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The KWI Conduit
Spring 1996
Volume 4 No. 1
KWI
Conduit to Change
KWI Annual Board Meeting
KWI Board Meets in the
West
Report on the Paleokarst Field
Conference
Climatic Change - The Karst
Record
Conservation and Protection of the
Biota of Karst
Events of Interest
KWI
CONDUIT TO CHANGE
The KWI Conduit began as a simple photocopied
publication, the Karst Waters Institute Newsletter in
March of 1992 as a means of providing communication between
the people associated with the KWI, and with people who
wished to learn about the KWI. In 1993, Phil LaMoreaux came
forward with the idea of making the newsletter a more
substantial publication, and through support provided by P.
E. LaMoreaux and Associates (PELA), began publication of
what is now the KWI Conduit. The KWI Conduit
has been distributed free to any and all who expressed an
interest. A few readers responded to our request for support
funds, but overall the KWI Conduit, even with the
help of PELA, has cost the KWI money. The KWI now has
achieved a certain level of recognition. It has successfully
held international conferences; published a major review
article; conducted workshops, field camps and training
sessions; sponsored research; and generally worked to
improve karst science. Much of this has been accomplished by
hard work of volunteers, and by scrounging resources. The
Board of Directors of the KWI, after exhaustive review and
discussion, has decided to place the KWI Conduit on a
different footing.
Beginning with the next issue of the KWI Conduit,
it will go to a subscription-based publication at $10 a
year. Those individuals who contributed support funds
earlier, with the understanding that this would guarantee
receipt of the KWI Conduit as long as they were
interested, will not have to pay this subscription fee.
Exchange of materials is also a way to continue to receive
the KWI Conduit without subscription cost. We
especially encourage our overseas readers to exchange with
us, to simplify the process and avoid currency transfers.
The KWI wishes to spread the news about the KWI and its
activities as far and wide as possible, but cannot continue
to do so at a financial loss. This year, the KWI
Conduit was published only once (this current issue) in
part because of financial costs. Future issues will come out
twice a year.
One means by which the KWI hopes to keep information
exchange alive is by placing the KWI Conduit under a
KWI Home Page on the World Wide Web. In this manner, the
KWI Conduit could be obtained free of charge over the
net. The same information that will be presented in the hard
copy of the KWI Conduit will be reproduced in total
at the Web site. If you have any questions about the Web
site, please contact:
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Dr. Ira Sasowsky
Department of Geology
University of Akron
Akron, OH 44325-4101
USA
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Phone: (216) 972 5389
Fax: (216) 972 6990
E-Mail: ids@uakron.edu
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Material for the KWI Conduit, comments about our
change in policy, and subscriptions for the publication
(checks made out to "KWI Conduit"), should be sent to the
Editor:
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Dr. John E. Mylroie
Department of Geosciences
P.O. Box 5448
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS 39762
USA
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Phone: (601) 325 8774
Fax: (601) 325 2907
E-Mail: jmyl@Ra.MsState.edu
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KWI ANNUAL BOARD MEETING
MARCH 25-26, 1995
The Karst Waters Institute held its annual Board meeting
in Charles Town, West Virginia, courtesy of Bill Jones and
Lee Elliot and their exceptional hospitality. Board members
Meg Colgate, Dave Culver, Rane Curl, Dan Fong, Janet Herman,
Jack Hess, Bill Jones, Tom Kane, John Mylroie, and Will
White were present. Randy Judd, Ira Sasowsky, and Elizabeth
White were guests of the Board. KWI President John Mylroie
presented his report to the Board, a brief overview of KWI
activities and projects. The general state of the KWI is
excellent, with many successes. The various committee
reports were then given.
Will White reported for the Research Committee. The
American Scientist article went through a final
circulation among the co-authors, and was sent to the
journal editor. Will White and Janet Herman have created an
outline for a major review paper on karst water chemistry,
but actual writing has made only minor progress at this
early juncture in the project. The Karst Atlas of West
Virginia continues to make progress. The final
publication will be an 11" x 14" soft-bound product in two
colors, with a four-color centerfold. Funding is being lined
up for publication. The KARSTMAP project is an initiative
similar to the Karst Hydrology Atlas of West Virginia, which
will attempt to expand that idea to the entire U.S. The Cave
Geology and Geography Section of the National Speleological
Society is spearheading the effort, and will hold a session
on the subject at its annual convention in Virginia this
summer, where Bill Jones will make a presentation on the KWI
work and cooperation in this area. Will White reported on
progress with the Army Research Office on conducting a
workshop on contaminant transport; the Board approved
continued work on this topic. An open-ended discussion was
held to review ways in which the KWI can move ahead in
actually conducting and supporting research in karst.
