Award Date

12-1993

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Geoscience

First Committee Member

John W. Hess, Chair

Second Committee Member

Frederick W. Bachhuber

Third Committee Member

Roger L. Jacobson

Graduate Faculty Representative

Richard L. Titus

Number of Pages

130

Abstract

Big Spring, the resurgence of a karst aquifer in the Lilburn Cave system (Kings Canyon National Park, California), displays the uncommon phenomena of ebb and flow discharge during periods of high runoff.

Hydrograph analyses indicate that the portion of Lilburn Cave between the Z-Room and Big Spring is primarily a conduit flow aquifer. The power spectra strongly indicate a nonlinear system, with evidence of quasi-linear behavior found on a smaller scale. The transfer and kernel function indicate that no additional significant inputs or outputs to the system exist. The bench-scale model built to simulate the ebb and flow cycles in conjunction with the analytical results and the actual behavior observed within the Z-Room and at Big Spring suggest a single conduit containing a sediment plug in the lowest sump that stochastically blocks the flow path creating ebb and flow discharge cycles. A larger cross-sectional area is present above the sump that retains most of the sediment because of a lower velocity.

Keywords

California -- Kings Canyon National Park; Caves; Groundwater -- Spectrum analysis; Hydrogeology; Springs

Disciplines

Geology | Hydrology

File Format

pdf

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Comments

Signatures have been redacted for privacy and security measures.

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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