Application of Morphometric Relationships to Active Flow Networks Within the Mammoth Cave Watershed
type: CreativeWork
description: Numerous quantitative relationships have been formulated to describe the nature of surface-drainage networks. These parameters have been used in various studies of geomorphology and surface-water hydrology, such as flood characteristics, sediment yield, and evolution of basin morphology. Little progress has been made in applying these quantitative descriptors to karst flow systems due to the lack of sufficiently complete data and inadequate technology for processing the large, complex data sets. However, as a result of four decades of investigation, an abundance of data now exists for the Mammoth Cave Watershed providing the opportunity for broader quantitative research in the organization of a large, highly-developed, karst-drainage network. Developing Geographic Information System (GIS) technology has provided tools to 1) book-keep the karst system's large, complex spatial data sets, 2) analyze and quantitatively model karst processes, and 3) visualize spatially and temporally complex data. Karst aquifers display drainage characteristics that in many ways appear similar to surface networks. The purpose of my research was to explore techniques by which quantitative methods of drainage- network analysis can be applied to the organization and flow patterns in the Turnhole Bend Groundwater Basin of the Mammoth Cave Watershed. Morphometric analysis of mapped active base-flow, stream-drainage density within the Turnhole Bend Groundwater Basin resulted in values ranging from 0.24 km/km2 to 1.13 km/km2. A nearby, climatologically similar, nonkarst surface drainage system yielded a drainage density value of 1.36 km/km2. Since the mapped cave streams necessarily represent only a fraction of the total of underground streams within the study area, the actual subsurface values are likely to be much higher. A potential upper limit on perennial drainage density for the Turnhole Bend Groundwater Basin was calculated by making the assumption that each sinkhole drains at least one …
abstract: Numerous quantitative relationships have been formulated to describe the nature of surface-drainage networks. These parameters have been used in various studies of geomorphology and surface-water hydrology, such as flood characteristics, sediment yield, and evolution of basin morphology. Little progress has been made in applying these quantitative descriptors to karst flow systems due to the lack of sufficiently complete data and inadequate technology for processing the large, complex data sets. However, as a result of four decades of investigation, an abundance of data now exists for the Mammoth Cave Watershed providing the opportunity for broader quantitative research in the organization of a large, highly-developed, karst-drainage network. Developing Geographic Information System (GIS) technology has provided tools to 1) book-keep the karst system's large, complex spatial data sets, 2) analyze and quantitatively model karst processes, and 3) visualize spatially and temporally complex data. Karst aquifers display drainage characteristics that in many ways appear similar to surface networks. The purpose of my research was to explore techniques by which quantitative methods of drainage- network analysis can be applied to the organization and flow patterns in the Turnhole Bend Groundwater Basin of the Mammoth Cave Watershed. Morphometric analysis of mapped active base-flow, stream-drainage density within the Turnhole Bend Groundwater Basin resulted in values ranging from 0.24 km/km2 to 1.13 km/km2. A nearby, climatologically similar, nonkarst surface drainage system yielded a drainage density value of 1.36 km/km2. Since the mapped cave streams necessarily represent only a fraction of the total of underground streams within the study area, the actual subsurface values are likely to be much higher. A potential upper limit on perennial drainage density for the Turnhole Bend Groundwater Basin was calculated by making the assumption that each sinkhole drains at least one …
author: Glennon, John
keywords: Geology, Hydrology
date published: 2001-11-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T06:07:42Z
provider: Western Kentucky University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Western Kentucky University