The Philip M. Smith Graduate Research
Grant for Cave and Karst Research
2024 Grants
Reid Baty ($1,000)
Department of Geosciences
Fort Hays State University
Exploring Hydrological Dynamics
in Hidden River Cave, Horse Cave, KY: An Investigation into Dye Tracing
and the Influence of Land-Use Impacts
The Hidden River Cave in Horse Cave, Kentucky, embodies the classic
karst landscape, offering insight into intricate hydrological processes
critical for ecosystem sustenance. Human activities and land use
practices significantly impact the cave's hydrology, influencing water
quality and flood risks. This study aims to utilize dye tracing
techniques to identify flow paths within Hidden River Cave's hydraulic
system and comprehend the effects of infrastructure and contaminants on
its hydrology. The research builds upon prior investigations conducted
in this locale by Alexa Franks, 2022, titled, “Dye Tracing and the
Effects of Infrastructure in Hidden River Cave, Horse Cave, KY”. By
addressing flooding susceptibility and water contamination, tailored
mitigation strategies for Horse Cave can be developed. This
investigation underscores the indispensable role of dye tracing in
understanding and managing karst systems, facilitating effective flood
management, pollution control, and groundwater protection strategies.
While the study provides significant insights, limitations such as
overlooking cave complexity and unexplored karst features must be
addressed to refine future research and understand broader
environmental implications. Moving forward, prioritizing quantitative
dye tracing can aid in mapping subsurface connectivity, managing water
resources, and ensuring the coexistence of human activities and
delicate karst ecosystems.
Ben Hauschild ($2,180)
Department of Earth, Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences
Western Kentucky University
Investigating Karst Groundwater
Dynamics and Aquifer Recharge Patterns in Barbados using Forensic
Hydrology to Improve Water Resource Management
This study investigates water resource management challenges on the
small, karstic island nation of Barbados, located in the North Atlantic
Ocean bordering the eastern Caribbean Sea. The island's vulnerability
to changing climate and storm patterns and sea level rise is compounded
by its reliance on karst aquifers for its freshwater supply, which
highlights the urgency for sustainable water resource management on the
island. Through a multifaceted approach, including water level and
precipitation monitoring, forensic hydrologic tracers (stable isotopes
and dye tracing), and remote sensing analysis, this study endeavors to
enhance the understanding of the groundwater dynamics, recharge
patterns, and water resource availability in Barbados' karst
environment. Through a collaboration with the Barbados Water Authority,
this research seeks to provide valuable insights for improved water
resource management approaches, addressing critical questions regarding
groundwater-surface water interactions, recharge dynamics, and the
influence of human activities on the islands’ karst hydrology.
Furthermore, through the utilization of the preexisting 3D-PAWS
rainfall monitoring network, an investigation into the variations in
precipitation both spatially and temporally will be conducted. This
research contributes to a broader understanding of coastal karst
islands and offers valuable insights for water resource management in
similar regions around the world.
Gretchen Hilt ($2,000)
Department of Biological Sciences
Southeastern Louisiana University
Utilizing environmental DNA as a
conservation tool to monitor rare Georgia Blind Cave Salamander
(Eurycea wallacei) in understudied groundwater habitats.
Developing non-invasive approaches is of great value to detect and
monitor fragile populations of great conservation concern.
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is becoming increasingly popular to study
rare, threatened, and endangered species across many ecosystems. eDNA
approaches are attractive for species living in habitats that are
difficult to access or sample. The Georgia Blind Cave Salamander,
Eurycea wallacei, inhabits groundwater environments that are often
inaccessible due to the need for cave-diving experience or simply the
physical inability to access due to geological barriers. Modeling
population trends of such elusive species may be substantially more
attainable with an eDNA analytical approach. Here I propose a field
survey to detect the presence and better elucidate the geographic
distribution of E. wallacei using an eDNA approach in highly sensitive
cave systems. Water samples will be collected from nine cave systems
near Marianna, Florida. Confirmation of E. wallacei presence will be
quantified by amplifying a small region of the mitochondrial cytochrome
b locus using a species-specific primer-probe assay. Determining
detection thresholds of Eurycea wallacei eDNA will further enhance a
safe, cost-effective, and efficient detection assay. Minimal
disturbance is key in monitoring and protecting the species, which is
feasible with a non-invasive analysis such as eDNA.
