being developed. geochemical data, with the objective Another objective is to build of identifying the water source(s) a pan evaporimeter (see photo associated with several ephemeral above) that records continuous data floods that have been observed in in the cave to accurately estimate Snowy River. Recently, researchers evaporation rates in high-humidity from New Mexico Tech, the Uni- caves. This instrument will be a versity of New Mexico, and the US useful tool to study microclimates Geological Survey have constructed in other caves in semi-arid regions, a preliminary hydrogeologic concep- presenting opportunities for future tual model of Snowy River based on collaborative projects. Monitoring existing data sets. evaporation rates in humid caves in Photo courtesy of Tom Kieft. NMT Master’s student Joseph Ulbrich According to this model, Eagle semi-arid areas can provide infor- collecting water samples at a pool in Creek is the primary source of mation about the effects of climate Lower Cave in Carlsbad Cavern. water that periodically floods the change on cave microclimates.

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 19 EDUCATION PROGRAM

Many have daydreamed about Why a science center? When The DropZone at the our planet’s recovery to a pre-indus- NCKRI formed, the founding partners Cave Exploratorium trial world. We think about clean air agreed our headquarters should The DropZone will be outside and water and long for our critical include a museum. A science center NCKRI Headquarters, filling ecosystems to be recognized and is a big step up from that concept. NCKRI’s courtyard, as a 9-m tall protected. When the US Congress Science centers focus on emotional simulated cave. Visitors to the formed NCKRI in 1998, it provided and intellectual engagement. They DropZone will immerse themselves an unprecedented opportunity for the communicate complex science in vertical cave exploration cave and karst community to advance topics, sometimes using somewhat techniques. They will learn rope research, education, communication, exaggerated and theatrical methods climbing, rappelling, and other and resource management focused on so children can understand. Gaining methods used to explore and study cave and karst landscapes. a comfort level with science can caves. Associated exhibits at ground NCKRI’s Education Program motivate visitors to develop a greater level will show how theories works toward our mission in two interest and desire to learn more. developed by Newton and Galileo ways. First, we develop projects and Science center visitors expect active help cavers discover unexplored programs that educate and inform learning, participating in actions, worlds deep underground. people about caves and karst land- discussions, and to reflect on their Construction of the Drop- scapes. Second, by managing and experiences. Zone awaits easing of COVID-19 promoting NCKRI’s brand, educat- We know that cave and karst restrictions. Once the pandemic ing people about the Institute and science is an intensely active and is over, the DropZone will open its vision, mission, and activities. sometimes sporty process, which to the public to inspire visitors to Below are highlights of this year’s makes it an exciting prospect learn about caves and karst land- Education Program activities. in connecting with the general scapes. The DropZone will also be public. The mission of the Cave open to cave, fire, and other rescue Cave Exploratorium: Exploratorium is to inspire the teams to practice and further de- NCKRI’s Science Center citizens of and visitors to the City velop their techniques. NCKRI is developing the Cave of Carlsbad to learn about cave and This special experience would Exploratorium, a cave-centric karst natural and cultural resources. not have been possible without science center that will offer fun The Cave Exploratorium will the generous donation of a City of ways for people to learn and interact promote and nurture an appreciation Carlsbad, New Mexico, Lodgers with cave and karst science topics. of these valuable resources through Tax Grant of over $255,000! Ad- We love caves and want to inspire high quality and easily accessible ditional support came from New others, as well. It is our passion for exhibitions, programs, publications, Mexico Tech. The superb exhibit cave and karst resources that drives and other educational experiences. and ropes course designs (see our design concepts for unique, This year we focused on complet- bottom of next page) were created diverse, and informative museum ing the design of our first Cave Ex- by Storyline Studios and Aerial experiences. ploratorium exhibit—the DropZone! Designs.

NCKRI’s Cave Exploratorium will be an engaging, hands-on, fun, learning experience. This image is part of a detailed design, currently seeking funding for construction.

20 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE Guadalupe Mountains NCKRI Educational Tools National Park 4th Annual NCKRI has developed two new Youth Poster Contest educational tools. Our “Make Your Public lands are the best places Own Speleothem” activity sheet and to enjoy the great outdoors. Whether attached coloring page (shown below) hiking above or below ground, are fun ways for youngsters (and the we at NCKRI believe cave and young at heart) to learn about caves karst landscapes offer excellent and their “formations,” which are recreational opportunities for properly called speleothems. everyone, young and old, to connect with nature and these vital and revitalizing resources. Reflecting on the success of the 3rd Annual Youth Poster Contest, which had caves as the theme and was hosted last year at NCKRI Headquarters, NCKRI again partnered with Guadalupe Mountains National Park for the 4th Annual for contest entries, and offered an Youth Poster Contest. The theme for option for electronic submissions to this year’s contest was “Recreation accommodate the rapidly changing for All.” situation across the country imposed Our Education Director, Dianne by the pandemic. There are tens of thousands of known caves in the United States.

Joop, worked closely with Guadalupe We received entries from nine Nature has a way of decorating caves with speleothems like the stalactites and stalagmites you see in this picture. Grow your own speleothem by completing the lab Mountains National Park staff to states, coast to coast. Instead of the exercise found on the back. expand the scope of the contest. She public judging event, as originally developed educational workshops planned, our judges met in a small Our second new tool addresses and curriculum, and planned an group with Carlsbad Mayor Dale many people’s need for a karst exciting public judging event and Janway to select the winning entries. map of the US. The US Geological show of the artwork that would be We had winners in multiple catego- Survey (USGS) produced a detailed attended by schools from the City of ries. updated map for the country in Carlsbad and nearby communities. This year’s Cave and Karst 2014. However, some of the map Sadly, this project was significantly NCKRI’s Choice Winner was information was too detailed for easy diminished by the COVID-19 created by 13-year old Mara Van public use. Responding to requests, pandemic. Wagner and is shown above. She NCKRI created a new version of the Public safety guidelines required also wrote: “People should get out USGS map for easier public use and us to cancel our workshops, to national parks because it’s cool in a color-blind friendly way (shown field trips, and classroom visits. to see how the land was formed below). Both the map and speleothem However, we proceeded with the and just to look at new things.” We activity sheet will soon be available contest. We extended the deadline couldn’t agree more! for free download from NCKRI’s upgraded website.

This architect’s view shows the DropZone as it will appear looking toward NCKRI Headquarters (left) and downward into the courtyard from above (right).

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 21 National Workshops International Workshops the seminar, Introduction to Cave Interpretation is both a com- Much of the 3rd Asian Trans- and Karst Hydrogeology. munication skill and an art form. Disciplinary Karst Conference Other members of the UIS Good interpretive programs connect was designed around a series Bureau taught workshops on cave audiences to natural and cultural re- of educational cave and karst biology, environmental protection, sources and inspire people to protect workshops taught by international cave photography, the history those resources. Show cave interpre- experts from the International of cave exploration, and other tation is a particularly good avenue Union of Speleology (UIS). As a topics. The conference was held to lead the way for cave and karst leading expert and UIS President, in Panglao, Bohol, Philippines, in protection. It can inspire visitors NCKRI’s Dr. George Veni taught September 2019. touring show cave sites to care about and protect caves everywhere. NCKRI’s Dianne Joop is work- ing closely with the National Caves Association (NCA) to develop a series of workshops for cave guide training. The NCA is a non-profit organization of show cave owners from across the US who promote the show cave industry to the public and share information and ideas. This project was launched by a workshop presented by Ms. Joop and the NCA Education Committee during the 2019 NCA Annual Convention in Chattanooga, Tennessee. As part of two courses, and com- bining aspects of NCKRI’s Education and Academic programs, Dr. Dan NCKRI photo by George Veni. Jones developed a new science com- The Chocolate Hills of the Bohol are a world-famous cone karst and the site of munication activity in partnership impromptu lectures as part of the Philippines karst workshop. with the website Sciworthy (https:// www.sciworthy.com), an initiative of the nonprofit organization, Blue Marble Space. Students selected a paper from the scientific literature published in the last year, and wrote news-style layperson articles. Articles of sufficient quality were submitted for publication on Sciworthy, and students were given opportunities to revise their pieces with feedback from Dr. Jones. Articles published by students in Geomicrobiology and Special Topics in Cave and Karst Processes include: • A special kind of bacteria lets cement fix itself • Mining with acid-generating bacteria • Scientists discover cockroach fossils from the dinosaur age NCKRI photo from Dianne Joop. • Strange microbes found living in Dianne Joop presenting the “Cave Interpretive Techniques” workshop at the caves of sulfuric acid NCA 2019 Annual Convention.

