KARST GEOLOGY FIELD TRIP – 2010 KARST-O-RAMA
Led by Lee J. Florea, Ph.D., P.G.
The Pennyroyal Plateau to the Cumberland Plateau along KY 80,
Pulaski and Laurel Counties, Kentucky
East of the city of Somerset, SR 80 crosses through the scenic and rugged landscape along the western margin of the Cumberland Plateau. Here, the plateau margin, called the Cumberland Escarpment, is less of a single escarpment and more a six mile wide band of steep hills that rise some 450 feet above valleys and separate the relatively flat terrains to the east and west. The Cumberland Escarpment is a major physiographic boundary that divides Kentucky geographically and culturally. To the west are the rolling topography, urban centers, and large-scale agriculture of the Bluegrass and the Pennyroyal regions, and to the east are the rugged hills, coalfields, and Appalachian cultures of eastern Kentucky, western Virginia, and West Virginia. This trip will begin at the Nancy interchange on the Cumberland Parkway and conclude at the I-75 interchange in London. Along this route we will traverse 60 million years of earth history in the Carboniferous period during a time of great transition in North America as the early Appalachian Mountains rose and the supercontinent of Pangea formed. Over our 45-mile course we will observe a gradual transition from deep marine, to shallow marine, then fluvial, and finally terrestrial depositional environments. Our goal will be to investigate how the geologic framework has influenced the present-day geomorphology, with a specific emphasis on the cave and karst landscapes.
Day: Saturday
Departure: 8:30
Return: 5:30
Number: Up to 20
Level: Moderate (some walking, sun exposure)
Requirements: A car or a ride. A pack lunch to eat at Short Creek. Lots of water. A helmet and light to explore Short Creek. A rock hammer for scale and for samples. A hand lens for examining specimens. A camera.
Special notes: This trip will involve a great deal of driving (more than 150 miles total) and a number of stops along the way. We will try to reduce the number of cars as much as possible by carpooling in larger vehicles. If you are interested in this trip and have a vehicle that you are willing to share please indicate so on the sign-up sheet. Also, if you are driving, please consider having a full tank of gas ready prior to the trip so that we can spend more time at our stops and less time at gas stations.