Dave Culver reported for the Education Committee. The
first Cave Fauna Management Workshop was held in Lewisberg,
West Virginia in November. It attracted 22 participants from
government and non-government organizations, including The
Nature Conservancy, the National Park Service, State Natural
Heritage Programs, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Dave
Culver, John Holsinger, Bill Jones and Carol Wicks were the
course instructors, and they received high marks from the
participants. The workshop may be conducted again in 1996.
The video project has slowed down, in part because of the
large effort necessary to make such an operation success.
The karst hydrology and biospeleology field camps will not
be offered in 1995, to give the concept a rest and build up
the attendee pool again. Dave Culver suggested concentrating
on one or two videos of a general nature for a broad
audience. Slide shows may also be useful. These formats have
the advantage of being directly transferrable to CD-ROM
technology.
Ira Sasowsky reported for the Communications Committee,
with subcommittee reports by others. The Paleokarst Field
Conference was a success, as reported by John Mylroie
[see details elsewhere in this issue]. The 1996
conference Climatic Change - The Karst Record has
taken off under the direction of Dr. Stein-Erik Lauritzen of
the University of Bergen, Norway, reported John Mylroie
[see details elsewhere in this issue]. Dave Culver
reported on the 1997 conference on Conservation and
Protection of the Biota of Karst, to be held in
Nashville, Tennessee [see details elsewhere in this
issue]; significant outside funding has been obtained
and has been requested. The KWI brochure continues to be a
useful product, and Bill Jones is looking into producing a
single page KWI sheet that can be used for more routine
information requests. Elizabeth White reported sales of 20
copies of the Geomicrobiology program (KWI Special
Publication no. 1), with about 30 left on hand. The special
issue of the journal Geomicrobiology, devoted to
papers from the conference, has come out (v. 12); Janet
Herman distributed reprints of her Preface to that issue.
Elizabeth White also reported on the "virtual library",
distributing a handout of holdings currently in the private
libraries of Will White and Dave Culver; Board members are
to review this list and let her know what additions they can
make to the list from their own libraries. There was
discussion on the future of the KWI Conduit, it was
agreed to continue the publication as is, with an eye to
changes now that the KWI is maturing. Other Communication
Committee issues such as an operations manual, use of the
internet and the world wide web, electronic journals, and a
variety of short topics were discussed.
KWI finances received a lot of review, including the
Treasurer's report, the Finance and Internal Audit Committee
report, and fund raising. While the KWI is currently
operational, adequate funding for our present state of
activities is a continuing problem. The budget for the
upcoming year was approved. The Board voted to add Randy
Judd and Ira Sasowsky as new members. Officer elections were
held: President, Tom Kane; Vice President, Bill Jones;
Treasurer, Margeret Colgate; Secretary, Rane Curl. John
Mylroie was thanked, by Board motion, for his past four
years of service as KWI President. The meeting adjourned
11:15 am, Sunday March 26, 1995.
KWI BOARD MEETS IN THE WEST
The Karst Waters Institute Board of Directors held its
fall meeting October 7-8, 1995 in Las Vegas, Nevada,
courtesy of Chairman of the Board Dr. Jack Hess. Board
members Dave Culver, Rane Curl, Jack Hess, Bill Jones, Randy
Judd, Tom Kane, John Mylroie, Ira Sasowsky, and Will White
were present. KWI President Tom Kane reported on the growth
and vitality of the KWI, and led the discussion into the
committee reports. Will White reported on the Research
Committee, which included the successful publication of an
article "Karst Lands" in the prestigious science journal
American Scientist (vol. 83, no. 5, Sept-Oct 1995, p.
450-459). This article will bring recognition to the KWI,
and help promote karst science as a serious and valuable
course of study. Bill Jones reported that the Karst
Hydrology Atlas of West Virginia will go to the printer in
January, the outlook for publication funding remains good.
Other research items discussed were the workshop on
contaminant transport and the KARSTMAP project, these
efforts are moving ahead; and future investigation of karst
and climate as a major research focus. Discussion was
continued on a multidisciplinary proposal for the National
Science Foundation using the Organ Cave Plateau, and the
initiative will move ahead under Dave Culver.
