UIS Commission on Karst Hydrogeology and Speleogenesis

The next Geological Society of America Convention will be held this year in Charlotte, North Carolina on 4-7 November. The call for abstracts has gone out. The deadline for submissions is only two weeks away: 14 August. Six sessions on caves and karst are offered this year, plus one specifically requesting cave and karst papers within its broader topic. Given the convention’s location, four of the sessions are focused on eogenetic karst settings. Several related sessions that would be excellent venues for karst papers are also being offered on topics that include biology, archeology, and hydrogeology. For details, visit this site.

The first three of the seven cave and karst sessions listed below are sponsored or co-sponsored by the National Cave and Karst Research Institute:

T18. The Evolution of Karst Landscapes through Time in Response to Changing Hydrologic, Geomorphic, and Tectonic Conditions
GSA Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division; GSA Hydrogeology Division; National Cave and Karst Research Institute
Cory W. Blackeagle
How do the characteristics of karst terrain change in response to changes in hydrology, geomorphology, and tectonism? How are these changes reflected in the landscape and hydrogeology? Recent advances in methodology will also be highlighted.

T92. Eogenetic Karst Aquifers: Water Resources and Water Quality
GSA Hydrogeology Division; GSA Environmental and Engineering Geology Division; National Cave and Karst Research Institute
Lewis A. Land, Lee J. Florea
Eogenetic karst aquifers in coastal areas are particularly vulnerable to natural and anthropogenic contamination. Papers are welcome on water resource and water quality issues in such aquifers, as well as methods used to characterize and remediate them.

T107. Comparisons of Flow and Chemistry in Eogenetic and Telogenetic Karst Aquifers
GSA Hydrogeology Division; Karst Waters Institute; National Cave and Karst Research Institute
Jason Gulley, Corinne Wong
This session seeks to understand how differences in porosity between eogenetic (primary matrix porosity) and telogenetic (fractured matrix porosity) karst systems influence the hydrological and geochemical processes in karst aquifers, including cave formation.

T49. Geology in the National Forests and Grasslands—Stewardship, Education, and Research
GSA Hydrogeology Division; GSA Geology and Society Division; USDA Forest Service
Christopher P. Carlson, Michael A. Crump
This session will explore aspects of the geological sciences related to the National Forests and Grasslands. Topics include paleontology, geomorphology, hydrogeology, geoecology, natural-hazard mitigation, cave and karst resources, and interpretive and recreational geology.

T95. Biscayne Aquifer
GSA Hydrogeology Division; GSA Geophysics Division
Michael C. Sukop, Dean Whitman, Virginia Walsh, Joseph D. Hughes, Jayantha Obeysekera, Jefferson B. Giddings
We encourage presentations dealing with all aspects of the geology, physics, chemistry, hydrogeology, geophysics, simulation, protection, and management of the Biscayne Aquifer and its role in the water supply and ecology of southeast Florida.

T155. The Heart of an Explorer: A Tribute to Ronald Greeley
GSA Planetary Geology Division
David A. Williams
Ronald Greeley, a leader in planetary geology, passed away in October 2011. In tribute to Ron's memory, we are seeking presentations to discuss recent results from the field or technique or missions, in which Ron participated. [Ron pioneered the field of interplanetary cave research.]

T159. Surf's Up: New Insights on the Geology, Karst, and Paleontology of Carbonate Systems of the Bahama Archipelago
GSA Hydrogeology Division; Eastern Section SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology); Karst Waters Institute; Paleontological Society
H. Allen Curran, John E. Mylroie
Presentations demonstrating new dimensions of carbonates research within the Bahama Archipelago (including Turks and Caicos) are encouraged. Emphasis on shallow-marine sedimentology and emergent island geology, karst, paleontology, geobiology, and geochemistry, with closely related topics will be considered.

George Veni, Ph.D.
Executive Director
National Cave and Karst Research Institute