Groundwater and Caves
Categories
biology, ecology, chemistry, physics, earth science
Below the Earth's surface, water seeps through the pores, voids, and fractures of the rock and soil. Constantly moving, it feeds aquifers and wells, but also carves out cavernous spaces and underground ecosystems. Naturally filtered by the earth, groundwater is usually purer than surface freshwater.
The Projects
Browse the participating projects
Through a glass darkly: assessing population size of an endangered cave salamander from samples of spring and cave water
Estimating and monitoring population sizes of rare and endangered cave animals is a daunting task, mainly...
Exploring the temperature tolerance of a cave beetle
My undergraduate student Sonya Royzenblat and I will track the well being of the cave beetle Ptomaphagus...
Karst Springs Initiative: Measuring Tennessee's Largest Springs
The Karst Springs Initiative is focused on studying Tennessee springs, their magnitude, and what springs...
Warm spring, cold spring, high spring, low spring: where is all the water from?
Spring water in Monroe County, WV is used extensively for both public and private supply but no one is sure...
Surveying the Underwater Caves of Virginia
Virginia is home to several underwater caves. Two of the deepest underwater caves in Virginia have not...
Is climate change depleting an untapped water resource?
Rock glaciers are alpine aquifers that store water for long periods of time. Many cities depend on water...
You can take it with you! Building robust devices for 3D mapping caves.
Traditionally, cave maps are made using very simple instruments that provide distances and angles: measuring...
More About This Challenge
The sciency details
Challenge Aims
We're fascinated by what goes on below ground, and are looking for research projects related to the spaces and substrates created by, or interacting with, underground water. This includes (but isn't limited to) caves and subterranean ecosystems, karst topologies, aquifers, and other areas of hydrogeology.
We welcome submissions from any discipline or field, from geologists, biologists, chemists, hydrologists, caving hobbyists, and underground enthusiasts of all kinds. Interdisciplinary projects are encouraged! If you're unsure, just send us an email at support@experiment.com.
You can begin your project page and submit it using the button below. Submit by October 19th to join the challenge!
Examples of past projects looking at similar topics:
Diversity of Algae in a Desert Oasis
A Search for the Origins of White-Nose Syndrome
Does fracking contaminate water with hormone disrupting chemicals?
Project Eligilibity
Any project conducting research on groundwater or the spaces it travels through is invited to participate. Please get in touch if you aren't sure about your idea, by emailing us at support@experiment.com. Interdisciplinary projects are more than welcome! Researchers must be based out of institutions or organizations in the US, UK, Australia, or Canada.
Challenge Grants
Experiment is an online community for making science go faster. Create a research project, get funding, and share your discovery with the world.
Browse Challenge Grants