Selected chapters of karst geomorfology

Objectives of the course

Content will be emphasized that acquaints students with the relationship between knowledge about karst geomorphology with other fields of karstology such as speleology and karst and fluvial hydrology, with concepts of chronological development, and with the knowledge of other branches of the natural sciences. Students will discover that the karst surface is the consequence of karst denudation and underground flowing waters. Caves are an essential condition for the formation of karst; however, due to denudation they also appear on the surface as relict forms and in interaction with the karst surface form a very specific relief forms including unroofed caves, cave entrances, and, due to speleogenetic processes, collapse dolines. Through their analysis it is possible to analyze and above all define the chronology of the development of the karst geomorphic system. Students will learn the geomorphic system of contact karst where from relief forms developing at the contact of fluvial and karst relief it is possible to draw conclusions about the cavernosity, developmental, and hydrological properties of the karst. Students will learn to find elements in karst areas that carry information and are also of interest to other geographical subjects or other professions such as sedimentology and paleontology.

Prerequisites

/

Assessment methods

Oral exam.

Course contents

• Karst morphology as a consequence of underground flowing waters
• Denudation of the karst surface
• Interaction between surface and underground: unroofed caves, collapse dolines, and cave entrances
• Contact karst: contact between surface and underground river networks

Recommended reading

• Gams, I., 1973: Slovenska kraška terminologija, 1973,
• Gams, I., 2004: Kras v Sloveniji v prostoru in času.- Založba ZRC 515 str., Ljubljana.
• Gunn, J., (editor) 2004: Encyclopedia of Caves and Karst Science.- Fitzroy Dearborn, 902 p., New York, London.
• Habič, P., 1982: Kraški relief in tektonika. Acta carsologica, 10, 23-43, Ljubljana
• Habič, P., 1986: Reliefna razčlenjenost in morfogenetske enote klasičnega krasa. Acta carsologica SAZU, 14-15, 39-58, Ljubljana.
• Herak, Milan & Stringfield, V.T., 1972: Karst. Important Karst Regions of the Northern Hemisphere.- XIV + 1-551, Amsterdam etc.
• Jakucs, L., 1977: Morphogenetics of karst region, Budapest.
• Klimchouk, Alexander B. & Ford, Derek C. & Palmer, Arthur N. & Dreybrodt, Wolfgang/Eds., 2000: Speleogenesis. Evolution of Karst Aquifers.- 527 pp., Huntsville, Alabama.
• Kranjc, Andrej/Ed., 1997: Slovene Classical Karst -Kras.- 1-254, Ljubljana (159906)
• Melik, A., 1955: Kraška polja Slovenije v pleistocenu. Dela Inštituta za geografijo SAZU, 3, 1-163, Ljubljana.
• Mihevc, A. 1994: Brkinski kontaktni kras. Acta Carsologica, 23, 100–109, Ljubljana.
• Mihevc, A. 2001: Speleogeneza Divaškega krasa. Založba ZRC, ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana.
• Nicod J., 2003: Les karsts dinariques : paysages et problemes : Slovénie, Croatie, Bosnie-Herzégovine, Monténégro = Slovenija, Hrvaška, Bosna-Hercegovina,Črna gora / Jean Nicod. - Ljubljana : Slovenska akademija znanosti in umetnosti; Nîmes : Association Française de Karstologie, 183 str.
• Roglič, J., 1957: Zaravni u vapnencima. Geografski glasnik 19, 103-134, Zagreb.
• Salomon, J.N. 2000: Précis de karstologie, 249, Presses universitaires de Bordeaux,- 249, Bordeaux.
• Slabe, T., 1995: Cave Rocky Relief. ZRC 10, p. 128, Ljubljana.
• Šušteršič, F., 1984: Preprost model preoblikovanja udornic. Acta carsologica, 12, 107-131, Ljubljana
• Selected papers from foreign and Slovene professional journals.