UIS Commission on Karst Hydrogeology and Speleogenesis

The National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI) has been busy with many different things, including a variety of publication and research projects. We have posted several new publications on our website; nearly all can be downloaded for free.

There is one publication I’m especially excited to introduce with this message. Under the “Symposia and Special Papers” menu bar you’ll find:
NCKRI Special Paper 2: Role of Hydrogen Sulfide in the Formation of Cave and Karst Phenomena in the Guadalupe Mountains and Western Delaware Basin, New Mexico and Texas, by Douglas Kirkland.

The Guadalupe Mountains serve internationally as the classic study area for hypogenic cave development. However, questions and some controversy still remain on the processes. Douglas Kirkland has worked for decades in the area. In this volume he has pulled together and analyzed a tremendous amount of information to answer some of the more important questions and offer new insights to the region’s cave and karst development. His work will likely serve as a model for research in other areas as well.

Also under the “Symposia and Special Papers” menu bar you’ll find from two conferences NCKRI hosted last year:
NCKRI Symposium 2: Proceedings of the Thirteenth Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst, edited by Dr. Lewis Land, Dr. Daniel H. Doctor, and J. Brad Stephenson.

and

NCKRI Symposium 3: Proceedings of the 20th National Cave and Karst Management Symposium, edited by Dr. Lewis Land and Mark W. Joop.
If you look under the “Investigation Reports” menu bar, you’ll find five reports posted so far on:

·         Karst flooding in Guatemala
·         Electrical resistivity study of a brine well cavity in salt
·         Electrical resistivity study of cavities in gypsite
·         Evaluation of National Park Service cave and karst needs.
·         Electrical resistivity study of a proposed well drill site.
 
The Guatemala report is part of humanitarian project. The resistivity projects are first steps toward developing a broad collection of geophysical surveys in a variety of geological settings in order to better evaluate the data and techniques. The National Park Service report is a nationwide study that identifies all US national parks with known or potential caves, karst, and pseudokarst resources, and their status and needs relative to research, management, and public education and interpretation of the resources. This study will assist the Park Service in identifying and prioritizing their cave/karst research needs.

Under the Annual Reports tab you’ll find our latest summary of activities plus the reports for all of our previous years.
More reports are in the works and will be posted as completed.
 
George
 
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George Veni, Ph.D.
Executive Director
National Cave and Karst Research Institute