Earth Science and the International Year of Caves and Karst

Cave research represents the essence of Earth science since it involves going into and directly studying the Earth itself. Caves, and the karst areas in which most form, are highly valuable yet vulnerable features. They provide water to about 700 million people but are the most easily contaminated of groundwater supplies. Additionally, they can collapse to create sinkholes, swallowing roads and buildings, causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damages annually in the US alone. Join this presentation, which is part of the celebration of the International Year of Caves and Karst, to explore caves and karst around the world and the many aspects of the Earth sciences they include. Our speaker includes: George Veni, Ph.D. Executive Director, National Cave and Karst Research Institute