[CML #16974] Fwd: Cave and karst news and announcements from NCKRI

Dear Friends,

Many new things have come up since NCKRI’s previous message. There is a lot of news for you below.

· EuroSpeleo Newsletter, March 2018

· Karst 2018—Expect the Unexpected: Call for Papers

· 18^th International Vulcanospeleology Symposium: Call for Abstracts

· Announcing: Middle East Speleological Symposium, Antalya, Turkey

· Cave Hydrology Research Position Available

· Karst Hydrology Post-Doctoral Position: University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez

· The Eighth Balkan Photo contest: We and Caves

· US Environmental Protection Agency Seeks Comments on Groundwater

· Karst Field Studies Summer Courses: Final Announcement

· List of Upcoming Cave and Karst Meetings

Please contact the people and organizations listed below for more information, and feel free to share this message with anyone who may be interested.

George

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EuroSpeleo Newsletter, March 2018 – Bulletin d'information EuroSpeleo, mars 2018

English version (version Française ci-dessous)

It is with great pleasure that the European Speleological Federation (FSE) publishes its first EuroSpeleo Newsletter in year 2018. This Newsletter will be exclusively available in electronic form and it will be distributed through the FSE mailing lists, website and Facebook page. It will be edited by the FSE Bureau and will inform member countries and individual speleologists about important events nationally and internationally as well as new developments and the initiatives of the FSE and its member countries. This Newsletter will be released on an occasional basis.

You can download the English version of the March 2018 Newsletter here:

http://www.eurospeleo.eu/images/stories/docs/europeleo-news/Z5_EuroSpeleo_Newsletter_March_2018_EN.pdf

With cordial regards,

The FSE Bureau, March 2018

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Version Française

C'est avec grand plaisir que la Fédération Spéléologique Européenne (FSE) publie le Bulletin d'Information EuroSpeleo, mars 2018. Ce bulletin sera exclusivement disponible sous forme électronique, et il sera distribué à travers les listes de diffusion FSE, le site Web et la page Facebook. Il sera édité par le Bureau de la FSE et informera les pays membres et spéléologues individuels sur des choses importantes à l'échelle nationale et internationale ainsi que de nouveaux développements et des initiatives de la FSE et ses pays membres. Ce bulletin sera publié sur une base occasionnelle.

Vous pouvez télecharger la version Française du Bulletin d”Information de mars 2018 ici:

http://www.eurospeleo.eu/images/stories/docs/europeleo-news/Z5_EuroSpeleo_Newsletter_March_2018_FR.pdf

Cordialement,

Le Bureau de la FSE, mars 2018

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Karst 2018—Expect the Unexpected: Call for Papers

Dear friends,

We are happy to inform you that full paper submission is extended up to 1^st April, so please send us your contribution! Instructions for paper submission are on the web site: www.karst.edu.rs.

We are also informing you that on Tuesday, 5^th June we will try to organize free transfers for participants from Dubrovnik airport and from Tivat airport to Trebinje.

Only participants who have sent us arrival details (time of arrival and flight number, arrival from) will be transferred. Those who are not on the list cannot use the transportation.

Please send your arrival details no later than Tuesday 1^st May if you wish to be included in the transfers.

Do not forget to make the reservation for your accommodation on time!

Looking forward seeing you in Trebinje,

Kind regards,

Technical Secretariat

www.karst.edu.rs

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18^th International Vulcanospeleology Symposium: Call for Abstracts

For those who would like to attend IVS 18, and would like to make a presentation - please find abstract submission information below. All proposed presentations should be related to speleology, but can be on any scientific, technical, cultural or educational aspect. The 18th IVS will offer general sessions listed below, but specific sessions will be organized if there are enough papers. Sessions will include at least one invited presentation and all sessions welcome submissions

Sessions currently envisioned for the 18th International Volcanic Caves symposium are:

· Cave Exploration, Survey, Mapping, and Data Processing Techniques

· Cave Mineralogy and Speleothem Research

· Archaeology, Paleontology and Megafauna in Caves

· Geomicrobiology of Cave Environments

· Cave Climate and Palaeoclimate Records

· History of Speleology Research, Cave Management, Public Interaction, and Education, especially around Lava Beds NP

Please submit abstracts to . All abstracts must be in English, and included author names, affiliations, email addresses, a title, and an abstract up to 750 words. Please submit your abstract as a MS Word document or a PDF document formatted to US Letter size. When submitting your papers, identify a session (one of 6 listed above) for each abstract and indicate a preference for an oral or poster presentation. Multiple abstracts are allowed, however we will accommodate as many presenters as possible and you may only be awarded one presentation. Presentations will be given/assigned only if the author (or at least one of the authors for joint work) has paid the Full Participant registration fees.

