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Mechanisms Of Karst Breakdown Formation In The Gypsum Karst Of The Fore-Ural Region, Russia (From Observations In The Kungurskaja Cave), Vjacheslav Andrejchuk, Alexander Klimchouk

International Journal of Speleology

The fore-Ural is a classical region of intrastratal gypsum karst. The intensive development of karst in the Permian gypsums and anhydrites causes numerous practical problems, the subsidence hazard being the most severe. Mechanisms of karst breakdown formation were studied in detail in the Kunguskaya Cave area. The cave and its setting are characteristic to the region and, being a site of detalied stationary studies for many years, the cave represents a convenient location for various karst and speleological investigations. Breakdown structures related to cavities of the Kungurskaya Cave type develop by two mechanisms: gravitational (sagging and fall-in of the ceilings …