Officials with the Kentucky Geological Survey are investigating another cave project. It’s primarily a focus on finding a quieter spot to monitor the earth’s movements underground.
Earlier this year a seismometer was positioned inside a cave that’s part of the Mammoth Cave National Park. Now staff at the Geological Survey are exploring a similar project at Carter Caves near Olive Hill in northeast Kentucky. Seth Carpenter is a seismologist with the KGS. He said the idea is to understand the seismic noise levels in the cave.
“Our interests there are more related to finding locations that are very quiet for measuring small seismic signals, say from earthquakes,” said Carpenter.
Carpenter noted these signals could be missed with a surface monitor where there is much more noise. The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Assistant Professor added the cave instrument would replace an existing monitor at ground level.
Although Mammoth Cave is nearer the New Madrid earthquake fault region, Carpenter said the Mammoth Cave station is not focused on New Madrid activity.
“But, it would be better suited to investigating rare earthquakes in a much more stable part of Kentucky,” said Carpenter.
Carpenter said a study regarding the Carter Caves project should be completed by the end of the year.
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