Dave Culver reported for the Education Committee. The
video instructional package is currently on hold. The recent
death of Jim Quinlan creates a void in karst education that
needs assessment. The short course program for cavers is
being slowed down so that resources can be directed more
towards professional land manager training. Ira Sasowsky
reported for the Communications Committee, with subcommittee
reports by others. John Mylroie reviewed the end result of
the "Paleokarst Field Conference" of last February, which
resulted in an article in GEOTIMES magazine by Art
Palmer (vol. 40, no. 9, Sept 1995, p. 9), an article due to
come out in Environmental Geology, and a theme issue
on the conference will be published in the journal
Carbonates and Evaporites (vol 10., no. 2, 1995)
containing 11 papers on karst. Mylroie also reported on the
upcoming conference for August 1996, in Bergen, Norway,
"Climatic Change - The Karst Record" being organized by Dr.
Stein-Erik Lauritzen of Norway. Progress is moving along
well, with 20 preregistrants as a result of the first
circular already, and an exciting post-conference excursion
to the karst of northern Norway. Dave Culver reported on the
"Biodiversity" conference for February, 1997 in Nashville,
Tennessee. The conference will stress three themes: cave
organisms, bats, and plants & carbonates, and keynote
speakers have already been selected. The KWI Conduit
will change as it moves to a subscription-based publication
with John Mylroie as editor. Ira Sasowsky will also place
the newsletter on the newly-developed KWI home page on the
world wide web computer net.
Reports by the Treasurer and Internal Audit Committee
were accepted. Fund-raising remains a major concern, and the
KWI will look into offering short courses for city planners
and legal experts who must daily deal with the actual impact
of karst on society. Adding Board members and a formal
Advisory Board were also discussed. The next Board meeting
will be in March (tentatively March 23 & 24) at
Videmont, West Virginia. The meeting adjourned late Saturday
afternoon, and Sunday was spent on field trips to local
sites such as Devils' Hole National Monument.
REPORT ON THE PALEOKARST FIELD
CONFERENCE
FEBRUARY 17-21, 1995
The Paleokarst Field Conference, Macroscopic
Dissolution Features in the Rock Record, was held
February 17-21, 1995 at the Bahamian Field Station (BFS) on
San Salvador Island, Bahamas, under the direction of John
Mylroie. The meeting had 41 participants from 8 countries,
which turned out to be the absolute limit that the field
station and air charter could handle. Some excitement was
introduced into the trip by delays in plane flights from the
charter air company on Friday, February 17th, but all
arrived by evening, and otherwise the conference went very
smoothly. Nine keynote addresses were given, ten poster
sessions presented, and five field trips conducted. A list
of talk and poster session titles and authors is given
below. The general response of the participants was
extremely positive, both during the meeting and afterwards.
The conference attracted academics, workers in industry, and
a number of consultants, giving the KWI some minor access to
a previously un-reached audience. Comments, questions and
discussions at talks, posters, in the field, and during
off-time were plentiful, engaging, and creative. The meeting
achieved its primary goal of bringing together people with a
variety of backgrounds, and getting them to synthesize their
views on paleokarst by mutual interchange.
The Paleokarst Field Conference continues to yield
positive fall-out for the KWI. In the September, 1995 issue
of GEOTIMES is a brief report on the conference
written by Art Palmer. A report on the conference was also
prepared for Environmental Geology, and will appear
in an upcoming issue. Abstracts of the conference were
published in GEO2, the newsletter of the Cave Geology
and Geography Section of the National Speleological Society
(vol. 22, no. 1). Dr. Gerry Friedman, editor of the geology
journal Carbonates and Evaporites has dedicated the
December issue of that journal (vol. 10, no. 2) to papers
from the Paleokarst Field Conference. John Mylroie was asked
to write a Preface to the issue. Papers by Ford, Friedman,
Harris et al., Lundberg, Martinez et al., Mylroie &
Carew, Mylroie et al., Palmer, Raeisi & Mylroie, Sauter,
and White & White, 11 in all, will be in the issue. Thus
the Paleokarst Field Conference follows the trend set by the
Geomicrobiology Conference in making an impact in the
scientific community through follow-up reports and special
editions of journals.
