Since water flowing underground is part of the process of
sinkhole development over geologic time, and often difficult to research since
it exists underground, a method to monitor stormwater and groundwater in karst
regions that can capture high-resolution data about water movement is
necessary. Recently, YSI, Incorporated designed a new, submersible water
monitoring sonde, the EXO II, which is capable of capturing and logging
high-resolution (every 10 minutes in this case), continuous data for several
parameters, including water depth, pH, temperature, specific conductivity,
turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and others. This logger provides everything from
Bluetooth accessibility to real-time monitoring capabilities with additional
peripheral devices that are available, and can be used in wells, streams, or
any other water monitoring location.
Through a partnership between WKU’s Center for Water
Resource Studies (WKU CWRS), Fondriest Environmental, YSI Incorporated, the
City of Bowling Green Public Works Department, and the National Corvette
Museum, one of these EXO II sondes outfitted with multiple water parameter probes
was loaned to WKU CWRS for use at the NCM sinkhole site. The sonde is being
used to monitor water in an adjacent pond area that serves to collect runoff
and exists as a perched water feature, which can provide information as work
continues of any changes in the water from the drilling process and storms that
could pose a threat to the remediation process. This monitoring provides an
additional measure of safety and data collection to help understand the dynamics
of the sinkhole and its natural formation processes.
The data collected through this monitoring project will
support efforts by K&S Engineering, Hayward Baker Incorporated, EnSafe, Scott,
Murphy & Daniel, LLC, DDS Engineering, and other project partners in their collective work
to remediate the sinkhole. It will simultaneously provide invaluable scientific
information to WKU CWRS’s research on sinkhole processes and karst landscape
evolution.
Dr. Jason Polk (Director, WKU CWRS) and his graduate
student, Dan Nedvidek, are using these sondes in other locations in the City
and elsewhere to monitor stormwater runoff and measure water quality and other
parameters related to karst hydrology. Collectively, these data provide a new,
advanced method by which the study of karst processes and hydrogeology can be
studied to inform our understanding of groundwater and associated karst
features, like sinkholes. Dr. Polk said, “Partnerships like this one with
Fondriest and YSI are the essence of collaborative scientific research, and
allow us the capabilities to collect data and quickly put together information
to inform how to move forward in situations like this one. It’s a great benefit
to be able to use new, advanced equipment that will lead the way for future research
in this field and others.”
Special thanks to Paul Nieberding (Fondriest Environmental) and Brandon Smith (YSI, Incorporated) for their assistance in making this project possible.
For more information please contact: Dr. Jason Polk (jason.polk@wku.edu), at 270-745-5015, or
@ProfJasonPolk on Twitter.
