Hoffman News

A group of WKU geography and geology students participated in a fieldtrip winding through the Ozarks, including the Salem Plateau and the St. Francois Mountain area of southeastern Missouri, as part of a Spring 2012 course in Geomorphology taught by Dr. Jason Polk.

During a geomorphology course in Missouri, a WKU group explored Elephant Rocks State Park. From left are Gil Oullette, Kyle Hogancamp, Nancy Toney, Evan Crowe, Ben Miller, Jenna Nall and Micah Ruth.

The trip was co-led by recent WKU graduate and Hoffman Institute staff member Benjamin Miller, a Missouri native who completed his thesis on complex springs systems in the area, along with WKU graduate student Nicholas Lawhon, who is completing a thesis related to chemical dissolution of karst (caves and springs) landscapes in Kentucky.

The purpose of the trip was to engage students in fieldwork related to fluvial, glacial, climatic and karst geomorphological processes and landforms, along with weathering and tectonic processes. The trip provided them with hands-on experience in studying and understanding these complex landscapes in a region that provides a natural classroom with diverse examples of geomorphology from 1.4 billion years of Earth’s history.

“Textbooks, pictures and lectures provide information, but nothing can compare to actually going out and seeing the features you are studying,” said undergraduate geology student Jenna Nall of Elizabethtown.

Geography karst geoscience major Micah Ruth of Bowling Green said the “very informative trip to south-central Missouri provided a collection of geomorphological history that tied together the course concepts from class well.”

In addition to Nall and Ruth, four other students participated in the course — undergraduates Evan Crowe of Scottsville, Kyle Hogancamp of Paducah and Nancy Toney of Munfordville, and graduate student Gilman Ouellette of Hawley, Pa.

Ben Miller explained a stromatolite layer at Big Spring to students Gil Oullette, Evan Crowe and Kyle Hogancamp.

The group visited several distinct regions to gain a comparative understanding of various geomorphological processes and landforms. One major theme was visiting the karst region of the Salem Plateau, which formed in sedimentary rocks, to examine fluvial (river) and karst processes.

The stops included Missouri’s largest spring and several smaller springs, the large losing stream of Logan Creek, and a visit to Onondaga Cave State Park to tour the spectacular evolution of an iconic Missouri cave system. Another stop for a different type of geomorphology included a long hike through the Pickle Springs Natural Area to see arches and canyons that formed in sedimentary sandstone bedrock.

The group’s other theme included the igneous geomorphology caused by volcanic and tectonic activity, which included several “shut-ins,” or constricted areas, that occur in streams when the harder igneous rock erodes away more slowly than surrounding rocks. The students also visited Taum Sauk Mountain, the highest point in Missouri, to learn about igneous glades and observe lichens, frost wedging, and other erosive processes.

A favorite stop was Elephant Rocks State Park to observe a large granitic exfoliation dome where elephant-size rocks remain after millions of years of erosion and weathering has rounded them out as they erode along weaknesses in the rock caused by “unloading” when pressure is released through tectonic uplift.

Students took notes about Blue Spring, whose name is derived from the calcium and magnesium rich waters emerging from the ground.

“I am very pleased that our students gain experience in the field by visiting one of the most unique and diverse geomorphological areas near WKU with all that the Ozarks offer, and it was greatly enhanced by having a local expert like Ben Miller helping to lead the trip” Dr. Polk said.

“I am very pleased with how engaged the students were and wish the trip could have been longer. For a subject like geomorphology, getting out of the classroom and into the field is necessary to truly appreciate and understand the concepts, and at each stop we also discussed the human aspects of geomorphology in shaping our environment, which produces critical thinking about applied geomorphology in the real world.”

Dr. David Keeling, head of the Department of Geography and Geology, noted that “field trips are one of the hallmarks of our discipline, and we make every effort each semester to get our students out into the local, regional, and international landscapes.  There’s no better way to learn than to smell, taste, see, feel and hear the physical and cultural environment under study.”

Early registration for Karst Field Studies has been extended to Monday, April 9th, 2012. Visit http://karstfieldstudies.com for more information.

Group from Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre visiting March 19-21: In addition to REACH Week climate speakers, WKU’s Hoffman Environmental Research Institute will be hosting visitors from the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre on March 19-21. The group from Belize will include Dr. Kenrick R. Leslie, executive director; Dr. Ulric Trotz, science advisor; and Dr. Mark Bynoe, environmental economist. Dr. Leslie, an accomplished physicist and meteorologist, will present “Responding to Climate Change in the Caribbean” at 4 p.m. March 20 at Snell Hall, room 2113. During their visit, the CCCCC group will meet with campus groups and tour WKU climate and meteorology research facilities.

