Field Trips
private research cave is used to study epikarstic processes, atmospheric/weather condi- tions, water chemistry param- eters, cave microclimate, bat activity, and the impact of agricultural activities on the quality of karst groundwa- ter. Visitors will also take the popular “Historic” tour led by the National Park Service, and given the opportunity to view the fine museum exhibits at the Visitor’s Center.
river valleys and canyons. The BFS NRRA boasts the larg- est collection of natural arches and sandstone shelters east of the Mississippi River. The rocks of the Plateau consist of a Mississippian and Pennsylvanian limestone, shale, sandstones, and conglomerates. The area is also rich in natural resources including oil, gas, and coal. The field trip will present and discuss the lithology, structure, resources, and climate of the region.
Photo courtesy of East Tennessee Geological Society, 2012
On the return trip to Nashville, the group will tour the National Corvette Museum located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The museum showcases the Chevrolet Corvette, its various production models and history, and its prominence in American motorsports racing and touring. The Museum Skydome was the site of a collapse sinkhole on February 12, 2014 that destroyed or damaged eight rare Corvettes. Although the 20-foot deep sinkhole has been filled-in and most of the vehicles restored, a special exhibit showing closed circuit camera footage documents the disaster as it unfolded in the pre-dawn hours.
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area
Date: Monday, September 25, 2017 Time: 7:00 am to 6:00 pm
Trip includes box lunch, snacks, water, transportation.
Photo courtesy of East Tennessee Geological Society, 2012
6 TPG
Apr.May.Jun 2017
Big South Fork (BSF) National River and Recreation Area (NRRA) is situated on the Cumberland Plateau on the Kentucky-Tennessee bor- der. Located approximately 2 ½ hours east of Nashville the terrain of the NRRA rises over 1,000 ft above the surround- ing region. The Cumberland Plateau is a large, flat-topped tableland with deeply incised
Stops will include scenic overlooks, overviews of arches, rockshelters and chimneys; waterfalls; as well as a possible abandoned oil & gas well and mine shaft. The primary rock formations outcropping within the BSF include the Rockcastle Conglomerate and the Fentress Formation. The Rockcastle consists of fine to coarse sand with round quartzite gravel. The arches and rockshelters are formed within this unit. The Fentress Formation consists of interlaminated fine sandstone and shale with thin beds of sandstone and coal.
As of 2012, there were more than 250 private oil and gas wells with the BSF’s 125,000 acres, most of which were drilled during the boom of the 1970s and ‘80s. Approximately 100 of these wells are still producing today. In addition, there were 54 “orphaned” oil and gas wells within the BSF park boundaries, all of which have been abandoned.
Castalian Springs Mound Site and Wynnewood Museum
Date: Monday, September 25, 2017 Time: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm
Trip includes box lunch, snacks, water, transportation & Museum entrance.
Leader: Dr. Kevin Smith, Middle Tennessee State University
This field trip will provide a tour of the Castalian Springs Mound State Historic Site and the Wynnewood Museum. Both sites are located near a salt lick that provided salt and wildlife for native American use and cures for all ailments for 19th century travelers. The
site is Mississippian culture archaeological site comprised of three burial mounds. Mineral springs created salt deposits at the area known as Bledsoe’s Lick. This mineral salt attracted
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