Network News
The Worlds Greatest Karst Disaster?
Involving one hundred years of well-intended anthropogenic destruction, which is destroying a unique karst groundwater system and habitat
by Mike Buchanan
a) one of the globe’s oldest (c. 2300 billion years old)
b) overlain by the Bushveld Igneous Complex (BIC) and
c) being vastly expansive covering an area of 500km x 250km which could mean that this is a unique kind of regenerating (post the BIC cover) Karst system.
Hypogenic Speleogenesis Conference (Ukraine, May 2009): Extended deadline
The International Conference on "Hypogenic Speleogenesis and Karst Hydrogeology of Artesian Basins" will be held in May 2009 in Western Ukraine (Chernivtsy), an internationally recognized model region of hypogenic speleogenesis in stratified artesian settings. The region hosts the world's largest gypsum maze caves. Field excursions through karst areas of Bukovina, Pridnestrovskaja Podolia and Pokutje will be organized between and after scientific sessions. They will offer a unique opportunity for participants to familiarize themselves with a spectrum of evolutionary types of karst (from deep-seated to entrenched), presented in the region. Field trips will serve to illustrate scientific and practical issues of hypogenic speleogenesis, karst hydrogeology of artesian basins and engineering geology of covered karst.
Deadline for preliminary registration and abstracts is extended till September 30, 2008.
Sending your early preliminary registration or notice of interest will help plan and organize the event.
(please, contact: institute@speleoukraine.net).
Thesis and Dissertations Directory has been reopened in the Speleogenesis Network
As you know this section is established for publication of titles and abstracts of BSc MSc and PhD thesis relevant to karstology and geospeleology. This will help young researchers make their works better known to the scientific community of karst and cave scientists, and make readers aware of works, many of which remain unpublished and overlooked. We kindly ask our readers, especially those who are university professors and thesis supervisors, assist us in publicising this opportunity among scholars. We call for thesis titles and abstracts (extended abstracts can include few "key" figures), which can be supplemented by the link to full works if they are available on the web.
Registered members of Speleogenesis.info can publish thesis announcements from their member panel.
For further details please, contact Alexander Klimchouk.
The Atlas of Cave Morphs is now alive!
We are happy to inform cave and karst scientists that the project "Atlas of Cave Morphs", preliminary announced earlier, is eventually launched online:
http://network.speleogenesis.info/directory/atlas/index.php
You can also access the Atlas via menu under "Projects" on the Speleogenesis Network startpage.
The Atlas of Cave Morphs is an informal collaborative project of the UIS Commission on Karst Hydrogeology and Speleogenesis run through Speleogenesis Network.
The goal is to create the structured collection (repository) of annotated images of type and unique cave morphologies, a representative resource for knowledge discovery in the field of speleogenesis. The Atlas provides not only a reference source and an image gallery, but a collaborative workspace for the image collection, analysis, interpretation and categorization.
We kindly invite all researcher possessing representative images of cave morphologies contribute them to the Atlas. There is an easy option for uploading your image and assigning metadata needed for understanding and interpretation of respective morphologies.
Search options based on metadata will be incorporated in the Atlas soon.
Some 17 images for various cave morphs are included at the start. We hope for your active contribution and quick growth of the collection. Your views and suggestions regarding the project are welcome - please, post them at the respective section of the Speleogenesis Forum:
http://network.speleogenesis.info/member/blog/blog_postings.php?topic_id=10
Sincerely yours,
--Alexander Klimchouk, the project coordinator
--Alexey Koptchinsky, the Speleogenesis webmaster
Tribute symposium for Derek Ford and Paul Williams during IGC 33 in Oslo
During the 33 International geological Congress in Oslo, 6-14 August 2008, the symposium GSM-03 is dedicated as a tribute to Derek and Paul for their lifelong and ground-breaking contributions in karst science.
professor, Dr. philos.
a tribute to Derek Ford and Paul Williams
Sponsoring the 15th International Speleological Congress
The 15th International Congress of Speleology (ICS) Organizing Committee is working hard toward providing you an excellent conference in 2009. Some of this effort is beginning to appear as updates on our website: www.ics2009.us . I will send you specific information on most of those later, but I want to share one special update here.
