Cumberland Plateau & Escarpment
June 7-9, 2003 - Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia

Organizer: Pat Kambesis, Western Kentucky University
Price: $245

Description

The Cumberland Plateau and Escarpment are erosional remnants of the much broader upland area known as the Appalachian Plateau. The Cumberland Plateau is capped by a series of Pennsylvanian-aged deltaic and fluvial sequences of conglomerate, sandstone, shale and coal. The caprock is underlain by a series of Mississippian-aged marine carbonates that are susceptible to dissolutional processes. The difference in lithology between the caprock and the underlying carbonates has formed an escarpment that rims the plateau. Subterranean stream invasion of surface streams flowing off of the plateau has eroded its edges forming not only many valleys, coves and hollows but also literally thousands of caves.

The field trip will explore the karst geology and hydrology of the Cumberland Plateau and Escarpment through Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. The history, landuse and management of karst and caves of the plateau will also be addressed.

Logistics and Activities

The three-day field trip begins at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 7, from the South Campus parking lot. The trip will end on Monday evening, June 9 at South Campus. Trip participants will be transported via minivan to Manchester, Tennessee where they can check into the Hampton Inn-Manchester Hotel which will be the staging location for the trip. Saturday field trip activities will begin at Noon.

Field trips activities will involve surface hiking and a little bit of in-cave time. There will be evening activities to follow the daily excursions. Participants must be in good physical condition and equipped to spend time in the summer heat and short underground trips. Participants should bring basic cave gear; a limited number of helmets and lights are available from the organizers for a small fee.

The Hampton Inn-Manchester Hotel provides a complimentary continental breakfast. Boxed lunches and refreshments will be provided in the field on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Dinners will be provided on Saturday and Sunday evenings.

Transportation

Transportation will be provided to and from Bowling Green Kentucky.

Accommodations/Location

The trip will be headquartered at the Hampton Inn at Manchester, Tennessee. Room rates are approximately $65-70 per night for one person. You can reserve a room by calling the Hampton Inn Manchester at 1-866-270-2846. The hotel’s website can be found at
http://ratesandavailability.com/findhotel.cfm/_10203941_HAMPTON-INN-MANCHESTER_MANCHESTER_TN

For more information:
Please contact trip organizer Pat Kambesis if you have questions or would like additional information (e-mail: pnkambesis@juno.com, telephone: 270 745-4169). The number of participants is limited to 20.