The Philip M. Smith Graduate Research
Grant for Cave and Karst Research
2012 Grants
Chelsie Dugan ($2,100)
M.S. Student
Department of Geological Sciences
Ball State University
Investigating Vadose-Zone Hydrology in
Karst Aquifers using Quantitative Groundwater Tracing Methods:
Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Utah
Abstract - During the spring
and summer of 2012, I will undertake water-tracing and groundwater
investigations at Timpanogos Cave National Monument (TICA) to help
National Park Service resource managers understand the scope and
characteristics of the watershed that contributes to the many cave
pools in this important tourist destination in the American Fork Canyon
near Provo, Utah. More specifically, I propose a series of dye trace
experiments, geochemistry studies, and water isotope investigations to
assess the water quality and hydrologic function of the contributing
watershed to TICA, which is hypothesized to extend into adjacent United
States Forest Service (USFS) lands. These USFS lands above the American
Fork River and on the slopes of Mount Timpanogos are subjected to
recreational off-road vehicle use, snowmobiling, commercial ranching,
and mining. Each of these activities presents a potential source of
contamination to surface waters that may enter the cave ecosystem. TICA
managers are particularly concerned with potential contamination
derived from recreational activities on these USFS lands.
________________________________________
Brett R. Gerard ($1,600)
M.S. Student
Department of Biology, Aquatic Resources Program
Texas State University-San Marcos
Modeling Precipitation Thresholds
Required for Recharge into a Central Texas Karst Aquifer and the
Influence of Barometric Pressure on Cave Drip Rates
Abstract- Karst aquifers
supply water for many aquatic ecosystems and an estimated 20% of the
world's population (Ford and Williams 2007). Growing populations in
karst regions place increasing demands on water in these systems, and
to sustain the ecosystems and communities that rely on them, better
management strategies are needed.
My research objectives are twofold. First, I plan to quantify the
complex effects of antecedent hydrologic and environmental conditions
on precipitation thresholds which must be exceeded in order for diffuse
and direct recharge to occur in karstic aquifers in the Edwards
Plateau, Central TX, USA. To do this, I will use precipitation,
environmental and in-cave drip and stream-discharge data to examine the
complex relationship between precipitation and recharge. I will also
use continuous and periodic geochemical and stable isotope data to
develop hydrograph separation curves for responses under variable
hydrologic and environmental conditions.
Secondly, I will examine the relationship between cave speleothem drip
rates and barometric pressure. To do this I will use the same in-cave
drip data used in objective one along with surface and in-cave
atmospheric pressure data. Preliminary data show a strong
anti-correlation between barometric pressure and cave drip rate;
consistent with the findings of Genty and Deflandre (1998). Preliminary
data also show a strong anti-correlation between barometric pressure
and drip water specific conductance, a trend not observed by Genty and
Deflandre (1998). Ultimately, the results of my research will provide
information required for developing better recharge models, which are
necessary for groundwater modeling and environmental management
strategies.
________________________________________
Patricia Kambesis ($3,000)
Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Geoscience
Mississippi State University
Speleogenetic Mechanisms in the Eastern Yucatan Peninsula, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Abstract - Carbonate islands
and continental coastlines share a unique regional hydrology where cave
development results from the interaction of a freshwater lens and
marine waters. The regional hydrology is a function of catchment size
and type of recharge. Hydrology is affected by eustatic sea-level
changes and/or tectonics and can result in polygenetic caves that
developed at different elevations and are overprinted with features
associated with diffuse and/or turbulent flow. It has been suggested
that island size controls the nature of cave development. Small islands
have large perimeter-to-area ratios, and meteoric catchment can easily
be discharged to the sea as diffuse flow, creating classic flank margin
cave conditions. As islands grows larger, area increases by the square,
but perimeter increases linearly. Since meteoric catchment increases
faster than the available discharge perimeter, diffuse flow paths
become longer. Under these conditions conduit flow becomes sustainable
and cave development makes a switch to integrated turbulent flow
systems. Just as with islands, cave development on continental
carbonate coastlines is also a function of catchment and recharge on a
regional scale. The Yucatan Peninsula exemplifies complex regional
coastal hydrology that has been subject to eustatic sea-level changes.
In the Yucatan, these conditions are expressed as different types of
caves, from vast underwater cave systems to flank margin caves as end
members. The purpose of this study is to determine the speleogenetic
mechanisms that have resulted in the formation of a spectrum of caves
types in close geographic proximity that range from turbulent flow to
diffuse-flow systems.
