6 Surficial geology and neotectonics in the West: Celebrating and advancing the legacy of Kirk Bryan through field-based geomorphology studies (Posters)

This session invites and examines recent field-based geomorphology studies in the West. Contributions regarding soils geomorphology, neotectonics, pediments, fluvial terraces, and landscape development are invited.

Monday, 18 May 2026
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Alvarado D/E

Integrating Surface and Subsurface Mapping, Geophysics, Remote Sensing, and Monitoring to Advance Understanding and Management of Evaporite Karst in the Delaware Basin

Paper number: 6-6
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 8:00 AM

Authors

Abstract

Evaporite karst landscapes in southeastern New Mexico and far west Texas pose ongoing challenges for land management, infrastructure planning, and geohazard mitigation. Rapid dissolution, subsurface void formation, and the subtle surface expression typical of hypogene and intrastratal karst systems complicate detection and management. In the Delaware Basin, the pace of oil and gas infrastructure development has heightened the need for systematic identification, characterization, and long-term monitoring of karst resources across expansive areas—where traditional, project-by-project surveys are no longer adequate.

Over the past decade, Southwest Geophysical Consulting, LLC has assembled a comprehensive regional cave and karst database compiled from numerous environmental compliance, infrastructure, and resource development projects spanning federal, state, and private lands. Data collection has involved integrated surface and subsurface mapping, environmental karst surveys conducted for permitting and spill response, cave documentation, geophysical investigations (such as electrical resistivity imaging and other near-surface techniques), aerial and satellite remote sensing, targeted field verification, and repeat karst monitoring. Standardized feature geometries, morphometric attributes, geophysical interpretations, monitoring records, and field-based classifications are all maintained within a unified framework that enables cross-project comparison and robust regional synthesis.

The integrated database brings together surface and subsurface observations, substantially advancing the understanding of karst distribution, density, morphology, and potential geohazard expression in evaporite terrains. Beyond supporting site-specific assessments, it enables exploratory quantitative analyses of feature geometry and spatial relationships, aiding internal screening, prioritization, and process-based interpretation. The compiled datasets have also informed the development and refinement of Karst Occurrence Zone (KOZ) mapping, now used as a regional screening and planning tool by the Bureau of Land Management and adopted by the New Mexico State Land Office to guide survey intensity, monitoring requirements, and mitigation strategies for surface-disturbing activities.

Beyond applied land-use planning, this integrated dataset underpins research into evaporite speleogenesis, subsidence susceptibility, and karst landscape evolution within within a sedimentary basin that is being rapidly developed by the petroleum industry. Regional-scale synthesis, combined with systematic monitoring, has become increasingly vital for protecting karst resources, managing geologic hazards, informing regulatory decisions, and advancing scientific understanding in one of North America’s most dynamic evaporite karst provinces.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 58, No. 4

doi: 10.1130/abs/2026RM-410726

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