Cave & Karst Science (ISSN 1356-191X)

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Contents of Cave & Karst Science 37(2)

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Cave and Karst Science (iv + 32pp) (PDF 59.6MB)        Individual articles may be available below

GUNN, John and David LOWE (eds.). (2010). Cave and Karst Science 37(2). Buxton: British Cave Research Association. ISSN 1356-191X. iv + 32pp, A4, with photos, maps and diagrams.
This issue has a cover date of 2010 (August) and was published in December 2010.

The Transactions of the British Cave Research Association

Layman's Summaries

Some of the articles in this issue are explained in a layman's summary. Look for the 'Summary' icons below, or download the article from here: PDF 455KB  

Front cover photo (page i) (PDF 6.5MB)     

by Jerry WOOLDRIDGE.
The splendid river passage in Solue Dong, looking downstream from the sink entrance in the karst of western Bama County, Guangxi, China. This river passage forms half of the 7km of mapped length in the cave, but ends in a downstream sump that is partly choked with rubble washed in by floods after attempts at harnessing the cave river for hydro-electric power. (Photograph by Jerry Wooldridge FRPS).

 

Notes for Contributors (page ii) (PDF 625KB)     

 

Contents (p33) (PDF 651KB)     

 

Advert: 6th International Conference on Climate Change (p34) (PDF 2.9MB)     

 

Editorial (p35) (PDF 564KB)     

by John GUNN and David LOWE.

 

Call for papers: BCRA Cave Science Symposium 2011 (p36) (PDF 631KB)     

 

Conceptual modelling of brine flow into aquifers adjacent to the Konarsiah salt diapir, Iran (pp37-44) (PDF 9.7MB)     

by Mehdi ZAREI and Ezzat RAEISI.
The Konarsiah salt diapir is located in the Simply Folded Zone of the Zagros Mountain, south Iran. Salt,extruding from two vents along a fault, spreads downslope as a salt glacier over the adjacent formations. Eight small permanent brine springs emerge from the Konarsiah salt body, with average total dissolved solids of 327.3 g/L. The diapir is in direct contact with several aquifers, namely, the karstic Eastern and Western Sarvak, karstic Eastern Asmari, Firouzabad, Konarsiah Plain and Shour. It is also surrounded by a number of impermeable formations. The springs and seepage sections emerging from the aquifers adjacent to the diapir are unexpectedly saline or brackish. Electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, flow rate, temperature and major ion concentrations were measured monthly from September 2007 to August 2008 at 37 sampling sites, including springs, surface waters, boreholes and wells.
The study indicates that the source of salinity of the adjacent aquifers is halite dissolution of the diapir. Conceptual models of groundwater flow are proposed for the adjacent karst aquifers based on the geological setting, water budget, local base of erosion, isotope data and the profile of the water table. The share of the diapir brine in the Eastern Sarvak aquifer, the Western aquifers (Sarvak, Asmari and Shour) and Konarsiah Plain are 1.8 L/s, 0.8 L/s and 9.1 L/s, respectively. Most of this brine ultimately releases into the Firouzabad River and changes the TDS of this river from 9.21 g/L to 11.61 g/L.
To drain the brine flowing into the Eastern Sarvak aquifer and hence reduce the aquifer's salinity it might be feasible to construct a qanat (a man-made underground gallery transferring groundwater to the surface by gravity) at the aquifer's contact with the Konarsiah diapir. To exploit the fresh karst water of the Western Sarvak aquifer before it is contaminated by the Konarsiah brine, several wells could be constructed well away from the diapir.
Summary: For layman's summary see PDF 455KB  
Classification: Paper.
Date: Received 20 September 2010; Accepted 06 October 2010.
Keywords: Salt diapir, spring, brine flow, karst water, halite dissolution.

Bibliograph: ZAREI, Mehdi and Ezzat RAEISI. (2010). Conceptual modelling of brine flow into aquifers adjacent to the Konarsiah salt diapir, Iran. Cave and Karst Science 37(2), pp37-44.

