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International Journal of Speleology

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Full-Text Articles in Earth Sciences

Biogenic Speleothems: An Overview, Paolo Forti Jan 2001

Biogenic Speleothems: An Overview, Paolo Forti

International Journal of Speleology

The idea that speleothems may be somehow influenced by living organisms is rather old, but specific studies have only started in the last few decades and presently there are only a couple of systematic papers on this topic. The role of micro-organisms is perhaps the best investigated even if it is not fully understood, while studies over upper organisms and speleothems in a cavern environment are scarce and details are not always given on the involved genetic mechanisms. The aim of the present paper is to give an updated overview on these topics in order to enhance the interest of …

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Studies On Certain Aspects Of Behaviour In The Blind Catfish Horaglanis Krishnai Menon, T. V. Anna Mercy, N. K. Pillai, N. K. Balasubramanian Jan 2001

Studies On Certain Aspects Of Behaviour In The Blind Catfish Horaglanis Krishnai Menon, T. V. Anna Mercy, N. K. Pillai, N. K. Balasubramanian

International Journal of Speleology

Horaglanis krishnai is a blind catfish inhabiting the dug-out wells at Kottayam, Kerala. This fish has great zoogeographical importance as a similar blind clariid, Uegitglanis zammaroni is found only in the artesian wells of the former Italian Somaliland. Studies on certain behavioural aspects of the fish in captive conditions showed that, this fish even though is blind, exhibited a high degree of thigmotactism. Locomotion, comfort behaviour, feeding and light sensitivity of the fish were studied under laboratory conditions. Though the fish is totally blind and histological study did not reveal the presence of any light sensitive structures, the fish is …

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Classification Of Terrestrial Subterranean Fauna Of Volcanic Substrates In The Canary Islands, Josè L. Martín, Helga García, Y. P. Oromí Jan 2001

Classification Of Terrestrial Subterranean Fauna Of Volcanic Substrates In The Canary Islands, Josè L. Martín, Helga García, Y. P. Oromí

International Journal of Speleology

A system is proposed for classifying the species occurring in the hypogean environment in relation to their ecological and evolutionary characteristics. The ecological criteria utilized relate to the preferred habitat of the animals (the epigean, endogean or hypogean environment) and the evolutionary criteria specify the grade of adaptive modification in three characteristics: reduction of eyes, amount of pigmentation and extent of elongation of the appendages. The object of developing this classification is to provide a system appropriate for those regions - such as those with volcanic rocks - in which the cave faunas include elements originating in different environments, and …

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Studies On The Cranial Osteology Of The Blind Catfish Horaglanis Krishnai Menon (Pisces, Clariidae), T. V. Anna Mercy, N. Krishna Pillai Jan 2001

Studies On The Cranial Osteology Of The Blind Catfish Horaglanis Krishnai Menon (Pisces, Clariidae), T. V. Anna Mercy, N. Krishna Pillai

International Journal of Speleology

Horaglanis krishnai Menon is a blind catfish inhabiting the dug- out wells at Kottayam, Kerala, South India. Studies on the cranial osteology of the fish show that the bones on the skull are firmly articulated. The frontoparietal fontanella is very large so that the cranium virtually lacks a roof. The sphenotics and alisphenoids are hardly recognizable and the orbital bones are entirely lacking. In osteological features H. krishnai closely resembles Uegitglanis zammaroni. But in H. krishnai the orbital bones are further reduced or even absent. The fontanella is larger than that of any other known catfish. These two species …

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Development, Management And Economy Of Show Caves, Arrigo A. Cigna, Ezio Burri Jan 2000

Development, Management And Economy Of Show Caves, Arrigo A. Cigna, Ezio Burri

International Journal of Speleology

The problems concerning the development of show caves are here considered by taking into account different aspects of the problem. A procedure to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been established in the last decade and it is now currently applied. Such an assessment starts with a pre-operational phase to obtain sufficient information on the undisturbed status of a cave to be developed into a show cave. Successively a programme for its development is established with the scope to optimise the intervention on the cave at the condition that its basic environmental parameters are not irreversibly modified. The …