Click here for the printable flyer for this event.

Groundwater is one of the most vital resources in karst landscapes, such as those found in southcentral Kentucky and the entire peninsula of Florida.

In November 2011, four members of the WKU Geography and Geology Department’s Hoffman Environmental Research Institute — Dr. Jason Polk, Dr. Leslie North, staff member Jonathan Oglesby and graduate student Kamal Humagain from Nepal –traveled to west-central Florida to host two workshops and a cave cleanup to promote understanding of groundwater in caves and karst environments, practices for protecting groundwater, and educate about human impacts to water resources in karst areas. These workshops were hosted in collaboration with nonprofit land trust The Karst Conservancy and sponsored through a Southwest Florida Water Management District Community Education Grant.

The first of the two workshops, “A Karst Conversation,” featured two short multimedia presentations (What is Karst, produced by the University of South Florida Karst Information Portal and No Reason, produced by Circle of Blue), presentations by local geologists, groundwater scientists and land managers, a guided panel discussion involving residents, and hands-on activities designed to illustrate the interconnectedness of karst systems.

Hoffman Institute staff member Jonathan Oglesby prepared the "Aquifer Awareness" activity. Workshop attendees used dyed water to learn about the inputs and outputs of a karst aquifer system and how easily it can become polluted from human activity.

A highlight of this workshop was the “Aquifer Awareness” group exercise wherein participants simulated tracing flowpaths of rainwater, pollution, groundwater and various inputs and outputs of a karst system using dyed water. Workshop presenters included Dave DeWitt from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Grant Harley from the University of Tennessee, Dr. Spencer Fleury, Colleen Werner of the Withlacoochee State Forest, and Dawn Velsor and John Burnett of the Hernando County Planning Department.

The Dames Caves Complex was the focus of the second workshop held in the afternoon, which involved an educational session to learn about the caves and their connection to the local groundwater system, and several site improvement activities.

Workshop attendees cleaned up trash and pollutants around the Dames Caves site to help protect groundwater that could be contaminated if these were to be washed into the aquifer system.

Dames Caves Complex is a heavily visited and often negatively impacted karst feature located in west-central Florida in the Withlacoochee State Forest. To raise awareness about the sensitivity and importance of this karst feature with regard to groundwater supplies, workshop participants were led on an educational tour of the Complex and engaged in a variety of cave cleanup and restoration activities. These included installing an interpretative sign about karst groundwater and the Dames Caves Complex, which was developed by the Hoffman Institute team and installed by members of The Karst Conservancy.

Karst Conservancy Directors Grant Harley from the University of Tennessee and Robert Brooks from Brooksville, Fla., led groups into the Dames Caves complex to conduct cleaning of graffiti from walls, while Directors Tom Turner and Lance Elder organized cleanup efforts to remove garbage and trash from nearby Peace Sign Cave, also part of the system. Karst Conservancy associate Mike Stonehocker led the effort to install the signage permanently at the site to withstand the elements and heavy visitation, while creating a natural look to the sign to help it flow with the surrounding landscape.

Withlacoochee State Forest Recreation Coordinator Joe Tyberghein commented: “The sign looks great! You have provided a tremendous service to the management of our cave areas. Thank you for taking the time to make a difference.

One local participant noted: “This activity has really brought to my attention the importance of our local groundwater and how karst environments are unique and require understanding and preservation in order to protect our water resources.”

Members of the Dames Caves Cleanup Workshop gathered around the newly installed interpretive signage about karst groundwater to help educate the hundreds of weekly visitors.

More than 40 participants attended the workshops. These included representatives from the Withlacoochee State Forest, seven Florida counties, the water management district, local caving grottos, and the local Audubon society, among others. The diverse audience provided the opportunity for multi-perspective discussions and networking to develop future collaborations toward the goal of preserving the karst environment and the precious groundwater resources it provides.

Subsequent monitoring of the Dames Caves site reveals increased visitation by families and positive feedback about the signage and ongoing efforts toward turning the site into an educational preserve. With continued support from the local community, this site has potential to become a significant source for environmental education about the local karst landscape, including opportunities for student and community engagement projects.