 

Non-invasive assessment of the archaeological potential of cave deposits: the example of Bishopston Valley Caves, Gower, South Wales (pp45-48) (PDF 5.0MB)     

by Rob DINNIS, Jesse S DAVIES and Andrew T CHAMBERLAIN.
The caves of the Gower peninsula are known to contain Late Pleistocene as well as Holocene sedimentary deposits and are therefore of particular interest to Quaternary scientists, including archaeologists specialising in the Palaeolithic period. Such cave deposits should be viewed as a valuable scientific resource. Here we report the findings of an assessment survey of the caves of Bishopston Valley, south-eastern Gower, utilising a methodology for non-invasive survey of caves sites which enables their archaeological potential to be assessed. Several of the caves in the Bishopston Valley contain deposits of potential archaeological importance. These deposits are under threat from human/animal use of the caves, and further investigation of these sites is warranted.
Summary: For layman's summary see PDF 455KB  
Classification: Report.
Date: Received: 04 November 2010; Accepted: 11 November 2010.

Bibliograph: DINNIS, Rob; Jesse S DAVIES and Andrew T CHAMBERLAIN. (2010). Non-invasive assessment of the archaeological potential of cave deposits: the example of Bishopston Valley Caves, Gower, South Wales. Cave and Karst Science 37(2), pp45-48.

 

Two sandstone caves on the southern edge of the Meghalaya Plateau, India (pp49-52) (PDF 7.7MB)     

by Sebastian F M BREITENBACH, Jonathan F DONGES, Brian KHARPRAN-DALY, Torsten KOHN and Till KOHN.
Two caves developed in sandstone are described from southern Meghalaya, northeastern India. Krem (Cave) Pubon is a fault-oriented sub-horizontal, sub-rectangular cave maze containing an active rivulet. Krem Lymbit is a relict horizontal cave, with a form that testifies to the former existence of a more extensive system, now largely eroded. Because both caves are unusual for this region, being developed in sandstone host rock, they are presented in support of the case for future exploration and scientific investigation in this important northeast Indian karst region.
Summary: For layman's summary see PDF 455KB  
Classification: Report.
Date: Received 25 August 2010; Accepted 04 October 2010.
Keywords: India, Meghalaya, sandstone caves.

Bibliograph: BREITENBACH, Sebastian F M; Jonathan F DONGES, Brian KHARPRAN-DALY, Torsten KOHN and Till KOHN. (2010). Two sandstone caves on the southern edge of the Meghalaya Plateau, India. Cave and Karst Science 37(2), pp49-52.

 

Large caves in China (pp53-58) (PDF 19.8MB)     

by Yuanhai ZHANG.
Current data indicate that the recorded caves within China include 78 that are more than 5km long and 60 that are deeper than 250m. There are 15 cave chambers with individual floor areas greater than 25,000m2 and 23 separate underground river systems whose lengths total more than 50km. Most of these caves and cave river systems are in southwestern China, where massive, thick and continuous sequences of carbonate rock are at outcrop across terrain that experiences a warm and humid climate.
Summary: For layman's summary see PDF 455KB  
Classification: Report.
Date: Received: 28 July 2010; Accepted: 03 October 2010.

Bibliograph: ZHANG, Yuanhai. (2010). Large caves in China. Cave and Karst Science 37(2), pp53-58.

 

The chronic illness of Christopher Francis Drake Long (1902 - 1924), who extended Stump Cross Caverns and discovered White Scar Caves, in England (pp59-64) (PDF 2.6MB)     

by Stephen A CRAVEN.
An account is given of Christopher Long's bipolar disease, with evidence to support the diagnosis. Some of the unusual aspects of his important cave explorations are potentially explained.
Summary: For layman's summary see PDF 455KB  
Date: Received 20 April 2010; Accepted 30 June 2010.
Keywords: Long, Bruff, Flintoff, Stump Cross, Holwell, bipolar.

 

Abstracts from the BCRA Summer Karst Science Field Meeting, 2 June 2010 (pp65-67) (PDF 661KB)     

Poole's Cavern and Buxton Country Park, Buxton, Derbyshire, UK.
Classification: Forum.

 

Abstracts from the BCRA Summer Cave Biology Field Meeting, 8 September 2010 (p67) (PDF 639KB)     

Arncliffe Village Hall and Scoska Cave, Littondale, Yorkshire, UK.
Classification: Forum.

 

World Karst Science (p68) (PDF 2.8MB)     

1) International Journal of Speleology. Volume 39(2). July 2010.
2) Journal of Cave and Karst Studies of the National Speleological Society. Volume 72(2), August 2010.
Classification: Forum.

 

Research Fund and Grants (page iii) (PDF 630KB)     

 

Back cover photos (page iv) (PDF 7.1MB)     

A montage of images illustrating karst and caves in China. (Photographs by Jerry Wooldridge, Tony Waltham, John Whalley. See contents page for full credits).