22 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE NCKRI PARTNERS AND FRIENDS

Membership NCKRI’s Annual Membership program is offered to all interested persons wanting to support NCKRI activities. You can join online at www.nckri.org or call us at 575-887-5518. When you become a member, you will receive reduced rates on publications, special presentations, classes, lectures, and facility rentals, and in the future, discounts in the museum store.

NCKRI Partners • Karst Research Institute • Edwards Aquifer Authority NCKRI recognizes four levels of • New Mexico Bureau of Geology • Fort Stanton Cave Study Project partnership and uses their descrip- and Mineral Resources • Karst Waters Institute tions below in defining its relation- • US Forest Service • Living Desert Zoo & Botanical ships with NCKRI partners: • US Geological Survey Gardens State Park • University of New Mexico • National Caves Association Founding Partners • University of South Florida • National Speleological Society NCKRI’s Founding Partners • NASA played a crucial role in the creation NCKRI Affiliates • US Bureau of Land Management of the Institute and continue to serve Organizations that demonstrate • US Fish and Wildlife Service as major supporting partners. Each meaningful support for NCKRI founding partner maintains one per- and its goals, or their intent to do Annual Giving manent position on NCKRI, Inc.’s, so, but without a formal defining Our Annual Giving Program Board. agreement. NCKRI Affiliates are recognizes those individuals and or- • City of Carlsbad approved by the NCKRI, Inc., ganizations who joined as members • New Mexico Institute of Mining Board of Directors. NCKRI and or provided goods, services, and/or and Technology its Affiliates exchange news and financial gifts during FY 2019-2020 • US National Park Service information, and coordinate and/ in support of NCKRI programs: or cooperate with each other • Dr. Calvin Alexander Institutional Partners in projects and activities. Each • Bert Ashbrook Organizations with formally de- organization may also extend other • David Bednar fined, mutually supportive relation- benefits according to their internal • Josh Brewer ships with NCKRI through Memo- rules and abilities. • Representative Cathrynn Brown randa of Agreement, Memoranda of • Bat Conservation International • Dr. Philip Carpenter Understanding, contracts, or other • Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce • Richard Cervantes written and signed agreements, in • Carlsbad Municipal Schools • Lora Chiehowsky effect for periods of at least one • Jim Coke year, and which define each party’s • Paul & Sandra Cosand specific roles and responsibilities. • Dr. David Decker • American Geosciences Institute • Harvey Duchene • Carlsbad Caverns National Park • William Ellis • Emil Racovita Institute of Spele- • Jim Evatt ology (Romania) • Friends of Bitter Lake • Guadalupe Mountains National • Larry and Signe Henderson Park NCKRI photo by George Veni. • Megan Jones • International Research Center The Texas Speleological Survey (TSS) • Ted Lee on Karst (China) donated a truck full of caving associ- • Dr. Penny Lukin • Instituto do Carste (Brazil) ation newsletters dating back as far • Frank and Judy Marks as 60 years to the NCKRI library. TSS • International Academy of Karst directors (left to right) Merydith Turner, • Pecos Valley Grotto Sciences Logan McNatt, and Ron Ralph sit on • Gary Poole • International Union of Speleology the loaded truck’s tailgate. • Richard and Rodney Raber

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 23 • Bru Randall CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS • Renee Reece • Jesse Richardson 16th Multidisciplinary proceedings volume. Dr. Lewis • Todd Roberts Conference on Land is the senior editor for the • Jo Schaper Sinkholes and the conference proceedings (see • John Scheltens Engineering and below). • Hayley Schmitt Environmental Impacts To register for the conference • Michael Shelton of Karst and for other details, visit http:// • Lawrence Shore Work continues on the www.sinkholeconference.com/. • Kay and Dr. Stan Sides Sixteenth “Sinkhole Conference.” To download the proceedings and • Texas Speleological Survey This conference series, which other NCKRI publications, visit • THG Geophysics has been ongoing since 1984, www.nckri.org. • US Geological Survey was placed under NCKRI’s • Eugene Vale oversight in 2011. The meeting Rentals • Edward Vanscotter was scheduled to be held in April NCKRI Headquarters is • Dr. George and Karen Veni 2020 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, normally available for private event and would be the first Sinkhole rentals. We have a large conference NCKRI Volunteers Conference held outside the room and a smaller board room Many of our programs and continental United States, on an for week-long corporate meetings, projects rely on the help of our island that is world famous for its parties, luncheons, and training volunteers. We thank the following cockpit karst type sinkholes. workshops. We also have six individuals for supporting NCKRI Because of travel restrictions cubicles for those seeking temporary through their kind and inspirational related to the global coronavirus or long-term office space. efforts over the past year: pandemic, the Organizing Funds collected through the • Dr. Calvin Alexander Committee of the Sinkhole rentals help us buy much needed • James Berglund Conference (included in our list equipment and boost our programs • Tyrone Black of volunteers to the left) made with resources to give our visitors • Rusty Branch the difficult decision to postpone a full experience in learning about • Michael Byle the conference until 12-16 April the importance of caves and karst. • Connie Campbell Brashear 2021. In the meantime, NCKRI However, rentals are on hold until • Dr. Daniel Doctor has published the conference the COVID-19 pandemic is over. • Dr. Joseph A. Fischer

• Dr. Yongli Gao NCKRI SYMPOSIUM 8 Proceedings of the • Brian Hunt 16th Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes and the Engineering • Peter Hutchinson and Environmental Impacts of Karst • Clint Kromhout Edited by: Lewis Land, • Dr. Jim LaMoreaux Clint Kromhout, and Michael J. Byle • Ricardo Lopez-Ruiz • Bashir Memon • Dr. Boo Hyun Nam • Dr. Ingrid Padilla • Gheorghe Ponta • Steve Rice • Dr. Ira Sasowsky • Dr. Brian Smith • J. Brad Stephenson • Simeon B. Suter • Karen Veni • Dr. Dorothy Vesper • Dave Weary • Keith White • Sidney Woods www.nckri.org • Dr. Ming Ye • Dr. Wanfang Zhou

