WKU Group Asked To Help
Explore Vietnam Cave System

September 22, 2004

Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University cave and karst researchers have been asked to join a Belgian team exploring and mapping Vietnam's deepest cave system and would be the first U.S. caving group to participate in exploration there.

The invitation to join the group in 2006 was made during an international karst conference last week in Vietnam.

Three WKU geography faculty, a geoscience graduate student and two alumni from the master's in geoscience program made presentations at Transkarst 2004, a multidisciplinary conference on karst and sustainable development held in Hanoi.

"Another great benefit of the conference was developing ties to Vietnamese and Belgian scientists working on water resource projects in Vietnam's northern karst areas," said Dr. Chris Groves, director of WKU's Hoffman Environmental Research Institute.

"Participation in conferences such as these epitomize the goal of engaging students and faculty for success in a global society," said Dr. David Keeling, head of the Department of Geography and Geology. "Faculty and students in the department are conducting research that has an impact on human-earth relationships at a variety of scales and in myriad places across the globe."

The Hoffman Environmental Research Institute is part of the Applied Research and Technology Program in Ogden College of Science and Engineering.

During the conference, Dr. Groves, with co-author Daoxian Yuan of the Karst Dynamics Laboratory in Guilin, China, gave a keynote address titled "Recent United Nations efforts for the global study and protection of karst resources."

Dr. Groves, with co-authors Joe Meiman (Mammoth Cave National Park) and Pat Kambesis (geoscience graduate student), also presented "The role of cave exploration and survey in the protection of the world's longest cave system: Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, USA.”

Kambesis, who also serves as the assistant director of the Hoffman Institute, presented two papers: "A systematic approach and partnership in the study of contaminant sources and transport in a karst groundwater basin" and "Use of subterranean field studies as a baseline for karst research and resource management. Case study: Lechuguilla Cave, New Mexico."

Dr. Keeling and Debra D. Kreitzer (geography faculty) presented a poster on "Land-use planning in a karst-biosphere reserve environment."

Also making presentations were the following geoscience program alumni: Dr. George Veni (1985), principal of George Veni and Associates in San Antonio, Texas, "Government Canyon State natural area: A multi-disciplinary and multi-partner approach to karst-management and education"; and Augusto Auler (1994) from Brazil, "Paleoenvironments in semi-arid northeastern Brazil" with co-authors.

The conference not only included opportunities to discuss and examine multidisciplinary approaches to karst landscape development around the world, but also allowed participants to experience the natural landscapes of northeast Vietnam.

Many of the conference attendees participated in a four-day field trip that visited the spectacular karst islands of Halong Bay, Cat Ba Island Park and the Cuc Phoung National Park in northcentral Vietnam. During the field trip, the Western group posed for a photo featuring a WKU Red Towel.

For more information, contact Chris Groves at (270) 745-5974. More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

-WKU-