KWI Interdisciplinary Workshop on Epikarst 
The Karst Waters Institute is sponsoring an Interdisciplinary Workshop on Epikarst, October 1-4, 2003 in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Epikarst is defined as the interface zone between soil and rock in karst landscapes and is characterized by small fractures and solution pockets that may or may not be filled with water. Water movement and storage in the epikarst zone appears to play an important role in the hydrologic regime of many karst aquifers. The workshop is designed to foster interdisciplinary understanding of epikarst by presenting ideas of specialists from a variety of diverse but complementary fields. The workshop will bring together ecologists, geologists, geochemists, geologists, geomorphologists, hydrogeologists, and zoologists to reach a better understanding of the physical and biological processes taking place in epikarst.
Epikarst was first given currency by the New Zealand geomorphologist Paul Williams in the 1980’s. His demonstration of the secondary porosity of this zone, which he called the subcutaneous zone, brought it to some prominence. At roughly the same time, biologists such as John Holsinger of Old Dominion University in Virginia, were finding animals in improbable habitats such as the water in footprints and old water troughs that indicated their true habitat was above the cave but under the land surface. More recently, William B. White of the Pennsylvania State University and others have shown that epikarst may have a complex role in contaminant transport, especially of NAPL’s. The meeting will be tightly structured so that these topics will build upon each other in order to identify gaps in understanding that can best be filled by interdisciplinary cooperation. Speakers and discussion leaders at the workshop will be well-known specialists from a variety of fields who can bridge these gaps. The workshop will be four days in length and include a field trip to local epikarst sites and a cave. The workshop format will consist of a relatively small number of formal presentations, followed by thorough discussions. The discussions will be transcribed and become part of the workshop proceedings. There will be one or two speakers for each of the topics listed below. In addition, two technical workshops are planned. Three unique “Confusion Sessions” are planned where speakers are invited to take five minutes and no more than two slides to describe a problem, observation, idea, or data set with which they are grappling and for which the audience insight would be most helpful. There will be an evening contributed Poster Session, with special emphasis on “snapshots of epikarst.”
Dates: October 1 (evening) - October 4 (evening), 2003 Location: Clarion Inn, Shepherdstown, West Virginia Registration: $280 US (Students: $180 US)
The registration fee is $280 US. The fee for students is $180 US. Proof of student status is required. The fee includes an opening reception, a wine and cheese reception, concluding banquet, field trip, and workshop proceedings. Shuttle service from Dulles Airport will also be available. Registration information may be found in: Deadlines: Registration for the Epikarst Conference should be received by September 1, 2003. We hope to limit attendance to about 125 participants, so early registration is encouraged. The oral presentations are already filled, but poster papers are welcome. A one to two page extended abstract may be submitted at the conference (the conference proceedings will be published after the meeting to include the discussions). Please indicate at the time of registration if you plan to submit a poster paper. Shepherdstown, West Virginia (304) 876-7000 www.clarionshepherdstown.com.
Room rates are $84 per night for the nights
of the conference (Wednesday through Saturday)
for single or double occupancy. Please call the hotel directly (304) 876-7000 to make your reservations. Identify yourself as a KWI meeting participant.
Shepherdstown, a small historic college town situated in the Northern Shenandoah Valley, is about 40 miles west of Washington Dulles Airport. Shepherdstown is the home of Shepherd College and interesting shops, pubs, and restaurants are within walking distance of the Clarion.
Shuttle service is available to and from Shepherdstown and Dulles Airport.
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