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Mechanisms Responsible for Sinkhole Flooding on an Urbanized Karst Terrain: South Sunrise / Media Drive, Bowling Green, Kentucky

Sinkhole flooding on the urban karst area of Bowling Green, Kentucky, was studied by investigating past flood events in the South Sunrise/Media Drive Sinkhole. The actual flood levels of four floods were compared to levels calculated by an empirical runoff determination method. Outflow capacity tests and dye tracing revealed the nature of drainage within the karst depression.
The Soil Conservation Service runoff determination method and the three-hour maximum rainfall event were used to estimate the level of flooding. Three of the four flood events studied provided deviations between the actual and calculated flood levels of less than 0.26 feet (0.08 meters). The fourth event produced a deviation of 1.45 feet (0.44 meters) which was explained by the intense nature of the precipitation event.
Analysis of the data resulted in the conclusion that surface storm water runoff exceeded the outflow capacity of the sinkhole drains during all four flood events and that the peak flood elevations were not related to the level of the water table in the area. Evidence also suggested that drainage from the base of the South Sunrise/Media Drive Sinkhole occurs through interconnecting voids associated with a cave roof breakdown pile, and not through an efficient system of solution conduits.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:WKU/oai:digitalcommons.wku.edu:theses-3003
Date01 December 1986
CreatorsFeeney, Thomas
PublisherTopSCHOLAR®
Source SetsWestern Kentucky University Theses
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext
Formatapplication/pdf
SourceMasters Theses & Specialist Projects

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