24 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE STUDENT ACTIVITIES Cave and Karst Studies at NMT Cave and Karst Studies at New Mexico Tech (NMT) is NCKRI’s Academic Program, and this was an- other exciting year for the program. Dr. Daniel Jones, NCKRI’s Academ- sulfide + oxygen → sulfuric acid) presented some of her research at ic Director, taught classes on Earth • H2SO4 + CaCO3 + H2O → the 2019 Geological Society of History, Geomicrobiology, Special CaSO4•2H2O + CO2 (sulfuric acid America Convention. Topics in Cave and Karst Process- + limestone + water → gypsum + In addition to her work on Leh- es, and supervised various student carbon dioxide) man Cave, she is studying micro- independent studies. Lehman Caves may have bial communities associated with Dr. Jones continued his research formed by sulfuric acid gypsum in Italy’s Frasassi Caves and program, and recently was award- speleogenesis several million is trying to understand how gypsum ed a grant from NASA to study years ago, and some passages could be used as a microbial habitat biosignatures in gypsum deposits in preserve features consistent with and might preserve biosignatures of the Frasassi Caves, Italy. He and his this process. Until recently, little ancient microbial life. students did fieldwork in Frasassi was known about the geological Mackenzie Best is a Master’s last summer and are continuing their history and evolution of the cave student in the Earth and Environmental research on cave geomicrobiology system, and the geomicrobiological Sciences Department at New Mexico and extremophiles from different en- processes that affect the modern Tech. For her Master’s research, she vironments. Below are some details cave have not been explored is studying extreme acid-adapted on NCKRI’s Academic Program Ms. Havlena is applying microbes from sulfidic caves. and the students and programs it is isotopic and mineralogical Sulfidic caves are hotspots for supporting. analytical techniques to help life in Earth’s subsurface. These understand Lehman’s past and is caves are fed by hydrogen sulfide Student Research Projects using molecular tools to explore gas (H2S), which supports chemo- Zoë Havlena is a PhD student how microorganisms may continue synthetic microorganisms that “eat” in the Earth and Environmental to impact the cave today. She hydrogen sulfide in the same way Sciences Department at New Mexico Tech. As part of her PhD research, she is studying Lehman Caves in Great Basin National Park, Nevada. Some of the world’s largest and most spectacular limestone caves, including Carlsbad Cavern and Lechuguilla Cave in New Mexico, were formed by a process known as “sulfuric acid speleogenesis” (cave formation by sulfuric acid). These caves form where groundwaters charged with hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are exposed to oxygen in cave air or in fresh surface waters. Hydrogen sulfide is the gas that gives rotten eggs their “rotten” smell and is an especially reactive form of sulfur that is unstable in the presence of oxygen. As this hy- drogen sulfide is exposed to oxygen, it NCKRI photo from Dan Jones. reacts to form sulfuric acid, thus: NCKRI Cave and Karst Studies students Zoë Havlena (left) and Mackenzie Best • H2S + 2O2 → H2SO4 (hydrogen (center) in the Frasassi Caves, Italy, with Dr. Dan Jones (right).

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 25 humans eat organic carbon. These Cave and Karst Research involved with cave and karst formation organisms form the base of a food Fellowships for NMT originated from a shallow petroleum web that supports entire chemosyn- Undergraduates source rock in the Delaware Basin that thetic ecosystems in these caves, and This year we initiated the Un- matured in recent geologic times (late often include invertebrate and even dergraduate Research Opportunities Paleogene-Miocene). Heat needed vertebrate animals. in Caves and Karst (“UROCK”) to mature this shallow source rock Some of the most remarkable fellowship program at NMT. Stu- originated in the Eocene Trans-Pecos microbial communities in these caves dent awardees (“UROCK Fellows”) volcanic field, located in the southern are known as “snottites.” These receive a fellowship to work with a Delaware Basin and extends south. rubbery biofilms hang from cave faculty member on a cave and karst Mr. Diegel used well data from walls and ceilings and are formed by research project during the academic New Mexico’s petroleum wells microorganisms that live off hydro- year or over the summer. This pro- database to calculate if the Eocene gen sulfide gas in the cave air. They gram is designed to create undergrad- Trans-Pecos volcanic field generated are also extremely acidic, pH 0-1, uate research opportunities in cave and enough heat to mature shallow source similar to battery acid. Some of the karst science at NMT and is open to rocks. The well Rohmer #001 (figure organisms found in cave snottites undergraduates in any department. We below) was drilled through the Capi- are the most acid-tolerant microor- awarded three UROCK fellowships tan Reef, making it a suitable well to ganisms known and have important during the 2019/2020 academic year. do this analysis. His modeling results biotechnological applications for were exciting; he found that source bioremediation and biomining. Keith Diegel: Cave Development in rocks as shallow as the Bell Canyon Ms. Best has grown several the Guadalupe Mountains formation (now at ~900 m depth in strains of a bacteria known as Undergraduate student Keith Die- some places) possibly matured. Acidithiobacillus. She is testing gel was awarded a UROCK fellowship Follow-up research includes them to determine how they make to work with Dr. Jolante Van Wijk extending the thermal analysis to other their living and to explore the limits (Earth and Environmental Sciences). wells within the Delaware Basin, and of their acid tolerance. She is also His research is in developing a new chemical study of shallow source sequencing their genomes and using conceptual model for the formation rocks in the basin to document their a technique called metagenomics to of the Guadalupe Mountains cave potential for a likely source for hydro- explore other extreme acidophiles and karst system. In his model, sulfur gen sulfide. in the snottites. Metagenomics is genome sequencing of a whole microbial community directly from an environmental sample, and she is using those data to probe the potential metabolisms of the abundant and rare members of the community. Ms. Best presented her research at the 2019 Geological Society of America Convention. After she completes her Master’s degree, Ms. Best is planning to stay at New Mexico Tech to continue working with Dr. Daniel Jones for her PhD. In addition to her cave research, she has worked as both an exploration and an ore-control production geologist at polymetallic base metal mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Peru. She also worked as a geology consultant on a project using remote sensing Map courtesy of Keith Diegel. and machine learning techniques to Location of the Rohmer #001 well in the Capitan Reef of the Delaware Basin. identify uranium mines and estimate Colors show Bouguer gravity anomalies. The Delaware Basin is visible as a grav- their production. ity anomaly-low, caused by the relatively low density of the basin sediments.

26 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE Brianna Green: and microbiological analyses of Ethan Haft: Extremophile Microorganisms microbial biofilms from travertine Cone-in-Cone Structures Ms. Brianna Green was hot springs at Soda Dam and other Mr. Ethan Haft was awarded a awarded a UROCK fellowship to volcanically influenced waters UROCK fellowship to work with work with Dr. Daniel Jones (Earth near the town of Jemez Springs, Dr. Ryan Leary (Earth and Environ- and Environmental Sciences and New Mexico (photo below). The mental Sciences) on the formation NCKRI) studying extremophil- hot springs’ temperatures were of unusual carbonate features known ic microorganisms in carbonate between 42-70 degrees Celsius as “cone-in-cone” structures. For environments. Extremophiles are with circumneutral pH values and his project, Origin of Cone-in-Cone microorganisms that thrive at the sulfide concentrations between 12- Structures in Limestone from Central extreme limits for life, such as in 25 μM. Free energy calculations New Mexico, he used petrograph- very hot or highly acidic environ- show that partial and complete ic and geochemical techniques to ments. During her research, she sulfide oxidation is favorable explore the origin of some of these worked on two projects related to across most sites. She prepared fascinating “cones” that he discov- extremophilic microorganisms. DNA samples for microbial ered in Cretaceous rocks in Socorro In one project, Ms. Green community analysis, which will County. developed new laboratory methods allow her to explore how microbial Cone-in-cone structures are to enrich and culture acid-adapted diversity varies among these and known from the rock record, and microorganisms from the Frasassi other volcanically influenced have been discovered in limestone, Caves in Italy (photo below). She groundwaters in the region. marlstone, and shale, and may be enriched acidic cave samples using Ms. Green was preparing to associated with the minerals calcite, various organic carbon sources in present her research at the Rocky gypsum, siderite, and pyrite. Mr. media that was pH 0.5. She grew Mountain Geobiology Symposium Haft showed that the cones from acid-tolerant microorganisms, in April 2020, but unfortunately the Cretaceous Mancos Shale are including unusual fungi found in that conference was canceled composed of calcite and quartz, and highly acidic biofilms on the walls because of COVID-19. However, contain microscopic void spaces that of the Frasassi Caves. Unfortunate- we are pleased to say that she may imply past fluid injection. The ly, her work was interrupted when will continue her career as a cones have a self-similar structure at NMT partially closed in response geobiologist as a graduate student all scales, meaning that larger-scale to COVID-19, but Dr. Jones and at the University of Tennessee textures mimic the microscopic fabric his other students will carry on the Knoxville in the fall of 2020! (see photos on the next page). culturing work that she started. In a second project, Ms. Green performed geochemical

NCKRI photo by Dan Jones. NCKRI photo by Dan Jones. Brianna Green working in NMT’s Geo- Colorful microbial biofilms surround a travertine spring near Soda Dam, New biology lab. Mexico.