Details of the symposium are placed on the website http://18ivslavabeds.com/ and further detailed information about the format and final paper submission process will be published on the congress website after registration opens. Abstracts need to be submitted by April 30^th, 2018. The Publications Committee will notify authors of the acceptance (or not) of abstracts by May 30th, 2017. The deadline for the submission of final papers for a joint publication is November 15^th, 2018.

Many thanks and happy caving,

Carolyn

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Announcing: Middle East Speleological Symposium, Antalya, Turkey

Dear Fellow Cavers,

Middle East Speleological Symposium, MESS, is back in its 4th edition from the 3rd till the 6th of October 2018 in Antalya, Turkey.

Cavers from the Middle East will meet their colleagues from all over the world to share the latest Speleogical news of the region.

Expeditions, discoveries, geology, hydrology, topography and spelemedia, all will be discussed in a fun and friendly atmosphere hosted in a country with lot of potential to unveil.

For more information, stay tuned to our website, where all updates will be posted.

Hope to see you all in MESS4, Antalya, Turkey

www.mess4.com

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Cave Hydrology Research Position Available

A Postdoctoral research position is available beginning immediately at the University of Akron studying reactive transport or subsurface modeling as they relate to cave forming processes. The selected candidate will participate in a project integrating hydrologic approaches to cave formation with microbial dissolution processes and biogeochemistry, including laboratory investigations of reductive dissolution of iron ore- and BIF-Fe(III) under flow conditions. The goal of the project is to determine the roles of Fe(III) reducing bacterial activities in the formation of caves in iron ore and banded iron formations. The researcher will be part of a larger team that includes three faculty, an international collaborator and several graduate- and undergraduate-student researchers. Significant international travel and fieldwork is anticipated. Required Qualifications: PhD in hydrology or related field and an interest in learning modern techniques in geomicrobiology. Qualified candidates may submit a CV and cover letter describing their qualifications and research interests to Hazel A. Barton ().

Hazel A. Barton, Ph.D.

Professor and Director

Integrated Biosciences

University of Akron

Department of Biology

185 E. Mill St

Akron, OH 44325-3908

Ph: +1.330.972.2518

Email:

www.cavescience.com

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Karst Hydrology Post-Doctoral Position: University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez

The Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Area in the Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying, at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez is seeking applications for a postdoctal position to work in assessment of the fate and transport of contaminants in karst groundwater systems and their potential to reach exposure points. The successful candidate will investigate the effect of extreme hydrologic events on dynamic fate and transport of contaminant mixtures in these systems, and will undertake collaborative research within a multidisciplinary team to assess and minimize potential exposure to superfund contaminants. The research will involve integration of data collection and analysis at the field level. Groundwater, water quality, statistical, and geospatial analysis will be important components of this work.

The postdoctoral position is supported by a NIEHS grant (PRoTECT, http://www.northeastern.edu/protect/), and offers an excellent environment for working with a highly skilled multidisciplinary team focused on establishing potential relationships between environmental contaminants and adverse reproductive outcomes. The team includes faculty and research associates from a range of science, engineering, and biomedical disciplines, and academic institutions. The postdoctoral position will also provide opportunities for the candidate to develop other research activities.

A Ph.D. in civil/environmental engineering, chemical engineering, water resources, hydrology, geosciences, environmental science, or related fields is required at the time of appointment. Required qualifications include strong oral and written communication skills. Knowledge and experience in groundwater systems, contaminant hydrology, GIS modeling, statistical analysis, and fieldwork are necessary. The successful candidate will: plan, coordinate, and conduct field research work; collect and analyze field samples and historical contamination data; develop spatiotemporal correlative relationships; participate in training activities; collaborate in the integration of multidisciplinary work among researchers and institutions; prepare manuscripts for publications; and present research work at meetings.

Evaluation of applications and interviews of applicants will begin immediately and continued until the position is filled. The annual salary + benefits package for this position is $41,500. Applicants should send a cover letter, a full CV, a statement of research interest, transcripts, and the names of three references to Dr. Ingrid Padilla, Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, PO Box 9000, Mayagüez PR 00681; Email: .