“Public outreach is a critical component of the Hoffman Institute’s educational mission,” noted Geography and Geology Department Head Dr. David Keeling. “The initiatives demonstrated in this wonderful project are indicative of the kinds of positive impacts our faculty and students are having on our wider communities.”

For  information about the workshops, visit www.hoffmanworld.org/karstinfo. To learn more about karst environments and conservation, visitwww.hoffmanworld.org or visit The Karst Conservancy website atwww.karstconservancy.org.

WKU’s Chris Groves, recently named the Kentucky Academic of Science 2011 Distinguished College/University Science Award Recipient, is featured in the latest issue of Science commenting on the importance of research on Carbon Sinks.

Dr. Groves, professor of Geography and Geology and director of the Hoffman Environmental Research Institute at WKU, has earned international recognition for his work on carbon sequestration, water sources, karst contaminants and land-use management. He is quoted in the article “An Unsung Carbon Sink” in the Nov. 18 issue.

Dr. Groves’ extensive work in China led to his nomination by China’s Ministry of Land and Resources for the China Friendship Award, the country’s highest award for foreign experts.

“Having an internationally recognized journal such as Science feature Dr. Groves’ work with colleagues in China is a testament to the importance of this research and highlights WKU’s growing international reputation and presence in global science research,” David Keeling, department head of Geography and Geology, said.

The Hoffman Institute is working across the planet to identify water resource challenges and solutions, especially in terms of climate change issues related to carbon sequestration.

Students and faculty from WKU’s Department of Geography and Geology attended the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America (GSA) this week (Oct. 9-12) in Minneapolis.

Presentations by WKU faculty and students included:

• Understanding the Earth System through Field and Digital Mapping Techniques in the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian of Western Kentucky by undergraduate geology majors Buddy Price of Dubre, Chris Driver of Hopkinsville and Marvin Conn of Lewisburg, with Dr. Michael May.
• Advances in Epikarst Zone Hydrogeology in the Pennyroyal Plateau of South-Central Kentucky: Implications for Contaminant Transport by Dr. Jason Polk (Hoffman Institute Associate Director), Dr. Chris Groves (Distinguished Professor and Hoffman Institute Director), and geoscience students Benjamin Haaff of Rockport, Ind., Ben Miller of Bowling Green and Sean Vanderhoff of Bowling Green.
• Multiple Storm Event Impacts on Epikarst Storage and Transport of Organic Soil Amendments in South-Central Kentucky by graduate geoscience student Sean Vanderhoff of Bowling Green.
• Portals in the Geology Curriculum for Undergraduate Research, a poster by Dr. Andrew Wulff, Dr. Michael May, Dr. Fred Siewers and Dr. Aaron Celestian.
• Ion Selectivity Studies on Nanoporous Crystal Structures, a poster by undergraduate geology major Michael Powers of Bowling Green.
• An Evolving Online Tool for the Assessment and Evaluation of Human-Environmental Interactions in Karst Landscapes by REU undergraduate student Victoria Allen of Auburn, with Hoffman Institute faculty Dr. Jason Polk, Dr. Leslie North and Dr. Chris Groves, and geoscience graduate student Taylor Hutchison of Nashville, Tenn.
• Misconceptions among us: Insights from Informal Karst Learning Environments by Hoffman Institute associate Dr. Leslie North.

Dr. Fred Siewers led a group of 10 undergraduate geology majors to the conference as part of a for-credit geology enhancement course. At the conference, students attended paper sessions, explored postgraduate career opportunities and learned more about the professional side of the discipline.

“Student engagement in the Department of Geography and Geology is best exemplified by presentations of student research at conferences and workshops,” said Geography and Geology Department Head Dr. David Keeling. “The opportunity to conduct research with faculty and fellow students in advanced geology classes or through supervised independent projects makes WKU students highly competitive when external opportunities become available, including graduate programs. Our geology students always receive high praise at these conferences for the sophistication and thoroughness of their research.”

Contact: David Keeling, (270) 745-4555.

This week, WKU Distinguished Professor of Geography Chris Groves returned from Brussels where he traveled as an invited guest of the Belgian government to lecture at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.

He joined about 40 European scientists for the International Symposium on “Karst Research, Challenges for the XXIst Century,” where he discussed results of recent environmental research under way by students, faculty and staff of WKU’s Hoffman Environmental Research Institute, which Groves directs.

His presentation, “Agricultural Impacts on Karst Systems and Influence of the Epikarstic Zone, South Central Kentucky, USA,” highlights work done in collaboration and with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS). Groves was the only American scientist invited to speak at the conference.

