Glossary of Karst and Cave Terms

Field, M.S., 1999, A lexicon of cave and karst terminology with special reference to environmental karst hydrology: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Center for Environmental Assessment, EPA/600/R-99/006, 201 p.

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Term	Description
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anglesite	A cave mineral - PbSO4 [11].		View
angular	The property of unconsolidated grains with sharp edges [16].		View
angular unconformity	A geological unconformity with marked difference in dip of the superimposed series [16].		View
anhydride	Anhydrous calcium sulfate, CaSO4 [16].		View
anion	A negatively charged ion that migrates to an anode, as in electrolysis [6].		View
anion exchange	Ion exchange process in which anions in solution are exchanged for other anions from an ion exchanger [6].		View
anisotropic	The property of aquifer systems displaying different hydrological properties in different directions [16]. See also anisotropy; anisotropic mass.		View
anisotropic mass	A mass having different properties in different directions at any given point [22].		View
anisotropic steering	Anisotropic structures (anisotropies) in the rock like schistosity, inclusions and fractures which can deviate or 'steer' the direction of fractures ...		View
anisotropy	The condition of having different properties in different directions [22].		View
annual frost zone	The top layer of ground subject to annual freezing and thawing [16].		View
annual mean	The mean value taken over all events that have occurred during a year such as precipitation, river stages, watertable levels ...		View
annulus	The annular space between drill pipe and casing or between casing and the borehole wall [16].		View
anomaly	The deviation from normally expected findings, especially in exploration geophysics indicating a change in subsurface environmental conditions [16].		View
antecedent precipitation index	A precipitation index that is based on the amount of previous precipitations [16].		View
antecedent stream	A stream having established its course before occurrence of orogenic events that would later alter the general drainage pattern [16].		View
antecedent-soil moisture	The degree of water saturation in the soil prior to a precipitation event [16].		View
antenna	(plural antennae). A feeler; an appendage, sensory in function, that occurs in pairs on the heads of crustaceans, insects, and ...		View
anthodite	1. Radiating crystals of aragonite, mostly sharp needles 1-20 mm long. They occur sporadically in some caves but they may ...		View
anthropocentric definitions	Definitions of caves or parts of caves that include accessibility by human explorers as one of their limiting conditions. Most ...		View
anticlinal valley	A valley that is established along the axis of an eroded anticline [16].		View
anticline	Upfolded stratum [16].		View
aphthitalite	A cave mineral - (K,Na)3Na(SO4)2 [11].		View
apparent ground-water velocity	See specific discharge.		View
appendage	An arm or other limb that branches from an animal's body [23].		View
approach segment	That part of a hydrograph curve before onset of precipitation [16]. See also hydrograph.		View
apron	A smooth bulging mass of flowstone covering sloping projections from walls of caves or limestone cliffs [10].		View
aquatic	Living in water. Aquatic cave animals include amphipods, isopods, crayfish, planarians, fish, and blind salamanders [23]. See also terrestrial; marine.		View
aqueduct	A conduit to convey water, usually above ground [16].		View
aquiclude	A formation which, although porous and capable of storing water, does not transmit it at rates sufficient to furnish an ...		View

Glossary references