The University of Puerto Rico is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer.

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The Eighth Balkan Photo contest: We and Caves

The Balkan Speleological Union and SC „PRISTA”- Ruse invite all speleologists and cave lovers to send their photographs. Every contestant can participate with up to 6 photos (max. 3 in the two categories):

1. People Underground.

2. The Beauty of the Caves.

The Photographs must be sent by e-mail to until 30.04.2018. Parallel with the sending of photos the competitors should fill full the Entry form https://form.jotformeu.com/53381638036356 and apply it! Photos without Entry form are not accepted!

The photographs must be taken in 2017 and must have a title, author and place (the cave). The recommended volume of the digital files must be 4 – 10 MB, in JPEG format, and long side minimum 3000 pixels wide.

By sending the photographs authors agree that they can be used by the organizers in exhibitions, posters, calendars, advertising materials for popularization of speleology.

The selection committee (consisting of 5 people) will select the winners: first, second and third place in every category. The best photographs will be awarded with charters and prizes by the sponsor of the contest – “Landjoff”. The photographs from the contest will be exhibited during The Balkan Cavers Camp in July 2018 in Romania and in other Balkan countries.

For more information:

E-mail: we.and.caves@gmail.com

12.3.2018, The organizers of the photo contest “We and caves”

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US Environmental Protection Agency Seeks Comments on Groundwater

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is requesting comment on the Agency's previous statements regarding the Clean Water Act (CWA) and whether pollutant discharges from point sources that reach jurisdictional surface waters via groundwater or other subsurface flow that has a direct hydrologic connection to the jurisdictional surface water may be subject to CWA regulation. EPA is requesting comment on whether the Agency should consider clarification or revision of those statements and if so, comment on how clarification or revision should be provided. Their decision will directly affect consideration of karst groundwater flow into surface water.

All comments are due by 21 May 2018. For more details visit https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/02/20/2018-03407/clean-water-act-coverage-of-discharges-of-pollutants-via-a-direct-hydrologic-connection-to-surface.

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Karst Field Studies Summer Courses: Final Announcement

Greetings,

Apologies for any duplication in receiving this announcement. This message is to serve as the second and final email announcement for the course summer 2018 Karst Field Studies program course line-up. We are pleased to offer the following KFS courses this coming summer:

Karst Geology, June 3-9, Dr. Art Palmer – CLASS FULL, waiting list available through 123-signup

Exploration of Mammoth Cave, June 18-22, Mr. Bruce Hatcher and Mr. David Kem

Visualization of Karst Field Data, June 11-16, Dr. Pat Kambesis and Mr. Howard Kalnitz

Field Cave Ecology, July 16-21, Dr. Julian Lewis

Show Cave Interpretation and Education, August 5-10, Dr. Leslie North

The registration deadline is May 4, but space is limited and courses are filing fast. Reserve your spot now!

Courses may be taken for graduate, undergraduate, or continuing education credit. Courses may also be taken as non-credit workshops.

For more information about the program, courses, how to register, and instructor bios, please visit www.karstfieldstudies.com.

If you have any questions please contact the Karst Field Studies Director, Dr. Leslie North, at .

Please sign-up for our mailing list through our website or follow us through our social media accounts at Instagram @karstfieldstudies, Twitter @KFSWKU, Facebook @WKUKarstfieldstudies

Please help us spread the word about the program by forwarding this message to your colleagues, grotto members, staff, students, friends, and any other parties you feel may be interested in this year’s courses!

Hope to see you this summer!

Leslie A. North, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Environmental Geoscience

Director, Karst Field Studies Program

Associate Editor, Journal of Cave and Karst Studies

Associate Director for Education and Outreach

Center for Human GeoEnvironmental Studies (CHNGES)

Department of Geography and Geology

Western Kentucky University

1906 College Heights Blvd., EST 438A

Bowling Green, KY 42101

(270) 745-5982 – office

@chngeswku (Facebook)

@wkuchnges (Twitter, Instagram)

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List of Upcoming Cave and Karst Meetings

1) The Sinkhole Conference, joint with the 3^rd Appalachian Karst Symposium, 2-6 April 2018 (Shepherdstown, West Virginia, USA), http://www.sinkholeconference.com/

2) Eleventh International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds: Karst Case Studies Session, 8-12 April 2018 (Palm Springs, California, USA), https://www.battelle.org/newsroom/conferences/chlorinated-conference