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The Influence Of Cave Tourism On Co2 And Temperature In Baiyun Cave, Hebei, China, Linhua Song, Wei Xiaoning, Liang Fuyuan Jan 2000

The Influence Of Cave Tourism On Co2 And Temperature In Baiyun Cave, Hebei, China, Linhua Song, Wei Xiaoning, Liang Fuyuan

International Journal of Speleology

Baiyun Cave in Hebei Province is one of the main show caves in North China. The speleothem landscape is wonderful, but strongly weathered. In order to set up the relationship between visitor flow and CO2 content and temperature, these parameters were measured at observation sites No. 1 and No. 2 in the tourist peak period of May Day Holiday from May 1 to May 7, 2000. and general tourist season August and October, 2000. The results show that visitor flow strongly affects the fluctuations of cave CO2 content and temperature, that the cave topography and dimensions affect the …

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Is It Always Dark In Caves?, Giovanni Badino Jan 2000

Is It Always Dark In Caves?, Giovanni Badino

International Journal of Speleology

Underground natural sources of visible light are considered. The main light producer is Cerenkov radiation emitted in air, water and rock by cosmic ray muons, that depends, in a complex way, on shape of mountain and of caves. In general the illumination increases linearly with the cavity dimensions. Other light sources are from secondary processes generated by radioactive decays in rock from minerals luminescence. The natural light fluxes in caves are in general easy to detect but are not used from underground life.

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Révision De Quelques Hypothèses Sur Le Creusement Karstique, Jacques Choppy Jan 2000

Révision De Quelques Hypothèses Sur Le Creusement Karstique, Jacques Choppy

International Journal of Speleology

Quite often, as we know better karst phenomena and the evolution of the karst environment, several hypotheses on speleogenesis appeared to be flimsy. Some of these hypotheses, concerning processes playing a part in the creation of karst forms, exceed the limits of their field. Others suggest hydraulic mechanisms, and interventions of geological or geographical factors likely to be questioned. Hypotheses relating to the evolution of karst, as well as the classification of karst types, suffer from the lack of an analytical approach. However, some of these hypotheses still have an important place in the current vision of speleologists and karstologists.

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New Rare Cave Minerals From The Perolas-Santana Karst System (São Paulo State, Brazil), Paolo Forti, Ermanno Galli, Antonio Rossi Jan 2000

New Rare Cave Minerals From The Perolas-Santana Karst System (São Paulo State, Brazil), Paolo Forti, Ermanno Galli, Antonio Rossi

International Journal of Speleology

The Perolas-Santana karst system (São Paulo State, Brazil) has been partially studied from the mineralogical point of view. The present paper will contribute to the knowledge of the minerals in these caves, describing the occurrence of euhedral celestite crystals and of a rather rare mineral for a cavern environment: lithiophorite. Thanks to these new discoveries the Perolas-Santana karst system becomes one of the most important in Brazil from a mineralogical point of view. Finally, the result of the chemical analyses carried out on this newly discovered Monoxyhydroxide put in evidence a zonation in the distribution of the different elements which …

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Verification Of The Causes Of Glaciations And Sea Level Changes Using The Records Of Calcite Speleothems, Y. Shopov, D. Stoykova, L. Tsankov, M. Sanabria, J. Lundberg, L. Georgiev, P. Forti, D. Georgieva Jan 2000

Verification Of The Causes Of Glaciations And Sea Level Changes Using The Records Of Calcite Speleothems, Y. Shopov, D. Stoykova, L. Tsankov, M. Sanabria, J. Lundberg, L. Georgiev, P. Forti, D. Georgieva

