State Water Institute Program Scope 16: Sinkhole probability mapping: Integrating human impacts and natural processes in conjunction with LiDAR to predict karst subsidence

This research will attempt to reduce the risk associated with development of previously unknown sinkholes. We propose to integrate the human and geologic factors that influence sinkhole formation and collapse to identify the highest probability conditions for future land subsidence. The Floyds Fork watershed will be the study area. This watershed has recently been extensively mapped for sinkholes with the use of LiDAR and field investigations. The National Hydrography Dataset, other basin data, and previously identified karst flow patterns will be used to investigate the connection between sinkhole risk and hydrology.