Western Kentucky University
Cave Surveying for Rural Land use Planning in Western Kentucky
Institution
Western Kentucky University
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
John All
Abstract
Karst landscapes are areas underlain by caves, crack and other fissures formed by the dissolution of carbonate rocks. A substantial portion of Kentucky is made up of karst and this poses problems for rural planners as they attempt to preserve water quality and other environmental parameters. A cave in northern Warren County, Kentucky, is surveyed in three dimensions and georeferenced on USGS 7.5 minute topographical quadrangles. This information is correlated to subsurface and surface water flows and current toxic waste sites in the area to determine contamination risks for the cave and the likelihood that the cave would accentuate a spill. County planners should have accurate cave surveys for the entire county available when approving heavy industrial or other toxic land uses.
Cave Surveying for Rural Land use Planning in Western Kentucky
Karst landscapes are areas underlain by caves, crack and other fissures formed by the dissolution of carbonate rocks. A substantial portion of Kentucky is made up of karst and this poses problems for rural planners as they attempt to preserve water quality and other environmental parameters. A cave in northern Warren County, Kentucky, is surveyed in three dimensions and georeferenced on USGS 7.5 minute topographical quadrangles. This information is correlated to subsurface and surface water flows and current toxic waste sites in the area to determine contamination risks for the cave and the likelihood that the cave would accentuate a spill. County planners should have accurate cave surveys for the entire county available when approving heavy industrial or other toxic land uses.