The home page of the website has been expanded. It now lists our sponsors and supporters. On behalf of the 15th ICS Organizing Committee, I want to thank and recognize these organizations that are providing money and other contributions to make the 15th ICS an excellent conference and at the lowest possible price. They will be featured in our circulars, as well as the website, and in other ways during and leading up to the ICS. We urge you to show your appreciation to these sponsors by supporting their services and buying their products.
I will briefly describe each below, but first let me ask that if you work, belong to, or have some influence or affiliation with a company, agency, or organization, ask if they would be willing to sponsor the ICS. They don’t have to be in the US or specifically cave-related to benefit from sponsoring the ICS. If you would like information on how to sponsor the ICS and what the ICS offers in return, contact Fund Raising Chairman Ron Ralph at sponsors@ics2009.us . All US contributions are tax deductible. We also welcome ideas for possible sponsors, but especially welcome your assistance in contacting them for support!
Please remember, for sponsors to receive maximum exposure through ICS circulars and other media, and to keep ICS registration prices as low as possible for our friends traveling from other countries and for students, we must receive commitments to sponsorship by 1 March 2008!
Our sponsors are divided into four categories based on the amount of their contribution or support.
At the highest “Karst” level (>$15,000) is the U.S. National Cave and Karst Research Institute.
The “Cavern” level ($5,000 - $15,000) has the Edwards Aquifer Authority, ESRI, HEB Grocery, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Not yet shown on the website are the recent sponsorships at this level by the Texas Cave Management Association and the U.S. Geological Survey.
The “Speleologist” level ($1,000 - $5,000) includes the Hoffman Environmental Institute, the Texas Speleological Association, and the Texas Speleological Survey. Not yet shown on the website is the recent sponsorship by the Bexar Grotto (the caving club closest to the ICS venue which is also doing much of the ICS work) and Good Earth Graphics, which has contributed enough to be elevated from its current website listing of In Kind Support.
In that category, we are happy to list Bat Conservation International, SpeleoProjects, and Switchback Designs.
Again, we thank our generous sponsors and supporters and hope you will join us in supporting them.
George Veni
Chairman, 15th International Congress of Speleology
Adjunct Secretary, International Union of Speleology
Executive Director, U.S. National Cave and Karst Research Institute
Karst session at the International Geological Congress in Oslo, 2008
There will be a session "International perspectives on karst aquifers
and water resources" at the International Geological Congress in Oslo,
Norway in August 2008.
the abstract deadline is February 29, 2008.
resources"
Convenors: Chris Groves, Yuan Daoxian, Bartolome Andreo-Navarro,
Heather Viles (UNESCO-IUGS-IGCP 513)
Geoscience Programme (IGCP) 513: Global Study of Karst Aquifers and
Water Resources. While it has been estimated that over one billion
people rely on karst aquifers for water supply, these systems often
present serious challenges with regard to both water quantity and
quality, even in places of relatively abundant rainfall. In many
countries with serious karst-related water supply issues, there are
also limited resources with which to solve these problems. The
purpose of this Symposium is to share perspectives on karst-related
water supply issues, and their solutions, from a variety of
international perspectives. Further information about IGCP 513 can be
found at http://hoffman.wku.edu/igcp/513.html.
for presenters is expected to be available through IGCP. Please email
IGCP513@gmail.com for information about this session.
International Journal of Speleology 37(1) is now online
We are glad to announce that the first issue of 2008 of the International Journal of Speleology is now online in our website www.ijs.speleo.it. This issue, 37(1), is a special issue dedicated to Karst Hydrogeology in Caves, guest-edited by Bartolomé Andreo (Malaga, Spain). I would like to thank Bartolomé for his outstanding work on behalf of the entire IJS community.
I would also like to let you know that IJS will now publish accepted articles online before the paper versions will be printed. This allows to speed up the publishing process, and I hope this will make publishing in IJS more appealing.
I wish you all a nice reading.
Best regards,
The editor of IJS
Jo De Waele
Hypogene caves in Iraq (Kurdistan) 2007
Not too many cavers will seriously think about going to Iraq at the moment. Consequently, the only comprehensive source on the caves of Iraq is a speleological bibliography published by Claude Chabert, Ray Mansfield & Pierre Strinati in 2000. However, there is a different part of Iraq existing where terrorists and kidnapping are unknown and where people are very hospitable to foreigners: the autonomous region of Kurdistan in the northeast of Iraq. The famous Shanidar Cave from where Neanderthal burials are known is located here.