Donalson Majahonke Malambe ($2,500)
Department of Geology
University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Timing and evolution of the Lefika La Noka tufa site, Cradle of Humankind, South Africa
This study aims to determine the timing and the syn- and
post-depositional evolution of the Lefika la Noka (LLN) tufa deposits
within the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Site, South
Africa. The LLN tufa, characterized by calcium carbonate precipitates
from freshwater and indicative of past aqueous environments and
atmospheric conditions, lies at a significant juncture near key
hominin-bearing fossil sites, covering a substantial area and depth,
yet remains understudied. The LLN tufa deposits have the potential to
become an additional proxy record for the paleoclimatic,
paleoenvironmental and hydrological conditions of the Southern African
interior. The hypothesis is that the LLN tufa is older than 200,000
years and will therefore offer a more continuous proxy record of the
time during the emergence of Homo sapiens. The study will employ in situ
cosmogenic beryllium-10 and aluminium-26 (26Al/10Be) burial dating of
quartz from drill core samples, alongside the investigation of
deposition, denudation, and degradation rates through cosmogenic 10Be
and petrography of surface samples. The LLN tufa deposits offer a
valuable, possibly more continuous paleo record than speleothems, which
are limited by temporal gaps in the caves within the Cradle due to
significant mining losses.
Dionysios Stamatis ($2,300)
Graduate Program in Geoscience Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of Iowa
Unveiling Precipitation Dynamics in Central North America: A Comprehensive Investigation at Crevice Cave, Missouri
The broader region of North America, as highlighted by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2022), faces
significant climate sensitivity, with anticipated changes including
escalating temperatures, weather extremes, and compound climate
hazards. Among these hazards, flooding poses a recurrent threat to the
Midwestern USA, inflicting substantial damage on infrastructure,
residences, and agricultural areas (NOAA, 2005). Notable historic
floods, such as those in 1993 and 2008, have spurred critical questions
regarding their recurrence in the face of projected climate change. At
Crevice Cave, Missouri, flood events have been recorded in stalagmites
that span Marine Isotope Stage 5 and 1 (Knight et al., 2006), at
intervals considered to be somewhat analogous to projected conditions
at the end of the 21st century (de Wet et al 2023). Drawing parallels
between past warm periods and future warming projections, this research
hypothesizes a link between flood intensity and warming. To further
investigate this hypothesis, a three-year monitoring program at the
historic section of the cave will be conducted to understand its
hydrology and hydrochemistry. This initiative will integrate this data
with petrographic and geochemical information from fossil stalagmites,
aiming to deepen our understanding of hydroclimate dynamics in the
Midcontinent region.
Aida Zyba ($2,500)
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Vanderbilt University
Elucidating fire signatures in a semi-arid karst landscape
Speleothems can provide valuable insights into past hydroclimate and
environmental changes, with recent advancements including the use of
organic biomarkers to reconstruct paleofires (Blyth et. al. 2008;
Homann et. al. 2022). In the western US, where warming trends have
intensified wildfires, utilizing a multi-proxy approach integrating
traditional hydroclimate such as stable carbon and oxygen isotopes
(𝛿 18O and 𝛿 13C) and trace element ratios and novel paleofire
proxies such as levoglucosan and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in
speleothems presents a unique opportunity to understand
climate-fire-vegetation relationships and reconstruct paleofire
histories. However, uncertainties persist regarding the spatial and
temporal movement of fire biomarkers through karst systems and fire’s
influence on the radiocarbon and stable carbon isotope signature of dissolved inorganic carbon in cave
dripwaters and speleothem calcite. To address these gaps, I propose a
comprehensive, long-term investigation into the impacts of fire and
timing of recovery in a semi-arid karst landscape in northern Wyoming.
Through a controlled burn and subsequent monitoring of surface and
karst conditions, including soil microbiome, carbon storage, and
organic and inorganic dripwater chemistry, this study aims to elucidate
the signal of fire in karst systems and provide a robust framework for
reconstructing paleofire histories from speleothems.
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last updated or validated on November 12, 2024