________________________________________
Amy R. Michael ($1,700)
Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Anthropology
Michigan State University
The Use of Dental Microscopy in the
Investigation of Social Experience and Status of Non-Elites in Ancient
Maya Cave and Rockshelter Mortuary Sites: Interpreting Health
Differences in Disparate Social Groups in the Caves Branch River
Valley, Belize
Abstract -The ancient Maya
subscribed to an ideological system that was deeply entrenched in the
assignation of supernatural powers to earthly features. Caves figure
prominently in Mayan ritual beliefs, a notion reflected by the burial
of the dead in these environments. While archaeologists have long known
of the presence of human remains in caves, explanations for these
interments vary from evidence for human sacrifice to ancestor worship
to expedient disposal of the dead.
The aim of this project is to use standardized scanning electron
microscopy methods to analyze the dental microstructure of individuals
buried in caves and rockshelters in order to assess health quality and
to infer social experience, especially that of the non-elite
population. Biological data (to investigate health) and archaeological
data (to investigate use of cave and rockshelter mortuary space) are
employed to determine if there is validity to the hypothesis that caves
were restricted zones reserved for elites, while rockshelters were
openly accessed repositories for non-elites.
A binary model of health stress (elites did not suffer, while
non-elites suffered greatly) likely does not encapsulate the experience
of either group and does not explain the subtle, graded stratifications
within the overarching social hierarchy. Analysis of these mortuary
environments will reveal information on Maya lifeways and death
rituals, leading to a better understanding of the importance and use of
caves in ancient burial programs. This project combines the disciplines
of archaeology, physical anthropology, and geochemistry to analyze
mortuary data and to make inferences about prehistoric ritual behavior.
________________________________________
Gilman Ouellette ($1,500)
M.S. Student
Department of Geography and Geology
Western Kentucky University
Paleohydrology and Climate Change in the Eastern Caribbean from Barbadian Speleothems
Abstract -Ground water
resources on island nations such as Barbados are highly sensitive to
changes in precipitation regimes. To understand and manage water
resources most effectively, a strong understanding of the
geographically unique climate/ground water interactions is necessary.
To this end a high-resolution reconstruction of late Holocene
precipitation on the island of Barbados will be reconstructed from
multiple speleothem stable oxygen isotope records. The reconstructed
paleoprecipitation patterns will be analyzed using time series
analysis, elucidating the role major climate influences play in
modulating water availability throughout the Late Holocene. This
research will provide insight into how the climate of the Eastern
Caribbean (and thus groundwater resources) has changed in the past
several thousand years as well as the causal mechanisms affecting these
changes. This information is vital in understanding regional and global
climate change, as well as managing the limited groundwater resources
of Barbados and nearby islands in the face of future climate change
scenarios.
________________________________________
Kendra L. Phelps ($2,000)
Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Biological Sciences
Texas Tech University
Conserving Cave Bats in the Philippines: Assessing the Impact of Cave Disturbance on Bat Communities
Abstract -The Philippines
harbor a vast diversity of bat species, many of which are unique to the
tropical archipelago. Nearly half of these bat species are dependent
upon caves as roosting sites for rearing young and shelter from
weather. Tragically, cave-dependent bats in the Philippines are
threatened by human activities; this is particularly so on Bohol
Island. Human pressures on cave bats are occurring at multiple scales
on Bohol Island, including widespread landscape disturbances from
illegal logging which results in the loss of foraging sites. Localized
disturbances from residents, including hunting, cave tourism, and guano
mining, add additional pressures. Such threats jeopardize the viability
of cave-dependent bats. My study aims to compare cave-dependent bat
communities among caves experiencing differing levels of human
disturbance on Bohol Island to: i) assess the status of cave bats in an
increasingly human-dominated landscape in order to identify priority
caves; and ii) pinpoint threats that have the greatest impact on
cave-dependent bats. Specifically, this study will quantify disturbance
levels at 60 caves on Bohol Island using a modified karst disturbance
index, and compare with species diversity and composition of cave bat
communities documented over 2 consecutive nights. Results will be used
to evaluate the significance of individual caves for maintaining viable
populations of cave-dependent bats, identified as a priority under the
Philippine National Caves and Cave Resources Management and Protection
Act. Furthermore, assessing threats to cave-dependent bats allows for
identification of the most detrimental forms of human activities,
critical information for developing effective management strategies.
Page
last updated or validated on January 24, 2019