International Journal of Speleology

The luminescence of calcite speleothems displays an exponential dependence on soil temperature unless there is a dense cover of forest over the cave to dampen it. This relationship is determined primarily by the strength of solar visible and infrared radiation. It is suggested that, as a consequence, the microzonal variations of luminescence often found in speleothems can be used as a proxy index of Solar Insolation. The luminescence solar insolation proxy record of a speleothem from Jewel Cave, South Dakota, USA, was found to display millenial and centennial cycles in the record. It exhibits a rapid increase in solar insolation …

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Impacts Of Agricultural Transformation On The Principal Karstic Regions Of France, Jean Nicod, Jean-Noël Salomon Jan 1999

Impacts Of Agricultural Transformation On The Principal Karstic Regions Of France, Jean Nicod, Jean-Noël Salomon

International Journal of Speleology

The recent extension of intensive agriculture on the karst plateaus has caused different types of impact: soil management, generalised and/or localised pollution. Yet paradoxically rural depopulation can also have negative impacts, which largely depend on the characteristics and the hydrological function of the different karst environments. They are often negative, particularly as far as the water quality is concerned, which is why protection measures are undertaken, either in a defined area for a catchment, or in the framework of regional parks. But this is not always the case, so it is appropriate to analyse the problem of karst pollution as …

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Impact Of Agricultural Land Use On Some Hungarian Karst Regions, Ilona Bárány-Kevei Jan 1999

Impact Of Agricultural Land Use On Some Hungarian Karst Regions, Ilona Bárány-Kevei

International Journal of Speleology

The karst regions are found in the medium altitude mountains of Hungary. Their land use types are natural and sustainable forestry, grazing and vineyards. In international comparison, Hungary belongs to those countries of Europe where arable land is abundant, therefore, in the future its extension has to be reduced. That means agricultural activity has to be restricted on the sensitive karst surfaces. This paper presents ways of sustainable forestry and other land use types for three karst regions of Hungary.

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Land Use In The Karstic Lands In The Mediterranean Region, Ibrahim Atalay Jan 1999

Land Use In The Karstic Lands In The Mediterranean Region, Ibrahim Atalay

International Journal of Speleology

Karstic lands have special importance in terms of soil formation and land-use. Soil appears only on the flat and slightly undulating karstic lands, while soils are found along the cracks and bedding surfaces between the layers on the hilly karst areas although these lands are rocky in appearance. Karstic lands in the hilly area are not conducive to cultivation. But rocky areas create a favourable habitat for the growth of forests except in an arid climate. Because the tree roots easily follow and develop along the cracks in the limestone. As a general rule soil erosion does not occur on …

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Land Use In The Tropical Karst - The Case Of Peruaçu, Januária And Jaiba; Se Brazil, Heinz Charles Kohler, Sergio Dos Anjos Ferreira Pinto, João Francisco De Abreu Jan 1999

Land Use In The Tropical Karst - The Case Of Peruaçu, Januária And Jaiba; Se Brazil, Heinz Charles Kohler, Sergio Dos Anjos Ferreira Pinto, João Francisco De Abreu

International Journal of Speleology

The karstic regions of the municipalities of Peruaçu, Januária and Jaiba present a variety of soil uses which are a function of the organization of the karstic relief. This relief system forms a rift, which received fluvial sediments deposition from the São Francisco River. The horst of the Peruaçu plateau is developed on limestone rocks of Late Proterozoic age with a high concentration of calcium carbonate. The South American Surface was formed on this and is today occupied by cattle ranching. In the graben, due to easy irrigation from underground karst waters and because of the nearby drainage system of …

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Interaction Between Karst, Water And Agriculture Over The Climatic Gradient Of Israel, Amos Frumkin Jan 1999

Interaction Between Karst, Water And Agriculture Over The Climatic Gradient Of Israel, Amos Frumkin

International Journal of Speleology

The dry climate of Israel and the karstic nature of its rocks have always imposed human innovation for utilisation of water resources and agriculture. Large perennial karst springs are available only in the lowlands, but sophisticated water supply systems were built both in the lowland and highland regions. Marl layers interbedded within carbonates give rise to local perched springs and allow terrace construction. Deforestation has taken place for some 4000 years, causing intense soil erosion, but terraces have reduced this impact.

