The Karst Waters Institute plans to sponsor a workshop on Karst Modeling, February 2427, 1999 in Charlottesville, Virginia. The workshop will bring together groundwater hydrologists and modelers, karst researchers, engineers, and economic geologists to discuss how best to quantify karst porosity to fit practical needs. The field experience of hydrologists, the computer expertise of modelers, and the geomorphic and geochemical studies of karst specialists are all too often isolated from one another. To allow the field to advance, it is necessary to draw on the experience of a broad variety of scientists having these diverse but complementary backgrounds.
"Karst modeling," as envisioned for this workshop, concerns the development of conceptual, geochemical, numerical, mathematical, and statistical models that can be used to organize our knowledge of karst systems. The most important topics are: optimizing groundwater supplies; tracking, monitoring, and remediating contaminants; and solving problems of land stability in karst. Specific questions include: (1) What are the relative percentages of the different types of porosity in a karst aquifer -- e.g., intergranular, fissure, and solution porosity -- and what is their spatial variability? (2) How do they interact hydrologically? (3) Can the distribution of solution conduits be predicted? (4) How do they affect the head distribution and flow within the surrounding aquifer? (5) How can one predict or monitor contaminant paths in karst aquifers? and (6) Is it possible to construct valid digital models of karst aquifers? If so, are traditional models adequate, or is it necessary to devise entirely new software?
The meeting will be tightly structured so that these topics will build upon each other in order to identify gaps in understanding that can best be filled by interdisciplinary cooperation. Keynote speakers at the workshop will be well-known specialists from a variety of fields who can bridge these gaps. The workshop will be three days in length and include a field trip to karst areas in Virginia.
The workshop is being advertised in several professional outlets including Geotimes, GSA Today, EOS, and the newsletter of the Association for Ground Water Scientists and Engineers. Announcements will also be mailed to major environmental consulting firms, relevant state and federal agencies, and universities. Extended abstracts will be published by the Karst Waters Institute. Meeting summaries will be submitted to various appropriate professional outlets.
