Lost River - Karst Information Portal

Mike Kennedy at the South Y in Sullivan Cave. Photo by Glenn Hicks.
a broad ridge of the Crawford Upland, only a
few miles west of the Chester Escarpment. The
local direction of dip of the Ste. Genevieve varies
from west to south at about 30 feet per mile
with predominantly down-dip development of
low-graded passages (approximately 15 feet per
mile).
Two streams control base level in the
locality of Sullivan Cave. Indian Creek, west
of the cave, is a meandering, low-graded stream
fed by numerous springs. Spring Creek, along
which are the past and present spring outlets of
Sullivan Cave, is east of the cave.
The total depth of horizontal passages is
105 feet through three levels, two of which are
abandoned because of valley down cutting in
the region. The same valley that dissected the
upper two levels now contains the outlet of the
present stream, known as Speed Spring.
In conjunction with the three levels there are
connecting canyons that drop steeply from one
level to another. Since the time water abandoned
the canyons, small valleys began dissecting the
ridge over the cave. Consequently, domes and
Lawrence County Caves
vertically enlarged canyons have developed,
carrying runoff into some of the connecting
canyons. Rejuvenated streams in the entrance
area have modified existing canyons, and in
one instance (the Waterfall-Crevice area) a
new series of canyons has formed to carry local
infiltration to the stream level.
Among the noteworthy features of Sullivan
Cave are its numerous diversion channels
that have developed in response to extensive
collapse in the stream level. These areas of
collapse have restricted the stream, resulting in
sedimentation and ultimately the development
of overflow channels to carry floodwaters.
The cave is noted for its 15 large rooms, all
but three of which are tension domes resulting
from semi-circular ceiling collapse. The Spiral
Room, which is one of the exceptions, is a large
circular collapse where progressive breakdown
around the walls has formed an upward spiraling
ledge. The Quarry Room and Room Seven are
the result of ceiling slab collapse along bedding
planes, leaving wide, unsupported, flat ceilings.
The highest room is the Colossus, which rises
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