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 27 Most previous studies have ratios, and he is hoping to study NCKRI Seminar Series attributed cone-in-cone structures similar structures from other parts at NMT to diagenesis (the physical and of New Mexico, including along We had two excellent speakers in chemical changes from the the Rio Salado and in the San the NCKRI Seminar Series in the fall conversion of sediment to rock), Juan Basin. of 2019. Dr. Jennifer Macalady from but there is no consensus on Mr. Haft presented his work The Pennsylvania State University how they form. To investigate at the NMT Student Research gave a talk on The Subsurface Biofilm the process(es) responsible for Symposium in April 2020 and Factory on September 19th, and Dr. New Mexico’s cone-in-cone is planning to continue working Diana Northup from the University of structures, Mr. Haft is continuing to understand these enigmatic New Mexico presented on Microbes his geochemical work, including features. He will be starting his that Masquerade as Minerals in stable isotopic analyses to junior year at NMT in the fall of Earth’s Lava Caves: Enhancing Life determine the C12/C13 and O16/O18 2020. Detection on Extraterrestrial Bodies on November 14th. All the NCKRI seminars are well attended by students and faculty from throughout the NMT campus, and followed by receptions, hosted by Dr. Daniel Jones, to connect students with the guest speakers and promote fellowship and research collaborations.

Photo courtesy of Ryan Leary and Ethan Haft. Thin section photomicrograph showing cone-in-cone structures that occur at a NCKRI photo by Dan Jones. microscopic scale. Dr, Diana Northup gives her invited seminar at New Mexico Tech. Student Opportunities at NMT New Mexico Tech is highly ranked among US universities in several important categories. It focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs, which makes it an ideal home for NCKRI. For students interested in caves and karst, great opportunities exist not just in geology and biology but engineering, chemistry, robotics, and other fields. For more information, visit www.nmt.edu/. To learn more about NCKRI’s Cave and Karst Photo courtesy of Ethan Haft. Studies Program at NMT, contact Dr. Cone-in-cone structures in the Cretaceous Mancos Shale, Socorro County. Daniel Jones at daniel.s.jones@nmt.

28 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE – NCKRI LIAISON PROGRAM

During our previous fiscal year, National Monument in New Mexico, Technical Assistance NCKRI received a major boost in to engage park staff on cave and Requests its federal funding. As part of this karst issues in those parks. Technical Assistance Requests boost, the National Park Service Mr. Despain began his year (TAR) are requests from national (NPS) initiated a new partnership at the annual convention of the parks for assistance from the program. The NPS Cave and National Speleological Society, NPS national office. They cover Karst Program Coordinator had where he and Dr. Veni met with a huge range of issues and may retired recently and the NPS filled several NPS cave managers to be submitted for a wide range of that position with a new NCKRI introduce the new NPS-NCKRI reasons. position made possible by the Liaison Program. Mr. Despain built About 200 national park units funding increase. At the close of on this meeting by hosting a series have or potentially contain caves the last fiscal year, Joel Despain of regularly scheduled calls and and karst features but most parks do was hired as NCKRI’s Cave and e-mails to NPS staff concerning not have a staff specialist in cave and Karst Management Scientist, where cave and karst issues that included karst management and resources. 75% of his time would be spent as news on webinars, job opportunities, TARs are commonly submitted the NPS Cave and Karst Program requests for reports and articles, by parks that need assistance with Coordinator and 25% working on and discussions on managing cave and karst issues. Examples cave and karst management projects COVID-19, updates on programs include assessing impacts from a for NCKRI. and activities, and as well as issues neighboring stockyard operation Mr. Despain undertook a and needs specific to certain parks. on park caves, groundwater and wide variety of activities with He also facilitated the renewal biological resources downstream, the NPS this year. First, he of memoranda of understanding tour cave light and trail studies and established a NCKRI satellite between the NPS and the Cave projects, biological inventories, office at Whiskeytown National Research Foundation and National visitor preference studies, and much Recreation Area in California to Speleological Society. more. expand NCKRI’s national outreach. Other work for park units and TARs are submitted into the NPS He then conducted introductory the NPS in general ranged from STAR database, designed specifi- administrative trips to the NPS reviewing the new edition of cally for this purpose. Mr. Despain Geologic Resources Division offices the NPS Cave and Karst Junior began managing the database by in Denver, Colorado, and brief site Ranger program book, National cleaning up the data, removing or visits to Mesa Verde National Park Natural Landmark nominations, canceling old projects, dating back in Colorado, and Bandelier National and geologic and paleontological to 2014, that are resolved, completed Monument, El Malpais National resources reports, to assisting with or otherwise no longer needed, in- Monument, and White Sands cave search and rescue training, an cluding some projects at Mammoth urgent sinkhole collapse problem, Cave, Buffalo National River and and with a transition in cave other locations. Other TAR projects management after a crucial staff have continued, and a number of member passed away at one park. new requests came into the database This new liaison program is a during this year. great opportunity for both the NPS Joel Despain made two TAR site and NCKRI to expand their abilities visits during the year. The first was in meeting their goals for improved to California’s Golden Gate National cave and karst research, manage- Recreation Area to assist park staff, ment, and education. In addition to and Paul Burger from the Alaska the above tasks, some of the more Regional Office, with assessing and notable NPS-related accomplish- documenting the sea caves in the ments from Mr. Despain’s first year park in October 2019. as NCKRI’s Cave and Karst Man- Sea caves are specialized NCKRI photo by George Veni. agement Scientist are summarized biological habitat and can host rare Joel Despain (right) visits with an NPS ranger in Step House, a large below (his other NCKRI-specific species in this otherwise urban culturally important shelter cave, in activities are described elsewhere in landscape. Accompanied by the Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado. this report). park lifeguards, the research team