KEYNOTE ADDRESSES
- Depositional History and Stratigraphy of the
Bahamas Islands:
J. L. Carew and J. E. Mylroie
- Major Paleokarst Horizons of North America: The
Post-Sauk and Post-Kaskaskia Systems:
A. N. Palmer and M. V. Palmer
- Intra-Sauk Karst and Paleosoils as Parasequence
Boundaries:
G. M. Friedman
- Karst in Quaternary Carbonate Islands: The
Bahamian Example:
J. E. Mylroie and J. L. Carew
- Evaluation of Paleokarst Using Enhanced
Petrography and Guidelines from Quaternary
Carbonates:
J. J. Dravis
- Sequence Boundaries and Carbonate Platforms:
Sequence Boundaries and Distribution of
Macroporosity:
J. A. Simo and M. A. Muldoon
- The Case for Antecedent Karst Expression in Modern
Carbonate Environments:
E. G. Purdy
- Paleokarst as a Target for Modern
Karstification:
D. C. Ford
- Correlation of Contemporary Karst Landforms with
Paleokarst Landforms: The Problem of Scale:
W. B. White and E. L. White
POSTER SESSIONS
- Cenozoic (?) Reactivation of Ordovician Paleokarst
Features:
K. E. Goggin
- Local Variation of Hydraulic Conductivity in
Dolomite: Comparison of Values Determined from Packer
Tests, Pumping Tests, and Tracer Tests:
M. A. Muldoon and K. R. Bradbury
- Electromagnetic Surface Geophysical Exploration of
the Groundwater Resources of Isla de Mona, Puerto
Rico:
M. I. Martinez, J. W. Troester and R. T.
Richards
- Hydrodynamic Behavior of Flank Margin
Caves:
E. Raeisi and J. E. Mylroie
- The Influence of Climate, Geomorphological
Processes and Initial Geological Conditions on the
Development of a Karst Aquifer:
M. Sauter and G. Teutsch
- Banana Holes: Towards an Explanation:
J. G. Harris, J. E. Mylroie, J. L. Carew and W. L.
Wilson
- Solution Pipes in Northern Puerto Rico: An Exhumed
Paleokarst:
J. Lundberg
- Blue Holes: Toward a Definition:
A. I. Moore, J. E. Mylroie and J. L. Carew
- A Not-For-Profit Organization Dedicated to the
Scientific and Physical Exploration of Blue Holes within
the Bahamas, and Related Cave Environments:
S. J. Schwabe
- Sanctuary Blue Hole: An Archaeological
Grave:
N. E. Sealey
CLIMATIC CHANGE - THE KARST RECORD
AUGUST 1-4, 1996
The KWI, in cooperation with the University of Bergen, in
Bergen Norway, will sponsor a conference on Climatic
Change - The Karst Record August 1-4, 1996 in Bergen,
Norway. Dr. Stein-Erik Lauritzen, chairs an organizing
committee for the conference that includes John Mylroie and
Jack Hess. In addition to traditional talks during the
conference, a short pre-conference field trip, and an
extended post-conference excursion will round out the event.
Theme: Karst systems as a unique database for
climatic information.
The purpose of the conference is to focus on the
importance of karst systems as unique paleoclimatic
archives, and provide links between paleoclimatic proxy
records of the deep cave environment, through the entrance
facies and into various surface environments of classical
Quaternary stratigraphy. Contributions are invited to the
following sessions, which will each have key-note
speakers:
- Speleothems as high-resolution recorders of
paleotemperature, erosion rates, ice cover, sea level
mechanisms and processes of speleothem deposition.
- Cave sediments and stratigraphy, including
paleomagnetism.
- Inference of climatic change from the morphology and
processes in karst landforms.
- Climatic change inferred from paleontological and
archaeological records in karst caves.
- Present-day speleofauna and environmental
change.
Excursions: Norway has abundant karst developed primarily
on marbles, which contain over 1,200 caves. Norwegian caves
contain calcite deposits over 500,000 years in age,
Pleistocene mammal bones, marine sediments later uplifted by
isostatic rebound, subglacial karst drains, abandoned
pre-glacial caves, and numerous other features that contain
evidence of past climatic conditions.
- "Valleys, Fjords and Karst of Western Norway",
July 29 - 30, 1996. A pre-Conference excursion over two
days, this excursion is an overview of Norway's scenic
landscapes designed for those with limited time and who
wish a less rigorous field experience. Two days, by bus,
no camping, and some walking. It will visit the Dummdalen
karst area, the highest altitude karst in Norway.
- "Karst and Caves of Northern Norway", August 5
- 17, 1996. A post-Conference excursion over 12 days,
this excursion will visit the main karst areas in central
Nordland, Norway, to examine specific sites important to
climatic research, and significant cave and karst
features. The field trip will involve staying several
nights in cabins, plenty of long walks, and good caving.
Extremely scenic and scientific, this trip will show the
best that Norwegian karst has to offer.
