Tony Anders
Caver
SKSC Caver
See you around, in the underground.
Posts: 329
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Post by Tony Anders on Jan 4, 2007 19:26:52 GMT -5
I have a question. I have been doing some reading about some caves that have been surveyed here in Kentucky. One particular cave 'The Arthur Singleton Cave' mentions a tiny karst window.
Can anyone shed some light on what a karts window is? I guess I am wondering if a window means what most consider a window to mean, is it a opening to the outside or would a window just mean a window to other places inside the same cavern.
I am going to do a search on the internet as well. I know someone here will more than likely find me an answer before I find it on the internet.
THIS IS A DEFINITION I FOUND HOW EVER IT IS STILL NOT TOTALLY CLEAR AS TO WHETHER IT GOES OUT TO THE EXTERIOR OR NOT. Karst Window A karst window is a geologic feature where the aquifer is exposed to the surface
Thanks again for everyones help in the forum.
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L Roebuck
Technical Support
Caving
^V^ Just a caver
Posts: 2,023
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Post by L Roebuck on Jan 4, 2007 19:48:18 GMT -5
new question Yup, my understanding is a karst window is an opening to the surface.
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Tony Anders
Caver
SKSC Caver
See you around, in the underground.
Posts: 329
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Post by Tony Anders on Jan 4, 2007 20:00:10 GMT -5
Ha ha, I knew someone would be here quick.... Thanks Lynn
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L Roebuck
Technical Support
Caving
^V^ Just a caver
Posts: 2,023
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Post by L Roebuck on Jan 4, 2007 20:04:05 GMT -5
Your Welcome T-caver! But it was just lucky that I just happened to pop on the forum in a timely manner. Keep studying those cave and karst terms!
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Post by Azurerana on Jan 4, 2007 22:09:23 GMT -5
A karst window is a special sort of vertical opening on water . It may be a sinkhole, with an uninterrupted drop to an underground lake, but which does not have a dry floor. Devil's Well in Missouri is one. (See members.socket.net/~joschaper/cavespr.htm for a look down, and within that karst window.) It may also be internal to a cave-- a hole in the floor of a cave to a lower, completely flooded level of the karst system, but offset from the cave opening to the surface. A karst window, almost by definition, is accessible only by rope. See diagram below: Hole Air = karst window Water I know of several caves where the karst window is internal and offset from the actual cave entrance. They differ from sumps, because of the vertical nature and the intervening air--you can look through, but cannot easily go there, hence the 'window' aspect. Thanks for a good question.
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Brian Roebuck
Site Admin
Caver
Caving - the one activity that really brings you to your knees!
Posts: 2,732
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Post by Brian Roebuck on Jan 4, 2007 22:20:34 GMT -5
Since the term Karst is derived from a Czech name for sinkhole limestone terrain with caves and sinking streams I always envisioned Karst Windows as openings through which one can see into sinkholes, caves, underground streams, or sub-surface pools. All of these features would be developed in limestone of course. I was not aware they had to be vertically oriented nor that water had to be present to qualify. While I may be wrong about the exact definition I still think my vision of Karst windows makes sense. Well it makes sense to me anyhow! ;D Tony - you got us all thinkin'!
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Post by Azurerana on Jan 5, 2007 0:06:29 GMT -5
If this is so, Dr. Beaner, I have a couple of little bitty karst windows in my house-- small natural opening into a couple of geodes.
The AGI Glossary of Geology says: Depression revealing a part of a subterranean river flowing across its floor, or an unroofed part of a cave. b) a small natural bridge or arch which can be seen through syn. karst fenster. (Ok, fenster means window in German...duh.)
However, in 30 years I've never heard any geos or hydrogeos use karst window to mean anything except the wet kind...most 'unroofed parts of caves' are called dolines, or sinkholes, depending on where you are from.
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Post by eramosakarst on Jan 5, 2007 9:19:22 GMT -5
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Post by graveleye on Jan 5, 2007 16:07:33 GMT -5
I've always understood that a karst window was basically where an underground river is visible from the surface - the river then continues on underground. It may be a collapsed dome or just where the river is closer to the surface than in other places. There were a couple of issues of NSS News a while back about the Woodville Karst Plain that describes karst window pretty vividly.
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Post by Azurerana on Jan 5, 2007 17:29:42 GMT -5
There is a Catholic church in SEMO (Apple Creek Mo, and visitors are welcome as long as they are respectful--to visit and view, not to cave, of course) which has the 'Schnurbusch Karst Window' down the hill from the building. It is a combination resurgence/swallow hole with about 300 feet of air exposure (and an altar) between the two.
Thanks for reminding me of that situation, graveleye--It had skipped my mind. A really neat place.
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