|
|
| |
|
| |
Project
Background |
| |
|
| |
Federal
and State agencies, the speleological community, and academia have repeatedly
expressed the need for an accurate and detailed national karst map to better
understand the distribution of soluble rocks in the United States. Maps
at a variety of scales are needed to educate the public and legislators
about karst issues, to provide a basis for cave and karst research, and
to aid Federal, State, and local land-use managers in managing karst resources.
The first national map of karst was the “Engineering
Aspects of Karst" map by W.E. Davies and others (1984)
that is a paper map at a scale of 1:7,500,000. Davies’ map was the
basis of a revised national karst map published by the American Geological
Institute (Veni and others, 2001), and an
explanation of how the revised map was developed was published in a journal
(Veni, 2002). |
| |
|
| |
In 2001, diverse group of karst experts strategized a long-term plan for
improved karst mapping on a national scale. The resultant goal was for the
US Geological Survey (USGS)
to produce a national karst map in digital form, derived primarily for maps
prepared by the individual States, and to link that map on a web-based network
to State and local scale maps and related data. The National
Cave and Karst Research Institute is supporting the program and serving
the data on the Institute web site. Following is a summary of the meetings
that have been critical in planning and progressing in this mapping effort. |
| |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
top |
|
|
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
July
2001: A “KarstMap” session was organized at the National
Speleological Society (NSS)
Convention held in Mount Vernon, Kentucky. Four papers were presented that
reviewed recent progress and ongoing projects in regional mapping of karst
and presented some methodologies. It was evident that much work was being
done independently and more progress could be made by collaborative efforts
toward a mutual goal. Presenters agreed that the time was opportune to plan
a cooperative strategy for producing an improved national karst map. The
National Cave and Karst Research Institute agreed that sponsorship of such
a program would fit the mission of the Institute, and the effort fits into
ongoing USGS projects. |
| |
|
| |
top |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
December
2001: As a follow-up to the NSS karst mapping session, a meeting
was convened at the U.S. Geological Survey offices in Reston, Virginia to
discuss the approach to national karst mapping and to proceed with developing
a long-term program. |
| |
|
| |
Attendees: |
| |
 |
Randall
Orndorff, U.S. Geological Survey |
| |
|
Jack
Epstein, U.S. Geological Survey |
| |
|
Dave
Weary, U.S. Geological Survey |
| |
|
Zelda
Bailey, National Cave and Karst Research Institute |
| |
|
Ron
Kerbo, National Park Service |
| |
|
Lindsay
McClelland, National Park Service |
| |
|
Bill
Jones, Karst Waters Institute |
| |
|
Bet
White, Karst Waters Institute and Penn State University |
| |
|
Will
White, National Speleological Society and Penn State University |
| |
|
George
Veni, National Speleological Society |
| |
|
Bernie
Szukalski, ESRI |
| |
|
Jim
Currens, Kentucky Geological Survey |
| |
Agenda: |
| |
|
History
of USGS national karst map and examples |
| |
|
History
of NSS national karst map project |
| |
|
Experiences
of compilation of AGI karst map |
| |
|
National
Cave and Karst Research Institute role in a national program |
| |
|
Example
of State karst maps—Kentucky |
| |
|
Digital
concept of a national karst map |
| |
Summary
of results: |
| |
|
The
update of the national karst map would be built through an integration of
local, state, and regional karst maps and information. State Geologists
would be engaged by writing them a letter explaining the program goals and
the importance of their support and participation, and by meeting with them
to get their views and ideas and to determine the availability of existing
data and needs for producing additional data and maps. |
| |
|
The
goal is to create a virtual and dynamic karst digital map |
| |
|
Funding
would come from existing and ongoing USGS programs, the Institute, and contributions
of the States—primarily their time and the value of the products contributed
to building the national map. |
| |
|
USGS
would lead the mapping effort and be the primary contact with the States
and others. |
| |
|
National
Cave and Karst Research Institute would establish a web site to host the
national karst map and links to States and others contributing information
to build the map. |
| |
|
| |
top |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
June
2002: USGS staff were invited to the annual meeting of the Association
of American State Geologists (AASG)
held in New Harmony, Indiana, to talk with State Geologists about the program
and to assess the interest of States in participating and contributing.