3) Speleogenesis-, Geomorphology and Hazards in Karst, European Geosciences Union, 8–13 April 2018 (Vienna, Austria), http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2018/session/27715

4) Edwards Aquifer Authority Distinguished Lecturer: Dr. Pierre-Yves Jeannin, 13 April 2018 (San Antonio, Texas), http://pierre-yvesjeannin2018.eventzilla.net

5) California Cave Life Symposium, 28 April 2018 (California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California, USA), http://cavelife.info/ or

6) Characterization and Engineering of Karst Aquifers Workshop, 27 May – 5 June (Trebinje, Bosnia and Herzegovina), http://www.karst.edu.rs/

7) Karst 2018: Expect the Unexpected, 6-9 June (Trebinje, Bosnia and Herzegovina), http://www.karst.edu.rs/

8) Karst Field Studies Program, six different 5-6 day courses from 3 June to 10 August 2018 (Grand Canyon National Park and Mammoth Cave National Park, USA), www.karstfieldstudies.com

9) 8th International Workshop on Ice caves (IWIC-VIII), 11-16 June 2018 (Picos de Europa National Park, Spain), https://eventos.uva.es/go/iwic8.

10) 26th International Karstological School "Classical Karst", theme Show Caves and Science, 18-22 June 2018 (Postojna, Slovenia), website to be posted soon.

11) EuroKarst 2018, 2-6 July 2018 (Besançon, France), http://www.eurokarst.org/

12) Balkan Cavers Camp, 2-8 July 2018 (Romania), http://www.frspeo.ro/event/balkan-camp-congresul-national-de-speologie-speoarta-2018/

13) 18^th International Vulcanospeleology Symposium, 21-27 July 2018 (Lava Beds National Monument, California, USA), http://18ivslavabeds.com/

14) International Training Camp for Young Speleologists, 29 July to 13 August 2018 (Swabian Alb, Germany), http://www.juhoefola.de/english.html

15) BERGER 2018 "Clean deep", 29 July – 20 August 2018 (Vercors, France), http://cds39.fr/BFC/B18/

16) 2018 US National Speleological Society Convention, 30 July - 3 August 2018 (Helena, Montana, USA), http://nss2018.caves.org/

17) EuroSpeleo Forum 2018, 23-26 August 2018 (Ebensee, Austria), http://eurospeleo.at/expo.html

18) 24^th International Conference on Subterranean Biology, 20-24 August 2018 (University of Aveiro, Portugal), http://24icsb.web.ua.pt/.

19) International Association of Hydrogeologists Congress, with Topic 7: Advances in Karst and Fractured-rock Hydrogeology, 9-14 September 2018 (Daejeon, South Korea), http://iah2018.org/

20) 24^th International Cave Bear Symposium, 27-30 September 2018 (Chepelare, Bulgaria), http://icbs2018.at

21) International Workshop for Women Speleologists in Latin America, 2-6 October 2018, (Viñales, Pinar del Río, Cuba),

22) Middle Eastern Speleological Symposium, 3-6 October 2018 (Antalya, Turkey),

23) 8^th Congress of the International Show Caves Association, 12-18 October 2018 (Genga, Italy), http://www.i-s-c-a.com/event/68-8th-isca-congress

24) 16th International Symposium of Speleotherapy, 24-28 October 2018 (Zlate Hory, Czech Republic), http://www.speleotherapycommission.webgarden.com/menu/news/the-xvi-th-international

25) International Cave Rescue Training, 10-18 November 2018 (Lozere, France),

26) Hypogea 2019: The International Congress of Speleology in Artificial Cavities, 20-25 May 2019 (Dobrich, Bulgaria), http://www.hypogea2019.org/

27) National Speleological Congress of Switzerland, 9-12 August 2019 (Interlaken, Switzerland), https://sinterlaken.ch/en/

28) ArmConference 2019: Caves as Natural and Cultural Monuments, 11-13 September 2019 (Yerevan, Armenia), http://armconference2019.com/

29) 18^th International Congress of Speleology, 23-29 July 2021 (Lyon, France), http://uis2021.speleos.fr/

********************

George Veni, PhD

President, International Union of Speleology

and

Executive Director

National Cave and Karst Research Institute

400-1 Cascades Avenue

Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220-6215 USA

Office: +1-575-887-5517

Mobile: +1-210-863-5919

Fax: +1-575-887-5523