Due to favourable circumstances a Kurdish-German cave surveying project became a reality in October/November 2007. This was carried out on invitation of the Kurdish Minister of Tourism and had brilliant logistical support by the Museum of Antiquities in Suleymaniyah. Within 3 weeks 21 caves with a total passage length of 8,115 metres were mapped, firmly establishing Kuna Kamtiar as the longest cave of Iraq currently 5,060 m in length. The cave is a complicated network of fossil rift passages created by sulphuric acid water (similar to Lechuguilla Cave, New Mexico, USA).
Another highlight was Trshawaka, a limestone cave with a sulphuric spring inside. The sulphuric acid has dissolved the carbonate rock and has produced a rind of replacive gypsum that covers the cave’s roof and walls. The source of the sulphur is supposed to be an underground hydrocarbon deposit. Exploration of Trshawaka was stopped in wide open river passage due to lack of time. The resurgence of the cave river is supposed to be about 1 km further towards the northeast. There are only a few active caves with sulphuric water known on a world-wide scale – e.g. Kane Caves in Wyoming, Cueva de Villa Luz in Mexico and Movile Cave in Romania, all of which having a unique biospeleology.
The cave potential in NE Iraq remains very high and the local authorities are keen to conduct further investigations. The results of the 2007 expedition will be available soon in English language in the publication series “Berliner Höhlenkundliche Berichte.”
Michael Laumanns
michael.laumanns@bmf.bund.de
List of the longest caves known in Iraq (as at November 2007):
No. Cave Location Length (in metres)
1.Kuna Kamtiar -- Kirkuk governorate 5,060 m*
2.Sahra -- Sulaimani governorate 1,080 m*
3.Fasaya -- Haditha city (Euphrat valley) approx. 1,000 m (no survey)
4.Pigeon Cave -- Haditha city (Euphrat valley) approx. 732 m (no survey)
5.Kuna Baa -- Sulaimani governorate 767 m*
6.Kouna -- Kowter/Malan Dohuk gov.(?), Tahkt-e-Solehman approx. 650 m (sketch)
7.Useiba -- Publication to be traced 570 m
8.Gejkar -- Sulaimani governorate 438 m*
* Surveyed by the 2007 Kurdish-German cave project.
“CALL OF THE ABYSS": Results of the Ukr.S.A. August-September 2007 expedition to Krubera Cave
In the period August 5 – September 15, 2007 the Ukrainian Speleological Association (Ukr.S.A.) have conducted the regular expedition of the "Call of the Abyss" Project to Krubera (Voronja) Cave in Arabika Massif, Abkhazia, the deepest cave in the World. A scientific program of the expedition and cave surveying has been supervised by the Ukrainian Institute of Speleology and Karstology (UISK).
The expedition, led by Yury Kasjan, consisted of 41 members including 29 cavers from Ukraine (Kiev – 9; Simferopol – 6; Poltava – 5; Kharkiv – 4; Sevastopol – 2; Ivan-Frankivsk – 1; Khmelnitsky – 1; Kamenetz-Podilsky – 1), 10 cavers from Russia (Moscow – 5; Ufa – 2; Kazan – 2; Novokuznetsk – 1), 1 caver from Belorussia and 1 caver from Great Britain. Some other cavers from Dnepropetrovsk (Ukraine) and Moldova, which have been working in the area as separate groups, also helped in Krubera operations.
There were three main exploration fronts pursued during the expedition:
1) The bottom sifon "Two Captains", explored by the previous Ukr.S.A. expedition in August 2006 to a squeeze at -14 m (-2158 m of total depth). In this expedition divers Gennadiy Samokhin and Yury Evdokimov made several dives pushing the sifon further on. The farthest (140 m) and deepest (-45.5 m) point has been reached by G.Samokhin, which gave a new depth for the cave at -2191 m. The sifon continues down as a steeply inclined passage.
2) The Nekujbyshevskaya branch, a distinct branch diverging from the main one at -250 m and stretching to the north-west, the direction opposite to the overall trend of the main branch. Following the major breakthrough made by the previous Ukr.S.A. expedition, the team led by Kyrylo Markovskoy explored many new passages and pits there to the depth of -1293 ì.
