Multidisciplinary Cave and Karst
Research and Management
Multidisciplinary Cave and Karst
Research and Management
Our goal is to use objective, cutting-edge scientific methods to provide the most effective and accurate results.
Karst hydrogeologist, Dr. George Veni, is the principal investigator. He has worked on diverse groundwater supply and contamination projects using dye tracing, geophysical, geochemical, cave exploration, and other techniques. He has also worked extensively on cave biology, endangered species, archaeology, and paleontology projects. Additionally, Dr. Veni teaches intensive training programs on cave and karst hydrogeology, management, and related topics designed to meet the needs of any organization.
In 2007, Dr. Veni took a hiatus from GVA to become the Executive Director of the US National Cave and Karst Research Institute (NCKRI). He retired from that position in 2023 and revived GVA. In addition to his work for NCKRI, Dr. Veni served as an advisor, scientist, and officer for many organizations and conferences. Among the more notable, he was a member of the Bureau of the International Union of Speleology from 2002-2022, with the last five years as its President. He was also Chairman of the Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst from 2011-2023.
George Veni and Associates is a small firm, and we plan to keep it that way. However, through our worldwide network of experts in all areas of cave and karst science and management, we bring the resources needed for projects of any size or complexity
Cave and Karst Services
Groundwater Investigations
Karst aquifers are recognized as the most vulnerable groundwater systems to contamination. Pollutants can enter easily and move quickly long distances along complicated flow paths degrading wells and springs. The cavernous permeability of karst aquifers also makes them the easiest to deplete by groundwater pumping. GVA uses dye tracing and other techniques proven effective in investigating karst aquifers to produce real, not just modeled results.
Geophysical Studies
What is the chance of your home, office, or road collapsing into a cave? A sinkhole on your land may suggest a past collapse—or not. Not all sinkholes form by collapse. Cave exploration is the most direct means of evaluating land stability, and GVA offers that service, but most caves lack entrances. GVA applies and interprets geophysical tools to guide land development and remediation of existing land stability problems.
Biological Evaluations
Caves are extreme habitats that require specialized knowledge and skills to find the unique and often small species hidden within their depths. More importantly, identifying the extent of their habitat, which encompasses crevices and other spaces far too small for human entry is an indispensable expertise for delineating the areas that must be protected for their survival. GVA wrote the standards for presence and absence of endangered karst invertebrates adapted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and has mapped the geographic ranges of karst invertebrates for multiple agencies.
Geoarcheological Research
Caves are among the most important archeological and paleontological sites in the world. Their often-stable environment protects and preserves materials that have fallen or been washed or carried inside. Interpreting that preservation and where such materials may be found often requires geological expertise. GVA studies human and cultural materials in caves, with a special emphasis on the ancient Maya of Mesoamerica, who lived predominantly in a karst environment and viewed caves and karst features as central to their culture and survival.
Training Workshops
Studying and managing cave and karst systems requires specialized knowledge and methods taught in only a few places around the world. GVA has taught for some of those programs, which by their nature are usually general in scope. In contrast, GVA can travel more cost-effectively to your area and conduct custom workshops designed for your specific needs and situations.
Tell us about your project.
George Veni and Associates
Carlsbad, New Mexico USA