E.A. Martel (1859-1938) is rightly regarded as one of the most important people in the history of cave study. Writing in French, as he did, his work was little known in those parts of central Europe ...that were in the Austrian empire. Thus much of what he wrote about the Classical Karst was not readily accessible to those now living in that area. It is for that reason that this English translation of his 1894 publication has been made. Martel had been in Slovenia from 14 September 1893 to mid October. He was shown the principal caves and karst features of the region by Wilhelm Putick who had been exploring these places from 1886 onwards. This assistance had been authorised by Count Falkenhayn, the Minister of Agriculture in Wien. Such was the importance with which Martel was regarded internationally.
This is a very dull book. Like a dictionary, it contains only facts: facts that are not readily to be found elsewhere. People who are important in the study of caves and karst are known for what they ...did, what they wrote and whom they influenced. But as individuals they are often no more than a name. They may perhaps be recognized for other aspects, as a King perhaps, or a novelist or a famous doctor. Some, like Darwin or Freud, have changed the world in other ways~but very many had only normal quiet lives during which they also explored, studied or wrote about caves. It is they whose wider lives are difficult to trace and it is 4634 of them who are recorded here, with information from birth certificates, obituaries, unpublished letters and mentions by other people. It is their wider lives that help to show them as real people. In some cases their interest in caves was a part of their professional lives. In many others it provides stimulation and relaxation in otherwise busy lives. But in every case it was the same person and the same brain that enjoyed both~and it was both that made them the people they were. It is only from the biographical sources recorded here, that each person can be understood.
This bilingual scientific monograph with many illustrations presents the Velika Pasica cave, located on the outskirts of the Gornji Ig village on the Krim massif, around 20 km south of Ljubljana, ...Slovenia. The book presents ecological, taxonomical and biodiversity studies, as well as morphological and historical facts referring to the cave. The cave is small for Slovenian standards, as it is only 105 metres long. On the basis of the specimens collected in the cave, 13 new species from terrestrial and aquatic habitats have been described so far. A considerable number, even on the global scale. The cave was first renowned for the rare cave-dwelling beetles, snails as well as other species. In 2000, a rich community of aquatic animals was discovered, which were not expected to be present there. Since 2006, there have been regular measurements of ecological parameters as well as sampling of fauna from four permanent drips. Fauna was washed-out from a thin layer of dolomite, from which the cave roof consists. The measurements include water and air temperature as well as discharge, measured in one hour intervals. Furthermore, 88 analyses of drip water and an equal number of fauna sampling were conducted. The measurements in the cave were being conducted simultaneously with the measurements of the meteorological parameters on the surface, in the immediate vicinity of the cave entrance.
Research represent in this monograph (Incomplete Solution Of Carbonate Rocks In Karst Caves Of Slovenia) was dedicated to incomplete solution of limestones and dolomites in karst caves~that is to ...occurrence of thick, soft weathered zones of “soluble” residue of carbonate rocks. With field and laboratory analyses I have tried to find out what is happening within the carbonate rocks during weathering and why they do not dissolve completely. Solution penetrates into the rock along various textures and structures. Results of analysis have shown that during weathering limestones and dolomites become purer~Mg, Sr and U are leached out, structure of the rock becomes more porous. In the cases when surface of weathered rock come in contact with flowing water, the water tears exposed particles and transports them away. If water does not flow over the exposed particles fast enough, they remain attached to the wall of the cave. The ratio between corrosion and the mechanical erosion of carbonate rocks on cave passages walls is more significant for the formation of roughness and rocky relief on the wall than for the growth of the passage. Microorganisms are present in the processes, but it is not yet known if they contribute to the weathering. From research follows that zones of white porous rock on cave walls are a product of weathering and are not precipitated secondary minerals.
Since 1994, karstologists have participated uninterruptedly in the planning and construction of expressways on Slovenia’s karst. The choice of expressway and railway routes must above all respect the ...integrity of the karst landscape and follow recommendations on avoiding major karst surface features and already known caves. Special attention is devoted to the impact of the construction and use of expressways on karst waters. The results of constant research of karst features discovered in the course of the construction of expressways have enriched our knowledge of the natural and cultural heritage and deepened our karstological knowledge. They also represent starting points for planning life on karst surfaces and the protection of karst. The book is intended for karstologists, experts from the field of earth sciences, engineering geologists, planners of traffic routes, students, nature protectionists, planners in administrative units, managers of karst water resources, waterworks, tourist caves, etc.
This book draws together the major recent advances in the modeling of karst systems. Based on the dissolution kinetics of limestone, and flow and transport processes in its fractures, it presents a ...hierarchy of cave genetic situations that range from the enlargement of a single fracture to the evolution of cavernous drainage patterns in confined and unconfined karst aquifers. These results are also applied to the evolution of leakage below dam sites in karst. The book offers a wealth of informations that help to understand the development of cave systems. It addresses geologists, hydrologists, geomorphologists, and geographers. It is also of interest to all scientists and engineers who have responsibilities for groundwater exploration and management in karst terrains. A CD including all figures figures from the nook and numerous animations presenting the results is enclosed.
The book represents a detailed study of the fauna of drips and drip pools in six caves in Slovenia. Drips and drip pools are important because they are just about the only way of assessing the ...epikarst community. Using a special sampling device, it was possible to sample individual drips for extended periods of time. A total of 37 species of copepods were found in drips and drip pools. Significant differences in the fauna between drips and pools, presumably because of differential survival and reproduction in pools were found. Somewhat surprisingly it was found that the kind of pool, e.g., mud-bottomed compared to calcite bottomed, made little difference.
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