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 29 spent three days on small boats (see NPS Web Pages multiple articles per edition. A new photo below) in San Francisco Bay The theme for Cave Week 2020 editor has been selected, Chelsea and along the neighboring Pacific was, “Why do we go into caves?” Ballard from Mammoth Cave Na- coast in the park. They documented Joel Despain researched and wrote tional Park, and the first five articles the caves, including their locations, three articles on bats and their use of for the first new edition have been depths, and photographed the caves, recent cave exploration in the completed with Mr. Despain writing caves’ entrances. Rough surf kept national parks, and on the upcom- two of the articles. the team from entering most caves, ing International Year of Caves and so additional work is still needed, Karst in 2021 for the NPS Cave COVID-19 NPS Cave but some caves were entered and Week website. He also tracked down Response Management biologically inventoried. cave photographers to provide pho- During the COVID-19 pandemic Mr. Despain’s second TAR site tos for the pages (see cover photo). there has been a great deal of visit was to Oregon Caves National Mr. Despain expanded the Park concern for cave management in Monument. He was there for four Resources section of the NPS web NPS show caves and recreational days to help the park initiate several page with articles and graphics on caves. Caves are difficult places for new projects. In meetings with the solution cave and lava tube geomor- social distancing and disinfection. superintendent and several members phology in the national parks. The To meet the need for information of the park staff, the group laid out graphics show multiple stages in within the NPS cave management plans for: the formation and geology of a lava community, Joel Despain hosted 1. a new lighting system for the tube. two sets of virtual meetings for NPS cave; Additionally, he led a new NPS staff. The first video-calls were for 2. research and investigation of a initiative to develop cave photo gal- superintendents and senior park cave in the monument named, the leries, including single photographer staff. Four calls were held over three Cave Next Door; and and park galleries as well as more weeks and discussions included 3. a karst watershed and drainage articles for the NPS web pages. decontamination protocols, bats investigation and delineation This was done by soliciting cavers and COVID-19, employee concerns study designed to inform a wild to write articles and submit photos and safety, messaging and signs for and scenic river process in the about their projects in the national visitors, and much more. park. parks. The 13 photo galleries have The second call grew out of Since the visit in December been posted. The first article is by the quarterly NPS cave manage- 2019, the park and Mr. Despain have Dr. Mark Minton about efforts to ment calls hosted by Mr. Despain. been working to bring these projects climb and fully explore the complex This call was focused on cave and to fruition through multiple phone ceiling of the Mystery Room in resource management staff at parks meetings and consultations. Once Carlsbad Cavern. The article will ap- but included representatives from COVID-19 restrictions are removed, pear in Inside Earth, the NPS Cave privately owned show caves and the work can begin in earnest and and Karst Program newsletter. Mr. cave scientists. These calls were will likely include more site visits to Despain has worked to revise and held every two weeks and six have the monument. revive it as an online series with been held to date. Discussions in- cluded the latest published literature on COVID-19 in the natural envi- ronment, specific decontamination fluids and materials, cave reopening specifics, and employee concerns and fears. While the NPS-NCKRI Liaison Program and NCKRI’s Cave and Karst Management Scientist position were not created to manage a pandemic, we are pleased they were established in time to help with effective national-level Photo courtesy of the National Park Service. communication and response to this Joel Despain (on right) with NPS staff before setting out to inventory sea caves crisis within the cave management at Golden Gate National Recreation Area. and research community.

30 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE OUTREACH

International Year of NCKRI News or guide the protection of karst Caves and Karst Perhaps NCKRI’s most popular and pseudokarst resources and In the coming months, 2021 will and best-known service is its e-mail that assist in the understanding be celebrated as the International list. About 2-3 times each month of geohazards accompanying Year of Caves and Karst (IYCK) we send cave and karst news and those systems (further use of to teach the world about the impor- announcements directly to thousands “karst” in this scope includes tance of caves and karst. The IYCK of people around the world, includ- pseudokarst). This responsibility is a project led by the International ing by their request the e-mail lists includes standards relating to the Union of Speleology, of which of cavers in six countries. This news classification, characterization, NCKRI is a partner and NCKRI’s isn’t just from NCKRI but from and properties of karst systems Executive Director, Dr. George Veni, friends and partners internationally. and processes. Standards involving is president. The messages include announce- associated site characterization, Dozens of local to international ments about cave and karst confer- geologic, hydrogeologic, and organizations are involved in the ences, job and grant opportunities, geotechnical aspects associated IYCK to educate not just the general books, training, and other diverse with potential and/or actual ground public, but lawmakers, land man- topics. We don’t sell our list or send instability are also included. The agers, scientists, teachers, business junk mail to anyone, and there is no subcommittee will coordinate leaders—everyone—about the pressure or cost to join. If you would standards development with other crucial worldwide benefits provided like to be added, simply e-mail us committees and subcommittees by these often hidden and poorly your request at [email protected]. where overlap in activities might understood natural resources. occur. Like all IYCK partners, Professional Partnerships NCKRI’s initial plans for the year and Karst Standards Professional Meetings were scrapped by the COVID-19 NCKRI values its partnerships NCKRI again attended, spon- pandemic. Also like other partners, with many organizations around the sored and/or had a booth at many at the time of this writing NCKRI world, and the sincere friendships conferences during the past year: is planning to develop a series of we’ve built with scores of their • 3rd Asian Trans-Disciplinary remote or virtual events for at least members. In addition to the projects Karst Conference: Panglao, the first half of 2021, with potential and events with partners that we’ve Bohol, Philippines in-person activities for the second highlighted elsewhere in this report, • ASTM International Conference; half of the year if allowed by the we highlight our new partnership Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and status of the pandemic. with ASTM International. virtually Our most noted work so far, by NCKRI is a member of the • Geological Society of America Joel Despain, is the job description global standardization organization, Convention; Phoenix, Arizona, for a Virtual Student Federal Service ASTM International. At the June USA intern for the NPS Cave and Karst 2019 ASTM meeting, ASTM and • Mayors’ Energy Summit; Carls- Program. This intern will assist the NCKRI began organizing a karst bad, New Mexico, USA NPS with the IYCK, Cave Week subcommittee that would work on • National Cave and Karst Man- 2021, and other NPS web media. We effective standards for cave and agement Symposium; Bristol, encourage you to get involved with karst research. Based on the high Virginia, USA the IYCK and to get more informa- degree of interest in the topic, during • National Caves Association tion at www.iyck2021.org. the February 2020 meeting ASTM Annual Meeting; Chattanooga, created Subcommittee D18.27 on Tennessee, USA karst, chaired by NCKRI’s Dr. • New Mexico Southern Wetlands George Veni. The scope of the Roundtable; virtual, USA subcommittee is below. To join the • New Mexico Tech Research subcommittee, whether an ASTM Colloquium; Socorro, New member or not, contact Dr. Veni at Mexico, USA [email protected]. • Society of Exploration Geophysi- It shall be the responsibility cists; San Antonio, Texas, USA of Subcommittee D18.27 to • Public Lands Alliance Confer- develop standards that assist and/ ence; Washington, DC, USA

