South-central Kentucky has a hidden underground world shaped by karst geology. The area’s Mississippian-aged limestone bedrock, like the Slade Formation, has vast solution channels. These channels were made by water dissolving rock over thousands of years. The Kentucky Geological Survey says this makes the terrain unstable and prone to sudden collapses. Human activities can make […]
Kentucky’s landscape is full of hidden underground features shaped by water and time. Almost 40% of the state sits on soluble bedrock, perfect for karst formations. These include caves, springs, and sinkholes, common in areas like Robertson County. Rainwater makes these formations by absorbing carbon dioxide and becoming slightly acidic. As it moves through soil, […]
Central Kentucky’s unique geology makes it perfect for sinkholes. This is because of the karst terrain with soluble bedrock. There are three main types of sinkholes here: solution features, collapse structures, and subsidence depressions. LiDAR technology has shown that it can find 6.4 times more depressions than old methods. A 2019 study by the Kentucky […]
Kentucky’s landscape is complex, with 55% of the state made of soluble limestone. This makes areas like Pendleton County more likely to have sinkholes. Over 20 years, many ground collapses have been found, caused by sudden cover-collapse and slow subsidence mechanisms. Karst systems form when rainwater dissolves limestone over time, creating underground voids. When these […]
Central Kentucky’s karst landscapes face unique challenges, like those in Nicholas County. Over 20 years, this area has seen 20 documented sinkhole incidents. The Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) mapped these events. Sinkholes happen when acidic water dissolves limestone, creating underground voids that collapse. Karst terrain covers about 55% of Nicholas County, making it prone to […]
Western Kentucky’s Pennyroyal Plateau has a hidden story beneath its surface. This area is part of a karst landscape with soluble limestone bedrock. Over time, groundwater has dissolved these rocks, creating underground voids and fissures. The Kentucky Geological Survey has mapped this process. They found that epikarst, a weathered rock layer near the surface, plays […]
Central Kentucky’s unique geology is shaped by hidden forces. The area sits on a karst terrain, where water dissolves limestone over time. This creates underground systems and surface depressions called sinkholes. Montgomery County is in the Western Pennyroyal karst region. This area spans several states. Rainwater seeps into the fractured limestone, creating caves or collapsing […]
Kentucky’s landscape has a hidden story beneath its surface. The Mississippian Plateaus Region in the center of the state has karst topography. This is a terrain shaped by dissolving bedrock, creating underground systems and sinkholes. The plateaus, with elevations from 560 to 1,120 feet, face high erosion risks. This is because of the limestone-rich soil […]
Kentucky’s unique geology is shaped by water. Almost 40% of the state has karst systems, which are porous limestone that dissolves over time. This creates underground networks and surface features like caves and depressions. In eastern Kentucky, the Pennyroyal region shows this dynamic. Acidic rainwater slowly widens fractures in bedrock. This makes areas like Pike […]