This 5-day field course examines how the Mammoth Cave region landscape self-organizes across the surface–subsurface boundary: from the caprock-controlled cuesta of the Mammoth Cave Plateau (a.k.a. Chester Upland) to the dense karst of the Pennyroyal Plateau (sinkhole plain), and down into the multi-level passages of the Mammoth Cave System. Emphasis is on process geomorphology and “geomorphic connectivity”: incision and base-level forcing by the Green River, caprock/stratigraphic controls, sinkhole and uvala development, sinking streams and spring outlets, and how cave levels and passage morphologies record landscape evolution,  Course format will be a mix of short lectures, surface and underground field trips, and guest speakers.  The field component will include  surface stops and in-cave sites  to connect landforms to hydrology, sediment routing, and human impacts/management.

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Sunday: July 19: Class orientation 7-9pm at Hamilton Valley Research Station

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Monday: July 20: Reading the Karst Landscape

• Morning (lecture): Geomorphic orientation to the Mammoth Cave Region

• Afternoon surface field trip: Hands on orientation from the Glasgow uplands through the Pennyroyal sinkhole to the ridges and valleys of the area to karst springs on the Green River.

• Evening: Recap and guest speaker. 

 

Tuesday July 21: Follow the water

• Morning (lecture):  How surface drainage gets reorganized by karst: how sinkpoints form and migrate, how valleys become “sinking valleys,” and how caprock breaches create routes for surface streams to abandon the surface and become conduit-fed cave rivers.

• Afternoon:  Field trip to Cedar Sink, visit two small local caves

• Evening: Guest speaker

 

Wednesday July 22: The Cave as a Geomorphic Archive

• ​Morning (lecture)  Caves as records of landscape evolution: how base level and incision produce multi-level cave development, how shafts and domes represent late-stage vertical integration, and how sediment fills and breakdown tell stories about flooding, backwatering, and structural or stratigraphic controls.

• Afternoon:  Mammoth Cave Historic Entrance, moving through the cave as if it were an outcrop—stopping to interpret passage morphology, shafts, springs and seeps, sedimentary surfaces, The “surface” component is embedded at the entrance and immediate surrounding landscape so participants can directly connect what the cave exposes to what the upland and sinkhole plain are supplying.

• Evening: Guest speaker.

 

Thursday July 23: Springs, Outlets and Event-Driven Change

• Morning Lecture: Springs and outlets as integrators of the whole system. The lecture covers how outlet morphology and behavior reflect conduit organization, how sediment plugs and breakdown can “switch” discharge routes, and why large storms can reset parts of the system—changing turbidity, reactivating old flow paths, or shifting which springs carry the bulk of discharge.

• Afternoon:  Visting some of the Mammoth Cave’s significant springs to understand about multi-spring discharge, perennial versus flood-only outlets, and the geomorphic consequences of major  events.

• Evening:  Guest speaker on resurgences of the Mammoth Cave system.

 

Friday July 24: Why is Mammoth Cave the Longest Cave in the World?

• Lecture:  Caprock and relief set the template, capture reorganizes drainage, cave levels archive base-level history, and outlets reveal ongoing adjustment—especially after big events.

• Afternoon:  Field trip to Cathedral Domes via the Carmichael entrance of the Mammoth Cave System.

• Evening: We end with a discussion on what the Mammoth Cave region still doesn’t fully explain, what the next good questions are (geomorphology, hydrology, sediment, conservation), and how to pursue them responsibly—whether you’re teaching, caving, or doing research.

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NOTE: each course has a different registration page, so you MUST access the registration portal through this course page to register for the Karst Geology of Mammoth Cave Course.