National Cave and Karst Research Institute

09/28/2026

An aquitard is a layer or layers of geologic formation that slows the flow of water (low hydraulic conductivity). These layers often confine the flow of an aquifer, stopping it from interacting with other water sources in the area – such as infiltrating water from the surface – or emptying into another body of water or rock layer. These restrictive features can also control the flow direction of an aquifer depending on its morphology and the aquifer's pressure.

09/26/2026

It’s National Public Lands Day, one of the nation’s largest single-day volunteer efforts and a celebration of the places that connect us to nature, history, recreation, and each other.

From picking up litter and restoring trails to removing invasive species or simply lending a helping hand, there are plenty of ways to care for the public lands we all share.

How are you giving back to your public lands today?

Find ways to get involved at: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/public-lands-day.htm

09/22/2026

NCKRI is hiring two new limited-term (1-2 year) positions:

Postdoctoral Scholar:
This position will help lead efforts to document paleontological resources at Carlsbad Caverns.
https://www.nmt.edu/hr/Postdoctoral%20Scholar%20NCKRI%200918826.pdf

Professional Intern:
This position will assist with addressing National Park Service (NPS) units cave and karst needs through the NPS' technical assistance request (TAR) program.
https://www.nmt.edu/hr/Professional%20Intern%200918726.pdf

Applications received by 5:00 PM (Mountain Time), October 5, 2026 will be given priority. Please submit all applications to New Mexico Tech human resources and include Benjamin Tobin ([email protected]).

To learn more about the application process:
https://www.nmt.edu/hr/employment.php

A complete application will consist of:
1. NMT Employment Application Form:https://www.nmt.edu/hr/docs/hr/Employment%20Application%200423.pdf
2. Cover Letter
3. Resume or Curriculum Vitae
4. Contact information for at least (3) three professional references

09/21/2026

Sometimes cavers and cave scientists need a little bit of extra help with obstacles underground. Today’s Cave and Karst Word of the Week is , a term applied to rope or webbing used for extra holds at a vertical obstacle. Handlines are especially useful for ascending muddy, slippery slopes or navigating short climbs. Loops can be tied in the handline to create footholds. Handlines are connected to an anchor point that can handle the appropriate directional force such as a large rock, column, or bolt.

Navigating an obstacle with a handline can require considerable physical exertion, which is why longer vertical obstacles typically use specialized mechanical equipment to ascend or rappel. Since considerable forces can be exerted on a handline, climbing-rated rope or webbing is used. Even though these materials are strong and abrasion resistant, they need to be inspected for wear before use.

09/18/2026

Please join us for the next KWI webinar on Wednesday Sept 30, 7 central/8 eastern. Our presenter will be Sarah Arpin, a karst geologist with the Kentucky Geological Survey, who will be presenting on some of the research she's conducting as part of her dissertation. Her title is "Groundwater Storage in Alpine Karst: Hydrologic Buffering in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana".

You can join via the link on the attached slide or via the KWI website:
https://karstwaters.org/2026/09/announcing-webinar-on-september-30-groundwater-storage-in-alpine-karst-hydrologic-buffering-in-the-bob-marshall-wilderness-montana/

If you've missed any of the past talks, you can watch the recordings on our YouTube channel https://youtube.com/?si=_2mcTbbq6AbqhU02.

09/17/2026

Please welcome the newest edition to the NCKRI team!

My name is Jenna Crabtree and I am thrilled to join the NCKRI team as the Administrative and Conference Coordinator! I look forward to bringing my experience in administrative coordination, event planning, and strategic organization, along with my passion for caves and karst, to the role. I am particularly excited to support the cave and karst community through the meaningful behind-the-scenes work that helps NCKRI carry out its mission through conferences, education and outreach, and impactful research.

Joining the NCKRI team is both a personal and professional goal of mine. I have wanted to live in Carlsbad, New Mexico, since I first visited Carlsbad Caverns National Park when I was 11 years old. I am delighted to live and work in a place where I can contribute professionally while also being part of a community with abundant opportunities for recreational and project caving. I look forward to helping create a great work environment at NCKRI and becoming an active member of the local caving community, where I hope to be a mentor and resource for others.

09/15/2026

09/14/2026

This week’s cave and karst word of the week is hydraulic conductivity. Hydraulic conductivity is the measurement of how easy it is for a liquid to move through a material. This concept is used in multiple disciplines including environmental sciences, engineering, and hydrogeology. In hydrogeology this concept is used mostly in Darcy's law to estimate volumetric flow and water movement through an aquifer. It is also used for estimating aquifer capacity and is often represented in units of Feet or meters per day.

Hydraulic conductivity also isn't a set number, different materials have ranges of values associated with them. For example, fine sand has a hydraulic conductivity range of around 1 to10 ft/day (.3 to 3 m/day). The range can also change based on changes that occur in the material. Limestone has a range of around .0016 to .2 ft/day, but if fractures and pores are introduced into the limestone making it karst limestone that range changes to around 10 to 1000 ft per day (3 to 304.8 m/day).

09/13/2026

Today is the 1st International Day of Caves and Karst, a celebration to raise awareness of these beautiful spaces and the unique issues that have far-reaching effects.

Karst is a landscape formed from rock that can easily dissolve creating features such as caves, sinking streams, sinkholes, and springs. Karst is known for being a major drinking water source around the world. However, unlike other aquifers, the void size in karst aquifers can be too large to trap or exclude contaminants. Instead, karst groundwater systems can act as pipes allowing water and even contaminants to travel quickly over long distances. Possibly even traveling kilometers per day.

One way to celebrate is to learn more about karst:
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/caves/karst-landscapes.htm

Or find a karst area near you:
https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=eb26d6f8712041a09a91ad42f88c45ad

09/11/2026

Today in Mineral Cup, speleothem star faces rare blue julienite. Wherever water drips or flows in a cave, you’re likely to find calcite precipitating and slowly building cave formations over time. The wall shown in this Montana cave is covered in draperies and flowstone, which form as water saturated with calcium carbonate flows along the cave wall.

Vote for calcite before 6pm MDT
https://www.mineralcup.org/2026/vote-results/vote-r1m11