3) Side passages and sifons at various depths in the main branch between the bottom and -1775 m. G.Samokhin and Y.Evdokimov made 75 exploration dives in various sifons (not counting free dives in sifons on the main trail during regular transport operations). The main results were achieved in a side branch previously ended at -1775 m by the "Blue Lake" sifon. Behind the "Blue Lake", a series of air-filled passages has been explored, separated by 6 sifons. The farthest sifon "Yantarny" has been explored for 130 m in length and 19.5 m in depth and continues. The deepest point in this branch has been reached at -1841 m.
Altogether, 2510.5 m of new passages has been surveyed during this expedition.
The updated 3D model of Krubera Cave (VRML) can be viewed at
http://www.network.speleogenesis.info/directory/exploration/krubera.php
New total figures for Krubera Cave:
- Total depth: 2191ì
- Total length: 13 232ì
The scientific program performed during the expedition included temperature measurements, geological observations, microbiological sampling and sampling of clastic sediments (for mineralogical analyses) and speleothems (for dating and isotope analyses).
During 29 days of underground operations in this expedition five underground camps were in use. The expedition has removed all camp wastes to the surface and further from the mountains, including those from the deepest camps (including camps at -1960m and -1640m).
Yury Kasjan and Alexander Klimchouk, the CA Project co-ordinators
Karst Sessions at the EGU General Assembly, Vienna Austria, 13-18 April 2008
The following karst/cave related sessions are planned within the EGU General Assembly, Vienna Austria, 13-18 April 2008:
NH 8.1 "Natural and Antropogenic Hazards in karst areas"
Conveners: De Waele, J., Plan, L., Filipponi, M.
Details at
http://www.cosis.net/members/meetings/skeleton/session_information.php?p_id=308&s_id=5226
GM4.4 "Surface and Subsurface Karst Geomorphology"
Conveners: Parise, M., Gutierrez, F., De Waele, J.
Details at
http://www.cosis.net/members/meetings/skeleton/session_information.php?p_id=304&s_id=5511
SSP2 "Strengths and limitations of speleothem archives"
Conveners: Spötl, C., Fairchild, I., Fleitmann, D., Mangini, A.
http://www.cosis.net/members/meetings/sessions/information.php?p_id=298&s_id=5468
The deadline for the abstracts is January 14th.
Information on the meeting:
http://meetings.copernicus.org/egu2008/
Information on abstract submission at:
http://meetings.copernicus.org/egu2008/how_to_submit_an_abstract.html
11th Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst™
11th Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst™ - Deadline for abstract submission is extended by November 28, 2007.
Call For Papers
11th Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst™
Submit your Abstracts by November 28, 2007!
Be a part of the most important international conference on the practical impacts of karst terrain. Share experiences with professionals from around the world. The complex hazards of karst terrain affect foundations, utilities, highways, and transportation facilities, and present contamination hazards to ground and surface water resources. Since 1984, geologists, geotechnical and environmental engineers, hydrogeologists, geographers, government officials, and a wide variety of professionals working in areas of karst terrain have gathered at the Multidisciplinary Conferences on Sinkholes and the Engineering & Environmental Impacts of Karst™ to learn from each other. If you ever work in karst terrain, you will benefit from attending this conference.
The 11th edition of these multidisciplinary karst conferences is now accepting abstracts.
The website is open at www.asce.org/conferences/karst2008. Present a paper, exhibit your services or products, update your professional development with short courses, and enjoy Florida’s springs and karst on the field trip. Join your colleagues in Tallahassee, Florida, next September. Don’t miss it!
Get on Track!
USGS Karst Post-doc position available
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) invites applications for the
Mendenhall Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program.
For one of these fellowships, the research topic is "The impacts of Quaternary climate change on karst geomorphology and hydrology in the
Appalachian region." For more information on preparing an application
proposal for this opportunity, please contact one of the research
advisors: David Weary, (703) 648-6897, dweary@usgs.gov; Daniel
Doctor, (703) 648-6027, dhdoctor@usgs.gov; Christopher Swezey, (703)
648-6444, cswezey@usgs.gov; Milan Pavich, (703) 648-6963,
mpavich@usgs.gov.
The Mendenhall postdoctoral fellowships are 2-year appointments with
competitive salary and benefits. The closing date for applications
is November 9, 2007. Appointments will start October 2008 or later,
depending on availability of funds. A description of the program,
research opportunities, and the application process are available at:
http://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc.
