Castles & karst |
Hydrology
Because of the large climatic difference between the two sites (Castleguard & South-central KY) the driving controls for the hydrologic systems vary. But similarly, they both do depend, to an extent, on meteorological events along with the topography.
The shallow carbonate aquifer of the south-central Kentucky area, is subdivided into groundwater basins, each with distinct divides separating them from nearby basins. These divides are not entirely fixed, and may shift with the water level. There is no surface drainage that crosses the karst. The subsurface drainage flows north beneath the Sinkhole Plain, travels beneath the Chester Escarpment and the Chester Cuesta, to finally discharge in a series of springs along Green River.
The Salem-Warsaw Formation (compare to Castleguard’s unconsolidated deposits) acts as an aquiclude and defines the lower limit of groundwater circulation. There is sufficient hydraulic gradient available, which allows large subsurface drainage basins to form in the region. These basins collect water over hundreds of miles (through the sinkhole plain) until rising at a series of large springs along the Green River. This groundwater flows along the regional gradient has carved Mammoth Cave.
The shallow carbonate aquifer of the south-central Kentucky area, is subdivided into groundwater basins, each with distinct divides separating them from nearby basins. These divides are not entirely fixed, and may shift with the water level. There is no surface drainage that crosses the karst. The subsurface drainage flows north beneath the Sinkhole Plain, travels beneath the Chester Escarpment and the Chester Cuesta, to finally discharge in a series of springs along Green River.
The Salem-Warsaw Formation (compare to Castleguard’s unconsolidated deposits) acts as an aquiclude and defines the lower limit of groundwater circulation. There is sufficient hydraulic gradient available, which allows large subsurface drainage basins to form in the region. These basins collect water over hundreds of miles (through the sinkhole plain) until rising at a series of large springs along the Green River. This groundwater flows along the regional gradient has carved Mammoth Cave.