Considerable interest was expressed, and USGS began to plan the first regional
meeting with staff of State Geological Surveys to help plan and implement
the program. |
| |
|
| |
top |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
September
2002: The first regional meeting for the Appalachian area was held
in Lexington, Kentucky. Representatives from the USGS National Cooperative
Geologic Mapping Program, National Karst Map Project met with representatives
from 10 states from the Appalachian Highlands and Midwest. The meeting was
hosted at the Kentucky
Geological Survey; organized by the USGS; and financially supported
by the National Cave and Karst Research Institute. |
| |
|
| |
The
purpose of the workshop was to discuss issues associated with karst mapping
within the states, share information on State karst mapping activities,
and discuss how best to construct a new national karst map by compositing
karst or geologic map data supplied by the States. |
| |
|
| |
Attendees:
|
| |
|
Randall
Orndorff, U.S. Geological Survey |
| |
|
Jack
Epstein, U.S. Geological Survey |
| |
|
Dave
Weary, U.S. Geological Survey |
| |
|
Zelda
Bailey, National Cave and Karst Research Institute |
| |
|
Chuck
Taylor, U.S. Geological Survey |
| |
|
Denver
Harper, Indiana Geological Survey |
| |
|
Sam
Frushour, Indiana Geological Survey |
| |
|
Nancy
Hasenmueller, Indiana Geological Survey |
| |
|
Jim
Currens, Kentucky Geological Survey |
| |
|
Randy
Paylor, Kentucky Geological Survey |
| |
|
Barry
Miller, Tennessee Division of Geology |
| |
|
Dave
Hubbard Virginia Division of Mineral Resources |
| |
|
Don
Monteverde, New Jersey Geological Survey |
| |
|
Jane
McColloch, West Virginia Geological Survey |
| |
|
Jim
Reger, Maryland Geological Survey |
| |
|
Bill
Kochanov, Pennsylvania Geological Survey |
| |
|
Bill
Smith, Georgia Geological Survey |
| |
|
Dorothy
Raymond, Alabama Geological Survey |
| |
Agenda:
|
| |
|
Proposed
National Karst Map: design and status of project |
| |
|
National
Cave and Karst Research Institute role |
| |
|
Status
of karst mapping in the represented states and availability of digital karst
or geologic data |
| |
|
Basic
karst definitions |
| |
|
What
criteria are used to classify areas as karst at both State and National
scales |
| |
|
Methodologies
of karst mapping |
| |
|
How
can USGS and the Institute encourage or support karst mapping at the state
level |
| |
Summary
of results of topical discussions: |
| |
|
What
is karst, and how are karst areas defined by different workers? Basic definitions. |
| |
|
Jim
Currens discussed a nationwide survey he is working on to determine which
features mappers use as indicators of karst – sinkholes, turbulent
flow (dye tracing), presence of shallow carbonate bedrock, caves, depth
of burial different importance for different States; results of his survey
will be posted at the Institute website. |
| |
|
The consensus
was that a first approximation for the new national karst map should be
based on bedrock lithology; that is, soluble rocks. State or local experts
could be employed to verify the accuracy and completeness of the coverage
for each state. Additional refinements and layers could be added to the
database as the work progresses: flat-lying versus folded bedrock, degree
of karstification, karst beneath non-soluble cover sediments or rocks, different
karst types, pseudokarst, areas with diffuse-flow in bedrock vs. conduits,
karst aquifers, and possibly biological associations. |
| |
|
A proposal
was made to use USGS 7.5 minute quadrangles as pixels to generate a
nationwide map of karst distribution. It was suggested that the USGS could
ask each State to mark its quadrangle index map with a simple presence or
absence of karst in each quadrangle. USGS would then color those quadrangles
having karst and compile all the States together to form a national image.
Small states would be easy to cover, but larger states might be difficult.
At 1:7,500,000 scale a quadrangle would give a pixel size of a few millimeters,
at 1:2,500,000 the pixel size would be about 7 mm. This approach would
make a relatively coarse graphic. |
| |
|
The National
Karst Map should be simple (at the 1:7,500,000 scale) yet visually stimulating
because this map is as far as non-specialists are likely to pursue the subject.
|
| |
|
GIS
approaches to karst mapping: what karst features should be on State-scale
karst maps, what attributes should be in the database, database standards,
metadata, etc. |
| |
|
Discussion
and examples of data types, scale issues, databases, metadata. |
| |
|
USGS will
try to build the national map by using and generalizing data supplied by
the States. Ideally, the States would communicate with each other so that
adjoining states are using similar criteria for mapping karst. |
| |
|
Discussion
of ways to measure degrees of karstification: sinkhole abundance, cave passage
lengths, etc. |
| |
|
Methodologies
and data sources for compiling state karst maps. What is the status of digital
geologic/karst mapping in the various states? |
| |
|
Discussion
of various methodologies and issues associated with gathering data for karst
maps. |
| |
|
The national
karst map and most State karst maps will start by mapping soluble rock units
from State geologic maps and use expertise of State personnel to include
(1) intrastratal and buried karst, (2) areas of carbonate rock not karstified. |
| |
|
Data
security, Methodologies and protocols to protect high resolution cave location
data. |
| |
|
Discussion
on keeping confidential cave and karst location data. |
| |
|
Brief discussion
of strategies for obscuring point data locations. |
| |
|
A brief discussion
that sinkhole locations in karst watersheds might become a homeland security
issue because of their potential for input of contamination into karst groundwater. |
| |
|
What
support may be required for the States to make karst maps and how best may
the USGS and the Institute facilitate? |
| |
|
Discussion
of the possibility of tying future State karst work to geologic mapping
under the USGS StateMap Program if karst areas are a high priority. |
| |
|
The Institute
has dedicated some funding to support States for relatively small items/tasks
that will improve the data for the national map. |
| |
|
States need
funding mainly for staffing: interns; database editing and digitizing; webpage
design; karst compilation from 1:24,000 maps to digital; human resources
to acquire information; operating expenses for field work to acquire information;
laptop computers and other equipment for support. |
| |
|
Need to develop
standard formats for databases/metadata. |
| |
|
It was suggested
that USGS sponsor educational conferences for legislators, insurance industry,
etc.; talk to Congress (need dollar value for losses etc); have National
Karst Map sessions at professional meetings. |
| |
|
| |
top |
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
References: |
| |
|
| |
Davies,
W.E., Simpson, J.H., Ohlmacher, G.C., Kirk, W.S., and Newton, E.G., 1984,
Engineering aspects of karst: U.S. Geological Survey, National Atlas, scale 1:7,500,000. |
| |
|
| |
Veni,
George, DuChene, Harvey, Crawford, N.C., Groves, C.G., Huppert, G.N., Kastning,
E.H., Olson, Rick, and Wheeler, B.J., 2001, Living with karst: a fragile
foundation: Environmental Awareness Series, American Geological Institute,
64 p., 1 pl. |
| |
|
| |
Veni,
George, 2002, Mapping the karst areas of the United States: National Speleological
Society Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, Volume 64 Number 1:
45-50 - April 2002. |
| |
|
| |
top |
| |
|
| |
 |
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