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Agricultural Use And Water Quality At Karstic Cuban Western Plain, Juan Reynerio Fagundo Castillo, Patricia González Hernandez Jan 1999

Agricultural Use And Water Quality At Karstic Cuban Western Plain, Juan Reynerio Fagundo Castillo, Patricia González Hernandez

International Journal of Speleology

In the paper some results of studies on the karstic aquifers of the western plain of Cuba are presented and discussed. The intensive exploitation of these aquifers for agriculture use and drinking water supply induces an increase of marine water intrusion, water salinisation and a progressive increase of chemical corrosion with a greater dissolution of carbonates. During the period of study (1983-1998) a trend in the deterioration of water quality was observed by means of a chronological series of hydrochloride content.

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Land Use And Human Impact In The Dinaric Karst, Ivan Gams, Matej Gabrovec Jan 1999

Land Use And Human Impact In The Dinaric Karst, Ivan Gams, Matej Gabrovec

International Journal of Speleology

The article presents Dinaric karst, human impacts in the area, and its long history of deforestation, transformation into stony semi-desert, and a century long reforestation, where plans to restore the primary thick soil were just hoping against hope.

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Agriculture, Landscape And Human Impact In Some Karst Areas Of Italy, Ezio Burri, Benedetta Castiglioni, Ugo Sauro Jan 1999

Agriculture, Landscape And Human Impact In Some Karst Areas Of Italy, Ezio Burri, Benedetta Castiglioni, Ugo Sauro

International Journal of Speleology

Italy is made up for about 1/5 of its surface by soluble rocks, which represent the arena of karst environments. The karst morpho-units, some hundreds, are mainly distributed inside the alpine structure of the Mediterranean mountains. A very large number of rock formations are present, different in facies, lithology, age, etc. Among these, carbonate rocks prevail, followed by gypsum and salt. Most of the carbonate rocks are limestones sedimented in a platform environment and they show a wide range of porosity, frequency of fractures and bedding planes. The climatic processes, the expression of some different sub-types of Mediterranean climate (from …

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Environmental Vulnerability And Agriculture In The Karstic Domain: Landscape Indicators And Cases In The Atlas Highlands, Morocco, Brahim Akdim, Mohammed Amyay Jan 1999

Environmental Vulnerability And Agriculture In The Karstic Domain: Landscape Indicators And Cases In The Atlas Highlands, Morocco, Brahim Akdim, Mohammed Amyay

International Journal of Speleology

After the brief presentation of the major karstic areas in Morocco, the article focused essentially on the Atlas mountains to investigate the impact of the agriculture on the natural systems equilibrium. Socio-economic changes (demographic pressure, escalation of the landscape use, utilisation of new techniques in water harvesting, etc...) have sometimes fathered mechanisms of degradation. Many indicators seem to reflect these mechanisms. The pedologic indicators, soil erosion, the hydrologic and geomorphic indicators, are apprehended to demonstrate existent correlation between different variables and the often negative impacts of land over-use in the karstic domain of the Middle Atlas.

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Agriculture, Grazing And Land Changes At The Serra De Tramuntana Karstic Mountains, Ángel Ginés Jan 1999

Agriculture, Grazing And Land Changes At The Serra De Tramuntana Karstic Mountains, Ángel Ginés

International Journal of Speleology

Karst landforms are one of the most outstanding characteristics of the Serra de Tramuntana range on the island of Mallorca, especially regarding traditional farming and the landscape wilderness. Good examples of polje-like depressions, dolines, karstic gorges and karrenfields are widely distributed over the mountain range. Owing to karrenfields occupying a large surface area in the Serra to the exclusion of arable land, the traditional activity based on the repetitive burning of the Ampelodesmos mauritanica brushwoods for cattle-raising promotes hastening deforestation and soil removal.

