CHARACTERIZATION OF KARST FEATURES IN THE ARBUCKLE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA, USA

The Arbuckle Mountains are a complex geologic province, characterized by thick sequences of intensely folded and faulted carbonates, sandstones, and shales, of the Late Cambrian through Pennsylvanian. Cave, karst and paleokarst features occur in relatively high densities within several limestone and dolostone formations and play a significant role in the storage and transport of fluids in the subsurface. Knowing the origins, morphology and distribution of these karst features is necessary for understanding the storage and transport of groundwater, as well as the evolution of the karst aquifers.

During the first phase of this study, more than 2,000 karst features and 300 springs were identified throughout the Arbuckle Mountains. The second phase consisted of extensive surveys to characterize the karst areas and to explain patterns in distribution, morphology, and to delineate groundwater systems through groundwater tracing, cave mapping, and remote sensing. The Arbuckle Mountains are host to a diversity of karst forms, containing both epigenic and hypogenic caves, many varieties of karren, and thick edifices of travertine. Knowing how these karst features develop and where they occur is necessary to understanding the characteristics of the groundwater systems and to effectively conserve and manage these water resources.