The Hydrochemistry of Surface Water Backflooding into a Karst Spring and into Cave Stream Passages in Mammoth Cave, KY USA
Edwards A. 2009. The Hydrochemistry of Surface Water Backflooding into a Karst Spring and into Cave Stream Passages in Mammoth Cave, KY USA. Amy Edwards
This report disseminates the results obtained from monitoring surface water backflooding into a large karst spring, traveling through major cave stream passage, and returning to the surface via another karst stream in Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, USA. Several hydrochemical indicators were chosen to study these events to determine if any significant changes occurred from the introduction and mixing of surface waters into the cave waters. This was achieved with the installation of three unattended Yellow Springs Incorporated (YSI) ® sondes. A sonde was placed at River Styx Spring and Echo Spring and a location within the cave stream at Second Arch on Echo River. In addition to data collection with sondes, dye receptors were placed in several locations in the research area to determine the extent of backflooding waters within the cave stream passage. Historic backflooding data collected by former Mammoth Cave National Park Hydrologist Joe Meiman was also analyzed in this research.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Edwards, Amy
- Date of Issue
- 2009-07
- Publisher
- Amy Edwards
- Units
- MACA
- Keywords
- backflooding, cave passages, cave stream, colorless crawfish, dye trace, Echo River, Echo Springs, hydrochemistry, hydrology, karst spring, leopard frog., Mammoth Cave, River Styx, sondes, surface crawfish, surface water