August 19, 2008
Bowling
Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University geography professor Chris Groves returned from Norway this week where he convened a technical academic session on “International Perspectives on Karst Aquifers and Water Resources” at the International Geological Congress.
The water resources symposium is one of hundreds taking place at the Oslo meeting and is sponsored by the United Nations’ International Geoscience Program Project “Global Study of Karst Aquifers and Water Resources.” Groves serves as project leader of the five-year U.N. project, along with co-leaders Yuan Daoxian from China, Spain’s Bartolome Andreo-Novarro and Heather Viles of Oxford University in England.
Karst regions are characterized by features such as caves, sinkholes and underground rivers formed in limestone bedrock and typified by the landscapes of south central Kentucky around WKU.
“While it has been estimated that over one billion people rely on karst aquifers for water supply,” Grove said, “these systems often present serious challenges with regard to both water quantity and quality, even in places of relatively abundant rainfall.”
In China alone, the quality of life for tens of millions of people may be impacted by the difficulties of water access in these areas.
Speakers at the Olso karst water session shared experiences from Brazil, Serbia, China, Turkey, Uzbekistan and others. Groves said one talk highlighted international trans-boundary issues at a large water supply spring in Iraq, much of whose water originates as rainfall and snowmelt across the border in Iran.
Thousands of scientists gathered for the International Geological Congress, the largest earth sciences meeting in the world, held every four years at various locations. This year’s location in Norway served as a great base for geologists to participate in field excursions before, during and after the meeting to learn about locations throughout Scandinavia, Russia and Greenland.
In other sessions Groves presented “Contributions to Karst Science and Education from the Mammoth Cave Region, Kentucky USA” co-authored with William B. White of Pennsylvania State University and “Training Efforts for Water Resource Development in Southwest China’s Karst Regions,” co-authored with Yuan Daoxian of China’s Southwest University.
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For information, contact Chris Groves at (270) 745-5201.
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