River Watchers learn about Karst, Caves and Speleothems

June 7,14 and 21:    32 River Watchers explored Cave without a Name near Boerne, Texas, where Mr. Adam is from.  As we drove from Austin we discussed the ancient sea floor we were driving over and that we could see exposed in road cuts.  In the cave, students learned how the power of water created part of the cave and also about the chemistry behind the dissolution of limestone and deposition of calcium carbonate in forming speleothems (cave features) like columns, stalactites, stalagmites and helictites.  Cave without a name has some of the best Cave Bacon (draperies) in any commercial cave in our part of the country.  After our tour through the cave, the students cooled off in local streams.  Two groups swam in the Guadalupe River, which helped form the cave.  And one group swam in Cibolo Creek.