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Sustainable Development Of Agriculture In Karst Areas, South China, Linhua Song Jan 1999

Sustainable Development Of Agriculture In Karst Areas, South China, Linhua Song

International Journal of Speleology

The exposed carbonate rocks aged from Sinian to Mid-Triassic Periods cover an area of 500,000 km2 in south-west China. In karst areas with spectacular landscapes characterized by magnificent tower karst and conical karst, rare surface drainage systems and prevalent subsurface drainage systems, the environment is ecologically very fragile. The rapid increase of population, over deforested and cultivated lands, worsted the ecological system, causing a higher frequency of draught, flood and various disasters, backward economic development, low living standard of the people. In order to improve the sustainability of the agriculture the experience shows that the following operations should be …

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Agriculture And Nature Conservation In The Moravian Karst (Czech Republic), Ivan Balák, Jozef Janèo, Leos Stefka, Pavel Bosák Jan 1999

Agriculture And Nature Conservation In The Moravian Karst (Czech Republic), Ivan Balák, Jozef Janèo, Leos Stefka, Pavel Bosák

International Journal of Speleology

Moravian karst is a narrow strip of limestone with long history of settlement, agricultural use and man impact to karst. It is naturally divided into smaller units - karst plateaus - separated by deep valleys (glens). Each plateau has different proportion of land use, i.e. the percentage of agricultural land, forests, etc. The agricultural land constitutes now up to 70% in the north and max. 30% in the centre and south of the total area of plateaus. Intensive agricultural use of the arable land since 60ties of this Century caused great impact to quality of soils and groundwater by overdoses …

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Karst And Agriculture In Australia, David Gillieson, Mia Thurgate Jan 1999

Karst And Agriculture In Australia, David Gillieson, Mia Thurgate

International Journal of Speleology

Much of the development and degradation of karst lands in Australia has occurred in the last two centuries since European settlement. Recent prolonged El Niño events add further climatic uncertainty and place real constraints on sustainable agriculture. The lower southeast of South Australia is perhaps the one area in Australia where karst, and particularly karst hydrology, impinge on the daily lives of the community in that pollution and overexploitation of the aquifer are readily apparent to the local population. Effluent from intensive dairy farms, piggeries and cheese factories enters the karst and has caused concern over pollution of water supplies. …

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"Hades" - A Remarkable Cave On Oldoinyo Lengai In The East African Rift Valley, Gordon J. Davies Jan 1998

"Hades" - A Remarkable Cave On Oldoinyo Lengai In The East African Rift Valley, Gordon J. Davies

International Journal of Speleology

Oldoinyo Lengai is the world’s only active carbonatite volcano, situated in northern Tanzania within the Eastern Rift Valley, al 2.751 degrees S, 35.902 degrees E. It forms an isolated symmetrical cone at the southern end of Lake Natron, with a summit elevation of 2,890 m (9,480 ft). Periodic eruptions of ash and lava have been recorded since about 1880, and with increasing precision during this century since 1904. In 1990 a routine expedition to monitor activity levels at the summit led to the discovery of a remarkable cave located in the crater floor, filled with numerous long delicate pale yellow …

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Sheet Flow Caves Of Kilauea Caldera, Hawaii County, Hawaii, William R. Halliday Jan 1998

Sheet Flow Caves Of Kilauea Caldera, Hawaii County, Hawaii, William R. Halliday

International Journal of Speleology

Terminal lobes of sheet flows of pahoehoe lava sometimes form three-dimensional nests, initially separated by partitions consisting of accreted "skins” of each lobe. Melting breaks down these partitions, forming a uniform flow unit. In Kilauea Caldera we have found and mapped sizable drained cavities in low-slope sheet flows. Their general pattern includes three-dimensional nests, with partially melted septa evident in some examples. Christmas Cave is the most extensive found to date, with 632 meters surveyed on two levels. It is located at the lower end of an inflated sheet flow tongue which underwent local deflation as a result of drainage …

