Abstract
Keywords: Ohio, mapping, karst inventory, karst database, fieldwork, LiDAR, karst, GIS, geomorphology, digital elevation models The present iteration of the karst inventory mapping program at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey (herein the Survey) has been ongoing since 2009. With documentation of the Survey’s previous karst inventory mapping scattered across several decades-old publications—coupled with the karst community’s demonstrated need for a standardized database—this paper outlines the program’s evolution from its inception to the present. New Digital Elevation Models (DEM) derived from modern Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) datasets, along with modern mobile applications, have significantly improved remote sinkhole detection and streamlined field verification. The Survey has developed a model to derive depression polygons from DEM rasters and established a workflow to assess their likelihood of being karst. We use standardized, in-person methods to verify karst features in the field. This synthesis of modern geospatial tools and field-based methods has resulted in a two-year plan to modernize Pavey et al.’s 1999a statewide map, Known and probable karst in Ohio, and the statewide database. Building this catalog of over 32,000 karst features (which includes primarily sinkholes, as well as all known springs, caves, and disappearing streams) supports more comprehensive research, including regional comparisons, tracking of feature evolution across time, and improving accuracy of related foundational geologic datasets (e.g., bedrock topography). As the karst feature inventory has grown, collaboration with other states’ karst mappers has focused on managing database structure. Others may adapt these methods to their own karst-mapping needs and join the Survey in contributing towards a standardized national karst database.
Rights Information
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5038/9781967518012.1011
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A Comprehensive Look at Ohio’s Karst Inventory Mapping—Reconnaissance, Ground-Truth, and Beyond
Keywords: Ohio, mapping, karst inventory, karst database, fieldwork, LiDAR, karst, GIS, geomorphology, digital elevation models The present iteration of the karst inventory mapping program at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey (herein the Survey) has been ongoing since 2009. With documentation of the Survey’s previous karst inventory mapping scattered across several decades-old publications—coupled with the karst community’s demonstrated need for a standardized database—this paper outlines the program’s evolution from its inception to the present. New Digital Elevation Models (DEM) derived from modern Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) datasets, along with modern mobile applications, have significantly improved remote sinkhole detection and streamlined field verification. The Survey has developed a model to derive depression polygons from DEM rasters and established a workflow to assess their likelihood of being karst. We use standardized, in-person methods to verify karst features in the field. This synthesis of modern geospatial tools and field-based methods has resulted in a two-year plan to modernize Pavey et al.’s 1999a statewide map, Known and probable karst in Ohio, and the statewide database. Building this catalog of over 32,000 karst features (which includes primarily sinkholes, as well as all known springs, caves, and disappearing streams) supports more comprehensive research, including regional comparisons, tracking of feature evolution across time, and improving accuracy of related foundational geologic datasets (e.g., bedrock topography). As the karst feature inventory has grown, collaboration with other states’ karst mappers has focused on managing database structure. Others may adapt these methods to their own karst-mapping needs and join the Survey in contributing towards a standardized national karst database.