Crossing the karst: speleological observations of Lewis & Clark on the Lower Missouri River.Lewis & Clark's pioneering "Voyage of Discovery" in 1804-06 crossed a significant karst Karst (kärst), Ital. Carso, Slovenian Kras, limestone plateau, W Slovenia, N of Istria and extending c.50 mi (80 km) SE from the lower Isonzo (Soča) valley between the Bay of Trieste and the Julian Alps. terrane ter·rane also ter·rain n. 1. A series of related rock formations. 2. An area having a preponderance of a particular rock or rock groups. [Alteration of terrain.] in Missouri, the only karst encountered on their journey to the Pacific Ocean. Geology and Speleology speleology (spēlēŏl`əjē), systematic exploration of caves, popularly called spelunking. It includes the measuring and mapping of caves and reporting on the flora and fauna found in them. were yet to develop as sciences, yet Lewis & Clark made significant observations of karst, pseudokarst, and paleokarst features. The expedition's route took the explorers up-section from St. Charles to Kansas City, crossing notable karst in Ordovician and Mississippian carbonate rocks, into Pennsylvanian strata that is primarily clastic clastic /clas·tic/ (klas´tik) 1. undergoing or causing division. 2. separable into parts. clas·tic adj. 1. sediments with few karst features. The captains and/or other members of the Corps of Discovery passed the Florissant karst, visited pseudokarst Tavern Rock Cave, encountered caves in the Gasconade River drainage, noted a cave near Jefferson City at what is now Clark's Hill-Norton State Historic Site, and visited numerous springs. Upriver from Jefferson City, they noted paleokarst features known today as Bull Rock and Sugar Loaf Rock. They recorded in their journals the natural arch called Pierced Rock (Roche Percee'). The party likely saw Rocheport Cave, Wilton Cave, and the spring flowing from Lewis & Clark Cave in Boone County. * Vineyard, J.D. Missouri Department of Natural Resources Many sub-national governments have a Department of Natural Resources or similarly-named organization:
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