From KWI mailing
ISEI - International Speleological Expedition to Iran
Une expédition internationale en Iran (ISEI) sous le patronnage de l'Union Internationale de Spéléologie (UIS) se prépare à l'initiative de Fadi nader, Eric Vandenbrouck et Jean-Pierre Bartholeyns pour septembre-octobre 2008. Vous êtes intéressés d'y participer, vous désirez simplement en savoir plus, vous souhaitez soutenir ou sponsoriser sa réalisation et l'aide qui sera fournie au spéléologues locaux... visitez alors notre site Web:
http://iran.speleo.tv/index.php?pg=3
Régulièrement mis à jour avec les dernières nouvelles et informations il est en constante évolution. N'hésitez donc pas à le revisiter. Vous désirez nous faire part d'une idée, d'un avis, d'une information, un forum est à votre disposition. Il suffit de cliquer sur cet onglet. Merci de votre visite.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
An international expedition to Iran (ISEI) under the patronage of the International Union of Speleology (UIS) is being prepared, following the initiative of Fadi Nader, Eric Vandenbrouck and Jean-Pierre Bartholeyns in September-October 2008.
If you want to participate, if you would just like to know more about it, if you wish to support or sponsor its realization and the help that will be provided to local cavers, visit our Website:
http://iran.speleo.tv/index.php?pg=3
Regularly updated with the latest news and information, it is in constant development. Please feel free to check it regularly. If you would like to pass on an idea, an opinion or information, a forum is available. Just click on this tab. Thank you for your visit.
Acta Carsologica has entered the SCI Expanded
After several years of evaluation processes at ISI, Acta Carsologica has entered the SCI Expanded http://www.thomsonscientific.com/cgi-bin/jrnlst/jloptions.cgi?PC=D.
Acta Carsologica is the second cave & karst journal included in the base, after Journal of Cave and Karst Studies.
Although a good reason to celebrate, the coverage brings more obligations than pleasure. Our IF will be measured and reported, what means that we have to work on the quality and "citability" of the published papers.
There is a new AC web page, active since one year. Please visit http://carsologica.zrc-sazu.si .
Last but not least, you are all invited as contributors to Acta Carsologica.
Yours sincerely,
Andrej Kranjc, Editor-in-Chief
Franci Gabrovsek, Co-Editor
Deep cave explorations in the Western Caucasus: Connection of Illjuzia Cave to the Snezhnaja-Mezhennogo system sets it the World's 2nd deepest cave
According to the report of Alexey Shelepin, the leader of the ongoing expedition of the Speleological Commission of the Russian Geographic Society (Moscow), Illjuzia Cave has been connected to the Snezhnaja-Mezhennogo System on August 2nd.
The system is located in the Bzybsky Massif adjacent to Arabika, the host massif for the world’s deepest cave Krubera (-2.158m). Illjuzia Cave is the uppermost entrance to the system at 2390 m. The amplitude of the Snezhnaja-Mezhennogo-Illjuzia System is now 1750 m and lenght is 23 km. The connection is a culmination of long-lasted efforts in Illuzia Cave. Congratulations!
Speleogenesis Forum is live!
The alpha version of the Forum has basic functionality that will allow members to post and discuss their ideas and opinions. You are very welcome to test it!
The Forum is structured according to major tasks and activities of the Speleogenesis Network.
The Forum can be accessed from a Home menu, or click here.
There is a specific section for the site-related discussion. As the site is at its initial stage, it is very important to have your views, opinions and suggestions regarding its design, organization and functionality. This site is designed to serve the community needs, so your input is crucial for its sucessful development.
Karst Information Portal is live!
The Karst Information Portal (KIP) is now functional and prepared to accept both user registrations and collection content. Please, visit http://www.karstportal.org/
This project is the culmination of two years of planning and relationship-building and yet represents but the beginning. The goal is a worldwide information network, easily accessible to scientists and researchers, as a means to inform research, to create innovative linkages among karst scientists and their research results, and to address policy decisions in karst environments.
Although KIP overlaps with some functions/tasks, which had been pursued during last five years by the Speleogenesis.info site, we are working closely with KIP on coordinating/adjusting things in order to avoid unnecessary competition/duplication and make two sites complementary to each other.