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 31 • Southwestern Region of the Patricia N. Kambesis). Mexico, Groundwater Hydrology National Speleological Society, • Cave and Karst Resource Man- Class, New Mexico Institute of Winter Technical Meeting; Las agement Course Proposal. Office Mining and Technology, Socorro, Cruces, New Mexico, USA of the Governor, Sultan Kudarat New Mexico, USA. • White-nose Syndrome National Province, Philippines, (presented Dr. Lewis Land: Webinar; virtual, USA with Dr. Patricia N. Kambesis). • Evaluation of groundwater • New status of the National Park residence time in a high moun- NCKRI staff also organized or Service Cave and Karst Program. tain aquifer system (Sacramen- co-organized the following events: Nationwide webinar for the to Mountains, USA): Insights • Biogeochemical Interactions National Park Service. gained from use of multiple in Caves and Karst Session, • The resources and management environmental tracers. American Geological Society of America of Lagbasan Cave. Sultan Kuda- Nuclear Society, Carlsbad, New Convention; Phoenix, Arizona rat Province, Philippines. Mexico, Chapter, USA. (Dr. Daniel Jones, with Dr. Laura • Sultan Kudarat Cave and Karst • Invited panelist presentation on Rosales Lagarde) Project Update. Sultan Kudarat NCKRI’s research on the regional • Caverns of Sonora Field Trip, Province, Philippines. aquifer system that feeds the San New Mexico Tech Alumni Dr. Dan Jones: Solomon Springs, Texas. Town Association, Sonora, Texas, USA, • Energy, life, and speleogenesis in hall meeting, Balmorhea, Texas, (Drs. Daniel Jones and George the sulfidic Frasassi cave system. USA. Veni) Sandia Grotto of the National Dr. George Veni: • Evaporite Karst in the Greater Speleological Society, Albuquer- • Karst aquifers in the San Antonio Permian Evaporite Basin of que, New Mexico, USA. area: Beyond the Edwards Aqui- Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, • Hypotheses for the origin of life. fer. GIS in Geology Class, The Kansas, and Colorado Session, New Mexico Tech Environmental University of Texas at San An- Geological Society of America Microbiology Class, Socorro, tonio, Texas; Bexar Grotto, San Convention; Phoenix, Arizona New Mexico, USA. Antonio, Texas; Edwards Aquifer (Dr. Lewis Land, with Dr. David • Life in the Archean. New Mexico Authority Brownbag lecturer, San Decker and Kenneth Johnson) Tech Environmental Microbiolo- Antonio, Texas, USA. • Karst Hydrology and Hydrogeol- gy Class, Socorro, New Mexico, • Karst: Living in a cavernous ogy Session, Geological Society USA. environment extending from New of America Convention; Phoenix, • Microbes, minerals and mining: Mexico to around the World. Arizona (Dr. Daniel Jones) unique microbial communities Friends of Bitter Lake National • New Voices in Geobiology and microbe-mineral interactions Wildlife Refuge, Roswell, New Session, Geological Society of in sulfidic mine waste from Mexico, USA America Convention; Phoenix, Minnesota’s Duluth Complex. Arizona (Dr. Daniel Jones) New Mexico Tech, Chemistry International Involvement • The 16th Multidisciplinary Department, Socorro, New NCKRI is an Affiliated Conferences on Sinkholes and the Mexico, USA; The University Organization of the International Engineering and Environmental of Texas El Paso, Department Union of Speleology (UIS) where Impacts on Karst, to be held in of Geosciences, El Paso, Texas, Dr. George Veni is serving a four- San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA, USA. year term as UIS President. The postponed to 2021 (Dianne Joop • Sulfuric acid speleogenesis in the goals of NCKRI and UIS overlap, and Drs. Lewis Land and George Frasassi cave system, Italy, and resulting in mutually supportive Veni) lessons for Carlsbad Caverns. projects. Our longstanding joint Geology of New Mexico, project is with the Karst Information Guest Lectures by NCKRI University of New Mexico Portal (see page 13), and our new NCKRI staff were invited to Valencia Campus, USA. joint project is the International Year give the following presentations and Michael Jones: of Caves and Karst (see page 31). lectures. • Hydrologic models of region- Related to the UIS, International Joel Despain: al groundwater flow patterns Year, and other international efforts, • Cave and Karst Resource Man- and groundwater withdrawals NCKRI staff serve on the United agement. Office of the Gover- within the La Jencia and Socorro Nations Non-Governmental Orga- nor, Sultan Kudarat Province, basins: Eagle Picher TCE con- nizations Major Group and on the Philippines, (presented with Dr. taminant plume, Socorro, New International Union for the Conser-

32 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE vation of Nature’s (IUCN) Cave and NCKRI staff also: • Park Service acquires Sulphur Karst Specialist and Geoheritage • Participated in the Carlsbad Springs site. Tom Oates, groups. While caves are clearly an Chamber of Commerce’s annual Frontiers in Ecology and the established priority for the IUCN, Bat Brigade. This delegation of Environment, 2 March 2020, NCKRI and UIS are working to community leaders visits leaders https://esajournals.onlinelibrary. bring cave and karst issues to the of New Mexico government at wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fee.2166 United Nations. the state capitol to raise their • The river ran green: scientists awareness and support for issues use dye to trace the Black River’s National Involvement in the City of Carlsbad and Eddy flow in Eddy County. Adrian • NCKRI is an Associated Society County. Hedden, Carlsbad Current- of the American Geosciences In- • Regularly attended board meet- Argus, 15 May 2020, 1A, 6A, stitute and the Geological Society ings of the Carlsbad Chamber https://www.currentargus.com/ of America and meets with those of Commerce, and its Govern- story/news/local/2020/05/12/ organizations regularly. ment Affairs, Education, and eddy-county-black-river- • NCKRI staff serve three major Tourism Committees, Carlsbad dyed-green-scientists-study- positions in the Karst Division of Department of Development, and flow/3108056001/ the Geological Society of Amer- participated in related activities • Why the hunt for alien life is ica Karst Division: Dr. Lewis supporting new businesses and under way far beneath Earth’s Land, Vice-Chair; Dr. Daniel community leaders. surface? Donna Lu, New Scien- Jones, Secretary; Dr. George • Serve on the Creative Carlsbad tist, 13 November 2019, https:// Veni, Advisor. Arts Council, HeritageFest and www.newscientist.com/article/ • NCKRI has a position on the Night of Lights Planning teams, mg24432560-800-why-the-hunt- Steering Committee for the and on the Leadership Eddy for-alien-life-is-under-way-far- National Cave and Karst Man- County Committee. beneath-earths-surface/ agement Symposium, which is • Continued supporting the brine held every two years. The next well cavity remediation by In addition to being contacted meeting will be in San Marcos, co-chairing the State’s Brine Well by the media, NCKRI developed Texas, USA, in October 2021. Authority’s Technical Committee a media initiative of its own. • NCKRI is an organizational and educating the public about Information Matrix is a short-form member of the US Fish and Wild- the situation. documentary series broadcast on life Service’s White-nose Syn- • Attended the Carlsbad Mayor’s Public Television stations in all drome Stakeholder Committee. Energy Summit, an annual event 50 states. It is hosted by movie • Joel Despain represented NCKRI focused on the impact of the oil star Lawrence Fishburne. Working at the 2019 National Fossil Day and gas industry in southeastern with the Information Matrix team, celebrations at Grand Canyon New Mexico, and staffed a booth NCKRI developed a 6.5-minute National Park, which included providing information about short documentary focused on public and management meetings NCKRI’s activities and opportu- sinkhole collapse and NCKRI as the and activities. nities for collaboration. national institute studying them and • Supported Explora, a science related phenomena. Drs. Lewis Land Community Involvement museum in Albuquerque, New and George Veni were interviewed, NCKRI is always excited to Mexico, when Dr. Lewis Land with appearances by Michael Jones show community support and stays was interviewed about career and Dianne Joop. involved in many ways. For several paths in the geosciences. While the documentary is com- years we have hosted the monthly plete, it will not be released until meetings of the Pecos Valley Grotto Media the upgrade of the NCKRI website of the National Speleological NCKRI staff were interviewed is finished. At that point it will Society on the third Thursday of and featured in local to international air for one year with an estimated each month at 7 p.m. Since the media this year, including: viewership and reach of 60 million temporary closing of NCKRI • Dr. Daniel Jones interviewed households. A 30-second ad was Headquarters to the public due to by Dr. Keith Parnell on KTEP also created that will play in selected COVID-19, NCKRI now hosts for radio/podcast broadcast, 8 major markets. Our hope is to the meetings by Zoom. Anyone December 2019, https://www. greatly increase awareness of caves interested in cave exploration and ktep.org/post/science-studio-dr- and karst, and certainly of NCKRI to cave research is welcome to attend. dan-jones study them.