For more information on the Climatic Change - The
Karst Record conference, including the second circular,
which will contain prices and fees, contact Dr. Stein-Erik
Lauritzen. Space on the excursions may be limited, so make
your preferences known to Dr. Lauritzen. Those wishing to
make a presentation should notify Dr. Lauritzen as soon as
possible, and indicate type of presentation (oral, poster,
or video). Abstracts will be due by March 1, 1996; all fees
and final registration will be due May 1, 1996.
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Dr. Stein-Erik Lauritzen
Department of Geology
Bergen University
Allegaten 41
N-5007 Bergen
NORWAY
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FAX: (47) 55 32 44 16
E-MAIL: Stein.Lauritzen@geol.uib.no
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CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION OF THE
BIOTA OF KARST
FEBRUARY 13-16, 1996
Karstlands, landscapes sculpted more by dissolution than
by erosion of rock, include many unusual habitats such as
caves, springs, sinkholes, and cedar glades. The biota of
karstlands, both on the surface and below the surface,, is
highly specialized and diverse. There are likely over 50,000
species of animals, most of which are eyeless and without
pigment, limited to subsurface karst habitats, especially
caves. Likewise, surface habitats in karst lands harbor a
diverse and specialized biota, including ferns on rock faces
and cave entrances, and a variety of plants limited to the
basic, thin soils of karstlands. Many of these species have
highly restricted ranges on only a single cave or a few
square kilometers of surface habitat. The proposed
conference would bring together biologists concerned with
various aspects of protection of karst.
This conference is timely and unique for several reasons.
First, the terrain of karstlands is highly fragmented and
rarely pristine, often not visually spectacular, and there
is almost never a species that captures the public's
imagination and sympathy such as grizzly bears or spotted
owls. Second, botanists, bat biologists, and cave ecologists
are seldom aware of each other's work and can indeed be at
cross purposes in designing protection plans. Bringing these
groups together will allow for a more comprehensive
protection strategy. Third, the conference will have a
strong international focus, with participation from
biologists from many of the world's premiere karst
areas.
The conference will be held Thursday, February 13, to
Sunday, February 16, 1996, in Nashville, Tennessee. There
will be a series of invited talks and a contributed poster
session. We will take advantage of Nashville's location with
Saturday field trips to Mammoth Cave National Park and to
cedar glade botanical areas.
- Session 1 - Biodiversity in Karst
- Session 2 - Demography and Genetics of Karst
Biota
- Session 3 - Sampling Subterranean Fauna
- Session 4 - Biodiversity Hotspots in Karstlands
- Session 5 - Karstlands Protection
For More information, contact:
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Dr. David C. Culver
Department of Biology
American University
4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20016
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Phone: (202) 885 2194
Fax: (202) 885 2182
E-Mail: dculver@american.edu
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EVENTS OF INTEREST
XIVth Symposium of Theoretical and Applied Karstology;
Baile Hercilane, Romania, 26 May-1 June, 1996. Ioan Povara,
Symposium Secretariat, FAX +40-1-2113874.
Climatic Change - The Karst Record; Bergen Norway, 1-4
August, 1996. Stein-Erik Lauritzen, FAX (47) 55 32 44
16.
National Speleological Society Convention; Salida,
Colorado USA, 3-8 August 1996. Skip Withrow,
303-693-0997.
28th International Geological Congress, World Coastal
Karst Environments Symposium; The Hague, Netherlands, 5-10
August, 1996. Congress Secretariat, FAX 0031-30-540604.
VIIth European Bat Research Symposium; Veldhoven, The
Netherlands, 12-16 August, 1996. Peter Lina, FAX
0031-8370-27561.
4th International Symposium on Glacier Caves and
Cryokarst in Polar and High Mountain Regions; Salzburg,
Austria, 1 - 7 September, 1996. Dr. Heinz Slupetzky, FAX
0043-662-8044525.
12th Congres International de Speleologie; La
Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, 10-16 August, 1997. 12e Congres
Internationale, Case Postal 4093, CH-2304 La Chaux-de-Fonds
4, Switzerland.
Conservation and Protection of the Biota of Karst;
Nashville, Tennessee, USA, 13-16 February, 1997. Dr. David
Culver, FAX 202-885-2182.
Second International Symposium on Karst Water and Field
Seminars; Kermanshah, Iran, Spring 1998. A. Afrasiabian,
General Secretary, FAX 0098-21-7533186.
For additional information on the Karst Waters Institute
write to:
Karst Waters Institute, Inc.
PO Box 490
Charles Town, West Virginia 25414
KWI
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