The Lost River

In 1883 in Hellertown, PA a cavern was discovered, along with a river that is still lost. Visiting Lost River Caverns has been a favorite activity for generations of Pennsylvania residents and visitors from all over. Let's take a trip underground and see what we can find.

Lost River Caverns

Before the cavern formed, the area was ocean floor. The hard bits of dead sea life, such as shells and bones, accumulated and became the sedimentary rock we call limestone. The limestone that formed Lost River Caverns is from the Cambrian Period. The Cambrian period lasted from about 539 million years ago to about 487 million years ago. At that time, because of plate tectonics, Pennsylvania was in the southern hemisphere in what would would eventually become the South Pacific. One of the most common life forms in those days was the trilobite. Arthropods and mollusks also first appeared in the fossil record during the Cambrian.

A river of minerals, frozen

When sea level dropped, the region became a lakebed and sediments that settled there eventually formed shale. Layers of limestone and shale alternated as sea levels rose and fell. About a quarter million years ago, safe on dry land, the cavern began forming when surface water seeped into the ground and began dissolving the limestone. As the water percolated through the rocks, it absorbed and deposited minerals, which is how the various cave formations were formed.

A stalagmite and stalactite that have grown together

Now we get to the cave feature that lends a name to Lost River Caverns: the Lost River. No one knows where the underground stream comes from or goes to. Over the years, divers have explored it and researchers have floated objects and poured dye in the water to see where it surfaces, only to have it vanish without a trace. 

The Lost River

Information this week comes from Lost River Caverns, with an assist from Berkeley in regards to the Cambrian.

Florida Prairies

Florida is known for its sandy beaches, warm clear springs, and swamps. Recently, I was introduced to an ecosystem I didn't know existed in the Sunshine State: prairies. Florida prairies come in two varieties, wet and dry.

Florida wet prairies are located mainly in the northern part of the state, and as the name implies are flat, wet land. The soil is wet but not inundated so it is not a wetlands. The degree of wetness depends on elevation, and a difference of just a few feet can mean a totally different plant community within the prairie. Wet prairies are dominated by grasses and sedges, and carnivorous plants such as flytraps inhabit wetter areas.

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve, a wet prairie

Dry prairies are limited to central and south Florida and are dominated by shrubs, including stunted saw palmettos. They rely heavily on a fire regimen of one to two years, as opposed to two to three years for wet prairies. Burned areas are favored by the endangered Florida grasshopper sparrow. Ironically, one feature of dry prairies is poorly drained soil, which means they can become temporarily inundated.

Babcock Ranch dry prairie

As is the case with better known prairies, Florida's prairies have been reduced to a fraction of their original extent. Remnants can be found in national forests, state parks, and an Air Force base. That used to guarantee a level of protection, but in today's political climate nothing is certain. If you get a chance, go explore the real Florida!

Information on Florida prairies comes from Florida Natural Areas Inventory:  https://www.fnai.org/PDFs/NC/Wet_Prairie_Final_2010.pdf
https://www.fnai.org/PDFs/NC/Dry_Prairie_Final_2010.pdf