“The meeting was a great chance to showcase our work with the ARS to many of the top European karst scientists,” said Groves, “focusing on the high-resolution groundwater monitoring methods we are developing to understand agricultural impacts.”

There is great interest in Europe in relationships between land use and karst groundwater quality, as many areas there rely totally on karst groundwater for water supplies.

“Belgium, for example, gets 80 percent of its drinking water from karst aquifers,” said Groves.

Conference attendees also participated in a surface and underground field excursion to the Lonne River region near Rochefort, Belgium, where caves, sinkholes, and underground drainage in some ways share characteristics with the cave area of south central Kentucky.  The region is also of great historical importance as it suffered through World War II’s “Battle of the Bulge” in late 1944.

Geography and Geology Department Head David Keeling noted that WKU’s growing international reputation is further enhanced by the types of research outreach and collaboration demonstrated by Dr. Groves during his visit to Belgium.

“Dr. Groves is one of WKU’s most visible scientists internationally,” Dr. Keeling said, “and his participation in this important conference is another example of his many contributions to enhancing WKU’s reputation as a leading American university with global reach.”

Contact: Chris Groves, (270) 745-4555.

WKU Geography and Geology Department’s Hoffman Environmental Research Institute was a major presence at the National Speleological Society (NSS)Annual Convention last month in Glenwood Springs, Colo.

During their trip to the National Speleological Society meeting, WKU's Lee Anne Bledsoe, Sean Vanderhoff, Jason Polk and Leslie North took a field trip in Colorado learning about local karst geology.

The convention gathers cavers, karst scientists, educators, National Park Service employees and land managers, among others, to share knowledge and research about significant topics affecting caves and karst environments, such as groundwater issues and white-nose syndrome’s impact on bats around the country. The NSS is the largest non-profit organization in the world that deals with caves and karst landscapes, having over 10,000 members.

Several representatives from other organizations, including the National Cave and Karst Research Institute, Edwards Aquifer Authority, and several cave and karst conservancies were in attendance, which provided the opportunity for communication and to discuss future collaborations. Convention events included visiting Glenwood Caverns and Hot Springs, and several field trips to learn about the local geology and geomorphology of the karst landscape.

Seven Hoffman Institute faculty, staff and students participated in the conference, including graduate student Sean Vanderhoff, recent graduate Dan Nolfi, staff members Lee Anne Bledsoe, Benjamin Miller and Pat Kambesis, and faculty members Dr. Leslie North and Dr. Jason Polk. Collectively, they gave 12 presentations during the weeklong event in sessions whose topics included geology, cave and karst management, U.S. exploration, international exploration, cave conservation and more.

Kambesis also co-taught a cartography workshop on cave surveying and noted “short courses such as these give people with an interest in caves the chance to experience a glimpse of what our summer Karst Field Studies courses are like and allow them to learn more about the science of cave exploration and mapping.” Kambesis was also awarded an Honorable Mention for her map of a cave in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Vanderhoff, who is completing a thesis on contaminant transport in cave and karst systems in Kentucky, attended his first NSS Convention. “It was a great opportunity to further my research by learning more about what others are doing around the country regarding cave and karst environments,” he said.

Dr. Polk was named an “NSS Fellow to the Society” during the final banquet ceremony, which is an honor awarded to those who exemplify dedication to the goals of the Society through advances and contributions in science, exploration or conservation.

“This was a great experience for the Hoffman Institute and we are proud to have been able to contribute and share our recent efforts to better understand and educate folks about caves and karst landscapes” said Dr. Polk. “It is an honor to be selected as a Fellow, and I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the mission of the Society.”

Geography and Geology Department Head Dr. David Keeling noted that “the international reputation of the Hoffman Institute continues to grow as a result of the dedicated work of its faculty, staff, and students. The Hoffman team exemplifies excellence in research and community engagement, with students benefiting both in the classroom and in the field from the myriad projects directed by the Institute.”

Contact: Jason Polk, (270) 745-5015.

Ben Miller, who graduated in May 2011 with an MS in Geoscience, has won the
top 2011 Young Karst Researcher Award from the International Association of
Hydrogeologists (IAH).

Miller, from Springfield, Missouri, won the prize for his M.S. thesis
research studying the groundwater hydrology of the Carroll Cave System in
Missouri, where he used groundwater tracing along with geochemical and
statistical methods to unravel details of the geometry of a complex
underground “plumbing system” feeding a series of important springs.  The
work was co-directed by Dr. Bob Lerch of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) in Columbia,
Missouri, and Dr. Chris Groves, Director of WKU’s Hoffman Environmental
Research Institute.