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 33 BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN’S NCKRI STAFF NCKRI has a small, but growing REPORT and excellent staff. Following is a list of our staff during this report pe- riod, followed by training programs The National Cave and Karst and publications. Biographies are Research Institute this year has available on the NCKRI website. joined the great national and international movement to work Dr. George Veni remotely, usually from home. Executive Director NCKRI’s change in work habits Karst Hydrogeologist began March 19 when New Mexico Vicky Gonzales, MBA Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s Operations Division Director administration ordered the shutdown Dr. Daniel Jones of all but “essential” operations in Academic Director the state to help ward off the spread Dianne Joop of the coronavirus. Education Director New Mexico Tech, NCKRI’s Certified Interpretive Trainer parent institution, already had Joel Despain initiated work-at-home rules for Cave and Karst faculty and staff. Our Executive Management Scientist Director, Dr. George Veni, quickly Dr. Lewis Land put these into effect for the NCKRI Karst Hydrogeologist staff. Michael Jones The NCKRI, Inc., Board Photo courtesy of Jack Swickard. Cave and Karst Science Specialist of Directors met in person on Loren Darby September 25, 2019, at the Geological Society of American Convention in Office Manager Phoenix, Arizona, and by teleconference in 2020 on January 28, for a March 23 special Board meeting, and then on May 22 for its annual meeting, where Continuing Education the Board approved a major revision of NCKRI, Inc.’s, Bylaws and elected NCKRI staff polish and expand Board members. their skills whenever possible. Train- Joining the NCKRI Board were Sarah Arpin, Kathryn Bach, Dr. John ing attended by one or more staff “Jack” Hess, Dr. Benjamin Schwartz, and Limaris “Lima” Soto. Re-elected members in the past year includes: to the Board were Dr. Johanna Kovarik and John Scheltens. • Early Career Geoscience Faculty Board members retiring this year were Dr. Calvin Alexander, Dr. Lisa Workshop, Science Education Goggin, and Gary Hartwick. All were excellent Board members who will be Resource Center, University of greatly missed. Maryland. Another new member to the NCKRI, Inc., Board is Hal Pranger, who • Ethics and Geosciences, Becky succeeds Dave Steensen as National Park Service (NPS) Board member and Johnson, Texas Board of Profes- Budget Committee chairperson. Hal stepped in and immediately got up to sional Geologists. speed after Dave retired from the NPS. • Groundwater Hydrology, New This year the Board is beginning an analysis of its role and its Mexico Institute of Mining and relationship with NCKRI and the program’s partners—New Mexico Tech, Technology. the National Park Service, and the City of Carlsbad. • Hydrological Theory and Field All of us at NCKRI wish all of you a healthy, productive year as we all Methods, New Mexico Institute come to terms with the coronavirus pandemic and eagerly await a return to of Mining and Technology. normalcy. • Orientation to Cave Rescue, Na- tional Cave Rescue Commission. Jack Swickard • Social Media Design, National NCKRI, Inc., Board Chairperson Association for Interpretation. • Visual KARSYS: A Web Service for Modelling Karst Aquifers in 3D, Swiss Institute for Speleology and Karst Studies.

34 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE Staff Publications lighting and substrate conditions Geological Society of America, on growth. Mars Extant Life: Duluth, Minnesota, USA. Refereed Papers What’s Next? Carlsbad, New • Jones, D.S., Havlena, Z., Conference Proceedings Mexico, USA. Macalady, J.L. 2019. Microbial Papers • Havlena, Z., Kieft, T.L., Veni, ecology, evolution, and • Best, M.B., Jones, D.S., Northup, G., Horrocks, R., Jones, D.S. biosignature preservation D.E., Gómez-Cruz, R. 2019. 2019. Preventing problematic potential in chemosynthetic cave Comparative metagenomic photosynthesis in caves: do ecosystems. Lunar and Planetary and culture-based analysis lighting methods and substrate Institute Conference: Mars Extant of extremely acidophilic affect the development of Life: What’s Next? Carlsbad, New Acidithiobacillus spp. from destructive lampenflora in Mexico, USA. sulfidic cave biofilms. Geological Carlsbad Cavern? New Mexico • Jones, M.D. 2020. Characterizing Society of America Convention, Tech Student Symposium, groundwater flow paths in desert Phoenix, Arizona, USA, https:// Socorro, New Mexico; American spring-fed wetlands using elec- gsa.confex.com/gsa/2019AM/ Society for Microbiology, Rio trical resistivity tomography: San meetingapp.cgi/Paper/338755. Grande Branch Meeting, Socorro, Solomon Springs Aquifer System, • Despain, J. 2019. Enigmatic New Mexico, USA. Far West Texas, 2020 Sigma Xi speleogenesis, Sequoia and • Hobart, K.K., Feinberg, J.M., Scientific Research Honor Society Kings Canyon National Parks, Bailey, J.V., Jones, D.S. Student Scholars Symposium; California. Geological Society of 2020. Determining the rate of 2020 New Mexico Tech Student America Convention, Phoenix, microbially-mediated pyrrhotite Symposium, New Mexico, USA. Arizona, USA, https://gsa.confex. dissolution using integrated • Jones, M.D., Land, L., Veni, com/gsa/2019AM/meetingapp. geochemical, magnetic, and G. 2020. Electrical resistivity cgi/Paper/337311. genomic analyses. Goldschmidt surveys: initial steps in char- • Despain, J.D. 2019. Cave law Conference, Hawaii, USA. acterizing the San Solomon and regulation in the Philip- • Hobart, K.K., Feinberg, J.M., Springs Aquifer, Far West Texas. pines. National Cave and Karst Jones, D.S. 2019. Integrating Geological Society of Ameri- Management Symposium, Bris- geochemical, magnetic, and ca South-Central Section, Fort tol, Virginia, USA. genomic analyses to understand Worth, Texas, USA, https://gsa. • Goldscheider, N., Chen, Z., Aul- strain-specific differences in confex.com/gsa/2020SC/meetin- er, A.S., Bakalowicz, M. Broda, microbially-mediated pyrrhotite gapp.cgi/Paper/343079. S., Drew, D., Hartmann, J., Jiang, dissolution. Geological Society • Jones, M.D. 2020. Geochemical G., Moosdorf, N., Stevanovic, of America Convention, Phoenix, signatures and aquatic life use Veni, G. 2019. Statistical evalu- Arizona, USA, https://gsa.confex. monitoring at Rebecca Springs ation of the World Karst Aqui- com/gsa/2019AM/meetingapp. during the critical period of fer Map: global distribution of cgi/Paper/337355. flow in the Hill Country area of karst aquifers. 46th International • Jones, D., Northup, D.E., Gó- South-Central Texas. Geological Association of Hydrogeologists mez-Cruz, R., Macalady, J.L. Society of America Convention, Conference, Malaga, Spain. 2019. Global biogeography and Phoenix, Arizona, USA, https:// • Havlena, Z.E., Hose, L.D., Jones, diversity of extremely acidic gsa.confex.com/gsa/2019AM/ D.S. 2019. Reconnaissance cave-dwelling acidophilic com- meetingapp.cgi/Paper/338043. geomicrobiology survey of munities. Geological Society of • Joop, D., Jackson, E. 2019. Lehman Cave, Great Basin America Convention, Phoenix, Connecting karst across National Park. Geological Arizona, USA, https://gsa.confex. state boundaries. Public Society of America Convention, com/gsa/2019AM/meetingapp. Lands Alliance Conference, Phoenix, Arizona, USA, https:// cgi/Paper/339909. Washington, DC, USA. gsa.confex.com/gsa/2019AM/ • Jones, D.S., Cooper, A., Bakovic, • Kambesis, P.N., Despain, J. meetingapp.cgi/Paper/340348. M., Pajovic, G., Borovinic, N., 2019. Karst development on the • Havlena, Z., Kieft, T.L., Veni, Tostevin, G., Monnier, G. 2020. southwest peninsula of Haiti. G., Horrocks, R., Jones, D.S. Applying high-throughput rRNA Geological Society of America 2019. Photosynthetic biofilms in gene sequencing to assess micro- Convention, Phoenix, Arizona, Carlsbad Cavern: use of in situ bial contamination of a 40-year USA, https://gsa.confex.com/ spectrophotometry and DNA old exposed archeological profile: gsa/2019AM/meetingapp.cgi/ analysis to explore influence of North-Central Section of the Paper/341417.