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Chemical Deposits In Volcanic Caves Of Argentina, Carlos Benedetto, Paolo Forti, Ermanno Galli, Antonio Rossi Jan 1998

Chemical Deposits In Volcanic Caves Of Argentina, Carlos Benedetto, Paolo Forti, Ermanno Galli, Antonio Rossi

International Journal of Speleology

During the last Conference of the FEALC (Speleological Federation of Latin America and Caribbean Islands) which was held in the town of Malargue, Mendoza, in February 1997, two volcanic caves not far from that town were visited and sampled for cave mineral studies. The first cave (Cueva del Tigre) opens close to the Llancanelo lake, some 40 kms far from Malargue and it is a classical lava tube. Part of the walls and of the fallen lava blocks are covered by white translucent fibres and grains. The second visited cave is a small tectonic cavity opened on a lava bed …

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Guano Mining In Kenyan Lava Tunnel Caves, Jim W. Simons Jan 1998

Guano Mining In Kenyan Lava Tunnel Caves, Jim W. Simons

International Journal of Speleology

Commercial mining of bat guano for agricultural fertilizer only became possible in Kenya through discovery of major deposits in the lava tunnel caves of Mt. Suswa and the North Chyulu Hills in the early 1960’s. This paper provides historical information leading up to the guano mining, describes the cave deposits, outlines the mining under-takings, and provides information on the guano producing bats and insect faunas. The results of guano analyses, details of the tonnages extracted and sold to recipients between 1966 to 1984, and some benefits which resulted from its use on crops are given. A brief outline of attempts …

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Volcanic Caves Of East Africa - An Overview, Jim W. Simons Jan 1998

Volcanic Caves Of East Africa - An Overview, Jim W. Simons

International Journal of Speleology

Numerous Tertiary to recent volcanoes are located in East Africa. Thus, much of the region is made up volcanic rock, which hosts the largest and greatest variety of East Africas caves. Exploration of volcanic caves has preoccupied members of Cave Exploration Group of East Africa (CEGEA) for the past 30 years. The various publications edited by CEGEA are in this respect a treasure troves of speleological information. In the present paper an overview on the most important volcanic caves and areas are shortly reported.

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Hollow Volcanic Tumulus Caves Of Kilauea Caldera, Hawaii County, Hawaii, William R. Halliday Jan 1998

Hollow Volcanic Tumulus Caves Of Kilauea Caldera, Hawaii County, Hawaii, William R. Halliday

International Journal of Speleology

In addition to lava tube caves with commonly noted features, sizable subcrustal spaces of several types exist on the floor of Kilauea Caldera. Most of these are formed by drainage of partially stabilized volcanic structures enlarged or formed by injection of very fluid lava beneath a plastic crust. Most conspicuous are hollow tumuli, possibly first described by Walker in 1991. Walker mapped and described the outer chamber of Tumulus E-1 Cave. Further exploration has revealed that it has a hyperthermic inner room beneath an adjoining tumulus with no connection evident on the surface. Two lengthy, sinuous hollow tumuli also are …

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The Cave Exploration Group Of East Africa And Volcanic Caves In Kenya, Michael Declan Kennedy Jan 1998

The Cave Exploration Group Of East Africa And Volcanic Caves In Kenya, Michael Declan Kennedy

International Journal of Speleology

This paper looks at the history of the Cave Exploration Group of East Africa with special reference to the exploration of volcanic caves. It demonstrates that the group has concentrated on two main areas, the Chyulu HiIls and Mt. Suswa, although other areas have also been studied. The Cave Exploration Group of East Africa has had to cope with various problems. The most important of which are related to the socio-economic conditions of a developing country. These problems have not prevented the group from making a valuable contribution to vulcanospeleology.

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