Cave crossing the Keyser-Tonoloway Boundary?

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Cave crossing the Keyser-Tonoloway Boundary?

Postby rlboyce » May 18, 2013 8:46 pm

Is there anyone out there that knows of a cave that begins in the Keyser limestone (Devonian) and eats its way into the Tonoloway limestone (Silurian)?

I have often wondered why I've never seen a cave occur in both of these limestone formations simultaneously. As far as I can tell, there is no non-limestone boundary between the two, so theoretically there's no reason to think of it as impossible.
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Re: Cave crossing the Keyser-Tonoloway Boundary?

Postby firemedic1015 » May 18, 2013 9:24 pm

Yes, in Highland and Bath Counties of Virginia there are MANY caves that cross the Keiser/Tonoloway contact.
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Re: Cave crossing the Keyser-Tonoloway Boundary?

Postby rlboyce » May 19, 2013 7:55 am

Cool!! Thanks for the confirmation. This really opens up the door in terms of possibilities for one of the projects I'm working on.
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Re: Cave crossing the Keyser-Tonoloway Boundary?

Postby MUD » May 20, 2013 9:45 am

There are quite a few caves in central PA. that do that too.
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Re: Cave crossing the Keyser-Tonoloway Boundary?

Postby Chief943 » May 23, 2013 6:16 am

Yes. In fact, I have a small cave called Solid Rock that crosses the boundary in Highland County. (You can find it as an FRO in Douglass page 262). The Keyser/Tonoloway contact is plainly visible in my front yard and I did some extensive digging in the original-state Solid Rock to try to find it underground. Eventually I did. I know it's the contact because a geologist pointed it out to me in the yard and the same bedding (very thin) is in the cave.

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Re: Cave crossing the Keyser-Tonoloway Boundary?

Postby rlboyce » May 23, 2013 1:12 pm

Of the caves that do cross this boundary, do you guys know how deeply any of these go into the Tonoloway?

In the case of this particular project, the hypothetical cave would have to cut through most or all of the Tonoloway's thickness if it is hydrologically related to the nearest limestone spring of any significance.
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Re: Cave crossing the Keyser-Tonoloway Boundary?

Postby Chief943 » May 23, 2013 6:03 pm

There are big caves down here squarely in the Tonoloway and going all the way through it. Butler for example. The Chestnut ridge system is also in Tonoloway. To what extent they approach the Keyser/Tonoloway contact I don't know but I could find out pretty easily.
It would help to know a little more about your project to ask better questions of the experts (with whom I will be digging tomorrow).
As far as the little cave on my property, at present it barely scratches the Tonoloway.
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