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 35 • Lakis, I.M., Kieft, T.L. Havlena, ProceedingswithProgram/Geo- • Land, L. 2020. Living Desert Z, Veni, G. 2019. Mitigation of physics_Remote_sensing/4/. State Park. In: Scholle P., editor. lampenflora-based environmental • Schwartz, G.E., Gionfriddo, C., The geology of southern New biofilms in Carlsbad Caverns Soren, A., Jones, D.S., Elias, D., Mexico’s parks, monuments, National Park. New Mexico Tech Gilmour, C. 2019. Abundance and public lands. NMBGMR: Student Research Symposium, and diversity of hgcAB+ microbes 319-322. Socorro, New Mexico, USA. in Chesapeake salt marsh soils— • McCraw, D., Land, L. 2020. • Land L. 2019. Sinkholes as relationships to MeHg and site Bitter Lake National Wildlife transportation and infrastructure biogeochemistry. International Refuge. In: Scholle P., editor. geohazards in southeastern New Conference on Mercury as a The geology of southern New Mexico. Geological Society of Global Pollutant, . Mexico’s parks, monuments, America Convention, Phoenix, • Veni, G. 2019. Caves: The sacred and public lands. NMBGMR: Arizona, USA, https://gsa.confex. substrate of Maya Civilization. 335-340. com/gsa/2019AM/meetingapp. Geological Society of America • Northup, D.E., Jones, D.S., cgi/Paper/333400. Convention, Phoenix, Arizona, Boston, P.J., Spilde, M., Lavaud, • Land L., Jones, M., Veni G. USA, https://gsa.confex.com/ M.C. 2019 Microorganismos de 2020. Using electrical resistivity gsa/2019AM/meetingapp.cgi/ la Cueva de Villa Luz, Tacotalpa. methods to map cave passages Paper/337494. In: La biodiversidad en Tabasco. and conduits in the San Solomon Estudio de Estado v II. conabio, Springs karstic aquifer system, Books and Book Chapters Mexico, pp. 358-361. west Texas, USA. In: Land L, • Land, L., Kromhout, C., Byle, Kromhout C, Byle M, editors. M., eds. 2020. Proceedings of the Journal Papers Proceedings of the Sixteenth Sixteenth Multidisciplinary Con- • Goldscheider, N., Chen, Z., Aul- Multidisciplinary Conference on ference on Sinkholes and the En- er, A.S., Bakalowicz, M. Broda, Sinkholes and the Engineering gineering and Environmental Im- S., Drew, D., Hartmann, J., Jiang, and Environmental Impacts of pacts of Karst: National Cave and G., Moosdorf, N., Stevanovic, Karst: National Cave and Karst Karst Research Institute Sympo- Veni, G. 2020. Global distribu- Research Institute Symposium sium 8. National Cave and Karst tion of carbonate rocks and karst 8: p. 93-104, https://scholarco- Research Institute, https://digital. water resources. Hydrogeology mmons.usf.edu/sinkhole_2020/ lib.usf.edu/SFS0070630/00001?- Journal, 28(5):1661-1677, https:// search=nckri. doi.org /10.1007/s10040-020- • Land, L. 2020. Bottomless Lakes 02139-5. State Park. In: Scholle P., editor. • Jones, D.S., Walker, G.M., The geology of southern New Johnson, N.J., Mitchell, C.P.J., Mexico’s parks, monuments, Coleman Wasik, J.K., Bailey, and public lands. New Mexico J.V. 2019. Molecular evidence Bureau of Geology and Mineral for novel mercury methylating Resources (NMBGMR): 328- microorganisms in sulfate-im- 334, https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/ pacted lakes. ISME Journal 13: publications/guides/nmparks/ 1659-1675 northern/home.cfml (link also for • Zoss, R., Medina Ferrer, F., the next five papers). Flood, B.E., Jones, D.S., Louw, • Land, L. 2020. Brantley Lake D.C., Bailey, J.V. 2019. Microbi- State Park. In: Scholle P., editor. al communities associated with The geology of southern New phosphogenic sediments and Mexico’s parks, monuments, phosphoclast‐associated DNA of and public lands. NMBGMR: the Benguela upwelling system. 323-327. Geobiology 17: 76-90. • Land, L. 2020. Guadalupe Backcountry Byway. In: Scholle Unrefereed Papers NCKRI photo by George Veni. P., editor. The geology of southern • Despain, J.D. 2020. Bats and Identification and mitigation of karst geohazards, such as sinkholes along New Mexico’s parks, monuments, their use of caves. www.nps.gov/ and below roadways, is one of this and public lands. NMBGMR: articles/bats-in-caves.htm. years’ topics of reports by NCKRI staff. 315-318. • Despain, J.D. 2020. Cave

36 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 STATE AND FEDERAL BUDGET

Fiscal Year 2020, Year-to-Date Summarized Financials as of June 30, 2020

Revenue FY2020 Budget FY2020 Actual Budget to Actual

State of New Mexico $ 418,839 $ 398,691 $ 20,148 Carryforward $ 325,687 $ 314,435 $ 11,252 National Park Service $ 794,000 $ 725,859 $ 68,141 Grants & Contracts $ 185,392 $ 185,392 $ - Total Revenue $ 1,723,918 $ 1,624,377 $ 99,541

Expenses FY2020 Budget FY2020 Actual Budget to Actual

State of New Mexico Salary & Fringe $ 269,999 $ 194,681 $ 75,318 Expenses $ 148,840 $ 242,816 $ (93,976) Subtotal $ 418,839 $ 437,497 $ (18,658) Carryforward $ 274,101

National Park Service Salary & Fringe $ 558,207 $ 549,773 $ 8,434 Expenses $ 235,793 $ 302,645 $ (66,852) Subtotal $ 794,000 $ 852,418 $ (58,418)

Contracts & Grants Salary & Fringe $ 103,917 $ 103,917 $ - Expenses $ 118,495 $ 118,495 $ - Subtotal $ 222,412 $ 222,412 $ - Total Expenses $ 1,435,251 $ 1,512,327 $(77,076)

Exploration in the National on Lagbasan & the Fifth • Gionfriddo, C.M., Wymore, Parks. https://www.nps.gov/ Philippine-American Expedition A.M., Jones, D.S., Wilpiszeski, articles/cave-exploration-in-the- to Sultan Kudarat. Report to R.L., Lynes, M.M., Christensen, national-parks.htm. the Philippines Department of G.A., Soren, A., Gilmour, C.C., • Despain, J.D. 2020. Report on the Environment and Natural Podar, M., Elias, D.A. 2020. the Fifth Philippine-American Resources. An improved hgcAB primer Expedition to Sultan Kudarat, • Despain, J.D. 2020. The Interna- set and direct high-throughput submitted to the Philippines De- tional Year of Caves and Karst. sequencing expand Hg-methyl- partment of the Environment and https://www.nps.gov/articles/ ator diversity in nature. bioRx- Natural Resources. the-international-year-of-caves- iv: 2020.2003.2010.983866 • Despain, J.D. 2020. Report and-karst.htm. 10.1101/2020.03.10.983866.

NATIONAL CAVE AND KARST RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2019-2020 ANNUAL REPORT 37 National Cave and Karst Research Institute 400-1 Cascades Avenue Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220 USA