Miller worked closely with a variety of colleagues during the research,
which led to an increased understanding of a complex hydrological system.
His research, in addition, also will help in the evaluation of land-use
practices that may be impacting groundwater quality within the Carroll Cave
System.  The cave is home to rare aquatic species, including the southern
cavefish, that could be affected by declining water quality. Miller was
previously honored with grants for his work from the Missouri Cave
Conservancy and with a national award from the Cave Research Foundation in
2010.

Three winners were chosen this year to be recognized by the IAH’s Karst
Commission, including Miller, Anita Ero?ss of Hungary’s Eötvös Loránd
University, and Sarah Truebe from the University of Arizona.  While each of
three winners received a collection of books and other prizes, Miller was
also awarded $500 as the top winner.

“Miller used an innovative combination of cave exploration and mapping,
water tracing, geochemistry, and statistics,” according to Groves.  ”His
learning curve as a Master’s student was steep at times, even requiring
extra classes, but he threw himself into it and, as a result, developed an
outstanding skill set for this kind of environmental work.”   Miller is now
working as an Environmental Research Specialist for WKU’s Hoffman Institute.

The IAH prizes are typically awarded to Ph.D.-level students or recent Ph.D.
recipients; though, in this case, the evaluation committee considered
Miller’s efforts to be of extraordinary scholarship at the Master’s level,
and chose him for the top prize in 2011.

“Miller is very talented and passionate about karst and caves, and is highly
committed to environmental research. He really wants to find out how water
flows in complex conduit networks towards karst springs, and he used a
variety of available techniques to facilitate his research,” said Professor
Nico Goldscheider of the University of Karlsruhe, Germany, who chairs the
IAH Karst Commission and the committee that selects the Young Karst
Researcher Prizes. Added Goldscheider, “Miller also stood out in this
competition because of his excellent presentation skills.”

Dr. David Keeling, Geography and Geology Department Head, added that “Ben
provides another wonderful example of the outstanding research produced by
students in the Department under the auspices of the Hoffman Institute.
Ongoing research by students and faculty in the Hoffman Institute is
addressing many of the critical challenges facing our global society in the
21st century, including water quality and environmental management of our
natural resources.”

For more information, contact Dr. Chris Groves at (270) 745-5974

Scientists from 14 countries will attend the 2011 International Conference on Karst Hydrogeology and Ecosystems June 8-10 at WKU.

WKU’s Hoffman Environmental Research Institute, the National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI) and the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) will host the meeting.

With its location on one of the world’s great karst landscapes and its history of karst scientific research, WKU has hosted a series of international karst conferences over the last several decades including the 8th International Congress of Speleology in 1981 and joint conferences of international karst commissions in 1998, 2003 and 2007.

This year’s conference will convene the annual 2011 business meetings of the International Association of Hydrogeologists Karst Commission, the International Union of Speleology (UIS) Speleogenesis Commission and the newly approved UNESCO/IUGS IGCP/SIDA Project 598: “Environmental Change and Sustainability in Karst Systems: Relations to Climate Change and Anthropogenic Activities.”

“We are very pleased to be hosting scientists from around the world at this meeting,” said Dr. Jason Polk of WKU’s Hoffman Environmental Research Institute, who is leading the organizational activities. “With support from WKU’s Office of Research and Applied Research and Technology Program, WKU students will be able to interact with top karst scientists from China, Brazil, Netherlands, Indonesia, Slovenia, and many other countries.”

The conference will begin June 8 with technical presentations during the day at WKU followed by a welcome party that evening at Lost River Cave. On June 9, a series of field trips will be conducted at the Mammoth Cave National Park area followed by a cookout at the Hamilton Valley Field Station. Technical sessions resume on June 10 at WKU with the conference concluding at a poster session and banquet at the Kentucky Museum.

In addition to the 2011 international conference, two other events are planned.

*A preconference four-day regional field trip will be conducted June 4-7 along the East Fork of the Obey River, a tributary of the Cumberland River in Tennessee. The field trip will be based out of Dale Hollow Lake Resort State Park.

*The 2011 Karst Field Studies summer program, featuring three courses, will begin June 13. For the past 30 years, WKU in conjunction with Mammoth Cave National Park has offered the series of weeklong field classes focusing on cave and karst science.

Contact: Chris Groves, (270) 745-5974.