Eighth Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes and...Karst

The Eighth Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes
and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst™
with a Field Trip to Mammoth Cave National Park and Bowling Green

General Conference Description

2001—A Karst Odyssey (The Eighth Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst™) will be held April 1-4, 2001, in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. This meeting continues the highly successful series of interdisciplinary conferences begun by the Florida Sinkhole Research Institute and continued by P.E. LaMoreaux & Associates, Inc. (PELA).The conference is now sponsored by the Association of Groundwater Scientists and Engineers of the National Groundwater Association, the Geo-Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers and P.E. LaMoreaux & Associates, Inc.

Geologists and geographers study how and where karst develops and how sinkholes form, but engineers, planners and others must apply this information to build and maintain society’s infrastructure and protect our environment. The goal of this conference is to share knowledge and experience between disciplines by emphasizing practical applications and case studies. Karst topography impacts water resources, waste disposal, foundation stability, and many other geotechnical and environmental issues. Civil and environmental engineers, geologists, biologists, geographers, planners, developers, government officials, and other professionals who must deal with karst terrane will all benefit from attending this conference.

The keynote speaker for the conference will be Dr. Paul Marinos from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, and former President of the International Association of Engineering Geologists. Dr. Marinos’ keynote address will be Design and Construction in Karst Terrains: An Engineering Challenge. The conference banquet will be held Tuesday evening and after dinner Dr. Marinos will speak on Practicing Karst Hydrogeology in Ancient Greek and Roman Times.

The conference will be preceded by an optional field trip to Bowling Green, Kentucky, and the Mammoth Cave National Park area, on Sunday April 1. The field trip will be led by Dr. Nicholas Crawford, Director of the Center for Cave and Karst Studies at Western Kentucky University, and Mr. Joseph Meiman, Hydrogeologist at Mammoth Cave National Park.

Both the Association of Ground Water Scientists and Engineers of NGWA and the Geo-Institute of ASCE will hold meetings at the conference and form karst committees (interest sections). For details on any aspect of the conference, or registration information and forms, click on the appropriate links.